Kazuma Who Tries to Show Off

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"This time, Kazuma did the most work, so he gets 400,000 Eris. Aqua was second, so she gets 200,000. I'll take 50,000. Any objections?"

With that, Renzo placed the money on the table, stating his distribution plan.

"Nope!"

Kazuma immediately shook his head.

He was getting over 65% of the total earnings—how could he possibly complain?

Without Aqua constantly healing him and boosting his status, there was no way he could've taken down so many Giant Toads.

As for Renzo, let's not even mention his training or the two times he saved their lives today.

In fact, the first four toads that were officially counted in the mission were all killed by Renzo. Not to mention, he helped process the toad corpses and haul them back.

If anything, Renzo was actually getting the short end of the stick!

"Why does Kazuma get so much? I did a lot of work too!"

However, Aqua was clearly unhappy.

She wished all the money could go to her so she could splurge without restraint!

This girl… her greed was beyond words.

Kazuma immediately snapped, "I was the one doing all the actual fighting! The only one really getting the short end here is Renzo, and he has no complaints—so what's your problem? This is final!"

After saying that, he quickly grabbed his share before anyone could say otherwise.

Renzo, without hesitation, also took his 50,000 Eris.

Seeing this, Aqua reluctantly accepted her 200,000 Eris, but she still rolled her eyes at Renzo. "Seriously! You're not even short on money—was it really necessary to get involved?"

"Of course it was!"

This time, before Renzo could say anything, Kazuma retorted with righteous indignation, "Just because Renzo has money doesn't mean we can just ignore proper compensation! Missions must be paid according to effort. Otherwise, it's unfair to the team! A team like that won't last long!"

"You can't just make someone work for free just because they're rich!"

So bright. Kazuma was really shining with moral integrity at this moment.

Aqua scoffed and smirked. "Oh, really? Then why don't you pay for all the gear Renzo made for you? It's not fair to mooch off your teammates, right? I won't even bring up rent and food—Renzo probably doesn't care about those."

Kazuma, hearing this, merely chuckled coldly. "I already planned on doing that!"

Then, he turned to Renzo. "Boss! Name your price! How much do I owe you for the gear you gave me? I'm willing to pay! We shouldn't take advantage of you for free—it's bad for team harmony!"

He was dead serious.

With 400,000 Eris in hand, he was feeling rich!

"There's really no need. That was just a welcome gift from me. Just take it." Renzo smiled and waved dismissively.

"No!"

But this time, Kazuma was unexpectedly stubborn. He held out his hand to stop Renzo and insisted, "This is non-negotiable! It's a matter of principle! Please cooperate, Boss!"

Renzo: "..."

He was speechless.

Was this bastard trying to show off and make himself look like a righteous man?

Oh, he couldn't let this slide.

With a serious nod, Renzo said, "Alright then! Since you insist, I won't argue. I never expected you to be so strict with yourself, Kazuma!"

"These pieces of equipment are top-quality, even among their grade. I've optimized them significantly!"

"But I'll just charge you the standard market price. Your entire set… let's say 80 million Eris! That's a bargain!"

"As for you, Aqua…" Renzo turned his gaze to Aqua.

"Stop right there!"

Aqua frantically waved her hands. "I don't have Kazuma's stupid, self-righteous mentality! You already said my gear was a gift, so don't even think about charging me!"

"Alright, fine." Renzo chuckled and nodded before looking back at Kazuma.

Kazuma: "..."

His mouth hung open, his eyes wide in disbelief.

He was completely frozen.

There was only one thought in his mind: "80 million? 80 million?! 80….80?"

"Kazuma?"

"Hello? Kazuma?"

"Hey! Kazuma?!"

Renzo and Aqua waved their hands in front of Kazuma's blank stare, but he remained motionless.

"Ahahahaha!! You're so screwed now, aren't you?"

Aqua clutched her stomach and laughed hysterically. "Did you really think Renzo gave you some random cheap gear? Those are top-tier! The best of the best!"

"Have you even looked at the prices of equipment?"

"The price he gave you is already a massive discount! Based on Axel's current market, your set is worth at least 200 million!"

"And you were dumb enough to insist on paying?! You absolute idiot! Hahaha…."

Aqua was laughing so hard she was nearly rolling on the floor.

"I was wrong!... Boss Renzo! Can I take back what I said earlier? 😰" 

Kazuma finally snapped out of his daze and looked like he was about to cry.

He wanted to slap himself.

Why did he have to run his mouth?

Why did he have to act righteous in front of the boss?

Now look where that got him!

"Nope!"

Renzo firmly rejected him. "You said it yourself—it's your rule, and it's for the team's harmony!"

Kazuma: "....."

See? This is why you don't try to show off—you just end up getting struck by lightning!

"Of course, I know you don't have that much money right now. You can owe me and pay it back gradually!"

Seeing Kazuma sinking into despair, Renzo suddenly added, "But of course, as a welcome gift, I'll still give you something!"

"Really? Then…?"

Kazuma's eyes lit up with hope. Did this mean he was off the hook?

Renzo then said, "I'll give you one free gear upgrade! When you level up and feel like your current equipment is outdated, come find me for an upgrade! That's a pretty hefty gift, don't you think?"

High-level upgrades were worth way more than his current equipment—possibly ten times more!

"Definitely! Thank you, Boss~~!😭" 

Kazuma was touched to tears.

He really had been too naive!

At least this really did sound like a better deal, and it seemed like he was getting something out of it.

Ah… but that was a problem for the future.

For now, he was still stuck with an enormous debt.

His current income barely reached the hundred-thousand range, yet somehow, he had managed to rack up a debt in the tens of millions… and getting dangerously close to the hundred-million mark!

It wasn't hard to imagine how he'd be stuck grinding quests for a long, long time just to pay this off.

"I just got my first bucket of gold in this other world… how the hell did I end up in debt by the millions?"

Kazuma couldn't help but question himself internally.

Oh! It was all because he couldn't resist showing off.

"An advanced equipment upgrade bonus?"

Aqua's eyes immediately lit up when she heard that. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and grabbed Renzo's arm, shaking it eagerly. "I want one too! I want one too!"

Renzo, feeling both flattered and exasperated, sighed. "You already have a staff that's custom-made for you. Even your robes are exclusive. You don't really need an upgrade, do you?"

"Of course I do! Your designs are so pretty!" Aqua's eyes sparkled as she spoke.

And, well… she wasn't wrong.

Since her priest robes were technically just cloth armor, they looked like regular clothing, which meant there was a lot of room for stylish customization.

The set Renzo had given her was specifically designed to make her look more ethereal and divine.

She absolutely adored it.

However, Renzo simply shook his head. "Rules are rules! This was a policy Kazuma set himself!"

"But… I can offer an upgrade service for one billion Eris per session. Or, if you prefer, I can design you a brand-new outfit for the same price!"

"One billion per upgrade?! Just kill me now!"

Aqua immediately collapsed onto the table like a lifeless fish.

Where the hell was she supposed to get that kind of money?

Besides, if she had that much, she'd rather spend it on Bubbly wine!

Clothes? Pfft. She could just go buy something nice-looking in town, even if the material wasn't as good.

It's not like it had to be actual equipment!

"Well, that's not my problem! It's your decision," Renzo shrugged casually.

'If I don't set the price high, how am I supposed to stop them, especially Aqua, from turning me into a personal tailor?'

Terrifying.

'When it came to women and fashion, they could be absolutely relentless…'

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