Chapter 27: A New Base For This Group!

Part 1

"I can't believe I let you rope me into doing this."

Mitsurugi said, as we stood in front of the National Diet Building.

There were public tours available in the Diet Building, so it wasn't like we'd be swarmed by police just by entering, at least not right away. That only applied to days when there weren't any hearings or representatives present, though. Right now, there was security that went to stop us as soon as we entered.

"Excuse me, can we see your press IDs?"

The guards said, assuming we were members of the press when we entered with our fancy suits.

"Ah, we don't have any IDs or anything."

"Then we'd like to ask you to leave. There will be a televised meeting starting in an hour. For security reasons, the public isn't allowed into the building."

Mitsurugi leaned down and whispered.

"Oi… That means the Prime Minister and stuff is here, right?! This is a terrible idea!"

"This is even better for us. Come on, let's enter before the press starts filming."

It was better if we didn't make the public aware of things related to the app, until the government was aware of it, at least.

I started walking towards the guards and they moved to block me.

"Hey… Didn't you hear us? If you're here to sightsee, just wait later!"

I didn't want to harm these guys who were just doing their jobs, but I also wanted to prove a point.

In order for the government to start believing us, we needed to show our powers.

"[Drain Touch]!"

I touched the guards on their shoulders. They screamed then fell down once all their energy was drained.

"...Now you've done it, Satou."

Mitsurugi said, as more guards came out to handle us.

"Stop what you're doing and…! Argh!"

I dealt with them with [Drain Touch] once more.

By this point, the police came, pointing their tasers at us.

"...What? They're just kids?"

They hesitated, seeing how young we were.

But in order to demonstrate our supernatural abilities, we couldn't have them not seeing us as a threat.

"[Tinder]!"

I fired off a bolt from my finger in front of them, making the welcoming rug catch on fire.

"W-What was that?! Someone, deal with the arsonists!"

A brave officer finally put aside his hesitation and went up to fire his taser at me.

I just held up my arm and let the taser try and shock me, but like Aqua said, it didn't hurt me at all.

"...I really do feel like the Saiyans invading Earth right now. Earthlings, lead me to Kakarot!"

Mitsurugi sighed as more police officers came to try and tase him as well. One even came up to try and grapple him, but Mitsurugi didn't budge.

"You're enjoying this too much, Satou…"

"S-Something's wrong with these kids! The tasers aren't working on them!"

"Try to subdue them!"

In order to really prove our point, we needed to have them use guns. However, I knew that these upstanding police officers wouldn't shoot a kid for no reason. So, it was our mission to push them to the edge.

When they attempted to tackle me, I knew that they'd actually succeed unlike with Mitsurugi. His 'Strength' stats were probably above 100 at this point.

Even if I was invulnerable, my stats were still within the realms of human potential.

So, I used my tried and true tactic of filling the ground with water and freezing it.

But this time, I tried to delay the spell as much as possible, waiting for all of the police to get within range, before creating the frozen hazard.

"Gahh!"

The police slipped and fell on the ice.

Then, with the remaining police…

I took out Chunchunmaru from the inventory, but I didn't draw it out of its sheath.

"[Quick Attack]! [Double Attack]!"

I dashed in a blur of speed and whacked the police on the back of the head, knocking them out with the sheathed sword.

Mitsurugi also knocked out a police officer, attacking him with a chop on the back of the head. With that, we advanced forward, letting one police officer retreat to get backup.

"...This feels awful."

"Don't worry, they'll get a big insurance payout from this, even though we didn't really injure them."

"Well, that makes me feel a bit better, I guess."

At this point, reinforcements came and they weren't holding back like the last wave.

"Do not move, or we will be forced to fire!"

They gave their warnings as they took out their handguns, ten of them aimed at us.

That did make me pause for a bit, the instinctive fear of having several guns pointed at me.

I took a deep breath and stepped forward.

"F-Fire!"

The first bullet was fired.

I felt a faint, stinging sensation.

Then, I saw smoke coming out of the gun.

They all watched me in shock and sheer terror.

A bent bullet fell near my shoes. I bent over to pick it up, turning it over to examine it.

"W-What kind of monsters are you?!"

The police said, this time not even hesitating to fire bullets at us.

Mitsurugi and I stood there, letting them pelt us with bullets. Once they ran out, I held up my hands in a sign of peace.

"Hey, we're not here to harm anyone. We just want an audience with the PM and the diet members."

"We can't let you do that!"

I turned my head to the sound of a sharp, feminine voice. I saw a beautiful, longhaired police officer wearing red-framed glasses. She held out her badge while glaring at us.

"I am Superintendent Ise Sena! Stand down or we will be forced to take drastic measures!"

I sighed and narrowed my eyes at her.

"Lady, you just saw us tanking a bunch of bullets. What are you gonna do next? Just warning you now, tear gas won't work on us either."

She bit her lip, knowing we were right. She couldn't deny what she saw, no matter how ridiculous it was.

"...State your purpose for raiding the National Diet Building."

"I just told you. We just want an audience. Also, no cameras, so kick the press out."

