Part 1
Things were stressful for the girls.
They needed to earn more money to survive, and choosing which quest to take was difficult for them.
Aqua wanted a difficult quest as usual, since it would earn them more money.
Megumin just wanted a quest that involved a powerful monster, or a bunch of monsters to blow up with her Explosion.
Darkness simply wanted a quest with a powerful monster to satisfy her masochistic needs.
So as a result, they picked a quest that was posted a while ago, about a griffon and a manticore that are fighting for turf.
The three ventured out to complete the quest, hoping to settle things with Megumin's Explosion in one swoop. What could go wrong? They had Darkness, who was strong and could protect them if anything went wrong, and Aqua, ready with her healing spell. All they needed was for Megumin to blast the Explosion at the right time. Simple, they thought. Easy, they thought. Maybe, without Kazuma, they could survive on their own, they thought. However, little did they know.
The mansion's door was slammed open, revealing a miserable sight.
Aqua had a blank look on her face, her eyes seem devoid of life.
Her left hand was on Megumin's robe, she dragged her home, while her right hand was used to drag a passed out Darkness, who donned a perverted smile and blush.
The fight went about as well as one could expect.
Aqua couldn't fight, but she was able to cast boosting magic on the other two.
Darkness couldn't land a hit, so she was basically useless, and was swept off to the side from the battle between the two monsters.
Megumin fired off her explosion magic too early, which only served to attract the attention of the two monsters towards them, rather than kill them.
Aqua had to drag Megumin in a rush, grabbing Darkness as well and retreated back to Axel.
They had no timing, a lack of coordination, and worse, they're selfish.
"We can't survive like this..." Aqua said with a dead tone.
Aqua slammed her hand on the table where Darkness and Megumin were playing chess.
"Guys! We need to accept a quest that we can handle, otherwise we won't be able to get money! We're low on money!" Aqua said in a serious tone.
"We do get carried away with what quests we get..." Megumin admitted.
"Usually Kazuma would hit us all and pick a quest that we could handle." Darkness said, a slight blush appearing on her face at the thought of being hit.
"Exactly! We need to think like Kazuma! What would he do in this situation?" Aqua asked.
"Steal a girl's panties?"
"Sexually harass a girl?"
"No! Think harder!" Aqua exclaimed.
The two sat in silence, thinking about what Kazuma would do, aside from the usual things they would think of.
"He would pick a quest that was better suited for our level, and will be able to complete or survive." Darkness said with a serious tone.
Megumin sighed, but she nodded in agreement.
"As much as Kazuma creeps me out at times, he always looks out for us in the end. He doesn't want us getting killed, even if Aqua can resurrect us."
"Yes! So we need to pick an easier quest! They may pay less, but at least we can succeed!" Aqua exclaimed.
"I guess we can do that." Megumin agreed.
"Yes, while I do find more pleasure in fighting strong enemies, if we cannot survive together then all is lost." Darkness said.
"So it's agreed! Let's do another quest tomorrow! One that we can complete," Aqua said, raising a fist in the air, the other two cheering with her.
On the next day, the three of them were looking at the quest board again, looking for a sensible quest that they could handle.
Without Kazuma, they couldn't handle too many enemies at once, with Darkness missing all attacks, Aqua having next to zero offensive skills, and Megumin only being able to fire off her explosion once.
They settled on a simple goblin clearing quest. Not too many goblins were occupying an open field, so they could handle it.
When they reached the area, they could see a group, no larger than 10 goblins around a campfire.
"Megumin! Use your explosion on them!" Aqua ordered.
"Got it!" Megumin exclaimed, getting into her usual stance.
"O, fires of the eternal flame. I beseech thee, with the blood of the crimson demon that courses through my body, grant upon me a fraction of the power that you wield, to bring forth a destructive force against my enemies, so that they shall be reduced to ashes that can be offered to you. Let thy flames run rampant, and come forth! [Explosion]!"
An explosion erupted, wiping out the goblin camp in one blow, leaving behind only a large, smouldering crater.
"That was amazing..." Megumin said as she collapsed onto the ground, her mana drained entirely, leaving her unable to move.
"Great job Megumin! You wiped them all out!" Aqua exclaimed.
"That was a splendid display," Darkness said.
"Now that it's over, let's go home and collect our reward!" Aqua cheered at the thought.
Just as she said that, they heard some footsteps.
The two girls who were still standing turned around to see one more goblin
"Eeee! There's still one more! Darkness, kill it!" Aqua cried out.
Darkness quickly unsheathed her sword and immediately made a move to kill it.
She readied her sword and as she got near, she swung her blade. With grace, the blade swiftly flew through the air. It all happened so fast that no one could see when she struck the goblin.
Except...
Patches of grass were shaved off near the goblin.
Her attack missed.
The goblin, realizing it wasn't dead, charged at Aqua.
"AHHHH, WHY IS IT COMING FOR MEEEE?!" Aqua cried out, falling on her back.
What the goblin didn't notice, was the fallen archwizard that was just laying on the floor. The goblin tripped on her and landed beside Aqua.
The two stared at each other before the goblin hissed at her.
"AIEEEEEE-[GOD BLOW]! [GOD BLOW]! [GOD BLOW]! [GOD BLOW]!" Aqua screamed, using one of her two offensive attacks to hit the goblin.
Eventually she hit it enough to the point where it passed out.
Darkness then came over the goblin and finished the job with her blade.
Needless to say, questing is going to be difficult for these three.
Darkness hoisted Megumin on her back, and the three returned to Axel.
They cashed in the quest and were paid 50,000 Eris for the job. Goblins weren't particularly difficult or strong.
But the group of them were causing problems for a few villages, causing the reward to be increased when they all pitched in.
"At least we got a reward this time!" Aqua exclaimed, admiring the bag of coins in her hands
"Yes, but we need to manage this properly. We can't spend money like there's no tomorrow." Darkess said as she took the bag from Aqua.
"We should at least focus on essentials like food and gear." Megumin said.
"I know that!" Aqua said, slightly annoyed.
"Do you?" They both asked, deadpan tones and looks in their eyes as they looked at her.
"YOU GUYS ARE SO MEAN!" Aqua cried out.
Part 2
With a swift motion, I drew my sword from the fallen kobold's lifeless body.
As soon as my sword was freed from the kobold's stomach, its contents slid out, releasing a putrid stench into the air.
"Kuh." The smell was enough to make anyone gag, and I immediately wrinkled my face in disgust as it hit my nose.
If this were me four days ago, the instant the smell hit my nose, I would immediately cover my nose instinctively.
