Part 1
Cheeky voices could be heard coming from the adventurer's guild.
"Mommy!"
"You think you can make fun of the nobility and they'll just take it lying down? Stay right there! I'll kill all of you!"
Her face bright red, Darkness swung her fist at the adventurer who screamed 'Mommy' at her, who easily dodged the swing and continued his mockery.
"Mommy, why you angry? I'm hungry, mommy! Give me boobie-Gaaah!"
His teasing was interrupted by Darkness grabbing him by the neck, causing him to let out a chicken-like squawk.
Darkness, who was about to pop a vein, smiled after finally getting ahold of the adventurer.
Just then,
"Come on, Darkness, acting so violently during a party is against etiquette, you know? Look at everyone having fun. Is it really so hard to read the mood?"
Hearing Aqua acting so elegantly, Darkness released the adventurer who was teasing her and dropped to her knees.
"A-Aqua is telling me to read the mood…"
Seems like she received quite a huge shock from that.
One of the female adventurers approached her with a wide grin on her face.
"Mommy! I need your help collecting ingredients for my cure, so boobie- ah, wait, ow ow ow ow!"
The woman mocking Darkness shrieked as Darkness grabbed her breasts.
"If you want boobs so much, why don't you use your own!? Here, I'll squeeze them for you!"
"Stop! Lalatina-chan, stop! You're tearing them off!"
It hasn't been long since Darkness's daughter- I mean, cousin fell ill and we struggled to gather the ingredients to cure her.
The effects of the medicine were stunning, and she almost instantly recovered enough to accompany us on a picnic. Now, she's well enough to commute to school from Darkness's home every day.
Then, Sylphina said that she would like to thank all the adventurers who helped her.
Seeing Darkness bring Sylphina to the guild, one of the adventurers called for a celebratory toast, and this is the result.
"There's a child here, so stop screaming about boobs this and boobies that! Megumin's mood is getting worse, so let's put a stop to all this boob talk right here!"
"You're the one who said it the most, Aqua! And I'm not in a bad mood, don't make it sound like I have a complex about my breasts!"
The guild has pretty much completely turned into a party hall. It's filled with the clinking of mugs and cheers to Sylphina's recovery.
And at the center of it all is, of course…
"T-Thank you very much, everyone. I've recovered thanks to you…"
Sylphina said in a soft voice, slightly embarrassed and blushing red, but with a smile on her face.
Hearing her words of gratitude, the adventurers cheered yet again.
"Right, it's Darkness's treat, so let's drink till we drop! I'm in a good mood today, so let me show you my special party trick!"
"Uuu, I feel like I always end up getting teased whenever I visit the adventurer's guild recently… Just why did it end up like this…?"
By this point, Darkness was completely surrounded by a crowd of drunk adventurers repeatedly chanting 'boobies'.
Seeing Darkness hang her head in embarrassment, I stood in front of her.
"Alright, cut it out!"
"Ka-Kazuma…"
The guild fell silent after my roar.
Feeling Darkness's expectant gaze on my back, I raised my voice and loudly declared,
"Her boobs belong only to me!"
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"I'll kill you!"
Darkness proceeded to strangle me.
And a healthy-looking Sylphina smiled as she looked upon this scene.
Part 2
– My name is Satou Kazuma
My life has been quite peaceful as of late.
Thinking back, I accepted coming to this world because I admired typical fantasy adventures, but I haven't been able to go on any adventurer-like quests until recently.
But just the other day, I completed an actual, proper-sounding quest to save a sick girl.
I faced many strong enemies, saved the girl, and reached a happy ending where I lived comfortably with my companions.
It wouldn't be a bad way to close the curtains on the adventures of a certain hikikomori…
Yeah, now should be the time for proper heroes who've received actual powers to step in.
I'm not the protagonist of some fantasy story.
I should spend the rest of my days in peace while praying for world peace.
And thus…
"Right, then please sign or stamp here. Thank you very much! We'll be receiving many other high-quality ingredients in the future, so please visit us again. Thank you for your patronage!"
"Ah, thank you! I'll hit you up again soon!"
I wish to live a luxurious and elegant life as a rich man.
"…Say, Kazuma, just what exactly did you order?"
"This? Hehe, listen and be amazed! This is that famous dragon meat!"
On that day.
After receiving the package from a peddler of high-quality ingredients, I proudly held it up above my head and showed it off to Darkness.
"Dragon meat!? You splurged again!?"
As its name suggests, it's the meat of a dragon, the strongest monster. It's a high-quality ingredient that's said to be able to raise a person's stats just by consuming it.
"Shut up, you penniless noble! You don't understand the economy at all!"
"Eh?"
Darkness let out a surprised yelp as I thrust my finger at her.
