Konosuba Short Story

Chapter 6: Part 4 ↲

The next morning.
“That damn devil sure is putting on a fine act. I couldn’t see his
mask slip at all.”
Aqua, laying on the sofa with a sour look on her face, said.
After knowing the joys of a day’s hard work yesterday, Aqua
continued to work hard at the store, and before she knew it, a
whole day had passed.
“I think you are looking too much into things. He might be a
nuisance at times, but he probably wouldn’t do anything
actually harmful. Are you going to follow him today too?”
“Is that so? Well, if I were to exorcise him before he does
anything, I’ll be treated as the bad guy. I think I’ll give
investigating him a rest for today. I worked hard yesterday,
after all. It’s important to rest after doing manual labour.”
I wanted to say something about her taking a vacation day after
just a single day of work, but personally, I’m thankful that I
don’t have to follow her on some strange hunch, so I let it slide.
I threw a log in the fireplace and started burying some of the
potatoes that Aqua received from her job yesterday in the ashes
to roast them.
If I had some aluminum foil, I could put them on top of the fire
instead, but unfortunately no such thing existed in this world.

193 | P a g e

When the smell of roasted potatoes started filling the room,
Aqua headed off to the kitchen to get some butter and soy
sauce.
Incidentally, Megumin, who has been avoiding me since I
bought the baby carrier from Vanir a few days ago, suddenly
appeared and took a seat beside me.
Valuing pride over food, she crouched down in front of the
fireplace and patiently waited for the potatoes to be done.
How simple-minded.
Just as I retrieved one of the potatoes from the ashes, Darkness
came down from the second floor.
“It’s rare for you to be the last person to wake up. The potatoes
are just about done. Do you want one?”
Rubbing her eyes sleepily, Darkness gave me a nod.
“I’ll have one. Sorry, I was out late because of a mysterious
incident I was investigating.”
… Mysterious incident?

“ーYou see, recently, the adventurers who are staying at the inn
are complaining that they’re being plagued by nightmares.”
While helping myself to a piece of buttered potato, I tilted my
head in confusion.

194 | P a g e

“A nightmare could happen to anyone. How does that make it
an incident?”
Darkness seemed somewhat embarrassed, but she responded,
“I thought so too… But, every so often, screams would come
from the room the adventurers were sleeping in. When the
innkeeper went up to check, they all said that they’ve seen a
nightmare… It happens often enough that the innkeeper
suspects it might be the work of some kind of monster, so we
are looking into it.”
Megumin, her cheeks stuffed to bursting with buttered
potatoes, said,
“Speaking of nightmares, there is a monster called a Nightmare
that takes the form of a pitch-black stallion. However, there’s
no way such a monster could be in this town without anyone
noticing…”
Yeah, if a horse was walking around the town at night, someone
would’ve noticed.
Then, Aqua suddenly slammed her fist against her palm.
“Hey, Kazuma, this must be my reward for my good acts!”
She said as a dribble of soy sauce rolled down her chin.
“What, food tastes better when you hear tales of others’
misfortune? If you keep saying stuff like that, you’ll get divine
retribution.”

195 | P a g e

“That’s not it, you shitty NEET. Who’s going to punish me in
the first place? Anyway, you know that strange devil was selling
those weird dolls, right?”
Aqua’s words reminded me of those ghost repelling dolls that
Vanir was selling yesterday.
“Amulets! I’m going to sell Axis Cult protective amulets!
Nightmares are a type of low-ranking devil that bestows
nightmares onto others in order to feast on their dark emotions.
If I get serious, no weak devil would be able to draw close to any
amulets I create! If things go well, I’ll be able to make money,
the reputation of the Axis Cult would go up, and nobody would
see any nightmares anymore! It’s a great plan that would
benefit everyone!”
Aqua actually suggested a decent idea for once, and all of us
gave her suspicious looks.
“Is something wrong? Did you mix something strange into the
butter?”
“You will get divine retribution if you keep saying that. Even I
will come up with a good idea every so often.”
So she’s actually aware of her tendencies.
“Hmm, in that case, I’ll help you out too. Your skills as a priest
are reliable, if nothing else. Any charms you create will surely
be effective.”
“Hey, Darkness, did you just say ‘Your skills as a priest are
reliable, if nothing else’?”

196 | P a g e

“Indeed, leaving everything else aside, your skills when it comes
to fighting demons are the real deal. If I can do anything to
help, feel free to ask.”
“Megumin, did you just say, ‘leaving everything else aside’?”
ーAnd thus, in order to resolve the mysterious nightmares
incident, we started selling Axis Cult branded amulets in town.

↲

197 | P a g e

Chapter 6: Part 5 ↲

“ーHmm, they aren’t selling.”
At a corner of the adventurer’s guild, Aqua set up a booth that
sells amulets.
Aqua nagged the guild staff and managed to get permission to
set up a stall after quite a bit of wheedling, but…
“A charm that repels devils isn’t something bad to have on
hand. I’ve heard that only men suffer from the nightmares, so
why are they so stubborn about this?”
Darkness said, hand on her chin as she puzzled.
“They are adventurers, mind you. Perhaps they are too
embarrassed to admit that they fear devils so much that they
would buy a protective amulet.”
Megumin said.
“… Say, Aqua, that devil repelling amulet will prevent any
succubus from getting close, right?”
“Of course it would. There’s no way weakling devils like
succubus would be able to get through any barrier I create.
Speaking of which, you were attacked by a succubus once,
weren’t you? Did that leave a scar on you? Oh, you’re so
hopeless. I’ll give one to you, soー”
“I don’t need it.”
I immediately rejected her.

