Rain for this Withered Land!
“...A summoning request?”
At the adventurer’s guild we were confused by the receptionist.
“Yes, I have a job request for Kazuma’s party, for Aqua that is.”
Adventurers pick up quests posted on the notice board as they please. But sometimes clients call adventurers with certain abilities. That’s a summoning request, in addition to having a high pay, those parties get renown, which is something that you want if you are an adventurer...
“Why Aqua? The client must be up to no good.”
“Maybe they’re new to town? Aqua is an archpriest, I wouldn’t be odd for someone to think she’s reliable.”
“If you say more I will impose divine punishment! I’ll make you meet Kazuma in the bathroom.” Although Aqua was angry at Darkness and Megumin, what they both said was completely true.
I’ll ask about what she meant by that punishment later, right now I’m curious about the summoning request.
The receptionist nodded as if my question was obvious “Yes, we doubled, tripled, and quadrupled checked to see if the request was accurate, including asking the client directly several times, even the compensation if the quest fails... Even though they understood everything, they still asked for Aqua...”
“There’ll be divine punishment for you too! I’ll make it so when you’re washing your hair there won’t be hot water when you want to wash away the foam!”
Although she shouldn’t know of Aqua’s true identity, her face looked a little stiff as she stepped back and hurriedly shook her hands “B-But when I heard of the request, it all made sense. The request is…”
The next day.
“Put the offerings there. The alcohol is ordered by price.”
In the farmlands near the city, under Aqua’s command, prayers for rain were performed with other adventurers.
Aqua was requested because she only has good reputation when it comes to water, this time, to bring rain.
“Will it really rain? Wouldn’t it be better to use sacred create water or something like that?”
There has been an ongoing drought lately, and it seems that this area is the worst hit. Seeing how common magic in this world I thought just using magic would solve this problem easily, but...
“You’re a dumbass Kazuma, water released with magic doesn’t appear out of nothing, you know? By gathering moisture around to create water the air will dry up, in the long run it won’t solve the problem.”
...makes sense, if you could produce water infinitely then the amount of water would continue to increase, and the world will be filled with water. Gods must’ve limited how magic works; else the world would be destroyed.
“I see. ...What about create earth then? Does reduce the soil under our feet?”
“I don’t know about that. Maybe it comes a mysterious place?”
Give me back my feeling of awe.
“Aqua, is the offering okay? There is a lot of fine alcohol, but isn’t this what you like? Are you trying to steal it in the name of a ritual?”
“Shut up Megumin! Those related to water all like alcohol. The prayer for rain is a holy ritual to gather the water spirits floating in the air, we’ll give them alcohol and ask for a little favor.” An oddly serious Aqua explained.
Darkness hugged an expensive-looking bottle and tilted her head “Then shouldn’t we splash it around? You asked for alcohol as an offering, so my father gave me the most expensive one from his collection, but...”
“Darkness, you’re stupid. Splashing around is stupid. Expensive alcohol like that should be kept there, it’s all part of the ritual.”
She must want to keep the expensive stuff.
As the adventurers completed their preparations, they called her “Aqua, the offerings are ready!” “What should we do now?”
The booze has been lined up neatly; everyone was patiently waiting for this unusual ritual.
“Hoo, this is quite a sight. Alright, then I’ll do the prayer for rain now! I’ll show my goddess seriousness once in a while!” In front of the alcohol, a delighted Aqua looked up “O my servants who live in this world... The goddess of water, Aqua commands...!”
A solemn atmosphere was arising, just like when we battled the demon army general Beldia.
“...Ah? W-Wait a minute, I still haven’t given any orders so don’t gather yet!” Aqua suddenly started to panic.
The air around started to feel humid. She must be seeing something we can’t...
Aqua was facing empty space “Listen, I will give orders like a goddess. Don’t make it rain yet. I’ll mumble something to look dignified and collect alcohol from all these people. Then you can bring down the rain. We good?”
I only understood the part about not needing the offering. The adventurers tried to secretly collect the alcohol.
