Chapter 1
May We Celebrate This Bright Future!
1
After so much traveling, there was no place like home—even if it was neglected and covered in dust. I was sitting cross-legged on the carpet in the middle of our living room, thinking back on everything that had happened recently.
A certain girl we knew had gotten a letter saying that Crimson Magic Village, a veritable holy city for Arch-wizards and the source of so many talented magic-users, was under attack by the army of the Demon King.
Even knowing she would be of little help alone, the girl nonetheless resolved to go back to her village. She knew she might never return to Axel—and so she confessed to me what she had kept hidden in her heart all this time: that she wanted to be loved before she went off to die.
I turned her down flat and set off on a journey, leaving the heartbroken girl behind. Yes: I would not allow her to risk herself. I would destroy the Demon King’s army instead.
Well, what with this and that, I defeated Sylvia, the Demon King’s general, and peace returned once more to Crimson Magic Village…
“…Kazuma, the way you’ve just been sitting there grinning is really starting to weird me out. I guess maybe that’s what happens when the weather gets warmer like this.”
I had been living a tranquil existence ever since we returned to town. Aqua—the one making the smart remarks—was sitting on the couch beside Darkness and Megumin. They were all taking turns at the portable game Aqua had brought back from Crimson Magic Village.
I suddenly snapped back to reality. I turned to the three of them and, in my most serious tone, informed them:
“I want a little sister.”
That shut them all up, if only for a second. But then…
“Hey, Darkness, we have to take turns. I’m next, okay? I want to be the one who beats the last boss.”
“Aww, come on, you and Megumin are the ones who always beat the bosses in real life. Can’t I at least do it in this game?”
“No. As a member of the Crimson Magic Clan, I cannot allow another to strike the final blow. And anyway, the last boss is always the most powerful enemy. The way you just charge in, Darkness, we would be lucky to beat him if we used all our continues.”
They went on bickering. Apparently, they had collectively decided to ignore me.
“Will you listen to me?!”
“Waaah! Stop it! We’ve almost beaten the game! We all worked really hard to get this far!”
Even as I dodged Aqua’s attempts to snatch back the game I had taken from her, I played it myself, until…
“There, last boss done. I didn’t even take any damage. Are you happy now?!”
“Not at all! Why do you get to do the best part?! We spent three days getting that far!”
“Whatever! Let me have it, then. In three hours I’ll get you back to where you were, and I’ll do it without taking a hit!”
“Stop! Please stop making our best efforts look so bad…” Aqua, half weeping, grabbed the game back.
“And to think I was almost impressed by what you did in Crimson Magic Village!” Darkness said. “I should have known you were still just a rat! Do you enjoy making all our work go to waste?! Come on, Megumin, tell him!”
“…Why ostracize Kazuma?” Megumin asked the enraged Darkness. “In Crimson Magic Village, he was really the one who saved us in the end, as he often is. This just now was very characteristic of our party, and I rather like that.”
““Huh?!”” Aqua and Darkness looked at Megumin and me in shock.
“Are you feeling all right, Megumin?” Aqua asked. “You’re usually quicker than anyone to complain about Kazuma. What happened to the most notoriously argumentative wizard in Axel?”
“She’s right,” Darkness said. “Everyone agrees our impulsive Megumin is more suited than anyone else to the advanced front-row class of Berserker; there’s no way she would say something so measured and adult. Hey, Kazuma, what exactly happened in Crimson Magic Village?”
“I cannot believe either of you! I am an Arch-wizard, a class renowned for their calm rationality! …Anyway, Kazuma, what is this sudden request? If you want a little sister, I must imagine it would do more good to tell your parents than us.”
“I did tell them, a bunch of times. In fact, I told them I wanted a little stepsister, so they ought to get divorced and remarry someone with a kid. Come to think of it, that might be the first time one of my parents ever slapped me…”
“Your parents must have been wonderful people to not chase you out of the house for saying something like that.”
“Forget about them! I can’t go back home anyway, so what does it matter? I have something more important in mind.” I didn’t think they were following me. I gave a theatrical shake of my head. “I have the comforting older woman Wiz. The energetic, eager young lady Chris. Sena’s the ‘cool’ type. And there’s the sweet but luckless Yunyun! I even have Lady Eris, the royal heroine. In other words, I’ve met beautiful women and girls from practically every archetype!”
“Ooh, what about me, Kazuma? What beautiful-woman archetype am I?”
“None of them. You’re not a potential romantic interest. You’re more of a pet— H-hey! I’m trying to be serious here, so save it for later!” I brushed Aqua aside as she charged at me with a balled-up fist. “My point is, I’ve noticed something really important. I’m still missing a certain archetype! Back home in Japan, I even had a childhood friend, more or less. I’m sure you can tell what’s missing, right?”
Megumin seemed to have caught on, because she sighed deeply. “I believe I see where this is going…,” she said. “Put simply, you want me to fill the little-sister role, correct?”
“What? No, you’re my jailbait.”
“Wh-what?!” She seemed surprised for some reason. Beside her, an embarrassed-looking Darkness hesitantly raised her hand.
“S-so what c-category does that put me in…?”
“You’re the lewd one, obviously.”
“Lewd one?!” She seemed as shocked as Megumin. I decided to try to wrap up the discussion.
“Okay, remember when we went to Crimson Magic Village? Remember Megumin’s little sister? She got me thinking again about how much I want one of my own. So you understand what I’m saying now, right?”
Aqua, who had been listening intently to the entire conversation, replied:
“Not one bit.”
There was a perfectly good reason I was bringing this up now. And that was…
“A princess, huh? I hear she’s younger than me. Maybe she’s the little-sister character…”
That’s right: This had to do with my hopes for the princess, who had written me a letter. I’d heard talk that put her at about twelve years old. That was obviously too young for me, but maybe we could at least be friends, and she would call me Big Brother and everything.
Darkness may or may not have had any idea I felt this way, but ever since we had gotten back from Crimson Magic Village, she had periodically tried to dissuade me.
“…Come on, Kazuma. It’s not too late—let’s turn her down! You know? We’re talking about the number one family in the whole country, here. I guarantee what you think of as a nice dinner won’t be anything like what they’re planning. It’ll be all formal and stuff! You know? Hey, everybody, let’s pretend this never happened!”
The past few days, she had tried everything to stop us from meeting with the princess. The tone she was taking suggested she was even more desperate than usual this time.
Still sitting on the carpet, I muttered, “…You’re afraid I’ll be rude to the princess, aren’t you?”
That made Darkness twitch. She looked around the room for a moment, then finally lowered her head.
