" ": You talking

' ': You thinking

* *: Narrator/Voice-off

Your POV:

"So, Kazuma. Where are you taking us this time ?"

Kazuma: To a place that will hopefully fix a recurring problem our party has.

"... I also want Aqua to clear her tabs, but how is this gonna help exactly ?"

Kazuma: Not that problem. It's about the balance in our party.

Aqua: Balance ?

Kazuma: Darkness is really tough, and don't even need healing magic to keep doing. Megumin's instant damage output is really high, but we need more reliable damage output.

"Am I not reliable enough ?"

Kazuma: Think about it, by trying to focus on both crowd control and single-target damage, you end up lacking on both field, not to mention you're a glass cannon as well. I need more offensive skills to learn myself..

"Okay... I kinda see what you mean. And this shop will help that ?"

Kazuma: Apparently, the owner of this shop is an esteemed magician, and they have been listening to requests to requests from people from every town. So I have something I would like to ask for, too.

"I see..."

Kazuma: Okay, we're here. Also, Aqua, let me be clear, don't make a mess or act violent, and don't use any magic, understand ?

Aqua: Hey, why are you restricting me from this and that ? Do you think I'm a delinquent or a bandit or something ? I'm a goddess, you know ? A holy being.

"That... Kinda worry me too, do you expect her to assault the shopkeeper out of nowhere ?"

Kazuma: You'll see soon enough. Hello ! Good day to you !

Shopkeeper: Welco- Ah !

Wiz: Huuuhh...

Aqua: AHHH ?! You finally showed yourself, you damn undead !! You dare set shop here ?! A goddess like me has to sleep in the stables, but you can open a shop ?! You're getting too full of yourself, lich ! I'll burn your store down in the name of the gods- !

*Bonk*

"So that's what you meant... I mean, if it was any other undead, I don't think it would be a problem, but her..."

Kazuma: Exactly. Yo, Wiz, long time no see.

"My... There sure are a lot of stuff here."

Aqua: For crying out loud, don't they serve tea here ? What a shop...

Wiz: S- Sorry, just a second !

Kazuma: Don't serve her tea ! I've never heard of a magic item shop that serves tea to its customers !

Wiz: A- Ah, sorry, but could you not manipulate that ? It explodes on impact.

"E- Explode ?! What is it doing on a shelf ?!"

Wiz: And that one will explode if you take off the lid, so...

"Then how are customers expected to use it ?! What about that one ?"

Wiz: It'll explode if it touches water

"... 'So it's just alkali metals...' T- This one..."

Wiz: It explodes when heated...

"... Is this shop sponsored by Megumin ?! Why are there only explosives ?!"

Wiz: No no no ! This rack just happens to be where I put the explosives..."

"Then maybe put a sign or something... What about that thing ? What is it ?"

Wiz: Uhhhhh...

???: Hey ! Do not put your hands on me so freely !

Kazuma: GAH !! It just talked !!

"Wait... Beldia ?!"

Beldia: It sure is me. It has been quite the long time, my friend-

Aqua: SACRED TURN UNDEAD !!

Beldia: GYAAAAAAAAAAA-

*BUNK*

Kazuma: So that's where he's been staying all this time... Sitting on a cushion in this shop.

"Why are you even here ?"

Beldia: Y... You see, Wiz and I were acquainted at some point, so she said I could stay here for some time

Wiz: It's... A little more complicated than that...

Kazuma: Is that so... Hey, Wiz, you mentioned this to me before, right ? You said you could teach me some of the skills of a lich. I have some skill points now, so could you teach me anything ?

Aqua: PPPFFFRRRRRRRRRRR !! H- Hey, what are you thinking, Kazuma ?! The skills of a lich ? You said you want to learn a lich's skills ?! I was wondering what you said to her after taking that woman's name card ! The skills of a lich are evil ! It would be bad if you learned such skills ! Listen, lichs are basically the relatives of slugs that like dark and wet places !

Wiz: That's mean !

"That's Aqua. That reminds me, you did mention your had a shop in town back when we met, didn't you ? I intended to pass by, but things' been rather hectic,,,"

Kazuma: Listen, I don't care if lichs really are the relatives or siblings of slugs or whatever !

Wiz: Uuuuuuuuuuuu...

"There, there..."

Kazuma: It's normally impossible to learn skills from a lich, right ? I feel that if I learn these skills, I might be able to increase the combat potential of our party. You should understand that with our current powers, we can't handle powerful foes or a large number of enemies, right ?

"I mean, we could, but our skills as a whole are way too lopsided to be effective,,,"

Aqua: Even so, as a goddess, I can't let my servants learn the skills of a lich-

Kazuma: Who are you calling your servants ?!

Wiz: Umm... As a goddess... ? I was almost destroyed when you used Turn Undead.. Could it be, you're a real goddess ?

Beldia: please don't tell me it's true... Wait, I was sent investigating a great light descending near this town... Could it be...

