My Favorite Isekai Adventure (Konosuba)

"Everyone, let's go do a quest!"

"...Eh?"

Looking at the young man, they wondered if he had been possessed by a certain chuunibyou loli.

Kobayashi said in astonishment, "How rare, Kazuma-kun. For you to actually take the initiative to request a quest... you're usually the kind of lazy otaku who won't work unless he's about to starve, just like one of those light novel authors who absolutely won't write until the deadline. What's with the sudden change in personality?"

"D-don't say that!"

Kazuma shouted in embarrassment, then rubbed his temples in frustration. "Please listen to me, Kobayashi-senpai. It's like this..."

In truth, this was Megumin's fault.

The chuunibyou loli who loved to cast Explosion magic everywhere had destroyed the surrounding terrain, causing a landslide that had polluted the lake below. The Adventurer's Guild had just forcibly assigned them this quest.

They could have shirked responsibility and denied it.

But because of the Dullahan subjugation, the fact that Megumin was an Explosion mage and a chuunibyou loli with a screw loose was completely exposed, forcing them to accept the quest.

—Purify the water source.

Of course, there was a reward. After all, there was no concrete proof that she had done it, so the Guild still gave them a token amount.

Originally, Kazuma was reluctant.

You can't just tell me to do it, and I'll do it. Besides, the quest reward is pitifully small. If I just obediently did it, wouldn't I lose a lot of face?

But then the Guild told him: According to the kingdom's regulations, the quest bounty for a high-level subjugation quest can be delayed, and the maximum period is three years.

Kazuma could no longer sit still.

He rushed back from the Guild and gathered his companions to do the quest.

"In other words, it's Megumin's fault?"

Aqua, who had no understanding of the atmosphere, dealt heavy damage to the Crimson Demon loli with a single sentence.

"I-idiot! Don't be so blunt!"

"...Sorry!"

Aqua also scratched her head in embarrassment. She had indeed just blurted it out instinctively; there was no malicious intent behind it.

Megumin fell silent after hearing this.

"...It can't be helped! I'll go solve it!"

The chuunibyou loli showed her usual "dare to act and dare to take responsibility" personality.

It was just that—

"What are you going to do, Megumin? As an Archwizard, you can't purify a water source, can you?" Kobayashi's words hit the core of the problem, and the imposing Megumin instantly wilted.

Aqua's eyes, however, lit up, and she quickly stepped up. "That's right! This is where I, an Archpriest of the highest class who is also the Goddess of Water, must step in! It's okay, leave it to me! We're a party, aren't we?"

"Aqua!"

Megumin was slightly moved.

...It would have been even better if she hadn't added, "When we get back, you have to treat me to sparkling liquor, Megumin. At least three bottles."

After confirming the mission at the Guild, the group headed to the polluted lake.

By the way, RyuZU stayed home to watch the house. Because her body was mostly made of gears, she wasn't suited for places with too much water. Furthermore, her [Magic Circuits] were still being tuned, so it wasn't appropriate for her to frequently use her abilities, and she could only stay behind.

"Lalala~ Lalala~ Lalala~"

On the way, Aqua seemed very happy. Although they knew she was an Archpriest and the part-time Goddess of Water, so it was natural for her to like water, the principle that "if you play in the water, you'll wet your pants" was something even a three-year-old knew.

...Oh, wait, she doesn't wear any. Never mind then.

Nearing the water source, Kazuma suddenly shouted, "Wait a minute!"

"What is it, Kazuma?" Kobayashi asked, puzzled.

"There's one thing I need to confirm."

He turned his head to look at the idiot goddess and asked, "Aqua, how long will it take you to purify the water source? Five minutes? Ten minutes? Or half an hour?"

"Hmm... about half a day?"

"That's way too long!"

It seemed he was skeptical of her abilities.

Half a day... Is she planning on purifying the polluted lake into holy water with the same efficacy as the real thing?

"And not only that, look at this quest form from the Guild. It says there are Brutal Alligators. The name of this monster sounds very bad," Kazuma said, showing the form to everyone and pointing to a line of small text at the bottom.