"Listen up, Darkness, someone who can easily earn big bucks like me needs to constantly spend that money instead of simply sitting on it. If too many rich people sit on their money, it'll cause the economy to stagnate. If anything, what I'm doing now is a praiseworthy act of charity."
My information is definitely reliable.
I saw it on TV, after all.
"Is-Is that so? I was taught to keep my feet firmly planted on the ground, so I don't usually splurge on luxuries…"
Darkness had a wavering expression on her face, and I waggled my finger in front of her.
"You really are foolish. There's a proper reason for nobles to throw extravagant parties, you know? When rich nobles spend money, the money will end up in the hands of the commoners in the town. And when the commoners have money, that will naturally attract merchants seeking to make a profit off them. When a city has more merchants, life in the town will become more comfortable and bustling. Once such rumours spread, new residents will be attracted to live in the town, and as the residents in the city increase, so would the tax revenue that the nobles collect."
"Wha… I-Is that how it works?!"
Darkness sounded impressed after hearing my explanation.
I just randomly made up such lines in order to support my behavior now that I'm a rich man. Is it really okay for a noble lady to be so gullible?
"That's why I'm living such a luxurious life. Plus, I've heard that eating dragon meat can raise your stats. My stats haven't been increasing much recently even after leveling up from eating high-quality ingredients. I'm just using my wealth to further raise my power in preparation for future battles with the Demon King's Generals."
"Ka-Kazuma… you even thought that far… In that case, I'll use my family's funds to buy dragon meat for you."
This girl is just way too gullible.
Trusting an amateur's opinion so easily makes me uncomfortable too, you know?
"W-well, we shouldn't take it too far. And, you know, eating dragon meat every day will get tiresome, so we don't have to buy it every day. I just heard it was a high-quality ingredient, so I bought it to sample…"
"I didn't expect you to be willing to brave the tough and stinky dragon meat to become stronger… I really misjudged you. I don't really like eating dragon meat because it's so disgusting, but… It'll be fine. This is to raise our power as adventurers, so I'm sure my father will understand."
Eh?
"Hey, is dragon meat really tough and stinky? It's a high-quality ingredient, so isn't it supposed to be delicious?"
"Dragons are the strongest of monsters. They are mostly muscle with little fat to speak of, and their flesh stinks just like the flesh of other carnivores. It's only high-quality because it increases your stats if you eat it."
Ehh…
"Say, Megumin, do you have any interest in high-quality-"
"I have pride in my lineage as a Crimson Demon, so why would I have any interest in the power of dragons? You can have that draconic power all to yourself."
Megumin interrupted me as she played with Chomusuke, who was sleeping on the carpet.
"… Aqua, you're a gourmet like me, so-"
"I already have high stats, so there's no point in raising them any higher. I'll pass on dragon's meat. You can savour it all by yourself, weakling."
Aqua, who was laying on the sofa while waving her legs around, said such heartless things.
"What are you saying?! You're eating this too! Maybe some dragon meat will finally raise that pitiful intelligence of yours!"
"Whose intelligence is pitiful, you brute!? The brilliant me has no need for that stuff. Look at this! Would someone with pitiful intelligence be capable of making such a thing?"
Aqua, who had been messing around with something while humming a tune for quite some time, proudly showed what she was working on to me.
"Clay figurine number two, Explosion Maniac Megumin! I'm quite proud of how this turned out. I'm sure it'll fetch quite a high price."
"Hold on, Aqua! That's what you were making with all that clay? You didn't add any dangerous details under the dress, did you?!"
What Aqua showed off was a 1/12 scale Megumin clay doll that wouldn't seem out of place next to the figurines of my world.
She gathered clay from the garden this morning and somehow turned that into this highly detailed figurine in front of me. I could even see a flash of her underwear beneath the folds of her dress.
"I couldn't help it, I ran out of pocket money. That strange devil said that he'll buy anything of worth I wish to sell, so I've been making figurines of the adventurers in Axel and selling it to him."
"Then you could've just made figurines of yourself! Ah, hold on, it feels like the panties can be removed too! You didn't…!"
….
"Say, can you sell that to me?"
"I'll give you a discount."
"I'll blow both of you up! Give that to me, Aqua! In the first place, didn't you already get some pocket money from Kazuma!? What do you keep spending all of it on!?"
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Megumin started snatching at the figurine, and Aqua fiercely resisted.
Then, with a wavering voice, Darkness said towards Aqua,
"Hey, Aqua, about what you said earlier… you said it's clay figurine number 2, right? Then, number one is…"
"Clay figurine number one is scantily-clad noble, Lewdtina. It was really tough to recreate the lewd negligee you often wear as of late. Though, I got quite a good price for it."
Darkness rushed out of the house before Aqua could complete her sentence.
I'll have her recreate the scantily clad noble for me later.
–Just then,
Almost immediately after Darkness rushed through it, someone knocked softly on the front door and opened it.
