Konosuba Dust Spin Off 4

“Yes, he was really kind. It seems like he has a grandchild that
looks similar to me, but he can’t dote on them because they don’t
live close to each other, so he doted on me instead! I gave him a
sweet dream where he played with his grandchild as a free
service!”
“Oh. Well, that’s good, then.”
That was completely different from what I imagined.
“Wait. Don’t tell me you were worried about me?”
“Of course not! Don’t elbow me while smiling like that!”
Who would be worried about a cuccubus? I’m just a little
concerned that something bad might have happened because it
was partly my fault, that’s all.
“Yes, yes, stop fooling around and let’s go.”
Lynn, grumpy from having just been woken up, pulled on us, and
together, we exited the inn.
It seem like Kazuma and his group were headed straight for the
castle.
They seemed to raise some kind of fuss at the gates of the castle,
but they soon quietened down.
It’s been a few minutes since then.
“It doesn’t seem like they are being chased away, but they aren’t
being welcomed in either.”

150

Taylor said with crossed arms.
That’s strange. It’s only proper to invite the princess of a
neighbouring country inside when she has come to visit. It
wouldn’t be strange for her to treat being forced to wait outside
like this as an insult.
Or could it be that they are deliberately provoking her? But the
relationship between Elroad and Belzerg should be fairly cordial,
and there would be nothing to gain from doing something like
that.
“A red-haired brat came out, and a whole bunch of other people
too. Huh, he seems to be picking a fight. Ah, he just provoked
Megumin and Aqua. What an idiot. Why would anyone want to
give a reason to either of them?”
Keith chuckled as he described the events he managed to see
through his Farsight skill.
Crimson Demons can’t take jokes. This doubly goes for that
Explosion Girl. In addition to having a short fuse, her destructive
power is second to none. Picking a fight with her is akin to suicide.
And Aqua is an Archpriest of the Axis Cult. In other words,
nothing good can come out of getting involved with her.
“Oh, now an important-looking man managed to calm everything
down and led everyone inside. What should we do? I can’t see
through walls.”

151

“Rain said it’d be fine to leave them if they entered the castle,
right? So we have some free time now. Good work everyone–”
“Of course not!”
Lynn grabbed me by the collar and dragged me back as I tried to
leave.
Tsk, and here I thought I’d be able to have some fun.
“We’re keeping watch here until they come out.”
Following Taylor’s instructions, we set up camp nearby until
Kazuma and co. came back out. Even from this distance, it’s quite
obvious that Iris doesn’t seem too happy about what happened
inside.
“That girl came here to meet her betrothed, right? Did she have a
fight with him or something?”
“Who knows? All we are hired to do is watch over and protect
them. Her family situation or marriage prospects are none of our
business.”
In response to my flippant answer, my companions shot me a cold
gaze.
It’s your business if you want to sympathize with her, but this isn’t
something that we can interfere in. I am a little worried, but
Kazuma is with her, so it should be fine to leave it to him.
“…He could’ve phrased it better, but it’s just as Dust said. Let’s
continue tailing them.”

152

The party grudgingly accepted Taylor’s words and moved out after
Kazuma.
In the end, nothing particularly noteworthy happened today, and
we returned to the inn without any incidents.

↲

153

Chapter 2: Part 8 ↲

On the next day, only Kazuma and Iris went to visit the castle. The
other three were left to their own devices.
Loli Succubus went out with the rich old man to tour the city, so
she wasn’t with us today either.
“Right, we don’t have much time, so let’s get this over with.
Whoever wins in this game of rock-paper-scissors gets to decide
who to follow. Everyone’s fine with that, right?”
Everyone nodded in response.
And thus, the game to decide the fate of this entire day began.
“Yes! That means I’ll go with Kazuma for today.”
Taylor, the first one to win, said with a smile.
“Dammit, the easiest one has been taken right off the bat. That
leaves the other three… Aren’t they all duds?”
“Dust, even amongst those three, there are ones that are better
than others.”
“I have a really bad feeling about what will happen if I don’t win
the next round.”
Keith and Lynn seemed more serious than I’ve ever seen them
before.

154

True, out of those three, one of them is a little strange, but at least
has a shred of common sense.

“Right, let’s do this! Rock, paper…”

“Scissors!”

Mine was paper. Keith’s also brought out paper. And Lynn…
brought out scissors.

“Yes! Yes! I’ll be taking Darkness, then!”

“Damnit! Now the best of the worst has been taken too!”

“Great, now the only ones left are the Explosion Girl and the Party
Priest… It feels like a rock and a hard place…”

Lynn jumped up in joy, while Keith and me grew sullen.

Darkness is reckless and an unabashed pervert, but outside the
battlefield, she’s fairly sensible. As long as something doesn’t
trigger her masochism, she’s a pretty normal person.

“It feels like it doesn’t really matter who wins or loses this match.”

“What a coincidence, Keith. I feel the same way, but… There is
still a slight difference between one who creates one big problem,
and one who creates a lot of little problems in succession.”

“So it’s like a choice between taking one big hit, or swallowing a
poison that does minor damage over a long time…”

To be honest, neither of them appeal to me much.

155

And the result of my match with Keith is…
“The Explosion Girl, huh…”
The only one left was the Explosion girl.
Incidentally, even though Keith won, he didn’t seem particularly
happy either.

“Where is she even heading to?”
The Explosion Girl seemed to have a destination in mind, and
walked down the streets of the city without paying the slightest
attentions to any of the various casinos or street vendors lining
the side of it.
After exiting the city and walking for quite some distance, she
came to a deserted plain rich in greenery without a single man-
made building visible.
There’s a river flowing nearby, but I know she’s not the kind of
person who would travel all the way out here just to frolic in its
waters.
“That Kazuma, he really shouldn’t be leaving such a problem child
alone without supervision.”
“You just don’t get it. Lolis are cuter if they have a wild side to
them. She seems quite energetic today too.”

