Chapter 7: A Close Call For These Fools!

Part 1

It was Sunday, the day when I arranged to meet with Chris.

I only just realized that I didn't have enough money, with a meager 1,350 Yen.

"Please, I beg of you!"

I bowed in front of my parents.

They both looked at each other. My father said,

"...Giving Kazuma an advance on his allowance, huh? The last time we did that, you said you were hanging out with friends, but you ended up just buying a new game."

My mother nodded and said,

"Yes… And are we really supposed to believe that Kazuma is going on a date with a girl?"

Was it really that hard to believe? I said,

"Please! I'll send you pictures and everything as proof!"

"But what if you're just taking pictures of some random girl and photoshopping yourself with her?"

"Oh! I could see him doing that, dear!"

They really didn't trust me at all.

I suppose I couldn't blame them, since I did trick them a lot in the past.

"...How about this? If you give me an early allowance now, I'll pay you back next week. You already know I have a part time job, anyway. I'll pay you back, I promise!"

They looked at each other, then turned back to me.

"...If Kazuma is willing to go that far… I suppose we'll have to agree."

My mother nodded and said,

"If Kazuma isn't tricking us and he's actually maturing a little, we shouldn't stop his progress."

My father took out his wallet and gave me 1,000 yen.

"I expect you to pay me back, like you promised."

"Deal!"

I snatched the money from him before he could change his mind.

"...Our little boy is going on a date. He sure is growing up."

My mother said, wiping tears from her eyes. My father held her shoulder and said,

"I know, right? Even though he was a NEET only a few weeks before…"

"I think Aqua-chan really helped him get out of his shell. We owe a lot to her."

"I know! We should raise her allowance!"

How the hell did Aqua end up profiting from this?!

I didn't say anything, since I got what I wanted.

After checking myself in the mirror, I left the house to meet up with Chris.

Before I left the house, my phone buzzed in my pocket.

Your bond with your family has deepened!

Satou (Family), Bond Rank: 4

At Rank 4, your family will give you some leeway as you recover from being a NEET. Your parents will give you an advance on your allowance if you continue to go to school, as promised. Your brother thinks better of you and might say a few nice things to his friends about you. If you mention wanting a non-blood related step sister again, your parents will beat you and leave you with grave injuries.

Bond Reward: Parents will give you an advance on your allowance as long as you pay it back!

Satisfied with this outcome, I headed to the meeting place Chris suggested.

We agreed to meet in a trendy cafe near the train station.

Even though this wasn't a place I'd go to if I was alone, I felt it was fine if Chris was with me.

I arrived first and waited in front of the store for a few minutes.

"Kazuma-kun! Sorry, did I make you wait?"

"Don't worry, I just got here."

I said the famous line.

Chris was wearing a green hoodie and a jean skirt. In fact…

"Eh? Kazuma-kun… Aren't we wearing a similar outfit?"

I was also wearing a green hoodie and jeans.

Chris chuckled and scratched her cheek nervously, where her scar was.

"...If we're matching like this, people will think that we're a couple, huh?"

"I don't mind."

"Well… If Kazuma-kun doesn't mind, then it's fine!"

We went inside the cafe and lined up. I looked at the menu and felt overwhelmed by the options.

"...If I'm being honest, I don't really know what to pick."

I said, glancing around at the menu.

"Ah… If I have to be honest as well… I also don't know what to pick."

"Then why'd you choose this place?!"

"I-It seemed like the trendy thing to do!"

We were both panicking as the line got shorter. Eventually, it was our turn to order.

"Welcome! What can I get you today!"

Chris looked to me for help. It was up to me, huh?

"...We'll have two white chocolate matcha lattes, as well as two blueberry cheesecakes."

"Coming right up!"

Chris sighed in relief when I managed to order for the both of us. She was about to take out her wallet but I went ahead and paid for the drinks.

"Eh? Kazuma-kun, I can pay!"

"No need."

I put on my coolest voice and paid for the both of us.

"I-It really does seem like a date if you're paying for everything, Kazuma-kun…"

"I don't mind."

"You keep saying that…"

Once our coffee was prepared, we went to a seat by the window.

"Oh! It's really good!"

Chris said, when she took a sip.

I took a sip as well. As expected of a trendy place like this, it tasted really good.

The bitter taste of the matcha and coffee mixed well with the sweet white chocolate.

The blueberry cheesecake also went well with the coffee. The cake wasn't too sweet, so it didn't clash with the white chocolate in the coffee.

Your 'Charisma' increased by +1!

Drinking in this trendy coffee shop will increase your 'Charisma'! This reward is limited to once a week!

I found another store that gave out weekly stat bonuses…

"Hey, Kazuma-kun… What do you think of Darkness?"

Chris asked me this question out of nowhere.

That masochist freak of nature…

"She's a lovely girl."

"I'm glad you think so!"

