Outside the courtyard of the Eris church.

"Komekko, I'm really worried that someday a shady guy is going to take advantage of your body in exchange for offering you food."

"Big sis Chris, it would be better for me to sell off my body than to die of starvation, wouldn't it?"

"No! That's not―!" The girl named Chris put her head in her hands and sighed. "I'm just saying you should be more careful in the future, okay? What if a stranger comes up to you at a bar one night and offers you a drink? If you didn't personally watch it being made, promise you won't drink it!"

"I wouldn't do that, I wasn't born yesterday!"

Chris briefly shed her concerned look.

"I would ask to be treated with some food instead. A single drink wouldn't be enough to satisfy me."

"Komekko!"

After the trouble we had caused inside the soup kitchen, we had been asked to leave. Chris, a slender girl with a scar on her cheek and a bare midriff who seemed to have history with Komekko, was attempting to lecture my party member. It goes without saying that her scolding didn't seem to be getting through to her.

"Komekko, if a stranger ever requests for you to do something weird and offers you food, please don't do it! If he asks you to call him 'onii-chan' or go with him somewhere alone, you should run and tell the police right away!"

"I wouldn't hesitate to call a stranger 'daddy' if he promised to give me food."

"Why won't you listen to me?! Gah! If your older sister was here, she would tell you the same thing I am!"

"Big sis taught me to even beg for food from NEETs if it was necessary."

"What kind of environment did you grow up in to be taught such unnecessary things?!" Chris slumped her shoulders, looking defeated.

I wonder what kind of person Komekko's older sister is. If I ever meet her someday, I have a few things I would want to say to her.

Chris shifted her attention to me. "I apologize, my name is Chris. This one's older sister asked me to keep an eye on her whenever I was in town."

"My name is―" My knee jerk reaction was to introduce myself right away, but all my experience in this world so far flushed back to memory. "Um, don't freak out when I tell you, okay? My name―is Kazuma Satou. It's a coincidence; I have no relation to the Demon King."

"Hoh?" Chris looked me over carefully. I got the feeling she could somehow see right through me. At least she didn't react defensively when she heard my name.

"Satou and I have formed a party. Oh, and Aqua is in it, too!" added Komekko.

"Is that so?" Chris held a hand up to her chin. "Well, you are wearing some unusual clothes for around here, Mr. Satou. Between your appearance and a name like that… I take it you are an otherworlder, no?"

My face fell in surprise. "How did you know that?"

Chris flashed her pearly whites with a toothy grin. "I happen to be an adventurer as well. I am a Thief by trade, so being able to pick up on things like this is a vital skill for someone like me."

It certainly made sense that thieves needed to have a large web of connections to gather information. If the goddess had resurrected enough Japanese people to this world and given them all cheat-like abilities, they would probably stand out. Some people were bound to notice eventually.

"Ah. It's only my second day here, so I have not had a chance to buy any gear yet, or even clothes that stand out less."

My school uniform must look strange to the people in this world. If only I had some money…

Chris rested her hands on her hips in a relaxed pose. "You're just a rookie, huh? What adventurer class did you pick?"

"Uh, I haven't yet, but I was thinking I wanted to be an Archer."

I haven't told anyone this, but I picked the magic bow as my special power so I would be like my favorite servant from a certain game I used to play all the time. With a magic bow and unlimited arrows, I could really become a hero of justice, just like…

"Well, best of luck on your new adventure, Mr. Satou! And take care of Komekko for me, you hear? Despite her looks, this girl is growing up to be a highly capable arch mage. And I know Miss Aqua can be a hassle at times, but she was a member of the party who defeated the previous Demon King. As far as archpriests go, you won't find one anywhere in the world who is stronger―I can promise you that much!"

Chris said that, and something caught my attention.

"The goddess was in the party who defeated the previous Demon King?" This information was new to me. I was somehow under the impression that the Demon King had wiped her past party out.

"Come to think of it, your older sister was a member of that party too, wasn't she?" Chris inquired.

"Yep!" Komekko jubilantly sounded.

"What? Wait a second, so that's why the goddess acted like she knew you yesterday!"

I began fitting the puzzle pieces together in my head. Komekko's older sister, who Komekko brags about as being the world's strongest mage, was in a party with the goddess. And after their party took out the previous Demon King, that must have been when the other 'Kazuma Satou' took his place.

