On the northern outskirts of Axel, at a distance from the town, there was a hill.
Atop that hill stood an abandoned ancient castle.
This castle was said to have once belonged to a very famous great aristocrat.
Unfortunately, this great aristocrat later fell into decline. His entire family fled the Kingdom overnight, leaving the castle abandoned and turning it into a deserted ruin.
Under normal circumstances, there would usually be many monsters roaming around such an abandoned city.
However, in recent times, the weak monsters around the abandoned city had almost completely vanished. Even the more powerful ones had retreated, occupying the territories of the weaker monsters and causing an ecological shift around Axel.
As a result, an unsettling silence now loomed around the abandoned city.
Breaking that silence was a group.
A ragtag group, whose equipment varied wildly, some were even in casual clothes, holding weapons in hands. They gave off the unmistakable vibe of rookies just starting out.
"Is that the castle that's been taken over by a Demon King's army Leader?"
"It looks kind of scary..."
Kazuma and Aqua stared nervously at the deserted ancient castle, their voices filled with unease.
"Hey, let's just go back." Kazuma, for who knows how many times, desperately tried to persuade Fang Li.
"We're a rookie team that just debuted, right? We don't even have a single Level 30 adventurer among us. We're a group of rejects, okay? Why are we going to take on a Demon King army Leader of all things? Wouldn't it be better to leave something like this to the Kingdom's knights or the Hero Candidates when they arrive?"
"Exactly," Aqua tugged anxiously at Fang Li's sleeve. "I haven't even cleaned the toilet today! I really need to get back soon. Otherwise, everyone's comfy lifestyle will be ruined, you know?"
Has this Goddess of Water finally evolved into a Toilet Goddess?
In the end, while the otherworldly traveler and Heaven's Goddess of Water trembled at the thought of facing a Demon King army Leader, the fake Crimson Magic girl and the masochist knight from this world were unusually enthusiastic.
"Fear not. My most powerful explosion magic can defeat any Demon King army Leader in a single blow." Megumin adjusted her hat and chuckled darkly. "I can't wait to see the looks of terror on their faces."
It seems the Demon King army Leader's background settings had ignited this chuuni girl's fighting spirit.
"The Demon King's army… their Leader..." Darkness muttered with a dazed expression only an unsightly pervert could wear. "That must be a truly powerful monster. Against something like that, even if we all attacked at once, we'd definitely be overwhelmed. And in that critical moment, I, the female knight, would step forward to protect everyone, holding the line so my comrades could escape.
Then the enemy would definitely be enraged and say something like, 'Don't think I'll kill you so easily. I'll break you piece by piece, then offer your ruined body to my men. Prepare to become a lust-driven sow, foolish woman!'
Ahh! Even if you defile my body, you'll never defile my soul!"
She's hopeless, as always. No matter what happens, she's beyond saving.
Fang Li simply gazed at the ancient city sitting atop the hill, ignoring the colorful comments from his four teammates. Then, he turned around to address them.
"Listen up," Fang Li said. "We're going to charge straight into that castle."
His overwhelmingly assertive declaration sent a jolt through everyone.
"Straight in?! Are we really going straight in?!" (Kazuma)
"Hey! Think this through! I'm begging you! Just think about it a little more!" (Aqua)
"That's our Fang Li! This is how it should be!" (Megumin)
"Straight in... straight in… that means I'll definitely be the first one targeted as the shield! Amazing!" (Darkness)
Kazuma and Aqua were on the verge of tears, while Megumin and Darkness looked fired up, presenting a stark and vivid contrast.
In this situation, Fang Li calmly began issuing his warnings.
"Aqua, just follow my orders. If I don't give you an order, stay put next to Megumin and don't do anything. If you act without my permission, even if it's just touching a wall, I'll donate your debt to the Eris Church, hire a bunch of trolls to promote the news, and let all the Axis Church believers know their beloved Goddess has become meat on Eris Church's chopping block, to be handled however they like.
I'm looking forward to seeing those Axis Church followers announce their resignation in despair and disappointment."
"Nooo Waaaah! Please don't! I'll listen to everything you say! I'll even charge at the Demon King or the Demon King Army Leader if you want! Just please don't do that Waaaah!" Aqua bawled as she threw herself at Fang Li, but he pressed a hand on her forehead and shoved her away, continuing his lecture.
"Megumin, be ready to use Explosion Magic at any moment. Only release it when I give the word. If you think it's cool to act on your own in some 'dramatic moment' and use your only Explosion Magic prematurely, I'll go buy a potion that seals magic, force it down your throat, and make sure you never use Explosion Magic again. You can kiss your 'daily explosion' routine goodbye."
"Nooo Waaaah! I'll listen to you too! Please don't do that, Waaaah!" Megumin, just like Aqua, teared up and lunged at Fang Li, only to be stopped with his other hand pushing down on her head, holding her in place.
Then, Fang Li turned to look at Darkness.
"W-What are you planning to do to me?" Darkness backed away a few steps, but her face was filled with twisted excitement. She looked ready to burst with anticipation as she took a deep breath and said: "C-Could it be… you plan to use my debt to threaten me? Sell me off to some indecent shop, and make me do unspeakable things for those filthy men?!"
"Nope, quite the opposite," Fang Li replied with a bright smile. "I'll feed you well, give you a nice place to stay, then secretly inform a certain Chief Advisor of the Kingdom that his rich Ojou-sama owes me a huge debt. He won't need to repay a single coin, he just has to take her back, dress her up all pretty, and have her live a proper life, politely socializing with noble figures in high society. That will be enough to repay the debt.
I'm sure the Kingdom's Chief Advisor will happily agree to that."
"Nooo Waaaah! I don't want a proper life! You can ravage me! Abuse me! Defile me! Toy with me however you want! Just don't make me live like that, Waaaah!"
Clutching her head, Darkness crouched down, trembling in terror as if caught in a nightmare.
Fang Li finally turned to the last person, Kazuma.
"Gulp…" Kazuma couldn't help but swallow nervously.
But Fang Li simply turned his head in silence.
"In any case… you all owe me a huge debt. If you don't behave, you know what your end will be."
"You're a demon! A complete demon!"
"Wait! At least say something to me! Not saying anything is even scarier Waaaah!"
(End Of This Chapter)
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