“That’s… That’s not it at all… Really.”
Yeah, sure.
“Hey, look at me when you’re talking and drop the facade. You’re worried we’ll get out of line and do something to harm the Dustiness name.”
“You are?! Darkness, how cruel! I do know how to behave in polite company!”
“This is a great shock! Darkness, what makes you think we would ever do something to cause trouble for you? Are we not comrades in arms? You should trust us more!”
Aqua and Megumin were quick to respond to my accusation.
“Er…argh… Honestly? It’s exactly because I know you better than anyone that I’m so worried…,” Darkness said, near tears. She looked absolutely terrified.
“I know the princess is way above me, and I’ve got at least the basics of etiquette down. I’m just a little worked up because I’m meeting such a refined young lady. That’s all.”
“H-hey! You’ve already met me! I’m a refined young lady, you’ll remember!” Even when she looked like she was about to start crying, Darkness was able to snap at me.
This constant worrying was a side of Darkness I’d never seen before.
“Oops, guess I’d better buy a tuxedo. And you two, you don’t have any dresses, do you? I think this calls for a trip to the tailor.” I was really starting to get into this. And Aqua and Megumin didn’t seem the least bit interested in backing out.
“Great idea!” Aqua said. “I do like wearing something other than this feather mantle every once in a while. But is there enough time to have clothes made?”
“My dress will be black, of course. One that simply oozes maturity.”
Darkness, looking closer to weeping than ever, said, “Y-you guys…! We’re talking about the princess of the entire country, all right? You could literally be putting your lives on the line! Tell them, Kazuma!”
“Ah, but everyone wears a tuxedo. I need something that’ll really leave an impression on her. I know! A kimono and hakama!”
“Please, I’m begging you! If it’s in my power, I’ll do anything you ask, just don’t show up in some bizarre outfit!”
Darkness was clearly at the end of her rope.
2
“All right, you said ‘anything.’ So for the week until the princess gets here, I’m gonna put you to work.”
It was the day after Darkness had made her impassioned plea.
“…F-fine. So you weren’t kidding back in Crimson Magic Village. I see I’ve underestimated you again.”
She was dressed in a maid outfit, one deliberately a bit too small. The short skirt lent her an eroticism perfectly suited to our resident hottie. She stood in front of me now, looking defeated. I couldn’t help but get a little carried away at the sight of her.
“I think what you mean is I understand, Master!”
“Hrm…hrrgh! I—I understand, Master! I am a lowly swine…!!”
“Hey, I didn’t tell you to say that.”
Darkness was red and trembling.
In exchange for giving up my kimono idea, and on the condition that I completely behave myself around the princess, I was finally able to realize my long-held dream. Yes: the one where I put Darkness in a skimpy maid outfit and force her to tend to my every whim.
Admittedly, I didn’t indulge quite everything I could think of, because I was afraid of what she might do to me later if I got too full of myself. But it’s fine to claim a few perks every once in a while…
“What should I do, then? I’ve never actually done housework before. I have no idea what to do. I guess, for starters, I could spill tea on the crotch of your pants and then frantically try to wipe it up. Would that work?”
“You are definitely not allowed to make tea.” What exactly did she think a maid’s job was? “Just, you know, start cleaning or something. But not the dishes. You’ll just break them. I can’t afford a maid like that.”
“…Hmm. All right…” She seemed disappointed as she trudged out of the living room.
Aqua and Megumin were at Wiz’s shop. Which meant it was just Darkness and me in this huge house.
Come to think of it, Darkness really caused me nothing but trouble. I would have to work her like a dog today.
But then…
“Eeeeeeeek!”
What sounded like a pretend scream was followed by the crash of breaking pottery. Then Darkness came running in, clutching a fragment of something.
“I am so sorry, Master! I broke your precious vase! Please punish me however you see fit…!”
“I don’t have a precious vase. I don’t think I have any vases at all. And if you break anything that really is important to me, I’ll punish you by making you go to the Adventurer’s Guild in that outfit.”
“?!”
Darkness was attacking the housework, running a cloth along the windowsills, ignoring the fact that she was getting covered in dust. I was checking to see how good a job she was doing. Why? Because I had time to kill.
I ran my finger along the windowsill and looked at it. I had expected it to come away dusty—but instead, it was perfectly clean.
“Grr! You’re never good at anything—why now? And I was so looking forward to sending my maid, Crusader Lalatina, to the Guild as punishment…”
“Heh-heh. You won’t punish me that easily, even if you do know how to push my buttons. Speaking of which, seriously, please don’t call me Lalatina. Please?” I hated to admit it, but the beet-red Darkness got full marks for cleaning.
Not just cleaning, either.
I grumbled as I ate the lunch Darkness had prepared for me per my request.
“…Grr. I thought for sure you’d mix up the salt and the sugar or something…”
“Why would I do that? They’re clearly labeled. And as an adventurer, I do know how to cook meat.”
She must have figured out I had no real desire to punish her when I picked a simple recipe consisting of rice, meat, and raw vegetables that even she couldn’t screw up.
She was wearing a triumphant look on her face. “Heh-heh! I used some pretty high-class meat. How does it taste?”
“Average.”
“?!”
Bathroom cleaning:
This was normally Aqua’s job.
“Do… Do you really think this toilet needs cleaning…?”
“I guess…maybe not,” I said.
I hardly ever saw Aqua actually cleaning, but the toilet sparkled brighter than anything in the house. Leave it to a water goddess, I guess…
Oh well. On to the next thing.
“Really?! Is this really a maid’s most important job?! You’re not just making that up because you know how sheltered and unworldly I am, are you? I know my father never made the help in our house do this, at least!”
“Yeah? Well, where I come from, a maid who doesn’t do this can’t call herself a maid!”
I was walking in and out of the front door, and every time I came in, Darkness had to smile and say, Welcome home, Master.
“Come on! What a forced smile! How come you’re always so cold?! You’re practically scaring me! Welcome me back with a smile that lights up the room!”
“W-welcome home, Master!!”
“Wrong! Hands here! Feet here! You know your hotness is your only redeeming quality, so make use of it—lean forward more! Okay, from the top!”
“Welcome home, Master! I do enjoy a certain level of harassment, but overdo it and I’ll show you my other redeeming quality—my powerful grip!”
“Yaaaargh! My head! I swear my brains are coming out! I’m sorry!” I bellowed as Darkness dug her iron fingers into my temples.
3
“Sheesh. I might have been willing to play along if you’d punished me or harassed me in a way that was more, you know, exciting.”
