The group stared at the strange woman blocking their way, all showing expressions of confusion.
"Aqua, do you know this person?" Escanor raised a hand and pointed at the suspicious woman.
Judging by her gleaming, high-quality armor, she seemed to be a knight?
"Know her? Of course I do! Isn't she the weakling knight from last night who tried to outdrink this goddess, only to end up vomiting on the floor?"
Aqua blinked her "wise" eyes, her gaze casually falling on the knight's attire. "That pretentious armor—there's no mistaking it!"
"The one you're thinking of is probably the knight Goodman, and he's a man, meow..." Meowth sighed helplessly.
Not only was Aqua bad with directions, but it seemed that this unlucky, air-headed goddess was also completely terrible at recognizing faces.
It's another day of missing Zyhark~
"And if I'm not mistaken, the one who ended up vomiting was you, Aqua," Uta chimed in with a pointed jab.
Remembering how they had to pay an extra cleaning fee because of Aqua's rainbow vomiting, Uta's pretty face mirrored Meowth's look of resignation.
"Th-that's impossible! This goddess remembers everything clearly, and that never happened!"
Aqua defensively protested, adamantly maintaining her dignity as a goddess.
"Because that all happened after you drank," King added casually, instantly silencing Aqua, who sheepishly hid behind the group to avoid further exposure.
A world where only the air-headed goddess gets hurt—achieved!
"Back to the point, since none of us seem to know this woman, why does she want to join our rookie team?"
Escanor returned to the original topic.
"Not sure. Maybe she's a thief, hoping to steal our quest rewards?"
"That armor doesn't look like it, though. I'd say she's pretty strong."
"If not a thief, then maybe a beggar looking for food?"
"Is that even a thing in this world, meow?"
"Kanna thinks she's a fallen princess from some kingdom because that's what happens in the manga magazines."
"...What kind of weird magazines has Zyhark been letting you read, meow?!"
Listening to the increasingly absurd guesses from the group, the woman—who was actually Darkness, not "Lalatina"—began to panic a little, but also felt a strange excitement.
Such terrifying imaginations! They're openly discussing my background in front of so many people!
What a humiliation~!
Are there going to be even more ridiculous and shameful guesses next?
Ah~ say more, say more!
Insert character intro here:
Darkness (Dustiness Ford Lalatina) is a crusader knight who derives pleasure from being attacked by monsters. She has allocated all her skill points to defense, while refusing to learn any offensive skills. Though physically strong and wielding a greatsword, she can't hit a stationary target, so her actual attack power in battle is nearly zero.
"Whether she's a thief or a beggar, we should still exercise caution when dealing with someone whose background is unclear,"
Brook stepped forward from the group, breaking the wild speculation. "Allow me to go directly and assess her true intentions!"
Before the others could react, Brook, using the advantage of his light weight, swiftly appeared before Darkness.
"A-a Lich?!"
Darkness was startled.
She was already familiar with Brook, having watched them from behind a tree the previous afternoon.
But it wasn't his skeletal, afro-headed appearance that shocked her—it was the moment when he was strung up and used as bait. That moment, filled with shame and excitement, was what made her decide to join this group!
Staring closely at Darkness, Brook's hollow eyes glowed with a gentleman's light, and a nosebleed that shouldn't have existed quietly dripped down.
"This... this incredibly well-proportioned lady... If it's not too much to ask, may I please see your panties?"
He said it. This perverted skeleton actually said it!
Is this how you intend to "assess" her intentions?!
Uta and the others had already anticipated this result, and they all covered their faces, turning their heads in unison, pretending not to know him.
They had no intention of intervening or apologizing. Judging by her armor, the woman didn't look like some ordinary passerby.
Letting Brook suffer a little might teach him not to harass women all the time, tarnishing the Sea Restaurant's reputation!
(Do you even have a reputation left?)
However, what they never expected was the woman's reaction.
