CHAPTER 8 - PART 1 & 2

Part 1

We got ourselves a mansion.

Therefore the problem of making it through winter that I was worried about was solved.

And so, our party of four moved in immediately. Even though there were many issues, living under the same roof with members of the opposite sex still made me happy about my new life here.

"Hey, move away, I am doing some freelance work now. If it's cold, go back to your room and hide under your blanket."

But on the first day of our new life, a problem immediately surfaced.

Because powerful monsters were active during the winter, aside from hiding in town, we couldn't do anything else.

I still wanted to clear the debt soon, so I took on freelance work through the guild to do. But my hands were stiff from the cold, so it wasn't going too smoothly.

So I wanted to stay before the fireplace on the first floor's living room, but Aqua decided to claim it as her own territory, hogging the couch and resisting stubbornly.

"I don't wanna. Things like blankets become cold when you leave it. If you want me to go back into it, then heat it up in a microwave first."

"Are you stupid? There's no such thing as a microwave here! And stop being stubborn, move out of the way! Whose debt do you think I am doing this to clear? If you continue to get in my way, don't blame me if I go rough on you."

"What, you want to fight? If we are both unarmed, I will have the advantage with my higher stats. The place before the fireplace is my holy sanctuary, anyone who invades it will receive divine punishment ahhhh!!"

After I delivered the divine retribution named 'freeze' on Aqua's nape, she screamed and fell off the couch she was hogging.

I sat on the empty couch and put the materials in my hands onto the table:

"Hmmp… This is now my territory. If you don't want to help me with work, be a good girl and play with those two over there."

I waved my hand at Aqua who was shivering on the carpet to chase her away.

Darkness and Megumin were in the middle of the living room playing a board game; it was something similar to chess or shogi.

"Hmmp, witness the power of my army. I teleport my orc soldier to this space."

"Megumin, the way you use your mage is disgusting… I will move my crusader here, check!"

"Teleport."

Unlike earth, this world had the concept of magic. That game which looked similar to chess had slightly different rules.

I played with Megumin once, but the moment she teleported her king out of the board, I made up my mind to never play that board game again.

Suddenly, Aqua who was nursing her nape while shivering seemed to remember something and stood up, taking out her own adventurer card and shoving it in my face.

"Kazuma, look carefully at the level column! Right now, I have the highest level among the four of us. With such a high level, I could be considered a veteran! You rookies who are below level 20 know your place! If you understand, than offer the place before the fireplace to the great me!"

I looked at the card she showed me, and her level had indeed received a phenomenal increase.

Right now it was twenty one.

Thinking back, she did take out the demon army's boss Beldia, and purified a lot of undead monsters in the dungeon. She even purified a lich in the end.

While I was happy over Aqua's growth, I felt frustrated that her level overtook mine…

… Weird?

"… Nah, Aqua. Your level did increase, but your stats are the same as the first time I saw them. Why is that?"

"How ignorant, Kazuma. Who do you think I am? Things like stats have already reached the maximum from the very start. My skill points were bountiful at the beginning, enough to learn all the banquet party tricks and all the skills of an arch priest. Comparing me to a normal adventurer you can find anywhere is a big mistake."

I dropped Aqua's card and crumpled down onto the carpet.

Seeing my reaction, Aqua smiled arrogantly, but I didn't have time to be bothered with her.

–This meant that no matter how much this girl leveled, her intelligence would not increase.

I picked up the card, returned it to her and gave up my place for her too.

"Ara? Why did you gave up the place so obediently… Kazuma, why are you crying? Did my level exceeding yours gave you such a big shock? Why… why are you patting my shoulders and treating me so gently? Why are you looking at me with eyes of sympathy?"

I ushered Aqua to the spot before the fireplace for her to sit. I lost the drive to work today, so I decided to visit the town to change the mood.

Part 2

The town had already started snowing, and because the weather was cold, few people were walking on the road.

The common sense of the world was to hide at home during winter.

Only brutal monsters were active during this season. The only ones who would go out on missions while wearing armor were the people from Japan who possessed cheat-like blessings.

And those wandering around town when it was so cold were either idle people like me…

— or the acquaintances of mine such as those acting suspiciously in front of me.

Those two acquaintances were eyeing a shop suspiciously, so I called out to them.

"Keith, Dust, what are you doing here?"

"Woah!" x2

Hearing me call out to them from behind, Keith and Dust jumped.

They were dressed casually and didn't look like adventurers.

"Wh, what, it's just Kazuma, don't scare us like that. Really, I hate people who use 'hide' skills like this…"

When Keith saw it was me, he relaxed and told me that.

But I didn't use 'hide' just now.

"Hi. What's up? You're not with those three today?"

Dust looked to my side curiously.

Dust suffered greatly during his time with them, so it was normal for him to be on guard.

"Nope, it's just me today, don't worry. Are you that bad with them? I was just bored at home and decided to take a stroll. What are you guys doing here?"

Dust breathed in relief after hearing what I said:

"No, it's … because we… you understand? Anyway, it's great they are not here. Or rather, it's fine if there are no ladies around."

…?

What did they mean? They wanted to do something that would be inconvenienced by the presence of a lady?

My thoughts were probably showing on my face as Keith said deviously:

"Kazuma who is usually surrounded by beauties doesn't need such things, but for lonely men like Dust and me…"

"Hey, wait."

Keith only spoke halfway when Dust interjected.

And Dust looked at me with sympathetic eyes…

"Keith… This guy's situation isn't what you imagined. It might look like a harem at first glance, but it's not like that… he's in the same state like us and had endured much hardship."

He was saying this from his experience.

Ahh, I understand… It seems that this guy had it hard back then…

… Alright, even though I was shouldering heavy debts, I should treat Dust to a meal today.