“Hey, when it looked like we were gonna cross that line, you backed off just like I did.” Having teased Darkness to my satisfaction, I went for a stroll with her through town. “You know, that maid outfit looked pretty good on you. You should wear frilly things more often.”
Darkness had begged me not to make her go into town in her maid uniform, so I had allowed her to change back into her usual clothes.
“…I know better than anyone that cute clothes don’t suit me. Please let me do the housework tomorrow in my regular outfit…”
“Absolutely not.”
Darkness hung her head dejectedly, but why did she also look kind of happy? As we talked, we finally arrived at the store I’d set out for.
“Knock knock, anyone home?”
“Oh, Mr. Kazuma, hello! We were just stocking the lighter you came up with.”
We had come to Wiz’s shop. Today was the day she would start selling a variety of convenient items from Japan. Inside the store we found Megumin, looking at some of my inventions with interest, and Aqua, quietly nursing a piece of candy she’d been given. The most distinctive member of the shop’s staff seemed to be absent.
When she saw me come in, Megumin called me over, holding my oil-based lighter.
“Kazuma! Kazuma! Quick! Show me what this magic item does!”
“I keep telling you, it’s not magic. It’s just a helpful little doodad from my home country. Anyway, here.” I took the lighter and lit it.
“““Whoa!!”””
Megumin, Darkness, and Wiz all gawked at the flame it produced.
“Th-this is great! It’s exactly like Kindle! This will sell for sure, Mr. Kazuma!” Wiz was ecstatic.
“It is well made for something so simple. I cannot believe it is not magic. And properly cared for, it seems it could be used for a very long time.” Megumin seemed enthralled as she took the lighter and examined it from several angles.
“I want one of those,” Darkness said. “Flints are hard to use when it’s wet out, it takes time to start a fire, and you have to be careful of your kindling getting damp while you’re carrying it. This solves all those problems. Wiz, Kazuma, I’ll take one. How much?” She pulled out her wallet.
Wiz smiled. “Oh, don’t worry about money. Mr. Kazuma thought of these things, and we manufactured them, and all of you helped develop them. Take whatever you like.”
Darkness grinned and picked up a lighter. Watching her and Megumin, Aqua continued to munch on her candy. She gave a mocking little snort and laughed. “What a bunch of primitives! All excited about one little lighter. That thing is simple! I guess this is what you get, dealing with ignorant savages…”
Even as she sneered at Wiz and the others, Aqua’s hand reached out toward one of the lighters…
I smacked it away.
“………What? Come on, Kazuma, let me pick something.”
“No way. You want an item, pony up. How do you think commerce works?” I added, causing Aqua to lunge at me.
“What?! What’s wrong with you?! Why are you always so mean to me?! Wiz said we could each have something! Darkness and Megumin got to pick, so why not me? Am I not one of our party members?”
“I wouldn’t have made a big deal about it if you hadn’t made fun of them. How, exactly, did you contribute to any of this anyway? Wiz runs the shop, obviously. Megumin showed me how the Crimson Magic Clan makes its magical items. And Darkness introduced me to some wholesalers she knows. And all that time, you were just eating and drinking and sleeping at home. You want a piece of the action? Maybe go find us some customers or something.”
Tears welled up in Aqua’s eyes. As she fled the store, she shouted:
“Waaaah! Worthless Kazuma! I wasn’t even going to tell anyone how I saw you sniffing my dirty laundry the other day!”
“W-wait a second, I never did that! Don’t make stuff up! Come back here! …I swear! I never— Megumin, Darkness, don’t look at me like— W-Wiz, you too?! It’s not truuue!”
As I tried desperately to undo the misunderstanding Aqua had caused, the culprit poked her head back in the doorway of the shop.
“…So if I get a bunch of people to come here, I can pick something?”
“Fine! Just tell these three you were kidding!”
4
There was a massive crowd in front of the magic-item shop. Wiz said she had never seen so many people knocking on her door. The commotion might have been in part because Vanir, who had yet to arrive at the store, was in town passing out flyers. I could see several members of the crowd clutching the leaflets.
“…Gosh. What a crowd.”
“No kidding.”
As Darkness mumbled to herself, I gave a halfhearted reply.
“…It would be great if they were all here to buy something.”
“Sure would.”
To Megumin’s comment, I offered only a tepid response.
I peered into the crowd. Next to me, Wiz was looking very distraught.
“E-everyone’s distracted—even the people who were coming to my store!”
“Gaaaah! What is wrong with her?!”
In the middle of the crowd, we could see Aqua, showing off her party tricks and basking in the attention. The crowd included people carrying leaflets, which meant they had probably come to shop. But by now, they had completely forgotten why they were here.
She’d brought in plenty of people—but no customers.
Aqua herself seemed to have forgotten what she was supposed to be doing; she was putting on the best display she could muster.
“For my next trick! Observe this completely ordinary handkerchief! Behold as it transforms into a dove!” She opened the cloth with a flourish.
A classic bit of sleight of hand. You hid a dove in your clothes ahead of time, then you made it look like it was coming out of the handkerchief. But when Aqua waved her handkerchief…
““““Ooooh!””””
…a flock of several hundred doves scattered through the crowd.
“What the hell?! Where’d she get all those birds?! That shouldn’t even be physically possible!” I exclaimed, turning to Wiz. I was starting to doubt my own eyes.
“I—I wonder. I didn’t sense any magic, so it probably wasn’t a summoning spell. But where could she have hidden so many animals? I’m really stumped…” She put a hand over her mouth in amazement. Even our magical expert was flummoxed.
Aqua’s audience was practically flinging coins at her, but she said, “Oh, no money, please! I’m not a street performer—please hold your donations!” I guess she was principled when it came to her art. Even if it looked like she could make a living off it.
Half out of annoyance and half out of interest, we waded into the crowd to watch Aqua’s performance. That was when we heard a voice.
“Wh-what a sight this is…!”
Vanir had come back, and he was staring at the crowd, dumbfounded.
In the middle of it all, Aqua was standing with a bunch of potions she had presumably gotten from Wiz’s store.
“Now! When I count to three, every single one of these potions is going to disappear! Where will they go? Nobody knows! Including me… Okay! One! Two…!”
“Don’t you dare say three, you divine dimwit! What are you doing here?! I see you are not content with splashing holy water on our doorknob every chance you get, and you’ve taken to diverting our business right in front of our very store!”
I’d always wondered what she’d been up to on all those “little walks.”
“Hey, don’t interrupt, you masked moron! This is a public road—you can’t complain if I do my art here!”
