KonoSuba Continued, Explosions! Volume 2

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KonoSuba Continued, Explosions!

Volume 2: Selfish Busters

Written by Natsume Akatsuki; Translated by Cannongerbil

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1: Rain upon the Capital!
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

Chapter 2: Lighting Over Alcanretia! (Part 1)
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8

Chapter 3: Lighting Over Alcanretia! (Part 2)
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6

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Chapter 4: A Cutting Light in this Forest of Beasts!
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8

Chapter 5: An Explosion for this Jeweled Beast!
• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4

Epilogue
Afterword
Translator Note
Short Story 1: The Occasionally Serious Mascot Suit Count
Short Story 2: Little Megu-tan dolls
Short Story 3: The Will of the Goddess Eris

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Prologue ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editor: Ulti

“Let’s go on an adventure! Let’s go on an adventure! Let’s go on an
adventure! Let’s go on an adventure already!”
“No way! No way! No way! It’s raining today, so leave that
business to some other day! Come on, learn from Aqua a little.
She’s been in a carefree mood the entire day even in this weather.”
I’d thought that Megumin had become more sensible and mature
recently, but she’s been throwing a tantrum since this morning.
“A rainy day seems to be a day of giving thanks for the Axis
Cultists. Plus, Aqua is always carefree.”
Aqua, who has been sitting by the window and humming a song to
herself all this time, said,
“Hey, don’t make it sound like I’m some kind of airhead without a
single care in the world. If I feel like it, I can turn Axel into a
lakeside town, you know? If you don’t want this town to turn into
a sanctuary of the Axis Cult that’s known to be the residence of the
goddess… That actually doesn’t sound too bad. I can take a nice
nap in the lake when it gets hot in the summer.”
“If you actually do that, I’m going to scatter giant frog eggs all
throughout the lake.”
Darkness, who was knitting something by the sofa, put what she
was working on onto the table and said,

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“I know it’s only natural to feel restless because of the frequent
rains as of late, but it isn’t too bad to spend some time lazing
around at home every so often, right? I’ll go with you on your
daily routine later, Megumin, so just relax and take it easy until
the rain ends.”
With that, she lifted up Chomusuke, who had been pawing at the
threads left on the table, up onto her lap.
“Hey, Darkness, I won’t let you badmouth the rain in front of me.
And what are you messing around with over there? If you want a
rag, I’ll whip one up in a snap, so hand it over.”
“It’s not a rag, I’m making a scarf…Ah!”
Aqua snatched the half knitted item off the table before Darkness
could finish.
“Uggh… Having the product of my efforts be seen as a rag hurts,
but losing to Aqua in terms of feminine skills is even worse…”
Watching the mysterious item that she had been working on for
the past few days be turned into a rag within moments by Aqua
brought tears to Darkness’s eyes.
Just then, Megumin slammed her palm against the table.
“Listen up, Kazuma! We are adventurers, you know!? What kind
of adventurers are we to hole ourselves up inside just because of a
little rain!?”
“Just a little rain? I can’t let that slide. How about I make it rain in
the Crimson Demon village year round?”

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“The Crimson Demons know magic that can influence the
weather! Such threats won’t work on me!”
Aqua suddenly jumped in with a challenge and Megumin readily
bit back with one of her own.
“What’s with you? You are surprisingly worked up today. At least
save it for after the rainy season is over. I’ll go with you on an
adventure or whatever once it’s over.”
“… Really? The rainy season will be over in just a few more days,
you know?”
Towards a Megumin who stared me down with suspicious eyes, I
could only…
“When the rainy season is over next year…”
“There’s still plenty of this year left! Come on, I’ll give you these
discount coupons that I got from a restaurant if you come with
me!”
Growing exasperated, Megumin produced a pair of coupons from
her thin wallet and dangled them in front of me.
Megumin is probably the only person in the entire world who
would fall for such a bribe.
“Hey, Megumin. Come join me and observe this mysterious
mushroom that’s growing by the window. It’s the raining season,
so this thing grows really quickly. Plus, it will occasionally glow.”

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“Wait, hold on, what kind of mushroom is that? What do you
mean by it glows?”
My curiosity piqued by Aqua’s words, I moved over to take a
closer look at the mushroom, only for Megumin to snap it up.
“What is with this thing? I’ll turn it into a side dish for dinner!”
“Ah! What are you doing? It was shaking with joy whenever it gets
sprayed with water! And it was getting cuter every day!”
No, that doesn’t sound like a mushroom at all.
“If none of you are willing to go on an adventure, then I’ll just
have to head out on my own! Are you okay with that!? I won’t care
if you start getting jealous because you couldn’t take part in the
amazing adventure I’m about to have, alright!?”
“Yeah, yeah, go right ahead and get some great achievements
under belt or whatever.”
I flippantly said, and a vein started popping on Megumin’s
forehead…
“It’s fine to go out and play, but make sure you’re back by dinner.”
“If you’re heading somewhere, please bring back some souvenirs.”
“Argh, you three…! Fine, just wait! I’ll show you all! It’s too late
for any regrets!”
Our family’s short tempered mage left those words before heading
out the door–