It was all starting to make sense. But it made me wonder one thing…

"So what happened to the goddess' party after they defeated the Demon King?"

I asked aloud.

Komekko averted her eyes. Chris shyly scratched her cheek.

"C'mon. Don't leave me hanging."

Chris heaved a sigh. "Maybe it would be better if you asked Miss Aqua herself about it. Although, I do feel I share a part of the responsibility for what happened…"

I was dying to know now. "You can't just say a heavy line like that and not explain any more!"

Chris traced the scar on her cheek. "I guess you're right. So, um, to answer your question, the hero's party disbanded during the civil war that broke out not long after the previous Demon King was slain. You see, the hero who killed the Demon King was supposed to marry the princess as his reward. Buuut, the hero didn't get along with the King or the first prince. Long story short, the hero kidnapped the princess, revolted against the kingdom, and declared himself the new Demon King."

I felt my spine tingle. "The hero became the Demon King?"

Chris nodded solemnly. "That's right. Kazuma Satou was the hero who defeated the Demon King. But there is more to the story. Officially, the story goes that he kidnapped the princess, and that was what caused the civil war. But in reality, it was more like the princess kidnapped him. She kind of had a huge crush on him, it turns out. Anyway, when Kazuma eventually persuaded her to return to the capital after they had their adventure, the damage had already been done. The King and prince were naturally upset, but they were nowhere near as angry as his other party members. He had an especially big fight with Miss Aqua, and I think that was what ultimately caused the party to disband. But like I said, if you want the full story, the only people who can tell it are the four former members of the hero's party.

"Anyways, wanted and on the run for kidnapping the princess, Kazuma forged an alliance with the former Demon King's daughter, reignited war with the kingdom, and ultimately overthrew the capital. And that was how he became the Demon King. I don't think Miss Aqua ever forgave him after that, and her goal now is clearly to kill him."

"...Whoa," I finally said. My adventures in this world so far seemed so ridiculous by comparison. Hearing a story like that really drove home that things here are actually quite serious.

Now I understood why the goddess was recruiting hero candidates from Japan and giving us powerful abilities. It wasn't just about bringing peace to this world. She was going that far to bring about justice and get revenge against the party member who betrayed her.

Komekko was fidgeting as she listened.

"What about your older sister? What happened to her?" I asked.

"Eh? Right, well, last time I saw big sis, she told me she was going off to train on her own somewhere. 'I will become even more powerful and defeat the Demon King myself,' she said. That was about eight years ago, if I had to guess. I bet that by now her magic has become so powerful it could wipe a small country off the map!"

Komekko tried to hide it, but I detected the slightest bit of loneliness in her voice.

I could sympathize. It had only been a day, but I did miss my cute little sister back home. I wish I could somehow tell her I was doing fine in another world.

Of course, saying I'm doing fine is a bit of a stretch as I am currently homeless and penniless, but lying to her would be for the best.

"Miss Chris, there is one thing you still haven't explained. You mentioned that this Kazuma Satou guy becoming the Demon King was partially your fault."

"Oh!" Chris realized sheepishly. "You remembered that? Yes, I am partially to blame. I helped him out quite a few times on his journey to defeat the former Demon King. Also, it was me who taught him his trademark skill: Steal."

"His trademark skill, huh?" I remember reading about that skill in the adventurer's manual this morning. "Using magic to steal an item from your opponent? I think I read that it was a basic thief's skill."

"The item stolen is determined by the user's luck stat. The better the luck, the better the booty. And it just so happens that Kazuma's luck is his best stat."

Ah, so that was how it was. So his strategy was probably to steal all your best gear and use it against you. That would be hard to deal with.

Chris continued. "If you are thinking he uses Steal for his main strategy, that's wrong. What he actually uses Steal for is much worse."

"How so?"

"Eh?" Chris took a step back, and I saw her ears turning red. "You want me to say it out loud?"

"Is that weird? You are the one who brought it up, so what are you getting so embarrassed for now?"

"I guess you have a point, sorry. It isn't your fault you didn't know, so it's just my luck I must be the one to tell you." Chris took a step closer and dropped her tone. "The Demon King Kazuma is infamous for his using Steal to strip every woman he meets of her panties."

