The second Kazuma spotted her he smiled. She was far and away the nicest person he'd met since dying and had been really hoping to see her again. Chris walked right up to his seat at the bar.

"Kazuma, I need a favor."

"Nice to see you too, Chris."

She looked a bit embarrassed and her cheeks flushed. "Oh, sorry, it has been awhile. I guess I should at least say hi before asking you for something."

His smile never wavered; he'd just wanted to tease her a little. "It's not a problem. I'm really happy to see you again."

She put a warm hand on top of his. "I heard what happened to Roland and the others, I want you to know I'm sorry. I worked with them a couple times. Timothy could be sort of annoying, but they were all good people."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," he hesitated. "I was there when it happened. I guess my great luck saved me, but not them."

Chris frowned. "Luck isn't a cure all, Kazuma. It's an advantage, a big one, but if you expect it to fix every problem for you, you are going to be very disappointed. Don't rely on it. Work hard and do the right thing, and if things happen to break your way appreciate it."

Kazuma gave a slow nod. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense."

"Oh, and maybe give Eris a prayer every now and then," she winked. "It couldn't hurt."

"I don't know, my experience with goddesses hasn't exactly been great."

"They're not all the same, Kazuma. And who knows? If you offer up a prayer to her, Eris just might be listening."

"I'll think about it," he said. Kazuma had never been what anyone would call religious. But since dying and discovering there was an afterlife his views had changed some. Of course, the one goddess he'd actually met was a drunk, lazy, moron who abandoned him the second a better choice came along. So his view of the gods wasn't what you could call positive. "So, what's this favor you need?"

Chris turned to the girl standing behind her and motioned her forward. She was very sexy. Even wearing armor her voluptuous figure was obvious.

"This is my friend, Darkness. She's a crusader."

The girl had an eager look in her eyes as she gave Kazuma a respectful nod. "I am very pleased to meet you, Kazuma. Chris has told me about you."

A memory suddenly popped up. "Hey! I remember you. I saw you during the cabbage harvest. You were standing there putting your body on the line to protect others. I thought you were amazing."

Her cheeks blushed and she squirmed a bit. "Th… That was nothing, it was my duty as a crusader to take a beating for the sake of me fellows. I would gladly do it again!"

Kazuma couldn't help but be impressed by her willingness to face danger to protect others. For some reason Chris looked a little uncomfortable and was scratching her cheek.

"Listen, Kazuma, the favor I have in mind isn't for me, but for her. Would you be willing to form a party with her? Even just a temporary one?"

"Are you kidding?!" Kazuma jumped to his feet. He remembered seeing her at the harvest and wishing he could have someone like her for a partner. All at once it seemed like fate was stepping in. This had to be what he'd been waiting for this past month. Without even knowing it he'd been hanging out at the guild waiting for his fated partner to come join him! "I'd love to!"

"Thank you, Kazuma!" Darkness rushed forward getting way too close. She brought her beautiful face within an inch of Kazuma's and set his heart racing. For a poor virgin like him this was too much stimulus.

"Heh, great, glad that's settled." Chris sounded oddly unenthusiastic given this was a favor.

Kazuma sidestepped and put a little personal space between him and Darkness.

"Listen, while I'm really happy to work with you I'm a little curious why someone like you would pick me. I mean I'm sure any party would want someone as strong as you."

"You might be surprised," Chris mumbled.

"The answer is simple, Kazuma." Darkness's face reddened and her breathing got noticeably heavier. "When Chris told me about you I knew immediately you were my ideal partner and that I wanted to form a party with you!"

"Oh really?" He gave Chris an embarrassed smile and rubbed the back of his neck. She'd obviously told her all about his amazing thief skills and unbelievable luck.

"Is it true?" Darkness asked panting. "Is it true you stole Chris's panties and then forced her to undress and put them back on right in front of you?!"

Somewhere in the bar a glass shattered. All the talking came to a sudden halt and Kazuma could see everyone staring at him.

"Geez! What a pervert!" Megumin said loudly from the other side of the bar.

Kazuma looked around with eyes wide. "HUH?!" He then glowered at Chris. "Why would you tell her about that?!"

"It's true then! You really are a beast! Please! Let me join your p… p… party!"

Chris put a hand to her face. "Let's all sit down and talk."

XXX

They got a table in one of the corners, as far away from everyone else as possible. Kazuma couldn't help noticing people looking at him and whispering to neighbors and making amused faces. Megumin came over with a tray holding three ales. When she slammed one in front of him she said…

"Just so you know if I catch you staring at my panties that's sexual harassment and I'll slap you."

"You slap me, little girl, and I'll take you over my knee and spank you."

Megumin hurried off as soon as Chris paid for the drinks, she gave the brat a nice tip too.

"Threatening to spank young girls in public, how wicked." Darkness said with a happy sigh.

Kazuma stared. What is wrong with her? But she wasn't the one he was mad at and he rounded on Chris. "Why did you tell her about what happened?!"