They probably heard the gunshots by now, but as long as they didn't know about our powers, the public wouldn't totally panic yet. Terrorist attacks were still concerning, but something like interdimensional beings and such were outside of the realm of comprehension.

"...I'm sure you understand that we can't put you in the same room as our nation's lawmakers and the Prime Minister himself."

"Then just set up a laptop and webcam for us to talk remotely with them."

Sena nodded, seeing the logic in that. She commanded one of the other officers and soon enough, they had a laptop ready for us.

After a few minutes, we had a live feed of the most important people in Japan. The Prime Minister himself was sitting in front of the camera, looking stern and dignified. He gave a basic introduction before saying,

"...What is the reason for your assault?"

He thought we were terrorists.

"We only came here to give a demonstration. Did you already receive a report of our powers?"

"Yes, but I'm finding it hard to believe what I'm hearing."

That wasn't too surprising.

I held my hand out to one of the guns pointed at me.

"[Steal]!"

The gun appeared in my hand. Then, in order to further demonstrate, I held the gun against my temple.

There were screams from the video feed when I pulled the trigger, and a gasp of disbelief when they saw that I was still alive.

"That is… Outstanding…"

I nodded and slid the gun back on the floor to the officer I stole it from.

"There are many others like me out there. As for why we were given these powers…"

I explained the app-system to them. Everyone in the audience listened attentively at first, until chaos ensued once they heard about the Demon King army.

"This is not only a matter of national security, but a global one!"

"We must alert the other world leaders!"

"No… We should keep this to ourselves for now!"

Mitsurugi sighed when he saw the chaos.

"Of course it'd be like this…"

When faced with the unknown, people were bound to panic no matter what.

I clapped my hands to get everyone's attention.

"Order! Order in the court! Oi, you're the leaders of this nation, show some composure! Don't worry, you have us app-users protecting the country. I'm also willing to work with the military to ensure that they can fight against the Demon King army."

"...But you said yourself that our world's weapons won't work. Only weapons acquired from this… 'dungeon' can harm them."

"Exactly… So there's a rather obvious solution, isn't there? Ah, buddy, lend me your gun again."

Instead of having to steal the gun from the police officer, he just tossed the gun over to me. I unloaded the magazine and dropped the bullets into my palm. Then, I took out an arrow from my inventory.

"[Smithing]!"

I took material from the arrow tip and merged it with the bullet, holding it out to the audience to see.

"It's quite simple. Just make composite ammunition combined with materials from the dungeon. And there you go, you have weapons capable of killing superdimensional threats."

I realized this loophole as soon as Aqua explained how this world's inhabitants can't harm beings from a higher dimension. However, I wasn't sure if trusting this world with this information was a good thing. They could somehow reverse engineer those portals and start invading other worlds in the multiverse, after all.

But I'd rather risk that than have the deaths of thousands or millions of people on my conscience. I don't want to play god and determine what is right or wrong. The morally correct choice is to protect the lives that one is capable of preventing at the immediate moment, rather than risking those lives just for a hypothetical future outcome. To do otherwise is a characteristic of arrogance nearing megalomania.

I learned that from Fate/Zero.

"Outstanding…! Please help us in the production of these composite bullets!"

"Sure… Ah, but it's gonna cost you, though."

I could feel Mitsurugi glaring daggers at my back, but who could blame me?

This was the damn government. They could afford to pay me, right?

"How does 1 Billion Yen sound?"

That made me choke on air.

"...Say what now?"

"Is the stream lagging? Ah, it should be safe for you two to come into the chambers now. Superintendent Ise, please let our guests in."

"Yes, sir!"

Sena saluted the Prime Minister, then turned to us.

"Please, follow me."

"Oh, um, right…"

Mitsurugi whispered to me as we followed the police officers into the chambers.

"...What's the matter? Feeling out of your depth for once?"

As if 1 Billion Yen wouldn't make anybody freeze up!

I ignored Mitsurugi's teasing as we entered the chamber. The gravity of the situation was only starting to hit me at this moment, when I came face-to-face with the most important people in the country.

"First, we'd like you to introduce yourself."

The PM said, making Mitsurugi step forward and bow.

"I am Mitsurugi Kyouya, at your service."

"...I'm Satou Kazuma."

"It's a pleasure. First thing first, let's get the payment out of the way."

A secretary came up to us, holding a check. It took all my effort not to let my knees tremble when I saw the total of 1 Billion Yen on the paper.

"We will have you get in contact with our defense R center to produce those bullets. Is there anything else you require?"

That gave me an idea.

"Actually, there is someone else who can be of assistance. They once produced grenades that are capable of harming the dungeon monsters.

"Very well. Please involve them in the project as well."

I managed to get work for Hyoizaburo-san.

I was about to say something else, when a familiar, booming voice interrupted us.

"Fufu… Aren't you forgetting someone else who can assist, boy?"

Suddenly, in a grand entrance, Vanir appeared as a dirt pillar, before taking on his humanoid form.

Mitsurugi stepped back, recognizing Vanir from their previous fight, but I held an arm out, assuring him Vanir was safe.

"W-Who is this?"

"Prime Minister… This is an informant, of sorts. He used to be a demon king army general, but he betrayed them."

