"Hey, stop throwing sticks and stones at me to slow me down!"
Aqua yelled in frustration.
At that moment, I was doing everything in my power to slow down Aqua's pace so that the giant frogs would catch up to her before me.
I grabbed sticks and stones, hurling them in her direction with such expert precision, all of them hit the center of her head.
"For the survival of the fittest! Gender has no say in this!"
I declared, trying to sound tough.
"I don't want to hear any serious and meaningful quotes from a loser like you! Take this!"
Aqua retaliated, hurling rocks and sticks back at me, but she missed all of them in an embarrassing manner and at embarrassing speed.
"What's with your aim? Are you blind in your left eye or something?"
"Not at all! I just have terrible luck when it comes to things like this. Seeing as you landed all those rocks and sticks at me, you must have extremely high luck."
"Oh yeah, sure. I have enough high luck to be sent to this world, become a baby, live on a farmhouse, and now be chased by giant frogs with you though."
"I've had enough of this. This is a battle of wits and resolve. I still have an ace up my sleeve, thankfully."
"Say what?"
"Haste!"
Aqua cast a spell, surrounded by yellow stardust, and her speed increased dramatically to the point it ultimately surpassed mine.
"Aw, you cheating bitch!"
I should've realized sooner that my previous character arc of just slouching around the couch and bed would be my own demise.
I remember when I could actually run back and forth to gather crops and tools for my father for about thirty minutes without any breaks. Now I can't even outrun a little girl.
I also probably lost a little bit of muscle mass that I worked throughout the years of carrying those said heavy tools and crops.
"You snooze, you lose! I'll see you in hell! As if I would ever go there though... Bye, whatever-your-name-is!"
She recognized me but didn't even remember my name! And what did she mean by hell? Could goddesses even go to hell for something like this?
Then I sincerely hoped the government was headed there for what they'd done to my family.
Alright, Kazuma, it's time to make her lose her footing.
I'm not so dumb enough to try to outrun her; she had already proven her superiority in speed and stamina. But I wasn't ready to accept defeat from some girl with an infuriating attitude.
All I needed to do was to throw a rock at her legs, maybe her foot, to make her stumble.
I grabbed a suitable rock, aiming directly at her peroneal nerve, the nerve that controlled the calf.
A strike there would numb her leg to the point of temporary paralysis.
It was a quick fact my father had taught me when examining a horse's leg for injuries.
Thanks, father.
"I'll drop you dead!"
I shouted as I hurled the rock with all my might, hitting my target precisely.
"Ahh!"
Aqua cried out as she fell, tumbling dramatically before landing face-first in the dirt.
"Ahhh, Shut-In-NEET, save me, please! I'm so sorry for leaving you behind! If you save me, I'll also buff you with Haste! Our chances of survival will be greater if we work together!"
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't let you get eaten and digested by those frogs?"
"I-I'll do anything! I'll help you with whatever you ask! As long as it isn't anything erotic or too demanding!"
"Why would you go so far as to assume I want to have my way with you? That being said, I'm just gonna run away. Bye, and have a great life."
With that, I left Aqua behind and sped off.
"W-Wait! I'll do anything! Please, I'm sorry! I'll do whatever you want me to do! Anything sexual, I can do for you! Being covered in frog slime is worse than being defiled by you! Not like you wouldn't have the balls to do so anyway!"
She knew me too well, and we'd only just met.
"Fine, I'll think about what you should do for me in return. Buff me."
I quickly ran back and offered Aqua a hand.
"Haste!"
Suddenly, I felt like the fastest man alive.
Aqua and I managed to outrun the giant frogs, in which they lost interest in us.
...
We've reached the nearest town in a small duration of time.
Aqua and I were left out of breath after ten minutes of running with pure adrenaline.
Though it is strange...
"Hey, aren't you a goddess? Why are you as tired as me? Are you also a NEET compared to your fellow companions?"
"Not at all! I was summoned into this world with limiting factors set on me. If I were to be back at the heavenly realm, I could run around for as long as I want with no stamina issue."
That sucks, so she's basically a regular human, is what she's saying? Then again she just buffed herself with a spell that increased her speed twice the amount.
What were her limits, I've wondered.
Actually, bringing up the giant elephant in the room.
"That's also something I've wanted to ask. Why are you here in this world all of a sudden? Someone like you would hate to be in this sort of world."
Aqua stiffened up as I said that.
Then she proceeded to play with her index fingers, poking them together.
"You see, one of my subordinates reported that someone was mistakenly sent to this world. She had heard from one of her worshippers who was thanking them for her divine gift, which she wasn't aware of. At first, she didn't seem bothered by it, assuming it was something trivial, until seventeen years later when that same person prayed to her, asking that her son who was the divine gift, fulfill his destiny and defeat the Demon King. My subordinate did some investigating and discovered my mistake. Now, the higher-ups are punishing me by sending me to this world to find that person and help him defeat the Demon King since I didn't provide him with any special items and just let him to grow up as a baby for seventeen years."
Was it perhaps my mother who prayed to Eris-sama? Or my father?
Both my parents worshipped the goddess Eris-sama, praying to her everyday that they would be bestowed with good fortune and luck.