"Ah! Ah! You ask such indecent questions right from the start?! To be so rude to a crusader in armor!"
"What now? If I don't tell you the color of my panties, are you going to resort to even more shameful methods to force it out of me?"
"Damn it! There truly exists such a perverted demon in this world! Fine, then! Even if you use more extreme measures, I... I won't give in so easily!"
Darkness, face flushed, instinctively took two steps forward, fully exposing her defenseless body in front of Brook.
Even the perverted skeleton Brook found it hard to handle her rapid-fire commentary, her strange excitement, and her incredible imagination, all of which left him momentarily speechless.
Although he really wanted to know her secret, his bones were warning him: stay away from this pervert, quick! Quick!
"Why have you suddenly gone quiet? Could it be... you're thinking of something even more extreme? Ah! That terrifying gaze... You don't just want to know the color of my panties, you also plan to use brutal means to extract even more dirty secrets, don't you? Those sinister, white skeletal hands..."
As Darkness's delusional ramblings grew more exaggerated, Brook stood firm in his gentlemanly resolve.
"Although it's probably obvious at first glance, I must apologize—I'm just a skeleton. I don't have a terrifying gaze, yohohoho~"
"And also, my dear lady, please don't sully my pure soul."
After a brief pause, Brook's tone turned dead serious:
"I simply wish to know the color of your panties!"
The passionate declaration echoed, and the entire street fell silent.
Diagnosis: this was a showdown between two perverts!
Fearful of further witnessing something that might blind or deafen them, bystanders quickly dispersed.
Some adventurers, who had been heading out on quests, even took a detour.
Even Meowth and the others, standing by Brook, quietly walked away from the scene.
Right now, their priority was to earn enough money to stay at an inn.
Unfortunately, with their best bait Brook now occupied, they might have to rely on King or Aqua...
Meowth's eyes gleamed with mischief.
Just as the group was about to head out of the city, Darkness snapped out of her fantasies, lunging forward to cling tightly to Escanor's leg.
"Please! Let me join you! I've been waiting for people like you for so long!"
"Sorry! We don't need knights with no sense of shame!" Aqua turned back, rejecting her with righteous indignation.
You of all people shouldn't be using the words "no sense of shame" to describe others…
Meowth felt utterly exasperated.
"Aqua's right. Why don't you go find another team, meow?"
Take her in? As if we don't already have enough weirdos!
"Even if you refuse to accept me,"
Darkness, now rubbing her face against Escanor's leg, could feel the intense heat from his body. "At least let me experience what it's like to be swallowed by a giant frog!"
"Talking won't change our... Wait, what did you just say?"
"I said, please tie me up and attach me to that machine!"
"Welcome aboard, slightly perverted knight."
King, usually the quiet one, was the first to extend a hand of acceptance to Darkness.
Ever since arriving in this world, King had harbored a dream that he could only realize here. He was more than ready to put his life on the line for bounties.
But now? Only a fool would pass up this golden opportunity!
Hearing that the perverted knight was willing to act as bait, the rest of the group's expressions instantly shifted, and they warmly welcomed Darkness with smiles.
"Thank you so much! By the way, my name is Darkness, and I'm a Crusader. You won't have to worry about my combat ability,"
Darkness enthusiastically introduced herself, immediately fitting into the group.
With their natural bait now on board, the giant frog-hunting operation went incredibly smoothly.
In just three hours after leaving the city, they managed to catch twelve lively giant frogs—a very impressive haul!
Had it not been for the concern that the overly excited, frog-saliva-covered Darkness might fry her brain, their success rate could have easily doubled!
Since there was still plenty of time left, Escanor, Uta, and Kanna decided not to follow the team back to collect the bounty but instead stayed behind in the wilderness where monsters occasionally roamed.
Escanor wanted to train the warrior skills he had learned from the adventurer cards without relying on his Sun Grace.
Uta shared the same idea, aiming to get used to her Summoner class.
