The next day.

I headed to the guild early to meet up with the goddess and Komekko. After all, it would be bad manners to make my two new party members wait for me.

The guild was pretty quiet this morning, a stark contrast from the rowdy and noisy atmosphere it held last night. I could see a couple parties checking out the bulletin board for quests, while a few adventurers here and there slept heads down on their tables like it was first period in school. The building was surprisingly spacious with so few occupants around. Since I didn't have any money, I ordered some water and picked an empty table to sit at.

It's my first full day in another world. After yesterday's fiasco, I decided I ought to figure out how to get the ability I received from the goddess to work before I took another quest, if possible. A magical bow with unlimited arrows would make it so much easier to slay toads, or goblins, or any other low level monsters. I pulled out my adventurer's card again, wondering what it would take to get my magic bow to appear.

"Three skill points? What are those?"

I noticed something on my adventurer's card I hadn't seen before. No matter where I looked, I could not find an explanation for them anywhere on my card.

After a few minutes, Komekko entered through the front doors and spotted me. She made her way over, stifling a yawn.

"'Morning, Satou."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well, Komekko?"

"Verily, I slumbered as though the dark gods had cast a sleep spell on me to get revenge."

"Revenge for what? Did you do something to anger these dark gods?"

"They are merely jealous of my vast stores of MP."

"Right." I sighed. "Speaking of which, after you ate your way through our entire reward last night, I'm expecting you to pay it forward with lots of those powerful spells you claim to have."

Komekko chuckled to herself. "Fufufu! Very well, today I will show you the true might of a Crimson Demon!" She held a V-sign above her brow and grinned confidently. "Although," she added, dropping her hand to rub her stomach, "I do feel rather peckish once again."

"Seriously?"

Grumbling, I propped my head on my elbow in despair against this bottomless pit.

"Hey, Satou, where is Aqua this morning?" Komekko was scanning through all the faces in the guild.

"Oh, the goddess?" I shrugged. "She said she would be here. I wonder where she is?"

Maybe she overslept?

Komekko looked at me curiously. "Why do you keep calling her 'goddess?' Are you in love with her or something?"

"No! Not even close!" I had been about to take a sip, but fortunately I avoided a spit take and slammed my cup down instead.

Komekko's unnecessary speculation aside, that was a fair question. If we were going to be party members going forward, it would be best if we knew a little about each others' histories. "We met each other in the afterlife. You probably won't believe me when I say this, but I'm from another world. I died and met the goddess, and she told me I was needed to be this world's hero who would defeat the Demon King. Which was a load of crap, by the way, it turns out she has already sent tons of people here, and where are all of they, anyways? But yeah, I know it sounds hard to believe, but that's what happened―"

When I looked at Komekko to see how she was taking that bombshell, figuring she either wouldn't believe it or would have trouble understanding―

"I completely understand!"

Her eyes were sparkling from hearing my tale, and her hands reached out to grab the fist I was resting on the table.

"Huh?"

"I didn't know you had such a cool backstory! Just like my big sis―she has some of her memories from her previous life as a dark god! It's like that, isn't it? I, also, in my past life, was once the highest ranked devil who was served by all twelve of the archdukes of hell!"

…This girl thinks I'm just delusional like her.

"Forget I said anything," I said, reclaiming custody of my hand.

"Worry not. The secrets of your past lives are safe with me."

"That isn't what I meant."

Komekko simply crossed her arms and smirked. "Well, we should probably wait until Aqua gets here before picking a quest for today."

I nodded in response. "Yeah, she would probably get upset if we left her behind."

Komekko was still looking around. "Satou is out of reward money, so I can't bum any food off of him. Hm, I wonder if there is someone willing to loan me some food." She wiped at her lips with her sleeve.

Did she think I couldn't hear her?

A few adventurers caught her glancing their direction, and quickly got up and left. Komekko turned to watch another nearby party. They reacted in exactly the same way.

"Oi." I said.

"What?"

"What was with those reactions just now?" I gestured toward the parties who had just left. Or, more like, escaped.

Komekko looked pointedly aside. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

Stare.

…

"You've extorted them for food before, haven't you?"

The tiny mage's profile flushed red. I'm pretty sure I heard something inside her go pop.

"I-if you need me, I'll be at the river catching myself some breakfast!"

She hurriedly stood up and left in a bluster.

Now that I was alone again, I sighed before returning my attention to my adventurer's card. I'm feeling certain these skill points appeared since I gained some levels yesterday, but I have no idea what they are for.