“I most certainly can! Today is the day we put out the new stock on which we’ve staked the very future of this shop! This should be a day of celebration, and I don’t have time to play with people who go out of their way to harm my business!”
Vanir and Aqua forgot about the audience as they bickered, so Wiz raised her voice: “Hello, one and all! Today we offer you a wide variety of convenient items! Please come take a look!”
Wow! It was the first time I’d seen Wiz act like a real shopkeeper.
It took some doing, but…
“Welcome, welcome, come right in! For a limited time only, all customers making a purchase of ten thousand eris or more will receive this free Vanir doll that cackles in the night! Spend fifty thousand eris to receive a Vanir mask just like mine! …Oops! My apologies, boy, but the one I’m wearing is not for sale. Take this specially colored one instead… Come on, now! Welcome, everyone!”
Wiz’s eerie employee was proving both an excellent barker and surprisingly popular with children.
“Thank you! Thank you very much! Two lighters and a Vanir mask—thank you!”
My Japanese “inventions” were flying off the shelves. Geez. If I’d known business would be this good, I would’ve started selling them sooner.
“Let me go, Darkness! They stole all my customers, and I’m super upset! Let me show off my art!”
“Aqua, calm down—remember why we’re here! Come on, just—take it easy—!”
Darkness physically restrained Aqua from hurting our business any more. Wiz and Vanir, meanwhile, were handling the customers capably.
When the hubbub died down a bit, Vanir came over to us, beaming.
“Fwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I cannot stop laughing! Look at this! Closing time is still hours away, and we’re practically sold out of today’s stock of merchandise! I thank you again, boy who thought he was getting somewhere with his friend while they were on vacation but is upset that he’s seen no further development since they got home!”
“Wait, are you talking about me?! You are, aren’t you?! Wh-wh-whatever! I’m not upset! Megumin, stop shooting me those little glances!”
“I—I am not glancing at anything! Do not let him get to you; demons only say these things to amuse themselves!”
Curse him! He knew exactly what had been on my mind most since getting back from Crimson Magic Village.
“Pair up, make a baby—personally, I couldn’t care less. It’s just so depressing to see you two taking furtive peeks at each other. It would be great if you could find a hotel or a dark alleyway or something and just do it already! But anyway, we have more important things to discuss.”
Dammit. I’ve seriously got to get Aqua over here to take this guy out.
“At this rate, I believe I’ll be able to have your three hundred million eris ready by the end of the month. It’s not a down payment as such, but let me give you this.” Vanir handed me a black mask, the pattern subtly different from that of the one he wore. “A mass-produced Vanir mask, quietly but undeniably popular among the public, one of the true trademark items of this shop. Wear it on the night of a full moon and a mysterious demonic power will raise your magic ability, increase your blood flow, and give your skin a healthy glow—perfect, is it not? And this is an exceptionally rare black variant. You can brag about it to all your little friends.”
I…I don’t want this.
It won’t curse me if I put it on or something, will it…?
5
Ever since that day, Wiz’s shop had gotten busier than it had ever been. And today…
“All right, you two. You understand, don’t you?”
Yes. It was our long-awaited dinner with the princess.
I was in the living room—Darkness was nowhere to be seen—talking to Aqua and Megumin. Specifically, I was reminding them that we had to avoid embarrassing Darkness.
“Of course I do,” Aqua said. “This is a very rare opportunity. I’m going to do the best party trick of my life—all to protect Darkness’s good name, naturally. By the way, Kazuma, I was going to do an act where I pull a tiger out of my hat, but there aren’t any tigers around here. I thought maybe I’d make do with a Beginner’s Bane. That sort of looks like a tiger. Will you help me catch one?”
“I shall surprise and astonish Her Royal Highness with a spectacular entrance such as only the Crimson Magic Clan can perform. I will need something that produces copious amounts of smoke. And fireworks! I will need fireworks. Kazuma, do you know where I might buy such things?”
…I guess Darkness was right to worry.
At the Dustiness mansion.
The biggest house in Axel was on tenterhooks. There normally weren’t too many servants there, but today there were lots, maybe to make the place look especially wealthy.
As well it should; Iris, first princess of the nation, had been at the house since the day before.
We were just inside the front door of the mansion. Darkness was there, clad in a simple white dress, her long golden hair tossed over her right shoulder and braided near her neckline. It was just a white dress, but somehow—maybe because she was so attractive to begin with—she made it seem irresistibly sexy. Leading an entourage of servants, she bowed deeply to us and gave an elaborate greeting.
“Honored Kazuma Satou and all our honored guests. I offer you my profound gratitude for taking the time to come to our humble abode today. I, Lalatina Ford Dustiness, shall be your hostess. Please make yourselves at home—all that we have is yours, and we shall expend every effort to ensure your comfort.”
No one would have taken her for anything less than a cultured noble’s daughter. We acknowledged her hospitality with perfect grace. Maybe I ought to offer a greeting in return…?
“We are moist—erm, most honored to be invited here…” I had suddenly stumbled over my words. Darkness, who had been wearing a gentle smile until that moment, turned slightly red and looked at the floor. From the way her shoulders were trembling, I guess she was trying not to laugh. C-curse her…!
Dammit. I’m not used to this formal talk. Forget it.
“Hey, Darkness, how about you stop laughing and start hostessing? These clothes are uncomfortable, and it’s driving me nuts.”
I was wearing a black suit I’d gotten from a rental place. I had tried on a tuxedo and bow tie, but Aqua and Megumin had laughed so hard I swore never to wear it again. The girls’ dresses ultimately hadn’t been ready in time, and they had been forced to borrow clothes from Darkness.
“If you will please come this way, honored guests.”
She ushered us into the house, her shoulders still shaking.
“Kindly wait here a moment. Miss Lalatina is selecting outfits,” a servant said, leading us to a sitting room.
After we were seated on a couch, the servant prepared tea and then left us on our own. Soon after, Darkness entered with a different servant and an armful of dresses. She bowed to us, then stood next to the adjoining powder room. She beckoned to Aqua and Megumin. They followed her into the next room, and then…
“Hey, Darkness, the waist is really baggy. I’d like something a little tighter…”
“Th-that’s the smallest size I have… Well, don’t look at me like that; Crusaders have to have some muscle…! Megumin, what happened to you?”
“It just sort of…drapes. The chest and the hips are too big. Maybe something smaller…”
…I heard the three of them talking.
“I don’t have what I don’t have… That dress is from when I was a kid. Eeeyow, ow, ow! Megumin, don’t pull on my braid!”
The servant joined the conversation, and she must have done some awfully quick tailoring work, because Darkness finally emerged from the powder room with the two girls, looking exhausted.