"Sorry, sorry," she held her hands up. "I didn't plan on it I swear. I was just telling her about you, and it sort of slipped out."

"Did you mention I don't have any control over what I get when I use Steal?"

"She told me you were very excited and waved the panties over your head while celebrating."

Kazuma spat out the ale he'd just started drinking. "That… I… I'd never touched a girl's panties before. I… I was excited."

Darkness nodded. "It was your savage nature exposing itself."

"Okay you need to stop talking about me that way! I am a normal guy, alright? Yes, I am interested in girls, but it's a natural healthy interest. There's nothing weird about it."

"Chris said you cried and wept for fifteen minutes when you realized you weren't going to see her unclothed."

"What?! No! I just, well, you see…" He glared at Chris.

She shrugged. "It wasn't a lie; you were really disappointed."

"Such a savage," Darkness sighed.

"If you think I'm so horrible why do you want to partner with me?"

She fiddled about in her seat. "I just think we could form a good team. You would be free to expose your true nature and use me as you see fit. No matter what sort of vile degradation or humiliation you might want to inflict on me I promise you I can take it. Shame me! Beat me! Hurt me! No matter what you make me suffer I'll endure it without complaint! No! I'll accept it with a smile on my face and beg for more!"

As she said all this her breathing kept getting heavier and drool began dripping from her mouth.

Witnessing this the truth began dawning on him. This chick is freaky! She actually wants to be abused! Kazuma knew some guys were into that kind of stuff, but for him it was a massive turn off. He found this sort of behavior creepy as all hell.

"Darkness," Chris coughed into her mouth. "I think you're scaring him."

"Oh," she stopped and sat back looking embarrassed. "Did I say something strange?"

"You mean you consider what you just said normal?" Kazuma asked in disbelief.

"Listen, Kazuma," Chris said. "I know Darkness can come off as a little… eccentric."

"Is that what you call it? I have a different name, a few different names."

"But she's actually a really sweet person and a good friend. Darkness is maybe one of the toughest people in this world. She can be a wall that can stand up to anything and she won't hesitate to put herself into danger."

"Well, that much I certainly believe."

"She needs to be in a party, just for a short time. It doesn't have to be permanent."

He gave Chris a knowing look. "Let me guess, no one else will partner with her?"

"Heh, that's not exactly true. If you say no there are a few others we can try."

"New adventurers whose acquaintance I have yet to make," Darkness provided helpfully.

"In other words, no one who actually knows her wants to partner with her," Kazuma narrowed his eyes. "If she really was such a great crusader, wouldn't at least some be willing to put up with her 'eccentricities?'"

"Wow, Kazuma, you sure are suspicious."

"That's not a denial, what else is wrong with her?"

Darkness gave a gasp and hugged herself. "So contemptuous!"

Kazuma shuddered. "Or maybe she's just so freaky no one else can deal with it."

"Kazuma, listen, her family is putting pressure on her to give up her career as a crusader and marry. She's eighteen, prime marriageable age. Her father claims she isn't accomplishing anything as a crusader and should retire her sword. The fact she hasn't done any quests recently doesn't help. She just got a personal request for tomorrow. It's an easy two day escort mission, all you have to do is ride in a carriage and make sure the client gets where she is headed. It pays 100,000 eris. It's easy money!"

"If it's so easy why does she even need me? Can't she just do it on her own?"

Darkness shook her head. "Regretfully, Cassandra insists on a minimum of two in the escort party. She wants at least two people to chat with during the trip."

"So, all you have to do is sit in a nice warm carriage for two days and chat with a pretty girl," Chris said with a grin. "Then as soon as you deliver her you collect 50,000 and ride the same carriage back, free of charge of course. What could be easier?"

Kazuma thought about it. The money didn't matter. What mattered was that this chick seriously worried him. Glancing about the room he could see people still looking in his direction with amused expressions. The last thing he needed was to spend four days with this crazy girl, half of them alone. He could only imagine what people would say about that.

"I'm sorry, but-"

Chris clasped her hands and her eyes were suddenly wet, it was like being stared at by a silver haired puppy. "Please Kazuma, do it as a favor to me, sensei. It doesn't have to be permanent, just this one job. I'll owe you." She started to make whimpering sounds.

He knew she was playing him. Knew it. But… he really liked Chris. A lot. And the thought of her being in his debt had some appeal to it. It would only be a two-day job and if things were than uncomfortable he could always pay to take a different carriage back. How bad could it be?

"Okay, fine I'll do it."

"Great!" Chris said and her eyes were instantly dry.

Darkness nodded. "I am very glad to know we will be partners. Oh, and just so you know, if you have plans of assaulting me in the middle of the night to hold me down and brutally strip me of my panties and my dignity, you should be aware that I am a very deep sleeper and probably would not be able to resist you at all."

Both Kazuma and Chris started at her with obvious discomfort.

"Did I say something strange again?"