156

“Uwoah!?”
I was surprised to hear someone suddenly whisper by my ear, and
hastily turned around to find that priest I met the other day.
She had a dangerous look in her eyes and was drooling.
“W-Where did you come from?”
“I’ll be wherever Megumin-san goes. I’ve been waiting for a
chance to be with her alone ever since I saw her this morning!
Now, there isn’t anyone else around here, so it’ll be fine if I greet
her and grope her at the same time, right?”
“Hold on a minute.”
I grabbed the hand of the priest as she started walking in the
direction of Megumin.
“Eh, you’re hitting on me in this situation? I don’t hate forceful
people, but I’m not in the mood for it right now. Besides, I have
no interest in anyone who is neither handsome nor rich.”
“Who the hell would do something that ridiculous? I’m tailing her
right now, so if you went out there, I’d be exposed immediately.”
“Eh, you’re tailing a young girl… Are you a pervert?”
“Have you ever considered looking into a mirror? Anyway,
judging from what you said just now, you’re familiar with the
Explosion Girl, right?”

157

“We are close enough to get in the bath together. I suppose it’s not
an exaggeration to say that we are sisters connected in both body
and soul!”

She seemed really confident when she said that, but everything
about her sounds fishy.

I mean, in the first place, there’s no one in this world that would
take what an Axis Cultist says at face value.

“I don’t really know anything about sisters, but you two know
each other, huh… Say, would you mind waiting a little longer
before you greet her?”

“Why? I want to hug her right now and replenish my stocks of
lolinium!”

I always knew she was dangerous, but I never expected her to be
this far gone.

Personally, I don’t really care to pry too much into who the
Explosion Girl associates with, but it’d be really bad if our
presence is made known to Kazuma.

I’ll just have to think of an excuse to stop her.

“If you really must go, I won’t stop you, but are you really okay
with that? Where do you think she is right now? She’s alone by a
river… You know what I mean, right?”

“D-Don’t tell me, she’s going to relieve–”

“She’s going to play in the water.”

158

I forcibly interrupted before she could say something even more
perverted.

“That does change things. Okay, I’ll swallow my sadness and bear
with it.”

I really don’t think this is worth gritting your teeth and clenching
your fist over, but as long as she stays here, I don’t really care.

As the two of us continued to observe the Explosion Girl, she
proceeded to move further up the river.

Not too long after, we sighted a small fence in the far distance

“Oh, there’s a sign. Let’s see… Onion Duck ranch ahead, it says.
Come to think of it, I think I heard that this place is one of the
famous sightseeing spots in this city. Hmm? Say, is she fighting
with the ranchers?”

“If something’s happened, we should go out immediately!”

While being wary of the priest next to me, I focused my eyes on
what was going on.

The Explosion Girl was met by what appeared to be ranch workers
when she tried to approach.

I thought that we should move closer in order to make out what
they are saying, but before I could move, the screams of the
various ranch workers made their way over to me.

“She came here again! Everyone, hold her down!”

159

“Someone get the rope! And gag her too!”
“W-What are you doing!? Stop!”

160

161

They seem to be trying to restrain her, but she’s putting up a
pretty decent fight too.
“She might look like a kid, but she’s really strong! Ah, ow! Stop
struggling!”
“Don’t think of her as a child! Treat her like you would a blood-
lusted beast!”
A young girl being surrounded by a bunch of grown men.
Normally, seeing such a sight would make one think to help the
girl, but… Knowing her personality, there’s got to be a reason why
they are reacting like this.
“What are you doing to my Megumin! Hey, let go!”
I grabbed the hem of the priest’s robes to prevent her from
jumping out there.
“Don’t jump in now. If you want to save her, wouldn’t waiting for
her to be in a proper tough spot before jumping in make you look
cooler?”
“The beautiful priest who appears whenever you’re in danger.
That does have a pretty good ring to it. I like the way you think.”
I wanted to say something about a priest that acts only to serve
her own selfish interests, but she’s an Axis Cultist. By this point,
there’s really not much I can say to her.
Still, why is the Explosion Girl getting treated like this?

162

If I had known this would happen, I would’ve ask Keith for more
details about what she did yesterday. Even if I wanted to save her,
I couldn’t without revealing that we’re here.
“Let’s observe for a little while more before doing anything.”
We moved closer until we are able to clearly hear everything they
were saying.
“I can’t believe you would dare show your face here today too!
After killing the onion ducks that we put our heart and soul into
raising…!”
“It’s only common sense to unleash an Explosion on a herd of
onion ducks if you see them!”
“I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous idea before!”
I see, so that earthquake and boom I heard yesterday was the
Explosion Girl unleashing her spell on this ranch, huh?
Onion ducks taste good and are rich in experience points, so they
are indeed the best sort of prey for an adventurer, but still, one
wouldn’t normally attack onion ducks that others are raising.
“Are these onion ducks not raised just so that they could be
defeated? In that case, rather than being defeated by nameless
nobles or adventurers, to meet their end at the hands of The
Wielder of Explosion Magic, The Great Mage Megumin is
something to be celebrated!”
“They are definitely crying in the other world!”

163

The Explosion Girl flared her cape and proudly boasted even
though she was in the wrong. Well, I guess she wouldn’t change
her personality just because she came to another city.

Right, I’ve decided, there’s no need to bail her out.