Aqua: You could say that. You probably won't spread this around, so I shall tell you. I'm Aqua. That's right, the goddess revered by the Axis Cult. Mind your manners, undeads !

Wiz: Eek !

Beldia: Gah ! Away ! Take me away !

"Hey, I know goddesses and undeads are like oil and water, but honestly she's not that much to fear, even for you."

Beldia: No, it's not that...

Wiz: I heard that the Axis sect members have mental problems, so it's best not to get involved with them... That's part of the common sense of the world. And she said she was the goddess of that cult, so...

Aqua: What did you say ?!

Wiz: So- Sorry !

"So a sect of crazed lunatics is actually being led by a crazed lunatic... How fitting."

Kazuma: the original topic isn't progressing at all...

Wiz: Speaking of which, Beldia-san here told me how you did defeated him. He was quite a powerful swordsman among the demon king's generals, you know ? You guys really are something.

"That goes back to my question, but how exactly did you guys got acquainted ? Is it because you're both undead ?"

Wiz: Ah, I didn't make that clear before, I'm also a general of the Demon king's army.

"... ... ..."

Kazuma: ... ... ...

Aqua: CAPTURE HER !!

Wiz: Waaahhh !! Wait ! Aqua-sama, please let me explain !!

Aqua: This is great, guys ! We can clear our debts now ! Not just that, we'll become rich ! Nevermind renting a place, we could even buy a mansion !

Kazuma: ... ... Your thoughts ?

"She clearly is a better person than the one pinning her down... But if she really is a demon general, as adventurers, we can't just look the other way... We kinda already did that once."

Wiz: That's not it ! I was asked by the demon king to maintain the barrier around its castle ! I've never harmed anyone before ! You won't get any rewards for defeating me !

Aqua: ... I don't know what you're saying, but we should play it safe and destroy you.

"So that would be the videogame cliché where you become attached to a character only to kill him at the end because they're secretly evil..."

Kazuma: Yeah...

Wiz: I don't know what videogames are, but that's it ! It was the demon king who requested this of me ! Because I didn't want to stop running a shop in human territory, the only thing he asked me to do as a general was to maintain the barrier ! He said no one would suspect that a general of the demon king would set up a shop in a human town, so the barrier would be safe !

Aqua: Which means we can't attack the demon king's castle as long as you're alive ! This will give us plenty of trouble, so let's do away with her !

"... ... That's... That really is a chin-scratching problem... You're a good person, and frankly speaking, I really don't want to hurt you... But if what you said is true, then as long as you're alive, then there's no hope for us to defeat the demon king... Ahh, I hate it when games want to guilt-trip me... Never forget 01001001 01101110 01110011 01100011 01110010 01111001 01110000 01110100 01101001 01101111 01101110..."

Kazuma: W... What did you just say ?

"Hm ? Did I say something weird ?"

Wiz: Wait, please wait ! With Aqua-sama's power, you could easily break through the barrier created by 2 or 3 generals ! But there are 8 of them in total, so even if you defeat me, there'll be 6 remaining !

"Wouldn't that mean 7 ?"

Beldia: You really think I'm in any state to maintain a barrier ? To the demon king, vanquished as I am is just as good as dead.

Wiz: But eve, Aqua-sama can't break through a barrier of 6 generals ! If you want to attack the demon King's castle, you'll have to defeat the other generals ! I beg of you, please don't kill me before you take out the other generals... ! I have some things I need to take care of...

"... ... Kazuma ?"

Kazuma: ... That should be fine. And, even if we defeat Wiz now, the barrier won't break. And with aqua, it's not really a problem if two or three generals remain, right ? Then we'll just wait for someone to take out the other generals.

"That so. Beldia, you said you aren't supporting the barrier anymore, right ?"

Beldia: That is indeed correct.

"then the answer is simple. We can just weaken Wiz enough to diminish her influence on the barrier, and then break through easily... Did I just say something that sounded way crueler ?"

Kazuma: You did. But either way, would that really be okay ? The other generals are still your acquaintances, aren't they ? And speaking of, aren't you angry at us for defeating Beldia ?

Wiz: ... To be perfectly honest... Beldia-san and I weren't on great terms before... He used to roll his head under my skirt to peel at me whenever I took strolls.

"... Talk about being a knight and spouting nonsense about pride and honor..."

Beldia: Uhhhhh...

Wiz: There's only one person who was on good terms with me among the generals, and that person probably won't die so easily... Also... As of now, I have decided to live as a human.

Kazuma: 'What a lonely smile...'

'I don't care if it comes back to bite me in the ass later, I just can't bring myself to harm someone as pure as her...'

*Di-ling*

Wiz: A- Ah ! I'm sorry ! New customers, hello !

???: There's a lot more people here than last time. Anyways, I was wondering if you... You... YOUUUUUUUUUU !!

"Hm ?"

*SCHTUNK*