198 | P a g e

“What, I’m giving you a protective amulet for free, you know?
Just be honest and accept itー”
“I don’t need it.”
I cut her off.
Anyway, now I know why these amulets wouldn’t sell.
If you have a charm that repels devils on you, you wouldn’t be
able to make use of the succubus service.
In fact, just having them on you might even earn their ire.
Just then,
“Yo, Kazuma. What are you doing here?”
The ones who called out to me are Dust and Keith, adventurers
famous for being delinquents in this town.
“We’re selling devil-repelling amulets. Well, they aren’t selling
at all.”
The two of them gave me a knowing smile.
At that point, I noticed that the two of them seem to each be
clutching a ticket protectively in their hands.
“Hey, what are you holding? It looks like the tickets that the
store usually gives out, but the colour is different.”
Dust and Keith smiled and moved to a table some distance
away from the girls before beckoning me over.

199 | P a g e

“…? Just what is going on?”
I went over and asked, and Dust leaned in close to my ear.
“The store just started a special service recently. This ticket is a
trial ticket. If you go to the store now, you can get this service
for free.”
Seriously?
As I started getting jittery over the thought that the tickets
might be sold out if I don’t pay the store a visit soon, Keith
leaned in close and said,
“And apparently, there are some winning tickets amongst them
as well.”
Seriously?
“What do you mean by winning? Is it some amazing dream?
But, something that is better than seeing a custom made
dream…”
I started seriously speculating at what the prize would be, and
Keith, wearing the same serious expression, said.
“Well, we are talking about a succubus, so maybe it… Won’t be a
dream?”

I immediately left everyone behind and rushed to the store.

↲

200 | P a g e

Chapter 6: Part 6 ↲

After getting back and withstanding the barrage of questions
that Aqua and the other shot at me, I quickly excused myself
and went out.
“It’ll be fine, I’m really lucky, after all. There’s no way I wouldn’t
win.”
I told them I’d be out drinking with Dust and the others and
quickly rented a room at the inn.
“I took a bath and brushed my teeth. I even cleaned down there
just in case, so it’ll be fine.”
It’s already late in the night, and the taverns have started to
close up.
“She’s a professional, so it’ll be fine even though it’s my first
time. She won’t laugh, it’ll be fine. It-it’ll definitely be fine!”
After crawling into bed, I repeated that mantra to myself.
Dammit, I’m too excited to sleep.
No, maybe it’d be best to remain awake.
No, no, if I didn’t win, then I’d end up with the worst outcome
where I couldn’t even see a sweet dream.
Yeah, it’s the kind succubus ladies I’m talking about. If I win,
they’ll definitely gently wake me up.
So I should hurry up and find a way to sleep…

201 | P a g e

“!?”
Just then, a great idea came to me.
After being unable to get to sleep, the succubus who came to
give me a dream took pity on me and decided that she might as
well do it for real…
I should request a dream like that next time.
“Aah, why didn’t I think of this earlier!? I wouldn’t need to lay
awake in bed like this…!”
Perhaps I should request that of the succubus that shows up.
No, wait, would that be considered sexual harassment?
No, no, I’m sure the kind hearted succubus would laugh it off.
She might even start teasing me over it.
Yeah, I’ll do that. Aqua might get suspicious, but I’ll request this
dream tomorrow.
Just as I made that decision…
“Customer, are you still awake?”
A soft voice came from the window.
When I heard that voice, my heart nearly jumped out of my
chest.
“I-I-I’m awake. Sorry, I couldn’t quite get to sleep.”

202 | P a g e

I shot up from the bed and whispered to the window, and heard
a soft giggle in response.
“It’s fine, customer. There are plenty of people who get too
nervous to fall asleep. Especially for those who are using our
service for the first time.”
I felt a slight relief upon hearing that, and also secretly thankful
for the kindness of the succubus.
I looked towards the window, and standing in front of it was
Loli Succubus who somehow managed to sneak inside without
me noticing.
“But what should I do? Even if you go to sleep right now, it’ll
probably be morning just as we get to the good parts…”
The succubus gave me a troubled look.
“No, I was the one who didn’t go to sleep on time, so there’s no
need to blame yourself. And besides, I caused you some trouble
when you came to visit me in my mansion back then, so just
consider the matter cleared…”
I hastily started, but she stopped me with a giggle.
“Come to think of it, you saved me back then. I didn’t get the
chance to properly thank you yet.”
Saying that, she took a step closer to me.
“No, it was my companions who captured you in the first place,
so it’d feel a little weird if you thank me…”

203 | P a g e

I slowly said in order to prevent my excitement from turning
my voice shrill.
“I was really glad when you used your body to protect me.”
She took another step towards me.
“Well, it’s only natural for an adventurer to help a girl in
trouble…”
The succubus placed a finger on my lips, cutting off my
panicked sounding voice.
“You see a devil like me as a girl? … I’m happy.”
Partially shrouded in darkness, the succubus said in a gentle
voice…
“Customer, if you can’t sleep, can you allow me to properly
thank you?”

↲

204 | P a g e

Chapter 6: Part 7 ↲

“Aquaaaaa! Aqua, Aqua, Aquaaaaa!”
I barged into the mansion and started shouting for Aqua.
“W-What is going on? I’m right here.”
A startled-seeming Aqua rose up from her spot in front of the
fireplace, staring at me in shock.
“Aqua, let’s kill that bastard! I’ll never forgive him! Let’s kill
him and salt the ashes!”
“Calm down, you are starting to sound like Darkness. Just who
are you talking about? What happened while you were out
drinking last night?”
In response to the unusually calm Aqua, I started crying about
the events of last night.