Aqua cleared her throat “The water goddess Aqua orders... Wait, I told you not yet! ... What? You want compensation? Fine, I’ll split the alcohol with you... Ah, not that one! Take the cheaper one!”
The prayer for rain hadn’t begun yet when clouds suddenly covered the farmlands.
“Why won’t you listen to me! Ah! Wait a minute, that’s the one I want the most!”
Aqua wasn’t lying, all water deities are after alcohol.
“Waaaaaaa! My alcohol!”
In the end we hurriedly left the farmland as it suddenly rained heavily, praising the unexpectedly useful Aqua...
Sometime later.
The client got the ‘Lady Aqua branded rain charm’ Aqua made on her spare time, according to her, turning it upside down and hanging it up would make it rain, the Axis cult grew by one that day.
The Two Wizards
“EXPLOSION!”
Explosive magic was cast towards the rocky mountain near the city of Axel. In the end, there was only a large crater.
A girl, collapsed face on the ground was muttering “…Your pitiful sacrifice has become a source of my power... However, that doesn’t mean your existence has simply ceased. Yes, you will become experience of the great archwizard, Megumin, and you will live forever within me...!”
“That’s right, that little kobold will definitely live on in your heart. Come, I’ll carry you, give me your hand.”
“Hey, I’m satisfied after a fierce battle, don’t call them ‘little’. I can’t understand why you aren’t excited about it.”
Launching a surprised attack with the strongest possible magic at a lonely little kobold doesn’t seem very exciting to me.
“...? Are there more over there...”
Perhaps hearing the explosion, something peeked out. When I used my enemy detecting skill, there was no mistaking it, there were more kobolds.
“They came to look for the one who sacrificed itself for me. Kazuma, please send them with their friend…”
“They can’t be ignored, I’ll do it, but... I don’t think someone lying on the ground should be saying that...” Taking the bow from my back, while looking at the kobolds in the distance. “Sorry, I have no grudge against you... But I will use your lives as my power... Snipe!”
The arrow stuck in one of the kobold’s chest!
“Kazuma, that was really good! Since you always rate my explosions, in return I will also rate you. ...Hmm, I feel this time it got 72 points.”
“Hey, stop scoring me, it makes me feel embarrassed. Uh-oh, one more left... Eh, huh...” Distracted by Megumin, I didn’t realize the number of kobolds increased rapidly.
There were now three pointing at us.
“There’s more of them. Three would be a little hard to fight...”
If I’m alone I can use the hide skill and snipe at them, but while carrying dead weight it’s hard.
“Getting scared by fighting kobolds? Pathetic! Your score is reduced to 62, please restore my previous score!”
“I can win easily if I leave you! Want me to prove it! ...Ah, l-let go! I’m just kidding; I’m not going to leave you!”
Megumin was holding onto my pants, seeing us caught off guard, the kobolds started approaching us.
“You idiot, we’re in a bad situation! If I shoot them before they get close, we’ll have a higher chance of winning! Wha… There’s even more of them now! We can’t win with more than five!”
“Kazuma, now is not the time for blaming! Give me some magic power, that’ll make it easier to escape!”
It’s her fault we’re in this situation, but for now it can’t be helped. After I gave her magic with a drain touch, Megumin got up with a jump.
“I’m going to ask for help! Kazuma, stall them!”
“W-What!? I’m going to run away! ...Ah! You wanted me to give you magic so you wouldn’t be the bait! Geez, that’s how much you don’t trust me!” I said, while chasing after Megumin.
“If you hadn’t said that you could win if you left me, I would have believed you! ...Ah! Kazuma, there’s a kobold in front! We’re pinned down!”
“Damn, why are these kobolds smarter than us! If I reduce their numbers with snipe, we’ll break through! Then, once we’ve managed to keep our distance, I’ll use my stealth skill!”
We held or ground against the approaching kobolds, I held my bow while Megumin held her staff for close combat.
