Luna had only just placed the bill on the counter when Ren Kuroda gave it a casual glance—and nearly died on the spot from the number written there.
He'd originally planned to step up and responsibly take on the debt that was, frankly, their responsibility anyway.But the moment his eyes locked onto the exact figure, Ren instantly folded.
Unlike Akua—the brain-cell-deficient goddess standing beside him—Ren's intelligence still hovered somewhere around the human average. Based on what they'd earned yesterday from killing giant frogs, a quick mental conversion was all it took for him to realize just how long it would take to pay this off.
Assuming they managed to defeat five giant frogs every single day, the time required to fully repay the debt would have to be measured not in years…
…but in centuries.
Their dream of clinging to a powerful benefactor and being carried through life without effort shattered instantly. Having offended someone who could've been their golden ticket, the "deadweight duo" had no choice but to continue grinding monsters just to survive.
Thankfully, when it came to their mortal enemies—the giant frogs—they'd developed a rather specialized hunting technique.Though Akua, the resident useless goddess, protested loudly every single time.
As a result, she returned to the Adventurers' Guild every day soaked, slimy, and suspiciously damp—an image that sparked far too many imaginative misunderstandings.
But the moment alcohol touched her lips, Akua sprang back to life at full HP, shouting and laughing without restraint, her behavior somehow more "middle-aged uncle" than the actual middle-aged men in the guild.
Still, while their frog-slaying operation was going strong, Ren and Akua soon realized they were facing a far more serious problem than food.
Winter was coming.
Seasonal changes were perfectly normal—but for them, it was a looming disaster.
They'd been sleeping in a stable this whole time. During warmer weather, they could grit their teeth and endure it.But once winter hit, continuing to live in a horse stall would mean freezing to death. No question.
According to Ren's original plan, as long as they covered basic food expenses, they should've been able to save enough money to rent a room before winter arrived.
What he hadn't accounted for…was just how monstrously good Akua was at draining money.
No matter how carefully Ren hid his private stash, it always—somehow—ended up in her hands.
With no other options left, the two sat down and thought long and hard before finally reaching a solution:
Recruit more party members.
Thanks to the "helpful" advice of his so-called friends Dasuto and Kisu, Ren now clearly understood the flaws of their current two-person team.
Akua, despite being a rare advanced class—High Priest—was fundamentally a support role.And due to her… intellectual shortcomings, her performance in actual combat was nothing short of painful to watch.
As for Ren Kuroda himself, his experience as a hardcore shut-in from his previous life meant his awareness and strategy were solid.Unfortunately, his stats and class were utter trash.
With a combination like that, the two of them couldn't defeat any monster other than giant frogs.
Ren had long since abandoned any dream of becoming a hero. Living a lazy, peaceful life in another world didn't sound so bad.But now, they were facing the very real possibility of not surviving the winter.
They had no choice but to struggle.
"It's already been two days. Why hasn't anyone come to apply?" Ren muttered."Is it really that bad having someone like me—who can't even class-change into a proper warrior—in the party?"
"This is your fault?" Akua snapped back. "Have you even read the recruitment notice you're complaining about?!"
She jabbed a finger at the paper and read aloud:
Party Recruitment NoticeSeeking powerful teammates!Current party includes one rare advanced-class beauty who possesses both wisdom and elegance: a High Priest,plus her attendant.No class restrictions—however, only high-tier rare classes accepted.Followers of the Axis Order may skip the interview and join immediately.
Ren's brain genuinely started buzzing.
Yes, highlighting the party's strengths to attract applicants made sense—but—
Why was he listed as an attendant?And what was this nonsense about Axis followers joining without approval?! Had anyone asked him?!
Worse yet, the useless goddess clearly didn't understand their current situation.She was demanding high-tier rare classes.
Did she seriously think people with jobs like that would want to join their trash heap of a party?
At this point, they'd be lucky if any adventurer applied at all.
Despite only having arrived in Akuseru City recently, the deadweight duo had already achieved legendary infamy among local adventurers.
Ren's perversion and sadistic tendencies had effectively eliminated any chance of female adventurers joining.
As for Akua—despite her flawless looks and advanced class—her personality was… indefensible.
In fact, Akuseru's strongest adventurer was still grinding monsters to repay debt thanks to her.Naturally, people kept their distance.
"Um… excuse me. Are you the ones recruiting?"
Just as Ren stared at the notice, speechless and ready to revise it, someone actually approached.
She was a petite girl with short black hair, dressed in a crimson mage robe, her eyes a striking shade of red.
Even by modern standards, Ren had to admit—she scored high in the looks department.
After a brief conversation, they learned that the girl—named Megumin, a member of the Crimson Demon Clan—was an advanced-class Arch Wizard.
Someone had actually come to interview.And not only that—she was cute.
Arch Wizards were among the strongest magic DPS classes in existence. Megumin's presence would perfectly cover their party's lack of damage.
But Ren had been burned too many times since arriving in this world. For once, he didn't let her credentials cloud his judgment.
Logically speaking, a Crimson Demon with exceptional mana talent and an advanced class should've been highly sought after.So why was she still alone?
And judging by how desperately she devoured her food earlier…why did this so-called prodigy seem worse off than them?
"What magic are you best at?" — Ren"Explosion Magic!" — Megumin
"What's your strongest spell?" — Ren"Explosion Magic!" — Megumin
"Other than Explosion Magic, what else can you use?" — Ren"Nothing! My life's purpose is the pursuit of ultimate Explosion Magic! Those who study other spells are heretics! Only the biggest, strongest explosion is true magic!" — Megumin
"…Why do you want to join our party?" — Ren"I have chosen you because you have earned my approval! And to delve deeper into the abyss of magic and make my explosions even greater, companions are essential!" — Megumin
"…Goodbye. It seems we are not the partners you've been waiting for."
Watching the girl strike bizarre poses while delivering peak chuunibyou dialogue, Ren felt alarm bells screaming in his head.
There was definitely a reason she'd remained solo despite her class.
One troublesome goddess was already more than enough.Adding another would end Ren Kuroda's isekai life for good.
Appearances couldn't be trusted in this world.
After all—a beautiful goddess could be an alcoholic idiot,and a pretty boy could be Akuseru's strongest adventurer.
This cute Crimson Demon girl?
Ren's instincts screamed that she'd be just as much trouble as Akua.
Just as Ren stood to leave, the girl vanished from her seat—and reappeared at his feet in an instant, clinging tightly to his leg.
"Y-You're a Crimson Demon and an advanced Arch Wizard. You shouldn't have trouble finding another party. We're not a good fit!"
His conviction only strengthened.
This girl was absolutely a walking disaster.
"…Aside from you two—who are infamous throughout Akuseru—no other party is willing to take me…"
Fearing Ren would actually leave, Megumin dropped her dramatic speech entirely.
"So what's your real reason for joining us?" Ren asked.
"…If I don't find a party soon, I'm going to starve… to death…"
The moment she finished speaking, Megumin collapsed unconscious—purely from hunger.
Ren tried to pull his leg free and make a clean escape.
But under the intense stares of everyone around—each one looking at him like he was the scum of the earth—he stopped.
Unlike Akua, Ren still had some shame.And as the moral standard-bearer of the party, appearances mattered.
In the end, after waking up and employing relentless persistence,the Crimson Demon girl named Megumin officially joined their team.
The former trash duo became a deadweight trio.
And from that day on, the people of Akuseru City began experiencing one extremely regular phenomenon—
A single, massive ground-shaking explosion every day.