"Excuse me, miss!" I called out to one of the guild employees. She came over and clasped her hands to listen. "Can you explain to me what skill points are?"

"Oh, of course. Skill points are earned by leveling up, and they allow you to learn new skills to become stronger as an adventurer. There are all kinds of skills, and some skills cost more than others, so it's up to you to decide what to spend them on."

"I see." That was easy enough. "So how do you learn new skills?"

The guild employee held up a finger. "First, you need to find someone who already has the skill you wish to learn. Have them show you how to use the skill, and it will then show up on your adventurer's card. Finally, once you have enough points, simply select that skill on your card, and you will instantly learn how to use it. Oh, and one other thing, there are a number of skills that can only be used by certain adventurer classes. For instance, a swordsman wouldn't be able to learn advanced magic, and neither would an archwizard be able to use advanced swordsmanship."

"Makes sense."

"Although, there is one exception. The basic adventurer class can learn any skill." The guild employee looked around before leaning in closer. "The most famous example of this is the Demon King. They say he knows every skill in existence, and his versatility is part of what makes the Demon King so dangerous." She stood upright before continuing. "Most adventurers, however, prefer to upgrade to a more specialized class, granting them significantly better stats and skill boosts, plus allowing them to equip more powerful items."

I mulled this information over as I listened. It sounded like the Demon King really shouldn't be underestimated. But more importantly―

"So how do I know which skills are the best to have? I don't even know what my options are, let alone what I want to pick."

The employee pointed toward the desk. "If you'd like, you can request an adventurer's manual. It has a list of all the basic skills as well as requirements for changing to more advanced classes."

"Really, like a beginner's guide? That sounds useful. I think I will check that out, thank you."

As the employee was about to turn to leave, she stopped and said, "Oh, and one more thing. Please take care if you accept any quests in the forest outside of town. We have been receiving some reports recently that an unusually high number of Tranquility Girls are being sighted there. We are spreading this information to all the citizens in Axel and the surrounding towns who may need to pass through the forest, so be cautious."

"What are Tranquility Girls?" I asked.

"You can look up their information in the monsters section of the adventurer's manual. Now, please excuse me." She turned to get back to her work.

I decided I should take a look through that manual. It wouldn't be a bad idea to use this time waiting for the goddess to arrive to learn all I could.

A few hours later…

Where the hell is that goddess?

After reading through the manual, I spent the morning exploring the streets of town and learning my way around.

The town of Axel, it is the sort of fantasy setting you would expect, having no modern technology to speak of and mostly medieval-style architecture. A river runs through the center of town and separates it into two halves.

Since my wallet is empty, I mostly window-shopped at street vendors and various stores to pass the time.

You would think that being out of money, our newly formed party of myself, the goddess, and Komekko would be looking for a quest to go on. Instead, I found Komekko boiling a small water pot on the banks of the river running through town. It must be legal here to catch fish from the stream.

Except normally in this situation you would cook fish over a fire, right? So what is she doing boiling water?

It was pointless to think about so long as the goddess was missing. I returned to the guild a couple times to check if the goddess had ever shown up. She had not.

So after having my fill of sightseeing, I eventually found myself treading down the sloping riverbank to join Komekko by about midday. My stomach was crying out to me by now, so I was curious if she caught anything.

"Hey, Komekko. Any luck?"

"Oh, Satou. Hail. Indeed, using the special hunting techniques handed down to me by big sis, I made myself a veritable feast out of crayfish."

"This 'big sis' you always mention isn't by chance your imaginary friend, is she?"

"Big sis is big sis, and she is not imaginary! In fact, she was the crucial player in the party who slayed the previous Demon King!"

Komekko let herself get provoked at my teasing. But I'm only all the more convinced this older sister of hers is make believe.

"Hey, you were just thinking to yourself that you still don't believe me, weren't you!?"

"How could you possibly even know that? Hey, stop trying to bite me! I was just joking, yeesh!"

"It didn't seem like joking to me! That's it, not believing I am capable of wielding powerful offensive magic is one thing! But I will not tolerate someone who doesn't believe big sis is the most powerful mage in the world! Time to teach you why even the Demon King fears us Crimson Demons! Oh blackness, darker than dark, blacker than black…"

"What is your problem? Rgh, jeez, you're pretty heavy for a little girl, I'll give you that much. You ever think of going on a diet?" We got into a shoving match, and that was when she started chanting magic incantations.

When I couldn't even get her to budge, that was when I knew I was in trouble.

Seriously! She has the body of an elementary schooler, I should have no problem holding her at bay! But I'm actually struggling here!