Just as I was about to ask if she forgot something and looked over,
"Umm, is Megumin here?"
I saw Yunyun standing at the door with a basket full of fruits in one hand, acting really suspiciously for some reason–
"-It's just low-grade tea, but, please enjoy."
"T-Thank you very much."
Just as Yunyun sat on the sofa, Aqua quickly offered her some freshly-brewed tea.
Perhaps because she finds visiting a friend's house a novel experience no matter how many times she comes here, Yunyun restlessly looked around the place.
"Um, this is just a simple gift, but…"
Almost as if in exchange, Yunyun placed the fruit basket on the table.
"… Well, it's nice for you to bring gifts, but what did you come here for?"
Megumin asked as she looked through the fruits in the basket, and Yunyun brought out a letter.
"This is a letter I got from the village…"
Megumin opened the letter, and Aqua and I shifted next to her so we could read it as well.
Yunyun gazed into the teacup that Aqua offered her with a troubled expression.
Glancing in the cup, I noticed that all that is in there is hot water.
…I think it'd be best to teach Aqua how to properly brew a cup of tea soon.
In place of Megumin, who has already read further ahead, I read the letter out loud.
"Let's see… My glorious comrades, the time has come. Now's the time to sharpen your axes and show off the fangs that you've so carefully honed. May all who have received this letter return to the Crimson Demon Village within the month-"
This letter goes on like this for quite some time, but in short, the Crimson Demons are about to perform the ceremony to choose their next chief, and this letter is an invitation to anyone who wishes to toss their name into the hat.
Having finished reading the letter, Megumin clenched her fist and confidently declared,
"I see, so you acknowledge me as a potential chief of the Crimson Demons. Very well, let's make preparations for the journey, Yunyun! Let me demonstrate that I am indeed the one most suitable to be declared the most exalted of the Crimson Demons!"
"Eeh? You need to at least know Advanced Magic and Teleport to even undertake the trial, you know? And we don't need to make any preparations, I can take us there in an instant with Teleport."
Hearing Yunyun's words, Megumin dropped her fist.
"…Then why did you bring this letter to me?"
"Knowing you, if I don't tell you in advance, I'm sure you'll come and make trouble for me. You're my rival… Ow! C-cut it out! Don't vent your anger on me just because you don't have the qualifications to take the trial."
Megumin, who grabbed Yunyun's shoulder and started shaking her, looked at me with a placid expression.
"Kazuma, seems like she's done with her business here, so shall we get to work on dinner?"
"Yeah, we should. Hey, it's getting late, so why don't you join us for dinner, Yunyun? You even brought us a gift, after all."
Yunyun broke out into a wide smile upon hearing that.
"C-Can I?! But having dinner together feels like a family affair, so I feel like I shouldn't be here, actually in the first place visiting this late is my fault, so, sorry, Kazuma-san, but showing up at a friend's house uninvited and joining them for dinner is, ah, no, it's not like I dislike it, actually I'm really happy that you invited me and-"
"Oh shut up, it's just having dinner together! You don't need to get that excited over it!"
Megumin cut Yunyun off as she excitedly broke out into rapid-fire speech. At the same time, I moved over to the kitchen and started making preparations.
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After that, Yunyun was served the somewhat foul-tasting dragon meat. That, coupled with being served warm water earlier, made her think that we didn't like her for barging in so suddenly and eventually resulted in her crying..
Part 3
The next day, Megumin, Aqua, and I visited the magic item shop.
"Wiz, Vanir, are you here? I had some free time, so I came to visit…"
As I opened the door to the store, the sounds of a quarrel reached my ears.
"Why, why can't you just listen what Moi says! Moi is the devil that sees through all! If you would just listen to me and follow my instructions, you wouldn't end up in the red! Why must you attract garbage to you like a lamp attracts bugs in the summer!?"
"If I only listen to what Vanir-san says, then it might as well be your shop! I want to make this shop prosper together with you, Vanir-san! We are immortal, so we can both take our time! And the items I brought in today aren't garbage!"
Seems like Vanir and Wiz were arguing inside the shop.
"What are you guys arguing about this early in the morning? Did Wiz bring in some strange products again?"
"Oh, if it isn't the newly-rich brat! Moi has gotten some really good products today! Hey, hurry up and get rid of that garbage!"
Vanir launched into a suspicious-sounding sales pitch upon seeing me
Upon hearing his words, Wiz immediately hugged the huge box placed by her feet.
"I'll say it upfront, but I don't need it. Anyway, it doesn't seem like Darkness has arrived yet. I heard her say that she was going to bring Sylphina here to thank you for all the help you've provided during that incident."