She smiled and set her cup down.

"You see… I'm kind of worried about her. You probably don't know this, but she's kind of a strange girl…"

"Gasp… Oh really?!"

I pretended that I was completely shocked by this.

"Yeah… Even though she's a pretty girl, she doesn't get along with a lot of people."

"I wonder why…"

Maybe because she was a massive pervert who collected toad slime in a jar.

"That's partly why I became her friend… She seems like a good girl but she's often misunderstood…"

What was there to misunderstand?

Chris was such a good girl for seeing any kind of redeemable quality in Darkness.

While thinking this, I said,

"She's lucky to have a friend like you, Chris."

"Hey, you're her friend, too! Anyway, I just wanted to thank you in person for inviting her last time. She said that she had a lot of fun!"

She called what happened last time 'fun'?

There really was something wrong with that girl…

Part 2

Chris talked about Darkness the whole time.

When she wasn't talking about Darkness, she talked about the artifacts she was reclaiming for Eris.

...Any illusion I had that this was a real date had already vanished by now.

"Ah, sorry! I ended up talking so much!"

She apologized, realizing that she had been talking nonstop for a while.

"No, no, it's fine."

"Thanks again for meeting me like this, Kazuma-kun… Maybe we can do this again sometime?"

"Sure!"

"Great! Next time I'll make sure to bring Darkness along!"

Was she in love with Darkness or something?

My enthusiasm immediately deflated.

After chatting some more, eventually it was time to leave.

Even though I had been looking forward to this and even asked for an advance in my allowance…

Not only that, I spent all my money, too!

After saying goodbye, I watched her walk away…

Chris (Silver-haired Thief), Bond Rank: 2

At Rank 2, Chris views you as someone she can potentially confide with! Her trust in you is slowly increasing! It seems that the key to deepening a bond with her is to show her that you can get along with Darkness and the other girls!

Bond Reward: You learn the [Steal] skill!

[Steal] Skill Rank: 1, Active Skill (5 mp cost)

Allows you to steal an item. If the target is a creature, you will have to be within 15 feet of the target to use this skill. Success depends on your 'Cunning' (75), contested against the target's 'Intuition'. Items that are not held or equipped by a creature can be stolen as long as you can see it and are aware of its presence. The value of the item you steal is determined by your 'Luck' (90).

"How does this work? [Steal]...!"

I randomly used the skill.

"...Eh?"

Something appeared in my hand.

When I opened it…

White panties.

I looked ahead and saw Chris stopping in her tracks.

She patted around and blushed.

"D-Did I… forget to wear…"

Before she could find out what happened…

I put her panties in my pocket and walked away, heading back home.

Even though the 'date' with Chris didn't go as planned, I got a magnificent treasure out of it.

Once I got home, I headed straight to my room.

White Panties (Rare)

Pure white, like the feathers of a dove. Perhaps this reflects the inner nature of the girl who once wore these?

Wearing these panties will increase your 'Dexterity' by +5.

Armor Score: 0

Durability: 30/30

Price: 10,000 yen

…These things are considered a rare type of armor, huh?!

Did these panties become a rare item because a beautiful girl like Chris wore them?

Or did she get them from a Random Loot Box?

What a tantalizing mystery.

I wore the panties over my head, like a hat.

Checking my 'Dexterity' score, I saw a +5 beside it.

Would you like to change your class to 'Pervert'?

A sudden prompt came out, asking if I wanted a class change.

…

…

Since nothing came out of my 'date' with Chris, I was left feeling frustrated.

I thought about grabbing a tissue box and lotion, but I decided to go out to the dungeon instead.

I figured it was more productive to let out my frustrations on some monsters, instead of spending the rest of the night doing 'self-care'.

"Oi, Aqua… Do you feel like going to the dungeon?"

Since I promised Aqua that I'd bring her to the dungeon more often, I went to her room first and asked her.

"You're finally taking this seriously, huh? Alright, let's go!"

She was acting as if I was the lazy one, even though she didn't have the energy to go to the dungeon with me in the morning.

Once we got dressed, we headed over to the dungeon.

When we got out of the train and walked over to the dungeon entrance, Aqua was watching me and said,

"Hey, Kazuma… Why are you walking like that? Do you have to pee? I can wait for you while you find a toilet."

"Ah, no… Don't mind it."

This girl was surprisingly perceptive.

I took out my phone and prepared to equip my sword and bow.

That was when I noticed it.

"That brat…!"

Chunchunmaru (Unique)

Forged by Intermediate Blacksmith. Named by Megumin.

Durability: 18/20

Weapon Accuracy: Dexterity modifier (46% chance of hitting)

Weapon Damage: 3 slashing damage + Strength modifier (+5) = 8

Sells for: 6,000 yen

I didn't notice it last time, but the app responded to Megumin naming my sword with that awful name.