“ーEr, the girl who was giving you thanks turned out to be
Vanir, and you won something? I don’t really get what you’re
saying.”
“Never mind what happened to me! Just remembering it makes
my blood boil! The innkeeper ended up scolding me for
screaming in the middle of the night too! Anyway, let’s just go
kill that bastard! You always say that devils are the enemy,
right!?”
As I screamed through tears, Aqua seemed somewhat afraid of
me as she said,

205 | P a g e

“Um, you see, Darkness told me last night…”
Doing her best impression of Darkness, she announced,
“Yes, Vanir has become known for deeds like taking out the
trash and chasing away the crows, and has become quite
respected amongst the townsfolk. So… I’m thinking of officially
welcoming him as a resident of this town…”
On that day,
I swore to myself that I will wipe out all devils and Demon King
Generals from this world.

↲

206 | P a g e

207 | P a g e

Beware of Imposters
Chapter 7: Part 1 ↲

TL: Cannongerbil
Editing: Striker
[Note: This is the second of the Blu Ray short stories that I previously translated that ended
up getting included in the Yorimichi compilation, hence why it’s going up on Wednesday
instead of the usual time. Chapter 8 will be going up this weekend.
As usual for Blu Ray short stories, this story takes place around volume 4, so the status quo
is a bit different from the more recent volumes.]

This took place sometime after lunch, but not late enough for
dinner.
On that day, I was wandering around the town of Axel to kill
time when I started to feel a little peckish.
Ducking into a roadside stall, I ordered a couple of meat
skewers and was happily chowing down on them when an
adventurer called out to me.
“Hey, young man.”
Judging from the way he addressed me, he’s most likely from
out of town.
“Soffy, gife fe a mofent fo swaffow thif.”
“… Ah, sorry for interrupting your meal.”
As I chewed on my skewer, I scrutinized the adventurer.
He was about a head or so taller than me, and was wearing a
black breastplate underneath a black cloak.

208 | P a g e

At first glance, he looks hardened and rugged, but at the same
time he also has the air of a pretty boy.
From the many and varied dents on his armour and the pair of
swords hanging from his waist, he must be a fairly experienced
adventurer.
He has blood red hair, and the forceful will that’s clearly visible
from behind his brown eyes are telling me that he isn’t someone
to be taken lightly.
ー There’s no mistaking it, he’s someone who far outclasses me
in both level and experience.
“You don’t have to stop eating, just hear me out. You see, I’m
looking for a person. My name is Ozuma. Zatou Ozuma. I’ve
heard that there is a man named Satou Kazuma living in this
town. He’s quite famous around the area, as I’ve been led to
believe. Do you know where I might find this person?”
I involuntarily spat out the skewer I was eating.
“ーAre you alright? I’ve conjured up some water, so drink up. It
should help.”
Ozuma handed a cup of water over to me as I fell into a
coughing fit.
“Ozuma-san, was it? Thanks… Um, you’re an adventurer, right?
What business do you have with this Satou Kazuma fellow?”
I said between sips of water.
Our names are just way too similar.

209 | P a g e

Wait, don’t tell me, is he going to demand that I change my
name because it’s too similar to his, or pay him a fee if I want to
continue using it, or the like?
This is the name my parents gave to me, so there’s no reason for
me to get into a fight over it.
Still, if such a skilled and experienced adventurer were to pick a
fight with me over that, I’ll probably end up inadvertently
handing my wallet over to him.
“You see, his name is very similar to mine, but he seems to have
a pretty bad reputation. Thanks to him, I’m always met with
distrust wherever I go. So I need to have a few words with him…
Well, there are some other reasons too, but…”
Ozuma scratched his head and smiled.
Well, he doesn’t seem to be a bad person at heart, at least.
Mostly, it seems like he’s troubled by my reputation. Well, I am
aware that most of the rumours surrounding me don’t exactly
cast me in a glowing light.
He doesn’t seem like the rash sort, so he’d probably understand
if I explain things to him.
“… Listen to me and don’t get angry, okay? The truth isー”
Just when I made it that far.
“Ozuma! There you are!? Did you find that scumbag Kazuma!?”
A woman’s voice called out to us, and three female adventurers
came walking towards us.

210 | P a g e

“Hey, Ozuma, didn’t we agree to leave the information
gathering to us? You look really scary, so it really seems like you
are shaking down an innocent citizen right now.”
Saying that, the black haired mage gave me an apologetic look.
“I’m really sorry, our Ozuma must have caused you so much
trouble…”
The blue haired priest bowed and apologized.
And then…
“Young man, I’m really sorry. This man isn’t a bad person, so
please don’t be afraid. Ah, I’m…”
With a smile that seemed like the perfect picture of chivalry, the
blonde haired, blue eyed knight gave me a bow.
“I’m a crusader, Larkness. May I have your name, young man?”
“My name is Tanaka.”
I decided to give them a false name after all.

↲

211 | P a g e

Chapter 7: Part 2 ↲

“Apologies for the wait! Here is the deep fried frog’s tongue you
ordered!”
“Ah, that’s the one. This is a local delicacy. It’s really delicious.
You can’t visit this town without giving it a try.”
We decided to go to a restaurant to chat while having a meal.
The mage girl regarded the plate in front of me with an intense
frown.
“F-Frog? Ah, no, no, no, I can’t eat this. Pass. Aren’t there any
running hawk kite or snowbird meat I could order instead?”
It seems like it’s the first time they laid eyes on frog meat.
“This is the town of beginners, you know? The meat of the
weakest monster, the Giant Frog, is a staple in this town. Not
many people are willing or able to hunt stronger creatures that
live around here. The skewers that the roadside stall was selling
are delicious, but the owner stubbornly refuses to tell anyone
what meat he uses. That’s why we call his skewers mystery
skewers.”
“I-I can’t believe you are brave enough to eat meat with such
unclear origins. You must really be quite something.”
Of course, I hold the weakest class, but there’s no reason to tell
them that.
“So, did you find that scumbag Kazuma!?”
That mage girl said this just now.