In addition, after constant encounters and killing countless monsters, the stench of corpses, blood, bowels, and all kinds of gore have become almost commonplace to me.
After leaving Belzerg, the times we encountered monsters in Lorm have become more and more frequent.
At first we were concerned about the frequent appearance of monsters that kept getting in the way, but over time, after absurdly numerous encounters, it only made us annoyed at how often we had to stop.
Even in the supposed moments of rest at night, the attacks would continue, never giving us a moment of peace.
And there John said they were not having any problem with monsters.
Not having any problem my ass.
As a result, our journey was delayed by two whole days. Our expectation of reaching our destination within six days was shattered.
In addition to killing countless monsters, I had leveled up quite a bit
When I say quite bit, what I meant is a lot.
Like, tens of levels I've gained in this journey alone.
The reason I managed to level up that much is because I was actually able to kill stuff, instead of letting some Explosive loli destroy every monster and steal all the exps for herself.
In the process, I also learned more Skills and Magic that I deemed useful on this journey.
SPLAT. I swung my sword in a wide arc, attempting to shake off any remnants of blood and entrails before washing away any remaining filth with Create Water.
A tired sigh caught my attention from behind. "At this pace, we'll run out of rations before we even arrive," Old-Will grumbled.
"Maybe we should just eat these?" I joked in response, motioning to the kobold corpses that were in our way.
"I'll pass. You can have them if you want, but I'll stick to our rations," Old-Will retorted.
"Oh come on, it can't be that bad," I teased, but Old-Will only frowned in response. With a quick toss, I cleared the last corpse out of our path and made my way into the carriage at a brisk pace.
After climbing into the front seat of the carriage, Old-Will snapped his whip and urged the horses forward to continue our journey.
Despite our jest about the food, we were becoming exhausted from our travels.
Our rations dwindled each day, as the only edible creatures in the forest, like normal rabbits or wild boars, had become scarce, probably due to being hunted by larger monsters. These small animals were at the bottom of the food chain, after all.
The only options for sustenance were kobolds and wolves, but kobolds were out of the question and even wolves were becoming a rare sighting.
Despite the potential dangers of traveling through the 'inbetween' land, we were grateful not to have encountered any bandits on our journey.
The lack of security and attention from both countries may have made this region vulnerable, but it seemed that the multitude of monsters roaming about acted as a natural deterrent to human thieves.
One could only imagine the constant battle against these creatures, with new ones appearing every hour, no, scratch that, every twenty minutes. Not to mention, the variety of species added to the challenge, with each one posing its unique threat. If one were lucky, they would only come across a single goblin on their path.
But if the goddess Eris is feeling particularly spiteful towards you, she may close off all paths of luck and send a Giant Spider Queen your way.
And yes, we actually encountered one of those terrifying creatures. It was massive, standing as tall as an elephant in my old world, maybe even taller. Thankfully, we were able to continue on without engaging in battle with that monstrosity.
Today should be our last day on the journey, well I hope it is.
My whole body aches from days of travel, bouncing roughly in the carriage.
Mentally, I'm exhausted as well; lack of sleep has hindered my ability to function, and the constant alerts from my Enemy Detection skill have become more of a nuisance than helpful to me.
I've even stopped bothering to activate it now.
Glancing at the map once again, I see that we are supposed to arrive in Kelan City today. This will be the final forest we have to pass through before reaching our destination, Kelan City, one of the three major cities in the Lorm Kingdom, located on its western edge.
"This should be the final forest, right?" Old-Will asks with a sense of relief. He knew the answer himself but decided to ask anyway.
I follow his gaze and see an opening in the distance. "Yes, this is the last one," I reply.
After eight long days on the road, it's almost over.
I can finally rest on a soft bed with warm sheets. The thought almost brings tears to my eyes.
A rush of joy courses through me, causing me to shudder slightly.
And one of the main reasons we struggle to get a good night's sleep is that the road is bitterly cold, and we are constantly at risk of hypothermia.
Although we could start a fire for warmth, it also attracts dangerous monsters. Their "warm hello" typically involves trying to kill and eat us.
To protect ourselves, we cover ourselves with multiple layers of bed sheets, but I still can't fully relax as my instincts always remain on high alert.
Sometimes I even have to sleep on top of a tree to avoid being within reach of our potential monsters. Even though we are safe from wolves, spiders, and other mindless creatures, more intelligent beings like goblins or kobolds might attempt to board our carriage.
And to make matters worse, we haven't had the opportunity for a proper bath in days. We did come across a river a few days ago—or was it two? Three? My memory fails me—but it was too far off the main road, and we couldn't afford to waste time washing ourselves while our limited rations gradually diminish each day.
As the road became smoother and I leaned back in the carriage, I couldn't help but feel a sense of calm wash over me. Folding up the map and tucking it into my satchel, I let myself enjoy this rare moment of peace.
The morning breeze brushes against my skin, bringing a cool sensation. The sound of the creaking wooden wheels against the ground has become a sort of lullaby for my exhausted body and mind.
And before I know it, I am fighting to keep my eyes open. But eventually, they grow heavier and heavier until I can no longer resist the pull of sleep.
Just as I was about to succumb to sleep, the carriage suddenly came to an abrupt stop.
"KAZUMA!" Old-Will's panicked shout snaps me back into consciousness, and I immediately sit up, bow ready as I scan the road for any signs of danger.
I blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the dizziness. As my vision cleared, I saw two figures ahead of us. One stood ready, and the other bent over, panting heavily, while their weapon hung low.
I aimed my bow towards one of the guy's head, gaining myself a clean shot.
The tension was rising, as the four of us were locked in a staring contest with each other.
My first thought is that they could be bandits, but upon closer inspection of their gear and equipment, they might be adventurers instead.
The closer from me, I could describe him as a knight with short beige hair and a large build, wielding a massive two-handed sword.
His silver plate armor is dented in places, and there are specks of blood on his shoes and pants.
The other is a man with fluffy bright red hair, wearing a red vest and a black jacket underneath. He carries a small buckler shield and a bloody one-handed sword in his other hand.
Their eyes lock onto my drawn bow, but instead of hostility or aggression, their expressions were exhausted yet complex, gasping for breath as their weapon hangs low, showing no intention to attack.
A realization dawns on me as I take in their condition—they have just been in battle with monsters. Goblins or kobolds perhaps? The blood staining their clothes and swords is too dark for it to be human.
I keep my aim steady at the knight's head—a clean shot.
The knight is nervous, had sweat formed in his forehead, still gasping for breath.
