Moving On

“Megumin, what are you doing here?” Kazuma asked as the petite mage walked back into the mansion.

“Yunyun was about to leave two days early. I’m not gonna wait around in the village for two days. So I’m back here until then. If I still go with her. Don’t think I will after all the hassle she caused today.” Megumin complained as she walked into the home of her party.

“Ah, alright then. So wha-” As Kazuma responded to Megumin she barged past him and planted herself on the couch.

The dark-haired young woman turned her head to face away from the back of the couch and was immediately met with Darkness’ rear.

“What the-!” She started before Kazuma interjected.

“Don’t. She’s been like this all day. Just ignore her until she stops.” The brown-haired young man sighed.

“Where are they!? Where are they!?!” The blonde Paladin ranted frantically, her head underneath the couch. “I mean sure I was never here with them but they’ve got to be somewhere!!”

“I’m gonna regret this…” Megumin said to herself. She then spoke up. “Darkness, what are you looking for?”

Darkness perked up. “Megumin! You’ve been around Axel all day. You must have seen them!”

“Seen what?” The dark-haired mage exasperatedly answered.

“My earrings!” Darkness urgently spat. “They’re red and look like an N. Please Megumin. Please tell me you saw them.”

One of the Crimson Demon’s eyebrows cocked. “You mean like the ones Yunyun normally wears?”

Darkness’ eyes widened and her mouth hung open.

The Paladin mumbled to herself.

“..... Yunyun…..”

I sat alone at the table in the guildhall.

I really need to figure out what’s going on. Maybe Axel isn’t the safest place for this. Whatever is doing this started here, so maybe to figure this out I need to leave.

Now I regret not setting off to the village with Megumin.

I mean if anyone would know something it’d be them.

Looks like I’ll have to go by myself. I stood up, now, I don’t really want to teleport from Axel, if something is going on here then teleporting from Axel would let it know where I was going. I saw a group of carriages leaving for Alcanretia soon.

That’s good enough.

I can make my way there and then go to the village, that should be enough of a trail. I mean I don’t know what I’m dealing with, if anything, this could all be a big prank for all I know.

Darkness scrambled to her room with an unbreakable focus, a focus so powerful nothing would be able to break it. She practically kicked open her door before letting out a powerful breath through her nose.

Like a coiled spring, she took to action. She pulled out a pack and began to quickly fill it with travelling gear, clothes, boots and a waterskin.

She cracked her knuckles.

The blonde noble then made her way to her bed. She dropped onto all fours and reached underneath it, grabbing a large case.

Using all of her strength she pulled the case from under her bed.

Darkness opened the case revealing a set of glimmering armour. She quickly removed her current armour before equipping the set before her.

She opened her wardrobe and took out what appeared to be a rather expensive dress, she tore it in a swift movement, showing that the dress had in fact been hiding a longsword.

Finally, she opened her drawers and took out two daggers, a stiletto that she placed in her boot and a normal one that she attached to her belt.

She turned on her heel and opened the door of her bedroom, stepping out into the hallway, as she did she heard Kazuma shout.

“What the hell Darkness?! How long have you had all that?! Do you not think that might have come in handy all the times we got our asses handed to us!?” The brown-haired young man continued to rant as Darkness walked past him.

“I-I was instructed to save these for only when I absolutely needed them. Only the most dire of circumstances. And such a situation has arisen.” She said this solemnly as she approached the doors of the party’s shared manor.

“Wait what?” Kazuma interjected. “A-are you okay Darkness? Do you need help? Are you in some kind of danger? We can come with you.”

Darkness took a deep breath. “This is something I have to do alone. You wouldn’t understand.”

Kazuma scratched his head. “Alright then, let us know if you need anything I suppose. Best of luck…”

The blonde opened the doors of the mansion and stepped outside. The cool air swept across her face.

She drew her sword and held it aloft. The light catching, it causing the blade to shine.

She closed her eyes.

I will get my earrings back… I hope you’re ready to fight for them Yunyun…

Aqua strolled over to Kazuma and casually stood next to him at the doorway. “What’s going on with her?” She asked about Darkness, half interested.

Kazuma shrugged. “I don’t know,” he said lifting his arms to accompany his shrug. “She’s just a weird chick, I’ve given up trying to figure out what’s going on with her. Just let her do her thing, ya know?”

Aqua nodded and sighed. “Yeah, I know what you mean. She didn’t even let me give her a spank goodbye”

I made my way out of the guild and to the outskirts of Axel, people were already boarding the carriages and loading up their luggage.

I don’t know why I felt so nervous. I mean, I’ve never had to use one of these before but I thought I’d be more confident about it.

Weaving through the crowd I managed to catch up with one of the drivers… Who quickly let me know that all carriages are full.

I turned around dejected before I heard someone call out to me. “Hey! You’re cool to jump in with us! If you don’t mind squeezing in that is!”

I turned around and hopped into the carriage. “Thank you so much! I was worried that I-”

Oh no.

“You okay?” The blonde guy from the guild asked.

It was them.