Akari had to be one of the most insufferable people that I had ever met.
First, I couldn't trust her at all.
She initially lied to us to cause a rift in the group and used blackmail to form the party in the first place. I assumed that she wanted to set herself up as the favorite. After that, she tried to move in on the reward money that she didn't earn under the pretense that she was 'part of the group and deserved a share'.
She didn't work, so she didn't get paid.
I assumed she was the kind of woman that Michael would avoid.
A 'man-eater'.
Someone who wraps her tentacles around a guy, chews him up, and spits him out after taking everything he has.
I wasn't about to be a victim of that.
Now we were traveling...
"Can you to catch us some food or something, Mizik? That would be pretty useful," Akari said.
"We'll eat after we set up camp for the night. We had a meal two hours ago," I said.
"But I'm hungry! You wouldn't want me to starve, would you!?"
"I might happier if you did," I said.
"Hey! I can hear you, you know!? These ears aren't for decoration! They're actually my ears! How am I supposed to feel when you say something so mean? It hurts my feelings...you should apologize!" Akari said.
"I wasn't trying to hide it. That's really how I feel," I said coldly.
"That's so cruel! How am I supposed to be friendly if you're always so mean? Huh? Answer me!"
I gritted my teeth in rage as I suppressed the urge to strangle her.
"You should stop pestering my darling Mizik. His word is law and if he says we wait to eat, then we wait," Cassandra said.
"I don't want to hear that from his favorite slave. So like, is that how this is? You're his slave or something?" Akari asked.
"I am indebted to Mizik. I owe my entire life and continued existence to him. I am his possession and his slave. And to me, there could be no greater joy than to follow his orders!" Cassandra said.
"Yeah, but you're like...in love with him. And you're in his wife's body. Isn't that weird?"
"No! It isn't weird! Not for me, anyway. I get to always be so close to Mizik... Haaaah..." Cassandra said as she started drooling.
"Doesn't it frustrate you that you can never have him? In my opinion, if you love Mizik, you should chase him no matter what. But that's just me..." Akari said with a sinister smile.
"Stop putting those ideas in her head, Akari. I prefer Cassandra to stay right where she is. Is she fights with Isabella, I'll only get angry."
"My darling Mizik's word is law! I will obey!" Cassandra said as she grabbed my arm.
"Too close," I said.
She let go and smiled at me.
"Wow...you really are a jerk, Mizik," Akari said as she narrowed her eyes at me.
"Stop insulting my husband! He isn't a jerk!" Isabella said angrily.
"Yes he is! He's terribly rude and always has this scowl on his face! Why do you love him so much?" Akari asked.
"Believe it or not, he wasn't always like this. He used to be a kind and considerate man. But he had a curse placed on him. It stole his light and causes him great pain whenever he feels happy..."
"Really? I don't see a curse on him. I can see that sort of thing, you know! Why would a curse cause him pain for being happy? That kind of stupid curse does that!? Sounds like an excuse to me!" Akari said.
"I don't care what you can or can't see. One of our most trusted allies already confirmed it," Isabella said.
"On top of it literally being visible on my fucking status menu..." I mumbled quietly.
I doubt anyone other than Isabella heard me, however.
"Really...? Who might that be?" Akari asked.
Isabella looked at me and I nodded.
Truthfully, I wanted to see her reaction.
"The goddess of balance, Iris."
Akari burst out laughing.
"No way! You expect me to believe that you're friends with a goddess!? That's insane!"
"I didn't expect her to believe it," I said casually.
"It's fine. She doesn't have to believe us if she doesn't want to," Isabella said.
"Don't act like I'm the one being ridiculous for not believing you! Do you know how crazy that sounds!? A goddess as your personal friend!?" Akari said angrily.
"Don't care. The truth remains as is even if you refuse to accept it. So you don't have to believe a word of anything we say. All you have to do is be quiet about our existence to the Mad Admiral and I won't shoot you in the head," I said.
"Ah...shoot me...? You don't even carry a weapon. How are you going to shoot me? You have a hidden crossbow up your ass?" Akari said mockingly.
