Aqua finally realized what was happening, her lips curving into a sinister smile that sent shivers down one's spine.
After some commotion, the nearly-transparent Wiz spilled everything she knew, including the fact that she was a Demon Lord army officer, and that the new Demon Lord, Zyhark, was somewhat of a pervert.
However, since she hadn't known Zyhark for long, she wasn't aware of his exact plans or motives.
Aqua, on the other hand, was well aware of those. Seeing that Wiz, as a lich, seemed honest enough, and with Brook's persuasion, she decided not to purify her entirely.
Of course, the main reason was that Wiz hadn't done anything to harm humans and was the only officer in the Demon Lord's army who hadn't been placed under a bounty.
Purifying her wouldn't bring in any money!
"Hmph, you'd better be careful around this goddess. If you dare spout nonsense again, I'll burn your shop to the ground!"
The foolish goddess clapped her hands arrogantly and gave Wiz a vicious warning before leaving the item shop with Brook and Darkness.
"Those weirdos... How do they even know Lord Zyhark? I'll have to ask him later," Wiz muttered while squatting in the corner, still shaken. "And is she really the Goddess of Water? That's way too terrifying..."
She suddenly realized how foolish her earlier thoughts were. The seemingly normal one turned out to be the most dangerous of them all!
Meanwhile, out on the streets again, Darkness was starting to act a bit more normal.
"So, this Zyhark person you mentioned—what kind of guy is he? Is he your companion?" she asked tentatively.
Hearing about the new Demon Lord made her feel like she was suddenly part of something far more significant than she had anticipated.
"He's a respectable captain," Brook answered.
"He's my most loyal follower!" Aqua chimed in.
Their contrasting answers made it clear that Zyhark held very different positions in Brook and Aqua's minds.
"Captain? Follower? Isn't he a Demon Lord?" Darkness was a bit confused.
"Well, yeah. But the reason we came here is to beat him up!" Aqua said casually without thinking.
Thankfully, she was talking to Darkness—if it had been someone more malicious, they might have already sold her out while still naively counting their money.
"Beat him up? So, does that mean we'll storm the Demon Lord's castle one day, only to get captured due to the overwhelming power difference? Then we'll have to endure the taunts and insults from the demon soldiers, and maybe even unimaginable tortures? Huff, huff... Maybe, just maybe..."
As Darkness spoke, she became increasingly excited, panting as she indulged in her vivid, perverted fantasies.
What a shame it was for such a beautiful face and a criminally attractive body to be attached to such a strange mind.
Aqua didn't even bother listening, letting Darkness's words flow in one ear and out the other. Brook, on the other hand, slowed his pace, making sure to keep a safe ten-meter distance from Darkness.
In the end, Aqua still didn't manage to buy her wine.
Instead, she found an oddly shaped egg and declared that she would hatch it into a cute dragon just like Kanna.
—The last egg she had "gently" buried in the ground had already sprouted a half-meter-tall patch of weeds.
Her failure to have a pet of her own remained a small, lingering regret in Aqua's heart.
By the time they reunited with Meowth and the others at the inn, the sun was already setting.
After a quick greeting, they all agreed to splurge their remaining money on an expensive hot spring bath to soothe their weary bodies.
Though the inn was only rented for one day and one night, they weren't worried at all.
After all, with the "Giant Frog Catcher" and their tool, Darkness, making money would be as easy as pie!
They could just relax in the hot springs and let the giant frogs handle the rest.
With that pleasant thought in mind, everyone sank into their soft beds and enjoyed a night of peaceful dreams.
...
The next day came quickly.
"What?! You're saying the giant frog hunting quest is no longer available?!"
Aqua's shrill voice pierced the air inside the Adventurers' Guild.
"That's right. This quest won't be available again for some time," the blonde receptionist, Luna, explained with an apologetic smile. "There was a massive explosion in the wilderness yesterday, and most of the giant frog nests were destroyed. The surviving frogs are hiding deep within their nests and aren't coming out."
"So, for now, the quest is off the table. If you don't mind waiting, it should be available again next spring," she kindly suggested.
"Next spring…"
This bad news left Meowth and the others in despair. If they had to wait until then, Zyhark would have already led the Demon Lord's army to raze this town to the ground!
"Who's the idiot responsible for this?! They've cut off this goddess's source of income!!"
Aqua flew into a rage, grabbing Luna by the collar, practically shaking with fury.
"Sorry, everyone, but if I'm not mistaken, that idiot is probably me…" Escanor scratched his head awkwardly, stepping forward to apologize.
Since he was in his prideful form, he wouldn't allow himself to hide the truth.
"Eh?!"
His companions were shocked: They hadn't expected this from Escanor!
Aqua's lips twitched as she looked at Escanor's apologetic smile, but in the end, she chose to forgive him.
"Well, this is partially my fault too," Kanna added, stepping forward as well. "The explosion happened because I was playing a game with Escanor."
The others: "..."
Playing a game?
Luna, who was clueless about Kanna's true strength, covered her mouth in disbelief.
The adventurers who were eavesdropping on the conversation were so shocked that they spat out their drinks.
The chaotic wasteland caused by that explosion—was just a result of a game between these two?!
The Adventurers' Guild fell into a mysterious silence.
"Hahaha, well, I do feel a bit guilty," Escanor chuckled, breaking the tension. "But don't worry, everyone. I'll handle the money situation."
His pride wouldn't allow him to leave things as they were, so he was determined to make amends.
"It's okay, Escanor, and Kanna. This isn't your fault," Aqua waved her hand dismissively.
Despite feeling like she was on the verge of breaking down internally, she managed to put on a nonchalant front.