"Pfft…! W-Wow Kazuma… That's a cool sword you got there…"

"Shut up!"

Across the handle of the sword, the name 'Chunchunmaru' was written over it.

"I'll make that chuunibyou brat suffer the next time I see her!"

Part 3

With Aqua laughing at me the whole time, we headed inside the dungeon.

However, something was strange…

"Huh? Where's the monsters?"

Aqua said, looking around the dungeon.

[Enemy Detection] told me that there weren't any monsters hiding or waiting in ambush.

I knew that hunting those creatures could potentially harm the dungeon ecosystem, but I didn't think that it'd already have an effect this soon.

"M-Maybe they're still in their breeding period…"

I said, feeling more nervous as we got further into the dungeon, and there were still no monsters in sight.

"Yeah! I mean, unless someone went in here and hunted down every single food source of the monsters, there's no way they'd just migrate!"

"...Why would the monsters migrate?"

"If the monsters can't find an adequate food source in their immediate area, the natural course of action is to head to a different location. That's a bad idea, though, since the only other biome on this floor aside from the cave area is the Giant Toad area…"

"I see… Well, there's no way that someone can wipe out the entire ecosystem of monster feed in this area so quickly…"

Just as I was saying that…

I saw a glint of metal on the ground.

"..."

I almost stepped on a mouse trap.

You learned the skill [Trap Detection]!

[Trap Detection] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill

You can now sense traps within a 15-foot radius around you. Your 'Intuition' (60) score determines the success rate of discovering traps. You can only detect traps of 'Basic' make.

I was happy about the useful skill I unlocked, but…

I was more concerned about the mouse trap in the dungeon.

"Aqua be careful. There's traps all around…"

"Oww!"

Just as I was warning her, she stepped on one.

"What are these things doing here?!"

When I looked around some more, I saw a lizard trapped in a mouse trap.

"...I think I have an idea."

As if to confirm my suspicions, I heard footsteps ahead and a familiar figure stepped out of the shadows.

"Huh? Oh, it's just you."

Megumin said, as she carried a bucket and nonchalantly went over to reset the traps we set off.

We both stared at the girl who was wearing denim overalls and carried a bucket filled with dead critters.

"Megumin, what are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm catching more of these critters. It's free food."

"Didn't I tell you already that the monsters eat them?!"

I was fine with hunting a few lizards and crawfish…

But this girl was intent on bringing about extinction!

"I didn't think you were an environmentalist, Kazuma. Good for you!"

Aqua said, giving me a thumbs up.

"That's really admirable. Keep it up."

Megumin gave me a thumbs up as well, even though she was carrying a bucket full of dead animals.

"Are you two completely missing the point here?! Look around, Megumin! There's no monsters! You forced them to migrate to a completely different biome!"

"Isn't it more convenient if they're all in one place? That way, we can hunt them more efficiently."

"...That only benefits you because you have a powerful AOE spell!"

"Heh. Are you now just figuring out my brilliant plan?"

She gave us a smug smirk and posed.

"I am Megumin! For the sake of improving my explosive arts, I will trample upon the dimwitted and the weak! Consider yourself lucky that I'm letting you in on my master plan!"

"...Oh? I'm listening."

My anger faded away once Megumin said that she was letting us in on it.

Megumin tapped the side of her head and said,

"Think about it. My explosion magic can't possibly kill every monster in the Giant Toad area. That means that you two will have to deal with the weakened stragglers. Think about all the EXP we'll get if we combine our efforts…"

Aqua and I glanced at Megumin, then at each other.

"Kazuma… This girl is a genius!"

"We found a golden egg!"

Megumin puffed out her meager chest in pride as Aqua and I showered her with praises.

"That said, I haven't checked the new state of the grassland area yet. Let us look at our prey together, shall we?"

With a stylish turn of her heel, Megumin led the way.

"Ah, whoops."

Her coolness factor went down when she picked up a lizard that fell out of her bucket.

Once we made it to the grassland area…

"Gero…"

Rather than seeing a place filled with different kinds of monsters…

…There were only Giant Toads in this area.

"Eh? Where did the other monsters go?"

Aqua said, putting a hand over her eyes and looking around to survey the area.

I used [Farsight] to look around as well, but I didn't see anything.

Only the toads were there.

However, this time…

I noticed that the Giant Toads looked bigger than before.

I didn't notice at first because they were usually big anyway, but there was a clear difference in size to how they were before.

Once she saw the toads that grew in size, Megumin started to back away.

"Oi. If you know something, spit it out."

I said, stopping her before she could leave.

"K-Keep in mind that this is a theory I just had!"

"Spit it out already!"

Even though she was confident earlier, she looked really nervous now.

"...W-Well… With the lack of the monsters in this area… I can only think of one reason for their disappearance. Perhaps the Giant Toads over there… Consumed all the monsters that migrated into the grassland area."

