Epilogue

Standing on the hill overlooking the Demon King's castle, I heard a familiar incantation.

"Ahhh… Ahhhh… Can you imagine how much even one piece of this manatite is worth…?"

"Shut up, you bankrupt noblewoman! I don't want that armor doing its weird thing to you and sending you charging at whatever comes out of that castle, so just keep your distance and watch!"

"Bankrupt noblewoman?! Wh-who's bankrupt?! I keep telling you, my family just sticks to a frugal budget, that's all—we don't squeeze money out of the people, and we're not bankrupt! Anyway, this is just like that time when you 'bought' me—sometimes you do the most ridiculous things with your money!

Two nations at war with each other wouldn't use up the financial resources represented by this much manatite!"

"Seriously, shut up. Believe me, I know this is a weird way to use my money!

But you're right, it is just like when I repaid your debt and got you back! I've never regretted these large expenses!"

"O-oh, really? Y-yeah, I see, that's great…" Darkness, suddenly embarrassed (and also suddenly a lot more polite), took a step back.

Huh? I hadn't been intending to inspire this sort of atmosphere… "How dare you flirt when I am about to do something that may never be seen again in the world." Megumin, buried up to her waist in a mountain of manatite, looked thrilled but sounded a little annoyed at the awkwardness that Darkness and I were exuding.

There's this thing called Explosion magic. It's outrageously difficult to learn, of course, and that's not even mentioning the tremendous amount of MP that casting it consumes or the fact that it's virtually always overkill, making it notorious as the spell with possibly the worst cost-benefit ratio in the world.

But at the same time, it's also the most powerful offensive magic available to humanity: One good hit from it can deal damage to any adversary, be they god, demon, or even the Demon King.

"With the manatite you've given me, I will show you a display that even the greatest of the great mages would not be able to replicate. You are about to witness the finest accomplishment of my entire life. I hope you will always remember the honor of being present here today."

There was once a girl, an Arch-wizard, who'd always been dismissed as a "joke mage."

She could cast only one spell a day, and no party anywhere wanted her; even her fellow clansfolk considered her a "spare."

"My name is Megumin! Greatest Arch-wizard of Axel and master of Explosion!

Bring on the world's 'greatest wizard' or any demon, or dragon, or even the Demon King himself! I'll show you that I can blow them all away!"

A failure of a wizard who'd spent her life being ridiculed and teased as she chased the dream of being the strongest.

"Exploooooooosiiiioooooooonnnnnn!"

That day, she well and truly claimed the title of the world's strongest wizard.