Komekko had suddenly gone quiet. Her face was covered in a dark shadow, and for the first time, I felt a bewitching tingling coming from the air around her.

"Um, Komekko?"

"Did you just call me fat?"

Her voice was a low whisper. My hair stood up on end.

I could barely manage to swallow. Maybe I took things a little too far.

"No! I get it now! You're really strong! Strong as an ox! Yep! That's why I couldn't even budge you, it had nothing to do with being fat! If anything, you could even stand to eat a little more―"

"Cursed Lightning!"

"I am very sorry for not believing you could cast such powerfully destructive magic. I am also very sorry if I ever scoffed at your older sister. She must be an extremely powerful mage, and it's no wonder the Demon King didn't stand a chance against her. Please forgive my lack of courtesy."

I pressed my forehead into the charred grassy remains of the riverbank before Komekko.

There was no doubt in my mind now that her magical abilities were definitely the real deal. And I also learned she has a very short temper.

"I-it's alright. As long as you understand now." She twirled a strand of her hair as she stood over me.

As she did, an audible gurgle emitted from her stomach. The involuntary noise made her chuckle nervously, and made me stare awkwardly down at the ground.

"Hey, Satou, do you want to get something to eat?"

I cautiously looked up from my kowtowed position. Komekko didn't seem angry anymore, at least. "But I don't have any money."

"That's okay. I know a place where you can get a free lunch. C'mon, you haven't properly eaten yet today either, right? So let's go."

She seemed to have forgiven me, so I climbed to my feet. "There's a place that gives away free lunches? That almost sounds too good to be true."

"They have taken care of me many times, so you can trust me on this one." Komekko patted her chest as she took the lead into town. "Just follow me!"

We walked together for a few minutes through the streets of Axel. I wondered where Komekko was taking me, but we seemed to be going in the direction away from the restaurants and food sellers in the market.

"By the way, did Aqua ever show up?" Komekko asked.

"I haven't seen hide nor hair of her since going to bed last night. I'm getting kind of worried, to be honest. I hope she didn't decide to abandon me here after finding out my stats were so weak."

"It's okay. I, Komekko, will take care of you who was forsaken by her. I'll feed you, walk you, and teach you how to do tricks."

"Please don't refer to me as if I were an abandoned puppy just because you have proven I'm weaker than you, even though I am older and a guy."

"Do not flatter yourself. Even cute puppies have use as an emergency food source once you fatten them up. Unfortunately, Satou is truly useless, since big sis made me promise I wouldn't eat another human. Unless it was a life-or-death situation, like being trapped on a mountain top with no other food or water or options for survival."

Um, what?

How am I supposed to respond to something like that?

Is this girl's older sister complex the only thing keeping her from becoming a full-on cannibal?

"Remind me again just who it was that killed the giant toad yesterday before it swallowed you whole?"

"Oh, look! There's the place! Foooood!"

"Hey! Don't dodge the question! Get back here and answer me properly!"

Komekko ran off in the direction of a well-maintained cathedral. It had large rectangular brick walls, colorful stained glass windows, and a tall steeple. I quickly chased after her, following her through the tall front doors that were currently propped open.

"Welcome to the Axel branch of the Eris cult!" I was greeted by a mustachioed man wearing priestly garb and a cap. "Are you here to make a donation, young man? To volunteer in the soup kitchen? Or, would you rather wash the feet of the poor?"

"Ah, um, I'm just visiting with her," I replied, pointing to Komekko.

"Oh," the man simply responded. "I see."

Komekko was standing in line at the food kitchen. Not in the line to volunteer, mind you.

So this is what she meant by getting a 'free meal.'

Well, I was technically now penniless and homeless, so I wasn't in a place to judge.

The mustachioed man put on a smile. "I can tell you have had a rough go of life lately. May the goddess Eris bless you with better fortune in the future. Blessing! Now, go join your friend and eat. And please," he leaned in and whispered, "try to keep her to just one plate. We have many other poor people to feed besides her."

I rubbed the back of my head and returned an apologetic smile of my own. Komekko has most likely been here more than a few times.

"So, when you said a 'free lunch,' I didn't think this was what you meant."

"When preparing for battle, it is important to use any means available to achieve victory. That includes securing rations."

Komekko and I both held out our trays to a couple of kind-looking Eris cultists to receive our portions.

"Thank you," I said politely as I was given a bowl of steaming stew, a roll, and a serving of rice.

"You are very welcome, young man," the middle-aged woman responded. "Please enjoy your meal."

"Um, could I have just a little bit more? Just a teensy, tiny bit more?"