I, myself, don't see a need to enter the Eris Order and pray to Eris-sama.
I heard it gives you a divine protection against those that would do harm to you physically and mentally but I didn't believe in it, nor care for it.
If she actually answered my parent's prayers, we'd be rich by now.
That being said.
"Honestly, you should've had your godhood stripped away with what you've done to me."
"How can you say that?! Ugh, anyway. What's with you being here? Last time I remember, you were being sent to a family that owned an abundant amount of farmland. Did you get sick and tired of it like a true hikimorri? Or did you finally get kicked out by your parents for being a hikimorri?"
"Both of them are wrong! In fact, I left on my own accord! I'm a grown up after all. Besides, after seventeen years of boredom and depression, I've decided to... find a way to get rich. And possibly defeat the Demon King so I can go back to Japan."
Aqua beamed a smile.
"Then we're on the same page! You want to become an adventurer? Then let's make a party together!"
"Ya know, making a party with a person whose name you've forgotten is extremely rude."
"Sorry. Let's introduce each other again. My name is Aqua, the god-"
"Yeah. Yeah. I'm Satou Kazuma, my sincere condolences to meet you."
Aqua was shellshocked.
"Hey, no one ruins my dramatic introduction without receiving divine punishment! And what do you mean 'condolences' to meet such a divine deity like me?!"
"You're the one who sent me to this good-for-nothing world anyway. I'll disrespect you as many times as I see fit. How is that? That's my request for saving you from those giant frogs."
"Oh... And here I thought you would try to have your way with me. Seeing this sudden personality from you, I might even let you have a peek-"
"Let's explore this town."
"Hey!"
...
"Do you have any clues about this town?"
I had expected this world to have a third-world country vibe, with dangerous gangs, mafias, and rebels, but I see none of it.
Perhaps I've grown accustomed to the farm and lived my whole life as a farmer for so long that I forgot about the outside world completely.
"This is the town of Axel, specifically aimed at helping beginners start a new journey."
I didn't expect her to take her goddess job so seriously...
We reached our destination in the center of the town, one that resembled an important adventurer guild.
"This is the adventurer guild."
I knew it, a place for adventurers to take up quests, which was a staple in games; an organization that supports the adventurers, the job agency of this world.
There was a rather large establishment before us, and the fragrance of food drifted from within. Some rough characters would certainly be inside, and they might find trouble with us if they see unfamiliar faces.
After preparing myself mentally, Aqua and I entered.
"Ah, welcome. Please approach the counter if you're looking for quests. If you're here to dine, then please take any empty seat...!"
A waitress with short red hair warmly received us. She looks cute.
The slightly dim interior seemed to double as a bar, and inside, groups of men in armor were congregating, but they didn't seem to bear ill will.
However, unfamiliar faces were rare, as everyone was focused on us.
It wasn't now until I realized why they were looking this way.
"Hey why are they looking at you specifically?"
"I've got a bad reputation in this town. The truth is, I was sent to this world a week ago. Since I had no job, I begged for quite a bit of money, enough to eat. But I wanted more money to buy myself a mansion, so I also coerced some naive young boys who wanted to impress me with their strength into taking dangerous quests so I could get some easy riches. But... it backfired as all of them ended up in the hospital, and soon after a few days, everyone started to avoid me to avoid taking dangerous quests..."
Pity for those foolish teenagers...
"So that's why you know a bit about this town."
Her rumors seems entirely reasonable for what she's done.
"She's found another naive boy. Poor kid."
"My condolences to his parents."
"Eris-sama, please grant this unlucky boy with your gracious luck."
Dammit, now I'm also the talk of the guild thanks to this idiot!
Aqua and I walked past the many people who stared at us.
Have they no shame?! It's rude to stare at...
"Good morning, my name is Luna. How may I help you?"
A pretty counter lady with huge boobs attends to our service.
"U-Um... is there a way I can become an adventurer?"
Shit, don't stare, Kazuma! It's rude to stare at her bountiful possessions!
"Yup! You've come to the right place. There'll be a registration fee, is that okay?"
"No problem. I have this frog meat that I can sell to cover the fee."
I handed over the contents of my loot to Luna, the most attractive girl I've seen yet.
"Splendid, that'll do! The registration fee is only 1,000 eris. You've killed two giant frogs, which earns you a total of 10,000 eris. Your change will be 9,000 eris!"
That's... an okay amount of money for now.
"Don't look so sad, Kazuma. Eris coins are worth the same as Yen currency."
Which means I've earned 9,000 yen by risking my life out there...
You just made it worse! I had hoped that eris coins would be as valuable as the American dollar!
"All right. Since you said you want to become an adventurer, you should have some level of understanding, but I'll explain it from the start... First, adventurers are responsible for exterminating monsters wandering outside the town, individuals who get rid of dangerous creatures that might harm the citizens. They're also jacks-of-all-trades, taking on odd jobs that require their talents. Collectively known as adventurers, they are people who earn a living this way. And among adventurers, there are different vocations."
Finally, it was coming.
This was the norm for adventurers. Be it a vocation, class, or whatever it's called, you had to choose your fighting style in this world.
Compared to the straightforward warrior profession, flashy vocations like mages should be better.
The counter lady handed me a card.