"Indeed I did! And I bear gifts. Behold, the Vanir-style Pagers!"

Of course he was gonna try this!

The Prime Minister carefully accepted the pager from Vanir.

"...What's this?"

"It is a device that will warn you ahead of time when the demon king army invades this world, giving you ample time to prepare! Of course, this won't come free of charge…!"

"Excellent! How does 1 Billion Yen sound?"

"..."

Even Vanir froze up after hearing that amount.

"H-Hm… W-Well, I suppose that will do…"

He was acting tough, but I could tell that he was also shaken up about the amount of money he received.

He needed 5x more of that amount to make his own dungeon, though.

"But still… How can we trust teenagers like you?"

The other members of the diet were still unconvinced.

Some were staring at me with suspicion.

I turned to Mitsurugi.

"Oi, pretty boy, do your thing."

He glared at me for that comment, before smiling charmingly and taking over the rest of the speech.

Part 2

"...Are you telling me that those pagers came from this devil, Satou?"

Mitsurugi said, when we were led to a conference room to further discuss matters.

"Moihaha! Please keep staring at me while reliving the memories of your shameful defeat! Those are some very tasty emotions of grief coming out of you!"

I never thought there would come a day where these two would interact, but I suppose that it's been a pretty crazy day in general.

Sena was in the meeting room, as well as the Minister of Defense and the Prime Minister himself.

"About the press… We have informed them that two delinquents were setting off fireworks in the lobby as a prank. This will still make the national news, but they won't learn the truth."

The Prime Minister said, interrupting the argument between Vanir and Mitsurugi.

The Defense Minister spoke up next.

"...Our strategy for now is to keep the public unaware as much as possible. We will make false reports of an upcoming high magnitude earthquake and evacuate citizens in shelters, as soon as we get warnings from the pager."

This was the main reason why I chose to inform the government. Even without the involvement of the military, their ability to mass-evacuate a large group of people was a feat we couldn't replicate on our own.

"As for the other app-users… Can they be counted on during the attack?"

"It would be best if you didn't try to control them."

I said, with as much honesty as possible.

The other app-users couldn't simply be apprehended by the government, nor be forced to give up their cheat weapons. They should be treated as a rogue element that will behave as long as they could do as they wished. Having the government interfere would just cause some of the more willful ones to rebel.

"As for the portals themselves… Satou-san said that they have only been appearing around Tokyo for now, but there's a chance the invaders could expand the range of the portals and have it appear anywhere in the country, right?"

I turned to Vanir for this one, since he'd have more information about this.

"Precisely! The Demon King army could even advance the range of the portal to encompass the entire planet, given time. That's why those goddesses created dungeon entrances all over the world."

The Prime Minister rubbed his chin.

"I see… Then I suppose the only thing we can do is inform the other world leaders and let them use the information as they wish…"

He then turned to Sena and said,

"Satou-san, Superintendent Ise here will act as the liaison between us. And although I imagine you don't need it, she will also act as your bodyguard."

Sena nodded to her orders and bowed to me.

"I am at your service."

Having a beautiful career woman like her bow to me like that and say, 'I'm at your service'...

…It was kind of erotic.

What is the extent of that 'service', I wonder?!

"I sense a tremendous amount of lust from the boy…"

I quieted those thoughts when Vanir started sniffing me out.

"Is there any other means in which we can support you, Satou-san?"

I considered the PM's offer, then thought about something.

"I'd like a base of operations for my circle of trusted app-users. It's more convenient if we can mobilize from one place, after all."

I mean, Darkness lived in another country, and I wasn't even sure where Chris lived. The only one who could mobilize quickly was Yunyun with [Teleport, but she was still limited in that regard.

The PM nodded, understanding my logic.

"Very well, we will purchase property for you in Tokyo. Is there anything else you need?"
After some more thought, I said.

"Please allow a teammate of mine to examine a group of JSDF soldiers. If they have the potential to enter the dungeon, they may be very useful in the upcoming conflicts. I would also like to train and lead them."

The Minister of Defense looked doubtful for once, considering my age, but he couldn't really argue since this was such a fantastical and special circumstance. He sighed and said,

"...That can be arranged, but if you're leading such a unit, we'll have to give you a military rank, even if you're a minor… How about First Lieutenant?"

The Prime Minister nodded at this.

"I give my approval. Of course, your station and involvement will be classified."

Mitsurugi's eyes were swimming from all the development.

"...Keep me out of this, Satou. I want to stay as an ordinary civilian."

If I was gonna risk my life for the country anyway, I might as well be recognized for my efforts. This is coming from someone who died already and saw my own corpse spilling blood in the cold floor of a dungeon. If I was gonna die again someday, and Aqua wasn't around to resurrect me in time, then I at least want a proper military burial recognizing my sacrifice.

Once we were done with the meeting, I checked my phone and saw that there was a notification from Appuri-chan.

Your successful diplomacy has increased your 'Intelligence' by 4! Your 'Bravery' has increased by 4!

You have unlocked the skill [Delay Spell]!