Said Komekko, a pleading look in her eyes.

The server looked away uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, Komekko, but we have been instructed by the head priest to give everyone the same amount. Especially to you."

"But my body is going through all sorts of changes right now. I need nourishment at this critical juncture if I am to develop into a proper woman and get married someday. Please can't I get just a little more?"

"Sigh… Okay, fine, just this once, but only for today, you hear? I will not give you extra portions tomorrow, Komekko, no matter how much you give me those crocodile tears." She caved in and gave Komekko an extra ladle of stew.

"Thank you so much, granny! I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah, I know you don't really mean that…" Even as she said that, the woman looked pleased all the same.

As Komekko and I walked away to find somewhere to sit, I heard her whisper, "I win again!"

I thought about lecturing her for taking advantage of a lonely old lady, but I knew it was pointless.

So exerting an effort to practice the virtue of patience, I sat at a place on the stone floor and placed my palms together. "Thank you for this meal."

Komekko mirrored my movement. "Thank you for this meal." Then in all of three swallows, she cleaned her plate faster than I could get in two bites.

"Delicious!" she declared, then looked at me and my plate.

And drooled.

I twisted away to distance my food from her. "No way. You had yours."

That just seemed to make her want it more. Komekko leaned in closer to me.

"Hey, Satou, if you give me your plate, I'll give you a kiss on the cheek." She started sidling up to me.

I scooted my ass the other direction. "Cut it out, don't mess with me!"

"You don't have to be shy, plenty of guys would be happy to get a kiss from a Crimson Demon. Our village is renowned for being full of pretty ladies." She crept closer with every line.

I kept sliding away from her advances. "How can I trust you to keep your end of the deal? You'll just eat my food and then say, 'Ah, you really thought I would give you a kiss? How cute.' Then I would get nothing. I've seen this happen in enough romance manga. I'm no dense harem protagonist! I'm not falling for your womanly wiles! I'm freaking hungry, and I'm gonna eat my food!" I obstinately stuffed the whole piece of bread into my mouth.

Komekko froze with a stunned look, like I had read her mind. Yeah right, like she would actually kiss me afterwards. I knew it was a white lie.

I could barely chew with my mouth this full, but I gloated with my eyes as I savored the crunch of the bread crust.

She sat back in disappointment, making a 'W' shape with her legs, all the while staring at my bowl of stew and rice.

"Fine," she finally said as I was silently chewing. "I'll give you a kiss first. Then there's no problem, right?"

"Mgb!?"

It wasn't safe to open my mouth right now to answer. She got back on her hands and knees and resumed crawling toward me.

I chewed and swallowed furiously. "Bah! Hey, wait! Are you really doing this? Komekko, stop and think about your actions for a second!"

"I want your food. And kissing you isn't that big of a deal. Wait, don't tell me: you're a virgin, aren't you! Hehe, aw, is this your first kiss, too?"

"W-w-so what if it is? Virginity is cool! Remain pure!"

…

"Pfft! 'Virginity is cool!' Hahaha! What in the world compelled you say that, Satou?"

I could feel my face burning up. I can't believe I said that myself. Stupid!

"Oh yeah? Well, who are you to judge? You're just a little kid, so I don't want to hear it!"

"I'm not a little kid! I'm fourteen, you know! That's old enough to get married! And by the way, I have even kissed a boy before, so that puts me ahead of you!"

"You're fourteen? Dang, I thought you were maybe eleven or twelve, tops. That means you are only a couple years younger than me. But, I bet you kissed a baby on the forehead or something and you're calling that kissing to try to one up me."

"How rude! You just lost your chance to receive a kiss from a cute girl!"

"I didn't want one from a little kid in the first place! And I'm guessing you only brought me here because you were tired of the soup kitchen workers only giving you one plate, so you decided to try and steal mine!"

"That's it! I guess you didn't learn your lesson earlier! Come here!"

"Hey, no, wait, you'll spill my plate! Komekko, seriously, stop it! I'm trying to eat in peace here!"

Crash!

"Eh?! Komekko? What are you doing here? And, who is this boy you are―licking?"

A boyish-looking face possessing a scarred cheek and a crop of silver hair was asking this question to the girl who was laying on top of my body in a suggestive way, licking up the rice grains that had stuck against my cheek when my plate of food spilled everywhere.

She had already picked up and eaten the stuff that had spilled on the stone floor.

Komekko stopped to look up. From this close I could easily see the color rushing to her face.

"B-big sis Chris? Th-th-this isn't what it looks like!"

Said this girl with a screw loose who only ever thinks about eating.