It was about the size of a driver's license and appeared to be an identification card.
"Please look over here; do you see the word 'Level'? As both of you know, all things in the world have souls no matter their form. If you eat or kill a being, you can absorb a part of the soul's memory, known as 'Experience Points.'
"Experience Points are typically intangible, but..."
The counter lady pointed to one part of the card and continued.
"With this card, the Experience Points the adventurer absorbs will be displayed here. At the same time, the level corresponding to your experience points will be shown here. This indicates an adventurer's strength. The number of enemies you defeat will be recorded here. As you accumulate experience points, all creatures will rapidly grow stronger at some point, known as leveling up. In simpler terms, leveling up offers various benefits, such as skill points to learn new abilities. So, please work hard to increase your level."
After listening to the explanation, I recalled something Aqua said.
She asked me,
"Do you like games?"
I got it. After listening to all that, this world was just like a game.
"First, please fill in your height, weight, age, and other details in the blanks."
I filled in my measurements on the form given to me by the counter lady.
My height was 165 cm (5 ft., 5 in), weight 55 kg (121 lbs.). Seventeen years old, brown hair, and green eyes...
"That'll be fine, please touch this card. This will display the strength of each of your abilities for reference when choosing your job. After accumulating skill points, you can learn skills that are available for your job. This is one of the key points in choosing occupations."
Oh, it was time for this.
The time to show my amazing potential and create a big commotion in the guild.
Maybe I will have a 'ladiesman' as one of my strengths.
With tense emotions and a heart full of expectation, I touched the card.
"... All right, thank you. Satou Kazuma-san, right? Let's see... Strength, vitality, magic, agility, and speed... All of them are average. Intelligence is slightly better than average... Huh? Luck is very high, but it's not very relevant for adventurers... This is troubling. From the numbers, you can only choose the most basic Adventurer job! Since your luck is so high, I suggest you give up being an adventurer and be a merchant or businessman instead... What would you like to do?"
Hey! Where the hell is the 'ladiesman' strength feature at?!
That being said, my current stats are completely pitiful! Then again, I did come from a common family. It should be expected, but I didn't expect it to be this low!
And why is this girl hiding her laughter from behind? Does she want to get eaten by frogs?
"Um... I'd like to become an Adventurer..."
"I-It's fine. After leveling up and raising your stats, you can change your job! In addition, the Adventurer job is just what it sounds like; it's a combination of all jobs. That's right, it might be a basic level job, but it doesn't mean it's worse than the others! Adventurers can learn and use the skills of all jobs after all!"
Luna, the pretty counter lady, tried her very best to boost my self-esteem.
Unless she takes her shirt off, I think I'm going to be in a very depressed mood for a while...
"On the other hand, you'll need more skill points to learn skills. Without the bonus attribute of the actual job, your skills will be weaker when compared to them. It's a jack of all trades, master of none."
And then there's Aqua who was twisting the knife in my heart.
I really should find a place to throw her away.
It seemed that I would be taking a basic job, a beginner job. Anyway, it was the weakest job. Which probably means I won't get rich by doing something I'm not good at.
I'll just take the adventurer job as a part-time job and find other jobs to do.
My mother and father told me that working an X amount of jobs will get you rich, but in this world... I really don't believe it.
I need to come up with something that will change this world. Like an invention of some sort...
As if.
The only things I can remember from Japan are the language and mangas at this point.
Maybe I should start a business, like a restaurant with cute ladies that will serve me every day. At least a business that I can at least remember back from my world.
But I'll need the funds for that.
"Aqua, show me your stats."
"Fufu... Kazuma-san, you're not ready to see them. When I first unfolded my card after receiving pity money from an Eris priest, the town was at an uproar!"
Yet here they are, avoiding you now...
"Look!"
I looked at her card.
What the hell are these numbers?! That can't be right!
She's got low intelligence and rock-bottom luck, which I've already expected, but I didn't expect the rest of her stats to drastically exceed the average!
It seems I was right about her magic being strong when she buffed herself with Haste because her magical prowess exceeds that of numbers I thought weren't possible.
"Meh."
I turned my face to seem uninterested.
"Hey! That's rude! My abilities exceed those of the strongest archpriest in the world! I can resurrect anyone on the spot! Perhaps if you ever die in a glorious battle against your archnemesis, I'll be there to resurrect you!"
"Then why didn't you heal all those foolish young boys when they were injured, trying to show off?"
Aqua's face stiffened once more.
"Y-You see, I don't have the best combative skills as an archpriest. I was left with no choice but to run. T-Thankfully, the monsters we've faced seemed uninterested in eating corpses with a large poking thingy in their pants, so someone else found their body."
This goddess...
She really does deserve to go to hell...
...
For the upcoming two weeks, Aqua and I worked our butts off, with our current knowledge of this world, to make as much money possible and save up as much money as possible.
We took on many part-time jobs, particularly construction work and less of adventurer work as we couldn't afford to risk our lives over a payroll we can easily make with construction and other jobs that were a safer alternative.
Construction work proved to be exhausting and incredibly demanding. However, thanks to my father's habit of overworking me in the past, I had developed the mental fortitude to endure the excruciating physical strain.