After several moments of staring, the knight raises his arm in a surrendering motion, though his sword is still clutched tightly in his hand. Just as he opens his mouth to speak, I cut him off with a sharp question.
"Who are—" Ironically, my sentence is abruptly cut off by the sharp voice of the red swordsman.
"They're coming!" He shouts, Looking at the red swordman, he's completely looking away from me, staring at his left, in this case, on my right.
Three goblins emerge from the trees, skidding down the dirt path before landing with deadly intent in front of the red swordsman.
Without hesitation, he swings his sword and takes down one of the goblins in a swift motion.
Then, with a fierce roar, he slams his shield into another goblin. "Hoaargh [Shield Bash]!"
The goblin hit by the skill is thrown into a tree, suffering a knockback.
My instincts kicked in and I activated my enemy detection skill, only to have it ping violently in an instant. "Kuh!" A searing pain shot through my brain, as if it was being scratched to its very core.
I quickly scanned the area and saw where the signal was coming from—a dense forest on my right, up a steep hill.
My eyes widened in shock as I saw two girls running for their lives, chased by a horde of green creatures—goblins. There were at least twenty of them, if not more, all barreling down the forest hill towards us.
What in the name of padded Eris-sama is that!?
"AAAAAAAAAHHHH!" One of the girls cried out in terror, sliding uncontrollably down the hillside.
"Lily!" The knight shouted towards the uphill, where the girls were struggling to stay on their feet. One of them had stumbled but was quickly helped up by the other girl, and they continued their desperate run together.
With Farsight, I take a quick look at them.
The first one appeared injured, blood oozing from her left shoulder as she hobbled down the hill in a blue and white robe. Her long blond hair was disheveled and her blue eyes wide with fear as she made her way unsteadily down the hill, clutching trees along the way for support.
The second girl, whom I assumed was a mage, had purple hair reaching her shoulders. She held a wooden staff tightly in her hands and seemed unscathed despite the danger surrounding her. Her lips moved in incantation, then she pointed her staff towards the approaching goblin horde.
Then for a split second, I could see a fiery ball shoot out from the tip of the staff.
It hit the crowd of goblins and then instantly exploded upon impact, sending flames and debris flying everywhere in a split second.
The spell looks like a small recreation of Megumin's Explosion. It's similar to Fireball, but modified in some way, while I'm pretty sure that's not Fireball.
One of the goblins, using its unnatural agility, dodges a fiery explosion from a fireball and launches itself forward with incredible force. It tumbles down the steep forest hills, narrowly misses the purple-haired girl and blonde girl, before crashing into a tree with a sickening crunch, knocked out and unmoving.
I frantically switched my gaze between the knight, the swordsman who had just defeated three goblins, and the two girls running away from a larger horde in the distance.
"What the—move out from the way, kid!" Old-Will joined me in bewilderment, demanding that the knight move aside.
We were no match for this many goblins; our only chance was to escape.
"Please let us come with you! We, we just need to get into the nex—" I once again drifted my gaze into the knight, The knight's voice was desperate as he begged, his sword still held out but his arms were raised in surrender.
"No way! M, Move out! You're going to get me killed—!"Old-Will's words were harsh, but I could see the hesitation in his eyes as he kept glancing back at me.
He looked at me as if saying 'What do we do?'.
As they exchange words, more goblins appear from the top of the hill, their numbers growing rapidly from twenty to almost thirty.
Time is running out, and we must make a decision quickly before it's too late.
A lump formed in my throat as I struggled to find a solution.
The thing is, I don't know what to do either.
The fact that we don't know each other cannot be changed.
We could escape, abandoning this group of strangers. Adding to the fact that we couldn't just let them ride with us, I don't know what they might do to us.
My heart was in conflict.
But still, taking a glance at the blonde priestess, she had quite a nice body, not as big as Darkness, but definitely bigger than Aqua, maybe I could save her right now and she might be high heels all over me-no, not right now. I shake my head at the ridiculous thought.
Nevertheless, four people against two, or in this case against one, given Old-Will isn't a fighter, it's just on me now.
We had to make a choice as the tsunami of goblins is getting bigger and closer with each second wasted.
Old-Will clicked his tongue, he raised his arm and was about to whip the horse, but he stopped as the knight dropped his sword to the side and clasped his hands together. "PLEASE! I WILL PAY YOU EVERYTHING I HAVE-JUST LET ME-LET US GO WITH YOU TO THE NEXT CITY!."
The air thickens with tension, even Old-Will, usually cool and collected, is unsure of what to do.
He may be a calculating person, However, back in Belzerg, he still values life and has a soft spot for helping the unfortunate. This situation is no different.
"Shit! Lily! Alia!—Please, o good sir! We, we, we will give you 40.000 Eris! We just need to get out of here—my friends are injured! We can't get away-" The red guy finally spoke up, his voice was soft but there's concern in his tone.
The blonde girl fell down on the steep hill once more.
"LILY!" Both of them screamed.
The knight quickly bowed down, reached for his sword, and was about to go towards the girl named Lily.
But quickly stopped by the red Swordsman. "Dale! You stay here! I'll get Lily and Alia! [Ability Boost]! [Speed Gain]!"
He activates an unknown skills and charges towards the girls.
"Please, sir!" He begged us again, his voice cracking with emotion as he watched his friends fight for their lives.
While an explosion could be heard once again coming from the horde of goblins, the purple girl was behind Lily, defending and delaying the horde with her spell.
"Kazuma, we must go—" Old-Will's remark was interrupted.
"Please!" He said desperately, his fingers dug the dirt as if holding himself back from rushing towards his companions.
"No! LILY!" The swordsman's voice ripped through the air, filled with raw panic and fear.
Our attention snapped to the red Swordsman, who was now sprinting towards a lone goblin that had jumped, with sword ready, he lunged forward past the purple girl and quickly plunged himself towards Lily's unprotected back.
"Lily!" The knight bellowed as he kicked off the ground and charged towards her, knowing deep down that he would never make it in time. But his desperation pushed him forward.
Their friends yelling her name in concern caused Lily to turn her head and see the small green silhouette jumping at her.
The goblin leapt through the air, its grotesque tongue lolling out of its mouth, and a wicked grin spread across its face.
The purple girl, on the other hand, stood frozen, unable to process what the fuck just happened.
I clicked my tongue. In a split-second decision "[Snipe]!" I released my arrow.
It whistled its way, slicing through the air. It arced towards the goblin and with a katsun! it pierced through the goblin's skull.