No matter where you are coming from, the ranch workers did
nothing wrong. Just leave her be.

“If you are asking for compensation, that man should’ve paid up
already.”

“Ah, yeah, that man was sniffling when he forked over the cash…”

So that guy who tried to hit on her ended up with the bill, huh?
Those guys sure have it tough.

“Please just go home already. We don’t want to get involved with
you any further.”

“Hmph, are you sure you should be saying that? I got some pocket
money from Darkness today, so I have enough to pay for a few
onion ducks.”

“You’re still unsatisfied even after blowing away so many ducks
yesterday… You know what, nevermind, just do as you wish. Once
you are done, never come back here again.”

After being reluctantly released by the ranch workers, the
Explosion Girl happily started chasing after the surviving onion
ducks.

Somebody go get Kazuma…

164

“Megumin-san looks like she’s having fun. Fufu, maybe I should
join in too.”
“You’ll just make things more complicated, so don’t. Also, weren’t
you looking for someone?”
“Ah… but, rather than searching for Zesta-sama, don’t you think
it’s more important to burn Megumin-san’s frolicing form into my
brain?”
“I don’t think so at all. I’ll tell you the inn that she’s staying at, so
if you want to pay her a visit, please do it later. That blue-haired
priest from the Axis Cult is also staying there.”
If she were to make contact with her now, it would make it hard
for me to continue tailing Kazuma’s party, so I made such a
suggestion to her.
When I did so, her eyes lit up in response.
“Aqua-sama is here too?”
“Yeah, she is. So you do know her after all. Well, there aren’t that
many people in the Axis Cult.”
“That’s a different story… I’ll go look for Zesta-sama!”
She immediately gave up on the Explosion Girl and vanished
somewhere.
I really don’t get what goes through the head of an Axis Cultist.

165

↲

166

Chapter 2: Part 9 ↲

By the time the Explosion Girl was satisfied with taking out the
remaining onion ducks and headed back to the inn, Kazuma and
the others were already there waiting for her.
According to Taylor, Darkness was wandering around town asking
about something, while the Party Priest blew all her money away
at a casino.
They didn’t seem to be up to anything at night, so we managed to
rest up too.
After that, Kazuma and Iris made regular trips to the castle,
leaving the other three to their own devices. Nothing of particular
note happened since then, and thus, the days passed.
…Though occasionally, cheers and screams and roars could be
heard coming from the castle.
And, just as I was getting used to this hassle-free, tourist-like life,
on a day much like the few that preceded it, Kazuma and Iris
returned back to the inn.
“Kazuma seems to be in a really foul mood. I think he’s saying
something like ‘I’ll never forgive him!’ And the little lady seems
quite depressed. Even when Kazuma is talking to her, she still
seems to be a million miles away.”
Keith, who’s in charge of observing Kazuma for today, said as he
stumbled through the door.

167

“Say, is she really just here to meet her fiancée? Doesn’t this seem
suspicious to you?”
“That’s what our client said, so we don’t have a choice but to trust
her, do we? Even if there’s something deeper to this, it’s not like
we can do anything about it. More importantly, what should we
do after this?”
Our job is to keep an eye on Kazuma and his team and protect
Iris. Even if this incident turns out to be vital to the Kingdom of
Belzerg, there’s no reason for us to interfere.
There’s not much a mere adventurer can do anyways. Keeping an
eye on the Princess at night is the extent of what we can do.
Besides, she seems like she already has someone in her heart, so
all I can do is leave things in the hands of my good friend.
“Kazuma occasionally does something ridiculous, so to be honest,
I’m a little worried about him.”
“He normally acts pretty sensible, but when he wants to do
something, he really doesn’t hold back.”
I can see why Taylor and Lynn would be worried.
He did destroy the walls of Axel and blew up the mansion of a
noble in the past. Not to mention that stunt he pulled stealing
Darkness away just as she was about to be married to Alderp.
It wouldn’t be surprising if he pulled off something equally
amazing here. Actually, he has already done some pretty amazing
things.

168

“Why don’t we have someone sneak into the other inn and snoop
around for some information?”
“In that case, how about I go? I haven’t thanked you guys for
bringing me all the way here, after all. My magic might not be off
much use in combat, but I think it’ll be off great use in this case.”
I wanted to leave everything to Loli Succubus who enthusiastically
volunteered herself, but for some reason, I ended up going with
her.

“Why do I have to sneak in here too?”
“That’s because you’ve been sneaking off to the casinos while you
were supposed to be on watch duty these past few nights. And you
even used up the funds we were planning to cover our return trip.”
I grumbled while standing in the shadow of the expensive-looking
inn that Kazuma and his crew were staying at, and Loli Succubus
exasperatedly said.
“I couldn’t help it! It’s the casino’s fault for being there!”
“Don’t you have any self-control at all?”
“Not at all! Just do what you want, and skeeve on what you don’t
want! That’s how a man lives his life!”
“Apologize to all the men in the world!”

169

Ignoring Loli Succubus who’s raising a fuss, I looked up towards
the building.
It definitely looks several times more opulent than the inn that we
are staying at.
“They tell me to sneak inside, but this doesn’t seem like it’d be an
easy place to get into unnoticed. Now, what should I do…? Ah, I
know, let’s set a fire somewhere further away and sneak in while
they are distracted. I’ll leave that to you.”
“No, I am not doing that!”
I left the most important part of the operation to her, but the
person in question raised her fist and angrily objected.
“I already have something in mind, so leave it to me. This will get
us inside in a snap, so just follow me.”
Saying that, she confidently walked up to the front door and
entered.
“H-Hey, they’ll throw you out!”
Before the echoes from my voice even faded, a bunch of men that
seemed to be acting as security for the inn appeared in front of us.
See, I told you!
“Good evening~”
But Loli Succubus simply greeted them with a cheery smile on her
face. Just what is she thinking?