Something my father told me when I was on the verge of giving up,
"In tough times, your true self emerges, urging you to quit. But if you stay in that tough time, that is where the growth starts to happens."
Remarkably, Aqua displayed an unexpected talent for construction work, earning herself the unofficial title of Assistant Foreman.
I suspected that our boss had fabricated this role just to keep her around the construction site for as long as he can before she starts to realize she can start her own construction company and maintain the walls even better.
However, she was granted the authority to give me instructions, and, for once, I complied because Aqua's buffs allowed me to perform the above average amount of required work to stay on the site.
Aqua continued to impress me with her management skills, ensuring that we adhered to safety standards and guidelines while rectifying any mistakes in our construction work.
And I wasn't the only one getting casted buff spells by Aqua.
"Aqua-sensei, I require one of your most fulfilling buffs on me!"
"Aqua-sama, I am in need of your divine power!"
"Aqua-san, we're here for our daily buffs."
Things were going well in our construction job, but it wasn't enough.
I was hungry for more money.
I was determined to save my family from the peasant life, thanks to the good-for-nothing nobles and governor of Axel.
That being said, Aqua and I were saving up quite enough money to continuously rent a small apartment for the both of us to sleep.
Of course, I slept on the floor.
I thought it was going way too well... and I wish I hadn't said that in my mind...
Everything we had achieved through hard work and dedication was washed away in an instant when during this particular moment... this certain member of my party... who shall remain nameless... decided it was a good idea to...
We had finally secured a part- time job that paid slightly better than construction work and required less physical effort.
Our task was to cook for a small but busy restaurant that catered specifically to adventurers and offered dishes that contained an animal called Duxion, a small duck-like creature known for their substantial experience points.
Unfortunately, I didn't meet the qualifications to be a cook and was relegated to the role of a waiter.
Surprisingly, Aqua qualified as a cook.
It seemed strange to me, as most establishments would prefer a cute and beautiful waitress to serve their customers.
However, after learning about the rumors of Aqua that many adventurers avoided her because of her previous actions that led to other adventurers in the hospital, she was deemed too recognizable by her blue hair and likely to scare away potential adventuring customers.
Thus, I took on the role of waiter.
And on our first day...
"Aqua, what's with that smell of burnt food?! You're burning the roasted duxions!"
"Huh?"
It appeared she had been lost in thought the entire time she was on duty.
The duxions she had left unattended had burst into flames, likely due to the oil brushed onto it.
"K-Kazuma, what do I do?!"
I rushed over to her, holding something in my hands.
"Quick, grab this bucket of water and throw it!"
Aqua grabs the empty wooden bucket and...
"EH!"
She throws it toward the fire, destroying the bucket in the process with her immense goddess strength, causing the fire to spread even further.
I stood there with my mouth agape, much like a cartoon character, while she just shrugged her shoulders shyly.
"Now what?"
"GAHHHH! You idiot! You're supposed to fill the bucket with water, not throw it like a dumbass! Aren't you the goddess of sewage?! Do something about the fire!"
"How rude! Don't mistake me for a pile of sewage water. Very well, watch this, and prepare to be amazed at how skilled I am as a freelance firefighter!"
Aqua summoned her staff.
"Create Water!"
Oh that's great, at least she has a brain and knows how to summon water.
But where is it going to come from-
"GAHHHHHH!"
She flooded the entire kitchen, essentially turning it into a makeshift swimming pool.
The door could no longer hold back the deluge and broke down, carrying away tables, chairs, customers, and money outside of the restaurant.
Ya know, she can actually be this town's freelance firefighter if she actually went through with it...
In the end, we were both fired, even though I hadn't done anything wrong. The damages to be paid equaled the amount we had saved for those two weeks of hard work and dedication, leaving us completely broke.
"Aqua... I feel like I should make you repay with your body..."
I'm definitely going to force her to become a freelance firefighter or a human water tank!
"Absolutely not! Do you think my body is worth 400,000 eris?! How dare you!"
We could no longer afford the small but above average apartment and were forced to sleep in the horse stables.
It became clear that we needed to undertake a quest that would get us back on our feet in an instant.
...
Aqua and I decided to post a recruitment notice on the guild's bulletin board.
However, we both needed to write a paragraph explaining why anyone should join our party.
To make it as appealing as possible, we decided to combine our paragraphs to make it as open-hearted as possible.
"Aqua, what are some good traits about you? I can't think of any."
"I'm beautiful, a goddess, an excellent archpriest, and a genuinely supportive person."
I began erasing some of my writing off of the paper.
"What were you just erasing?"
"Nothing, just erased 'average-looking, a devil in disguise, useless, and demoralizing.' No need to worry."
"What about you, Kazuma? What are some good good traits about you? I can't think of any."
"I'm popular with the girls. And I've gotten over my illness and decided that adventuring was my peak."
Aqua then began erasing some of her writing off of her paper.
"What were you just erasing?"
"Nothing, just erased 'got over my hikikomori phase and finally have the courage to socialize with some girls and get a job.' No need to worry."
Aqua and I threw our balled-up papers at each other and started over.