—She had just learned how to summon a slime.
As for Kanna, her goals were simpler—she just wanted to find some wild game to snack on.
Thus, the eight-member team temporarily split up.
Time passed slowly, and two hours flew by in an instant.
When Escanor finished his training and turned around, he saw Kanna, done with her snacking, now lying bored under a tree, dozing off.
Recalling the destructive power of this baby dragon during the battle in the Land of Gods, the Sin of Pride suddenly felt the urge to spar with her.
After all, once noon passed, his power would go to waste. He might as well use this quiet time to test Kanna's stamina.
In his mind, coming to this relatively safe world was a chance to overcome all of their weaknesses.
Aqua's brain was beyond saving, but Kanna's stamina could certainly be improved.
(Kanna's stamina setting is the same as that in Dragon Maid and One Piece worlds, where stamina consumption is significant.)
Kanna, feeling a bit bored, readily agreed to Escanor's "game time."
And so, flames and thunderous energy clashed explosively in the outskirts of Axel City, scaring nearby adventurers so badly that they fled back to the city, fearing a disaster.
Rumors soon spread that the powerful Demon Lord's army might have appeared.
These rumors led Axel City to sound the alarm and initiate the highest level of alert.
Fortunately, the place where Kanna and Escanor sparred didn't fall under Axel City's jurisdiction. Otherwise, the destruction they caused would require a thousand giant frogs to repair the damage!
The fight—or more accurately, the playful sparring between an adult and a child—didn't last long.
With the final white beam of destruction shooting toward the distant sky, Kanna finally reached her limit, standing amidst the ruins and panting like an elderly woman.
"Hahaha! Not bad. You lasted longer than I expected."
Escanor emerged from the glowing remains of the battle, his white tank top having been completely blown off, revealing his muscular frame.
Praising Kanna highly, he began to ponder effective training methods.
In normal circumstances, improving stamina couldn't be done in a short period. Otherwise, after so long in the world of One Piece, Kanna would have seen more noticeable progress.
But luckily, aside from having plenty of time, this world also had the special tool of adventurer cards.
Along with regular training, all Kanna had to do was invest points into stamina.
"Things might get tough for you soon. Are you ready for that, Kanna-chan?"
Escanor surveyed the battlefield, his voice low. "Also, we should find a more secluded and quiet place for training."
"Mm! Kanna wants to get stronger!"
Kanna clenched her small fists, her expression resolute.
Though she was the youngest, both in age and maturity, in the group, after having fought in the great battle in the Land of Gods, Kanna wanted to contribute more to protect Kobayashi (Zyhark) and her companions.
It was a feeling she had always held inside, but the sensible baby dragon wasn't good at expressing it.
Even now, though she wanted to protect her friends, all she said was that she wanted to get stronger.
"Escanor-san, please include me as well! Teach me physical combat and Haki!"
Uta rushed over, putting away her arrogant attitude.
After witnessing her summoned slime get kicked to bits by a squirrel, she couldn't stand it anymore.
If her summons were useless, then she, the summoner, would have to step in herself!
(What? The head coach is warming up?)
"Sorry, but I only have a basic understanding of Haki. As for physical combat, King would be a better teacher," Escanor answered truthfully.
This wasn't false modesty. After all, his fighting style had always been to simply throw a merciless sun at his enemies.
Having always been treated as a monster in his original world, Escanor had never received formal physical training—his superior reactions and physical strength came entirely from his Sun Grace.
"King, huh? That sounds pretty good. Let's go with that!"
Uta clenched her fists, giving herself a motivational gesture.
With their training plan settled, the three returned to Axel City in high spirits.
Little did they know that, deep in the forest, a Demon Lord's officer was seething with rage.
"Who was it?! Which damned idiot thought it was a good idea to fire an electromagnetic cannon at my base?"
"Damn it! I just cleaned that castle!!!"
(End of Chapter)
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