Chapter 184 ⤞ A Deal with Wiz

Adam couldn't help but let his mind wander when looking at the beautiful girls around him, imagining how they would look in aprons — all because of Megumin's apron outfit from the previous night.

So! It's all your fault, Megumin! Why can't I forget that flat figure of yours?

That must be it, that must be it!

His eyes fixed on Megumin with an odd intensity, as if trying to peer straight through her.

"Adam...? Why are you looking at me like that? This has nothing to do with me — isn't it Aqua who's targeting Wiz?" Megumin protested, completely bewildered.

"No, that's not what I... never mind."

"What is it then? Don't leave things half-said! Are you looking for a fight? Fine, I won't lose even to you, Adam!"

Watching her wave her staff angrily, he felt utterly ashamed.

He couldn't say it out loud — better not to explain.

Enveloped in Wiz's full arms, he felt her cool body temperature but remained still, simply letting her hold him. The coolness was soothing.

He addressed her gravely, "Wiz, this is important! The title of 'Devil King Army General' is dangerous, and these beings harbor malicious intent toward humans. As Lord of Axel village, I must protect my people. If you know anything, please tell me honestly."

"Since you're concerned, I'll send someone to inquire with my colleagues in the Devil King Army." Wiz replied. Her usually timid demeanor shifted to one of serious determination, "If I learn the Devil King Army General has left, I'll inform everyone immediately."

Although she was a lich, she preferred humans and never considered herself their enemy.

"Thank you." Adam said gratefully.

No one knew if the Devil King would send another General to Axel. With Wiz keeping watch, he would have time to prepare countermeasures, preventing unnecessary damage to the village.

His main concern was actually about Vanir. If they overlooked that masked demon, he could cause serious problems for the novice adventurers.

With the Hero's Party away, Axel would certainly panic if anything unexpected occurred.

But with Wiz present, Vanir likely wouldn't cause too much trouble. After all, his interest lay in pranks, not destruction (allegedly).

Asking Wiz for help made Aqua very unhappy.

She was a goddess — a natural enemy of demons — so why would her Adam ask a Lich for help?!

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She glared fiercely at Wiz, bright light surging in her hand as her〘Purify〙skill grew powerful with Divine Power!

"Aqua, don't do that, Wiz is helping us."

"Hmph." Aqua reluctantly dispersed the holy magic in her hand.

Her malicious gaze only intensified, making Wiz so scared that she clung even tighter to Adam's arm.

That cool sensation returned instantly.

Moving on to other matters.

"Well then, let's discuss some business."

He placed an order with the impoverished Lich shopkeeper.

"Wiz, you should have received those high-quality Manatites, right? I remember telling you to stock up on more last time, and I even paid a deposit."

"Yes! We got quite a lot of high-quality Manatites!"

When Wiz heard there was business, her pale face showed a slight flush, her eyes lighting up with excitement.

"How many?"

"20 pieces!"

"I'll take them all!"

"Yes! Thank you for your patronage!" Adam's boldness made her legs weak, and she nearly fainted from excitement.

If he hadn't supported her, she would have collapsed.

Manatites were powerful and practical items — light, portable, and with a long shelf life. Their only drawback was their high cost, yet they remained essential supplies for both home and travel.

The more the better, and Adam didn't mind how many he bought or how much money he spent.

He handed 15 pieces to Megumin as reserves, warning her not to waste these expensive Manatites on impulsive spellcasting.

The girl didn't seem to listen, eagerly grabbing the Manatites and clutching them to her chest.

Looking at her slight frame, which showed no sign of the 15 Manatites she'd tucked away, Adam patted her shoulder sympathetically.

An apron might be charming, but she was missing certain qualifications.

"Adam, I don't appreciate that look you're giving me."

"It's nothing, just your imagination."

Megumin's intuition was surprisingly keen — better to keep such thoughts to himself.

"Well... Wiz, we should get going." He called to his companions, who were still browsing the merchandise.

"Yes, please take care. You're welcome anytime." Her voice carried a hint of reluctance.

Perhaps he could let Aqua stay longer? Though that goddess would probably torment poor Wiz.

With these playful thoughts, they bid farewell to Wiz and left the Magic Item Shop.

✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧✧

At Aqua's insistence, they made their way to the Adventurers' Guild.

Seeing Luna swamped at the counter with dozens of adventurers queued up, they decided to postpone turning in their quests.

Purely for efficiency's sake, of course!

They headed straight for the quest board.

Aqua flitted about in front of the board, scrutinizing each quest. She nodded at some and shook her head at others, but couldn't settle on one she liked.

After spending considerable time without reaching a decision—

"What kind of quest would you all prefer? What are your requirements?"

Adam figured they should discuss everyone's preferences first, then choose a quest that best accommodated their needs. If they couldn't find a perfect match, they could always compromise.

Megumin wanted to avoid dungeon quests, Kazuma hoped to steer clear of enemies beyond their current abilities, and Aqua remained indifferent to the type of quest.

"In that case..." Adam pondered for a moment, pointing to a quest sheet above, "Let's do this quest — it's perfect for our team's needs."

"Let me see." Aqua squeezed closer, resting her head next to his, bringing with her a pleasant fragrance, "Finding Rare Ingredients - Monster Goblin's Egg?"

"Yes, rare ingredients!"

These ingredients were highly sought after since they could increase adventurers' experience points and raise their levels. Being both expensive and scarce made this an especially worthwhile quest.

"Well, shall we go?"

"Of course!" They all exclaimed in unison.

The Hero's Party sets sail again!

✧✧✧

T/N: If you want more chapters like this, check out my Patreon! Take a look at my other translations too, you might like them!

For just $1 you can access all the extra content, and descriptive images, costs only $2!

That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)

https://www.patreon.com/mrblackwing