Chapter 180

In the orange twilight, Satou Kazuma carried Megumin on his back as they made their way to her house.

"Megumin, why is your house so far away from the village?"

Flushed with redness and slightly tipsy, Aqua leaned on Darkness as she slurred her words. 

"Because my family is very poor," Megumin murmured dreamily, resting her head on Kazuma's shoulder again.

"Ugh, those guys from Arue's group were relentless. Just because I got a boyfriend first, they kept forcing me to drink."

"But," she continued with a smug smile, "with their subpar skills, how could they ever beat me, an adventurer?"

"Hic~"

"All right, all right," Kazuma said, gently adjusting Megumin on his back. Turning to look at the distant Crimson Demon Village, where smoke from the festivities still rose, he added, "What a lively bunch."

After Kazuma completely annihilated the Demon King Army and incidentally created a massive abyss, the villagers had thrown a grand welcome ceremony to express their gratitude.

"Hehe, Kazuma~," Megumin said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her face close to his back. Her breath was warm against his skin. 

"You were so cool back there! That chant and the effects—it completely stunned everyone in the Crimson Demon Village. Even Arue and the others kept pestering me to introduce them to you."

"But I'll never do that!" She leaned forward and kissed his neck lightly. "Kazuma is mine! No one else can have you!"

Smiling, Kazuma shifted her slightly upward on his back and said softly, "Mm, I'm yours, Megumin. No one can take me away."

Slap!

Aqua smacked Kazuma on the butt, a look of disgust on her face. "Stop saying stuff like that near me! It's giving me goosebumps!"

Looking ahead to the rundown house at the end of the road, Aqua nudged Megumin. "Megumin, all I see up ahead is a stable. Are you sure you're not drunk and leading us the wrong way?"

"I told you already," Megumin mumbled, snuggling against Kazuma's back. "That… is my house."

"Megumin, Megumin," Aqua called, shaking her awake. Turning to Kazuma, she added, "Megumin fell asleep. Since you're here to talk to her parents about your relationship, you're the one who's knocking."

Gulping, Kazuma glanced at Megumin's peaceful sleeping face before looking back at the ramshackle house. 

"Aqua, I'm carrying Megumin. How about you knock instead?"

"Kazuma, do you think I'm stupid?" Aqua retorted, still dressed in her maid outfit. "Megumin's father is a doting dad. If he sees his daughter's boyfriend at the door, he'll go berserk."

Glaring at Aqua, Kazuma growled, "Your salary this month is gone!"

"Hah?!" Aqua flipped her hair dismissively. "That's assuming you survive this encounter. Don't come crying to me when you get beaten to death and need me to revive you."

With the gentle evening breeze brushing past, Kazuma stood before the creaky wooden door, carrying Megumin on his back. Turning to Aqua and Darkness, who stood some distance away, he whispered, "I'm knocking now."

From behind a tree fifty meters away, Aqua peeked out. "Stop stalling, Kazuma! Are you even a man?!"

Veins bulging on his forehead, Kazuma gritted his teeth and reached for the door.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Hello, sorry to bother you. My name is Satou Kazuma. I'm Megumin's boyfriend, and I've come with her to visit~."

His voice carried on the wind. From inside the house, a loud roar echoed, followed by the scurrying of small footsteps approaching the door.

"A child's footsteps? Is it Megumin's little sister, Komekko?"

Plastering his most gentle smile on his face, Kazuma watched as the door creaked open.

Wearing a golden star-shaped hairpin, Komekko tilted her head, her big red eyes looking up at the smiling Kazuma carrying Megumin. Taking a deep breath, she turned and shouted, 

"Dad! Big Sis really brought a man home!"

"The voice we heard earlier wasn't a hallucination!"

Spreading her arms wide, Komekko yelled as she disappeared into the dark hallway. 

Gulping, Kazuma stared into the dark corridor as if it concealed an invincible demon.

"Let's go, Kazuma," Aqua said, patting his back nonchalantly as she strolled into the house and headed toward the room at the end of the hall. 

"I thought Megumin's dad would charge out and chop you into pieces, but instead, a tiny Megumin ran out. How boring. Let's hurry up and go inside."

"You…" Kazuma gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he forced himself to step inside.

Sip.

Placing his teacup down, Megumin's father, Pious Saburo, stared at the nervous Kazuma with glowing red eyes. 

"So, what exactly is your relationship with my daughter?"

"Um…"

Sweating profusely, Kazuma glanced at Pious' glowing eyes and Megumin's mother, Yuiyui, who knelt beside him with a warm smile. 

"Well, as I mentioned earlier, sir, I am Satou Kazuma, Megumin's boyfriend. I've come to seek your approval for our engagement."

"What?!"

Pious slammed his hands on the table, roaring with anger. The wooden table creaked as it shook violently, nearly flipping over. 

"Darling!!!"

Tears welled in Yuiyui's eyes as she pressed the table down firmly. "Please don't break the table again! We don't have the money to replace it! If this last table breaks, we won't have anywhere to eat!"

Squinting, Kazuma cautiously glanced around the room. Dim light revealed cracks and patchwork repairs on the walls and floors. The tatami mats beneath them were heavily worn. 

Swallowing hard, Kazuma turned to see Komekko staring blankly at the ceiling. Her lifeless gaze tugged at his heartstrings.

A single tear slid down Kazuma's cheek as he covered his stinging nose and began rummaging through his pocket dimension. That look, that posture—it was all too familiar. Back when Aqua's drinking debts had left him broke and unable to afford food, he often looked the same way. His happiest moments then were when Hiroshi occasionally gave him food.

Ignoring Yuiyui's attempts to calm Pious, Kazuma stood and approached Komekko. Kneeling beside her, he pulled out a box of custom-made gourmet snacks and placed it next to her.

Opening the box, Kazuma handed her a treat. Her eyes sparkled as she took it and began eating eagerly.

Patting her head gently, Kazuma smiled. "Slow down. I brought plenty, so there's no need to rush."

"Kazuma-san~," Pious's voice called from behind him. Turning, Kazuma found himself face-to-face with Pious's now amicable expression. 

"Kazuma-san, may I ask how much food you brought for your visit?"