212 | P a g e

“You said you’re Tanaka-san, yes? Don’t hold back and dig in.
Treat this meal as our thanks for talking with us.”
The priest lady said with a smile.
Her name seems to be Acure.
“Hey, aren’t you going to eat? Hurry up and tell us what a frog
tastes like!”
Even though she passed on eating the meat earlier, the mage
girl looked at me with an anxious gaze almost bursting with
curiosity.
The other people in her party have names that are very similar
to the ones in my party, but this girl in particular…
“Megumi, we are treating this man to a meal as thanks for
information. Don’t pester him, let him eat on his own time.”
“Oh, fine… But, I really want to know what eating frog meat
feels like…”
Megumi said, gazing down but stealthily shooting me gazes of
anticipation…
Yes, her name is Megumi.
There are many things I want to say to her, but I kept it to
myself and ate a piece of frog meat with my fork…
“It’s crispy.”

213 | P a g e

“That sounds just like any other type of meat! Hey, you are a
regular here, right? You said these are delicious, right?”
Megumi immediately said, cutting me off. It seems like she isn’t
satisfied by my description.
If I went to a place I usually hang out, there’s a chance I could
run into someone I know. That’s why I went to this out of the
way tavern and pretended like I was a regular here.
“Say, Megumi… san, was it? You have a unique name.”
“What’s with that pause? But yes, people do ask about my name
a lot. Umm, well… My grandfather gave me this name. It’s said
that it means to be blessed.”
I see. So this girl isn’t from Japan like me, but rather the
granddaughter of someone who came from Japan.
“So, Tanaka-dono, can you tell us anything about that Kazuma
person?”
Larkness asked sternly as I bit into another chunk of frog meat.
I silently continued chewing my food…
“Tanaka-dono? T-Tanaka-dono? Why are you in a daze?”
Oh right, I’m supposed to be Tanaka right now.
“… Tanaka-san, was it?”
“Yes, Tanaka-san here.”
Acure asked, and I responded after wiping my mouth.

214 | P a g e

“Right then, let me tell you everything I know about Kazuma.”
And with that, I recounted the events that happened so farー

“ーSniff… What a pitiful person, this Kazuma-san…”
Megumi said between tears after hearing my story.
“Even though he clearly saved the town, he still got saddled
with huge debts… And not just once, but twice…
unforgivable…!”
Larkness slammed her fist on the table.
To the two of them, I smiled and said.
“But those huge debts are nothing to him. Exploiting his sharp
mind, he constantly develops new products, and by now he has
already paid off his debts and bought a mansion. I’m sure he’s
enjoying his happiness somewhere in this town right now…”
It might be somewhat exaggerated, but what I said is by no
means a lie.
When I got halfway through, Acure closed her eyes and brought
her hands together in prayer.
And then…
“He truly is an impressive man.”

215 | P a g e

Ozuma let out a sigh and leaned back in his chair, gazing at the
ceiling.
It might not have been addressed directly at me, but getting
such praise made me blush a little.
“It’s really great… It’s really great that Kazuma-san managed to
save himself…”
Megumi was crying tears of sympathy earlier, and now she’s
crying tears of joy.
What a sentimental child. And she was so aggressive when we
first met too.
Well, being able to clear things up is certainly a relief.
“So, the much beloved Kazuma-san is quite busy every day. If
possible, it’s best not drag him into any more trouble and let
him live his life in peace.”
“Well, if that’s the case… I do have some things to say to him,
but very well. We’ll head out tomorrow.”
Larkness said with a wry smile.
Just as I felt relief over resolving this matter, Ozuma suddenly
looked towards me
“I must thank you, Tanaka. It’s only thanks to you that we could
hear such a moving tale.”
With that, he gave me a deep bow.

216 | P a g e

“ーWell, that’s the story. Anyway, I already ate dinner, so you
guys can eat on your own today. Help yourselves to my
serving.”
After returning home, I relayed the story of what happened to
the rest of the party.
Darkness stopped eating and gave me an exasperated look.
“Y-You really are… Is this really okay?”
“What? I didn’t tell a single lie. If you have any comments to
make about what I had said, then feel free to lay it out right
here.”
I said that while petting Chomusuke who decided to help
herself to my portion of today’s dinner.
“Well, as long as the other party is happy, it’s fine. We’ve gotten
into a lot of trouble lately, so I would like to take it easy for a
while.”
“Yeah, just as Megumi…n said, I would like some time to laze
about too.”
……
“Aqua, what’s with that weird pause while you were saying my
name just now? And I feel like the way you said it is strange
too…”
“It’s nothing. Anyway, Megumi…n, can you pass me the soy
sauce?”

217 | P a g e

……
“You sure have some guts to make fun of my name, Acure! I’m
going to make you cry tonight!”
“Hey, what gives, Megumi!? Do you really think a mage like you
can match me for strength!? Until you apologize for calling me
Acure, I’ll…!”
With that, Megumi and Acure started tussling with each other.
“B-Both of you, cut it out. We are still in the middle of dinner.
This is too…”
Larkness… No, wait, Darkness worriedly looked at the two of
them.
“Still, between Larkness and Darkness, if I have to say which
one of them is a more fitting name for a Crusader, I’ll have to
say Larkness.”
“Whaー!?”
Lalatina, who, just like Megumin, had been teased about her
name many times before, had a conflicted look on her face
before she hurried with her meal.
“Hahahaha! Megumi-Megumin! I get it! I’ll apologize, so please
stop! Please stop!”
“You say that, but you are still calling me by that weird name!
I’m not letting go until you are in tears!”