[Delay Spell] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill

You can delay up to three spells, which will form as magical energies that will float around you. For every minute that passes until you use the spell, you will lose equal to the amount of mana points you used to cast the spell.

I finally unlocked a 'Wizard' class exclusive skill.

I must have got this from when I held the [Create Water] and [Freeze] combo against those police.

Part 3

"A-A special government initiative to teach gifted children… Aqua-chan, Megumin-chan and Kazuma have been chosen?!"

My mom said, when she read the document that was laid in front of her.

"This is simply incredible!"

My dad said, reading along with my mom.

The fact that they didn't view Aqua's inclusion at all as strange showed just how highly they viewed her.

At the next joint family dinner between Megumin's family and mine, I announced the cover story that the Prime Minister provided for us. Sena also came by, posing as an educator for this so-called program.

Sena smiled and nodded to my parents.

"Indeed… And we have also recognized the designs of… um, Hyoizaburo-san? And we wish to buy the intellectual rights to his designs. Truly, the genius doesn't fall far from the tree."

Sena followed my instructions, stroking the ego of Megumin and Hyoizaburo-san.

Megumin stuck out her chest as she glanced at her dad.

"Hmph… Did you hear that, dad? It seems that our genius is finally being recognized… Well, it's thanks to me, though."

Megumin was having fun with her gloating, so I didn't correct her. Not like I could, since this whole set-up was a sham.

"M-My efforts are finally being recognized! Um, what is the pay like?"

Of course, his first question was about money.

"You will receive an annual salary of 15,000,000 Yen, including benefits that come with a government job."

Both Yuiyui-san and Hyoizaburo-san stared at Sena in shock.

"...Eh? Honey, did I hear that right?"

"M-Maybe she meant in a foreign currency, like American Dollars?"

That amount would be worth way more in USD, though.

Komekko tilted her head.

"...Isn't this kinda suspicious? Why are we getting so much money now…?"

Yuiyui-san covered her youngest daughter's mouth.

"Komekko-chan? Don't ask any questions, OK?"
I had a feeling Yuiyui-san would go through with this even if there was something shady involved. She was fine with selling off her daughter to me, after all.

"So you're saying nii-san gets to live with a bunch of beautiful girls in some mansion in Tokyo?! How is this fair?!"

Kazuto had nothing but complaints about the whole arrangement.

I rubbed his head.

"Humu. Work hard and you'll be like your nii-san in the future…"

"...Why don't you give me some of your insane luck as well?"

Aqua chuckled and patted Kazuto on the head.

"Why don't you help me pack, Kazuto? We can play some games tonight with your nii-san, too!"

"Sure, nee-chan!"

His mood immediately improved.

Sena and Megumin's family left after the meeting and I went up to Aqua's room along with Kazuto.

"...Wait, did I just get roped into packing your stuff for you?"

Aqua stuck her tongue out while glancing to the side.

"Busted."

I sighed but continued helping her pack along with Kazuto, thinking it was better to deal with this now than dealing with it at the last minute when it was time to move.

After that, we took out the Switch and played some Mario Kart with Kazuto. In the middle of it, he sighed and said.

"...I'm gonna be lonely without you two."

I thought about those years when we didn't even talk at all, back when I was shut off in my room, playing video games all day.

Kazuto must have been pretty lonely back then, especially considering how close we were.

We can never go back to the way we were. Maybe other siblings can do that, but that wasn't the case for us. We were making progress here and there, but we were older now. There were a lot more reservations, and we can't just pretend like we didn't treat each other like strangers not too long ago.

I was filled with the innate discomfort that comes with showing affection to an estranged family member. If you know what that's like, you know the feeling of your throat clenching up, your stomach squeezing, your hands drenched in cold sweat.

"Kazuto… Sorry. I've been a bad nii-san. I'm gonna be better from now on."

"...?! What are you saying, nii-san! T-That's gross!"

He glanced away, his hands clenching his shorts.

Aqua smiled and stood up, giving us some space.

When we were alone in the room, I hesitantly placed my hand on Kazuto's head.

"It probably hurt a lot, right? Even if you don't admit it. Having a nii-san you were close to just retreating into himself, refusing to even meet your eyes."

"...You were so cool, nii-san. You always played with me, always talked to me, always gave me advice… I didn't care that you didn't talk to me… But I just hated seeing my cool nii-san act like a loser!"

He looked up, showing that his eyes were wet, but he was still glaring accusingly. Then, he punched me on the arm.

"That's what you should really apologize for! Being uncool that whole time!"

I chuckled, rubbing the spot where he punched me.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna go back to being your cool nii-san."

I'll protect you. I'll grow stronger for you.

So nothing will harm you, so you won't have to see my pathetic side again.

And maybe someday, when I'm braver and wiser…

I can say this all to your face.

"I promise, Kazuto."

Your bond with your family has reached the max rank!

Satou (Family) Bond Rank: 7 (MAX)

At rank 7, your family unconditionally loves you and your bond with them is stronger than it has ever been. Your parents will brag about you to everyone they talk to, and your little brother sees you as his cool big brother once more. If you mention wanting a non-blood related sister again, your parents will accept it.