170

“Oh, there you are. Did you go out to play in the city today too?”
The walls behind those men parted, revealing the old man that I
got into a fierce battle with back in the casino the other day.
Was he staying here too?
“Yeah, I was. I brought my friend Dust-san together with me
today. Is that okay?”
“No, I don’t mind. I’ll welcome any friend of yours, Lolisa… Oh,
that guy who was at the casino, huh? This old man doesn’t think
highly about hanging out with delinquents. Lolisa-chan, you
should learn to choose your friends better.”
Don’t look at me with such a distasteful gaze.
“Yes, I’ll keep that in mind. Have you been sleeping well lately?”
“Yeah, thanks to you. Every time I talk with you, I always end up
having a good dream, so I’ve been sleeping like a baby lately.
Thank you for your concern.”
The way he’s smiling and his gentle tone makes him seem just like
a grandpa interacting with his granddaughter.
When did they get this close?
“Dust-san was whining about wanting to see the insides of such a
big mansion up close, so do you think you can let him take a
tour?”

171

Loli Succubus placed a finger on her cheek and asked in an
exceedingly cute voice.
I really want to say something, but it’ll jeopardize my job, so I
simply kept silent.
“Of course, of course. I’ll have a talk with the owner of this inn, so
feel free to poke around. I’ll give you some pocket money too.”
“Thanks, uncle! I love you!”
The old man’s face practically melted when Loli Sucucbus hugged
him.
Even as she is, she’s still a succubus. I’m honestly quite impressed
by how easily she’s able to wrap men around her finger.
Now that we are given leave to freely explore the place, we
naturally wandered over to where Kazuma’s room was and placed
our ears against the door.
They seemed to be having a fairly loud argument, so we had no
issues making out their words from the door.
“–So, that’s why I want to show that shitty brat what for.”
“Well said, well said, Kazuma. The only thing Elroad is good for is
earning money, so where do they get off looking down on
Belzerg!? I’ll beat that kid to death for exposing Iris-sama so such
humiliation!”
That’s Kazuma and Darkness. They don’t sound very pleased.

172

I think I managed to piece together most of what’s happening by
listening at the door.
Iris was originally engaged with the first prince of Elroad, Levi,
but he broke up the engagement on his end. On top of that, he was
also planning on stopping the financial aid that Elroad was
providing to Belzerg. And he also made comments mocking Iris,
which really pissed Kazuma off.
The chancellor was saying something about them being low on
funds, but from what I can see in the city, they certainly don’t
seem to be a country that’s going through any sort of financial
hardship.
…There seems to be something deeper going on in the
background, but that doesn’t really have anything to do with us.
“U-Um, from what they are saying, Alice-san’s true name is
actually Iris, and they are speaking of her as though she is royalty,
but… there’s no way that can be the case, right?”
“You aren’t mistaken at all. Keep this between us, alright?”
“Eeh!?”
I hastily covered Loli Succubus’s mouth before she could let out a
squeak.
“We really don’t want to get involved with international matters,
so don’t tell anyone else about this, alright? If things go really
wrong, our heads might roll.”
She nodded repeatedly, so I judged that it was fine to release her.

173

“Dust-san, did you know? …You’re not about to blackmail them to
pay you money to keep that secret, are you!?”
Stop fearfully edging away from me.
“I’m not foolish enough to make an enemy out of the kingdom. I
learnt about this when I got involved with her a while back. Well,
I’m pretending like I don’t know. You probably should too. It’s for
the best.”
“Yeah, of course. I never wanted to know this.”
Now then, what should I do?
These guys get up to stupid stuff on an almost daily basis, but
normally, Kazuma is there to stop them from going too far. But
this time, Kazuma himself is on board with it, which makes things
especially dangerous.
“Right, let’s go back to where the others are.”
We quickly left the inn and met up with my companions, where I
quickly conveyed the important points of what they were up to.
“So Kazuma and his party are about to lose it because the little
lady’s fiancée looked down on her, right? It’s not like I don’t get
where they are coming from, but even so, isn’t this going too far?”
“They are planning to unleash an explosion at midnight so
Kazuma can make use of that distraction to sneak in and threaten
the prince? That’s absolutely a crime, isn’t it?”

174

“We really should stop them, but if they learn that we are here, we
would be going against the requirements of the quest.”
My companions hurriedly discussed amongst each other. Still,
something has been bothering me for a while.
Yeah, I’m worried after hearing about their plan, but it’s not quite
the same thing.
“If we were back at Axel, casting Explosion at midnight would just
make everyone a little angry…”
It finally clicked after hearing what Loli Succubus grumbled under
her breath.
“Oh, yeah, of course. This is Elroad. It’ll probably be fine.”
My companions shot me some extremely doubtful gazes as I said
that.

From our vantage point near the gates, Keith used his Farsight
skill to observe Kazuma and his party at a distance as they headed
outside the city.

“Those guys just moved to the top of a small hill. Hey, are they
really going to do this? Megumin’s starting to chant!”

Following Keith’s gaze, I spotted a strange shimmering light
shining in the dark.

That’s the light of Explosion magic!