218 | P a g e

While the laughter of Aqua sounded besides me, I silently
thanked my lucky stars that I was able to avoid another
troublesome incident.

↲

219 | P a g e

Chapter 7: Part 3 ↲

“Satou Kazuma! Where are you! Come out here right now! My
fist has some words it’d love to say to your face!”
The next day.
I was awoken by a shout coming from the door.
“Hey, Kazuma, some strange people are making a lot of noise in
front of our door today! Did you cause some trouble again? I’ll
go with you to apologize, so hurry up and apologize to them!”
Aqua suddenly barged into my room and pleaded.
“Why does it have to be me!? You are the one who usually
causes trouble… Hold on?”
I got up from my bed, perked up my ears and listened.
“Satou Kazuma! You scoundrel, get out here! Who the hell is
Tanaka? I’ll fucking kill you!”
That voice sounds really familiar.
“Oh, what should we do? They sound like the imposters that I
told you about yesterday.”
“So those are the people who caused me and Megumin to end
up in tears?”
Did they not believe me and asked other people about me?
Well, in any case, it’d be troublesome to leave them banging on
the door.

220 | P a g e

“Hey, Aqua, what are Darkness and Megumin doing?”
“Those two are currently struggling on the porch. To be more
accurate, Darkness is holding Megumin back from charging
right out the door.”
Still wearing my pajamas, I went downstairs.
“Darkness, let go of me! The root cause of why Aqua made fun
of me yesterday is standing right outside!”
“Your names might be quite similar, but she hasn’t actually
done anything to you! If you intend on charging out to pick a
fight, I can’t just idly stand by!”
Just like Aqua said, Darkness is currently gripping onto
Megumin who seemed determined to rush out there and
pummel everyone into submission.
“Ah, Kazuma! The people you were talking about yesterday are
right outside! They’ve been banging on the door for some time
now, and they even called us imposters…!”
“Now, now, calm down, Megumin. I’ll take care of them in a
snap with my special move.”
I was alone yesterday, so I didn’t push for a confrontation, but
now I am at my home along with my companions.
I boldly opened the door and regarded Ozuma who seemed to
be in the middle of knocking it down.

221 | P a g e

“I’m going to call the cops. The crimes are destruction of private
property and use of threats. The prosecutor here is quite
fearsome, so you best prepare yourself.”
Hearing that, Ozuma, who was about to give me a punch,
trembled and halted in place.
“B-Bastard… You lied to us, got us to treat you to a meal, and
now you threaten to run to the cops the moment trouble rears
its head! You are even worse than the rumours said!”
Ozuma yelled, red in the face. His companions also had similar
expressions as they looked at me.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I’ve never uttered a single
falsehood. Besides, it was your idea to treat me to a meal so you
can ask me more about Kazuma.”
Megumi, veins popping on her forehead, stepped forward.
“Y-You scoundrel! You still have the guts to say that! You told
us, ‘That Swordmaster had more than 30 levels over him, and
had a magic sword on top of that. It’d only be natural for most
people to back down and agree to hand his companions over,
but Kazuma is different. Even though he was a low-leveled
newbie, even though he only had a cheap short sword, even
though he had the weakest class, he wouldn’t betray his
companions!’ But when I asked about him, it turns out that
Swordmaster only challenged you because he wanted to free
someone you caged up! And then you stole his sword and sold
it…!”
I quickly shot back.

222 | P a g e

“Hah!? What’s wrong with that!? We received a quest to purify
the lake and decided to use the most efficient and safest method
of putting her in a protective cage while she got to work! What’s
wrong with that!? And he is the one who picked a fight with me!
What should I have done!? Fought him head-on!? Are you
telling me that a newbie with only shabby equipment should
face a man thirty levels above him clad in resplendent armour
and a magic sword in a straight up duel!?”
“B-But… but…”
She probably never expected me to shoot back with such
ferocity. Her face turned pale and she seemed at a loss for
words.
“And weren’t you moved to tears by my tale yesterday?! I’ll say
it again, none of what I told you was a lie! Everyone has their
own values and views on what constitutes acceptable tactics, so
the tales they would tell might be different, but I didn’t utter a
word of falsehood. But you! You were so moved by that tale
yesterday, and now you come to my house to cause a ruckus
and call me a liar!”
“T-That’s… N-No, that’s not it. I was really moved by your tale
yesterday, but after calming down and sleeping on it, I thought
that just hearing one side might not reveal the true story… Plus,
every single one of your tales just made you look good…”
I advanced as Megumi stepped back, and unleashed my
finishing line.
“In other words, you still doubt my words even after crying so
much! Certainly, there might be some exaggerated elements,
but that’s a different matter! I clearly agreed to go along out of

223 | P a g e

the goodness of my heart, but to think that you’d doubt me so!
Aah, I’m really hurt! I can’t believe you’d distrust me like that!”
“A-Ah!? T-That’s not my intention…”
I adopted an expression on the verge of tears and looked at
Megumi.
“Apologize! Apologize for suspecting me! It’s only natural that
everyone would have their own version of events, so hearing
different stories is just to be expected!”
“Yeah, apologize! Apologize for suspecting Kazuma! Though it
felt like Kazuma was in the wrong this time, it’s really not that
clear now. But anyway, apologize.”
“While you are at it, apologize for your name too! Thanks to
you, I went through a lot yesterday!”
“S-Sorry…”
For some reason, Aqua and Megumin joined in with lecturing
her.
Just as Megumi is about to give in and apologize…
“Wait a minute! Do you really think you can fool us so easily!?
And don’t apologize, Megumi! You’re just being led along!”
“Y-Yeah! Thinking about it, I’ve done nothing I need to
apologize for. Plus, I’ve heard all about you! Everyone in your
party is a defective adventurer who does nothing but cause
trouble!”