Aqua's eyes widened.

"Ah! That explains it! You see, if monsters get enough EXP, they will evolve into a more powerful monster!"

"Are you telling me… That these Giant Toads ate all of the monsters that migrated from the cave area?"

I looked around the field again and eventually noticed that there were some bones laying around.

"..."

I turned to Megumin, who immediately looked away.

"Oi. How are you going to take responsibility for this?"

"W-What do you mean? We should all collectively think of a solution…"

"What do you mean collectively?! Even though you were showing off and boasting about this genius plan of yours?! You're the mastermind here!"

"I don't know what to do! I just wanted to find food for my family and my sister who's always hungry! Kazuma, please find a way to fix this!"

I didn't expect her to get teary eyed and start pleading with me.

I sighed and scratched the back of my head, trying to think of a solution.

With these evolved Giant Toads, there was no way that anyone could pass through the first floor anymore.

I also didn't know if there were any monsters left on this floor aside from the Giant Toads.

That meant that new candidates chosen to defeat the Demon King would have no way to gain EXP safely.

At the same time, if these Giant Toads were left alone, they could potentially harm even the high level dungeon explorers.

I looked around the grasslands again and saw the faraway door that led to the second floor.

"Oi, Aqua, is there any way to damage the dungeon doors?"

She shook her head and proudly said,

"No way! We made sure to use the hardest material from the other world called Adamantite to make important parts of the dungeon! They're pretty much unbreakable!"

I nodded my head and decided on a plan.

Part 4

"No way! I can't let you do that!"

Aqua said, when I told those two my plan.

"...It's better than having these super powered toads running around. What if one of them ends up coming across nuclear waste and becomes Toadzilla?"

"Don't scare me like that! F-Fine! If it's to avoid a scenario like that…"

Since Aqua had trauma when it came to the Giant Toads, she ended up giving her permission.

"Alright, then. Megumin, I know that this is a tough decision…"

"I'm ready! Let's do this!"

The teary eyed Megumin was replaced with the usual, confident one.

After I told her my plan, she was in high spirits.

She took out her staff from her inventory and gave it a twirl.

"Fufu… It's finally my time to take center stage!"

She pointed the staff directly at the sky.

Well, it wasn't really a sky.

Even though there were clouds and even a source of illumination in the grassland area, Aqua told us last time that it was all artificial.

Even the sunlight was fake.

Like the heat source in an incubator, it wasn't natural.

The sky above the grassland biome was still only a part of the dungeon, a roof with complicated illusion runes inscribed all over it.

And if that was the case…

Megumin started chanting. The stone within her staff started glowing a brilliant red.

…Megumin could make the heavens come crashing down.

"Explosion…!"

Fire and smoke assaulted the roof of the grassland biome.

A loud crash, a wave of heat that filled the entire area.

It was a useless spell, for sure.

But it was unstoppable. And it was kind of beautiful.

"That feels… soooo good."

Megumin sighed in contentment as her legs turned to jelly.

I caught her before she fell down.

We watched as cracks appeared over the fake sky.

Soon, earthen fragments started to chip off.

The illusion magic that imitated the blue of the sky started to blur, like a TV showing static.

That was when big chunks of the roof fell down, small islands falling from the sky to rain havoc on the toads.

"Gero…?!"

The frogs tried to escape, but they couldn't make it out in time as they were buried by the falling debris.

The structure of the dungeon itself remained standing. We saw the Adamantite structure and support of the dungeon behind the fake sky ceiling that covered it. I saw the illusion runes inscribed on the Adamantite ceiling, as well as something else…

"Ahh…! I forgot!"

Aqua said, pointing at a glowing orb that fell down from the roof.

"That thing… Is the energy source that powered the illusions! It's a Coronatite core, and it's highly volatile, if that thing crashes down…"

She didn't finish the sentence and already started running away.

"Oiii! You useless goddess, don't leave us here!"

She turned around and saw me trying to lift Megumin on my back to escape. She turned back around and urged us to run.

"Come on, hurry! Gahhh! We won't make it…!"

I turned around and saw that the Coronatite core was about to hit the ground.

"Sniff… I'm sorry! This is all my fault! Wahhh… Mommy…! Daddy…! Komekko…!"

Megumin started crying out for her family members.

"I can't believe I'm gonna die like this! Me, a goddess! Nooo!"

While they were preparing for their deaths…

"[Steal]!"

I extended my hand towards the falling core and used my new skill once it was within range.

The core vanished before it could hit the ground.

Only for it to appear in front of me, right in my hands.

"...! Crap, it's so damn heavy! And it's hot! Owww!"

I felt the hot core burning my skin.

"[Freeze]!"

I covered the core in frozen ice before it could burn the skin on my arm entirely.

Aqua grabbed the frozen core and helped me gently lower it down.

"Ahh… Kazuma…! Don't look down!"

