The next morning Kazuma awoke to an odd wetness on his neck. Taking stock of his situation, he realized a few things quite quickly. First, he wasn't in his own bed, the one under him feeling harder and lumpier than the cushiony springs he was used to. Secondly, his neck was covered in something. Thirdly, there was somebody clinging to his back and snoring in his ear.
The previous day's events came rushing to him in a cold jolt, remembering his humiliating death, the goddess's taunts, the reincarnation - all of it. He also distinctly remembered Aqua accusing him of planning something like this, not the other way around.
A soft knock on the door broke his train of thought before he could figure out what to do with his azure-haired limpet. "Kazuma, your shift starts soon. Are you up?" It sounded like Luna, but he didn't honestly know the other workers well enough to be sure.
"Uh, yeah, just a minute." Seeing his response and Luna hadn't woken Aqua up, he started turning around in her grasp and nudging her. "Oi, wake up. I have to get ready for work."
Aqua was still blissfully out of it though, her mouth hanging open in a sleepy smile as she was clearly dreaming of something pleasant. The fact that she had wrapped herself around him in such a dream doing wonders for his self esteem if he was being honest.
Letting out a resigned sigh, he started to slowly shimmy himself out of her freakishly strong grasp. He'd have never guessed she had a grip like that, but he supposed it made some sense that even with her skinny arms, a goddess would be stronger than she looked. And if he happened to get a bit of a feel while escaping? Well, that was between him and his conscience.
Ignoring her for the moment, he started getting dressed, taking a moment to fold up his nightwear and setting it on the small chest at the foot of the bed. He didn't really have any other belongings just yet, so there wasn't an issue with space in the room thankfully. He realized would need to use his first bit of pay to get more clothing instead of just his tracksuit though.
Once clothed again in his trademark green tracksuit, he headed down to the reception area to see where he'd be working today.
Luna saw him before he saw her, the teen still half asleep. "Ah, Kazuma! Over here. I have some bread and juice for you and your uniform." She patted the small pile of clothes next to her on the desk as she grabbed a small plate from behind herself for him. "Feel free to eat while you work, today I'm asking you to try and find a good way to organize the store room. You did a great job sorting through the furs, so I was hoping you might be able to come up with a system instead of just putting things wherever they fit." In reality, this was a job that had been needing to be done for months if not years, but they just never seemed to have enough hands available to do it. With Kazuma's literacy and his better-than-expected work ethic however, he would hopefully be able to finish it in a day or two.
"It is a fairly big job, so don't worry if you don't finish it up today. If you need any help moving heavier boxes and the like, feel free to ask any adventurers. We have no problem giving them a few Eris for a quick job." Luna was hoisting a lot of responsibility onto Kazuma quickly, but she was expecting great things from him. He seemed like the kind of person who tended to rise up to whatever challenges came at them.
Kazuma looked shocked, to say the least as he just stared at her. "Seriously? That seems like an important job to just throw at the new guy, right?" It isn't that he doesn't want to do it, seeing as how it won't have any customers to deal with, it's just the kind of thing he'd expect a manager or something to do.
Waving his concern off, she just laughed a bit. "Oh, not really. It hasn't been done in quite a while so I'd honestly be surprised if you can make it any worse! Just use your best judgment and you'll be fine. Now, there was a catalog system that somebody made years and years ago, but after they passed away it was kind of ignored and the back room became the mess you saw yesterday. We don't particularly care how it is set up, so long as we can quickly find what we need, alright?"
Kazuma nodded, taking his new uniform and breakfast before heading off. "I'll go change and then get started right away." Rushing to his room, he ate on the way, washing it down with the juice. Compared to the overload of artificial flavors that was his normal breakfast, it was impossibly bland , but it was at least filling. Knocking on the door, he paused to make sure that Aqua wasn't undressed or something equally as cliche. "Oi, Aqua, you decent?" After a moment, he didn't hear a reply so he shouldered open the door, "Are you even awake?" He sighed, finding her still passed out on the bed, sprawled out like a starfish, now that she didn't have him to cling to.
Kazuma quickly got dressed again, putting the clothes away properly in the chest at the foot of the bed, now that he doesn't feel quite as rushed. Shaking Aqua's shoulder, he tried to wake her up. "Aqua, come on, time to get up. You were going to try and find a party to go out with today to make some money, right?"
The groggy goddess barely moved, waving an arm in his general direction. "I don't wanna sort through a bunch of dead losers again. Can't Eris do it today?" Good to know she was lazy even when doing her godly duties, not just now that she was with mortals.
He can't help but laugh a bit at just how undignified she was, before shaking her a bit harder. "Aqua, you're not in heaven, you're in Belzerg, remember? You're my cheat item, have to slay the Demon King, all that?" he asked, taking a slight amount of sadistic glee in bursting her bubble.