175

“Cover your ears!”
Just as I managed to move my hands up, a loud boom resonated
in the distance, followed by a shockwave that buffeted both us and
the walls of the city.
“W-What was that!?”
Just as the soldiers by the gates started milling around in a panic,
I adopted a frantic voice and demeanour and called out to them.
“H-Help me! There’s some crazy people throwing some really
powerful magic around just beyond that hill!”
“What!? Where exactly!? Tell me more details!”
I directed the soldiers towards where Kazuma and his party were.
As I looked out over their backs, for some reason, Kazuma’s party
came charging back towards the city, followed by a large horde of
undead creatures.
“See? There’s nothing to worry about.”
I turned towards my companion who were watching everything
unfold with stony expressions and said.
“This isn’t Axel. If you unleash an explosion at night, of course the
guards would sally out. Though I don’t know why that horde of
undead is chasing them… Anyway, if they get thrown into jail,
they won’t be able to get up to any stupid things, so let’s go back
and get some sleep.”

176

My companions soon fell asleep, mentally drained by the chaotic
night that just unfolded. Once they did, I snuck out from my
room.
I’ve been staying put since I didn’t have any money on me, but it’s
fine to go out for some fun today, right?
In Axel, most stores would close once the sun goes down, but
that’s not the case in Elroad.
The city of casinos never sleeps. Even though it was the middle of
the night, the streets still shimmered with the lights of a thousand
buildings.
“I’ve got plenty of funds here too.”
In my hands was a small bag of gold coins. The old man that was
so smitten with Loli Succubus gave them to me, asking me to pass
it on to “Lolisa.”
If I use this as seed money and increase it by several times before
passing it on, Loli Succubus wouldn’t complain.
“Well, I kinda feel sorry for Kazuma and the others who got
thrown in jail, but I’m going to have some fun now! I can’t go back
to the casino I used before, so how about here?”
If I win big, I’ll go secure us some better accommodations after
giving Loli Succubus what I owed her.

177

The floor beneath me is made out of cold stones. In front of me lay
a row of rusty iron bars.
The only things in this musty smelling room is a chain that
connects to the wall and a dirty toilet.
I stared blankly at the lights shining from beyond the bars as I
tried to clear the pounding from my head.
“…What the hell is this!?”
Right now, I’m in a jail cell.

↲

178

A Breakout for That Boss
Chapter 3: Part 1 ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editing: Ulti

This room was larger than the ones I’ve gotten used to back in
Axel.
However, because of the low ceiling and the lack of any windows,
it felt more oppressive.
“Why am I in jail?”
By this point in time, being stuck in a cell doesn’t phase me at all,
but the thing is that I just don’t remember why I’m here.
“If I recall, I got drunk, played a few games in the casino… and
lost… then I noticed the dealer was a beautiful woman and started
complaining and hitting on her, then the guards came in shouting
something about ‘This is one of the guys we were warned about!’,
but that’s all I can remember. I have no idea how I got here.”
“Isn’t that precisely why?”
A man’s voice responded when I started speaking out loud.
That voice came from cell directly opposite mine. It was dark, so I
couldn’t see very well, but I could make out the silhouette of
someone if I squinted.
“So there was someone else here? Did you run amok in the casino
too?”

179

“No, no, I was merely enlightening those who lost at the casinos to
the wonders of life. ‘If you are worried about something, just
simply enjoy life. Stop holding yourself back and let yourself be
swept away by your true desires.’ With that, I encouraged them to
go for another shot.”
“…Hmm?”
I feel like I’ve heard this line somewhere before.
“I was merely preaching about the doctrines, but the families of
those who understood my words started flooding the city with
complaints about me. ‘My husband became an idiot!’ ‘He lost
everything in gambling and started saying some really strange
things!’ and the like. All utterly baseless, of course…”
“It feels pretty grounded to me…”
“They most likely were just trying to pick a fight after seeing how
respected I am by those who listened.”
I’m convinced after hearing his baselessly confident voice, I’m
convinced.
This guy is definitely…
“You’re from the Axis Cult, aren’t you?”
“Oh, I’m glad you can tell. You must have a good eye for people.”
“Anyone would be able to tell that. How long have you spent in
here?”

180

“Hmm, I would say it has been around two weeks or so. Still, it’s
really great that you’re here. The guard only ever shows up when
it’s time for dinner, and he never says much, so I’ve had nothing
but free time on my hands. Neglect play is nice on occasion, but
I’m more of a fan of the forward type. Female teachers are highly
rated too.”
Nobody asked about your prefered type.
Still, this man has been here for two weeks? I didn’t expect that.
“I heard in town that there aren’t that many criminals here, so the
jail has become a facility for holding onto drunks and the
penniless. That’s why I went overboard back then. Dammit, they
really got me this time!”
“I’ve heard the same thing, but apparently, this isn’t the place they
use for petty offenders, but a special cell where they place
frequent troublemakers. It seems like the prime minister had this
place built in secret.”
I see. It wouldn’t be unusual for there to be people who start
rampaging after losing their money, or those who come here
seeking to prey on the rich and guileless. Elroad is well known for
its riches, after all. There are plenty of people out there who’d seek
to take advantage of it.
“Still,why are they treating me like some kind of heinous
criminal? I just got drunk and hit on a girl. In Axel, they would
just throw me into the cells for a day or two and give me a
lecture.”

181

“Indeed. There’s a critical lack of compassion in this city. What a
sad state of affairs. I must spread the teachings of the Axis Cult in
this city and get everyone to live free and happy lives.”
“Don’t do that. We don’t need another city like Alcanretia.”
I really suffered when I visited the city that the Axis Cult are using
as their headquarters, Alcanretia.
That city would drive you crazy just by being there long enough.
Even if you paid me, I would never go back there again.
“Oh, you’re familiar with Alcanretia? You know, I’m the guy at the
top of the Axis Cult that makes its base there. I’m Zesta. Pleasure
to meet you.”
Saying that, the man walked up to the iron bars, revealing the Axis
Cult robes that he was wearing.
So this guy really is the boss of that troublemaking group?
He looks just like a boring old man to me, but… Something feels
off. I really doubt that his entire behavior so far has been just an
act, but, how do I put it… No, no, I’m thinking too much. I’m
probably just imagining it.
“You’re Zesta? There was a female priest looking for you, you
know?”
“Is that so? That must be Cecily-san, or perhaps Tristan-san. Still,
it would seem that my following has been quite worried about me
after I vanished.”