Aqua grabbed my arms before I could look at them.

…Were they in that bad of a state?

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Considering how pale Aqua's face was, I didn't want to take a peek.

"[Heal]!"

I felt the pain going away as Aqua healed my arms.

We both sighed in relief and even exchanged a smile.

"Um… Not to ruin the moment but…"

Megumin, who was still on my back, pointed at the core.

There was a monitor on it and it was counting down. The numbers '1:23' were displayed on it, flashing in bright red.

"...What's this for? It can't be a cliche self-destruct function, right?"

I looked at Aqua, who was part of those who designed this dungeon.

"W-Well… We didn't want this powerful Coronatite core to fall into the wrong hands, so… We placed a self-destruct sequence on it in case someone managed to extract it from the dungeon."

"As expected of something you were a part of! Let's just run already!"

"...Do you really think we can make it out of the dungeon in the span of a minute…?! Even if you use [Escape], it'll take at least four minutes to get out!"

"Is that thing really so destructive?!"

"It could wipe out everything on this floor!"

These gods really didn't factor in the safety of the hero candidates when designing this thing, huh?!

Or perhaps they felt that it was necessary to sacrifice a few fledgling heroes rather than giving away such a dangerous weapon to the Demon King army…

Whatever the case, we were too far inside the dungeon to escape the self-destruct sequence.

The door to the second floor was an option… if there wasn't all the fallen debris blocking the way.

While I was thinking of what to do, I felt Megumin shaking behind me.

I felt how cold her hands were, as they held my shoulders.

Aqua was panicking, too. She was pacing back and forth, glancing at the ticking bomb.

"...!"

That was when the obvious solution came to me.

I took out my phone and held it over the core.

Launching the app, I stored it in the inventory.

The core vanished and entered a free slot.

"..." x 3.

The three of us waited.

Would the inventory space contain the explosion?

Does time stop in there?

Since Aqua didn't say anything, she probably didn't even know herself.

Even though she made the damn thing…!

…Or maybe she knew we were doomed, but she wanted to give us some kind of hope before we died.

We waited and waited.

Until a minute passed.

And nothing happened.

I checked the inventory.

Ruined Coronatite Core Parts (Garbage)

How did this even happen? Such a precious resource has been reduced to useless scraps! Shame on you!

Price: 0 yen

…That infuriatingly condescending message somehow gave me a rush of relief.

"Aha… Ahaha…"

Aqua started laughing. We joined her.

Part 5

The train ride was quiet. Not necessarily awkward, but we were all doing some reflection after that near death experience.

Before this moment, we had never faced any real threat in the dungeon.

…I didn't even want to know how much HP I lost from getting those burns.

"I'll head home ahead of you, Kazuma."

"Yeah, sure."

Aqua waved to Megumin and went off in the direction of our place.

"Well, let's go."

I said to Megumin, who I was carrying on my back."

"Un…"

Megumin was still quiet, not speaking much.

After a while, she said,

"S-Sorry… Because of me, you and Aqua almost…"

"It doesn't really matter now, does it? I mean, we got out alive."

"Yeah, but…"

Besides, it was my reckless idea to bring down the roof.

And Aqua even forgot about the Coronatite core.

Wait, wasn't this all just Aqua's fault?

"So, how did it feel to cast that explosion? You even killed a bunch of Giant Toads."

"...! It felt great! Best one so far!"

"Did you get any EXP from that?"

"No… I guess it doesn't count with collateral damage, since I didn't kill the toads directly…"

Getting her to talk about her explosion seemed to distract her from the guilt she was feeling.

While she was happily talking about explosion magic, she paused and said,

"Kazuma…"

There was a serious tone in her voice.

"I've noticed for a while that you've been groping my butt."

She finally noticed.

"...Oh, sorry. It seems that my arms are still a bit numb from the burns."

"...! S-Sorry…! Wait… How can you hold me up so well if your arms are really that numb?"

She ended up seeing through the lie.

"Well… I-I guess I'll overlook it since Kazuma worked hard. You were kinda cool earlier…"

"Cool, huh? Keep going."

I urged her to keep complimenting me.

"The way you had a solution for everything… And the way you saved us… It was really cool. I think even Aqua thought so."

"Alright, the flattery has gone on long enough."

"Is it really that hard to believe?!"

As if I could do anything that would actually impress that useless goddess who always insulted me.

"Alright. I think I can walk now. Thanks for walking me home."

She got tired of the groping and asked me to let her down.

While I looked at her, I noticed that she didn't have the bucket with her. She must have left it in the dungeon. I said,

"Seems you forgot your bucket…"

"It's fine! I got a lot of EXP and quest rewards, anyway!"

"...What do you mean by that?"

"I got a quest telling me to hunt a bunch of creatures in the dungeon!"

That app of hers was really leading her astray!

I waved goodbye to her as I was wondering why all of her quests always ended up with something getting destroyed.

