A Farewell to This Starter Town!

1

"…ro… Big Bro, wake up…" My covers felt heavy, and I thought I heard a voice calling me from far away. A kind and gentle voice, speaking words I had longed to hear… "Big Bro, wake up! You're gonna be late! Come on, quick!"

Big Bro. At those two sweet syllables, I opened my eyes.

"Good morning, Big Bro! Get up, and let's jump into another day of Demon King slaying!" My self-proclaimed younger sister (age unclear) jumped on my bed… "Get offa meeeee!"

"But, Big Broooo!"

As I jumped up, I grabbed my sheets, pulling them out from under Aqua and sending her tumbling to the floor. I didn't even look at her, just dived right back under my quilt. Then I poked my head out from under the covers and glanced at Aqua, who hadn't even managed to get up from the carpet yet. "Today's version was just a little better," I said.

"I knew the Big Bro thing would work on you, Kazuma, you lolicon," she said, getting up and dusting herself off.

Aqua had been pulling that sort of stunt every day for a while now. She was trying everything she could think of to get me to help her hunt the Demon King.

"Listen, Kazuma, I think it's about time for you to cave. The way we all cause problems and then, even though it's killing you, at the very last moment you manage to make everything work out is one of your best qualities, isn't it?"

"Who am I, your fairy godmother? I can't grant your every wish. I thought it was usually the goddess who was supposed to solve all the problems in the end anyway."

Aqua completely ignored my sarcastic barb; instead, she sat down on the carpet beside my bed, pulled her knees up to her chest, and said, "What can I do? My only abilities are purifying water, destroying devils and the undead, and bringing people back to life. Being a goddess isn't so great."

"G-geez, change of heart much? I'd expect a goddess to at least be able to seal away a simple demon king. Isn't subjugating evil spirits part of your portfolio?"

Aqua stared intently at a very specific part of the lower half of my body.

"Keeping that evil thing under control is about the most I can do right now."

"H-hey, stop it… Stop it already, it's not my fault, that just happens in the morning! A-anyway…" I didn't get up, but I did look toward Aqua, trying to change the subject. "If things are borderline right now, then if we take out one more of the Demon King's generals, you ought to be able to bring down that barrier for sure, right? So how about we wait until then?"

The Demon King had one more general we didn't know anything about. "The last of the generals is supposed to be the Demon King's own daughter, right?" I went on. "I don't know how strong she is, but I don't even think someone like that could get away with attacking the capital without even a scratch. And there are plenty of those cheaters hanging out in the capital, too. Above all, my little sister, the most powerful little sister in the world, lives there. Maybe she'll turn the tables on the Demon King's daughter, then get a bunch of the most powerful people in the country to go with her as bodyguards while she takes down that barrier. If our nation's most powerful inhabitants can't manage it, we can worry about it then."

Now, that really was asking other people to do the dirty work for us, but it was all I could handle. This wasn't like the rest of my time here, when I had lucked into pretty much everything that had happened. We weren't heroes, and we weren't chosen ones. In fact, we were less competent than your average adventuring party. It was kind of incredible that we hadn't all been wiped out yet… "One general. One more general of the Demon King," Aqua mumbled to herself, still holding her knees.

Huh…?

"Hey, what are you—?"

"That's it! One more general of the Demon King! If we can take down one more of his generals, I will be able to break that barrier! And then someone else really might take care of the king himself for us! That's it! That's perfect!" She jumped to her feet, babbling.

She couldn't mean—!

"I'm going out for a few minutes!"

"Hey, hold on! Wait just a second!"

Before I could stop her, though, Aqua raced out of my room.

I chased after her (God, it was too early in the morning for a run like this) and finally reached my destination. I hated to admit it, but she was faster than I was; her stats were just so much higher.

"Where's Wiz? Don't try to hide her—get her out here!"

"O un-listening fool! I told you that my slacking shopkeeper is out! I, too, am searching for that oafish owner, lest she purchase some pointless stock while I can't keep an eye on her… H-hey! You had best cease trying to pull the mask off my face!"