Finally, we've reached an agreement and led to this:
"Immediate opening! We're a cozy, harmonious party. I've been happy every day since I joined this party. I got over my illness and became popular. Advance job classes only. P.S. We intend to defeat the Demon King."
This is what we both came up with to try to recruit any party members.
"I feel like this is a bit misleading. We've never been a cozy and harmonious party. And not once was there an inch of happiness in this party. And I think hiring advance classes is a bit too far. Also, no one would be stupid enough to try to defeat the Demon King when they're in a beginner town like this!"
"Should we also remove the 'became popular' part? I feel like that statement is implied only to you, and you haven't exactly become a hit with the ladies. In fact, more guys tend to talk to me at the construction site."
I ignored Aqua's suggestion and walked away from the table we sat on.
"Alright, let's just put this up. Whoever wants to join, can join. We can't expect anyone to join on the first day anyway."
"Hey don't just ignore me!"
...
Yesterday, no one approached us to inquire about joining our party.
In fact, as soon as they read our recruitment notice, featuring a drawing that bore a striking resemblance to Aqua, they hurriedly retreated.
Those who didn't recognize Aqua sensed the warning signs and turned away.
And for those who remained oblivious to the red flags, our P.S. message about our intention to defeat the Demon King were exchanged with laughter or completely ignored.
"I think we should come up with a different slogan for our recruitment paper. Everyone's avoiding it entirely, some of them even laughing at our last sentence."
I expected no one to join the first day, but I didn't expect anyone to laugh at the poster. Even my mood was brought to rock-bottom after that.
I thought they were just rude at first but after seeing people hosting interviews with others, we were complete amateurs when it comes to recruitment, and it was well deserved lesson taught to me.
"Ugh... But I'm a goddess... I should be able to request whatever I want..."
"If you had that capability, we would have already formed a strong party. Let's lower our expectations a bit. We should probably remove the 'Defeat the Demon King' part as well."
"But I want to go back home."
"Same here. But we just need a bit more patience."
"I saw the notice, recruiting adventurers with top-tier jobs. Are you the ones who posted it?"
The girl who stood before us had red, drowsy eyes and shoulder-length black hair.
She donned classic witch attire, complete with a black cloak, dark boots, a pointy hat, and carried a staff.
Her delicate features resembled that of a porcelain doll, and she looked no older than thirteen years old.
For us, she appeared as a character straight out of a fantasy novel.
It wasn't surprising for children to work in this world...
The small, frail girl who looked to be about thirteen years old, had a crimson eyepatch covering one eye.
She flung her cloak aside like an important main character and said,
"My name is Megumin! My calling is that of an Archwizard, and one who controls the strongest offensive magic, Explosion...!"
"Are you here to mess with us?"
My words came out faster than my thoughts after seeing dramatic self-introduction done by a loli.
Furthermore, the name Megumin seemed strange.
"That red eye, are you a Crimson Demon?"
Aqua inquired, to which the girl nodded eagerly, upon being recognized.
"Yes, that's correct! I'm an elite mage from the Crimson Demon Clan, Megumin! My magic's powerful enough to split mountains! That's how it is. Do you need an excellent mage? By the way, I have a favor to ask. I haven't eaten in three days; could you provide me with something to eat before the interview?"
Megumin looked at us with sorrowful eyes, and her stomach began to growl.
"We'll feed you, in exchange, tell us everything about you. Also, why are you wearing an eye-patch? Our archpriest can heal you if you were injured in battle."
"Fufu... This eyepatch contains immense holy power, strong enough to even blind the Demon King and shake the world to its core."
"R-Really?"
For some reason, I felt intimidated by this thirteen-year-old girl.
"Just kidding. I made that up."
"In that case, you can pay for your own food then."
I was about to sit back down and ignore her for the rest of the time being.
"Listen Kazuma, Crimson Demons are born with high intellect and strong magic power, with most of them having the potential to become powerful mages. They're well known for their red eyes and their strange names."
I turn back around to face the little girl.
"How rude of you. We Crimson Demons have the best names. Though I'm flattered that you said that we have high intellect and strong magic power. Those two are indeed true."
"Oh really? What are your parent's name?"
Megumin did another dramatic pose when introducing her parent's names.
"My mother's Yuiyui, and my father's Hyoizaburo."
"Let's wait for a few more days. I'm sure there are others like her who want to join our party, and perhaps more Crimson Demons might be interested to join."
"Agreed."
Aqua and I sat back down on our table.
"N-No, absolutely not! I can't let that other girl join your party before me!"
Megumin pleaded, shaking me by the shoulders.
"What other girl?! And stop shaking me! What kind of person are you to shake someone you've just met?"
"N-Nothing, never mind. Forget I mentioned anything about another Crimson Demon girl."
For some reason, I actually listened to her and forgot about the potential Crimson Demon girl as a party member.
"Her card seems legitimate. She's an Archwizard, an advanced class capable of wielding powerful magic spells, just like her clan. The magic stat on her card is very high, indicating significant potential. If she can truly use Explosion magic, that would be amazing! Explosion is a top-tier spell in the detonation-series magic, and it's challenging to learn."
"Hey, how did you even pickpocket my card?!"
Amazing, I didn't even see Aqua do it.
Perhaps she could use her talent to steal some money from a few rich nobles that pissed me off when criticizing our work during our time at the construction site.