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↲

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Rain upon the Capital!
Chapter 1: Part 1 ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editing: Makentosh, Marv, Ulti, Xenthur
[Thanks to Kasen for providing the coloured pictures]

“—And that’s the gist of it. So, I’m here to search for more party
members.”
“Um… Everyone is seriously working as adventurers here, so it’d
be best to play pretend with your own friends…”
The adventurer’s guild in Axel.
After confidently making my declaration to Kazuma, I made my
way over to here and stumbled at the very first step.
“I’m being serious here, so why are you saying that I’m playing
around!? I’m sure you of all people are well aware of my
capabilities! Sure, I can understand why I had some trouble
finding myself a party back when I first started out, but now I’m a
high level Archmage with plenty of accomplishments under my
belt! And here I am, offering to tag along with newbie adventurers
on their quests!”
“I think you perform best when you are part of Kazuma’s party…
I’ll put up a recruitment notice, but don’t expect too much,
alright?”
“If possible, I would like members with high levels or advanced
jobs, as befitting of myself.”

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“This is a town of newbie adventurers! Those expectations are way
too high!”
Ignoring my last request, the receptionist pinned a piece of paper
up onto the notice board before returning to the counter.

—Three hours later.

“Umm, excuse me, but there hasn’t been a single person who has
approached me after you put that notice up.”
“I think that’s just to be expected, but…”
After getting exasperated with the lack of applicants, I approached
the receptionist at the counter to voice my complaints.
“Is everyone afraid of the young magical girl who wields the
strongest offensive spell? I’ll go ask them in person, so could you
please recommend a few people to me?”
“Recommend, huh…? Well, there’s Ashare-san sitting over there
whose face just turned green after hearing our conversation. And
then there’s Andy-san over there who’s looking at me with a
pleading expression. And then…”
The next person the receptionist’s gaze fell on was the future chief
of the Crimson Demons, who was fidgeting around while casting
glances over in our direction.

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“…Please just pretend she isn’t here.”
“Why would you say that!?”
Towards Yunyun, who screamed at me with teary eyes, I heaved
an exaggerated sigh.
“There can’t be two Archmages in a single party! …And, actually, I
thought you would definitely form a party with a few other
adventurers after coming back from the Crimson Demon Village,
but you are still as much a loner as before.”
It wasn’t too long ago that we went back to the Crimson Demon
Village to brave the chieftain’s trial.
Back then, I told her that the adventurers of Axel were quite
dependent on her, and that they probably wouldn’t refuse to join
up with her if she were to ask them.
“W-Well, about that… I tried to call out to them several times, but
the timing just didn’t seem to be right…”
…Timing?
“I mean, the people who are in the guild bright and early in the
morning to pick up quests would already have a party and have
made all the preparations they need, right? It wouldn’t do to make
them throw all their plans out the window just because of me…
And the people who came back to turn in a quest would be all
tired out from work, so I can’t call out to them either…”
“You’re overthinking things again! Why do you always get caught
up in the weirdest of considerations!? I told you, just be forward

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about it! Any party would be happy to accept you if you would but
ask! …Plus, if that’s the case, couldn’t you just take a look at the
recruitment notices on the notice board?”
Spellcasters and healers are not only rare, they are also a great
boon to any party, so there’s always plenty of demand for them.
I really doubt there wouldn’t be a single party looking for a
spellcaster…
“I did take a look, but all of them are asking for spellcasters… and
I’m an Archmage, you know?”
“And an Archmage is an advanced spellcaster, so there’s no
problem! Seriously, this girl…”
I grabbed Yunyun by the shoulder and pushed her into a more
prominent position where everyone in the guild could see her.
“Does anyone need an Archmage!? This girl is looking for a party!
She can cast both Intermediate and Advanced magic, and is a
high-level Crimson Demon!”
In response to my declaration, the guild erupted into mayhem.
“Seriously!? Yunyun-san is looking for a party!?”
“O-Our party is one of the higher leveled ones in this town, so I
think we’d be a good fit for Yunyun-san…!”
“Hey, you guys already have a spellcaster in your party! We could
really use a spellcaster in ours!”