"The best form of thanks would be to buy those pieces of trash off my hands. Still, she really is an honest noble lady. She tearfully bought the scantily-clad noble figurine at double the price last night. Anyway, brat who's been proceeding well with your companions recently, Moi really has a good deal for you today, so why not hear me out?"
Vanir slipped a bottle into my hand while Megumin and Aqua were distracted by the box that Wiz was protecting.
"I won't buy anything that seems suspicious… what's this?"
"It's a contraceptive. By the way, it goes for ten thousand eris."
…
"Right."
I discreetly slipped the money to Vanir while everyone was looking away.
"Thank you for your patronage! If a man takes a sip from it, it'll remain effective for a week. And, esteemed customer, there are some energizing potions and aromatics that will help put things in the mood here that will go well with that…"
"I'll buy them. I'll buy them all."
"Thank you very much!"
Hearing me answer without hesitation, Megumin came over.
"You look pretty pleased with yourself, just what did you buy?"
"I bought some things to protect my companions. You're all my important companions, after all. It wouldn't do to start panicking if something does happen."
I said that with a straight face, and Megumin suddenly became bashful.
"After saving Sylphina the other day… You always have your companions in mind…"
"Uh, yeah."
Facing her innocent gaze, I gave a vague answer while carefully stowing the bottle away.
This is just as a precaution, there's no need for me to feel guilty about it.
And I shouldn't have said anything that would arouse her suspicions.
-Just then,
The door opened with a slam, and someone rushed into the store.
I thought that it was Darkness for a moment. It wouldn't be too odd for her to barge in like this.
When I turned around,
"Vanir-sama, please help me-!"
Something black was screaming and hurtling towards me. At that moment,
"Sacred High Exorcism!"
"Byaaaaaa!"
The penguin-like costume thing was purified by Aqua's magic.
"What's with this pen-pen? Hey, Kazuma, this pen-pen just reeks of a devil. I really hate that it looks this cute while smelling like that."
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The familiar penguin collapsed to the floor.
Judging from the sound it made, it seems like it was completely empty now.
"You really have no mercy… This is the something-or-the-other count that we visited in order to get the ingredient we need for Sylphina's cure… Though it seems like he's dead now."
"I see, so this is the devil that bullied Darkness. I just let my magic loose because I felt something unpleasant, but this is fine. I wanted to go exorcise him after hearing the story from you."
"That's unfair, Aqua. I wanted to take revenge for Darkness too…"
Ignoring us, Vanir sighed and went to the penguin's side. He slightly opened the zipper on the penguin's back and softly blew into the gap.
As he did so, the empty costume suddenly started inflating again-
"Eh?"
After Vanir zipped the costume again, the penguin leapt to his feet.
"Sacred High-"
"Hey, stop that, you'll vanquish him again. Come on, he's already scared out of his wits."
The trembling penguin hurriedly hid behind the shelf upon seeing Aqua start chanting her magic again.
"V-V-Vanir-sama, this violent blue-haired woman, could she be…"
"Yes, as you might have suspected, she's our natural enemy. Your remaining lives were all purified by her upon entering my store, but because you expired in front of me, Moi was able to restore one of your lives. However, if you run into her in the future without me around, then that'll be it."
The penguin trembled even more violently.
Seeing that, Aqua started swinging her fist in his direction, as if to threaten him.
"Um… I don't know who you are, but you are an acquaintance of Vanir-san, yes? I'll go put on some tea."
"A-Ah, I don't need to eat or drink, so you don't have to do that for me…"
Still hugging the box, Wiz casually welcomed the penguin.
As Megumin and I leisurely savoured the tea that Wiz brought out, Vanir tilted his head in confusion.
"So, what brings you here today, Zereschrute? Actually, you are a high-ranking devil in your own right, so Moi really didn't expect you to be vanquished from just a single blow. What happened to the other lives you had in stock?"
"T-that's… I ran into a big problem recently…"
Every time their eyes meet, Aqua would strike a spell casting pose to threaten him. Trembling, the penguin squeaked,
"The Goddess Eris has been appearing at my castle every day to kill me. That's why all my lives are gone."
I spat out my tea.
I heard that she has no mercy for devils, but what the hell is that goddess doing?
Are goddesses always that free?
Or is she taking revenge after seeing her old pal Darkness treated so horribly?
Seems like she didn't let him go the last time because she was merciful, but merely because she was prioritizing treating Darkness and bringing back the ingredient.
"Say, Kazuma, I'm starting to feel sorry for this penguin. Of course, I still won't let him off."
"No, actually, do let him off. He's an aristocrat of this country, and from what I know he's been doing a pretty good job…"
And, even though Darkness did suffer at his hands, he only did that in retaliation after we attacked him to steal the ingredient, so it's not like he's particularly wicked or anything.
Plus, he did agree to our request at first. It's only because we couldn't fulfill his condition that we ended up having to sneak in at night and take the ingredient by force.