“…Wow!” I spoke without even realizing it.
Megumin blushed and looked down a little. Her outfit exposed both shoulders, showing plenty of pale skin, which contrasted with the black dress. Unlike her usual jailbait fashion, in this thing she looked downright womanly.
Aqua followed her, wrapped in a white dress.
“Kazuma, look, look! What do you think? The clothes really make the woman, huh?”
I wasn’t sure if that was always the case, but the clothes really did suit her in that moment. She had traded her usual blue feather mantle for a snow-white dress. She was so beautiful that I really could have seen someone worshipping her as a goddess—at least, if she could keep her mouth shut.
“Hey, Kazuma,” she said, “you’ve got a whole parade of beautiful women right here in front of you—how about a kind word? A little praise? A touch of worship? I promise the gods won’t get mad…”
She really, really needed to keep her mouth shut.
“Yeah, sure, you’re all beautiful. Now let’s go see the princess. She’s been here since yesterday, right?”
Darkness looked profoundly uneasy as I made my primary interest clear. “You swear you won’t do anything impolite?” she asked. “You have a tendency to be a little too blunt sometimes. They might overlook a slip or two because adventurers aren’t known for their civility—but you understand one wrong word could cost you your head, right?”
Her admonition only made me all the more eager.
A princess. A real live princess. Beautiful, refined royalty who would love flowers and butterflies and little birds.
Then again, apparently she liked adventure stories, so maybe she was more tomboyish than you’d think.
My party and I had failed at everything we’d ever tried, but now we were at a banquet with a member of the royal family coming to see us. I couldn’t be blamed for letting it go to my head just a little, could I?
“Okay, you guys, just so you know—I like our house, I really do. We’ve lived there a long time, and I’m attached to it. But if Her Highness asks me to join her royal guard or something, I’m gonna have to think about it. Just so you’re aware.”
“Talk about getting ahead of yourself,” Darkness said. “We’re just having dinner.” And then she led us to the main hall.
It was a huge room used to throw feasts. Darkness turned to us again. “All right, are you ready? We’re meeting the princess of a whole country, here. Kazuma, in spite of your mouth, I’m convinced you have some good sense, so I’m not too worried about you. But you did force me to do chores for you in a maid outfit. If you pull anything here, don’t expect to get off scot-free. Aqua, I want you to forget about any flashy party tricks. And definitely nothing dangerous. As for you, Megumin… I’m having you searched right now!”
“What?! W-w-w-wait a moment, Darkness—why only me?! And what could you possibly search for? We were just changing together in the same room…! Ahh, hold on! Kazuma is watching! He’s staring straight at me!”
As I observed the argument developing in front of me, I asked Aqua, “Just what kind of trick do you plan to do?”
“You make it sound so sordid. This is my big chance to meet the royal family. I’d hate for the princess to be the only one to see my abilities. I thought I’d do a portrait on the spot… A sand picture! Then she can take it home as a memento!”
“Huh. You really do have a lot of talents…”
Meanwhile, right in front of us…
“There, just like I thought! What’s this, Megumin? A monster-repellent smoke bomb and a potion that explodes when you open it! What did you think you were going to do with these? I knew your chest looked too big…”
“I’m impressed, Darkness, but I have a plan B and a plan C for putting on my performance!”
And so the argument went on. The maid who had been with us ever since getting the dresses ready gave a sigh.
“Whatever she does, I hope I won’t get hurt…”
Tell me about it.
6
“Okay, here we go. I’ll do most of the talking to Princess Iris, so you guys just stuff your faces and nod along or whatever.”
After advising us, Darkness took the lead and opened the door. We found ourselves in a banquet hall. It wasn’t showy, but it oozed sophistication. Candles burned inside, giving off quite a bit of light. A number of servants surrounded the table at a distance, waiting silently.
A red carpet had been rolled out, and a rich feast was covering a huge table. At the far end sat a girl in a white dress just like the ones Darkness and Aqua wore. Two other women stood flanking her. One of them was a plain-looking woman in a black dress who carried no weapons. She did, however, have several glittering rings on her fingers, in total defiance of fashion. I guess she was a wizard.
The other attendant was an attractive woman with short hair who wore not a dress but a white suit and carried a sword at her hip.
Presumably, the attendants were women because you might not trust male bodyguards around a girl of that age.
Darkness guided us slowly up to the other three.
“Forgive us for making you wait, Your Highness. These are my friends, adventurers all, Kazuma Satou and his party. Now, you three, the regal individual before you is none other than the first princess of our nation, Princess Iris. Please make your formal introductions.” She extended a hand and gestured from us to the girl in the middle.
The girl was everything a princess should be and more. She had golden hair, not too long, and clear blue eyes. She was a proper beauty with an air of class, as well as a certain delicacy.
For once, my expectations of this fantasy world hadn’t been betrayed. The elf with stick-on ears and his friend, the dwarf with no beard, had been a disappointment; the cat-eared orcs were a nightmare. I had half expected there to be something off about this princess, too.
I was so taken aback, my brain had practically stopped working. Beside me, Aqua gently took the hem of her dress and made a perfect curtsy. Darkness and I both stared in disbelief.
“My name is Aqua, Your Highness, a humble Arch-priest. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Now then, in lieu of a lengthy introduction, I have a trick to show you…”
She tried to go into some sort of routine, but Darkness grabbed her hand.
“I-I’m very sorry, Your Highness, but I must speak with my friend. If you’ll excuse us…”
Aqua tugged on Darkness’s braid in a show of resistance. While Darkness was distracted, Megumin reached into her skirt and quickly produced a black cape. She must have had it wrapped around her thigh in order to evade Darkness’s search.
She opened the cape with a flap and put it over her shoulders, then flung it back again to begin her dramatic self-introduction. But at that moment, Darkness grabbed her hand, too.
Now our Crusader was grabbing Aqua with one hand and Megumin with the other, while Aqua pulled mercilessly on her braid; Darkness was trying hard to force a smile onto a face that looked ready to dissolve into tears. Aqua showed no sign of letting go of Darkness’s hair; she seemed to have taken a liking to the texture.
As I watched, the princess in front of me whispered to the woman in the white suit. Maybe she was too embarrassed to speak aloud.
“Peon, it is not for you to look so openly upon a member of the royal family. You are so far beneath the royal family in stature that you would normally not even be allowed to see its members in person, let alone eat with one of them. Bow your head and do not make eye contact. And more importantly, introduce yourself and start telling stories… So sayeth Her Highness.”