I knew it: I could hear the commotion from inside Wiz's store. I guess Wiz herself was out, though. I came in to find Aqua with her hands on Vanir's mask, trying to pry it off. He was fighting hard, but he managed to look at me.

"Hrrrrggh, welcome to our store! O owner of this mad-dog goddess, bring her to heel!"

"Don't try to make me her owner; you'll only cause headaches for me. So Wiz's out? Come on, stop that, he can't even talk that way."

At that, Aqua reluctantly let go of the mask.

"Okay, you weird devil," she said. "If your powers aren't just a big con, then use your all-seeing eye to tell me where Wiz is right now."

"Hmph, ridiculous. You gods claim to be all-knowing and all-powerful, yet you're never any help. Don't you dare compare the falsehoods you spread with my power. In any event, as I believe I've said, extremely powerful people are difficult for me to see. That pitiful proprietor might lack business sense, but power she has." Vanir straightened his collar as he spoke.

"You talk big, but what you're really saying is you don't know. You never come through when it counts. I hate to have to say this, but maybe that makes you even lower than me on the totem pole."

"Very well," Vanir said after an awkward second. "It's been a while since I've demonstrated my true ability. We had best step outside, for today I shall settle things with this despicable deity."

These two really hated each other… That was when I sensed someone behind me in the doorway. I turned and saw… "Oh, Kazuma, Lady Aqua, welcome! What perfect timing. I just got something very interesting in stock…" It was Wiz, smiling broadly. She showed us a bag that the penguin behind her was holding.

Vanir froze when he saw it.

Aqua, immediately interested, trotted over and looked in the penguin's bag. I ignored the penguin, which had frozen like a deer in headlights, and spoke instead for Vanir, who was equally immobilized. "Uh… So what'd you buy?"

"I'm so glad you asked!" Wiz produced the contents of the bag with a flourish, revealing… "A paper ghost doll?"

"What? No, this is a powerful magical item that can control the weather.

Hang this from the eaves of your house, and you can force the weather to be perfect! Weather-control magic usually requires lengthy rituals and rare catalysts. This takes out all the hassle. The only thing you have to do is hang it up! How about it? Isn't it great? It's great, isn't it?!"

It sure was. It seemed great anyway… "So what's the catch? Does it, like, stop rain from falling for ten years when you use it? Or eat up a ton of magic?"

"Why would you think there would be any side effects? After making Vanir mad at me so many times, I've learned my lesson! To use this item, you just have someone with a fair amount of magic transfer some of that magic to the item, and then you hang it from the eaves of your house. Other than some slight limitations to the time of year when you can use it, there are no disadvantages whatsoever! How about it? Sounds like an excellent buy, right?"

Vanir finally managed to walk slowly over to us. He plucked the ghost doll–like thing Wiz was so proud of right out of her hand. "And what time of year can you use it?"

"Right now! It's a seasonal item for this very season! You don't think I'm stupid enough to buy an item people wouldn't be able to use right away, do you? Oh, Vanir, you worry too much."

"...…My dear customer, I urge you to come with me." Leaving Wiz to grin to herself, Vanir took me by the shoulder and led me to a corner of the shop.

"I'm telling you right now, I'm not buying it," I said.

"Now, don't say that. This jun—I mean, this fine item does indeed possess considerable magical power. I suspect she's telling the truth about its properties." Well, if Vanir said so, then it was probably the real deal. I had heard that Wiz liked to choose which items to stock based on how much magical power they possessed. I had a question, though.

"You know, I can hardly remember the last time we had any rain around here.

Does it ever rain this time of year?"

"There was a passing shower once around this time, about twenty years ago."

"I'm not buying it."

Vanir pushed his masked face right up close to me. "Now, now, don't say that.

The world's a big place. There might be areas that have flooding this time of year. Take it somewhere like that, and they would consider it a treasure. Buy now, and I'll even throw in a second forbidden potion series as a bonus."

"Sorry, pass. By the way, Aqua makes something a lot like that thing. There was this Megumin ghost doll she ginned up a while back."

"I might also see my way to giving you a little something I've been developing in secret, without our shopkeeper's knowledge: a powerful next-gen bit of merchandise, a life-size shopkeeper body pillow."