…Hold on.
Even if he is a devil, wouldn't that still make us the bad guys?
Just then, the penguin appeared to take notice of me.
"Hey, aren't you the young man who was with Lady Darkness back then? Could you please tell your companion to lay off me? I'm merely an upstanding devil that enjoys the feelings of anguish and humiliation. You seem to know Goddess Eris somehow, so can you please help me out here?"
"I would like to help, but it's not like I can contact her anytime I want."
There is a surefire way for me to meet with her, but that would involve giving up one of my extra lives.
Well, I don't have extra lives in the first place, but…
"Is that so… I quite liked that castle, but it seems like I have no choice but to let it go…"
Watching the penguin depressedly flop down onto the floor, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"So, what do you intend to do from now? Moi would not recommend living in this town. There's a rabid, devil-hating hound that claims this place as her territory, after all."
"I heard that the Succubi have set up shop in this town, so I came to ask if I could be hired as a bouncer or helper. And if a customer with some special tastes show up, with the aid of the Succubi, I'll be able to taste my favourite feelings of anguish and humiliation. I thought it was a good plan, but…"
"I'll immediately exorcise you if I see you in this town."
The penguin recoiled in fear as Aqua thrust her finger at him.
Aqua and Megumin seemed to have something in mind, and approached the penguin from both sides.
"Aqua, there's a zipper on the back. I really want to see what's inside."
"Yeah, you shouldn't be fooled by his cute appearance. Oh, what's with this flipper!? Hurry up and show us what's inside! Otherwise I'll purify you!"
"Don't, wait, stop!"
Just as the penguin started scuffling over the zipper with Aqua and Megumin, another knock rapped on the door.
Accompanied by the sound of a bell, the door swung open once more.
"Sorry to disturb you, Wiz, Vanir. I'm sure you've heard from Kazuma, but I'm here today to than-…eh?"
The person who entered the store was Darkness.
And next to her was Sylphina, shyly clinging on to her waist.
"Well, well, if it isn't Lady Dustiness who invaded my castle the other day and made a right mess of things. Hehehe, to think we would meet again like this…"
The Penguin laughed as he turned towards the surprised Darkness.
*Blow*
"Ahhhh!"
But in doing so, he revealed the zipper on his back, which Aqua immediately unzipped before blowing a puff of air into the opening.
Seems like even the breath of a goddess is harmful to devils.
"W-Why is Lord Zereschrute here?"
In contrast to Darkness's shocked expression, Sylphina's eyes glimmered upon seeing the penguin roll about.
"I'm saying this for your own good, but I think it'll be best if you hurry up and leave this town."
I took pity on the penguin and pulled his zipper up for him.
"Even if you say that, I escaped from my castle in the middle of the night, so I don't have any money nor a place to stay."
The penguin sounded like he was on the verge of tears.
Is he really the same devil that gave off such a final boss feeling back then?
Just then, I felt a tug on my sleeve.
"Young man, is the girl next to Darkness the one you needed the medicine for?"
The penguin cutely tilted his head.
"Yeah. Her name is Sylphina. She's Darkness's daughter."
"Hey, Kazuma, stop saying that she's my daughter… N-No, you're my daughter, Sylphina, so don't make such a face."
Darkness hastily corrected herself after seeing Sylphina's sorrowful look.
Hearing that, the penguin frantically flapped his flippers.
"Oh, it's good to see that she's well! You don't need to be so guarded, Lady Dustiness. As a devil, it's only natural for me to come to blows with a Crusader. I don't hold a grudge over that incident."
"I don't really get it, but if you say so… Still, what are you doing so far from your territory?"
— I explained the circumstances to Darkness.
"… Say, Kazuma, you met with Eris-sama when you died, right? Does she seem like she has a lot of free time on her hands?"
"You'll receive divine punishment if you say that sort of things. Rather than having free time, it's more like she's taking revenge for you."
Though I'm pretty sure at least fifty percent of it is just because she hates devils.
"I-is that so? Why is Eris-sama keeping such a close eye on me… Still, I'm terribly sorry, Lord Zereschrute. You might be a devil, but it's not like you've done any wicked acts…"
Darkness deeply apologized to the penguin, who had Sylphina's arms wrapped tightly around his neck.
"No, there's no need to apologize. Managing a territory is fun, but it's about time I moved on to something new. But, if you really feel that way, I would appreciate it if you could use the backing of the Dustiness house to allow me to live in this town."
"Don't get ahead of yourself just because you've helped Darkness's child. She seems quite attached to you, so I won't purify you in front of her, but I make no such guarantees if we were to meet on a secluded street somewhere."
I can't tell who's the actual devil now. The penguin, trembling in the face of Aqua's threats, hid behind me, dragging Sylphina in tow.
His actions may seem cute, but knowing what exactly is hiding inside of that suit, I couldn't help but get goosebumps.