It lost its momentum as it plopped down into Lily's feet, who was still shocked at what had just happened.
The other three looked at the goblin, then quickly followed where the arrow came from. They stared at me.
Their expressions were a mix of confusion, relief, relaxation, and gratitude.
Without waiting for them to react, I leapt out of my seat
"Red guy! What are you doing standing there! Move your ass and get the two of them!" At my remark, the Swordsman snapped back to reality, and continued trudging uphill towards the two girls.
At the same time, the purple girl rushed towards the blonde, carrying the blonde on her shoulder and then proceeded to slide carefully down between the trees.
"And you—" I yelled at the Knight, who was standing still and bemused. "You stay here and get ready to defend the carriage—[Snipe]!"
I released another arrow, killing a goblin running towards the girls.
"O-Okay." He stuttered, but complied anyway, stepping in front of me and preparing his stance.
"Thank you." The knight said, his tone was soft and grateful.
I'd love to answer his gratitude, However, right now I can't, all my focus is devoted to covering the girls.
"[Snipe]!" I put another Arrow into a goblin's head that was barreling down.
"Kazuma! What are you doing!" Old-Will retorted, by his voice he definitely doesn't agree with my decision.
Yet, if he doesn't agree, why won't he just step on the gas and go? The coast is clear.
Maybe this isn't the best move for us and the carriage, but still, I-no, we do this according to our hearts, or I think so.
Couples of goblins stumbled down on their friend who'd been killed. They rolled down the hill violently, one crashed into a tree, while some others managed to get their balance back.
"Old-Will! Move slowly!" I shouted, tapping twice on the wooden wall of the carriage.
Old-Will didn't respond, but the wheel started to move ever so slightly until it reached a certain speed.
A goblin lands with a thud in front of the ever-ready Knight. And without hesitation, the knight swiftly slices the goblin in half before it can even react.
The goblin's blood splatters across the road, mixing with the dirt and leaves as Knight continues to stand tall.
"[Snipe]!" I loosen another arrow and quickly shoot it, not even sparing a thought for the previous arrow that may or may not have hit its mark. "[Snipe]!"
The two girls carefully slid down the steep hill, making their way through the forest. They were about halfway down when suddenly, two goblins caught up with them and lunged at them with knives.
Before they could harm the girls, the red swordsman arrived on time and quickly took them down.
"Hurry up, both of you!" He exclaimed as he cut through more goblins, then used his Shield to Bash another, pushing it down, rolling and crashing into one of the massive stones with a sickening splat.
The goblins' numbers keep increasing one by one, flooding the forest with their laughter.
"[Snipe]" I shot a goblin who almost managed to sneakily stab the red guy.
Glancing at the dead goblin I had just taken out, the red guy gave me a thumbs up as he swiftly slid down to catch up with the two girls.
He kept swinging his sword, slashing any goblin that recklessly jumped or rolled into him.
"Come on, you guys!" The knight shouted, taking his stance, he already sheathed his sword, stretching both of his hands.
The number of goblins keeps on increasing, appearing one by one from the hills.
Those who fell behind gave up on running and instead threw themselves down the steep hills, recklessly crashing and killing themselves in the process.
It was chaos, a green chaos, as countless goblins poured down the forest, running and rolling without any regard for their safety.
The sheer number of goblins, more than forty and almost fifty, gave me goosebumps as they continued to pour out from the top of the hills. Their twisted and murderous expressions gave off a disgusting and disturbing intent.
In all my eight days of traveling, I had never seen anything like this before. The most goblins I had encountered at once was just eleven, and they were already causing difficulties; now imagine five times that amount.
At this rate, if we don't go faster, our carriage will be overrun by the goblins.
"Shit-platemail, carry them! Ol'Will go bit faster!" I commanded as I jumped into the back of the carriage.
"[Snipe]!" The carriage accelerated.
"Wha—Kazuma, don't leave us!" Indeed, our carriage was moving a bit faster than expected, almost leaving Knight and the others behind.
"No, I'm—[Snipe]! Not! Slow down, Old-Will!" I shouted, loosening another set of arrows.
"I know! Betty, come on, hold on a little!" Old-Will retorted, bantering with his horse named Betty.
And finally, the two girls and the red guy made it down to the road, tripped down on themselves.
But quickly, the knight helped them up.
"You go first, Alia!" The knight said to the purple girl.
She nodded and sprinted off towards the carriage. The Knight then picked up Lily, who had passed out, and hoisted her onto his back before taking off after the purple girl.
The red guy, however, was engaged with the first wave of goblins that managed to safely roll down the hill.
"Hurry you lot. [Snipe]!" I shot another one, this one was right through the chest.
While I kept shooting my arrow, the purple girl was the first person to catch up to our carriage.
With a fierce determination, she hurled her wooden staff inside the carriage, before extending her hand towards me.
My eyes briefly darted to her bleeding forehead and left arm, but quickly I offered my free right hand, which she grasped tightly.
With all my might, I yanked her into the carriage, and it seems like I miscalculated her weight and my own power, causing us both to fall backwards with a loud thud.
"Ouch!" she cried out in pain, but I wasted no time in getting back on my feet.
"Can't you pull me a bit softer!" she scolded, but I paid no attention as I quickly reached for another arrow from my quiver and aimed at the crowd of goblins.
I can hear my remaining arrows rattling around inside my quiver, and I know that I only have about five to seven shots left.
I have to time each shot carefully now; I can't afford to waste a single one. I draw my bow and wait for just the right moment.
"[Snipe]!" Another goblin falls to the ground as my arrow pierces its neck, causing it to bleed out and fall like a lifeless ragdoll.
The other goblins trample over its body in their chaotic frenzy. Amidst all this mayhem, giving the time for red guy to finally makes a break for our carriage.
"From ember's glow to inferno's might, With flames aglow-" I could hear the girl chanting a spell behind me at a rather fast speed. I briefly glanced at her; she was pointing the tip of her staff at the goblins.
"[Snipe]!" I keep covering the red guy, however, as fast as he runs, the goblin keeps appearing from the uphill, and quickly catching up to him.
"—I harness the light. Fire's dance, our will ignite. Blaze forth now, my fiery might! Give my magic your wrath and Burn my opponents into ashes [Widen Magic : Fireblast]!"
An Arrow of bright light once again shot out from the tip of her staff.
It launched into the air, seeing the flying light towards him, the red guy instinctively lowered his head.
It flew past the red guy, exploded far behind him right into the crowd of goblins.
A fire explosion that was twice as big as the first eruption that this girl previously made erupted, producing a loud boom that spread throughout the forest, sending a shower of fire, heat, and shockwave all around, an explosive fiery spell with area damage.