"I said, p— I mean, tell me more…" While Vanir and I were busy with this conversation, I heard Wiz say, "Um…?

Lady Aqua, what's the matter?"

"Now that I think about it, Wiz, it's already been more than a year since we've met. It's ironic, isn't it? I'm a goddess, and you're a Lich. Normally, we would be at each other's throats!"

"It really has been a while. Oh, I bought some cookies while I was out looking for magical items. Would you like one, Lady Aqua?"

"Ooh, sure! …Wait, no. Wiz, listen. We're more than acquaintances by now, aren't we? Technically, it was my job to purify you the moment I laid eyes on you. You know, gods versus undead. We were never supposed to get along…!"

Aqua nibbled on the cookie Wiz had given her as she spoke.

Vanir, sensing the tension, came smartly over and stood between Wiz and Aqua, while their penguin mascot—erm, I mean Zeeleschilt—stood trembling beside the shopkeeper. I didn't think Aqua could really be serious, but… As he stood protectively in front of Wiz, to my surprise, Vanir smiled. "What now, O violent goddess? I sense a most obnoxious aura coming from you at this moment. I know not what has happened, but if you intend to make trouble in this store, you can expect to be hit with a major repair bill. Approach us at your own risk." Then he beckoned to her with just one finger, ready for a fight.

Aqua completely ignored him. "Wiz… Please understand, I have to destroy you in order to protect the peace of this world! Believe me, it breaks my heart to have to destroy my own friend! But, Wiz, I'm begging you! I want to go back to the heavenly realm! I'll make sure it doesn't hurt, but I need you to return to dust!"

Sounding dramatic enough to be in a play, Aqua took up position against Wiz.

For her part, Wiz just stared at her, unafraid but also confused. Finally, she cocked her head. "So if I return to the earth, you'll be able to get home to the heavenly realm, Lady Aqua?" She made it sound like no big deal.

"Yes!" Aqua cried. "I hate to say it, Wiz, but with things the way they are, I can't afford to look the other way anymore! Hate me for it if you must, but as a goddess…" "It's all right."

"As a goddess…! ...'All right'? Hey, no, Wiz, you can't give up on living that easily. Do you take life so lightly? You'll get divine punishment for that, you know."

There were almost too many comebacks to that: You're the one who's trying to kill her or even Does a Lich even have a life to give up on? and so forth. But Wiz still just looked kind of blank.

"If you purify me, that will allow you to return to the heavenly realm, yes? I'm sure there must be some special reason you're asking, even if I can't guess what it is. We've known each other a long time now. I know you, Lady Aqua. How you're actually a kind and compassionate person. If you say you need to purify me, then I'll let you."

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. This time it was Vanir's turn to get a little panicked. "What are you saying, Wiz?! Have you forgotten your promise to me?! You have some nerve, trying to renege on an agreement with a devil! Who will build my dungeon when you've gone to heaven? All the work I've done in your shop has been for that very purpose!"

Wiz looked surprised for a moment, but then she smiled. "Vanir… You actually called me by my name. I'm very sorry I won't be able to keep my promise to you. I do know one other Lich, someone who's been asleep in a mansion deep in the forest for a very long time. I'll introduce you to them. They should be able to help you…" Vanir gritted his teeth. It didn't look like he was ready to give up, though; he didn't budge an inch from between Aqua and Wiz.

Wiz turned back toward Aqua, in spite of Vanir, and clasped her hands in front of her. "It would have been perfectly normal for you to purify me the very first day we met. Thank you, Lady Aqua, for letting me live so long. Thanks to you, I had the chance to run this shop with Vanir and meet all sorts of nice people.

I've lived a very, very long time, but I feel this past year has been the happiest of my entire life. I mean it, you know. I don't feel any resentment…only gratitude."

"...…" Without another word, Vanir stepped aside. He was still gritting his teeth—it was obvious this wasn't what he wanted—but he was going to respect Wiz's decision.

"You know, I built this store so I would have somewhere to welcome my old adventuring companions when they finally came home. And then, just the other day… Yes, I believe it was when you asked about my and Vanir's past and then fell asleep in the middle of the story, Lady Aqua. A very dear friend of mine came to the shop, and I was able to welcome them home. I got everything I wanted."