224 | P a g e

After being snapped out of her spiel by Ozuma, Megumi glared
at me.
Dammit, and here I thought I’d be able to wrap things up
quickly. Guess it won’t be so easy.
“Just what is your problem? I might have made too much of a
few things yesterday, but none of what I said is a lie. I am a
proper, upstanding adventurer, Satou Kazuma! My lifestyle
isn’t one that causes trouble for others, and I have no reason to
be lectured by you. If you’re done with what you want to say,
then leave.”
I shooed Ozuma away, who gritted his teeth before replying.
“You scoundrel, the reason we are here in the first place is
because your reputation is causing trouble for us!”
…Come to think of it, I recall them saying something similar
when we first met.
Darkness gave Ozuma a reassuring smile and said.
“I’ve heard that you’ve suffered from Kazuma’s bad reputation,
but would you mind telling me exactly what happened? My
name is Darkness. My class is a Crusader and I am a faithful
worshiper of Eris. Thus, it’s my duty to settle disputes. If you
don’t mind, you can lay your problems to me.”
“Ah, so you are Larkness’s knockoff!”
“K-Knockoff?!”
Darkness stepped back in shock.

225 | P a g e

“You are even introducing yourself with the same lines! Isn’t
this solid proof?”
“Even the colour of your eyes and hair are the same! I’m
surprised that you can introduce yourself as a Crusader when
you have a name like Darkness that’s more fitting for a Dark
Knight.”
With Ozuma’s mockery, Darkness seemed to shrink back and
sulk.
“Darkness, get a hold of yourself! Don’t worry about it, I
thought that Darkness as a name sounded a little dark when I
first heard it, but it’s quite cool sounding once you get used to
it! And your real name is really cute too, so there’s no reason to
be depressed, Darkness.”
“In other words, my name sounds like a name you’d give to a
knockoff… Dark Knight… Darkness… Haha, Megumin, what do
you think of Darkness as a name?”
“Of course it sounds cool… Hey, wait. why are you suddenly
crying!?”
This isn’t good. With just a name, our group has been thrown
into chaos.
Just then,
“Seriously… Challenging us just because our names sound a
little similar. What a childish act. As a Crimson Demon, I would
be glad to answer any challenge, but… The power of my spell is
strong enough that even if I hold back, I won’t be able to
guarantee your survival. That’s why…”

226 | P a g e

Megumin’s eyes glowed a fiery red as she stood in front of
Darkness like she was shielding her.
Treating her warnings of holding back as a mere boast, Ozuma
gave her a smirk.
Yeah, she’s usually the most hot headed amongst us, yet she is…
“Adventurers should settle things like adventurers. How about
a contest? Whoever can gain the approval of others and
convince them that you are the real deal wins.”
Megumin, whose name seemed most like a knockoff out of all of
us, made such a suggestion.

ーAfter Ozuma and his party left.
I gave Megumin a broad smile and said.
“Well done, Megumin. As expected of the person with the
highest intelligence in our party, that’s quite the trick you
cooked up.”
Megumin returned my smile.
“You aren’t too bad yourself for understanding what I’ve
planned so quickly. Indeed, Axel is our home. It wouldn’t
matter how hard they work, compared to us who have known
them for a long time, it’s clear who the citizens of Axel would
see as the knockoff.”
It looks like this girl isn’t just an explosion maniac.

227 | P a g e

Even though she thinks of nothing but Explosion Magic all day,
she can still be pretty smart every now and then.
“And it’s winter right now. Only strong monsters will be active
in this season. We can just sit back and relax. I don’t know how
strong they are, but no one can survive fighting against winter
monsters for long. I wonder how long they will last…”
Megumin and I shared a laugh.
“You know, somehow I feel like we are the knockoffs right
now.”

↲

228 | P a g e

Chapter 7: Part 4 ↲

After that, we spent two weeks living an indulgent life in the
mansion.
“Yay, it’s done. Take a look. These are the silver arrows that I
made with my Crafting skill to kill time. It should be quite
effective against undead, devils, werewolves, and other wolf
type creatures. Seems like I’ve added one more item to the
‘Kazuma-san’s side job series’ catalogue.”
Aqua looked at me out of the corner of her eye as I laid out my
arrow on the table in front of the fireplace.
“As always, it’s pretty well made. But, what do you intend to do
with it? If you want to hunt devils or the undead, I’m all for it.
Are we heading to Wiz’s store next?”
“Just who are you planning to test this on? Anyway, I’ve only
made just the one right now, so let’s keep it safe for now.”
I carefully transferred the arrow to my quiver, and Aqua,
stretching lazily on the sofa, said.
“Hey, Kazuma, we don’t have anything to do anyways, so why
don’t we head to the guild for a change?”
“… Yeah, the only times I’ve gone out recently is to accompany
Megumin on her trip or to buy stuff. Spending some time with
the others sounds nice.”
After noon, the four of us headed to the guild.
The moment I opened the door…

229 | P a g e

“As expected of Ozuma-san! I have lost count of how many one
strike bears you’ve killed. With this, the villagers nearby will be
able to live out the winter without worries.”
“Not bad, Ozuma! Would you mind treating me to a drink!?”
“Megumi, I heard it was you who dealt the finishing blow with
your spell! Do you mind coming with us to gain some levels
next time? Of course, I’ll compensate you.”
“Larkness-san, thank you for saving me back then! This is just a
small token of my appreciation!”
The cheerful noises from within the guild overwhelmed me.
Wait a minute. Ozuma? Megumi? Larkness?
“Ah, you finally appeared, you bastard!”
Just as I was still struggling to come to grips with what I’m
seeing, the man who was standing at the center of the circle of
adventurers saw me and called out.
That man had a very rugged look, and seemed really familiar
somehow…
“Ah, that’s right! We were in some kind of competition, right!?”
“Stop joking! You were the ones who suggested it in the first
place!”
Oh, yeah, we were in the middle of a contest with a bunch of
guys who were calling us knockoffs.