After returning to Axel, we walked with the adventurers at the gate. Megumin and I remained silent. The fight with the kobolds was exhausting...
“Me-Megumin, what a coincidence! Did you do your stupid ‘one explosion a day’ routine?” Behind us, Megumin’s self-called rival, Yunyun, appeared.
In turn, behind her was an adventurer party...
“Are you Yunyun’s friends? She saved us while we were chased by a beginner’s bane...”
“Yes, how could we thank you... We’d have been wiped out if you hadn’t come!”
“Yunyun is so strong, I respect her a lot!”
Beginner’s bane are cunning and ruthless, they live with weak monsters like goblins and kobolds. There usually are extermination quests for them, with good rewards too.
As the adventurers continued to thank Yunyun, her face began to turn red and stiffen.
“It was just a beginner’s bane. I was already dispatching them when I was little.” At such show of confidence, the adventurers’ gazes went towards the other mage.
“…Megumin you’ve killed many? I didn’t know about that, even though we’ve known each other for a long time.”
Megumin’s eyes sparkled red “They’re monsters so basic that you can’t boast about defeating them. It’s only natural that you didn’t know about it. It would have been better if we were there, but we were busy in a fierce battle against monsters on that rocky mountain over there... Had I fought a beginner’s bane, it’d be dead in an instant.” Odd words from the archwizard that was almost defeated by kobolds.
“I see, that means there are monsters stronger than beginner’s bane around here! Wait Megumin, isn’t that dangerous?! We must report it to the guild!”
“Oh, we already defeated them so there’s no need for that! W-What are you doing!? Looking at other adventurers’ cards is an invasion of privacy!” Everyone around wanted to confirm Megumin’s words by checking her adventurer’s card.
Here was an elite archwizard who single handedly defeated a beginner’s bane and earned the gratitude of adventurers, while the other one is a useless mage who was almost defeated by kobolds...
“If you’re not lying, then show me your adventurer card! You’re always lying to brag!”
“Always lying!? I don’t want to hear that from you, Yunyun! You lie to the people in the village about you having friends! Oh, those eyes of yours look serious, well; let’s get this over with!”
The two of them were fighting about who is the number one archwizard in this city.
A Friend’s Feeling
One day, as I opened my eyes, Darkness attacked me in my room.
“...This is my first time. If you want to do this, I’d be happier if you set up the atmosphere first.”
“I-Idiot, don’t say things that are easy to misunderstand! What happens if someone sees us?” Darkness desperately shouted, but this kind of situation…
“W-W-W-W-What... Darkness is on top of Kazuma...!”
“Aqua?! Wait, it’s not like that! I had business with him and tried to wake him up, but I fell...” Aqua was peeking through the crack of the door as Darkness tried to explain.
“…In other words, you fell while you tried to push me and couldn’t get off as I woke up”
“Right! I was too careless...!” Darkness said, teary eyed.
“But when Kazuma woke up you wanted to go all the way and just tried to cover it up as a misunderstanding!”
“Aqua don’t interfere! Who would do such a thing with this man! Ah, geez...!”
Aqua and I were teasing Darkness as she finally raised her face “Kazuma, help me! Chris is acting weird!” She seemed very serious.
Darkness whispered as we were hiding “...I don’t know why, but Chris has been with shady people lately. I was thinking I should ask her directly, but, umm...” She looked doubtful.
Aqua and I glanced at her “’Umm... What? If you don’t tell us everything, we won’t understand.”
After forcing Darkness to continue “...Umm, if you think about it carefully, I think it seems like I’m also with bad people...” She had a hard time saying that.
“Oh, Darkness said something weird!”
“Kazuma, hold her hands! I’ll make her hair into a twin tail! Then, I’ll bring her to the adventurer’s guild!”
Despite almost crying for stirring up trouble with the unkind people that were Aqua and me, Darkness put her finger on her lips as to tell us to keep quiet.
“So that’s why you brought me, Chris would find you if not for my stealth skill.”