"Here, I'll give you some food in exchange of that girl stealing your adventure card. Show us what you're capable of after you're finished."
"Yay!"
What's more important, your only known form of identification or a plate of breakfast?
...
After fully analyzing this archwizard's combat prowess and magic potency, I've decided to not keep her in the party.
We had tested her skills on a few frogs, and she had indeed managed to obliterate three of them.
However, there was a significant drawback.
"I can't help it. Explosion magic is the most powerful magic after all. Even I have my limits and am forced to lie defenseless on the ground."
I found myself carrying a slimy Megumin on my back, followed by a weeping, slimy Aqua, who unfortunately had also been swallowed.
A bunch of more giant frogs came from hearing the explosion and we nearly lost all of our lives over a simple demonstration.
"Ugh... It smells like fish! Why am I so powerless against a low-level creature like that?"
For once I feel genuinely sorry for Aqua as none of this was her fault this time.
It was this little girl who told us the drawback after detonating the grassy plains.
Megumin undeniably possessed the colossal firepower that we needed to potentially vanquish the Demon King. But the downside of using her magic was not worth the risk.
After casting Explosion, her body would be completely drained of mana, rendering her temporarily paralyzed and utterly defenseless, thus making her a considerable burden for the rest of us to protect.
If only we could have someone capable of handling the entirety of our defense, our team might be far more effective.
"You mentioned that you can only use Explosion magic, right?"
"Yup."
Not good, this girl is also useless...
"If you had enough skill points to learn Explosion, you must have learned other spells, right?"
Skill points? I vaguely recalled the counter lady at the guild mentioning something about them. Sensing my confusion, Aqua stepped in to clarify.
"Skill points are something you earn when you choose a job; they're used to learn skills. The more potential a person has, the more skill points they start with. You can acquire a variety of skills by investing your skill points. For example, the excellent me has learned all the party tricks for banquets, as well as all the spells of an Archpriest."
"Where are you going to use banquet party tricks?"
Aqua simply ignored my question and continued her explanation.
"Depending on the person and the job, there are restrictions to the skills they may learn. For example, someone with a fear of water would need more points to learn water or ice elemental spells... However, as detonation-series magic consists of composite spells, you'd need deep knowledge of fire and wind magic to master it. This means that people who can learn detonation magic should be able to easily learn other spells."
"This means that it doesn't make sense to be unable to learn low-tier spells when you know high-tier magic from the detonation-series... Anyway, where can you make use of banquet party tricks?"
Megumin mumbled when I finished my sentence:
"I'm an Archwizard that loves Explosion. What I like is not detonation-series magic, but Explosion."
Honestly, what was the difference between detonation spells and Explosion? I didn't get it at all.
Aqua listened to Megumin's monologue with a serious face.
No, compared to that, I was very distracted by the banquet party tricks.
"Adventures will definitely be easier if I learn other spells. Fire, water, earth, wind, and light... Learning spells related to these should be good enough... However, I couldn't do it; my only love is Explosion. Even though I can only cast it once per day, even if I'll collapse after using the spell, my one true love is still Explosion! The only reason I chose the path of the Archwizard was to cast explosion spells."
"Incredible! Great! Your resolve to follow your romantic dreams despite knowing it's inefficient really moved me!"
I don't have time to worry about someone else's dream when I've got mine to worry about.
Money and girls- I mean, money and glory!
Alright, I've made my decision.
"I see. I think this will be a difficult path, so do work hard. Ah, I can see the town. Let's divide the rewards equally at the guild. Yes, let's meet again if our paths cross once more."
I tried my best to reject her without her catching on.
However, Megumin clung to me tightly, refusing to let go.
"My only wish is to use explosion magic; the bounty's just a complementary bonus. How about this: I don't need an even share of the rewards. If you're willing to cover my expenses for food, baths, and miscellaneous items, I can consider not taking any rewards. That's right, my power as an Archwizard is available at the price of meals and other miscellaneous fees! How could you miss this opportunity to form a long-term contract?"
I shook my head vigorously.
"No, no, no, our weak team isn't worthy of such amazing power. It's too much to ask for you to stay with us with your incredible abilities. A starting team like ours should make do with a normal mage. Look at me, my job is even the weakest one, Adventurer."
To chase away Megumin, who was grabbing on to me tightly when we reached the guild, I attempted to loosen her grip.
Nevertheless, Megumin refused to let go.
She was surprisingly strong for such a small girl. It almost felt unfair that she belonged to a clan with such overpowered starting skills.
"No, no, no, it doesn't matter if you're novices or weak. I might have a top-tier job, but I'm still a beginner too. My level's just six. When my level increases, I won't collapse after using my spells. So let's talk this over, and then you can release my hand, okay?"
"No, no, no, it's too difficult to have a mage who can only cast one spell a day. Ugh, she's a mage, but her grip is strong...! Let go, other teams probably didn't want you either. Moreover, you can't use explosion spells in dungeons or indoors, rendering you useless. Hey, release your grip! I'll split the rewards equally with you, so please let go!"
"Please don't ditch me! No team's willing to take me! I'm willing to carry luggage or do anything when exploring dungeons, so please don't abandon me!"