–Just then,
"Emergency quest! Emergency quest! All adventurers in town, please gather at the guild hall immediately."
The emergency announcement that I haven't heard for a long time echoed through the town.
We traded a look.
"Before you say it, I didn't do anything."
"Hey, why are you staring at me like that, Kazuma? I don't know anything about this."
"I've got no idea about this either. I've been properly toeing the regulations concerning the locations and usage of Explosion."
That leaves….
"Hey, don't look at me. I'm the one who's the least likely to cause any trouble. That tax collection incident only happened because the guild came to consult me."
Just as Darkness frantically denied it after everyone's gaze fell upon her, the voice of the guild lady took on a somewhat joyous tone.
"I repeat, all adventurers within the town, please gather at the guild hall immediately…. All adventurers…"
The announcer took a deep breath,
"The Treasure Island has appeared!"
Hearing that, Vanir and Wiz immediately rushed out through the door without even a backwards glance.
No, it's not just them, even Aqua has vanished from the store before I noticed.
"Hey, what is going on? Explain it- damn, you're fast!"
I rushed out after the three, only to see them off in the far distance.
"What's up with them!? Leaving Vanir and Aqua aside, even Wiz ran out like she was possessed."
"What are you saying, Kazuma? It's the Treasure Island! It's a literal island of treasure! We shouldn't be wasting time here, let's hurry up and go!"
With her eyes glowing like she really was possessed, Megumin too flew out of the store.
"I-I'll have to stay here to take care of Sylphina…"
Leaving Darkness who said that and the penguin to take care of the store, I ran out behind Megumin and the others.
On the way to the guild, I ran across many other adventurers who looked just as frantic.
Most of them were armed with pickaxes, carrying a large rucksack and wearing a helmet.
As I neared the guild, I ran into Aqua and the others who dashed out ahead of me.
Aqua had a pickaxe in her hand as well. Was the guild renting them out?
"Kazuma! I picked up a set for you! Come on, let's head out of town! Hurry!"
Saying that, Aqua handed over a helmet, a rucksack, and a pickaxe to me
Seems like something's happened outside of town.
"Hey, come on, properly explain it to me already! Just what is a Treasure Island? Judging from the name and your reactions, it seems to be a pretty profitable quest, but…"
I asked Aqua as I chased after her after properly securing the items she handed me.
"Treasure Island is the common name of the genbu. A giant tortoise known as a genbu has appeared outside of town. The genbu spends most of its time underground, and only surfaces once every ten years. It's said that it rises up to sun its shell in order to rid itself of the mushrooms, parasites, and other harmful creatures that have taken root on its body, but no one knows for sure. What we do know is that it will remain on the surface until the sun goes down. And genbu lives on a diet of precious gems and metals deep underground, and such precious gems and metals will be stuck to its shell."
Megumin explained as she ran next to me.
I see, so that's why everyone's bringing pickaxes with them.
They are going to use it to dig up the precious metals and gems stuck to the genbu's shell while it's up here.
"Isn't that giant tortoise going to attack the people digging into its shell? And there are already a lot of adventurers who went on ahead of us. Won't it all be gone by the time we get there?"
In response, Aqua said,
"The Treasure Island is a very docile creature. As long as no one does anything too crazy, it won't attack people. And there's no need to worry about all the treasure being gone. Soon, you'll see why people call it a Treasure Island… Anyway, what is the weird devil doing here? Genbu are divine beasts. Divine beasts are the enemies of devils, you know?"
"If it were up to me, Moi wouldn't be doing this either! But this useless shopkeeper once again bought some garbage and put us in the red again! If Moi doesn't do something soon, this month's rent will be…"
"It'll be fine, Vanir-san! We might be in the red now, but if I properly raise the goods I bought, I'm sure we'll end up making a huge profit… s-so don't look at me like so coldly, you're scaring me!"
Looks like the store isn't doing so well. As usual.
A devil and a lich hauling pickaxes to do manual labour in order to repay their debts… it really is tough to live in this world.
Part 4
"… Am I dreaming?"
There's a large hill in front of me.
No, this can be said to be a mountain.
Just outside the gates laid a gigantic creature that could very easily be mistaken for a small mountain.
Its size was comparable to the Tokyo Dome that I saw as a kid.
Lying next to the yawning chasm that the creature probably crawled out of, the beast known as a Treasure Island let out a yawn with its fissure-like mouth as it leisurely laid in the sun.
Yeah, this definitely is worthy of being called a divine beast.
Unlike a certain self-proclaimed divine being that only eats and sleeps all day, this one is far more deserving of the faith of the people.
The Treasure Island was laying down with its legs splayed out.
A large number of adventurers were already crawling all over it, picking away at the rock-like shell with their pickaxes.