Bond Reward: Kazuma cheating lessons MAX (Allowed to have unlimited lovers)

Part 4

"T-Thank you so much for inviting me!"

Yunyun bowed several times as she arrived at the meeting place with her luggage.

A bus was waiting for us, the kind that musicians used while on tour. Along with our luggage, it would also take us to the new property the government got for us.

"You're part of our group, after all. Not to mention that I owe my life to Yunyun."

"Y-Your kind words are too much for me, Kazuma-san!"

Megumin, however, gave Yunyun a wary look.

"...I'm fine with you living with us as long as you give me the space I need."

"Ah… But I was hoping to play some games with Megumin when we get there."

"You're already planning to cling to me, huh?"

Seeing Yunyun tear up a little, I pulled Megumin to the side.

"Oi… You reprimanded me for not being honest with how I care about my friends but… You're also not being honest with Yunyun."

Megumin glanced away with a pout.

"You don't get it. That girl doesn't know any restraint. Give her a tiny bit of attention and she'll follow you around without reprieve."

"...It can't be that bad."

Appuri-chan did give me those warnings, though.

"Anyway, you'll be living together now, so there's no use in treating her coldly."

"...Hah. Fine, you win."

With that settled, I went to the others I invited, seeing Rin and Mitsurugi talking to each other.

"To think that Mitsurugi-senpai is an app-user as well!"

"Same to you… To think that Satou would involve his girlfriend in this…"

Mitsurugi gave me a rather cold look. Feeling the need to explain myself, I said,

"Isn't it better that she knows how to protect herself now? That's better than leaving her defenseless and clueless about the invasion, right?"

"You always find a way to get people to agree with you, so I'm not even gonna bother arguing. I mean, you even convinced the Prime Minister of all people."

I suppose that truly was quite the feat.

I turned to Rin again and said,

"Sorry for dragging you out like this. I keep involving you deeper and deeper…"

She chuckled and playfully hit my shoulder.

"Senpai, I told you already I'm fine with it, right? And it could be fun living together like this with everyone. Maybe it'll make for good practice for when more girls join…"

She whispered the last part so Mitsurugi wouldn't hear, for which I was thankful.

I helped Rin take her luggage to the bus, before I saw Darkness arriving last, which wasn't too surprising, considering she lived in another country. Thankfully, I managed to arrange something with the Prime Minister, so she wouldn't be viewed as an illegal alien.

I looked at all the luggage she brought with her.

"...What's with all the stuff?"

She blushed a little before replying,

"My dad thinks I'm studying abroad, so I can't help it. He made me bring a bunch of stuff."

"I see. Well, once you're done putting that in the bus, make sure to help the others with their luggage."

"Why are you assigning such a task to me when I have the most work to do?!"

Only because I knew she'd like it. To prove my point, she started panting hard as soon as I told her that.

"By the way, I guess Chris isn't coming, huh?"

"She said she's busy right now, but she might come later."

She was always busy… I wondered what occupied most of her time.

I wanted to continue where we left off last time…

Wait, maybe she was avoiding me for that reason?

"Ahh… Where's my Emperor Zell?!"

Aqua suddenly screamed, getting everyone's attention.

"...What the heck is an Emperor Zell?"

It sounded like a euphemism for a sex toy.

Am I not satisfying her in bed?

Do I need to put points into [Bedroom Skill]?

"That's the name of my wonderful baby dragon! I can't find him! My wonderful Emperor Zell!"

"Where did you put him?"

"I put him in a carton of eggs, so he won't be lonely!"

That was the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

"Gahhh! What are you doing, lady?!"

Aqua pointed at a startled Sena, who was tasked to drive the bus. She was about to eat a snack, which happened to be a boiled egg.

"Um… I'm just about to eat this egg…"

"You monster! How could you?!"

I whacked Aqua on the head before she could scare Sena even more.

"...Use your head for once. How could Sena have boiled the egg without any equipment, much less taken it from you? Just look through your stuff again."

"I already looked through everything…! Oh, wait, I think I see it under my pajamas. My beautiful, eggy baby!"

She took the carton out from between her folded up pajamas, took out the egg, which she marked 'Emperor Zell' with a sharpie, and fed it with mana.

While she was doing that, I went to Sena and apologized.

"Sorry about that. She always freaks out for one reason or another."

She had an uneasy expression as she nodded.

"I-I guess I just have to get used to it."

As the only form of adult supervision this house of app-users would have, Sena had quite the responsibility in her hands.

By the way, I had Aqua sniff her out, but it didn't seem like Sena had any potential to enter the dungeon. It was a shame, but that didn't mean we couldn't rely on her, since she was still a professional at the end of the day.

…

…

"Ohhh! This is where we're gonna live?!"

Megumin exclaimed as we stepped out of the bus to peer at the two-storey mansion within the upscale residential area of Azabu. An arched entrance way led to a grand door, and before it was a well-trimmed garden.

The girls ran inside excitedly, eager to claim their rooms, except for Darkness.

"...I suppose the ojou-sama isn't that excited. You're probably thinking, 'Hmph, my mansion in England is way better."

"Why did you just assume I'm from England?! Well, you're right… But I wasn't thinking that!"