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“Our party is all girls, so I think you would fit in very well,
Yunyun-san…!”
In the midst of all that ruckus, I puffed out my chest and shouted,
“And I, Wielder of Explosions, will be joining together with her!
Now, everyone who’s interested, please gather up!”
And with that, silence once again returned to the guild.
—That cinches it.
Now then, where was the guy who was really enthusiastic earlier…
“…Hey, what should we do? Yunyun-san certainly is appealing,
but the one who comes with her…”
“Hmm, what should we do… I really, really want a sensible
Crimson Demon…! But, in exchange, we have to take on that…”
“The bonus is way too much of a liability. You know the troubles
Kazuma goes through…”
…
“M-Megumin, what you said was true… Ehehe, w-what should I
do? I’m a little nervous, but with this, I should be able to find a
party that will take me… Wait, what are you chanting!?”
“See, I told you! The bonus is going crazy again!”
“Isn’t there anyone here who can use Bind!? Her level is high, so
she’s really hard to hold down!”

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“Hurry up and throw her out!”
“Emergency Quest! Emergency Quest! Someone please stop
Megumin-san! The reward is three thousand eris…!”

—After getting thrown out of the guild, we took shelter from the
rain at a small cafe in the shopping district and ordered a few
meat skewers to pass the time.
“We just had an unexpected windfall thanks to me. Yunyun, you
should eat up too.”
“Now’s not the time for that! Why!? Why do you always mess
things up for me!? It’s just the same as back during the chieftain’s
trial! I told you not to use Explosion, but you repeatedly used it
anyways! …Don’t just start stuffing your cheeks!”
Having completely lost it, Yunyun started pulling on my cheeks
after I began chowing down on the skewers we ordered.
“Cuff it ouff! I haff foof in my mouff! I can’f jusff spit it ouf!”
After somehow managing to fend her off, I put some distance
between me and the teary-eyed Yunyun while I swallowed my
food.
“And things were going so well! Now I’m too embarrassed to ever
speak to them again! Hey, what should I do!? I want some
companions of my own too!”

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“If you want companions, here I am. What kind of tone are you
taking after restraining that companion of yours to get a reward?”
“Maybe I should start calling you ‘Three Thousand Eris’ from now
on… Ow, ow, cut it out!”
As I pressed my knuckles into Yunyun’s forehead in retaliation for
her giving me a rude nickname, I realized something.
I’m way too well known in this town.
But, what would happen if we were to go to a town that hasn’t yet
heard of my reputation?
“By the way, why did you suddenly start recruiting members?
What happened to Kazuma-san? …Eh? W-What? What’s wrong?”
Having thought as much, I placed a hand on Yunyun’s shoulder
who only started asking about that now.

↲

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Chapter 1: Part 2 ↲

“…And that’s the gist of it. Do you get it?”
“Yes, I understand very well just how much of an idiot you are!”
Yunyun, with eyes glowing bright red in agitation, shouted at me
after hearing my explanation.
“Hey, isn’t that a little harsh coming from someone who claims to
be my friend? At times like this, you should go ‘Kazuma-san is
really horrible, isn’t he? I understand how you feel~ Let’s go grab
something delicious. It’ll be my treat, of course!’ or something like
that! That’s what friends should do!”
“Friends who would say something that superficial aren’t true
friends at all! Plus, I know very well just what Kazuma is feeling!
After all…”
Yunyun motioned to her surroundings and screamed.
“After all, isn’t this the royal palace!?”
“Drink your tea and calm down. Sorry, can I get another cup?”
Right now, we’re at the royal palace a fair distance away from
Axel.
We got here thanks to Yunyun’s teleport, after which we managed
to gain entrance to the waiting room by virtue of our reputation.
“I am calm… Um, sorry for shouting earlier. I’m really sorry. I was
tricked into coming here, so please don’t execute me!”

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“What are you saying all of a sudden!? They are not going to take
your head for just entering the palace!”
Yunyun downed the cup of tea that the old butler provided her in
a single gulp, before fixing me with a doubtful look.
It seems like she’s become significantly less trustful of me after I
led her all the way to the capital by just telling her to trust me.
“There’s no need to worry, I’m just here to invite my underling to
come with us on an adventure, that’s all.”
“Underling? …Say, Megumin, I have a really bad feeling all of a
sudden…”
As Yunyun’s face turned green, the old butler appeared next to her
with a fresh cup of tea in his hands.
“Megumin-sama, here is your tea. Are the tea and snacks to your
liking?”
“I would like to bring back the leftover snacks as a gift to share
with everyone else, so please wrap them up for me.”
“That’s really impudent, you know!? S-Sorry, I raised my voice
again…”
As Yunyun seemingly shrunk out of embarrassment, the butler
knocked twice on the large set of double doors in front of us.
And then he opened the door…

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“Aah… I knew it…”
Yunyun mumbled in a depressed tone.
“Boss, Yunyun-san, welcome to the royal palace! And, Yunyun-
san, allow me to introduce myself once again. The granddaughter
of the owner of a Chirimen store and the underling of a thieving
band, Alice, is actually an alias I’ve been using… My real name is
Iris. Belzerg “Stylish Sword” Iris, at your service!”
Iris, standing at the far end of the hall, and flanked by her two
bodyguards Claire and Rain, said with a bright smile—