230 | P a g e

Still, what is the meaning of this? How could they be praised so
highly in this town that has become my home?
“Hey, Megumin, this isn’t what we expected. They seem to be
more capable than we thought. At this rate, we might really end
up being regarded as the knockoffs.”
“W-What should we do? Can we change the contents of the
challenge now? If we were playing a board game, I’m confident
that I won’t lose…”
Just as Megumin and I whispered, Ozuma walked up to us.
“So, are you satisfied now, knockoffs? The most capable party
here is us, so is it settled now?”
“Wait a minute, don’t you feel any shame over using the time
while we are recuperating to get a leg up?”
“What are you talking about!? This entire thing was your idea!”
Dammit, Megumin’s knockoff is actually quite smart. They
weren’t swept up into our rhythm so easily this time.
“So, do you want to admit defeat? The name Kazuma is hardly
ever mentioned in the guild these days!”
Ozuma gave me a victorious smile.
“You ungrateful bastards! What did I treat you all those times
for!? Can’t you back me up a little more!?”
“What are you saying!? You hardly even show up in the guild
these few weeks!”

231 | P a g e

“Sure, you might have treated us many times, but you cause
almost as much trouble for us as your Aqua, so we are even! I
don’t know what kind of contest you two are having, but if you
want me to support you, then buy me a drink!”
These guys are no good. Fellow adventurers my ass, I can’t rely
on them at all.
Larkness strode up to me.
“This should be enough, young man. Our original reason for
coming here is to lodge our complaints to you, but there is one
other matter. With this, it should be clear that we are the
stronger party. Now, please listen to our requestー”

Just then,
“Please, somebody help! Is there a priest here!? Acure-san!? Is
Acure-san here!?”
A female adventurer supporting her bloodied companion
barged into the guild.
“If you are looking for me, I’m right here.”
Aqua, who was standing by the door, called out to the new
arrival.
“Acure-san…! Oh, it’s just Aqua-san…”
“Apologize! Apologize for being disappointed after seeing me!
Don’t you want to heal that person!? My healing magic is the
best in the world!”
Ozuma and his party rushed over upon seeing the new arrival.

232 | P a g e

“T-This is…”
Ozuma seemed to have been able to tell just how wounded the
man was with a glance, and sadly shook his head.
Acure pushed aside Aqua as she complained to the adventurer,
and hurried to attend to the wounded.
“… He was attacked by a white wolf, right? Regrettably, this
wound is…”
Acure said and closed her eyes, but prepared to use healing
magic in order to ease the pain…
“Sacred Highness Heal!”
Before she could cast a spell, a white light enveloped the
adventurer.
“What!?” x4
Ozuma and his party yelled in surprise after seeing the man’s
injuries close up.
“See that!? Aqua-san can properly heal wounds too! Now
apologize! Apologize for ignoring me and seeking some new girl
instead!”
“T-Thank you very much, Aqua-san! I get it, I get it. I’ll treat
you to a drink next time!”
Ozuma and his party looked on with unbelieving eyes as the
adventurer thanked Aqua.

233 | P a g e

“Really? Don’t forget to buy me some snacks to go with the wine
too. The fried frog’s tongue Kazuma mentioned before sounds
really interesting, so please buy that for me as well.”
“Understood, but don’t drink too much. I don’t have that much
money on me.”
After listening to the cheap price that Aqua was willing to settle
for, Acure stumbled backwards in shock.
Still, white wolf, huh?
White wolves are carnivorous monsters that only appear in the
winter, and I doubt the timid adventurers in this town would
willingly approach such a dangerous monster…
“W-Wait, Kazuma, are you seriously willing to accept only a few
drinks in payment? And I heard something about sacred
highness or something like that earlier…”
Just as Ozuma whispered to me.
The injured adventurer regained consciousness and looked
around.
“This place is…? Ah, my wound is healed… Acure-san? Did you
heal me?”
Upon seeing Acure who was hugging herself, the man blushed
and asked.
“Did you think it was Acure-san? Too bad, but the person who
healed you is Aqua-san!”
“Dammit, that was such a good atmosphere too…”

234 | P a g e

Hearing the man’s complaint, Aqua grabbed his neck.
However, sitting next to her, Acure, who seemed completely
dumbstruck, gazed silently on.
“Argh, wait! Aqua, you can strangle him later. I have something
to ask him. Hey, why were you attacked by a white wolf in the
first place? I know you aren’t very skilled, but I’m sure you at
least know not to approach their hunting grounds, right?”
“If you guys didn’t just heal me, I’d be picking a fight right now.
Er, well, you see… The white wolves suddenly appeared near
the town in numbers that are unthinkable just last year.”
At the man’s words, the surrounding adventurers glanced at
each other.