I slowly reached my hand into my inventory in front of me and pulled out Vengeance.
Then I changed it into a pistol and shot the ground in front of Akari.
She jumped in surprise.
"AHHH!!! WH-WHAT!?" She shouted.
"This is my weapon. A legendary magic sword. It's called Vengeance and it can shapeshift into any weapon I desire as long as I understand how it works. Isabella and Cassandra both have similar weapons. We also possess powers unlocked by the goddess of balance," I explained.
I made sure to shift it into several weapons as I held it up. A crossbow, a dagger, an ax, and an assault rifle.
"Where did you get that weapon!? Where did you pull that from!?" Akari asked.
"My inventory. We all have one. It's a special type of magic that I can cast and modify," I said.
Akari kept staring at my weapon as I changed it back into a sword.
"That's...a really nice sword..." She said as she eyed it curiously.
Her tails popped out and were wagging back in forth.
It would have been cute if I wasn't so sure that she wanted to steal Vengeance...and if I didn't find her so insufferable.
"Where did you get such a thing?" Akari asked.
"I..." I paused for a moment as I remembered how I obtained this sword.
It was truly ridiculous when I thought about it.
"I traded a paperweight for it at a pawn shop in a back alleyway," I said.
"That's weird... I don't think I believe you. Can I...see it for a second...?"
"Absolutely not. And if you're thinking about stealing it, don't bother. These swords are bound to the person they choose as their wielder. They won't work for anyone else. This one in particular tries to kill anyone it doesn't recognize as its wielder," I said.
"Oh...I mean... I wasn't...umm...planning to..."
"I don't believe you."
"Oh come on! You should try to trust me more! I won't stab you in the back or anything! And I definitely wouldn't steal a sword that'll try to kill me and won't work for anyone else!" Akari said.
Didn't you just doubt me when I told you how I got Vengeance?
"You haven't given any of us a single reason to trust you. Why should we believe anything you say? All you do is try to create conflict!"
"Well, the guild trusts me! I'm one of the strongest members! And everyone loves me there. If you want to get popular, you should try being nicer to me," Akari said.
"I don't give a rat's ass about popularity," I said.
"From what I can tell, most of the men in the guild have been charmed. Like she's controlling them, somehow... Even the women are affected by it," Cassandra said innocently.
Then I saw Akari flash Cassandra a very quick, menacing glare.
Less than a second later, it was gone.
No one seemed to notice but me as we walked.
"Akari, if you can prove that you're trustworthy, I'll start being nicer to you. But I don't care if people like me or not," I said.
"And how should I go about earning your trust...?" Akari asked.
"Follow orders and stop trying to start arguments. Do at least those things, and we'll trust you," I said.
I saw Akari's eyes light up.
"You can count on me!" Akari said.
Sorry, but I lied. I won't trust you regardless of how well you do those things. I only said that to motivate you and to shut you up. No hard feelings...but when this is over, I plan to shoot you in the back of the head and tell them you died at the mansion. After we meet the dragon, of course...
"Mizik is so kind and merciful! That's why I love you so much!" Cassandra said.
"Very kind, indeed! I can get used to this!" Akari said.
"Kind, huh...?" I said.
As I spoke, I noticed Akari walking with a sinister grin hidden on her face.
Just as I thought. You can't be trusted.
I immediately contacted the twins. I made sure to lightly tap Cassandra on the shoulder and then scratched my head.
She nodded very slightly.
"You two. I don't trust Akari at all and I don't plan to try. I want you both to stay as vigilant as possible. At the same time, watch how she fights. Monitor her abilities and powers. Pretend to be nice to her. Isabella, use your acting skills to make her like you. Cassandra, treat Akari nicely, but prepare to execute her on the spot if I give the order. Chances are, I'll do it myself."
"I'll do my best to convince her."
"If she tries to hurt my darling Mizik, I'll kill her. No exceptions. She won't even have the honor of dying by your hand!"
"Good. Thank you both."
"Of course, Mizik."
"Anything for Mizik!!!"
After our short talk, we continued on in relative silence.
Eventually, the night began to roll in and we set up camp.
