Starting with Konosuba to reach The multiverse

"*Cough* W... where is L... Lady Aqua?"

After Corbeau's help, I was able to carry Megumin to the adventurers' guild.

Yes, I'm still poisoned.

However, the idea of entrusting her to someone else doesn't appeal to me, and the poison hasn't reached a critical threshold yet.

So I walked through the streets of Axel pissing blood, with Megumin in my arms, all the way to the guild.

My first words inside?

Where is Aqua...

It's shameful to call out that name desperately, but it's the key to my survival right now.

Fortunately, the guild members were able to provide me with first aid until Aqua arrived.

As for Megumin? She was settled by an elf woman on the bed next to mine.

Indeed, she had asked to share a room with me of her own free will.

"Oh my shit, Renji!"

Kazuma rushed toward me after arriving at the adventurers' guild.

Observing his worried face, I felt strangely relieved.

No, there's nothing homosexual here.

I just can't remember when someone I consider a friend showed this degree of concern for me.

In Japan? No.

I have memories of the old Renji, who was well treated by his parents during childhood, but that's just it.

Those are memories.

In two lives, Kazuma is my only male friend... pathetic.

"Move it, dummy!"

Aqua pushed Kazuma away with a brutal and comical gesture before focusing her attention on my shoulder, which is no longer bleeding thanks to the guild's care.

But the veins around the wound have taken on a purple and black tint.

It's as if the skin was necrotic, but also bewitched.

"It's an extremely violent magical poison, but nothing this goddess can't heal."

She didn't wait long after her little speech of mild boasting.

She applied Healing and Cure Poison magic.

"Thank you Lady Aqua, thanks to your care shh—"

I didn't finish my words because Kazuma blocked me with a finger close to my lips.

"How did you end up in this state after only a few hours of separation from us?"

As expected of Kazuma.

He's already trying to gather information that could prevent him from ending up like me.

"I had the bright idea of chaining several quests, which included two high-difficulty quests."

I told Kazuma about the manticore, but also about the quest concerning the wyvern, the lost wolf, and the one about the strange bears.

The Japanese guy looked at me like I was insane.

A situation that hurt my pride a bit and embarrassed me.

"Reassure me, Renji, you're not affected by the human race of this crazy world, right?"

"Why that question?" I frowned slightly at Kazuma's statement, but he developed his thoughts.

"Because you're crazy or you're becoming an adrenaline junkie!"

I wanted to reply, but I lacked arguments this time.

Is Kazuma right?

Was I too hasty?

Is returning to Hell's Paradise so important that I must risk my life to increase the pace of my leveling up?

All these questions began to swirl in my mind, while silence was my only response to Kazuma.

"Stop insulting him, stupid hikikomori, can't you see he's still in shock?"

After Aqua's words, the adventurers' guild staff began to look at Kazuma like shit.

Kazuma's face started sweating profusely, but I decided to save him quickly.

I didn't want to further damage his image within Axel, especially since he doesn't have Darkness on his team yet.

"Thank you for your concern Lady Aqua, you are truly... merciful, but Kazuma just has trouble expressing his emotions in a conventional way, don't you?"

Understanding that I was extending an olive branch, Kazuma quickly nodded like a bird pecking seeds on the ground.

Finally, we decided to start something else with Kazuma to change the atmosphere.

Of course, we didn't express our desire to change the subject out loud.

A simple glance and subtle nods were enough.

"So? Were you able to exploit Aqua's powers properly?"

"Haha, exactly!"

In summary, after our separation at the guild,

Kazuma and Aqua chose a quest concerning the purification of Lake Riverhead.

Unlike the original story, the monsters named Brutal Alligator hadn't completely taken up residence inside.

Aqua was able to purify the water without difficulty.

They had decided to wait for nightfall in Axel, as it's the ideal time to purify the cemetery of the poor in the slums.

And I arrived in Axel during this period.

"Bravo, you managed to complete a quest without ending up in a pitiful state."

I gave my sincere congratulations to the duo.

At this rate, they'll leave the stables sooner or later.

"Hey now, you should look at yourself before saying stuff like that, and it's obvious that this goddess is exceptional," she said, putting forward her medium-sized chest.

"Indeed, you are an exceptional person Lady Aqua, and this is also the case among divine beings."

Exceptionally stupid.

But this last line, I'll keep to myself.

"Hmm~ you heard that, Crapuma? Others know how to recognize my value, oh oh~"

Faced with Aqua's dominating posture, the young Japanese didn't want to back down.

"Tss, it's not just with undead and this kind of quests that we're going to beat the Demon King."

A pretty weak reply, but it doesn't change the fact that Aqua is invaluable to his team now.

After about ten minutes, the duo finally left, wishing me a good recovery.

The only other good news, beyond their wish for my recovery from "shock," was Aqua's permission to call her directly by her name.

It's a huge advancement in our relationship, since Aqua is a goddess stationed in Japan.

She knows Japanese customs and the magnitude of her request, while I had already built a wall between us under the cover of politeness.

I used this "wall" to extract advantages from her without getting too close, but this trick won't be possible anymore now.

This means she sees me as more than a simple acquaintance, but as a friend.

As for going beyond this step?

Aqua is... Beautiful, but...

"Are you okay, Megumin?"

During the entire conversation, Megumin didn't react, but simply observed in silence.

Her gaze seems to be thinking about various things, after Kazuma mentioned my madness and Aqua expressed her wish for a more familiar form of address.

"... I was just thinking that you should abandon the other quests."

Even though she said it bluntly, unlike Kazuma who avoided talking about it,

Megumin seems more worried about that.

You have to understand that I mentioned wanting to face the wyvern alone.

"No," I simply said in return.

Slow down? Yes, that's not a bad idea.

I'd really like to relax and enjoy life a bit, but then what?

Leading a mundane or routine life is no longer enough for me.

I've long desired an ordinary life, but that's no longer enough in my existence.

I want more.

I want land, I want money, I want women, I want power, I want to be at the top of the food chain, and I especially don't want to return to a pitiful life because of a third party.

Yes, I'm greedy and this destroys the mental health of those close to me.

But I won't change my mind.

That's what I should have answered Kazuma at that moment, when he called me crazy or an adrenaline addict.

"Alright, but I won't let you fall into this state again."

Looking at her determined eyes, I sketched a smile toward her and nodded.

"I'll also avoid letting you see this pitiful state again."

After this small interaction, I took out my guild card.