Even though there were a lot of people pecking away at its shell, the Treasure Island didn't seem to be angry at all, instead contentedly closing its eyes.
Ropes hung off the top of that rocky mountain, and the adventurers worked their way up, almost as if they were going rock climbing.
… Yeah, I understand what Aqua was saying now.
It's impossible to mine all of this out in less than half a day.
"Let's go, Kazuma! We have until sunset! We are going to dig until our rucksacks are full to bursting!"
Aqua has already climbed up on top of the mountain using one of the ropes.
Perhaps because they were still feeling the pinch from the recent tax collection, the surrounding adventurers were all excitedly digging into the mountain with their pickaxes.
I'm already rich, but even so, I can't just ignore this pile of money that just dropped in front of me.
I don't know how much money I'll make, but it's definitely worth my time.
"Right, now that I'm here, time to put in some effort… Oh, isn't that Dust and the others? They are here too?"
I felt slightly more at ease after seeing a familiar face as I scaled up the mountain.
After climbing up to the top, we started chipping away at a nearby rock formation.
Perhaps because they didn't want to mess up their hair, Aqua and Wiz both went without helmets.
My pickaxe struck a lump of ore and scattered shimmering stones all over the shell.
Just how much is each stone worth?
"… Say, I don't know how much this is worth, but is it really that easy to make money with this? Actually, aren't there only adventurers here? There isn't much danger, so wouldn't it be better to get the citizens out to help too?"
No matter where I looked, the only people I could see were adventurers.
It's just digging through rock. The engineering crew I worked with when I first came into this world would probably be better suited for this task.
Aqua answered my question.
"It's obviously because it's dangerous."
…Huh?
Just then, someone let out a loud scream.
"Aaaah, crap! I dug into a rock mimic!"
Turning towards the source of the sound, I saw an adventurer trying to fend off several squishy, octopus like creatures with a pickaxe.
"H-hey, what is that? Isn't this bad? Hey guys, should we hurry up and help…?"
Those creatures had rock-like skin that seemed to perfectly blend into their surroundings as they moved.
Ah, I see. Rock mimic.
But Aqua and Wiz were so completely focused on their digging that they didn't even turn to look at him.
"Leave them alone! Everyone here is an adventurer! They've already resolved themselves to die at any moment! Going out there to help him would be to trample all over that resolve!"
"Exactly! Even if they can't fend them off by themselves, dying on a quest is an honour for an adventurer! And… And my debts…!"
.
-------------->
.
"A-Are you really fine with that? What happened to your humanity?"
Oh, right, these two aren't humans.
The man who was attacked by the rock mimics cried out.
"Pl-Please help me!"
"… He's crying out for help, you know? Are you sure you want to leave him alone, you self-proclaimed whatever?"
"Ahahahaha! This is high-quality manatite! And this one is flaretite! I was worried about my lack of pocket money, but I'll have more than enough after this!"
The self-proclaimed whatever has long since stopped listening to me.
Conversely, the lich that was supposed to be the enemy of humanity seems to not be so heartless as to abandon him to his fate.
"Uuu…. I'll be able to cover rent somehow if I sell my body… don't worry, I won't die even if I sell my body… yes, I won't die…"
While saying some incredible things, Wiz dropped her pickaxe and rushed over to the man.
"Hey, Wiz, just stay here and dig, I'll go help him in your place!"
Selling your body…
Is she seriously saying that…?
I called after her, but Wiz merely turned around and smiled.
"It'll be fine, Kazuma-san. A lich's fingernails and hair have high concentrations of mana. I'll be able to get quite a bit of money by selling them as materials to the adventurer's guild."
"W-Wait, stop. Seriously, stop! That's what you mean by selling your body? Anyway, all we have to do is to quickly help him out and get back to mining. Hey, Megumin, Aqua, let's go. It'll be over in a flash with the four of us here."
Unfortunately, I didn't have my sword or armor with me.
Armed with only a pickaxe, Megumin and I headed over to the rock mimics.
Seems like the self-proclaimed whatever couldn't just stand by after hearing my words.
"Tsk, just when time is of the essence… You damned rock mimics dare get in my way!? Eat this!"
Aqua screamed as she savagely hacked into the rock mimics with her pickaxe.
A goddess, blinded by greed, mercilessly hacking apart a living creature with a pickaxe.
Now that I'm rich, I can properly appreciate just how terrible the smile of that goddess is.
"Normally Moi would rather puke blood than lend a helping hand to a goddess, but I'll ignore it just this once. Let's just hurry up and get this over with. Vanir-Style Death Ray!"
Just as Aqua savagely finished off a single rock mimic, Vanir, who had been mining away at his own rock pile some distance away, turned around and shot a black beam from his eyes.
A group of rock mimics were hit by the malevolent light and vanished, along with a good chunk of the surrounding rock.