I froze in place. A moment later, I understood. Take the samurai era in Japan: Due to differences in social standing, a lord and his retainers wouldn’t have eaten in the same room, or at least not at the same time. The way White Suit related things to me like an interpreter was probably because the princess was avoiding even talking directly to those below her.
I had gained some understanding of the nobility by interacting with Darkness and her dad, but this was my first taste of what it meant to meet a royal.
Okay, now I get it.
I said just one word:
“Pass…”
“Your Highness, please, wait just a moment! Nerves have made my friends a little excitable! I’ll have a word with them and be right back…”
Darkness grabbed my arm and dragged me to the corner.
“What in the world am I going to do with you?! What do you mean, ‘pass’?! Why do you think I went out of my way to help you even though it was totally embarrassing to me? Things are completely different here!”
Darkness made to strangle me. I fought back by pulling on her braid.
“I’m the one who should be upset! You said we’d be meeting a princess. I was expecting her to be a little more, you know… ‘I’m absolutely enchanted by the outside world! Oh brave adventurer, please regale me with stories of your exploits!’ How are we supposed to have dinner with that? Are you just doing this so you can laugh at us?”
“H-hey, stoppit…! Wh-what is it with everybody and pulling my hair today?! S-stop already, save it for when we’re alone!” Darkness blushed furiously as she babbled.
I pointed toward Her Highness. “Anyway, should we really be leaving that mess unsupervised? She’s already trying to do something…”
Over in the direction I’d pointed, Aqua was putting glue on a piece of paper before tossing sand on it. In a moment’s time, she had completed a sand portrait of astonishing accuracy. From a distance, it would have been possible to mistake it for a black-and-white photograph.
“Please accept this as a gesture of my affection for the princess,” Aqua said. “I’ve re-created her likeness, right down to the sauce dribbling from the corner of her mouth.”
This untoward statement caused the princess to dab hurriedly at her lips.
“Your Highness! I’ll box this boor about the ears—just give me one minute!” Darkness held up the hem of her dress with both hands and rushed at Aqua.
Darkness’s threat caused the princess to whisper to White Suit.
“Her Highness forgives the offense,” the woman said, “on the grounds that it has allowed her to see a most unusual sight: the calm and taciturn Lalatina in agitation. Adventurers can be expected to be somewhat lacking in civility. More importantly, she requests that you begin telling stories.”
As the interpreter spoke, Darkness tried desperately to get the picture from Aqua, who had stuffed it down her dress in an attempt to keep it safe. The princess smiled a little, as if she was amused.
Darkness bowed deeply to her. “My sincere apologies, Your Highness! All I can say is that these three are especially problematic, even among adventurers…!”
Even as she spoke, Aqua whispered, “Here you go!” and passed the picture to the princess.
The girl looked at it and, with an expression of amazement, whispered to White Suit.
“Her Highness says, ‘To make such a fine sand picture in such a brief time…! It’s wonderful, most excellent!’ She offers you a reward.”
As she spoke, White Suit took something out of her pocket and gave it to Aqua. It was a small gemstone. I didn’t know much about jewels, but even I could tell it must be fairly valuable. Aqua held the pretty stone between her thumb and forefinger, happily watching the light filter through it.
Looking at the ground and red with embarrassment, Darkness seated herself to the right of the princess. Next to Darkness came Megumin, and then Aqua. Her Highness gestured for me to sit on her left.
Shooting little glances at me where I sat politely beside her, the princess whispered to White Suit.
“Her Highness says, ‘Are you the one Mitsurugi, gallant bearer of the magic sword, spoke of? Tell us your story.’ Personally, I wish to hear it as well. I’m most curious about the man Mitsurugi acknowledges as his superior.”
I guess Mitsurugi was pretty well-known among the upper crust of this country. I did wonder, though, exactly what he’d said about me. With White Suit and the princess watching me expectantly, I took a little trip down memory lane…
7
“I saw my chance to set a trap. I deliberately broke the seal, and then left Sylvia stuck inside! And that was how I bought the Crimson Magic Clan enough time to regroup!”
“‘Wonderful! So many adventurers have told me their stories, but I’ve never met people who fight like you do, and I’ve never heard stories that make my heart race so! Everyone else tells me about how they easily wiped out a whole pack of monsters or bested a dragon in the wilderness with nothing but a sword… They’re certainly amazing stories, but they’re all about some heroic adventurer who single-handedly defeated a monster…’ So Her Highness says.”
The princess was listening to my stories of our adventures, her eyes shining like a little girl’s. Someone really important was hanging on my every word—could you blame me if I got a little full of myself?
“…Just listen to him,” I heard Aqua muttering from across the table.
I ignored her and went on. “That, Princess, is because other adventurers only pick on monsters their own size. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I for one am always looking to challenge stronger opponents, improving myself every day!”
“‘That’s wonderful! Would you describe the daily life you lead in your constant pursuit of self-improvement?’ …So asks Her Highness. I’m rather curious myself…”
The princess and White Suit seemed genuinely impressed.
“Well, let’s see… I’m careful never to leave the house during the day, so as to store up my energy; I only go out come nighttime. I make a quiet patrol of the town, trying to do my part to preserve public safety.”
I had barely touched the lavish feast that lay before me. I only took a sip of my drink every now and then as I spoke.
On the far side of the table, Megumin had started to whisper, too. “Aqua, that man just lolls around all day long, then goes out and wanders the streets at night. And he dares to pass off that dissolute lifestyle as keeping the peace?”
“Shh, I want to see where this goes. You know this guy; he’ll get carried away for sure. Give him enough rope and he’ll hang himself, just you watch…”
Not likely. I wasn’t that stupid.
I chose my words carefully, keeping a close eye on the princess’s reaction. When I glanced at Darkness, I found she was looking at the ground as if she was embarrassed. Megumin, in the seat next to hers, was fiddling with Darkness’s braid. It looked like she’d taken a liking to the feel of it, too. Darkness, having realized that the girls seemed to behave themselves as long as they were playing with her hair, was letting Megumin do as she pleased.
The princess gave a contented sigh and whispered to White Suit.
“‘You’re a most unusual adventurer, aren’t you? You’re different, somehow, from the others I’ve met. What did you do before you entered adventuring?’ …Her Highness wants to know.”
Employment history, huh? I thought fondly back on my life in Japan.
“Before I came to this country, I worked to ensure my family would always have a place to come home to. Day after day, I silently polished my skills, protecting that most precious of places from encroaching catastrophe. But it was sad work, for no one understood or valued what I did…”
That prompted White Suit to say, “Hmm. Something like a soldier protecting the castle in the capital, then? They, too, often go overlooked. Although perhaps that’s a sign of just how safe the capital is… So you also kept your homeland safe from disaster, an unsung hero.”