It scalded all the goblins covered by the explosion within the radius, then the subsequent fire blast knocked out the goblins running around with a shock wave followed by a shower of fire.
The goblins affected by the spell screeched and shrieked; they were in awful condition.
Incapacitated, decapitated, burnt, exploded, scalded, vaporized, incinerated, reduced to ashes.
The spell managed to ravage the wave of goblins, giving the red guy a little chance to put more distance between him and the goblins.
I gaped at the devastating state the spell left on the wave of goblins.
Not as strong as Megumin's, even I can say that her magic was almost one tenth of Megumin's explosion. However, that's not the point, this spell is definitely more useful than Megumin's explosion spell.
"Haa... That was my last—haa... I can't use any more spells, haa..." The purple girl, crouched down, panting while clutching her chest.
You're not passed out after first use, you can spam them, and it has some adjustable power. How amazing is that! Custom Explosion.
"Kazuma! Take Lily first!" The knight interrupts my thoughts, snapping me back to reality.
I toss my bow aside and reach for Lily, who is still unconscious on the knight's back. But she keeps slipping out of my grasp, her body positioned awkwardly. "Kazuma! What are you doing!"
"Shut up! I'm trying!" I snap back at him.
With both of my arms locked between Lily's, I repositioned myself and continued to pull as hard as I could.
And quickly, I realized that I wasn't as strong as Darkness, who could carry a ton of weight effortlessly.
It was no use; no matter how hard I pulled, I couldn't get Lily into the carriage. "I C,Can't—Old-Will! Slow down!"
"Tch! Just hurry up!" The carriage came into another abrupt stop, which startled us and caused me and Lily to be thrown back inside.
She lies on top of me, completely still and limp.
Sniff, Sniff. The scent of floral perfume fills my nostrils. Damn, she smells amazing. How is that even possible? After being injured and running around the forest, chased by goblins, how does she still smell so good?
If only the circumstances were different, I would happily stay in this position. But right now, I have to restrain myself.
With the help of the purple-haired girl, we managed to sit Lily on the side of the carriage.
And without wasting any second, she started to chant some spells. "By the light of the moon, And the stars up above, Let healing energies flow, With peace and love—"
Just as our carriage starts moving again, the knight jumps in, his armor gleaming in the fading sunlight.
He turned towards his friend as soon as he reached inside the carriage. "Dino, hurry up!"
I feel the carriage start moving again, slowly.
"Is everyone aboard?!" Old-Will asked loudly, his tone was panicked.
"Just one person left." I briefly replied.
"Hurry up because I'll speed up!" Old-Will shouted, whipping the horse.
Hearing the statement, the knight yelled at Dino, "Dino! Faster! Run faster!"
"I know! Wait, dammit!" Yelled the red-haired man named Dino, frantically trying to catch up.
While the knight is busy catching his friend, and the purple mage is occupied healing her friend, I take a step backwards, positioning myself in front of the carriages between Old-Will and the three people at the back.
"—As I chant this spell, May health be restored, Body, mind, and spirit, Harmony be adored. [Recovery]!"
I watched as a green light flowed into Lily's injured shoulder.
Recovery? Again, another foreign spell that I've never heard of.
I know that there's variant type of healing spell, including Light Heal the least healing magic, Heal, a normal healing magic, Heavy Heal that could restore a lost limb and then Greater Heal literally Heal you to perfection as long as you're still alive.
All that spell was the spell that Belzerg's adventurer-Healer used.
Ironically, Aqua was able to heal me instantly with just a normal Heal spell.
I hate to admit it, but it just goes to show how powerful she is as a goddess.
The longer I'm separated from Aqua, the more I realize how valuable she is as a healer. Still a useless goddess, though.
While the purple mage was occupied with healing Lily, I used my foot to subtly pull her staff towards me and hid it behind my back.
"Kazuma." Old-Will called me, even though he just called me by my name, his tone implies 'You know what you just did right?'
So naturally, I respond. "I know, let me handle them. Trust me."
Old-Will didn't say anything, but through his gaze, I can imagine he said, 'Just don't burn my stuff.' Instead, he's shouting to Dale, "How much longer!"
"I almost got him! Get my hand, Dino!" Dale responded, lending his hand out while I could see Dino running for his life.
"It's deep... " The purple mage whispered wasn't so small that I couldn't hear her, still keeping her hand steady on Lily's shoulder.
As I observed the purple mage closely, I noticed that her Recovery spell was an extension of Heal magic, taking more time to fully restore a wound.
Well, that explains its name. Recovery indeed.
"Uhh.." Seconds later, the purple girl slightly groaned, as her nose started to leak a drop of blood but quickly wiped it with her sleeve.
Oh, what happened? Did she run out of mana? It seems not the case, looking at how she just continued the healing without any care of her surroundings.
In any event, Megumin always runs out of mana after releasing an explosion and is completely paralyzed afterwards, yet she never has a nosebleed.
If I had to guess, maybe because of overheating?
Overheating, huh? That's a term I made up when someone uses magic consecutively and it causes a headache. In my case, my head heats up and I feel a floating sensation when I use the smokescreen three times in a row while fighting Silverware, a giant rat in silver armor with a tail that injects poison like a scorpion.
The fight lasted quite some time. I'd used a lot of skills, magic, and my handmade Molotov. Even though I should have been able to use Smokescreen twice, but the fight was so long that my mana managed to recover enough for me to use Smokescreen for the third time.
Overheating. That's likely the case.
And when fighting the Silver Rat, I discovered something useful. The smoke produced by the Smokescreen Skill is flammable.
I only need Ignite Magic to light the entire Smoke on fire, creating small explosions in the process while inflicting burnt damage to every creature inside the smoke radius.
After screaming and running for what felt like ages, the Dino guy finally managed to climb into the carriage with help from the knight. The last two guys made it in, gasping for breath and covered in goblin's blood.
The stench of gore and entrails was spread throughout the carriage, striking my nose.
"You can go faster now." I whispered to Old-Will over my shoulder.
Old-Wil didn't give a word for reply, but he whipped the horse even harder, picking up speed, leaving the army of goblins behind.
"Finally, that was close, thank you." The red guy, gasping for breath, expressed his gratitude.
"Well, you're welcome-[Bind] [Bind]." I spammed the Bind skill on the knight and Dino, causing them to collapse onto the floor.
"What-" The knight was bewildered by his sudden loss of control.
"Figured." While Dino didn't even resist, slumping against the wall of the carriage.