It took a few more moments for her mind to catch up before she shot up, almost hitting Kazuma's head with her own. "Eh?! No-! NOOO! I thought that was all just a terrible dream" she wailed, her face twisting in horrified grief, acting more like a spoiled child than a divine goddess.
"Oh, come on, it can't be all that bad. You're the one that said that heaven is so dull with not all that much to do. Think of this as a chance to experience something new and exciting! Normally you are only able to try out things that are offered up to you, right? Get out and try new foods and drinks and see what you like" he tried cheering her up, patting her shoulder encouragingly. His awkward speech had managed to improve his own morale too, bringing a realization to mind. He hadn't considered the fact that, yes, he is going to be doing retail, customer service and the like - professions considered the bottom of the barrel back home (at least to him), but he was also in a brand new world, with a blank slate. There was nobody that knew him; no expectations to go to college; no parents to be disappointed in him. Maybe he could just enjoy life even if he didn't become the hero after all.
Aqua sat up, rubbing her tears as she considered his words. As much as it pained her to admit, he wasn't exactly wrong. In the last century, other than the offerings from her cult members and the other gods, the only interaction she'd had with anyone was the recently deceased. Which, if she was honest with herself, started to kind of blend together after the first couple thousand. Here though, she could explore dungeons and forests in person, see wondrous sites, and help defeat great monsters. Heck, she might even be able to kill a few demons and undead, two of her most hated things in the world. Taking a final moment to think as she started untangling her mess of a bed head, she firmly nodded, smiling superiorly at her partner. "You know what, you're right! I'm gonna go and see if there are any parties worthy of my divine presence. Well, as soon as you get out of here, I can change. No free shows for you, ya perv." Her parting shot lacked much of its usual venom, her good mood reducing it from a sneering accusation to mere teasing.
Kazuma rolled his eyes before waving her off. "Yeah, yeah, like I'd want that. You're the one that was pressed up against ME when I woke up this morning, pervy-goddess."
Not giving her a chance to rebuttal, Kazuma closed the door behind him as she squawked indignantly at him to try and abuse him and defend herself.
Huffing in indignation at being brushed off so abruptly by Kazuma, she started to get ready herself. Thankfully, as an Arch-Priestess she didn't need to rely on gear too much so she would hopefully be able to find a party quick enough to try and get started adventuring and living.
While Kazuma started clearing off shelf space in the store room, thinking that he'd need a 'staging area' to work from, Aqua approached Luna. "Morning Luna! Might I have a piece of paper and something to write with? I wanna put myself up on the bulletin board looking for a party." Aqua didn't even think of food until the scent of bacon wafted at her from a nearby table. "... and can I please get some breakfast?"
Having expected pretty much exactly this, Luna handed over the same meal she had given Kazuma not twenty minutes ago. "Well, until you can find a more permanent group, I could set you up to go along with a party or two?" Luna offered, seeing the look of dejection at the meager bits of food. "Sorry Aqua, but without paying extra, all guild employees get the same. Honestly, I'm stretching the rules to give you the same as Kazuma. Just think of the meal you can have tonight though if things go well?" Taking a piece of paper and a piece of charcoal out from under the counter, she placed it up for Aqua to write out what she wanted. "Just make sure to write out what you're looking to do and what abilities you have. The better you can sell yourself, the better the offers will be."
"Right, leave it to me! After they see what I'm capable of, they'll be lining up to have me in their party!" Aqua boasted, taking the offered stationary and flashing a smile
Luna shrugged and left Aqua to her devices, going through a stack of mission requests and trying to think of what adventurers might be best suited for them.
Taking a seat, Aqua started to work on her 'resume' for the job board. She ate while going along, but made sure to keep it nice and tidy, using her artistic talents to make it truly great looking. Perfect calligraphy and even a vague sketch of herself.
So engrossed in her task, she didn't even notice when Luna joined her. "Aqua, you are familiar with purification, turning undead, and healing spells, correct?" Luna already knew the answer, but wanted to have the new girl give some feedback.
Puffing her chest out, Aqua was quick to start boasting of her 'great, divine powers.' "Naturally! I can heal even death itself, purify entire lakes, and send graveyards back to sleep. Nothing but child's play for a goddess, like myself."
Hearing her refer to herself in such a grand way was more than a little off putting for Luna. Not many would be so bold as to claim divinity with all of the stories of lesser offenses resulting in a smiting or curse. Brushing it off for now, as just an eccentricity of the priestess, she smiled, handing her a job request. "I have a few new adventurers that are lacking in those skills that wanted to take on a job in their home town. Apparently a few undead have been seen at night and they think that the water has been tainted by the necromantic magic. If you could assist them, your share would be ten thousand Eris, but no experience since you're not in a proper party. Would that be agreeable?"