Isabella and I of course, would still only share one sleeping bag large enough for the two of us.
Even in the summertime, I could still keep it cool around us to make sure we didn't overheat.
"So when do we get food? Also, where's my sleeping bag? Did you bring a blanket for me?" Akari asked rapidly.
"We'll get food after we finish setting up camp and get a fire going. Since we're out of rations, I can hunt and prepare it myself. We didn't bring extra blankets or sleeping bags because we usually only share one together," I said.
That's a lie. We each keep a spare just in case, but we still share one. You're not using any of them.
"But...where am I supposed to sleep? I'll get cold if I don't have a blanket..." Akari said.
"I gave you time to prepare before we set out. Why didn't you bring anything?" I said
"Well...I sort of usually have people do that for me... I can't just lug everything around, myself!" Akari said while crossing her arms.
"You can't seriously expect us to do everything for you...do you?" Isabella asked.
"I do not! I can act on my own!" Akari said.
"Then you can find a place to sleep on your own. Regardless, you'll have plenty of time to keep warm during your turn to watch," I said.
"Watch...?" Akari said.
"Yes. We divide the night into three segments. One for the three of us. Isabella and Cassandra take first watch, you take second, then I take third. I also use that time to get us ready for the day ahead."
"But...doesn't that mean I can't sleep?"
"You get to sleep before and after Isabella and Cassandra. Unless you want to switch with them. Do you?" I asked.
"I just want to sleep! Why can't we just sleep through the night!?" Akari said.
"Because the nighttime is dangerous, you idiot! Don't you know that!?" I said.
"It's not that bad! Just make an illusion to prevent enemies from seeing you!" Akari said.
"Right, so an enemy capable of detecting and dispelling these illusions quietly should be able to slit our throats in our sleep. No thank you."
"Geez...why are you so paranoid? Did something bad happen to you as a kid or what?" Akari asked.
I glanced over at Cassandra and she covered her head while shaking.
I sighed quietly to myself.
Yeah. She's sitting right there. But I don't want to talk to YOU about it of all people.
"Look, you don't survive as long as I have without preparing for the worst. Besides, I have people to protect. I'll take every precaution I need to ensure their safety."
"Aww...you're gonna protect me?" Akari said with a smile.
"Funny, but no. I'm talking about my wife and her sister. You still haven't given me enough reason to trust you," I said bluntly.
"Hmm...meanie," Akari said.
She stuck out her tongue at me but I just shrugged.
"This is part of being in an adventuring group. Get used to it," I said.
Akari crossed her arms in protest and sat down.
"Now then, I'm going out to catch dinner. I'll have it ready as soon as I can," I said.
"Thank you, Mizik. Shall I wait here?" Isabella asked.
I nodded.
"Oh! Can I come with you?" Akari asked.
"No. I hunt better alone. I don't trust you, either," I said as I changed Vengence into a bow.
"Ugh...fine! But if you have trouble catching something edible, don't blame me!" Akari said angrily.
* * *
I spent the next hour killing creatures in the woods and trying to find something edible...
Akari didn't tell me about the virulent magical mist that monsters in this world radiated.
I had killed many on the way to and from the village where Novak was living. But since I hadn't been trying to eat them, I hardly noticed.
It took some time, but eventually, I was able to understand and dispel the toxic miasma.
After that, I brought back a large...lizard monster...?
I couldn't tell what this thing was. It had scales, stood on two legs and shot lightning from its mouth.
Akari looked very disturbed by it.
"That...uhh... I-is that really an Electro-Saurus?" She asked.
"A what...? I don't know what it is. But it's big and full of meat," I said.
"You know monsters are full of miasma, right!? That will kill you!" Akari said angrily.
"I already dispelled it. After learning how the magic works, it was easy," I said.
"Waaa...Mizik is so cool and resourceful!!!" Cassandra said happily.
Without skipping a beat, I began carving up the monster.
There was plenty of meat to go around, so I cooked everything and stored the rest in my inventory. As for the remains, I just incinerated them with magic.
"This...this is amazing!!! I can't detect any miasma at all! Mizik! From now on, you're going to cook for me! Doesn't that make you happy!?" Akari said gleefully.