"My posh loft back in London costs at least 1,000,000 Pounds… That's what you're thinking, right?"

"Of course not!"

She sighed, then said,

"I was just thinking that I'm really happy I get to live with everyone… Um, I like living with my father, but it's just us and our servants in our mansion... It isn't very lively."

My first instinct was to tease her again, but I sighed, remembering my promise to be more honest with my friends.

"Well, um… We're gonna spend a lot of time together now, so you don't have to feel lonely anymore, Darkness."

She stared at me, then blinked several times.

"Eh? Eh? Um, you can't just say all that without warning!"

She covered her cheeks as she blushed deeply.

"...Out of all the insults I threw at you, I thought you'd have more tolerance when it comes to actual kindness…"

"This is way more embarrassing! I can't believe Kazuma said that so easily!"

It wasn't easy at all. But if it seemed easy, then let's just have her believe that.

Mitsurugi was helping Sena unpack the luggage, so they were the last to enter.

"Whoa… This is a grand estate. The PM really went all out."

Mitsurugi said, looking up at the crystal chandelier.

Sena looked at Aqua who was luxuriating on a red, leather couch, already finding a way to laze around.

"...Just keep in mind that this is all possible due to taxpayer money, so please focus on why we're really here."

She did seem like the serious, no-nonsense type, but I didn't think she'd carry that attitude even outside of her usual professional environment. I thought she'd relax a little in her role as our supervisor.

"Now, now, Sena, it's important to keep morale up during such dire times, right? Relaxation is also part of the job."

She considered my words seriously, before slowly nodding.

"I suppose you're right…"

"What do you usually do to relax?"

"When I'm home, I suppose I'll change into loungewear and relax with some wine…"

"Hmm… Do we even have wine here?"

"Yes, this place comes with a wine cellar."

Was that really such a good idea with all these minors around?

When she heard the word 'wine', Aqua shot straight up from her lazing position on the couch. She went to Sena with an excited gleam in her eyes.

"There's wine here?! Show me! I haven't had any liquor in forever!"

She did mention that she was quite a drunkard in her realm. My parents didn't really drink, and Aqua had no way to acquire alcohol on her own, so she never had the opportunity before. She had a prime opportunity now, though.

Sena backed away from Aqua, unnerved by her enthusiasm.

"...I don't think I can give alcohol to minors."

I sighed and placed a hand on Sena's shoulder.

"That kinda logic doesn't really apply to us now, doesn't it?"

After all, I was already given a military rank even though I was underage.

Sena mulled it over a bit before releasing her own sigh.

"...I'll show you the way."

"Hurry up!"

And that was how Sena and Aqua became drinking buddies.

Part 5

Even if we had a fancy new home now, I couldn't spend too much time enjoying it.

After all, we had to prepare for the Demon King army invasion.

In that regard, I wanted to raise my stats and unlock as many Wizard skills as possible.

…But first I should get that last quest out of the way, discovering the next trendy place.

Everyone else was busy with their own training. Rin was leveling up in the lower floors with the others in the dungeon, with the goal of getting her up to speed.

The only one left was…

"I-I think this place has 'trendy' potential, right?!"

…Apparently, Yunyun got too excited last night and couldn't wake up in time to join the others.

I was helping Sena with her report to the PM, so I was still around by the time Yunyun came down.

She pointed at a ma and pa dumpling store that only had a couple of grannies lining up for it.

"...What about that seems like it's popular among young people, Yunyun?"

I said, as I watched a granny paying for a dumpling bit-by-bit by dropping coins into the patient storekeeper's hand.

"U-Um… So what seems like a good place, then?"

"Well, let's keep looking. By the way… That's a rather bold outfit."

I said, looking at the low-cut dress that exposed her chest.

She was already getting a lot of stares from guys passing by. I also stole a few glances.

"A-After that man gave me that advice, this kind of clothes are all I really have."

Right… That pervert who tricked her into wearing revealing clothing.

"Why don't we get you some normal clothes, then? Besides, one of these clothing stores might be considered 'trendy'."

"G-Going clothes shopping with Kazuma-san?! Ah… This is too good to be true…"

It was really cute how she was so happy at every little thing.

We went to one of the many clothing stores in Tokyo, making sure to keep track of which one was getting traction. We saw a line in front of a store and I saw a familiar face.

It was the class rep herself, Konno-san.

Or rather, it was a cardboard cutout of her and the rest of her group, the Axel hearts.

"It seems like Axel Hearts are doing some kind of collab with this store. How about it, Yunyun. You interested?"

Yunyun looked at all the girls her age lining up. She nodded twice in quick succession.

"I'm very much interested!"

She wanted to fit in that badly, huh?

The clothing line by Axel Hearts actually suited Yunyun's needs quite well. Being idols, the clothing couldn't be too revealing, since they had to convey a pure and innocent image.

While waiting for Yunyun to change into the clothes she picked to try on, I looked at the other two members of Axel Hearts, Erika and Cielo.

…They really were cute.

Well, that's part of the reason why they became so popular.

"Um, Kazuma-san, how about this?"

