〜Cautious Hero: The Hero Is Overpowered but Overly Cautious World〜
"Aqua, just look at how lazy you've become! And you're still proud of it?"
Ristarte stared at Aqua, utterly speechless. She had seen lazy people before, but never one quite like this—lying on the sofa, not moving an inch for an entire day.
What happened to the thrilling, dangerous adventure they were promised?! What about her duties as a goddess? Did she even want to return to the Divine Realm anymore?
If she truly did, then she should hurry up and take her devilishly abusive hero to defeat the Demon King, you fallen goddess! Stop lazing around all day.
Ignoring the complaining, meme-faced goddess, Seiya instead focused on Vanir, his guard raised. Everything about him suggested he was no ordinary Demon King's general.
While Vanir certainly had a boastful streak, daring to mock Aqua to her face indicated he had some genuine power to back it up.
.....
[ Vanir seemed unfazed by his body constantly shedding dirt, continuing to chuckle happily: "Hahaha, this body is merely a clay model. I am only interested in the plastic barrier outside."
"Still, it's quite impressive for a fledgling priestess, hmm… of course, that's judging by human standards."
Listening to Vanir's taunts, Aqua's brow furrowed, her eyebrows scrunching into an inverted V. Like a street thug, she leaned in, glaring intently at him.
The two began to glare at each other like children, and as their argument escalated, Kazuma quickly rushed over to mediate. After all, their opponent was there to conduct business.
"Hey, Kazuma! Are you truly doing business with this kind of parasite, who barely survives by sucking up human negative emotions, just for those kotatsu you made?"
"Oh dear, that's not a very funny joke, kushuksushu…" Aqua covered her mouth directly, letting out a mocking giggle.
To this, Vanir declared that devils were very particular about contracts, unlike certain deities who used the guise of donations for fraud: "How did it go again? Was it 'God is always watching over you'?"
"I, the great Vanir, have witnessed the so-called 'god' they speak of! That Peeping Tom arrested a few days ago, the man who 'watched over' bathhouses and toilets with a 'warm gaze'—was that a god?! Hahaha!"
The scene shifted to show Dust, with his blonde hair, being arrested for peeping.
And so, Vanir and Aqua both laughed without a shred of genuine emotion for a while… before suddenly falling silent. ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Making a pact with a devil has never ended well. While devils do respect contracts, they also love to play word games. One wrong move, and you're utterly screwed."
"The squabble between a goddess and a devil is surprisingly evenly matched. What incredible taunt skills."
Everyone gawked, dumbfounded, at the two trading insults. They had thought Aqua's taunting was maxed out, but Vanir's passive-aggressive remarks were truly a league of their own.
He knew Aqua was a goddess, yet he specifically pointed out that the barrier was "decent by human standards"… Truly a devil, always finding the perfect jab!
.....
〜KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World〜
"Click."
The impassive officer snapped handcuffs onto Dust's wrists, clearly intending to take him in for questioning:
"Do you have anything else to say?"
With his hands cuffed, Dust still tried to argue:
"Why should I suffer now for a crime I haven't even committed yet?! Hey, Kazuma, help me explain!"
Dust looked at his best friend with hopeful eyes, believing that, given their camaraderie, Kazuma wouldn't just stand by and watch him get arrested.
Kazuma didn't just stand by; instead, he ascended to the moral high ground, flashing a benevolent smile:
"Thank you for your hard work, Officer! It pains me deeply to see him like this, and I hope you can rehabilitate him thoroughly."
A true best friend, as they say, is for selling out! No hesitation in moments like these.
After all, with his nickname "Devil Kazuma," he was the one with even bigger problems. The fact that he hadn't been arrested by the officers yet was already a testament to their immense magnanimity!
.....
[ Finally, at Kazuma's persuasion, Aqua and the others calmed down and began negotiations with Vanir.
Vanir meticulously examined the items laid out on the table with an instrument.
Although the trinkets Kazuma had created were quite ordinary, in this otherworld, they were incredibly novel: "Are you interested in selling the intellectual property for these items? I'll buy them for 300 million!"
At this declaration, everyone present was stunned by the sum. This was enough money to live comfortably without working for the rest of their lives.
Vanir seemed to read Kazuma's thoughts and continued: "Based on monthly profit, that would be 1 million per month!"