I gave a deep nod. “My tasks were many. I asked little more than a contract of three months or so, and I repelled those who sought to steal my employer’s goods.”
You guessed it. I was a paperboy and a part-time collector of electric bills.
White Suit looked at me in amazement, and this time she was the one who turned to whisper to the princess. I caught snatches of their conversation: “To seek a contract… Surely fought off demons… Employer’s goods… Done battle with thieves…”
Aqua was focused on me as if she wanted to say something. I quickly looked away, but I could feel her eyes on me.
Stop! It’s all true, more or less. Don’t look at me like that…
8
It happened around the time we were all well fed and the talk was flowing smoothly. I had gone right on chatting away when White Suit suddenly said, “I can’t believe you really beat the hero Mitsurugi, with his magic sword… Pardon me for being terribly rude, but could I see your Adventurer’s Card, Mr. Kazuma? I think I might learn something from how you’ve distributed your skill points…”
Gosh. What a thing to ask. No way could I show her my weird-ass Adventurer’s Card. If she wanted to know where I’d learned Lich skills, I’d be in real trouble. Megumin, sensing that I was starting to panic, said, “Ahem, we adventurers do have our trade secrets. I know you’re one of Her Highness’s attendants, but even so… Oh! It’s been such a lovely meal—Aqua, maybe you’d like to show off your most legendary trick…”
She took the bullet for me, doing everything she could to change the subject. And here came Aqua to help…!
“…? I drew a great sand picture today, and now I’m all done. Gee, Megumin, were you that eager to see my tricks? Well, all right, if I feel like it, I’ll show you something absolutely incredible tomorrow. Hey, bring me more of this wine—more wine!”
Aqua was in fine oblivious form, as always, as she demanded a refill from one of the servants. White Suit gave me a dubious look.
“We’re part of the nobility, not fellow adventurers. We won’t share Mr. Kazuma’s information with anyone else. But a study of his skills may help us strengthen the Royal Army. All people long to defeat the Demon King. Won’t you help us come one step closer to realizing this goal? Or is there some reason you can’t show us your card?”
Yes. Yes, there is.
Then Darkness spoke up, looking at White Suit with a gentle smile. “This man is an Adventurer, said to be the weakest class. No doubt he was embarrassed for you to find out. Perhaps you could allow me to examine his card in your stead?”
“Y-yeah, that’s right. Somehow I never quite got around to mentioning it, but I’m of the weakest class. Gee, what a… What a shame you found out,” I said, scratching my head in embarrassment.
At this, White Suit’s attitude changed to one of exasperation. “Really, an Adventurer? I’m starting to wonder if you did everything you’ve been claiming. You say you defeated Mitsurugi in a fight, but is it true? If it is, why don’t you explain to us how exactly you beat him?”
Her tone was polite, but it was obvious she had her suspicions about me. I figured it would look bad if I admitted I’d defeated Mitsurugi by ambushing him with Steal.
But then, the princess tugged on White Suit’s sleeve. She whispered in the woman’s ear, looking at me. White Suit seemed a bit confused, but after a moment, she came out with it.
“…Ah, ahem… ‘I can’t believe someone of the weakest class could best someone as handsome as Mitsurugi. Surely you aren’t lying to me, a member of the royal family? His fame as a Sword Master and bearer of a magic blade is known throughout the capital. I seriously doubt a novice of the weakest class defeated him. Especially with his being so handsome.’ So… So says Her Highness. And I concur. He is quite handsome.”
“All right, listen, I’m a pretty laid-back guy, but if you keep flapping your gums, I’m gonna give you a spanking.” I was getting pretty fed up with all the talk of “handsome” this and “handsome” that, especially seeing as it wasn’t a word that was being used to describe me, and I lost my head a little. Yes: I acted just like I always do, completely forgetting I was dealing with royalty.
This immediately made White Suit very upset.
“You lout! How dare you speak that way to Her Highness!” Even as she shouted, her sword was already in her hands.
Oh, crap!
“My humblest apologies for my companion’s impetuousness! This man has no sense of civility whatsoever, so please, for my sake, have mercy on him! His proud record in battle is the truth—isn’t that what Princess Iris came to hear about? To then punish him for it—well, think of your reputation…!” Darkness was furiously bowing her head.
At that, the princess whispered to White Suit.
“Princess Iris proclaims that in deference to the Dustiness family, which has served our kingdom so long and so faithfully, she will let this affront go unpunished. But her mood has been soured. She will offer a proper reward for these adventure stories. The weakling-class liar is advised to take it and go.”
Geez, that hurts!
Darkness had really saved my skin. But the way they’d spoken to me had just begged for a comeback—how dare they get so angry when I obliged? I was just about to up and leave when…
“Eeeyow, ow, ow! Hey, Megumin, what are you—?!”
The shout came from Darkness. Apparently, our wizard had gone from playing with Darkness’s braid to giving it an angry pull. I found myself going as pale as Darkness. Megumin probably valued her companions more than anyone else in our party.
When everyone else had been running from Sylvia in Crimson Magic Village, and Megumin heard that fleeing would mean only more trouble for us later, she was the one who faced our opponent—a general of the Demon King—head-on. She had a tradition of never refusing a fight and was by far the most short-tempered and least patient of all of us. Given the situation, I was certain trouble was brewing.
“…”
Megumin was silent at first, adding several additional violent tugs on Darkness’s braid. As if that was all it took to make her feel better, she then let go of Darkness’s hair and returned to the business of eating.
Geez, and here I was terrified she was about to be all, Just you say that again! or something. Talk about anticlimactic.
While the princess and White Suit still stood in shock, Darkness, sounding mystified, said, “…Megumin, you’ve been awfully well behaved today. I was sure you were about to blow something up…”
Megumin silently brought some food to her mouth, chewed it, and swallowed. Only then did she say quietly, “If I were by myself, I would certainly not hold back. But if I caused trouble here, it would only make more problems for you, Darkness.”
And then she resumed eating. We stared at her.
Darkness was silent for a moment. Then she stood in place and bowed to the princess. “My apologies, Your Highness, but I humbly ask you to take back what you said about this man being a liar. Exaggerate he surely does, but nothing he’s said is untrue. And he may be the weakest class, but when you really need him, he can be counted on more than anyone I know. I implore you, Princess, reconsider what you’ve said and apologize to him.”
White Suit stiffened at this. “Miss Dustiness, are you suggesting Princess Iris would apologize to a mere commoner?”
