"There you are! Finally!"
It didn't take long for Megumin to join me at the adventurers' guild, after Kazuma and Aqua left.
But why does she look... pissed off?
"Why did you leave without me? I thought for a moment that you had abandoned me..."
From her dark look, it seems like she read my letter, but a bit late.
She must have gotten ideas.
"Sorry, but I just had too many errands to run," I said in a sincere tone, but it didn't really appease the bad-tempered loli.
Maybe I shouldn't have mixed relationship and work? But it's too late... and a bit inevitable.
Megumin and I have become, in a way, friends at this stage — or at least, we've moved beyond mere acquaintances.
After all, even if we've known each other for less than three days, we've fought together and risked our lives by trusting each other.
This kind of thing accelerates bonds between humans.
It was a bit inevitable to have a friendly relationship between us, and my... bold actions only accelerated things.
"*Sigh*... This powerful mage with crimson demon eyes will let it slide, but never abandon me again without a word in an 'inn room'!"
I don't know if Megumin did it on purpose, but she slightly raised her voice on the words "inn room."
No... it's not an accident.
She really did it on purpose.
Now, it's definitive.
I risk suffering from a playboy reputation, and it could get worse to scumbag if I abandon her or leave my party.
I underestimated her intelligence stat.
No wonder Kazuma got stuck with her from the beginning of his adventure.
"I left a letter, and your share of yesterday's quest earnings."
I still presented my version of the facts, since I notice some waitresses intrigued by my conversation with Megumin.
An attempt to limit the damage.
This kind of topic might reach Luna's ears, so I need to clarify things a bit and limit the damage.
"Yes, but that doesn't really count. I w... want to hear it directly from you next time."
After her last sentence, Megumin seems to realize the insinuation of her words, judging by the red tint of embarrassment on her face.
She's literally telling me that there will be other nights together in her room in a very crowded place.
"I... it's not..."
"Ok, I'll be careful next time."
I immediately cut off Megumin before she could clarify things, and I diverted the topic to the quest.
Why would I refuse a shortcut? If she wants to share a room with me, then ok.
Of course, she probably said that in the heat of emotion, to secure her place in my party... but it's too late now.
I'm not going to let her back out at this stage.
Anyway, she herself got confused with false ideas because of her particular situation, linked to her obsession with explosive magic, which she considers the only real usable magic.
No group of adventurers in Axel kept Megumin before Kazuma in the original story.
She's just... too inefficient in long fights or adventures lasting hours.
That's why she wanted to stay with me, like she did with Kazuma Satō in the original story.
The only difference is that things got a bit out of hand in her ruse.
As for the waitresses reporting my words to Luna... it's not too serious.
I'll handle the situation later.
I have confidence in my future self to dodge or survive the playboy status.
"Well, can we start today's topic?"
I passed the quests selected by me to Megumin to know how far she could cooperate.
Frankly, I don't see her helping me beyond the manticore.
As for the wyvern and the rest? I'm gonna do it myself and keep all the XP for myself.
If a steel golem could give me 4 levels thanks to simple participation in combat, then beating a high-rank monster myself?
I would have gained at least 10 levels at once, or 6 minimum.
"Uh... hey... Renji... I see here a quest about a wyvern, and another concerning a manticore," she said in a hesitant voice.
She must surely be trying to convince herself that there's an error in the information provided.
"Relax, Megumin~" I said while signaling a waitress to bring a proper meal.
"You've surely noticed that I'm a meticulous individual, right?"
She nodded while eating her vegetables in a... unique way.
"I don't plan to make you face creatures beyond the manticore, since it's the only one with an intelligence level close to humans."
After hearing me, she visibly relaxed.
Outside of the wyvern and manticore, there's no abnormal or unusual quest for beginner adventurers.
Just the elimination of some Giant Toa, a weird bear named One-Punch Bear wandering alone in the forest near Axel, and the search for a white companion wolf.
Normally, it would be impossible to have a creature like this bear near Axel.
This town often "purifies" the forest thanks to guard patrols, but this unusual situation is surely linked to the approach of a Demon King general in the region.
I didn't really investigate deeply, but I heard a conversation about it between adventurers.
This would explain the increase in harmful activity, because this type is a real anomaly in this sector of the kingdom.
"If we eliminate the manticore, I'm gonna run out of energy, right? How do you plan to..."
"Get you back? I plan to temporarily interrupt my other quests to return to town and drop you off at a friend's place."
It's weird to call Kazuma "friend," but that's essentially our current relationship.
As two Earthlings (and Japanese) alone in this town, we're somewhat connected.
"I see... but are you sure about the lost wolf search quest? We don't have anyone with a job like thief or tracker."
I nodded at her remark, because she was right on several points.
But I had already planned for this situation.
[You hear me, right? I can now communicate with any living creature.]
"W...what?! How did you do that?!"
"This hat isn't just there to look pretty. I can send my thoughts unilaterally."
It might seem lame compared to real telepathy, but if I want to tame an animal or even teach it human words, this thing is perfect.
Especially since I can even send images through thought to facilitate communication even more.
"I thought this hat was too good for you... Can you give it to me?"
At first, I wanted to refuse directly.
But I remembered that I'm often on the front line during fights.
This thing isn't really practical in those situations.
"No, but I'll lend it to you during the quest."
Megumin seemed a bit disappointed, but eventually nodded, accepting this concession.
...
We then settled some minor details like shock-sensitive explosive potion vials, and the need to improve Megumin's equipment later.
After that, we completed the formalities related to the quests and left Axel.
But we quickly noticed a problem during the accomplishment of one of the quests.
"Why are there so many monsters after us?!"
Despite Megumin's complaining screams, we had already defeated about twenty Giant Toa since our departure.
At first, it was just an isolated Giant Toa, but it quickly degenerated into groups of five at once.
"I don't know... Maybe there's a monster too powerful at the edge of the forest, and it's pushing them to flee to the prairie near Axel."
Even if I give this explanation to Megumin, I don't really believe it myself.
The undead general of the Demon King hasn't arrived in this area yet, and it will take him at least 2 or 3 weeks.
So nothing justifies such an anomaly in monster behavior... except magic.
Unconsciously, I looked at the rosary attached to my wrist, then the hat on my head.
All items coming from Wiz often have side effects unknown to herself, which puts her customers in delicate situations.
Thus, it's surely one of my items that's responsible.
I can hardly admit that to Megumin. She would surely want to return to Axel immediately.
"Y...you're right. But you've already used two explosive potions!"
"Yes, but the number of creatures we've defeated will allow us to buy at least four or five... It's a profitable investment."
Especially since, thanks to Aqua's buff magic and my recent level up, my arrows are powerful enough to penetrate Giant Toa skulls.
The potion is just an emergency, in case of monster overflow, that would be impossible for me to eliminate without Megumin.
These two dangerous situations, which cost me two potions close to the level of advanced magic powers, allowed me to level up three times.
At this rate, I'll reach level 20 before facing the manticore we spotted in the depths of the forest.
My only real risk is being caught in an explosion due to potion instability, but I have confidence in my hands.
I'm a bow user, after all. And I've already applied the Haste speed buff on myself.