“—And thus, I’m here to invite you on an adventure.”
“I’m in!”
After summarising the events of the past few hours, Iris agreed to
come with us without any hesitation.
“She will not! Iris-sama, please don’t say stupid things!”
“Yes, Iris-sama, please keep your position in mind! Megumin-san
too, please stop inviting her to go with you on your games!”
The other two immediately started objecting, but Iris tightened
her expression and went,
“Claire… I apprieciate your loyalty and I understand how much
you cherish me…”

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“I-Iris-sama…?”
Claire was taken aback by the serious expression on Iris’s face,
and Iris took that chance to take her hands into hers.
“But I am a princess of Belzerg. The first princess of this kingdom
that’s known for producing skilled warriors! Claire, believe in the
one whom you serve. After being under your wing for so long, I’m
now a dragon slayer. Indeed, it is now my turn to protect you. As
the princess of Belzerg, I will protect this country from the evil
monsters lurking around!”
“Iris-samaaaa!!”
Overcome with emotion, Claire clung onto Iris’s waist.
“I-In all my years of serving you, I’ve never been this happy in my
life! Very well, I won’t say anything more! I’ll put my trust in you
and pray for your safe return, Iris-samaaaa!”
She buried her face into Iris’s chest and wept tears of joy.
Iris seemed somewhat troubled by that, but she still raised her
fists in victory and softly went,
“Yes.”
“No, it is not a good thing, Iris-sama! Claire-sama, please don’t be
fooled so easily! Judging from what she said just now, there’s no
need for Iris-sama to brave the risks of an adventure!”

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“Hah!? O-Oh, that’s right! Iris-sama, the country is not in a crisis
right now, so there’s no need for you to personally head out to
defeat some monsters!”
Having been brought to her senses by Rain’s words, Claire
hurriedly stood back up and breathed out.
And Iris looked up at her two retainers with puppy dog eyes.
“…Will you two really not listen to my request?”
“I’ll listen to anything you say.”
“Please do not do that, Claire-sama! Iris-sama, since when did you
pick up such underhanded tricks? I’m begging you, please don’t
trouble us like this…!”
Really, I wonder who she picked up such tricks from.
Seeing Iris pick away at her opponent’s weak point in a way very
reminiscent of a certain NEET I know, I can’t help but think that
the two of them really do come off as siblings, blood relation or
no.
Claire has already fallen, but Rain was still stubbornly holding
on…
Iris inflated her cheeks and used her special move.
“…I think I might end up hating you two.”

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“How could you say that, Iris-sama! Actually, Claire-sama seems
like she’s about to have a heart attack, so please don’t say such
things!”

Supporting Claire who suddenly collapsed, Rain begged in a
voiced that seemed almost on the verge of tears.

Seeing that, Iris let out a sigh.

“Oh, very well. If I can’t persuade you with words, I’ll have to find
some other way to convince you.”

“Iris-sama, do you really think of this as persuasion!? No matter
what you do, I, Rain, will not be swayed! Not after my salary has
been reduced this much after your frequent escapes!”

Rain, despite being wary of Iris’s next move, adopted a
determined posture that just seems to scream “Bring on what you
must.”

“The two of you, please meet me at the training hall.”

“…Hah?”

After a moment of confusion, Rain’s face slowly started to pale.

“I’ll demonstrate to the two of you that I won’t lose to any
monsters even if I were to leave—”

“Have a safe trip, Iris-sama.”

Rain almost fell into a deep bow before Iris could finish her
sentence.

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↲

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Chapter 1: Part 3 ↲

“Do take care of your two bodyguards when you get back, alright?
Otherwise, we would be turned away at the gates the next time we
show up. Still, you’ve gotten pretty strong-willed since I last saw
you.”

“I’ll pick up some souvenirs for them. There are plenty of things in
the outside world that would be of help to me. I’ll treat this as an
opportunity to learn more about the world.”

After leaving the palace, and with an exuberant Iris in tow, we
headed off towards the adventurer’s guild.

“Still, the monsters around the capital tend to be on the stronger
side. No matter how powerful you are, it’s still dangerous to let
your guard down, Alice. Well, if it comes to it, there’s no need to
worry too much. You have two of the world renowned Crimson
Demons with you, after all.”

“Yeah! I can’t use very many offensive spells, so I’ll be looking
forward to seeing the various spells that you two can use!”

“W-Well, the minor spells aren’t really my style, so I’ll probably
only show off one spell today. If you really want to see a variety of
spells, you should ask Yunyun.”

And, just as I said that, I noticed something.

One of our party members had been awfully quiet for quite some
time.

“What’s wrong, Yunyun? You’ve been awfully quiet today.”