Aqua nodded along, puffing her chest out and giving a superior smile, happy to get offered a simple job so quickly. "A few pathetic zombies and a stream or something? Are you sure you don't want to make it even simpler? I can beat them up and purify that well in a snap!" She clicked her fingers to demonstrate. "I'll be back for the money in no time. How hard can it be?"
-Ko-No-Su-Ba!-
Kazuma could honestly say he had had a pretty great day. He had managed to re-catalogue all of the store room potions based on both effect and potency and had even started on organizing all of the weapons they had laying around. The armor he, unfortunately, realized a bit late would be near impossible for him to truly organize save the magical stuff. Simply because it had to be fitted to a certain degree anyway so it wouldn't matter. The best he had been able to do is have it all set into one corner of the room so it would be relatively easy to rummage through.
Entering the cafeteria, Kazuma is quick to notice Aqua slumped face-down over one of the tables. Plopping down next to her, he tried to catch her attention. "Oi, what's your problem? Nobody wanted to go out adventuring with you or something?"
She didn't reply at first, sniffling a bit and shook her head. Shakily, she rose up, turning towards him with tears streaming. "Kazumaaaa.! Please, I need some wiiine!" she bawled, holding out the last word much longer than needed.
"You already seem to have a bunch of 'whine' right here" he responded without dropping a beat, his expression making it clear just how done he is with her shit already.
"Bwaaah, why are you being so mean to me? I had the worst day ever! I was chased by an army of zombies, got yelled at a bunch, and had to walk for two hours each way for the job!" Her complaints might as well have gone in one ear and out the other, until Kazuma suddenly started paying attention again at the word 'job.'
"Wait, you had a job today? That means you got paid! How much did you make? Wait… Why didn't you just go buy your own wine?" he asked, dread creeping into his voice as he began to realize that this couldn't possibly be good news.
Luna chose that exact moment to show up. "Ah! Kazuma, just the man I wanted to see. The higher ups asked that I take Aqua's… problems, up with you since it seemed she wasn't financially able to take any responsibility." Kazuma felt a shiver of icy dread run up his spine as he turned to see Luna's cold smile. "You see, early today she was asked to do a fairly simple mission to help purify a well and provide support against some undead. Upon arrival though, it seemed the undead were drawn to her. ALL of the undead. There were a lot more than expected and… well, with how she panicked, she ended up leading them through a chase that destroyed the town and led to a lot of injuries. To her credit, she healed everyone free of charge before leaving and the original mission was technically accomplished, so I managed to swing her getting half her original pay for now. The rest will be put towards paying off her debt."
Kazuma gulped, fear radiating off of him at the look of pure serenity Luna was somehow projecting. He knew it was all a lie though, this was nothing less than an apex predator of the financial world and he was now in her sights. "Um, how bad is the debt?"
Clapping her hands together, she pulled out a scroll. "Glad you asked! So, we have several homes destroyed ranging in value from 200, 000 to 500, 000 Eris; the meeting hall, valued at over 800, 000 Eris; numerous crop fields trampled and their harvest ruined…"
The rest of the list blurred by as it kept growing and increasing in value. At some point the scroll had even unfurled and was now partially on the ground as she read through it and she didn't seem to even be halfway done. Kazuma started to have difficulty breathing, his vision darkening as he began to have a mild panic attack. He didn't even hear Luna stop to ask if he was alright, the Merchant soon passed out, pitching backwards off his seat and foaming at the mouth.
-Ko-No-Su-Ba!-
A few days had passed since the 'great billing' and Kazuma had only just begun to be less hostile to Aqua. Sure, she had put them into a crazy amount of debt that he was apparently now responsible for, since their shared room and status as a 'couple meant they shared a tab. Even if he were to kick her to the curb now, they'd stick him with half of her debt as a 'marital several clause!' Aqua had been morose, to say the least, with nobody really willing to talk to her beyond Luna occasionally and absolutely nobody interested in having her in their party.
Kazuma for his part, had turned that rage into productivity, churning through the entire store room backlog and even being put on the exchange counter since he knew where everything was and went now.
It was almost a full week before Kazuma finally had enough of her moping. "Alright, I'll bite, why are you just sitting around here instead of going out and trying to pay off our debt?" he asks, more than a bit curious considering how excited she had been at first.
A mumbled response is all he got as she didn't even look up, her face in her arms.
"What was that?"
"NOBODY WANTS TO PARTY WITH ME, OKAY?!" she cried out, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him. "I put my advertisement up the morning after we got here and nobody has even come to ask for me." She slumped down into her pity-puddle once more, her ego destroyed at the uniform rejection of the adventurers.
That didn't seem quite right to Kazuma. Sure, she was unreliable, but she was one of the most powerful people in town. Theoretically at least. Getting up, he headed over to the message board, looking for her flier to see the ad she'd put out. Once he found it, everything made far too much sense for his liking.