"No. Only while we're adventuring," I said.
"Why noooooot!? You get to see this cute face of mine smile at your cooking! Is that not good enough?" Akari said.
"...have I not been clear about about how not interested I am...?" I mumbled angrily.
"Mizik's cooking is so much better than the castle chefs... Haaah...I missed eating such tasty food! My darling Mizik keeps finding new ways of surprising me!!! Now if only he'd let me cook for him..." Cassandra said.
She had tears in her eyes as she ate. I could understand her sentiment, mainly because of what she had been doing in the time before we met her again.
Even so...
All I did was use the random seasonings I had in my inventory and roast it over a fire. It isn't that good.
"To be fair, Mizik learned a lot from Earl while we were on Ignitus. He was a world-class chef, you know," Isabella said.
"Well, I'm done eating. I'll go to sleep and Isabella, you should join me when you get the chance. Akari will take first watch. Wake Isabella or Cassandra up in two hours, okay?" I said
"Fine, whatever... I'll do that."
Then I laid down in my sleeping bag and allowed myself to slowly drift off.
Isabella joined me and soon we both were sound asleep.
* * *
The next morning, I...
Wait.
I opened my eyes and looked around.
The sun was already up and both Isabella and Akari were still asleep.
For the love of Iris! Why can't you just follow simple instructions?
I gently nudged Isabella and she slowly opened her eyes.
"Nnn...oh...Mizik? Why are you waking me up? Is it my turn to... Hold on a second. Why is it daytime?" Isabella said just before sitting straight up.
"Take a guess. You get one shot," I said.
"AKARI!! DAMMIT!!!" Isabella yelled as she ran over and violently shook Akari.
"Ah... Wh...WHAT!? WHAT'S GOING ON!?" Akari shouted.
"You forgot to wake me up!!!" Isabella said angrily.
"Ah...so what!? Who cares!? We're alive and well! We made it through the night, and most importantly, I got plenty of beauty sleep!"
"That isn't the problem, Akari! You disobeyed my orders! We've already lost part of the day we could have been using to travel thanks to you. Way to go!" I said.
Somehow, she managed to make me hate her even more.
"Come on! It was an accident! I fell asleep after eating when I heard that monster growling near you! It was almost like music..." Akari said.
"M-monster!? You mean me!?" Isabella said.
"That was your snoring, right? Geez... No wonder you need to keep watch. That, alone, could attract monsters! I mean...good thing it didn't, but still..." Akari said.
Isabella looked ready to strangle Akari, now.
I wasn't about to stop her, but...first thing's first.
"Isabella is not a monster. Take it back or I'm going to put a hole in your head," I said as I held up Vengeance in the form of a sniper rifle.
Akari's eyes went wide and she smiled nervously as she put her hands up.
"H-hey! I'm really sorry! Isabella is a wonderful and kind person! A human! Not a monster! Not as pretty as me, but... Yeah!" Akari said.
It looks like some of my problems can be solved by threatening people. I'll have to make a mental note of that tactic...
"Hmph! You're making it really hard to like you, Akari," Isabella said.
"I'm not convinced that she's trying at all, Isabella. Anyway, we need to get moving. The mansion is still four days away and we're losing daylight. Let's go."
Everyone reluctantly helped get everything put away, and then we were off.
The next four days were...honestly really annoying.
Akari did nothing but cause problems and attempt to start arguments between Isabella and Cassandra. At one point, she even tried to get them both riled up against me.
But they weren't having any of it.
Isabella was still understood what I was going through. She had no desire to make things difficult by getting angry with me.
Cassandra was...Cassandra...
Hopelessly in love with and completely obsessed with me. Even to the point of what most would consider severe mental illness or actual worship. Regardless, she wouldn't dare come against me.
Akari also failed to keep watch for two of the four remaining nights.
We woke up on day three surrounded by goblins.
Luckily, Cassandra's clones had kept them distracted before they could attack.
By distracted, I meant that they were slaughtering them all. The screams were what woke us up.
I yelled at Akari and after that, she kept watch.
Eventually...we arrived at the mansion.