My Favorite Isekai Adventure (Konosuba)

This happened on the afternoon of the day after they upgraded their equipment.

While Kobayashi and RyuZU were relaxing in the living room, passing the time, Satou Kazuma rushed in from outside, shouting as he ran, "This is bad! This is bad, Kobayashi-senpai! This is bad!"

"What, what, what's going on?"

Kobayashi sat up from RyuZU's lap pillow, looking somewhat annoyed at the intruder who had disturbed him while he was bonding with his maid.

Kazuma said frantically, "This is bad, Kobayashi-senpai! Megumin is dying to cast an Explosion spell!!!"

"What's there to be so worked up about?"

Everyone knew about Megumin's love for Explosion magic. If she didn't get her daily fix, she'd feel uncomfortable all over. Kobayashi had long since gotten used to it.

"But I have a feeling this time is different!"

Kazuma quickly explained, "Just now, Megumin offered to treat me to a meal, but I felt she had some ulterior motive, so I didn't agree. After I refused, she was naturally unhappy and turned and left."

"Hmm? Is there a problem?"

"At first, I didn't think much of it, but a little while later, Keith said he saw her holding her staff and muttering something like, 'Even if it's just me, I must cast the strongest Explosion magic, with this new staff I just got!' Then she headed off towards the mountains."

In other words, Megumin's original goal was to find a "tool-person mount" so she could test her newly bought magic staff?

But Kazuma's danger sense told him something was wrong, so he refused. He never expected that Megumin would go into the mountains alone just to cast an Explosion spell.

"So you came to find me?"

"Yes."

A wise judgment. If he had gone to Darkness or Aqua, they would have definitely indulged Megumin, and who knows what kind of trouble that would have caused.

"I'll go find her."

He tidied himself up briefly and headed into the mountains. Knowing Megumin's preferences, she would definitely look for something big to satisfy herself. With a target in mind, Kobayashi headed straight there.

He found her quickly.

She was in the middle of raising her staff, aiming at a distant ruin, striking a chuunibyou pose, and loudly chanting an esoteric incantation.

"O, rebellious dark sky that lurks in this world, O, silent trust that appears before me. The time has come! Now, awaken and, with my arrogance, pierce through!"

As she chanted, Kobayashi stood perfectly still. It wasn't that he wasn't trying to stop her, but that it was simply too late. Although Megumin always chanted long and difficult incantations like a chuunibyou, her Explosion magic had actually reached the level of being an instant cast. The chanting was purely for the sense of ritual.

Yes. In Megumin's eyes, power and a sense of ritual coexisted. Only when the two were combined could it be considered true Explosion magic.

"—Explosion!!!"

The immensely powerful magic shot out from the tip of Megumin's staff, soaring into the clouds before descending from the sky. With a single strike, the violent magic destroyed the distant ruin.

"Awesome!!!"

Megumin let out a satisfied shout and then fell to the ground, stiff as a board.

Her mana and stamina were completely drained. In her current state, she was completely defenseless. If any bad guy were to come along, things would turn into a very tragic sort of video.

Kobayashi sighed.

He walked up, and the shadow he cast blocked the sunlight, drawing Megumin's attention.

She turned her head and said in surprise, "Kobayashi, what are you doing here?!"

"Kazuma said you were acting strange. I guessed you might come here."

"I just wanted to try out my new staff!"

Megumin wiggled back and forth on her long staff like a caterpillar. It was clear she really liked her new weapon.

But she still needed to be taught a lesson.

"Even so, you can't just disregard your own safety and come to such a dangerous place alone. What would you have done if you encountered danger?"

"But Aqua and Darkness were busy, and Kazuma didn't want to come."

"Then why didn't you ask me?"

"Because there was a high probability you wouldn't agree."

When the party first assembled, Kobayashi had rejected Megumin's request to cast Explosion magic every day several times, so she had been sneaking around and rarely came to him.

But for her safety, he had to change his stance.

"Alright. In the future, just come to me whenever you need to."

"Really?!"

"Really."

Seeing her about to cheer with joy, Kobayashi set another rule.

"When you cast Explosion magic, someone must be with you. You are absolutely not allowed to come out alone. Got it?"

"Okay, I promise!" she replied without hesitation.

With Megumin found safely, Kobayashi picked her up and started walking back. On the way, Megumin propped herself up with her arms, keeping her distance from his back.

Kobayashi felt something was off and asked curiously, "Megumin, why are you staying so far away from me? Isn't that tiring?"

"It is tiring, but Darkness said you're dangerous and told me to stay away from you and to have as little physical contact with you as possible," Megumin's words were a little hurtful.

To what extent is that perverted knight going to slander me?

He currently had absolutely no intention of making a move on the women in the party. It was a complete misunderstanding!

Besides, he was an adult! His feelings for the underage Megumin weren't romantic; it was more like doting on a little sister. That's why he tried his best not to get angry when she caused trouble.

...

Alright, he admitted it. He had a thing for mature women. Perhaps it was because he lacked the care of a mature woman when he was a child, but as he grew up, he found himself more drawn to them. But it was less about age and more about figure.

Mature older women with voluptuous, curvy figures like Wiz, Luna, and Darkness were his absolute favorite.

As for a flat board like Megumin...

"Heh."

A small laugh, tinged with contempt, escaped him subconsciously. Just a little loli who hasn't developed yet, and she's already so concerned about physical contact.

"Wait, is it my imagination, or are you thinking something rude?"

Megumin suddenly leaned close to his ear and said in an unfriendly tone, "You're not thinking something like, 'Just a little loli who hasn't developed yet, and she's already so concerned about physical contact'... are you, Kobayashi?"

"Urk..."

Even if Megumin was a loli, she was still a girl at the end of the day. Her sixth sense was no joke. She had keenly sensed his inner thoughts.

"Ahahaha, I would never think of Megumin as a little loli!"

"Ah! You're still denying it! You just said it!"

Megumin became agitated and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Breathing... I can't breathe!"

Kobayashi slapped at her arms and said quickly, "Didn't Darkness tell you not to have close contact with me? Let... let go, quickly!"

"My family motto is to always respond to a provocation! Until you apologize to me, I will absolutely not let go!"

"I'm sorry! I'll never call you a flat board again!"

"What did you say?! I dare you to say it again!"

Megumin squeezed even harder, pressing closer. The two of them tussled back and forth, swaying from side to side like a brother and sister in a close, playful fight.

Perhaps Megumin's struggles were too fierce, but Kobayashi bumped into something soft. The contact made his body instantly freeze up, and he held his breath, forcing himself to calm down.

Megumin could be childish, but he couldn't be lawless!

A righteous man never crosses the line!

(End of Chapter)