This time it was the princess who stood. Then she spoke, loudly enough that even I could hear her.
“I will not apologize. If you say he is no liar, then have him tell me how he defeated Mitsurugi. If he can’t, then he’s nothing but a weak, foul—?!”
She was cut off in the middle of her tirade by a slap from Darkness.
“What are you doing, Miss Dustiness?!” White Suit stood openmouthed before flinging herself at Darkness in a white-hot rage.
“Oh! D-don’t…!” Iris stuttered, but she was too quiet for White Suit to hear. The woman’s sword came down at Darkness…
“?!”
…and, to our collective horror, bit into her pale arm with a dull sound. Bright-red blood erupted from it, covering Darkness and the princess, along with White Suit.
White Suit didn’t move—or rather, couldn’t. She had probably meant to cut Darkness’s arm clean off, but instead the blow had only nicked the skin and muscle.
Not sparing a glance for White Suit, who looked on in astonishment, Darkness silently turned to the princess.
That was our Crusader, and boy, was she tough. Maybe the toughest in the whole kingdom.
“I apologize for my rudeness, Your Highness. But this man has fought well and done many great deeds, and I am not simply covering for him. He has no obligation to explain his victory over Mitsurugi, nor do you have any right to deride him if he doesn’t.”
Darkness spoke quietly, patting the princess’s reddened cheek, almost as though she were gently lecturing a child—with her arm bleeding the whole time.
Iris looked at her in total shock. I stood and spoke to White Suit, who was still looking on in pale-faced amazement.
“…Okay, fine. My friends have worked so hard to stick up for me, I guess I should come clean. I’ll show you how I defeated Mitsurugi. But it’s not very cool, okay?”
The woman’s eyes went even bigger at that, but she resumed her fighting stance, sword in hand.
“That’s enough! Enough, Claire! Stop this!” The princess’s voice was almost a scream. The overwhelming sense of tension I had felt from her just moments before was gone. What had caused her to change so quickly? Maybe she was just a spoiled little girl?
“…If you want to, I won’t stop you. Do it, Kazuma. It’s not like you’re gonna lose, right?” Darkness laughed, egging me on, even as she pressed one hand to her wound.
I leaped at White Suit. “Damn straight! Think of everyone I’ve fought! Magic sword guys and Demon King’s generals and bounty hunters! They’re my bread and butter! You know what comes next—Steal!!”
White Suit obviously had no idea what was coming. I would steal her sword, and then…!
…I would stand here awkwardly, apparently.
Instead, I apologized to her in a small voice. “Sorry. I’ll… I’ll give these back…”
“Huh? You’ll— Oh… Ahhhhh!”
The white-suited woman dropped her sword as she desperately checked her lower body. I held out a pair of white panties, embarrassed.
“You impossible, impossible man! Why can’t you ever just be cool for a change?!”
9
“I’m…sorry about what happened…”
White Suit was apologizing to us. Beside her, the princess had buried her face in White Suit’s arm as if she was trying to hide.
“Pay it no mind,” Darkness said. “We were impertinent as well. As you can see, we were able to heal my wound without so much as a scar. I think it would be best if we all considered this water under the bridge.” She smiled sweetly as she spoke.
That brought an embarrassed tinge to White Suit’s cheeks. Apparently, neither she nor the princess really cared anymore how I had beaten Mitsurugi.
“…Just the same, to heal an injury like that in the blink of an eye… You must have a truly gifted Arch-priest,” White Suit said, glancing at Aqua, who was stretched out on the table.
I’d thought Aqua was being awfully quiet, but really she had gotten drunk all by herself and was sleeping it off. We’d had to smack her awake to cure Darkness, but the moment she’d done so, she blacked out again. Oh well. If she were awake, she’d just say something obnoxious. Let sleeping goddesses lie, I guess.
White Suit continued. “And Lady Dustiness, that toughness! And from the color of her eyes, I’m guessing your friend there is of the Crimson Magic Clan… With a party like this, I shouldn’t be surprised that you’ve taken out several generals of the Demon King. Although, well, when it comes to Mr. Kazuma…” For some reason, I was the only one she cast a dubious look at. Maybe she still hadn’t forgiven me for stealing her panties earlier.
Then the trembling princess whispered. Not to White Suit but to her other attendant, the mage, who I’d almost forgotten about because she hadn’t spoken a word or even moved this entire time.
“Your Highness, I think it would be better if you said that yourself. It’s all right; I’ve been watching Mr. Kazuma, and I believe he has a soft spot for people like you.”
Wait a second—we just met, and she’s already branding me a jailbait enthusiast?
The princess came up to me, not taking her eyes off the ground.
“…I’m sorry I called you a liar. Will you…let me hear about your adventures again?” She was clearly embarrassed, but she managed to look at me while she spoke.
“Gladly!”
“Well, then. We’ll be going back to the castle now. Lady Dustiness and everyone, thank you, and we apologize for the trouble,” the mage said.
Beside her, the princess wore an enthusiastic smile that looked much more suited to her age than her earlier expressions had.
“No, thank you. We’re sorry we couldn’t be better hosts…” Darkness spoke with a smile on her face. “Your Highness, let’s speak again next time we’re around the castle. I promise I’ll have lots of good adventure stories for you.” This made the princess smile even wider.
Somehow, the two of them looked like a pair of sisters, where the older one cared about the younger and the younger admired the older. Watching the pleasant scene, the mage began to chant Teleport.
…Okay, here we go.
“Now, then. You have all achieved a great deal, and your exploits will no doubt go down in the history of our kingdom, to be related to future generations. In recognition of your deeds, we offer you these.”
As she spoke, White Suit took out an award certificate and some kind of pouch…
…and gave it, not to me, but to Darkness.
…Well, that’s just fine!
“Goodness, thank you very much.” Darkness accepted the items with a gracious smile, then said, “All right then, Your Highness. Take care of yourself…!” She and Megumin both waved good-bye.
“Okay, Princess. I’ll come by to tell you some more stories someday.” And I started waving, too.
The mage had nearly finished her Teleport incantation when the princess took my arm.
“What are you saying?” she asked with a look of confusion.
“Teleport!”
I closed my eyes. Light engulfed both the princess and me.
When I could bring myself to look again, I found the girl smiling innocently, a huge castle behind her. Apparently, I’d been teleported right along with her.
““Your Highness?!”” White Suit and the mage exclaimed together.
“You said you’d come by to tell me some more stories, didn’t you?” the princess said, and then she smiled at me.
I guess that’s royalty for you. They always get what they want.
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