↲

235 | P a g e

Chapter 7: Part 5 ↲

“This world has something called an ecosystem.”
The snow covered fields outside of Axel shimmered with a pure
white glow as far as the eye could see.
Ozuma and I left the guild and arrived here along with a small
band of adventurers.
“White wolves frequently fight with One-Strike Bears in the
winter. In a one on one match, the bear would win, but not
against a group. One strike bears that come out during the
winter in search of food frequently come into conflict with the
wolves because of food scarcity. As a result, their population is
kept stable.”
I said to myself, and Ozuma, walking next to me, lowered his
head.
“So that’s why you hole yourselves inside during the winter…
But we…”
He seemed very despondent.
If I told him that I pretty much just said something that
sounded believable, he’d probably kill me.
“True, normally, white wolves wouldn’t come this close to
human settlements. It might very well be as Kazuma said…
Though, it feels very much like Kazuma is lecturing Ozuma-san
right now…”
Megumin agreed with me, softly mentioning something
unnecessary under her breath.

236 | P a g e

“In any case… There are just way too many of them! We should
go back, prepare a proper plan of attack and come back with
more adventurers. With Aqua-san’s healing magic, there
shouldn’t be any lasting casualties!”
Megumi pointed towards the large pack of white wolves in the
distance, that were also looking in our direction.
But…
“Come on, it’s not that big of a deal. You can handle that
without any problems, right, Megumin?”
“It’ll be a piece of cake.”
Ozuma and his party seemed taken aback after hearing what we
just said.
“W-Wait a minute! I don’t know what kind of spells you are
planning on using, but against such numbers, a spellcaster
would easily be singled out. Let Ozuma and me buy some time
first…”
Saying that, Larkness removed the shield from her back and
took up stance.
“No, leaving the white wolves aside, there’s no way you’ll be
able to withstand Megumin’s spell. It’d be best for me to go
forward alone.”
Saying that, Darkness strode out to the front.
“Wait, are you really okay with that? Kazuma? Your companion
ー”

237 | P a g e

Perhaps out of concern for Darkness, Ozuma said in a slightly
panicked tone.
However…
“Our Crusader is extremely hard. Not only can she take a blow
from a Demon King’s general, she can even withstand a hit
from Explosion. If there is a blow that she cannot withstand, I
don’t think anyone else can.”
I said to put Ozuma at ease, but for some reason, Ozuma gulped
and seemed even more nervous than before.
“Well, if anything happens, I bring her back in a jiffy with
Resurrection, so don’t worry.”
“Resurrect…”
Once again, Ozuma and his party seemed at a loss for words.
It’s also at this point when I noticed that they seem to be
looking at me with a gaze of anticipation.
“… W-What?”
Why are they looking at me like that?
What, are they expecting me to pull out some amazing trick,
too?
Apologies, but the only flashy skill I know is Steal. I don’t have
anything amazing like those other three.

238 | P a g e

And white wolves are stronger than the average monster
around these parts. Without finding a weak spot or two, there’s
nothing much I can do…
“Kazuma, that must be the alpha of that pack. It looks a little
larger than the rest.”
I used my Farsight skill to take a closer look at where Darkness
is pointing.
“I see, it really is bigger than the rest. There are also a few
female wolves around it. That is definitely the leader of the
pack.”
Ozuma muttered to himself.
“…I see, the Farsight skill.”
Is there a way to take out the alpha from a distance…
Just then, I was reminded of something and retrieved an arrow
from my quiver.
Acure, the priest, seemed to notice something about the arrow
and muttered.
“Silver arrow…”
Ozuma frowned.
“… Did you already expect such a thing to happen as a result of
our actions and made preparations…”
He seems to have some kind of misunderstanding.

239 | P a g e

“… I hoped I wouldn’t have to use this arrow when I made it…”
There’s no reason for me to correct him, and Ozuma and his
party’s gaze became one of admiration.
“Hey, Kazuma, didn’t you say you made that arrow because you
were bored?”
“Aqua, I’ll buy you your favourite wine when we get back, so
please be quiet.”
After whispering to Aqua, I nocked my bow.
The pack of White Wolves seemed to notice my action and
charged towards us.
“Megumin, start chanting your magic! I’ll take out the alpha,
but if they don’t back down after that, we’ll have to rely on you!
Darkness, buy us some time with your Decoy skill!”
“Very well, I’ll vent all my frustrations over not being able to
take out any monsters as of late! Behold my ultimate spell,
Explosion!”
“Don’t worry, I will definitely not let them pass. Go ahead and
take me with them!”
Megumi looked at Megumin with a disbelieving expression as
she started chanting at my command.
“A-Are you serious!? Explosion magic…”
She said as beads of nervous sweat started flowing down her
face.

240 | P a g e

“Come to think of it, back when we had the fight outside the
mansion, the little mage girl said ‘The power of my spell is
strong enough that even if I hold back, I won’t be able to
guarantee your survival’. So that wasn’t just an empty boast…”
Ozuma muttered under his breath while gazing into the
distance.
“Kazuma, I’ve cast support magic on you, so go right ahead!”
“My luck is second to none! Leave that guy to me!”
After receiving Aqua’s support spell, I let my arrow loose with
Snipe.
It flew unerringly to the alpha’s forehead, killing it immediately.
A normal arrow probably wouldn’t have worked this well. I’m
not sure what else I can use it on, but I think I’ll try and make a
few more of them for future use.
Though, this success is also in part thanks to the high luck I was
born with.
“The other wolves haven’t retreated! They are still coming
towards us… No, to that Crusader lady!”
As I was mentally congratulating myself, Ozuma shouted in a
panic.
At the same time, Megumin gave me a look.
It’s the Explosion Magic that I’ve borne witness to so many
times.

241 | P a g e

Even without words, I already know she’s completed her chant.
“Megumin, do it.”
The moment Megumin heard my call, she unleashed her spell.
“Explosionー!!”
A portion of the snow that covered the fields evaporated into a
thick fog in an instant, and the resultant shockwave sent snow
flying across the entire plain.

↲

242 | P a g e