Yunyun came out wearing a striped top and a green skirt. The striped top emphasized her curves quite nicely, even if it wasn't revealing, although I imagined that any kind of top that wasn't four sizes too big would have that effect.

I gave her a thumb up.

"Oho. That looks really cute, Yunyun."

She blushed, hiding herself with the changing room door.

"T-Thank you…"

"Go ahead and try out the other stuff."

"Ah, but I already decided to stick with this one since Kazuma-san complimented it…"

She was a bit troublesome, wasn't she?

I sent her back to try the red and blue outfits that were associated with Lia and Erika. They all looked good on her, so I told her to take all three outfits.

When it came time to pay, Yunyun took out her wallet, but I took out my phone instead.

"No need… Allow me to pay."

"Eh? But I couldn't…"

There was no way I'd allow her to pay after all the money I acquired.

This was also my chance to look cool. The female staff and the women lining up behind us all gave me approving looks.

"The total is 20,000 Yen!"

So expensive! Oi, Konno-san, why are you charging so much for your clothes?!

Then again, feminine clothing has always been pretty expensive and we bought three outfits worth of a limited-time collab…

And it wasn't like I couldn't afford it, anyway.

Without hesitation, I used the transfer method of the app, which masqueraded itself as an Apple Pay service.

"Uwaa… Thank you so much, Kazuma-san!"

"Anytime, Yunyun."

The approving looks from the women around me intensified after seeing just how much I spent without hesitation..

…This feeling of having women look at me in a favorable light might get really addicting.

Especially the looks I was getting from Yunyun.

Your Charisma has increased by 1!

You have also discovered a trending spot! Shopping in this trendy shop will increase your

'Attractiveness' by 2!

Quest Completed! Find the next trendy place! You gain 2 'Charisma' and 2 'Attractiveness'!

You have unlocked a new set of Quests!

Establish a bond with Mary the Tranquility Girl! Quest Rewards: Gain the title [Monster Tamer]

Defeat the fourth floor boss! Quest Rewards: Random Loot Box

Help the JSDF soldiers reach level 5! Quest Rewards: You learn the [Teaching] skill

"Ah, I'll carry those for you."

I said, when the staff placed the clothes in the bag.

"You're such a gentleman, Kazuma-san…"

At this point, if Yunyun keeps praising me, my ego is only going to keep increasing.

Part 6

As we were making our way out of the shop, I noticed that there was a batting cage across the street.

I was looking for a way to raise my stats like dexterity, since my strength score was way above the other physical scores.

Thinking that maybe the batting cages would be a good chance to raise it, I asked Yunyun if she wanted to try it out.

"S-Sure! I'd love to spend more time with Kazuma-san!"

Yunyun… She was such a good girl.

I couldn't help but pat her head, which made her blush and wave her arms around.

I paid for the tickets, which were 1,000 Yen each, then we put on the helmets and shin guards and took our place in front of the pitching machines.

"Have you done this before, Yunyun?"

I said, as I took position, raising the bat.

"Um… Only softball in PE… Eiii~!"

She swung her bat and managed to make contact, but it wasn't enough for a base hit.

I also only had practice doing this at PE, and I certainly hadn't faced a pitching machine before.

Thankfully, it was only fastballs this time and I managed to make contact.

However, it ended up being a foul ball.

"...Ah… This is pretty tough, isn't it?"

"It's kinda addicting, too… Eiii~! Oh, I hit it really far!"

"That's a pop out to the infield."

"Ah…"

Eventually, we soon got into a rhythm.

"Hmph!"

I grunted as I sent a hit into the outfield that would have earned me a double.

"Eiii~!"

Yunyun managed to get a good hit as well, earning a single.

Once we were getting a good string of hits, I said,

"You wanna start adding breaking balls now?"

I said, as our eyes had become adjusted to the fastballs.

"Sure thing!"

With the varied pitches, it became much harder to get hits. And we had yet to hit a single homerun.

"Hah… That was fun but it gets tiring after a while."

I said, cooling down in the lobby as we finished up.

"Yup… Oh, it seems that my dexterity increased, Kazuma-san!"

Just like I suspected.

Your 'Dexterity' and 'Stamina' have increased by 2!

Hopefully the Demon King army doesn't come soon, because I'd like to spend a couple days at least in the batting cages. I should also introduce this place to the others, so they can raise their dexterity as well.

Especially Darkness.

Before we headed back to the mansion, I said to Yunyun,

"Hm… Why don't we have something to eat? We used up a lot of energy, after all."

"G-Going out to eat with Kazuma-san… Of course I'm happy to do it!"

Her enthusiasm never fades.

We ended up going to a family restaurant, similar to the one we had been to before. When we were about to order, the waitress said,

"Would you like to try out our ice cream challenge after? The goal is to eat a giant bowl of ice cream within thirty minutes! You get your picture hung up on the wall and you get a 10% discount on your next visit!"

It was just like the spicy curry challenge.

Right down to the cheap reward.

Side quest unlocked! Complete the ice cream challenge! Quest Reward: Learn the skill [Cold Resistance]

Here it goes again…

But that skill was too good to pass up, if it was anything like [Heat Resistance].

"...I guess we'll do it."