"!" Looking at what happened to two of her teammates, the purple girl stopped healing her friends, briefly glanced at me as she immediately drifted herself to reach her staff.
But her hands met the disappointment of the cold wooden floor. Where was her staff originally been. "Wha—where! You—!"
Her words were cut off as she glared at me, realizing I had her staff pointed at her face. "Looking for this?"
"You bastard!" Her glare sends me a chill, I smiled on her anguish.
Old-Will, attracted by the commotion behind him, turned his body. "Don't cast any magic on my carriage!" he was concerned about his belongings.
He's a merchant after all. I can't blame him.
Even though she's been given a warning, The purple girl remains persistent.
"Like Old-Will said. I suggest you focus on treating your friend Lily first. She's still bleeding-What are you laughing at?" My smile vanished as soon as the purple girl started chuckling.
"You're an archer, what do you plan on doing? Throw my staff at me?" She grinned, challenging me with a smug look on her face, raising a hand towards me.
Ho, seems like we underestimate each other, huh? After that overheat, is she had enough mana to cast more offensive spells? Fireball? Or Fireblast like before, or maybe even Freeze? What tricks do you still have up your sleeve?
If this were being told from a third-person perspective, it would be called a magical standoff. But instead of happening in an empty field, here we were doing it on a cramped wooden carriage with easily flammable boxes and stuff.
Speaking of which, where did her confidence come from, anyway?
"No." I asserted. "You should realize that I could just tie you up like both of them, But I didn't because you need to heal the girl."
"What?" She tilted her head, seemingly doesn't understand any of the words I said.
"Alia, calm down. Just go back and heal Lily, will you?" The Dino guy steps in, his voice soft and reminding me of smooth-talking politicians back in my world.
"But-" She softened, still holding her hand forward.
"It's okay, Just heal Lily first, okay?" She gives the Dino guy a doubtful stare, but ultimately chooses to trust him. It's clear that he is their leader.
"Fine," Alia conceded defeat. But then the purple girl grabbed the Dino guy's sword and raised it towards the ropes.
I quickly stepped forward and used my staff to stop the blade from reaching the rope. "Stop, No you're not going to cut them loose."
She once more glared at me as I felt the weight she pushed on the swords.
"Alia, it's okay... This guy here, he doesn't believe in us." The Dino guy speaks again, his tone exhausted.
"Just like he said, drop the sword, girl." I add.
"No." This stubborn bitch, I almost lose my patience.
In truth, it would have been easier for me to simply tie her up and heal Lily myself. But I chose not to.
"Still, he doesn't need to tie you guys up!" She threw his glare at me. "We are a good people! We're not gonna do anything to you! We're not bandits!"
"That's what bandits would say before attacking people, stealing their belongings, and raping their women." I mockingly remarked, raising an eyebrow, challenging her.
"Alia..." But her resistance finally subsided when the wounded Lily called out her name weakly.
"Lily! Don't move! You're hurt." Alia dropped the sword and immediately turned to face the girl, chanting a healing spell. "With the mercy of the gods, blessing from the nature, give her a cure to be able to see the day tomorrow. [Recovery]"
Once I make sure she was tame, I took a step backwards, giving myself some space between the four of them.
"Well, I hope you guys understand why I do this." I stated, scanning each person's face until my gaze landed on Dino.
"Yeah, we get it." Dale responded.
"We understand." Dino chimed in with a gentle tone, though his smile seemed fake to me. I didn't comment on it.
"I hope you did." I reiterated, this time with less seriousness, but my guard was still up.
Dino sighed lowly before proceeding. "Yeah, I understand where you're coming from. Like I just said, we had just met, total strangers, you're right to be cautious of course, but sometimes you gotta believe in the goodness of humanity, you know?"
His words made me uneasy as his smile grew wider. It was the same type of manipulative smile politicians use to gain someone's trust or that class president uses to get along with everyone—a smile the social, popular person had. I hate that smile.
"Nah, I'll pass." I replied firmly. "I'm tired of giving people my trust. It's useless if a bunch of you just end up fighting and betraying each other."
"You make it sound like you've experienced it before." With his fake smile still plastered on his face, it's as if Dino is challenging me.
This guy is mocking me. I have to give myself credit for not punching him in the face.
I held his gaze without flinching.
"Indeed, I have." I pushed myself with the topic, accepted his challenge.
"Well, I'm sorry if that's the case." His apology lacked sincerity as he maintained his smile. I expected he might have more to say about my past, but it seems that's not the case.
The tension between us escalated as we silently sized each other up. Dale noticed the atmosphere grew tense and started to squirm uncomfortably.
Finally, Dino decided to break the silence by introducing himself and his companions. "My name is Dino, Remora Dinoso, nice to meet you, and this—" He gestures towards the knight beside him.
"M, My name is Dale Rober." The knight introduced himself with a slight stutter.
"And in the back is Alia, our magic caster, and wannabe sorcerer," Dino proudly announces.
"I am a sorcerer!" Alia protested, bristling at being called a wannabe.
"Or so she said." Dino added with a chuckle.
Sorcerer? That's another new term. In Axel Town, all magic casters are referred to as mages for beginners, wizards for experts, and arch-wizards for advanced levels.
Is sorcerer another term for wizards or mage in this region? Or is it an entirely new class? Well, I could just ask them later on.
"And last but not least," Dino dramatically announces, "is our priestess, the one and only Princess Lily."
"Princess?" I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at her title of princess. Is she really a princess of the kingdom? If she is, why the hell did she risk her life adventuring.
"Don't mind him," Alia interjected flatly as she continued to heal Lily with her hand on her shoulder. "He's just high on heels with Lily, Lily is just a regular priestess."
"I see..." I whispered.
"I can't help it, you know?" Dino chuckled, not denying any of that claim.
Well, a regular and nice priestess is better than some egoistical and useless priestess who exclaimed that she is a goddess.
"At least she's not a goddess." The thoughts slipped out of my mouth.
"What?" The three of them say in unison, taken aback by my comment.
Even I am surprised at what I just said. What the hell am I saying? I didn't intend for that to come out. Quickly, I compose myself and firmly say, "No."
The air became tense and awkward as they didn't know how to respond. Even Alia gave me a sympathetic look, as if I were a former inmate of an insane asylum.
My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. Luckily, Dino jumped in to break the tension. "Well, in any case, let me tell you, even if you're not going to believe me, I'll assure you that my party and I were not bandits. We're civilized people, adventurers just like you, and we mean no harm."
He said with the same ugly smile.