As for Aqua… "Sniff…sniiiff…" She was moving away, barely holding back tears at this unexpected revelation.

In a tone like she was trying to comfort an unhappy child, Wiz said, "Lady Aqua, I've always known that someone was going to purify me someday.

Otherwise, I would literally live forever. And if I must be purified by someone, somewhere, I want it to be you. If I can be of some kind of help to you, then that's what I desire. Because…" Wiz was trying hard to take the guilt away from Aqua, trying to make her feel better; we could see from her face that she was being completely truthful and earnest.

"…I like you very much, Lady Aqua."

She smiled gently. Vanir, Zeeleschilt, and I let our gazes drift toward Aqua, then toward Wiz, who seemed so much more concerned about Aqua than about herself.

At last, seemingly tormented by her conscience and unable to endure us looking at her anymore:

"S-sniff… W-waaaahhhhhh!" Aqua cried and ran out of the store.

I meandered back to the mansion in search of Aqua, wondering all the while if we humans of Axel could really live with ourselves, knowing that the most sincere, most kindhearted person in town was a Lich.

Megumin and Darkness were on the sofa in the living room, playing a board game.

"Hey, did Aqua come back?" I asked.

"Aqua? She came home in a huff earlier and has been shut up in her room ever since. She didn't come out, even when I said food was ready. What in the world happened?" Megumin said, but I only grunted in response. What should I do? Should I leave her alone for a while?

No… "Hold that thought," I said. "And give me Aqua's food. I'll take it to her in her room."

Meal in hand, I headed upstairs.

"Hey, look, I know how you feel, but don't run out on me like that. Anyway, Megumin made dinner, so open up already."

There was a long pause; then I heard Aqua say, "Just leave me alone. I'm kind of struggling with my confidence as a goddess right now."

What? Only "kind of"?

I tried again, calling through the door, "Listen… You could probably stop worrying about defeating the Demon King now, right? Do you really need to go back to the heavenly realm that badly?"

"..." Aqua could say what she wanted, but I knew she didn't really hate Wiz. She might pick fights with her or partially purify her when Wiz got caught up in Aqua's arguments with Vanir—in other words, it hadn't been all sunshine and rainbows for them. But even so, despite the fact that they were supposed to be mortal enemies, they really got along okay.

I decided to try one more time. "You know that if you go back to Heaven, you won't be able to see Wiz again, right?"

Not to mention any of the rest of us. Then again, Lady Eris could incarnate herself as Chris, so maybe it was possible? I wasn't sure in Aqua's case, though.

She was in charge of Japan, I guess. Could she just pop down to this world whenever she wanted to?

I stood there in front of the door, getting no answer. "I brought some of the food Megumin made," I said. "If you don't want to eat, I'll take it back downstairs, all right?"

"...Leave the food there, please."

So she was at least willing to eat.

"What in the world happened to Aqua? She's always the first to the table.

Does she have an upset stomach?" Megumin asked worriedly as I came back into the room. Darkness sat across from her with her arms folded and a grim look on her face. I guess Megumin was winning their game.

"Nothing to worry about," I said. "I think she's going to eat, at least. Then I'm sure she'll get hungry again after a while and come downstairs."

I was trying to be lighthearted, but in the end, Aqua never came out of her room that night.

2

I couldn't sleep. It was sometime around midnight and so quiet that even the bugs weren't chirping.

The argument this morning had been nothing special. For Aqua to tromp around causing trouble, then end up coming home in tears, was nothing new.

Totally ordinary. So why did it bother me so much today?

I thought about how Aqua had gone silent on the other side of the door when I'd asked if she didn't care that she wouldn't be able to see Wiz again. Wiz wasn't really the point, though. I'd been trying to ask something deeper.

Don't you care if you never see us again?

... ...… "Arrrgh!!"

I tossed from one side to the other in bed. Embarrassed to ask the question even in my head, I shoved my face into the pillow and screamed.