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The moment I called out to her, Yunyun knelt down and
prostrated herself before Iris.
“I might not have known, but please forgive me! Most of it is
Megumin’s fault!”
“What are you doing all of a sudden!? Stop apologizing for stuff I
don’t remember!”
Iris seemed somewhat flustered by Yunyun’s actions, but she
moved towards Yunyun and said.
“P-Please raise your head, Yunyun-san! There’s no need to do
such a thing…”
“I always thought that you were someone important, but I never
thought that you were a princess! The other Crimson Demons
have nothing to do with this, it’s all Megumin’s fault! And perhaps
a little bit my fault as well! So if you need someone to blame,
please use Megumin! If that’s not enough, I’ll bear the rest, so
please, spare the rest of the villagers…!”
“What kind of things are you saying!? Why are you treating me
like some kind of criminal!?”
It seems like Yunyun is apologizing for any offense she might have
given Iris while she was unaware of her identity.
Seemingly grasping the situation, Iris shook her head, even as she
started to blush.

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“Please raise your head. My status doesn’t bother me in the
slightest, and it’d make me really happy if you would treat me like
you usually do.”
“Alice-cha…no, Iris-sama.”
“There’s no need for -sama either. Please just treat me as your
friend, like you have in the past.”
Iris gave Yunyun a bright smile as she slowly raised her head.
“For someone who once called Kazuma insolent back when he was
grumbling, you sure have grown quite down-to-earth, haven’t
you?”
“P-Please forget about that! I’m quite conscious about that time
too!”
As Iris pressed her hands against her cheeks to hide her growing
blush, Yunyun, whose eyes were shining bright red for a
completely different reason, shakily got back to her feet.
“Thank you, Iris-chan. To think that you’ll remain friends with
someone like me… I’ll do my best to learn the advanced
transformation spell, Shape Change. Then, if you ever get caught
up in a conspiracy that would shake the nation, I’ll become your
body double and repay the life you graciously spared today.”
“Every single word you said is way too heavy!”

—The capital’s adventurer’s guild.

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There was a clear difference in the quality of the adventurers who
made their residence here compared to the ones staying in Axel.
Such was obvious from a glance. The equipment they bore is high
quality, and almost every single one of them radiated an aura of
strength.
It was these adventurers that fixed us with a steely gaze when we
entered the guild
“See, this is what a real adventurer’s guild is like, Iris. Being just
three young girls, I’m sure we will be set upon. First, to make sure
we aren’t looked down upon, we’ll wipe out those thug-like
adventurers who come to hassle us in a single blow. Once we’ve
established our mettle, we’ll be able to have our pick of the
quests.”
“Ah, that’s like the ritual that Onii-sama taught me about! Claire
was with me back when I visited Axel, so no one wanted to
participate, but it seems like I’ll be able to complete that ritual
here!”
As we whispered amongst ourselves, the other adventurers
averted their gazes at once.
“…Say, Megumin, did you do something at this guild too?”
“Hey, stop saying things that’ll make me look bad!”
Judging from where the adventurers are looking…

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“The cause is definitely this girl. A young girl with such golden
blonde hair and clear blue eyes appearing in the capital has got to
be some kind of high-ranking noble.”
At those words, Iris trembled in shock.
“But they are looking at you too.”
Yunyun said, staring right at me, but I have absolutely no idea–
“Boss, you once showed off your skills in front of a large crowd of
adventurers at the capital before, right? Could that be why…?”
“Ah!”
“I knew it, it was your fault after all!”
No, wait, sure, I did show off, but it’s still strange for them to be
this afraid of me.
“In that case, Yunyun, you too were going wild at the fort near the
front lines together with me, weren’t you? Kazuma’s skill allowed
us to get close to the Demon King’s army, my explosion blew them
away, and then your teleport allowed us to escape—”
“AAAH, t-that’s! I was just playing the role of support, there’s no
need to be this afraid…!”
Yeah, even taking into account how we went up against a Demon
King’s general, it is still weird for everyone to be avoiding us like
this.

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We went up to a nearby adventurer to ask about what’s going on.
That’s when it happened—
“Haha, you’re just as energetic as ever, young lady! The reason
why everyone’s afraid of you is because of something else.”
The person who suddenly called out to us was a large man
sporting a scar across his nose. He was seated at a nearby table
and seemed to have already been drinking even though it’s still in
the middle of the day.
Seated next to him was a pretty but sharp-eyed woman, and a
man who was shouldering a large axe. Both of them were giving
me and Yunyun a wide smile.
“Why are you acting so familiar? If you’re looking for some girls to
hit on, please go somewhere else.”
“Eeh!?” x3
The three of them squaked out in surprise for some inexplicable
reason after hearing my words.
Then, Yunyun brightened up in an instant.
“Rex-san! And Sophie-san and Terry-san too!!”
I see. So they are acquaintances of Yunyun.
“It sure is rare to run into adventurers that Yunyun knows. I’m
sure you have a lot to catch up on, so Iris and I will be taking our
leave.”