"Maybe you're not bandits," I responded coldly. "But I never said that I wasn't one."
Silence fell over the carriage again as they tried to digest what I had just said. All four of them, except for Dino who seemed amused, looked at me in a bit of shock and slight disbelief.
"Pfft, hahahaha." Dino laughed mockingly, "You're good at making jokes... Um, what was your name again?"
"Mitsurugi Kyouya," I answered, using a fake name that I had made up on the spot.
But Dale wasn't having it. "Kazuma." he corrected flatly.
"Mitsu-"
"Your name was Kazuma." Dale cut me off as I'm trying to introduce myself again with the fake name.
Having it already compromised, I'm giving up on my made-up name. I clicked my tongue before proceeding.
"Tch, my name is Satou Kazuma, so what?" It was the best fake name I could come up with on such short notice; maybe I should have saved Mitsurugi Kyouya for another region in the future.
"Well, Kazuma," Dino continued, his tone mocking, "maybe you should apply to be a comedian in one of the guild's taverns."
"Irritation bubbled up inside me as I glared at him.
"I'm not joking," I frowned at his remark.
"Oh yeah? Well then, from my point of view, all I can see is a humble merchant who hires an escort to cross the dense forest that's full of monsters."
He raised his head as if challenging me.
"Added the fact that, if you're indeed a bandit, why would you even bother to save our lives, instead of just escaping from that abomination."
I felt my anger rising as I looked at his smug face.
But before I could respond, I was distracted by the sun that started to peek through the carriage, signaling that we were finally out of the forest.
I looked over my shoulder and saw a large city in the distance. A sense of relief washed over me as I knew our journey was almost over.
Shaking my head at this sudden joy, I turned back to the group and continued, "Maybe, you're right. No, I'm not that kind of bandit, the kind of brute and uncivilized bandit. No, I'm not that kind of stupid and rapist bandit."
I stepped forward, towering over the two tied figures. "And why do I help you? You asked. I have a reason, you know. It's because I am this kind of bandit, [Detect Treasure]."
Activating my Skill, I swiftly snatched the one and only bag full of coins from Dino's pocket.
"Eh?" Dino's facade cracked as he was surprised by my action.
He looked at me with surprise and confusion written all over his face.
"Hey!" The first person to make any move was Alia. She sat up and reached her hands towards me to snatch back the bag of coins, but I quickly pulled away.
"Let's see... one, two, three... one hundred and forty Eris?" I counted out loud as I examined the contents of the bag before finishing with a sarcastic remark, "Wow, you guys are flat broke. This should be enough for now, though."
"You thief! Give that back!" Alia demanded, but she didn't make any attempts to take it back from me. Dino was still trying to process what had just happened; his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water.
While Dale just stared at me in silence, I said, "Oh dear, this is a fee. Our emergency ride isn't coming in for free, you know. Hopefully this wasn't your last bit of funding, otherwise I'll feel bad." I chuckled at their reaction.
But quickly, Dino regained his composure and cleared his throat before speaking up. "Calm down, Alia. Remember, we still have some funds left."
She glanced between me, the bag, and Dino. "What! No we! B-But still..."
Before she could finish her sentence, Dino interjected. "Thank you for the 'emergency ride,' Satou Kazuma-san... And..." His eyes gestured towards the person driving the carriage - Old-Will in this case.
But receiving no response from either of us, he called out to William, "Merchant-san. Thank you very much for saving our lives. And just to clarify, don't feel bad - that money wasn't our last bit of food money. Only a foolish person would bring all their funds on an adventure."
I sneered in response, "Well then, are you a foolish person?"
To which he smiled back at me, "I don't know, are you?"
I scoffed back at him then laughed, "Hahaha, Dinoso huh? You sure are an interesting NPC."
"En Pi See?" Hearing a foreign idiom, Dino tilted his head in confusion. Surely, he doesn't know what NPC is, right?
"In any case, it's been a pleasure doing business with you." I leaned back and put the bag of coins into my satchel.
"The pleasure is all yours." He replied with a touch of cynicism. I wanted to mock him again, but I decided that this was enough.
And so the conversation died down after that.
I leaned back against the side of the carriage, watching the sprawling city draw closer.
The clattering of hooves and creaking of wooden wheels filled the silence as we trundled along. I glanced over at Old Will, his wrinkled hands holding the reins tightly. He was focused on guiding the horses along the path with a rather fast speed.
"Say, Kazuma-san," Dale spoke, which caught my attention. "Can we please untie ourselves? This is really uncomfortable." He squirmed uncomfortably in his bonds.
Despite Dale's pleas, I wasn't ready to untie them yet. Who knows what they might try if I let my guard down too soon.
"I'm sorry, but I can't," I sighed, then said, trying to sound more sympathetic this time.
"Oh.. okay." Dale let out a soft sigh and slumped back against the carriage wall, defeated.
Hearing his slightly saddened response, I felt a twinge of guilt. I glanced back at their group. They seemed like any other group of adventurers, laughing and joking among themselves.
Maybe I could trust Dale and Alia for their straightforwardness, but Dino is entirely different. After our exchange, my instinct told me that I couldn't fully trust him.
It's as if he had motives in every one of his moves. Maybe I'm just too cautious, but one also cannot be too cautious either.
I couldn't be wrong, and I couldn't be right either. Like I said, I couldn't take any chances now.
Although I had denied Dale's request, Dino stepped in to back him up. "You know we weren't gonna hurt you, right? Like I said, we're adventurers, just like you. Alia, take my, Dale's, and Lily's adventurer cards."
"Why?" She said, still irritated.
"Just do it, all right? Please." Dino urged her with pleading eyes. Alia reluctantly agreed, but she complied anyway.
But before she could reach for Lily's card, I spoke up. "You don't need to do that."
Alia stop what she doing and look at me with mixed confusion and irritation.
"I already know that you are adventurers," I continued. "There's no need for you to prove it by giving me your cards."
"If you knew, you should untie us. We're not so low that we're going to attack you. We have reputations to maintain." Dino's words were monotone, as if he really didn't care about the outcome, but he still argued nonetheless.
I sighed heavily. He has his reasons, but still, I can't untie them right now. "Look, I get it. This whole situation is less than ideal," I said. "But I'm sure you can understand my position here. I don't actually know any of you. For all I know, you could be dangerous."
Alia scoffed at that. "You look dangerous to me."
I could feel a vein throbbing in my temple at her comment, but I forced myself to remain calm.
"In any case, you could untie yourself right before we reach the gate. Until then, just endure it."