…

"Are you pulling my leg?"

In most games and stories, the Demon King is supposed to be mankind's greatest enemy. A monster or entity bent on conquering or destroying the world. A threat so powerful that only humanity's bravest and strongest would dare to oppose, and become heroes in the process.

"You're telling me this world's Demon King is just some panty-thieving pervert?"

Just when I was thinking that there were problems in this world that were actually serious.

"No! I mean, yes, he is, but! But! Kazuma is the Demon King, he is at war with humanity, and people have died! He isn't just some low-life criminal, like you are putting it!"

I considered Chris' words as I thought. "Okay, okay. I don't think you are lying, but if humanity is at war with the Demon King, why is this village so peaceful?"

I looked around at the people wandering the streets. Nobody looked like they were worried about some big war going on.

"It is strange," Chris acknowledged. "For some reason that nobody seems to know, the Demon King has never attacked the town of Axel. Well, he did live here as an adventurer for a time, so maybe he has lingering attachments to this place? Anyway, the royal castle of the former capital is where the Demon King lives now, and Axel is the town of beginners. They are pretty far apart. So it wouldn't be easy to launch an attack this far out even if he wanted to. And as a town of beginners, Axel isn't much of a threat to him, either."

I had to admit her logic was sound.

It was then that I felt a tug on my sleeve.

"Satou, Satou, I'm hungry."

"Komekko, Komekko. So am I. But you ate all my food so I have no sympathy."

There was one other thing I wanted to ask Chris, but―

"Hey, stop chewing on my sleeve! Gross, now my shirt is all wet!"

Komekko really was hungry.

"Hey, Komekko! Stop, that's not something you should be doing with a boy!"

Chris reacted the same way I did.

"Is she like this with everyone?" I asked while trying to push the girl away.

Chris smiled to hide the pain. "Most people don't let her get close enough."

Chris amused herself watching me struggle for a second, then followed up with, "By the way, is Miss Aqua with you?"

I paused from my wrestling match to answer. "No. I haven't seen her all day. We were supposed to meet up at the guild to pick a quest to go on."

Chris furrowed her brow. "Ah. An otherworlder, Miss Aqua, and Komekko. You guys have the makings for a pretty good party, but it sounds like you really need a vanguard." She brought her hand to her chin. "Say, Mr. Satou, I happen to know someone who is looking for a party, and she would complement your party members excellently. Yeah, this could work! Would you mind if I introduced her next time I see you? I could see you guys becoming a really strong party, maybe one of the strongest parties ever!"

"Uh, sure," I said, without really thinking about it.

"Great!" Chris made a waving motion. "Then I'm off! Keep an eye out for Miss Aqua, I'm sure she will show up soon!"

She quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Although when I tried to watch her go, taking my focus off Komekko resulted in her yanking me by the crook of my elbow.

"Hey! I get it, you're hungry! But you've already been fed by the clergy, and I already made it clear I'm flat broke, so I don't know what you want from me!"

"Satou, we have been fed by the Eris sect, it's true. But we could still catch a meal from the Axis sect today if we hurry!"

"The Axis sect? Is that another church?"

"Yeah! Although, now that I think about it, I'm not so sure bringing you will work this time. They'll happily feed a cute girl like me, but I don't know if they like boys as much. I might not be able to snatch a second plate off of you this time."

…

"Oi. You just admitted that you brought me along because you wanted to eat my portion."

Komekko froze. She was facing away from me, having been trying to lead me in the direction of the Axis sect or whatever she called it. I couldn't see her face, but the back of her ears were clearly tinged red.

She turned to face me, all trace of a blush gone. "We're friends aren't we, Satou?" She tried to put on her cutest face.

"You're more like an annoying little sister."

"Annoying?!"

"You heard me. You are exactly like my little sister back home, trying to use cuteness to get whatever she wants! That tactic won't work so easily on me! Even if you act all cute and try to butter me up, or if you say you'll give me a kiss, I'll still fight you for the last hamburg steak! Don't underestimate the manly pride I hold within my breast!"

"Fine! I was going to bring you along out of the kindness of my heart, knowing that Satou hasn't eaten all day, but that does it! I'll go get fed and pampered by the Axis priestess by myself!"

"Do whatever you want! See if I care!"

With that, I turned my back to her and strode away.