Your bond with Megumin has deepened!

Megumin (Explosion Mage), Bond Rank: 3

At Rank 3, Megumin considers you as a reliable guy who seems really perverted. She noticed the way you took the chance to grope her butt while you were carrying her, but she didn't mind it that much. She sees you as someone who saved her life and you have potential as an explosion sommelier… Or perhaps something more? If you offer to help her practice her explosion magic, she will readily agree.

Bond Rewards: Magic Skill Rank-Up

…What is this 'something more' in that bond description?

Could it be that Megumin started to see me as 'something more' after I saved her earlier?

At 'Bond Rank: 3', Rin's bond description stated that the relationship had reached the 'flirty' stage…

Could it be that I was reaching my popular phase?

I kept this information in mind for my future interactions with Megumin.

As for the 'Magic Skill Rank-Up'...

I only really had one magic skill to use it on.

[Elementary Magic] has reached Rank 2!

Mana cost of all spells listed under [Elementary Magic] has their MP cost reduced by 1! Tinder now causes +1 Fire damage to enemies hit by it!

It was quite the useful upgrade.

After seeing Megumin off, I headed back home.

I was hungry, but I didn't have any money left after spending it all on the 'date' with Chris.

I endured the hunger pains as I walked home.

When I got home and prepared to grab some leftover dinner on the table, I saw that there was some take-out food on the table instead.

Aqua was sitting there on the table and she nodded to the food.

"...It was on the way, so I got you some take-out."

"Oh. Thanks."

I wasn't used to this kind of treatment from Aqua and found myself a bit suspicious of the food.

After making sure that she didn't add anything weird to the food, I sat down and started eating.

It was a typical katsudon, but the fact that it was free food and that I was starving made it taste ten times better.

While I was eating, I said,

"How long do you think it'll take the dungeon to repair itself?"

When coming up with the plan, I took into account what Aqua said about the dungeon repairing itself using biomass from monster corpses.

With all those evolved Giant Toads buried under the rubble, I imagined that the dungeon would have lots of fuel to repair itself.

"...I'll give it a few days. Normally, the dungeon can't repair such extreme damage that quickly, but there's a lot of biomass for it to use now."

I continued eating, but Aqua was staring at me the whole time, making me feel uneasy.

"...What?"

I finally said, unable to handle her staring at me. She said,

"Do you think it was my fault we almost died?"

"Absolutely."

"You didn't even hesitate!"

What did she want me to say?

If she remembered about the Coronatite core, I would have taken that into account when coming up with my plan.

When I noticed the same look of guilt come over Aqua's features, just like with Megumin earlier, I sighed.

"...Not like it matters. I was there to clean up your mess, anyway. It's been that way since we've met, right?"

"I don't really like the way you're implying that I'm constantly making messes for you to fix."

"Isn't that the case, though?"

"You really suck at this whole comforting thing, Kazuma!"

I didn't even know that she wanted to be comforted.

I looked at Aqua. Even if she was a goddess, at times like this, she just seemed like a normal girl.

At this moment, she looked especially vulnerable.

"Ugh… As you can see, I seem to have some kind of talent when it comes to coming up with random things on the spot to save the day. You can depend on me from now on, so don't feel sad. It's actually kinda creepy to see you like this."

"...You're really, really bad at this, Kazuma."

Even though it was easy for me to comfort Megumin, for some reason, it was doubly embarrassing and awkward when it came to doing the same thing for Aqua.

Maybe because our usual form of communication was arguing or insulting each other, anything beyond that felt strange.

While I was feeling weird about this situation, Aqua just chuckled. She took a piece of Katsudon and ate it. Then she stood up and started to walk away.

"...I'm counting on you to save the day from now on, Kazuma."

Without turning around, she said those words and left me in the kitchen.

Your bond with Aqua has deepened!

Aqua (Water Goddess), Bond Rank: 5

At Rank 5, Aqua will act reasonable from now on, always remembering the day she put you in danger. She will listen to your demands if you ask nicely. She sees you as a reliable teammate who will save her when she needs it. Since you two have been through a lot of things, she won't leave you alone.

Bond Reward: You learn the skill [Versatile Entertainer]!

[Versatile Entertainer ] Skill Rank: 1, Passive Skill

You are adept in mimicking the voice of someone you know. If you are mimicking the voice of someone you don't know, you must spend at least 15 minutes observing their speech patterns and mannerisms. Useful for making celebrity impressions.

…When was I going to get a useful skill from her?

As for that bond description…

It was really embarrassing, for some reason.

Part 6

It was the start of my third week since coming back to school.

On the way to school, I ended up walking with Rin again.

"Did you finish reading all the books I recommended to you, senpai?"

"Ah… No, sorry. It was a busy week."

Since lots of things happened, I didn't get a chance to read those books.