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“Heeey! Wait a minute, young lady, why are you acting so
distant!?”
The man called Rex hurriedly raised his voice.
“…? Ah, were you one of the people who were blown away by the
shockwaves of my spell when I was fighting a Demon King’s
general? I’m really sorry about that then, but it was in the middle
of a battle. It really wasn’t something I could avoid.”
“That’s not it! Why are you acting like we just met for the first
time? We were originally from Axel too! Remember, back when
you first arrived and were looking for members!? And we fought a
devil that appeared close to town together, didn’t we!? We even
invited you to join our party after that! ‘Wanna come to the capital
and make your name there!?’ Remember!?”
Did such a thing happen?
I scratched my head in confusion, and Yunyun surreptitiously
elbowed me.
“Have you forgotten? There was that time when a devil called
Hoost appeared near Axel, right? We fought alongside them,
remember? And we also went to capture a Rookie Killer together.”
[TL: See Explosions 3: Chapter 4 for context]
…Oh, I remember now!
“Yeah, I remember now! Rex, you were the guy who was mocking
me for being a spellcaster who can do nothing but flap her gums,

36

right!? Us meeting here must be heaven’s way of telling me to get
revenge, so bring it on!”
“Why do you have to recall that of all things!? Besides, I already
apologized about that back when we defeated the devil! We got
along far better after that, so why did you forget about everything
that came after!?”
It’s slowly coming back to me.
Yeah, that was back before I joined up with Kazuma’s party.
If I recall, these people were powerful enough to be compared
with the hero of the magic sword’s party.
“Ah, so you were the Rex-san who was making a scene, begging
me to join your party. It’s been some time. Did you manage to
become a little more famous?”
“I didn’t embarrass myself like that! W-Well, leaving that aside, I
did manage to make a bit of a name here. Of course, I’m not as
famous as you.”
…Oh?
“Have you heard of my accomplishments too? Well, it’s even made
it into the newspapers, so I suppose it’s not surprising. So, what
do they say about me here?”
“It’s about why everyone’s so afraid of you. You and a young man
named Kazuma picked a fight with a bunch of delinquents just
because you didn’t like their faces, right? It’s quite a persistent
rumour, you know?”

37

Ah, now that he mentioned it!

“Oh, yeah, I did end up fighting with a bunch of delinquents with
Iris here! I see, it’s really refreshing to finally know the reason
why everyone’s avoiding me.”

“I knew it! It was your fault after all!”

There was this incident where Iris and Kazuma switched bodies
thanks to a body switching divine relic.

Back then, Iris, in Kazuma’s body, got into a fight with a bunch of
delinquents.

“I see, so Boss gained a bad reputation thanks to what I did back
then. In that case, it’s only proper for me to take responsibility.
Would it be best for me to apologize in person…?”

Seeing the troubled expression that Iris was making while
muttering to herself, Rex spat out the beer he had in his mouth.

“I-Iris-sama…?”

I see. This is the capital, after all.

I beckoned Iris to come closer.

“Iris, doesn’t pretty much everyone in this city know your face? So
that means that they aren’t just avoiding us because of me, but
because they recognise you…?”

Seeing us whisper to each other, Yunyun softly said.

38

“…The reason why I can’t find a party isn’t because of the
company I keep, right…?”

—Leaving behind Rex and the others, who have started positively
trembling in their boots after learning of Iris’s identity, we
approached the guild worker that was manning the counter.
“W-W-W-Welcome! How may the guild help you today!?”
The man appeared to be quite nervous and is compensating for it
by raising his voice.
“We would like to take on a quest. It’d be best if it features
fighting a strong enemy, offers good rewards, and is within
walking distance of the city.”
“Wait, hold on, that kind of quest might be a little hard to find…”
The man broke out into a cold sweat after hearing my request.
“You’re causing trouble for the man! Umm, as long as it’s a quest
in the nearby area, we’re fine with it. And, Um…”
After interjecting, Yunyun glanced at Iris and said…
“It’s best if it’s a quest that is as safe as possible and doesn’t
require getting dirty.”
“This is an adventurer’s guild, so a safe and clean job is a little…”

39

Iris went up to the counter and stared at the man with stars in her
eyes.
“Then, tell me the location of a Demon King’s general! We’ll hop
on over and take care of them for you!”
“Please stop! Even if there isn’t a Demon King’s general there, my
head will roll for just sending you to such a location! Plus, finding
one that Iris-sama would be able to take on is a problem in itself!”
It seems like the man recognises who Iris is, just like the other
adventurers.
Still, considering her skills in combat, it certainly is possible for
her to take care of a general in a jiffy.
I understand why Kazuma keeps saying that they might as well
just send her to defeat the Demon King.
“I’m terribly sorry, but I don’t think this guild has a quest fit for
Iris-sama–”
Just as the man started bowing repeatedly,

“—Why not!? This is the adventurer’s guild, right? So why can’t I
put up a quest!?”
“Like I said, we can’t accept a quest with such ill-defined contents!
I’ve never even heard of a monster known as a King Toad!”