My last statement silenced them for a while. Dino opened his mouth to argue further but thought better of it after exchanging glances with Dale. He gave a weak smile and shook his head, which Dino silently nodded in response.
We continue our ride in peace afterwards. I occasionally look over the view of Kelan City, which stretches far and wide before us. The great Kelan City stands proudly in the distance.
Its towering walls, made of stone so ancient it seemed to whisper tales of times long past, enclosed the city like protective arms. The river snaked through the heart of the city, its waters glistening under the midday sun as boats sailed lazily along its surface.
Behind Kelan City, a majestic mountain range loomed like silent guardians. Their snow-capped peaks pierced the clouds, casting long shadows over the bustling city below. The contrast between the man-made structures and nature's raw beauty was breathtaking.
As we get closer to the city gates, I couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at the grandeur of Kelan City. After all, this is the first major city I've visited since being transported into this world. It's two or three times bigger than Axel, with a majestic green jade castle at its center. It truly screams medieval fantasy city.
"Damn... This world is something else." I whispered those words to myself.
Speaking of Axel, how are you guys doing? Aqua? Darkness? Megumin? I hope the three of you are okay, even though I'm not with you guys again... I hope you guys still live together in that mansion.
I can't help but think, given my absence as their leader, could they still be together? Survive? Even though that's unlikely.
Even though I keep running away from Axel, I am still hoping that the three of you would look for me, search for me, find me, and then... I don't know, apologize to me? Yeah, maybe it.
At the thought, I chuckled.
Well that just no way, right... They would never find me. Not after I enter Alsforth.
Part 3
Somewhere out in a field, the wind was blowing peacefully. Animals occasionally passed by, but the land was mainly disturbed only by the gentle winds of nature.
It was a beautiful sight to see. One could say it was the pinnacle of beauty in nature, so grand it could bring a grown man to his knees in tears, cleanse the evil thoughts from a wicked being, and lead you to enlightenment.
"[EXPLOSION]!"
Or so it was, until magic swirled around chaotically in the air and a pillar of fire arose, the air rippling with power as an enormous explosion went off.
Megumin just fired off her daily explosion, Aqua beside her to carry her home.
She fell to the floor, happy about being able to use her explosion magic. "Explosion magic really is the best~" Megumin said, face in the dirt.
Aqua picked up the arch-wizard and placed her on her back. "Just make sure not to use only your explosion magic tomorrow, we have a quest to complete since we're running out of money." Aqua said
"Got it!" Megumin exclaimed.
It needs an entire weeks and two quest for the girls to get a wake up calls. Aqua decided to finally stop acting so childish and selfish all the time.
Megumin had finally learned more magic spells other than "Explosion", though that wouldn't stop her from wanting to set off daily explosions.
And Darkness, she found herself quite capable on hand on hand combats, so she used gauntlet instead of swords, punching her fist to kills the monster.
Despite Darkness' lineage, the three had to earn money to survive in this world. Kazuma was no longer there to keep them in check, nor to defend them when it mattered most.
They all realized that if it weren't for Kazuma, they most certainly would have died many times in the past.
"Hey... Aqua?" Megumin spoke up.
"What is it?"
"Do... Do you think Kazuma is okay?"
Aqua stopped walking, thinking for a moment before she continued her stride.
"I think he is. Despite the kind of person he is, he wouldn't want to die, he'd survive with all his might. He's probably still running from the royal guards though." Aqua said.
There was a moment of silence before Megumin spoke up again.
"Do you think he's mad at us?"
"What makes you think that?" Aqua asked, slightly confused, resuming her steps.
"Well, when that lady came with those guards, and he was accused of treason, and she said if we side with him we would also be imprisoned, we just kinda left him hanging... Not just us, everyone who was there turned away despite him saving them. Anyone would get mad after that. We were supposed to break him out but he already ran away before we had a chance..."
"... " Aqua couldn't say anything at Megumin's comment.
"Maybe he hates us, maybe that's why he ran off by himself rather than taking us with him..."
"Maybe..." Aqua said quietly, but Megumin heard her.
"So you agree, he does hate us! Of course he would, we were nothing but trouble for him and then we made it seem like we ditched him the second we could! We have to do something about this! W-we can't just leave things like this! W-w-we- I- He- K-K-Kazuma..." Megumin slumped further into Aqua's back, feeling guilty.
Aqua felt the same guilt Megumin was feeling. She knew where she was coming from, and she was right. The three of them were mainly just nuisances to Kazuma while he did his best to keep them safe.
Aqua felt a few drops of water hit the back of her neck. It didn't take long for her to realize that the source was Megumin, who was crying. Her slight sobs were both audible and strong enough for her to feel them on her back. It was enough for Aqua to also let out a few tears of her own.
She could only hope that Kazuma was safe out there. She was a goddess trapped in a mortal body, with most of her godlike powers being restrained, so she couldn't protect Kazuma.
Maybe he was always right, maybe she really is just a useless goddess.
When they arrived at the mansion, Megumin had recovered enough to walk.
After thanking Aqua, she swiftly retreated to her room. She walked past Darkness, who was confused about the girl.
"What happened?" Darkness inquired.
Aqua told Darkness about the conversation they had on their way back after Megumin's daily explosion.
"Oh dear... She must be feeling very guilty after thinking about all that..." Darkness said, giving a worried look in the direction Megumin left.
Aqua nodded. "To be honest, I can't help but feel some of that guilt too. He may have dragged me here, but I should've been more mature than the way I was this whole time..."
She recalled the number of times she had racked up debt and would go to Kazuma, on her knees, begging and crying for him to help her, and even after he did, she would only cause more problems.
"Do you think he's safe out there?" Darkness asked.
"Most likely. He may have been a pervert, lolicon, and a Hiki-NEET, but he is smart. He's resourceful, just hopefully he hasn't been found yet by the royal guards."
There was a moment of silence before Darkness said something that seemed a bit crazy.
"Do... Do you think that we could ever find him?"
At her proposal, Aqua shot Darkness a hopeful glance, before quickly averting her eyes in a dejected manner.
"I doubt it, he's going to be on the run, who knows where he'll go to escape, a different village, city, or even kingdom just to run from them."
Darkness nodded her head in agreement.
"I'm going to get some rest, we have a quest to take care of after all." Aqua said before getting up and going to her room.
"Goodnight" Darkness said, to which Aqua repeated to her as she left the room and headed to her bedroom.
As she walked through the halls she stopped in front of Kazuma's door. She stared at the door before she let out a sigh and continued on her way.
"Please be safe, Kazuma..."