"I understand… If you do start reading them, I'd like to hear your thoughts as you read! Ah, it might bother you to do that over text, though…"

"If that's the case, perhaps we can read those books together in person…"

"That's a great idea, senpai! Where do you want to do that?!"

She got all excited about the prospect of reading her favorite books together.

There was still that quest that involved me asking Rin out on a date…

Even though that 'date' with Chris failed, the cafe location itself seemed to impress her.

When I told her about the cafe…

"Ohh! I always wanted to go there! It's kind of hard to go in by yourself, though…"

"Then we can go together after school."

"Yay! Sounds fun!"

It actually worked.

"That reminds me… Doesn't senpai have soccer practice afterschool?"

"I can just ditch."

"Eh?! That's not good! I heard that senpai had an important role in the last match!"

"Even Rin heard about that, huh?"

"Yeah! That's why you shouldn't skip just because you made an appointment with me! I know, I'll watch the practice!"

Having Rin watch me practice…

Even though all I did was pass the ball around and dribble through cones.

I decided to put some effort into practice this time.

…

…

After classes were over, I immediately headed over to the soccer field.

"Satou, you came here even earlier than me!"

Mitsurugi said, surprised by the development.

I glanced behind him at the bleachers and saw Rin. She started waving at me when I looked at her.

"Hehhh… I see how it is."

Mitsurugi gave me a smug smile. I didn't even know he was capable of looking smug, with that pretty boy face of his.

"It seems that things are going well for you on that end, Satou. Meanwhile, I'm not making much progress when it comes to Aqua-sama…"

Apparently, he had been regularly contacting her after I gave him Aqua's number.

I decided to throw him a bone.

"She likes it if you give her snacks and treats and stuff like that. Especially drinks that go 'shuwa, shuwa'."

He gave me a blank look in response.

"There's no way a classy woman like Aqua-sama is interested in things that an elementary schooler likes."

Well, I tried.

"By the way… Do you think I can participate in the team practice this time?"

I said, after we finished doing stretches.

"...You're really looking to impress, huh? Well, you don't need to worry. Look."

He pointed at the coach, who was making his way over.

"Mitsurugi-kun! Satou-kun! You two will play on the same team! We really need to perfect your combination!"

The way he was talking…

"Coach, about last time…"

"You don't need to worry about that, Satou-kun! Even after the starting Midfielder has recovered, he heard about your incredible feat in the last match! He voluntarily gave up his starting position to you!"

"...Hah?"

I looked at the midfielder who did such a thing. He gave me a solemn nod.

"This team has reached its limits with me as the playmaker. I acknowledge that you have what it takes to carry this team to its full potential, Satou. I'll leave our dream to reach the nationals in your hands…"

Which 90's soccer manga did he steal that line from?

"No, I don't really want to…"

"Alright, let's get started!"

The coach blew his whistle and drowned out my complaints.

Practicing with the main team took up a lot more energy than practicing alone.

I had to keep running back and forth and doing a bunch of things that I wasn't used to.

There was no doubt that I'd wake up sore in the morning.

Your 'Speed' and 'Stamina' have increased by +1!

After the practice was over, I headed to the locker room with Mitsurugi.

"You did well keeping up in the main team practice, Satou."

He said, while changing out of his kit and putting on his school uniform.

I slumped against the bench, catching my breath before I started changing.

"...By the way, Satou, did you notice anything strange in the dungeon yesterday?"

"..."

Since Mitsurugi was a hero candidate like me, of course he'd notice that something happened in the dungeon.

When I didn't respond, he said,

"I was in the dungeon yesterday and I felt this violent shaking… When I went down to investigate, I saw that the entire grassland area had collapsed…!"

"Could it be… Is the Demon King army making their move already?"

"...?! D-Do you think so?!"

He actually fell for it?

"It's a possibility that they're sabotaging us before the invasion happens. Maybe they even have double agents and sleeper agents trying to sabotage the dungeon, so that hero candidates will lose their training grounds."

"I see… That makes a lot of sense…"

Your 'Cunning' increased by +1!

…It wasn't my fault people kept falling for my lies.

Part 7

"Sorry for the wait."

I said, when I met up with Rin at the school gate.

"It's fine! You sure worked hard in practice! Here, I got this for you."

She handed me a Pocari Sweat.

I thanked her for the sports drink and sipped it.

"I must say… It was kind of cool seeing senpai like that. It's kind of… Unexpected?"

"...I don't seem like the sports type, huh?"

"Ah, I didn't mean it like that! It's just… seeing someone working hard in a sports club makes you see a different side of them, you know? Normally, I only really see you in the school library. Seeing you in the field like that, running around… Well, I feel like I got to know more about you!"

"I suppose I'll just have to see Rin join a sports club to know what you're talking about."

"Hehe… I bet I'd look cute in a volleyball uniform. What do you think, senpai?"