40

At the counter next to us, a bespectacled man that seems to be
here to submit a request is having a loud argument with the lady
behind the counter.
“The King Toad does exist! The reason why there are so few
reports about it is because almost all the parties that ran into it
got completely wiped out! According to my research, it’s a special
humongous frog that appears during particularly strong rainy
seasons, much like the one we have now. If you manage to
exterminate it, it would benefit this kingdom greatly too!”
It seems like the man who just launched into a fervent speech had
just had his request denied by the guild.
Still, something about what he said really caught my interest.
In particular, the phrase “King Toad”.
With my long and storied history with toads, this isn’t something I
can ignore.
I drew closer to the bespectacled man who was still in the middle
of his rant and said,
“I’m just a passing Crimson Demon, but it sounds like you’re in a
spot of trouble. I don’t know what kind of quest you are trying to
put up, but would you mind telling me more details?”

↲

41

Chapter 1: Part 4 ↲

“My name is Barton. I’m a wildlife researcher.”

We decided to take a seat at a table at the corner in order to hear
him out.

This Barton, who calls himself a wildlife researcher, seems to be
pretty famous in the capital as a weirdo.

“I see, wildlife… So, basically, you study monsters in order to
identify their weaknesses and the like, right? That doesn’t sound
particularly strange. In fact, the kingdom should be offering to
support such efforts.”

I put to words my understanding of what he just told me, but
Barton responded with a confused look.

“No, I have no interest in the weaknesses of monsters. What I’m
researching is something far more fundamental. For instance,
why do cabbages fly? Why, out of all the fishes, do only mackerel
grow in the fields? Those are the questions that I’m interested in
answering, ones that everyone have always wondered about.”

“No one would be wondering about such childish questions all the
way till adulthood.”

“Er… I-I might be a little interested…”

Yunyun, who’s always been a bit of a weirdo amongst the Crimson
Demons, shakily raised her voice.

And it seems like Iris thinks the same way too.

42

“So, why do cabbages fly?”
“How would I know? Perhaps it’s in their nature, or their fighting
spirit, or magic, or perhaps it’s just their desire to fly. More
importantly,”
Barton dismissed the question with a bunch of nonsense sounding
reasons even though he was the one to bring it up in the first
place, and continued on even as Iris started tearing up.
“There are creatures known as snow sprites in this world. They
are said to shorten the winter whenever one of them is killed. The
monster I’m looking for, the King Toad, is a similar creature that
can bring an end to the rainy season when defeated.”
Despite being treated so unreasonably, it seems like Iris is still
drawn by her sense of curiosity.
“Barton-sama, what led you to this conclusion?”
Iris asked in a genuinely curious tone, but Barton returned with a
moody frown.
“If you wish to ask me a question, address me as professor.”
“P-Professor, how did you reach the conclusion that killing one
would end the rain–”
“How would I know? Those frogs always start croaking and
groaning during this season, so I thought that they might be
calling the rain or something. S-Stop, what do you think you are
doing to your client!?”

43

Barton angrily protested as Iris suddenly started swiping at his
glasses.
Yunyun, who has been listening in silence all this time, tilted her
head questioningly.
“So, you wish to test your hypothesis by putting out a request for
the extermination of a King Toad then, Barton-san?”
“No, I just hate the rain. I don’t really care about my hypothesis, I
just want the rain to be gone as soon as possible.”
“There are people who can manipulate the weather in the Crimson
Demon Village, so why don’t you just go make a request there…?”
In response to my facetious suggestion, Barton arrogantly pushed
his glasses against the bridge of his nose.
“How long do you think it would take to get to the Crimson
Demon Village from here? The truth is, there is a very particular
reason why I specifically came down here to make a request today.
It would be very troublesome if it is still raining tomorrow.”
Upon hearing that, Iris seemed to forget about the unreasonable
way she has been treated up till now and asked.
“…You have such an important reason? Depending on the
circumstances, it might not be too bad to accept this request…”
“This bartender that I’ve been chasing for quite some time,
Barbara-chan, said that she would go out with me tomorrow if it’s
sunny out… H-Hey, what is this child trying to do!?”