But that was what I really, really wanted to ask. We'd been here so long. Was she really still that desperate to go home? I was so used to living this life with these people now that it was hard for me to imagine Aqua disappearing from it.

Aqua…going home.

Leaving us forever.

…What would happen if she did? It would be Megumin, Darkness, and me— just the three of us. It would be just me and my stupendous fortune and my mansion, without Aqua to come begging for favors or causing problems or barging in right when things were about to get good… ...…Huh?

That actually sounded pretty sweet. What was I so worried about?

No…no, no. Aqua would burst into tears if she heard me say that. Anyway, life would be pretty boring without her around. Sure, I might have fewer problems, but I'd also have too much time on my hands.

I wondered how Aqua felt, though. Heck, why was I lying awake this long because of her? It made me angry. I was really ticked off.

"...…" I pulled the covers aside and got out of bed. I knew it was late, but I was going to go wake that idiot up and give her the third degree. Then I was going to give her a piece of my mind. I would tell her exactly how little we had to gain from going to defeat the Demon King and how much risk would be involved.

I left my room, trying to move as soundlessly as possible. I assumed Megumin and Darkness were asleep by now, and the last thing I needed was for them to find me creeping around at this time of night and think I was heading to Aqua's for lewd reasons. In fact, it wasn't just the last thing I needed—it might be the last thing I ever did, the biggest mistake of my life.

I even activated Ambush, then headed for Aqua's room… Then I saw Aqua, looking up at the night sky.

I hadn't reached her room yet. She was sitting on the balcony that stuck out over the front entrance on the second floor. There was a gorgeous full moon out tonight. Aqua, dressed in her light-blue feather cloak, was sitting and looking at it.

I'd come here ready to beat some sense into her, but… Sitting there, gazing up at the moon, Aqua really did look like a goddess. Come to think of it, back when I'd died in Japan and met her for the first time, I'd known she was a goddess at a glance. She really was gorgeous… I had a thought.

Maybe if she spent more time not talking.

Aqua noticed me watching her. "What are you doing here? Couldn't sleep?"

I scratched the back of my head, a bit embarrassed, and came out onto the balcony. I couldn't exactly say I'd been, you know, admiring her. And I absolutely couldn't tell her I'd been captivated by the sight of her gazing at the moon. It would go to her head in a second.

Instead, I decided to say something completely unrelated to what I was really thinking. "Yeah, I guess I napped a little too much today. What about you? The mosquitoes'll get you out here."

Aqua kept her back to me, still staring upward, mumbling something about how I was just as much of a slob and a failure of a human being as ever.

... "First you won't eat, and now you're gazing at the moon. What's with you?

Do you have a moon in the heavenly realm? Are you gods really like Princess Kaguya?"

"Heh, you've got it all wrong. I'm looking at it because it's pretty. I keep asking myself: Who do you think I am? Even I cherish beautiful things from time to time. How about it? A goddess looking up at the moon. It's like something out of a painting, you know?"

Yeah, she was right. It could be a painting, and I had to be honest—it hammered home the fact that Aqua really was a goddess after all.

Not that I was about to say that out loud.

"Hey… You really want to go back to the heavenly realm that badly? It's been more than a year since we got here. We've met all kinds of people… Won't you be sad if you never get to see them again?"

"..." Aqua didn't answer, just kept looking at the sky. Finally, she whispered, as if she was talking to herself, "It's only been about a year. It's the strangest thing. I've spent a lot longer in the heavenly realm with the angels and the other gods. Living here, though, it's like every day has been a drama."

Yeah, and whose fault was that?

I forced the words down, refusing to say them. Instead I said, "If you were in the heavenly realm all that time, then you really are an old—" "Say one more word, and I'll put a seal on the lower half of your body so strong, no human power will be able to undo it as long as you live."

For the first time in my life, I was sincerely terrified of Aqua.

She resumed mumbling. "See, in the heavenly realm…things don't really change from day to day. It's always the same. To be honest, it's pretty boring.

Even if no change means no painful emotions."

Painful emotions… Maybe she was thinking of being collectively dumped by the town's adventurers recently. I was so occupied with the thought that I didn't say anything.