“That’s right. Usually, I can’t get this close...!!! Look Kazuma! That man is suspicious! ...Ah! He took out a suspicious bag!”
Chris spoke familiarly to a muscular man wearing a leather jacket. He had a deep scar on his cheek and took out a white powder from his bag.
“…That’s the baker’s brother. He’s an adventurer but I’ve heard he wants to become a baker too. If you ask him, he’ll give you delicious flour and sugar.”
“Darkness, this is good! There’s no need to worry!” She showed a weak face after hearing Aqua.
Then she suddenly stood up “R-Right, that guy is just the beginning! What I’m worried about is the other guy!” Her face was slightly flushed as if trying to hide guilt “Look at that alley over there.”
Following Chris, we arrived at another dark back alley.
When I peeked out to see as Darkness had told me to, there was a man wearing a white coat holding a knife that looked like it had meat on it. I saw a stain on his white coat, when I tried to look at it with my far sight skill, it looked like blood...!
“That’s a chicken butcher... Ah! He gave her an egg! Thank goodness, it looks like she was just shopping!”
“Alright Darkness, calm down. You can blame yourself later, isn’t it good that Chris is fine?”
Perhaps she was beginning to hate herself for judging someone by their appearance; Darkness held her head and began to shrink.
Then, as Aqua and I tried to calm her down.
“Hey, you guys have been following me all morning, what’s up?” Chris stood beside us with a puzzled look on her face.
“Hahaha! Darkness is such an idiot! I am a follower of Eris who loves justice, you know? There’s no way I’d be with evil people!” Chris happily laughed following Darkness’ explanation.
“Huh, this is embarrassing... Suspecting my friend...”
Chris seemed to feel happy and embarrassed towards the depressed Darkness “Hehehe, but I’m happy. After all, that means you’re worried about me.”
“Ugh..., That’s true, but I’ve been judging people by their appearance. As an Eris follower, I cannot forgive myself...”
Chris put her hand Darkness’s shoulder “Take it easy, even though you went a little overboard, it was because you were thinking of your friend. Eris will definitely forgive you.”
As Chris comforted Darkness with a smile, Aqua said something unnecessary “Are you sure? Eris is serious and stubborn, maybe she won’t forgive Darkness.”
“Wait Aqua, Darkness is getting depressed, please stop.” She buried her face while still in a kneeling position as if to shut herself off from the outside world.
I asked her something I was curious about “Oh yes, Chris, bought a lot of stuff, what are you going to make?”
“Eh?! That, umm...” Darkness peered as Chris dodged the question.
“Cake, right? If you buy flour, sugar, and eggs, you plan to make a cake! What’s wrong Chris, is someone’s birthday coming up?” With Aqua saying that out of the blue, Chris and Darkness suddenly started to tremble.
... Seems Aqua’s hit the mark. Whose birthday, is it…?
“Alright, Aqua, let’s go home. I’ll give you some money, so buy some alcohol.”
Because her birthday surprise was spoiled, Chris’ face was flushed and her shoulders were shaking, Darkness’ too.
“I’ll ask Megumin to cook a great meal, so you two hurry home.”
For the sake of my usually serious and stubborn friend, I decided to buy a stuffed animal...
Credits
Feel free to translate this to other languages/ get in touch to further improve, just make sure as to include the credits section as included here. Thanks.
Konosuba Yorimichi Anthology Volume 2 by Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrations by Kurone Mishima
Published by Kadokawa Shoten on November 1st, 2020.
Original crappy translation by H. Berry.
Edited by Felinicity Bone.
Feel free to translate this to other languages/ get in touch to further improve, just make sure as to include the credits section as included here. Thanks.
Konosuba Yorimichi Anthology Volume 2 by Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrations by Kurone Mishima
Published by Kadokawa Shoten on November 1st, 2020.
Original crappy translation by H. Berry.
Edited by Felinicity Bone.
Edited chapter title image by u/artgold8 and @jacht_ny, images sent by Felinicity Bone.
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