44

Barton angrily shouted as he jumped back to avoid Iris who seems
about ready to break those glasses in half.
This man seems to be the only person in this entire guild who has
yet to realize Iris’s true identity.
“Our Axis Cult priest made a teru teru something or the other
earlier, so it’ll probably be sunny tomorrow.”
[TL: Teru Teru Bozu, children often put them up in Japan to hope
for good weather so they can go out to play.]
“What’s with that fishy sounding superstition?”
Aqua’s normally pretty flakey, but for some reason, she’s really
accurate whenever it comes to the weather.
“What you were saying before is even more fishy!”
After hearing Iris’s puffed up words, Barton once again adjusted
his glasses.
“What’s with this girl!? This is why I hate kids! Every time I try to
explain a hypothesis, they’ll always constantly ask why this and
why that until it’s completely full of holes!”
“Why are you so sloppy and non-committal!? Please give me a
proper reason as to why killing a King Toad will lead to the end of
the rain!”
“It’s my gut feeling! The same instincts that I’ve honed through
my long years as a wildlife researcher!”

45

Gut feeling is a pretty shaky foundation too.
After hearing that, Yunyun pulled me aside and whispered.
“Say, Megumin, I have a really bad feeling about this. I don’t think
this man is completely right in the head. We should go back to the
counter and take a proper quest.”
“Even if you say that, what do we do about her?”
As I said that, I pointed towards…
“Very well! Let’s go find and kill a King Toad! Then, if it is sunny
tomorrow, I’ll accept that you are right!”
“I don’t really care about getting the acceptance of a child.”
“Just what is wrong with you!? Argh!”
Perhaps it’s the first time Iris has been treated in such a way, but
she ended up accepting the quest in a fit of indignation on her
own—

↲

46

Chapter 1: Part 5 ↲

Seems like Yunyun’s instincts aren’t half bad.
“Behold! Behold, Megumin-kun! Alraunes immobilize their prey
like this in order to implant their seed onto their bodies before
releasing them! This is how immobile plant-like monsters like
them are able to expand their range to new locations!”
“Waaaah! Barton-saaaaan! She planted one on you! There’s a seed
on your back!”
Inside a forest a fair distance from the capital.
After being caught by an Alraune, a monster that looked like the
upper body of a young girl sprouting from the middle of a giant
flower, Barton said,
“Now now, there’s no need to be hasty, Yunyun-kun! Alraunes are
not particularly dangerous monsters. While it’s implanting its
seed in its prey, it would laugh like this in order to put them at
ease.”
“Ahahahaha! Ahahaha!”
“That’s not a calming laugh at all! It’s way too scary!”
Even as he was still tangled up in the vines, he jovially launched
into an explanation of the Alraune’s life cycle.
“The seed of an Alraune would not bring any harm to the creature
it’s implanted on. In fact, it would inject a highly nutritious sap
into the creature in order to give it a burst of energy. The

47

implanted seed would also not remain in the body of the creature
indefinitely, but will eventually be naturally excreted by the
creature. This is most likely done both to avoid being regarded as
a threat and to aid in spreading its seeds as far as possible! Now,
ladies, please put away those dangerously looking implements!
Ahahahaha! Ahahaha!”
“It’s injecting something into you, Barton-saaaaan!”
“Boss, what should we do? At this rate, Barton-sama will be…!”
Yunyun shouted as she started stabbing at the vines holding
Barton in place with her dagger, and Iris, sword in hand,
frantically looked towards me for instruction.
“Barton-san seems pretty happy, so wouldn’t it be fine to just
leave him here like this?”
“Our client is getting parasitized! We can’t just leave him here!
Barton-san, I’ve cut through the vines, so please come over here!
Quickly!”
Despite being released, Barton, his face a bright red, began
speaking rapidly.
“By the way, the famous Tranquility Girl is an offshoot of the
Alraune. Such plant type monsters must take the form of young
girls in order to trigger a sense of compassion from humans and
attack them while their guard is down! Ahahaha! Alraunes are the
best! Alraunes are the best!”
“This old man is done for. Let’s just wish him a happy life and be
on our way.”

48

“Stop saying stupid things and help me!!!”
All this happened mere moments after we set foot in the forest.
Not only Yunyun, even I’m starting to get a bad feeling–

—My premonition was spot on, and Barton’s eccentricities
continued.
“Just like that! Iris-kun, stay just like that!”
“Now is not the time for that! Iris-chan, don’t listen to this man’s
words! You can go ahead and exterminate it!”
Right in front of us, Iris is facing off against a Rookie Killer.
Apparently, Rookie Killers have a knack for determining the
strength of their foe.
This one in particular has been frozen in fear the moment it met
Iris’s gaze, and hasn’t moved an inch since our encounter.
“B-But, Yunyun-san, seeing it trembling in fear like this makes it
really hard for me to kill it…”
“Just a little while more, Iris-kun! Just a little while more and my
sketch will be complete!”
“Barton-san, do you really not know who Iris-chan is!? Megumin,
hurry up and do–!”

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