It was probably because Megumin on my back was yelling, 'Don't throw me away', that the passersby started whispering while looking at us.
Because we were in town and Aqua's appearance drew a lot of attention, it made us the center of focus.
"No way, that man wants to abandon that child..."
"He has a girl with him covered in slime. And another one! Wait, that's Aqua, it might've been her fault..."
"Forget that, this is about morals! To toy with such a small child and to abandon her after that, what trash. Look, why is there goo covering the girls? What weird sexual games did that pervert make them do?"
"That's the pair that wrote on the recruitment bulletin board that they were serious about defeating the Demon King!"
The last comment seemed a bit out of place, but the first three were aimed squarely at me, with less focus on Aqua.
I didn't want to end up with the same reputation as Aqua, who was notorious for her antics.
Aqua breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that the insults were directed more at me than her. She couldn't help but snicker at my expense.
Megumin, who had been eavesdropping, also seemed to hear the whispers. I glanced at her over my shoulder, only to find a mischievous smile on her face.
"I'm fine with any sort of play! Even using the frog's slime just like now is okay..."
The group of girls shrieked even more, with a blonde one walking out of the scene to probably report the police.
"Alright, I get it! Megumin, I'll be in your care!"
I swear I'm not into little girls!
...
"All right, everything's in order. I've confirmed that your team has successfully completed the quest to defeat 5 giant frogs in 3 days. Good work!"
After reporting in at the guild's counter, I received the promised reward.
Since Aqua and Megumin were covered in slime, they would be too smelly if they didn't wash up, which might lead to misunderstandings about me. So, I ushered them off to the bathhouse.
One of the frogs we defeated had disintegrated due to Megumin's explosion magic, and I was concerned it might affect the quest completion.
However, the type and number of monsters defeated were recorded on the adventurer's card, so there were no problems.
I handed in my and Megumin's cards to the receptionist, who placed them into a peculiar box-like machine for confirmation. The process was surprisingly efficient.
In this world, magic replaced science in many aspects, and the technological level was quite advanced.
I glanced at my adventurer's card and noticed that I had reached level 4.
I had heard that these frogs were ideal for novice adventurers to level up quickly. Defeating four frogs by myself had been enough to raise my level to 4.
It seemed that lower-level adventurers had an easier time leveling up. All the stats on my card had increased slightly, but I didn't feel significantly stronger.
"But, I can really get stronger just by killing monsters..."
I mumbled to myself.
If only I had a cheat item, things would go much smoother. The receptionist had mentioned that all things in this world had souls, and by eating or killing a being, one could absorb a part of the soul's memory. It sounded like a concept from a video game.
Taking a closer look at my card, I noticed something called 'Skill Points,' which showed a count of 3. These points could be spent to learn skills.
"Well then, turning in 2 giant frogs, in addition to receiving the bounty for completing the quest, comes to a total of 110,000 eris. Please take this."
The reward was 110,000 eris.
Considering that the giant frogs yielded 5,000 eris after deducting transport fees, the bounty for the 5 frogs was 100,000 eris.
Aqua had mentioned that quests were typically completed with a team of 4 to 6 adventurers. For regular adventurers, risking their lives to fight 5 frogs for a few days would yield about 125,000 eris.
In a 5-man team, that would translate to 25,000 eris each.
It's not worth it! It's just not worth it!
Completing the mission in one day equated to a daily salary of 25,000 eris.
On the surface, it might have seemed like a good deal for a day's work, but when considering the risks involved, it didn't appear to be worth the effort.
If another frog had shown up and decided to make a meal out of me, the three of us would've been wiped out, and that realization sent a shiver down my spine.
I glanced at the other quests posted on the bulletin board.
• 'Investigate the dungeon that's been abandoned for centuries and clear out any monsters for me. Must complete in one try and not willing to pay for life insurance. Reward: 300,000 eris."
That seems like a horrible idea.
• 'Defeat the sister spirits that continue to haunt my trade pathway. Reward: 25% of my crops."
This one's not even money.
• 'Help my son with pickup lines to impress his crush. Reward: A mommy's embrace and kiss on the cheek!'
This one's not even a serious quest! Tell the kid to grow up some balls and talk to a girl that's probably leagues above him!
"Excuse me, if I may ask...?"
I turn my head around to the voice behind me.
"Is something the matter...?"
I responded, but the moment my eyes met hers, I was rendered speechless, caught off guard by how stunning a female could possibly become.
She was a female knight—a super beautiful female knight.
Although her armor concealed her body's shape, I could sense her alluring curves.
Her expression was cool and composed, giving her an initial impression of a cool beauty.
She stood a bit taller than me.
At my height of 5 feet and 5 inches, she was likely around 5 feet and 6 inches, making her slightly taller.
Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be a year or two older than me.
She wore solid metal armor that covered her entire body, making her striking blonde hair and piercing blue eyes stand out even more.
Wait... blonde hair and blue eyes?
My brain kicked into high gear instantly. She was a noble...
This was a common feature from all nobles from all the times my parent's had attempted to introduce me to many of them when I was a child
Keep your composure, Kazuma.
She may have an attractive body, but she's a noble—the same kind of nobles who had let your parents down and practically kept them starving for nearly a decade.
