Watching the crystal powder drift away on the wind, Kōichi and Kazuma Satou solemnly high-fived in the bushes out in the wilderness.
"Kōichi, from this moment on, everything that happened last night was just an exorcism ritual. Succubus, princess, intense friendship, none of it existed! Anyone who lets even a single word slip is a Slime raised by Axis Order followers!"
Kazuma's eyes were firmer than ever, as if he were defending some sacred, inviolable truth.
"Works for me. I never intended to let that dark history survive past today anyway. Now that the evidence is gone, as long as we deny it to the grave, Megumin and the others can't do anything to us."
Kōichi straightened his rumpled collar and regained his calm, breezy Wizard air.
After reaching an agreement, the two parted ways at the city gate.
Kazuma, looking thoroughly cursed by misfortune, went off to drink with Dust, that equally shameless thug of a warrior, trying to use alcohol to scrub the memory of Kōichi's neck from his mind.
Kōichi, meanwhile, let out a long breath. With the enormous sum of one hundred eighty million Eris on him, he decided to wander aimlessly through Axel's streets and calm his nearly shattered nerves.
The afternoon streets of Axel were full of life.
The cries of roadside vendors, the boasting of adventurers, and the occasional explosion in the distance, most likely Megumin firing off spells outside the city, gave Kōichi a sense of peace he had not felt in a long while.
Just as he passed a stall selling fries, someone lightly tapped him on the back.
"Hey! Isn't that Kōichi? Long time no see. Why are you spacing out here all by yourself? You look a little pale. Didn't sleep well last night?"
A bright, energetic girl's voice rang beside his ear.
Kōichi turned around and saw that familiar short silver hair, along with the faint scar on the lower left side of her face that did nothing to diminish her charm.
The girl wore a light Thief outfit, with a tube top and shorts that showed off her nimble figure perfectly. Her lively eyes sparkled with the mischievous look of someone who had just pulled off a prank.
It was Chris.
Or rather, the Goddess of Fortune, Eris, who got lonely in the Heavens and occasionally descended to the mortal world to experience life.
Looking at this Goddess's avatar, who was ten thousand times more reliable and ten thousand times gentler than Aqua, Kōichi felt his tense nerves relax at once.
Compared to the three problem children at home who could trigger a nuclear explosion or social death at any moment, Chris was practically salvation itself.
"Chris, huh. Yeah, some... exhausting things happened. But seeing you makes me feel a lot better."
Kōichi gave her a sincere smile.
"Actually, I was just planning to wander around. Want to join me? I've got plenty of money right now, so if there's anything you want to eat or any equipment you want, just say the word."
Chris paused, then broke into a radiant smile and gave Kōichi a cool pat on the shoulder.
"Oh! You sound awfully confident! Did you strike it rich or something? Since you're being that generous, I won't hold back! I just spotted a really interesting set of throwing knives. Come on, let's go!"
The two walked side by side down the lively street.
Chris's cheerful, completely natural personality let Kōichi temporarily forget the shadow of last night.
Watching Chris excitedly hop from stall to stall, he silently sighed to himself.
Same Goddess category, yet the difference is this huge? If Aqua had even half of Chris's cuteness and thoughtfulness, I wouldn't be thinking about quitting the Party every single day.
"Hey, Kōichi."
Chris suddenly stopped in front of a jewelry stall. She pointed at a pendant giving off a faint silver glow and stuck out her tongue a little sheepishly.
"This... Well, it doesn't give any stat bonus for a Thief, but it kind of reminds me of a certain friend of mine. Could you lend me some money to buy it? I'll pay you back next time I steal... cough, next time I earn some money!"
Kōichi glanced at the pendant. It was a silver ornament engraved with the sacred seal of the Eris Order.
He smiled and directly handed the shopkeeper a stack of Eris.
"It's a gift. Consider it thanks for shopping with me."
"Um... Kōichi, I'm really sorry to bother you when you're resting, but you're the only one who can help me with this."
Chris gently tugged at Kōichi's sleeve, her clear eyes carrying a trace of apology and expectation.
She lowered her head slightly, a cute blush spreading across her cheeks. Her expression, as if saying she would not force him if he really did not want to go, but she was truly in trouble, was a devastating attack.
Kōichi had originally planned to return to the mansion, collapse on the sofa, and sleep until the world ended, leaving last night's farce completely behind. But seeing Chris's pitiful look, his defenses crumbled instantly.
"O-okay." Kōichi sighed and shrugged in resignation. "Since it's a request from you, how could I refuse? Tell me."
"Wow! I knew Kōichi was the best!" Chris immediately jumped up and excitedly slapped Kōichi on the back. "It's not really a huge problem. I'm planning to retrieve something: the Chatterbox Ring, which was abandoned in an old mine outside the city. They say whoever wears it can't stop blurting out every secret on their mind, and they can't take it off unless they perform an embarrassing action."
The corner of Kōichi's mouth twitched.
"...That sounds even more dangerous than last night's recording crystal. Logically speaking, something like that shouldn't belong in the mortal world, should it?"
"Ugh... Who knows? Maybe some unlucky Reincarnator brought it over?" Chris stuck out her tongue, her eyes drifting guiltily to the side. "Anyway, to stop it from being picked up by bad people, we need to recover it quickly!"
The two soon left the bustling shopping district and headed toward the old mine on the outskirts of town.
Chris seemed especially excited along the way.
She bounced beside Kōichi from time to time and occasionally shared little rumors she had heard at the Adventurers Guild.
Watching her cheerful behavior, Kōichi felt even more strongly that his heart was being healed.
Although he knew very well that Chris might be hiding her identity as a Goddess, interacting with her from a human perspective felt incredibly real.
The mine entrance was gloomy and carried a musty smell.
Chris skillfully took two glow sticks from the pouch at her waist, handed one to Kōichi, then lowered her voice.
"Be careful, Kōichi. It's only a small quest, but there may still be a few Slimes or Goblins in the mine that weren't cleared out. As a Thief, I'll handle scouting for traps, and you'll be in charge of... hmm, protecting me with that powerful magic of yours?"
She winked playfully at Kōichi. In that instant, even the tiny scar near the corner of her eye seemed to carry a captivating charm.
"No problem. Stay close to me."
Kōichi tightened his grip on his staff, and to his own surprise, he felt a hint of anticipation for this troublesome errand.