She grinned, as she walked in front, turning around to face me.

"Yeah, I bet you would."

"Thanks! Senpai looked good in a soccer uniform, I must admit!"

Flirting with a girl after school right after I finished soccer practice…

I became a normie before I knew it.

We chatted while walking to the cafe.

When we got there, it was filled with a bunch of students in uniform.

It seems that this cafe was a popular hang out spot for students like us.

Although it was mostly groups of girls and couples there.

"Oh, my… I expected more of a quiet environment…"

Rin said, looking at all the people inside.

"We can also take our drinks outside."

"Good idea, senpai!"

Just when I was about to head inside to order.

"..."

I just remembered that I had no money whatsoever.

How could I have forgotten? Probably because I was excited about inviting Rin to a cafe.

"Hey, pretty nee-san… How about I buy you a drink, huh? Hehe…"

Just as I was thinking of a solution, I noticed a sleazebag harassing a beautiful office lady who was probably taking a break from work.

"N-No thank you…"

"Oh, come on… I got just enough money to get you something nice… Then you can thank me by coming with me to a love hotel later..."

"Eep?! Please don't touch me!"

I felt like I was watching some kind of bad porno.

As soon as he took out his money…

"[Steal]..."

"Eh… Eh? Where'd my money go?"

2,000 yen ended up in my hands.

It was all thanks to this stereotypical delinquent who showed up just in time.

With the money I stole, I went up to the cashier with Rin.

Once Rin made her order for a cappuccino, I ordered the same latte I got last time.

I also paid for our drinks.

"Eh? Senpai, you don't have to!"

"Don't mention it."

I said, in the coolest voice I could muster.

I used the [Versatile Entertainer] skill to imitate some famous movie star…

Your 'Attractiveness' increased by +1!

…Maybe the Aqua bond skills weren't that useless after all?

When I handed the cash over to the staff, something fell out from between the cash.

The staff, Rin and I looked at the object that fell down.

It was a pink wrapper with a circular object inside.

…It was a condom.

That delinquent bastard had all kinds of things in his pocket, huh?

"Ah… Is that a sweetener packet for my coffee? Thanks."

"Oh… S-Sure…"

I came up with that lame excuse to the staff and grabbed the condom from the counter.

Once our drinks were prepared, we made our way outside.

"..." x 2.

Rin hadn't said a word since.

"Um… Well… It's good that senpai is using protection… Ahaha…"

She said, while not meeting my eyes and letting out a weak chuckle.

"It's better to be safe and all."

"O-Of course…!"

I couldn't find a reasonable explanation why I had a condom and just decided to roll with it.

I drank my coffee in the meantime, which raised my 'Charisma' stat.

Your 'Charisma' increased by +1!

Eventually, the awkward mood went away and we started reading. I did most of the reading, while Rin talked me through the plot and asked me for my opinion about her favorite parts of the book.

"This part where the hero finds out that the evil wizard casted an illusion on the two warring countries, to make them think that they've wronged each other, is gut wrenching! The author describes in great detail how many innocent people the hero has killed in his journey, thinking that he was doing the right thing. You really feel for the hero in this scene!"

I had to admit, I was getting really drawn into the dark fantasy stories Rin recommended.

They had dark elements, but it was tastefully done in a way that would immerse the reader in the fictional world. They weren't dark just for the sake of shock value.

Your 'Creativity' increased by +1!

Since we were enjoying ourselves, we didn't even realize that several hours had already passed.

"Ahh! It's this late already! Sorry about that, senpai! I was having so much fun!"

"No, it's fine. Sorry for not noticing the time."

"Hehe… I made the same mistake, no need to apologize! This was really fun. Do you think we can do it again?"

"Sure thing."

"Great! I gotta get going now! See you at school!"

She gave me a quick bow before running off, muttering something about buying ingredients for dinner.

Quest Completed! You went on a date with Hinamori Rin! Quest Rewards: +2 Charisma, +2 Attractiveness.

Your bond with Hinamori Rin has deepened!

Hinamori Rin (Librarian on Duty), Bond Rank: 4

At Rank 4, Hinamori Rin will see you as a cool senpai who she can share her passion for books with! She likes how you're into books while also having an athletic side. At this stage in your relationship, she won't mind even if you constantly text and call her. She'll also go on dates with you if you ask. If you flirt with her, she will readily flirt back. Have fun trying to become more than friends with her!

Bond Reward: +10 Mana Capacity

…Was it finally happening?

My popular period… has come?

I, Satou Kazuma, am a man who refuses to second guess himself.

If I see such an encouraging development in the relationship, I will not hesitate to take things further.

If it was like this with Rin now, then perhaps I could start making moves on her…

Warning! Despite how high the bond rank is, there's always a chance that it could revert all the way down if you force a development in the relationship! Proceed cautiously!

On second thought, it wasn't good to rush.