" 1 million per MONTH!!" Aqua and Darkness excitedly rushed to sit inside the kotatsu.
Kazuma instantly fell into indecision, unsure how to choose. Vanir told Kazuma to take his time considering, then turned to leave.
Aqua waved her hand, practically urging him to get out: "Your foul stench will contaminate my sacred home! Get out, get out now!"
Vanir gritted his teeth, but considering the business, he merely snorted coldly and obediently left the mansion.
Returning to the present…
After listening to Darkness's explanation, Megumin finally understood everything: "I see, now I know why they're speaking like nobles." ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"A shoulder massager, a juicer, a peeler, and a mysterious whip on the table? What kind of bizarre items are these, and they can sell for 300 million?"
"Inflation is quite severe, huh? It suddenly reminds me that a single cabbage costs tens of thousands."
Everyone finally understood why Kazuma and Aqua had adopted that magnanimous demeanor at the beginning—after all, receiving 300 million for free was enough to make them laugh in their sleep.
But could Vanir actually produce 300 million? If he really had 300 million, why would he be working at Wiz's shop?
These few scraps are worth the same as a Headless Knight; I genuinely feel sorry for the Headless Knight.
.....
[ Megumin, with a cheerful smile: "Well… having money is good! All right, let's go slay some monsters!"
"What are you talking about? We have such a huge sum of money, why would we still need to work?" Kazuma's mind was as serene as a Buddha's, an elegant smile still gracing his face.
"Besides, even after preparing all the equipment and devising a plan to challenge it, I still died, you know… It's decided. From now on, I'll make a living through business and lead a comfortable life."
Facing Kazuma's rather defeatist words, Aqua remained unangered, a smile still on her face: "Now, Mr. Kazuma, you're making things difficult for me. If we don't defeat the Demon King, I'll be in a tough spot."
"If that's the case, then earn even more money! Hire many capable adventurers, and just have them defeat the Demon King! How about that? Doesn't that sound a bit more realistic?"
Aqua's face contorted slightly after hearing this, and she slapped Kazuma's face as if holding wads of cash, with the latter cooperatively swaying his head from side to side.
"Exactly! That's Kazuma for you! Slap adventurers' faces with piles of cash, and order them around as you please! Then, when the Demon King is weakened, seize the opportunity to deliver the final blow!"
Kazuma laughed heartily at this: "Precisely! We truly are people who've shared a bed and walked this path together!" ]
[ .....]
〜Projection of All Worlds〜
"Hahaha, Aqua's expression… a classic scene! It's truly hard to imagine this is a goddess; she looks more like a parvenu."
"Seriously… are they really a hero and a goddess? I'm actually seeing the face of a capitalist in them."
Everyone was utterly astonished by Kazuma's plan. Hiring adventurers to defeat the Demon King and then swooping in for the final blow, reaping the rewards—he was an absolute genius.
Such shamelessness, placed upon Kazuma, somehow felt completely natural. It was indeed something he would do!
.....
〜Frieren: Beyond Journey's End World〜
"A hero who gives up being a hero to go into business… Why do I feel like what Kazuma said makes a lot of sense?"
Fern couldn't help but cover her face.
Kazuma had a point; if you have money, why work?
After all, he had died once before, even with a detailed plan to subjugate monsters. It would be more practical to simply go into business and hire adventurers to defeat the Demon King.
Frieren, beside her, stated her conjecture with an impassive face:
"Judging by their law of getting poorer the more they work, this money probably won't last long."
To avoid accumulating inexplicable debts again, the best course of action is to buy equipment and level up while they still have money!
As for going into business? Don't even think about it. She had never seen a hero who ran off to become a merchant.
〜A Certain Magical Index World, Academy City〜
Seeing Aqua's somewhat devilish, meme-worthy expression, Touma Kamijou broke into a sweat:
"Is this the legendary ugly face of the rich?"
They're absolutely scum, these two—a hero and a goddess! To come up with such a shameless plan, one dared to propose it, the other dared to listen, and they even reached a consensus.
They say you can't get two different kinds of people from the same bed. Aqua and Kazuma truly are from the same stable, a match made in heaven.
Sometimes, he really didn't want to believe that this thing was actually a goddess!
.....