"A lot of people have apologized to me since then," Aqua said. "Even though, being a goddess, I hardly paid it any mind, you know?"

Yeah, right. Megumin and Darkness told me how down in the dumps Aqua had been.

Still looking at the moon, Aqua whispered a few words in a soft voice. She didn't look especially lonely or sad. More like she was just gazing from afar at where she used to be. Almost like a lost child.

"I wish I could go home…" She wasn't talking to me. She wasn't demanding, and she wasn't begging. It was just her small, personal wish.

I had no idea how long she had been in Heaven. No idea what kinds of acquaintances or even friends she might have had there. I didn't know what life had been like for her. I didn't know any of it. I was just the guy who had dragged her here against her will, and if it was what she really wanted, then I figured I should help her get home.

I hated to admit it, but it was also my fault that we weren't getting any new cheaters over here. Still… the Demon King, huh?

I wasn't sure what I should say to her. "I'm willing to…you know," I started.

"I'm willing to start thinking a little harder about how we might actually deal with the Demon King. I'm not saying I'm going to rush right out there and do the deed, all right? But maybe, I dunno, we could get a bunch of those exploding potions from Wiz's place and make bombs with them. Then we could teleport to the Demon King's castle, bury them like land mines, and make it impossible for him to leave. You know, a siege. Or maybe we could get Yunyun to register the castle as a teleportation destination and harass him with daily explosions…" I was starting to talk too fast.

"Pfffft, hee-hee-hee! You resisted for so long, Kazuma, and now you start to break! I told you that I knew you would find a way in the end. But anyway, it's all right. With your puny level, one good thwack from the Demon King and we'd be lucky if there was even a body left to resurrect."

Wh-what a jerk… She always had to take it just a bit too far. I stepped back from the balcony into the hallway and said, "If I'm puny, it's because instead of a cheat, I took you. I'm weak because you're never any help—so the next time you decide to trash-talk me, think about that first. You got that, you useless goddess?"

"Hey, come on over here. I'm gonna seal you up."

"I'm sorry."

If I stuck around much longer, she might snap and actually follow through on her threat. I told Aqua, who still hadn't moved a muscle, that she ought to hurry up and go to bed; then I made to go back to my own room.

From behind me, Aqua, hugging her knees and still watching the sky, said:

"Kazuma…Kazuma."

I stopped. "…? Yeah, what?" I turned to look at Aqua; her back remained facing to me.

"Kazuma Satou… Are you glad you were sent to this world? You don't regret it?"

Her question hung in the air. Back in Japan, I'd been a shut-in with no real future. Now I had a veritable fortune, my own house, and a bunch of beautiful otherworld women who liked me. Happy ending, right?

I know, when Serena killed me, I'd told Lady Eris I didn't want to go back. But still… I didn't have any regrets now, even if it meant admitting to Aqua that I was grateful. No matter how cruel this world had been to me, no matter how uncaring.

"No, no regrets. I'm glad I came here."

Aqua let out a long sigh; she seemed genuinely relieved to hear that. I'd been feeling a little guilty for dragging her here, but maybe she felt kind of the same way for sending me in the first place.

"That's good, then," she said. "Sleep tight, Kazuma. I know how beautiful I must look in the moonlight, but don't go getting any naughty ideas and doing anything weird, okay? You'll get divine punishment for it—you hear me?"

"Yeah, not gonna happen," I said. The promptness of my response seemed to annoy Aqua, and she started muttering about how she should go ahead and slap a seal on me anyway. I decided to pick up the pace to my room.

I collapsed into my bed, but wouldn't you know it, I still couldn't sleep. I just lay there, lost in thought.

Defeating the Demon King, huh…?

Yeah, that's totally impossible…right?

What if there was some simple way to take him out?

No, no, no, it had to be impossible.

But if I had a good, calm think about it, surely one or two ideas might— That was when it struck me. Why was I thinking so seriously about slaying the Demon King? I chased the ridiculous thought out of my head, closing my eyes for some sleep. I let the sandman lead me away, my mind drifting. I had a thought I'd never really had before.

I wish I had some power, some cheat, that would let me go toe to toe with the Demon King…