182

Perhaps being touched, he clasped his hands together and offered
a prayer to the heavens.
I think I’ll keep how she gave up on searching for him and lost
herself in the casinos to myself.
“Worried, huh… It’d be one thing if I was just here for a day, but
those guys will surely get up in arms if I were to be gone for a
while. Sigh, when I make it back, Taylor and Lynn will definitely
talk my ear off.”
“My people at the church are worried about me, so perhaps it’s
time I considered breaking out of here. I’m starting to get bored of
the place anyways.”
That said, I have nothing on me right now that would help me get
out of a cell. I would like to confirm the situation with the guards,
but the only person visible to me right now is this robe-wearing
priest.
Seems like there’s nothing I can do at the moment.
Just as I thought that, the click clack of heels could be heard
making its way down the corridor.
“Are you the one who was carried here last night?”
The one who appeared was a sharp-eyed woman who wore her red
hair in a ponytail.
She’s certainly pretty, but she had that same aura as that
prosecutor I ran into back in Axel in the past.

183

“Normally, you would’ve been thrown into a normal cell, but there
were particularly many people who got drunk or caused trouble
yesterday, so you were moved here instead.”
Is she talking about Kazuma’s crew?
“Oh, so that’s why. You really scared me for a moment there. So,
you’ll be releasing me soon, right?”
“Well, we’ll be questioning you, but as long as nothing suspicious
pops up, that’ll be fine. This is a magic item that detects lies. We’ll
be asking you questions, so please answer honestly.”
The woman placed a bell on the old beat up looking desk at the
center of the corridor,
That’s the same annoying item that I’ve run into several times in
the past. It rings whenever a lie is told in its presence, so it’s really
annoying.
If she had such an item on her, then she must be a prosecutor like
Sena.
“Getting interrogated by such a beauty is kind of a reward on its
own…”
Zesta was saying something.
The prosecutor glanced at him, but said nothing. Though her face
did scrunch up for a moment.
“Sure, go ahead. I have nothing to hide, after all.”

184

Ring.
“I haven’t even asked anything yet.”
This damned magic item!
The prosecutor stared at me
“Ahem. Let’s start again. What’s your name?”
“Dust.”
…The bell on the item trembled for a moment, but soon stilled.
“Huh? That’s a strange reaction. Is it a malfunction?”
This is why I hate this item.
“Couldn’t you ask other questions to see if it’s really broken?”
“I suppose so. Now then, you are the one who performed
perverted and violent actions in that casino last night. That is
correct, yes?”
“Hey, now, all I did was get up to some light skinship with that
lady. It’s not uncommon to touch someone’s chest or hands by
accident after having a few drinks. Have you never brushed up
against someone else’s hand by accident?”
“Does that include repeatedly trying to lay hands on her?”
“…Wasn’t it just a coincidence?”

185

“According to the complaints from the victim, you touched her
chest and butt several times.”
“…No comment.”
Dammit, why are all prosecutors such sticklers for details?
“Anyway, you’re making a big deal about the violence. I just
shoved them once or twice with my fist. In Axel, they would just
beat each other up and throw out the loser.”
The prosecutor glanced at the bell, but it remained silent.
“In Alcanretia, the police would just let you off with a lecture. It’s
certainly nothing worth blowing up over.”
The prosecutor once again turned towards the bell after hearing
Zesta’s words, but it still remained silent.
“…Is the town you come from considered a lawless area? The
other people who we arrested told us the same thing about Axel
just a short while ago.”
“That’s rude. Law and order is properly enforced back there. Even
when an adventurer breaks down the walls or blows up the
mansion of a noble, they would be properly brought in and
charged.”
“A-An adventurer? Wasn’t that the work of the Demon King’s
army?”
The prosecutor nervously looked towards the bell, but, once again,
it remained resolutely silent.

186

It’s the truth, after all.

“Just what are the adventurers of Axel… W-well, it had similar
strange results shortly earlier, so maybe it might really be broken.
Anyway, Dust-san, was it? You only committed some minor
crimes, so we’ll be moving you to a regular cell now.”

“Of course. I haven’t the slightest why you would keep me here!”

“Isn’t that great, Dust-san? By the way, how long do you intend to
keep me here? I too was brought here because of some kind of
mistake, so if you want to apologize, now is your only chance. If
you admit your mistake, then step on me while apologizing like a
tsundere.”

Zesta crawled on the ground as he made that request of the
prosecutor.

The prosecutor herself hurriedly rushed to cover her skirt before
taking a few steps back.

“Y-You’ve been put here under the direct order of Ragcraft-sama
himself! I don’t know the details, but just what did you do?”

“Well, you see…”

“You don’t have the clearance for that information.”

As Zesta puffed his chest out and started to brag about what
happened, a sharp dressed man suddenly interrupted him.

Where did he come from?

187

“Ragcraft-sama!”

The prosecutor snapped to attention and gave that man a salute.

So this is the much talked about prime minister. From what I’ve
heard at the casino, the king of the country is a fool, but the prime
minister is fairly skilled. The one who’s really in charge isn’t the
king, but the prime minister.

For such a man to pay a visit personally… Just what did Zesta do?