If Zyhark were here, he'd probably sigh with fatherly affection: That selfish goddess, Aqua, actually cares about her companions now. It seems her adventures in the pirate world have helped her grow…
However, the next second, the foolish goddess became furious again.
"Damn you, Zyhark! How dare you pull such a dirty trick! When we meet, this goddess will make you pay!!"
At times like these, it was best to unite against a common enemy—especially when that enemy was the treacherous thunder-wielding Zyhark.
Far away in the Demon Lord's castle, Zyhark sneezed during his secret training.
Regardless, the giant frog goldmine was now completely shut down.
At Luna's suggestion, the group turned their attention to other quests.
Though Escanor wanted to bear the burden himself, the others were a team. There was no way they would just let him handle everything alone.
Darkness, the newest member of the group, was deeply moved by this familial bond, even though they weren't technically family.
Due to the massive explosion, many of the nearby monster-hunting quests had been put on hold.
In the end, they settled on a caravan escort mission. Although it was a bit time-consuming, it was better than being kicked out of the inn and forced back into the stables.
But just as they were preparing to leave and meet the caravan, a man wearing a black-and-white mask arrived at the inn.
Vanir's purpose was simple—he had his eyes on the "Giant Frog Catcher."
Or to be more precise, he had his eyes on Meowth's extraordinary inventions. He wanted to form a deep partnership and make a lot of money together.
"Who do you think I am? My inventions aren't meant for something so trivial, meow!" Meowth, ever professional, immediately turned down Vanir's offer.
After all, he knew nothing about this stranger—how could he sell his technology so easily?
"This is one million Eris as a show of sincerity. If you agree, this will be the advance payment for our partnership."
Vanir smiled as he placed a chest filled with gold coins in front of them.
The sheer amount of money made the eyes of the poverty-stricken group widen in shock.
Aqua even started calculating how many giant frogs she'd need to catch to exchange for that much sparkling wine.
And this was just the advance payment!
The others, full of expectation and hope, all turned to Meowth.
However, Meowth remained unfazed, his expression serious.
"Technology is my dignity and bottom line, meow…"
"That's a shame. If you change your mind, you can find me at the women's clothing store on West Street."
Vanir closed the chest and prepared to leave.
"Add more money, meow."
Vanir stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the serious-faced pet cat.
Even someone as experienced as Vanir found himself caught off guard by Meowth's flexible principles.
"No problem. I'll add another 500,000."
"Deal, meow."
After a few moments of stunned silence, Vanir composed himself and walked back, placing the chest down again. He bent slightly at the waist and extended his right hand to Meowth.
"Pleasure doing business."
"Pleasure doing business, meow~"
And thus, the deal with Vanir was officially sealed.
However, the details of their cooperation—what they would create, how it would be sold, and how profits would be shared—still needed careful negotiation.
Vanir also wanted to see if Meowth truly had the capability to invent something profitable.
Obviously, this would take time.
Meanwhile, they had already taken the escort mission, thanks to Luna's help, and couldn't just back out.
After some discussion, the group decided to split up.
Escanor, Kanna, Uta, and the local Darkness would handle the caravan escort mission;
Meowth, Brook, King, and Aqua would stay behind in Axel.
In hindsight, this was a pretty smart arrangement. Both teams had enough strength to avoid any unforeseen incidents.
At the same time, those who needed to work on their weaknesses would have the opportunity to train during the mission.
Leaving behind the idiot goddess, who only made things harder, was especially clever!
The plan was flawless—at least, in theory.
Escanor and his group had no idea that, despite their efforts to avoid Aqua, the goddess's chaos would follow them like a haunting ghost.
It just so happened that their destination was none other than the headquarters of the Axis Cult!
...
On the outskirts of the Demon Lord's castle, in a dark, damp forest.
Zyhark, drenched in sweat from his secret training, sat down on a smooth rock.
Behind him lay a scene of utter devastation. Scattered branches and fallen trees surrounded a massive, jagged hole in the dark mountainside, where chunks of rock still tumbled down, accompanied by lingering red sparks.
"Even though I can barely pull it off, it's still a long way from being something I can use at will..." Zyhark wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled deeply.
While Aqua and the others had been busy, he hadn't been slacking off.
Aside from the mutual energy absorption with the liches at the Demon Lord's castle, he had been spending his days training deep in the forest, working on mastering advanced applications of Conqueror's Haki—Conqueror's Haki Coating.
Like Escanor, he wanted to use this time in the peaceful world of Konosuba to fully master this top-tier ability from the pirate world.
With the experience he'd accumulated from battles with figures like Big Mom, Mihawk, and Sengoku, he had finally managed to touch the threshold of using Conqueror's Haki Coating.
However, his success rate was still only about thirty percent.
"The headless knight and Vanir I sent out should have caused some trouble for Aqua and her group by now, right?"
"I wonder how things have changed in the pirate world since we left. Although the World Government took a major hit, they'll probably still be putting pressure on Hancock, Moria, and Rayleigh."
"Every day we delay increases the danger. I have to finish my training and wrap up this Konosuba adventure as soon as possible..."
With that in mind, Zyhark rose to his feet, supporting himself on his knees, and dragged his weary body back toward the dark forest.
He made a decision then and there: Once he had fully mastered Conqueror's Haki Coating, he would launch a full-scale assault on Aqua and her companions.
Then, as quickly as possible, he would summon new allies and return to the pirate world to annihilate the World Government and the Celestial Dragons, leaving no survivors!
The dark forest echoed with crimson lightning and the sound of explosions as Zyhark resumed his intense training.
(End of Chapter)
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