Aqua said strangely, "Don't tell me you're scared, Kazuma? Such a coward! Darkness isn't scared. In fact, she looks eager to give it a try!"

"Brutal?! Alligators?! Hiss— hah— hiss— hah—"

Darkness fell into one of her strange delusions.

"Wait, I'm not like her! I don't have that strange hobby!" Kazuma loudly defended himself.

Kobayashi patted his shoulder. "It's fine. That's why the party members all came to help, isn't it?"

"Haah..."

Actually, Kazuma had wanted to say there was a safer way, such as putting Aqua in an iron cage and then everyone could watch her get scared and shriek as the Brutal Alligators attacked... or something like that. But seeing as Kobayashi seemed to have a better method, he didn't say any more.

Actually, his method was also very simple.

"Darkness, put on these slippers."

"What are these?"

"Shoes that can walk on water."

In that other world, he had been vexed about not having these shoes. So, after returning, he had immediately gone and bought them. Now they were coming in handy.

After putting them on, she asked, puzzled, "Um... what do I need to do?"

"Just wear them, walk to the center of the lake, and activate your taunt skill." He seemed to have said something incredible.

"Eh?"

"It's what you've been looking forward to, right? The feeling of being group-attacked by Brutal Alligators."

"Hiss— hah— hiss— hah—"

Darkness immediately began to pant heavily.

Then, before anyone else could stop her, she rushed towards the center of the lake.

"Kobayashi-senpai?!" Kazuma was dumbfounded. He quickly said, "Is this really okay? Letting her take all the monster attacks?"

"That's right! Darkness will get hurt!" The chuunibyou loli, a good friend of the perverted knight, was also very worried.

But he was very confident.

"It's fine, it's fine. There won't be any problems. Trust me."

Darkness's armor, like RyuZU's, had been fitted with [Magic Circuits]. This meant that when she was attacked, she would automatically release a protective barrier, resisting a certain amount of damage. Although she couldn't withstand an attack from the Dullahan, mere Brutal Alligators couldn't even break her membrane.

And while she was attracting the monsters, Aqua could soak in the lake to her heart's content as the Tea Bag Goddess and completely purify the polluted lake.

This was his plan.

A short distance from the town, there was a large lake. This lake was one of the town's water sources. A small river flowed from the lake, all the way to the town.

Looking at Aqua soaking in the lake, he couldn't help but let his thoughts wander.

What would the townspeople think if they knew that the water they were drinking was an idiot goddess's bathwater?

Would they be disgusted?

Or would they be like 'I am Kuafu, I must have a drink!'?

After all, there was no shortage of people in town with a screw loose, and there were many perverts who would love to drink a beautiful girl's bathwater.

For example... me.

...Pah, pah, pah, what am I thinking!

He shook the dirty things out of his head. But for some reason, his throat was a little dry, and he wanted to drink some water.

The luring plan was a great success.

Standing in the center of the lake, Darkness and numerous Brutal Alligators stared at each other. Although they were very close, they were separated by a thick barrier. No matter how much they bit, they couldn't break through that membrane.

She looked very disappointed.

But it didn't matter. Seeing her so disappointed made him very happy.

Especially since she had been standing in the center of the lake for seven or eight hours, and her pained expression of unbearable longing had increased his own excitement level as time went on.

That expression of wanting something but being unable to get it... it was really great!

A perverted, wicked smile curled up on his lips, making Kazuma and Megumin instinctively move a little farther away from him.

And on the other side.

With no monsters to interfere, Aqua's purification of the lake was also very smooth. She even started having a water fight by the lake, singing an unknown song.

"Dona~ Dona Dona~ Dona~"

...Dona Tea?!

He rubbed his shoulders.

He was reminded of a certain Witch of Greed who loved to give people her own bodily fluids to drink and had a terrible personality.

As the lake was continuously purified, the Brutal Alligators left the water and swam towards the mountains on the other side. Although she really wanted to keep them, they still left without looking back.

With that, the mission was over.

(End of Chapter)