“I would like to have some words with this person, so please leave
us.”

“Yes, of course! My apologies!”

With another quick salute, the prosecutor left down the corridor.

After confirming that the door has been closed, Ragcraft turned
back to face Zesta.

“According to the reports, you are the head of the Axis Cult and a
high level Archpriest. Of all things, it had to be the Axis Cult…
sigh~”

I couldn’t help but sympathize with him when he let out such a
deep sigh.

Nothing good ever comes out of meeting the Axis Cult.

“Do you remember when we met while I was inspecting the
casinos?”

188

“Of course. I was soliciting followers like usual, when you came up
to me and made some impossible requests of me.”
“I just asked you to stop soliciting inside the casino. It’s a simple
matter… Leaving that aside, I won’t let you say that you forgot
what you told me after that.”
They were having their own conversation while completely
ignoring me, but I’m a little interested in where this is headed, so
I kept quiet.
“Well, now, did I happen to say anything that got on your nerves?
All I recall is proposing that the Axis Cult be made the state
religion of Elroad.”
“That wouldn’t happen even if the heavens were to descend to
earth, but nevermind that. Do you really not recall what you said
after that? You’re not playing dumb, are you?”
So he’s just holding a grudge over some insult he made.
Sigh, it seems like all nobles really are such petty individuals.
Well, apart from Darkness. She’ll probably be more happy if you
insult her.
“Ah, now that I think about it, I did say ‘All the money lost in this
place is going to the Demon King’s army’, and ‘You’re a part of the
Demon King’s army’, didn’t I?”
“So you do remember. The people present merely took it as the
ramblings of an Axis Cultist, so nothing came off it, but I suppose

189

I should be praising you. To think that the leader of the Axis Cult
could deduce my true identity.”
…Did he just say something weird? ‘My true identity’?
What the hell is this Ragcraft guy saying?
“True identity? …I’m simply blaming the Demon King for any lost
games in a casino. Though, this seems quite interesting, so let’s
keep going with it.”
And now what is this seedy old man muttering? I don’t think
Ragcraft heard the words that he was muttering under his breath,
but I definitely heard them loud and clear.
“Thank you for your praise. It would seem that our teachings are
not mistaken after all. It’s a core doctrine of the Axis Cult that any
misfortune can be blamed squarely upon the shoulders of the
Demon King.”
“It’s because you people keep saying that that bad rumours of the
Demon King continue to spread! The Demon King isn’t that sort
of person at all!”
Ragcraft seems to think quite highly of the Demon King. It’s
almost as if he has some personal connection to him.
Combined with those words he said earlier… don’t tell me, this is
actually a conspiracy?
No, wait, hold on, I have a really bad feeling about this. If my
deductions are right, hearing anything further would be really
dangerous!

190

“Oh, my, is it really okay for someone in your position to make
such a statement? It’s almost as if you really are a member of the
Demon King’s army.”
Zesta has been smiling all this while, but this time, his smile
didn’t reach his eyes.
“It seems like there’s been some kind of misunderstanding, but
the Axis Cult really are a troublesome bunch. Very well, allow me
to enlighten you. You’ll be spending the rest of your life in this
cell, after all. The truth is…”
Hey, wait a minute, don’t say anything more!
“I’m the leader of the Demon King’s information department, the
doppelganger Ragcraft!”
I hurried to cover my ears, but I didn’t make it in time.
I just learnt something really dangerous. I never asked for this!
“I knew it, my eyes weren’t mistaken! Everything up till now has
been an act to draw that line out of you! I knew you smelt of
demons!”
He was striking a cool pose and pointing triumphantly at him, but
that’s definitely a lie! Just looking at that self-satisfied face of
yours makes it completely obvious! You just wanted to say that!
“Not bad, Archpriest of the Axis Cult. It doesn’t seem like that
skull of yours is completely stuffed with cotton. Sadly, I’ll have to
leave you there for now. A more pressing problem has arisen that

191

I have to deal with. But sit tight, I’ll come back to deal with you
once that has been taken care of.”

After saying that, Zesta turned around.

And, right in his path was me, so of course, our eyes met.

His eyes widened in shock, and I waved and smiled as a greeting.

“Crap, there was someone else being held here? Well, you just
have bad luck, it seems. There’s no way I can let you go free after
hearing all of that.”

After hearing such words, my cheerful smile turned into a wry
one.

And seeing that, Zesta gently smiled at me and said.

“Don’t let it get to you.”

“Stop fucking with me! It’s your own careless mistake, so why are
you making me pay for it! I’m not involved in this at all! Let me
out!”

“…Well, err, I’m terribly sorry that you found out about my true
identity, but… Farewell!”

Was all Ragcraft said before he beat a swift retreat.

“Don’t run away! Klutzes aren’t cute at all when it’s a guy! Hey,
come back here!”

My voice echoed off the walls of the empty corridor.

192

Are you serious? I didn’t even want to know this in the first place,
and you’re really going to drag me in because you couldn’t stop
yourself from monologuing?
“I really didn’t expect to uncover such a secret just by playing
along with what he’s saying. This must be the guidance of the
great Aqua-sama.”
“She just seems like a goddess of misfortune to me! What should
we do? To think that the prime minister of Elroad is actually a
member of the Demon King’s army… ”
I didn’t want to know this, but now that I do, I can’t just pretend I
never heard it.
I took a few deep breaths to calm myself down.
“Well, it wouldn’t do any good to panic.”
After calming down, the first thing that came to mind was the
safety of Kazuma and his party.
If the supposed fiancée of Princess Iris really is someone under
the control of the Demon King’s army, it’d be a really dire
situation indeed.
That “more pressing problem” that Ragcraft mentioned is
definitely referring to Princess Iris.
I’m not exactly in a good spot either, but Kazuma is in an even
deeper trouble. I really should do something, but what?