Yunyun and I were soon staring at the biggest bows of ice cream we had ever seen in our whole lives.

"Kazuma-san… I don't think I can do this."

"Do it for the skill, Yunyun."

I said the words Mitsurugi said to me back then.

And so, we picked up our spoons and tackled the challenge.

"Ah… My head…"

Yunyun held her head as the brain freeze assaulted her.

Did they make this thing extra frozen, so they wouldn't have to give a discount?!

How cheap were they?!

I gave a side glance to the waitress, who avoided making eye-contact with me.

Ah, so she knew how unfair this thing was, huh?

Still, I persevered and shoveled ice cream into my mouth.

You completed the side quest 'Finish the ice cream challenge'!

You learned the skill, [Cold Resistance]!

[Cold Resistance] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill

You can endure the cold more than the average person can. When up against magical cold, the success rate of this skill is determined by your 'Willpower' (53).

"I got the skill, Kazuma-san…"

"Good work, Yunyun!"

I placed my hand on her and casted [Heal].

She gave me a grateful look as she blushed from the contact.

When I paid the bill and we left the store, Yunyun turned to me and said,

"U-Um, this was really fun! Hanging out like this… Um, were we hanging out?"

She wanted a clarification on what this really was. How cute.

Knowing that she was developing feelings for me, I didn't want to keep her in suspense.

I knew what it was like, having feelings for someone and not knowing if it will be fulfilled or not.

That kinda one-sided affection is the worst.

"It was really more of a date, wasn't it? I mean, we went clothes shopping, played around and even went to a restaurant."

I knew a lot of girls considered family restaurant dates cheap and lazy, but it still counted, right?

"A d-d-date?! U-Um… thank you very much!"

Still, keeping her in suspense is one thing, but keeping her in the dark about Rin and Aqua, and even Megumin, was even worse.

I had her come with me to a nearby bench and sit down.

"So Yunyun, I know you have a crush on me…"

"Ehhh?! D-Did Megumin tell you?!"

So Megumin knew, huh?

Yet she made no mention of it.

Well, I guess it was obvious enough to anyone who saw. She probably assumed I already knew.

The app also kind of kills the suspense.

"Well, the app told me. What does the app say about our relationship, actually?"

"Um… It only told me that Kazuma-san is mildly wary about me because I come on too strong sometimes… But that you still care for me!"

That seems pretty accurate.

I guess that also explains why I hadn't gotten many invitations from Yunyun lately.

Even though she was so eager to hang out before.

"Well, anyway, um, I know that Yunyun has feelings for me…"

"I-Is this Kazuma-san's way of letting me down gently…?!"

She already thought I was gonna reject her.

"...Just listen for a second. You see, I'm already seeing someone… Well, two girls. And also, I have something going on with Megumin as well… Actually, let me be honest, it's probably gonna keep expanding some more."

"K-Kazuma-san is a polygamist, huh? Well, I guess it's more like polygynism in this regard…"

"I haven't married anyone yet, though… Anyway, you have the right idea. Um, I just wanted to say that I already have that going on… I don't want to lead you on and spring that up on you later."

Yunyun nodded and lowered her chin in thought.

I didn't want to disturb her thought process, so I patiently waited until she spoke up again.

"U-Um, it's true that I do like Kazuma-san… I-I don't know about sharing you with other girls but… I'm inexperienced with romance anyway, so I'd at least like to try it…"

"Are you sure? You don't have to force yourself."

She shook her head and gave me a wan smile.

"...I know firsthand that life is short. Especially in this war against the demon king army… Anything can happen."

"Ah…"

Yunyun had to witness the horrible sight of me dying. Not only that, she had to absorb my body into her inventory.

I suppose in that moment, the frailty of life was instilled in her, more than ever.

"So, with that in mind… I don't want to regret anything! The regret that comes with making a mistake feels better than the regret that comes with inaction…I thoroughly believe that!"

Yunyun may have trouble making friends, but she sure was a brave one.

She never stopped trying, even when she made a bunch of cringy mistakes.

I really admire that about her.

"In that case… Do you want to follow what Megumin is doing? We can take it slow and see where this goes from now on."

Megumin would probably complain about how Yunyun was copying her, but I didn't think she'd mind.

Especially after she promised to be more honest with Yunyun.

"I-I think we can do that! I'm glad we had this talk, Kazuma-san…"

"Yeah, same here."

"Um, can I ask to do something naughty…?'

Didn't she say she wanted to go slow?!

"Can I get a hug from Kazuma-san?!"

…She was way too innocent.

I smiled and leaned in to gently hug her. She hooked her arms around me and we let the hug linger for a while.

Yunyun (Lonely Stalker), Bond Rank: 5

At Rank 5, you and Yunyun have agreed on a tentative romance! Yunyun is still discovering a lot about herself and her relationships with people, and she gets overly excited. You will have to reign her in, or she might go too far in trying to prove herself to you. She's a good girl at the end of the day!

Bond Reward: You learn the Intermediate Magic, [Flash]!

[Flash] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (15 mp cost)

Blind the opponent with a flash of light. Success depends on your Magic Power (72) against the opponent's Willpower.