'Arch Priest and Goddess looking for a party of servants and lackeys to adventure with. In addition to being graced with my presence, you will also receive the benefits of the best healing magic in all of Axel, unparalleled skill in purification, enthusiastic undead destruction and devil murdering. For further information or two apply to work with me, please seek me out at the Guild Hall. Simply seek out the most gorgeous lady in the room. The aesthetically challenged can simply look for my blue hair. Signed, Goddess of the Axis Cult, Aqua.'
Kazuma stared for a moment in abject disbelief (even if her self portrait on the side was pretty good). He plucked the poster from the notice board and diligently began to fold it up into a fan.
Aqua saw him approaching, her flier in hand and now destroyed. "Oi, how am I supposed to- ah!" She was quickly cut off from her indignant rage and rant as Kazuma starts beating her with her own advertisement.
Between strikes of his 'weapon' he started to berate her for her less than ideal approach. "You idiot! Nobody is going to believe you're a goddess! As far as they are concerned you are just a mortal priestess. ACT LIKE IT. How would you react if a fellow goddess acted like that in an advertisement asking for your help? Imagine if Eris asked for help like that and then think about what you did wrong!"
Kazuma stopped his tirade and 'beating' to let her think that over, panting slightly as the injuries he inflicted seemed almost to steam. The hamster inside Aqua's head started working overtime as she tried to project feelings onto people other than herself. It was a novel and not altogether pleasant experience, but eventually her face turned pale with horror and disgust. "Oh! Oh, they must think I am the absolute worst! I'd absolutely kill her if she ever tried that kind of crap with me!"
"She can be taught!" Happy that she at least understood that much, Kazuma fell into the seat next to her. "So, let's take this from the top. Use me as a test subject. How would you introduce yourself to another goddess that you wanted help from? Try to keep anything related to worship or godhood out of it, okay?" He pointed the fan at her menacingly, just to make his point. Just a week ago, he likely wouldn't have had the patience for this. Dealing with a constant stream of borderline brain-dead customers though, tends to toughen one's resolve quite quickly.
Aqua closed her eyes, arms crossed as she started to think about that. "Well, I'd probably start off by mentioning why I need the help. From there I'd list the things I can do to make it easier? Likely give some words of praise too since that tends to make people more receptive."
Slamming his hand down on the table with a smile, he pointed at her, "Exactly! So, try this, 'Partyless Arch Priestess seeking a group to adventure with to seek profit and experience. I can offer advanced healing techniques, purification, sanctification, last rights, and support spells. Please seek me at the Guild Hall, ask for Aqua.'"
Aqua clearly didn't like the much more humble and down to earth description for herself, but she can't help but admit it did seem a bit more appealing if somebody asked her that way. "Fine, I guess we can try it your way" she eventually consented, slumping back down. "Can I please get some wine though? I haven't had a drink since we got here."
Kazuma had heard similar complaints almost every day since they had gotten here and a realization dawned on him. "Um, Aqua? You're basically drinking or talking about drinking every free second you get… Do you think you might, ya know, have kind of a problem?" he asked, trying to be delicate about it but not knowing how to better phrase it.
"A problem? Ahahaha! That's ludicrous! I am a goddess! We do NOT get addicted like you weak willed mortals! I could stop drinking any time I wanted, I just like doing it!" The panic in her voice made it clear though he had largely hit the nail on the head.
Triumphantly brandishing the fan, Kazuma sprung the trap on her. "Well, if it's so easy for a goddess to do, surely doing without until your debt is repaid shouldn't be a challenge, right?" In truth, this was a win-win for Kazuma. Either he humbled her slightly, or she was going to be without booze for the foreseeable future.
She stood up to rebuke his claim, only to realize he actually made a fairly decent point. It would be quite embarrassing to be proven wrong by him, but would it be worse than going without any alcohol? For her, it wasn't too hard to decide, her pride was too much. "Fine! Until we pay off our debt I won't buy a single drink! So long as it is okay to drink if it's offered to me so as not to be rude. WHEN I prove you wrong, you need to become a member of Axis Cult. Deal?" she asked, smug about getting him to join her church with little to no effort on her end. After all, the hero that defeated the Demon Lord, a member of her church? It would bring her hundreds of converts, easily.
Kazuma shot that down quickly, knowing full well she would be shameless enough to flirt to get drinks offered for her. "You may have a drink if me or Luna, who will be told of this deal, offer it to you. Anyone else offering it and you have to ask us first. Otherwise, you'll just con some chumps into buying you drinks at some point when you get desperate."
Feeling like she'd won by having Luna included, she stuck her hand out to shake Kazuma's, a broad smile on her face. "Deal!" How hard could it be?