193

“You seem to be troubled. Would you care to share your thoughts?
I’m used to listening to confessions and guiding others onto the
path of repentance.”
“And whose fault do you think it is?! The one who should be
repenting is you!”
Zesta was looking at me through the iron bars with sparkling eyes.
He seems to be enjoying this situation, but I must be imagining it.
“You are acting as though this doesn’t concern you, but your
position is even worse than mine, you know? At this rate, you’ll
definitely be killed.”
“If I die, I won’t be able to continue my mission of spreading the
Axis faith. I still haven’t had my fill of life yet, so this wouldn’t do.
Plus, there’s no way I can let a demon go free… Say, this just
leaves us one course of action. That’s right, it’s time to stage a
jailbreak!”
“You say that like it’s a simple matter… But I suppose that’s the
only thing we can do. If we can prove that Ragcraft is involved
with Demon King, we’ll most likely be forgiven for breaking out of
jail. It’s a chance worth betting on.”
The two of us started examining every nook and corner of our
respective cells.
There aren’t any windows, and the only thing in the cell is a toilet.
The iron bars are rusty, but they still seem pretty tough. No
matter how much I pull or push on it, they didn’t budge an inch.

194

“You know, there’s an old trick where you piss or sweat on the
iron bars in order to get them to rust and weaken. Ideally, I’d get a
girl to do it, but… do you prefer sweat or piss?”
“Both methods will take way too long! And stop telling me about
your fetishes! In the first place, we don’t have the time to fool
around. If I don’t get word to Kazuma soon, their lives would be at
risk.”
“Did you just mention Kazuma-sama just now?”
Zesta pressed his face up to the iron bars and asked with a serious
expression.
The carefree demeanour that he was sporting up till now was
nowhere to be found.
“Y-Yeah. Do you know my friend, Kazuma?”
“I’m very familiar with that name. More importantly, did anyone
accompany him here?”
“There’s Alice, and then there’s just his usual party. The Explosion
Girl, the Masochistic Crusader, and the Party Priest.”
“Is… that so? If Aqua-sama is involved in this matter, then it
seems that I must treat this matter seriously.”
The priest placed his hands together and started muttering
something incomprehensible while sporting a serious look that
doesn’t suit him at all.

195

I can never tell what this man is thinking, so it’s best not to expect
too much from him.
I started systematically tapping on the walls in hopes of finding a
weak spot to break through, but it turned out to be extremely
boring work.
“So, what are you doing in Elroad in the first place? Just to spread
the Axis faith?”
To ease my boredom, I started a conversation with Zesta who was
crouched on the floor and doing something I can’t make out right
now.
“Well, that’s part of it. You see, the Axis Cult has someone that we
are secretly observing… watching over… protecting from the
shadows. We received information that that person would be
heading to Elroad, and I volunteered to head out here because I
thought I could play all I want at the casinos that this country is so
famous for.”
“It’s a little hypocritical coming from me, but you really are true to
your desires…”
“That’s what the Axis faith is.”
Hearing him proudly say that, I was momentarily attracted to the
Axis Cult.
Still, who is this person that the Axis Cult is secretly keeping
watch over? For such a haphazard organization to be worried
about them, they must be either a really strange or really pitiful
person.

196

After that, we examined every bit of wall and floor that’s within
our reach in silence, but I found nothing that could be of help in
getting us out of here.

↲

197

Chapter 3: Part 2 ↲

It’s hard to tell how much time has passed since the sunlight
doesn’t make its way down here, but several hours must have
passed, for someone delivered food to us.
The guard who brought it had a mask of complete stoicism on his
face.
“Say, isn’t there any way you could let us go? That prime minister
is an underling of the Demon King, you know? If you continue
aiding him, you’ll be treated like a member of the Demon King’s
army and dealt with as such.”
Any normal person would be given pause at hearing those words,
but he didn’t react at all. He didn’t even look at me as he passed
the food through the door, and no matter what I said, he simply
stood there silently.
“Oh, fine, I’ve really got to respect you dedication to your work. If
you hear me out, I’ll introduce you to a store where some pretty
ladies can make your wildest dreams come… Hey, where are you
going!? Listen to me!”
The guard ignored my yells and left.
“Dust-san, you’re wasting your effort. That person seems to be a
demon too. It’s best to think of this entire prison as Ragcraft’s
personal territory. More importantly, tell me more about those
ladies that’ll make my wildest dreams come true!”
“Why are you falling for it instead!?”

198

“Is there really such a store that can make men’s dreams come
true!? My dream is to be surrounded by women of all stripes,
other than demons, and have them look at each other with
jealousy while fighting for my affection! Can they really give me
such a harem-like dream!?”
Zesta excitedly pressed himself up against the bars, and some of
his spittle fell into my cell as he ranted.
“Don’t get that excited! What I said just now was just a bluff! If
there really is such a great place, I wouldn’t be here right now!”
Introducing a priest to the succubus shop probably isn’t a great
idea.
“Y… Yeah, of course…”
He immediately slumped his shoulders like the life just got
knocked out of him.
“Well, getting worked up isn’t going to help our situation, so let’s
eat up. I don’t quite feel like starving to death.”
The food they delivered was unexpectedly decent, so I decided to
dig in, but a thought occurred to me just before I could shovel the
first spoonful of food into my mouth.
“They didn’t poison this food, did they?”
“Even if they did, I can nullify poison, so rest assured.”

199