"Hey, if you could've taken care of them so easily, you should've done it from the start!"
"Oh, shut up! This month's rent isn't some kind of joke, it's a matter of life and death! I hope you are satisfied with that, useless shopkeep! Hurry up and clear some of your debts!"
I had some misgivings upon hearing Vanir's uncharacteristically urgent voice.
Vanir is usually composed. It's really rare to see him act like this.
The adventurer who was saved quickly bowed and went back to his work.
I may have a few misgivings, but right now it's best to get back to chipping away at this.
— About half a day has passed since then.
Dragging full rucksacks behind them, Megumin and Aqua came down in front of me who had gotten fed up with digging a long time before they did.
Still, my rucksack is already full of high quality ore.
At dusk, the Treasure Island is no longer a mass of rock. Patches of its original shell are peeking through all over.
The beautiful, pitch-black shell gleamed in the evening sun, tough enough that even a direct hit from a pickaxe wouldn't leave a scratch.
The other adventurers were pretty much satisfied with their haul by now.
All of them gathered quite some distance away to gaze upon the Treasure Island.
The Treasure Island glanced back at us as we gathered near the gate of the town.
It's almost as if it was saying, 'are you really satisfied with that?'
Seeing that, I remembered something that has been weighing on me.
The mass of rock on the summit of its shell is still completely intact.
I'm sure that its shell will shine brilliantly if that piece was removed.
"… Say, Megumin, can you do something for me?"
The uneasiness of leaving something half-done was nagging at me. In order to quell that feeling, I whispered to Megumin.
"…Eeh!? A-Are you sure? Well, I haven't used my Explosion yet today, and it's certainly a suitable target for my one day, one explosion routine…"
Well, there's only really one thing I would turn to Megumin for.
"But are you really sure about this? Treasure Islands are docile creatures, but if you blast one with Explosion, it might just anger it enough to attack. Plus, there's an ironclad rule amongst us adventurers to never attack a Treasure Island…"
I assured the reluctant Megumin.
"Well, it's just my intuition, but the Treasure Island won't get angry. If anything, it'll probably be elated. It'll be fine as long as you follow my instructions and don't hit it directly. So, please, Megumin."
After receiving my encouragement, Megumin reluctantly started preparing to cast her spell.
"I'm not responsible for what happens after this, okay? And even an explosion artisan like me might slip up sometimes."
You're an Archwizard, since when did you become an artisan?
As the adventurers gave thanks to the Treasure Island for bringing them that unexpected windfall, Megumin started chanting her spell.
"Eh? Wait, what are you two doing?"
Just as the adventurers were startled by Aqua's words, Megumin completed her spell.
"Explosion!!!"
The bright light that Megumin created exploded just above the Treasure Island, blasting away the mass of rock that stubbornly clung to its summit.
In addition, the small pieces of rock remaining all over its shell were blasted clean by the shockwave.
Is it because of Megumin's aim, or because the Treasure Island is just that tough? Either way, there wasn't a single scratch on the Treasure Island's shell.
Ignoring the other adventures, the Treasure Island fixed its gaze squarely on Megumin who cast the spell, and me who was standing right beside her.
That gaze caused Megumin to squeak a little in fright, but I repeatedly told myself that everything will be fine and simply continued looking at the Treasure Island.
Still, I made preparations to bolt at any moment.
The Treasure Island that hasn't moved for the entire day got up to its feet and stretched, almost as if it just woke up from a nice afternoon nap.
Then, it turned back and walked towards the hole it originally came from.
— The Treasure Island surfaces every ten years to sun its shell.
I'm sure there's some truth in that theory.
But if that's the case, there wouldn't be a need for it to appear near a town.
From what I've heard, the Treasure Island will always surface close to a town.
Yes, almost as if it wishes for humans to clear away the rock that is covering its body.
Wouldn't that be its true purpose, then? To clear away all the rock that is stuck to its shell?
After having all the rocks cleared away from its shell, the Treasure Island started heading back underground even before the sun has completely set.
Then, the Treasure Island looked at Megumin and me one last time and gave his entire body a quick shake.
With that tremor, the trace minerals that were still stuck to its body scattered away into the air.
Seemingly refreshed, the Treasure Island crawled back into its hole with what appeared to be a contented expression.
The colossal, god-like beast gave us one last parting gift.
Megumin and I looked at each other and shared a chuckle.
The sight of the Treasure Island leaving was truly beautiful.
For the first time since I came to this world, I felt like I've witnessed something truly fantasy-like.
"Say, Kazuma, those are payment for Megumin's Explosion, right? Then it's fine for us to pick them up and sell them, right?"
"With this, the debts of the store and the rent will be…"
–My name is Satou Kazuma.
The reason I can't get any proper fantasy-like quest in this world is probably the fault of my companions.