But seeing as she greeted me with the respect, I shall respond back with the same.
"I've heard from a group of girls when I passed by that you and your party members were serious about defeating the Demon King..."
Oh, she must've been that blonde girl that I saw earlier when Megumin was deceiving those girls that I was in a kinky sort of play with her.
Wait...
Don't tell me there's an army of policemen ready to arrest me and execute me.
Actually that'd be a better outcome so I can get the hell out of here and reincarnate as a handsome man with plenty of cash and women.
"Y-Yeah, we're kind of serious about defeating the Demon King. Anyway, you didn't call the police on me for getting those two girls covered in frog slime, right?"
"I've already filed a report, but they didn't really have enough evidence to issue a warrant."
She did report me to the police!
Typical noble behavior—gaining my trust and then quickly backstabbing me to finish the job!
"Alright, see ya."
She could've been lying about the police not issuing a warrant due to lack of evidence.
So I wanted to get out of the guild quick before I reveal any other crucial evidence.
N-Not that I had any in the first place.
"Wait!"
I was about to walk away when the noble knight grabbed my hand, as if straight out of one of those romantic high school scenarios where the heroine confesses just as the main protagonist loses interest in her.
Not that I had any interest in aligning myself with this noble girl.
"Q-Quit holding my hand! I'm bound to get executed if anyone takes this out of context!"
My hikikomori phase—no, this was simply too stimulating for an adolescent virgin boy, making me uneasy.
No way was I getting nervous from a simple hand touch!
"No one's getting executed! I'm not an important noble."
"So you're not denying that you are a noble?"
I retorted and caught her in her own words.
"So you know..."
She looked down in a defeated state.
"Does no one in this world notice a common trait of blonde hair and blue eyes, seriously? And I thought Aqua was the only dumb person in this world... Also, let go of my hand."
"Sorry..."
She released my hand and I wiped it off my shirt immediately to get rid of her finger prints.
Great, now my hand was taken by hers and not my dream girl.
"Please keep this a secret. Not that I'm going to execute you. But I would have to run away to a new town, and I've been through countless towns trying to find a party that's serious about fighting the Demon King!"
"I'll keep it a secret, not like I had any bad intentions to do with it anyway. But explain the reasoning, and I may consider letting you join us."
As much as I despise nobles, I'm not one to pass off a chance of having a capable party member at last.
She began her explanation, one that I should've stopped midway.
"You see... After waiting for nearly a decade... I finally decided to leave my mansion and embark on a new journey. When I was a small, fragile girl, there was always a boy who would protect me, no matter the dangers he faced. Now, he's on the frontlines, fighting the Demon King to protect his kingdom. I've decided to forge my own path and become the toughest female knight in this kingdom, to meet his expectations when he returns. That boy is Prince Jatice-"
"Not interested. Bye."
My name is Satou Kazuma.
I refused to play the role of a side character, used as a pawn or antagonist in a plot where a beautiful noble lady marries her handsome prince and they live happily ever after.
Who does she take me for? Why not do what Aqua had previously done and form a large army of naïve young boys to do your service and help you defeat the Demon King!
Self-centered woman!
"W-What?! H-Hey, wait! I may have revealed too much, but please take a moment to consider what you're doing for the greater good! If I manage to kill the Demon King, an ancient law states that the hero who slays the Demon King can marry either the prince or princess! I'll finally fulfill my dreams, and... Hey, don't walk away!"
The girl appeared utterly shocked by this unexpected defiance. It seemed as if she had always been pampered and had her way.
Today was the first time someone like me, who considered himself handsome and stoic, had immediately rejected her.
"And I'm not going to help anything that benefits nobles when they haven't done anything to support me or my family. What do I even get if I help you defeat the Demon King?!"
"Um... Um... I can introduce you to one of my cousins who is older than me or a silver-haired friend of mine."
"Nope."
I left the girl bewildered and exited the guild before Megumin and Aqua could meet her.
Interacting with that girl had only reinforced my opinion of nobles.
When they wanted something, they would stop at nothing to obtain it, with no regard for the common people they used. They took and took, leaving nothing for us commoners.
Perhaps in the coming centuries, the world would undergo a revolution and finally modernize.
...
...
...
...
Author's Note
• I've decided to remove Darkness's/Lalatina's masochist personality entirely. It was really only used for comedic use and nothing else.
• Even after Kazuma saved her, she still had aspects of it which was completely disappointing in my opinion and ruined her character development. She could've finally been a normal girl.
• Her masochist personality was also stated to be a barrier between her and Kazuma as it turned him off extremely so this lifts off that barrier.
• Don't worry, she is still the same as before. She will be tanky, clumsy with her sword, and still noble (protecting everyone as a crusader), be teased by everyone, and be inexperienced with everything... and I mean everything...
• I hope that her goal of marrying Prince Jatice doesn't turn you all off completely. Trust me, in no way, am I making any other male characters even touch Darkness/Lalatina besides Kazuma. This is just to make their (Kazuma and Darkness/Lalatina) relationship more romantic in the future.
Trust me.
Hope you all can respect this decision.
Next Chapter: May This Dungeon Grant Me A Useful Cheat Item!