The doors of the Axel Adventurer's Guild swung open, letting Theo and Darkness pass through. The air inside was thick with the usual smell of stew, cheap beer, and the constant murmur of men and women living one day at a time. However, between the two companions, the atmosphere was notably different from other mornings. The air felt heavy, charged with an awkwardness emanating primarily from Darkness.
Since Theo had dropped the invitation to the date, the crusader hadn't stopped fidgeting with the edges of her gauntlets. She walked rigidly, avoiding any prolonged eye contact. Her thoughts were a mess: one part of her was incredibly nervous; the other part—the one Theo knew well—was dealing with the strange, happy sensation that, for the first time, someone was being serious with her despite knowing her true personality.
Theo, for his part, walked with his hands in his pockets, seemingly calm, though his mind was working at full speed. He wasn't thinking about the date, but about something more long-term: his identity.
'At some point, it's going to be impossible to hide' - he thought with a mental grimace. With every system mission, his capabilities took leaps that no normal adventurer could justify through "training" alone. His rewards obtained from the gacha, his exponential growth... it was a ticking time bomb.
He never imagined he would end up in this "other-world protagonist" situation. At first, the idea of hiding it seemed like the most logical choice for safety, but now, looking sideways at Darkness and thinking about Chris, he realized that lying to the people covering his back wasn't something he enjoyed.
'They haven't given me any rule prohibiting talking about this' - Theo reflected. He took a mental pause, waiting almost by instinct for some system window to appear to warn him or an error sound to resonate in his head. Seconds passed. Silence.
'Fine. I guess there are no restrictions' - He decided that in the near future, once the mithril equipment was ready and his power was more evident, he would tell them the truth. Lying was exhausting, and if he was going to form a solid group, trust had to be the foundation.
Upon reaching the center of the guild, Theo's eyes scanned the place by habit. The usual adventurers were at their tables, laughing at exaggerated anecdotes. But in a corner that used to be empty, something caught his attention.
There they were.
A boy in a green tracksuit, with messy brown hair and an expression of absolute defeat, was sitting at a table next to a girl of almost unreal beauty. She had long blue hair, fastened with a circle-shaped ornament, and wore a pompous outfit of blue and white tones that didn't fit the guild's rustic atmosphere at all.
It was Kazuma Sato and the goddess Aqua.
They looked miserable. Theo could see their slumped shoulders screaming that they had just realized life in another world wasn't an easy video game. They were depressed because they didn't even have enough for the registration fee.
Theo kept his face indifferent. Seeing them there, in the flesh, had a different weight than knowing about them from memories of another life. It meant the main story had just set itself in motion. However, he didn't stop. He ignored them and kept walking toward the bar where Luna was waiting for them.
"Hi, Luna. We've come to collect for the last mission" - Theo said, placing his adventurer card on the counter.
"Oh, Theo! Darkness! Welcome" - Luna smiled at them, happy to see them.
Finally, after Luna confirmed the mission was completed, he received his reward, and Theo noticed out of the corner of his eye that the "Dynamic Duo" was approaching the bar with their heads bowed. The contrast was almost comical: Theo and Darkness receiving a bag of Eris for their hard work, while Kazuma and Aqua approached with barely a pouch containing just enough to pay the registration to become adventurers.
Luna and Darkness looked at the newcomers with curiosity and a pinch of pity. Darkness, especially, seemed interested in the helpless state of the two strangers, but Theo didn't give them a second public glance.
'If I get involved with them now, my peace will end before it starts' - Theo thought. He knew Kazuma was a magnet for trouble, not to mention Aqua, and although he respected the boy's survival skills, he was in no hurry to be dragged into their madness.
"See you later, Luna" - Theo replied briefly.
He turned toward Darkness, who was still looking at Kazuma and Aqua with a pensive expression. The crusader was dealing with her own internal demons; the date invitation still had her in a state of emotional vulnerability, and her own hidden identity as a noble of the Dustiness family weighed on her on days like this.
"Darkness" - Theo called her, snapping her out of her thoughts. - "Take these next few days off; you deserve them after helping me with that mission marathon we had."
Darkness blinked, emerging from her stupor.
"No, there's no problem. But... what are you going to do?" - she stuttered a bit, but managed to ask, trying to regain her professional tone, though her cheeks flushed pink again.
Theo shrugged naturally. - "The usual."
Darkness finally nodded. After last week's mission marathon, both needed a break, although she suspected Theo's "break" wouldn't be the same as hers. Finally, they said goodbye at the guild entrance, and Theo watched her walk away, noticing she was walking a bit faster than usual—probably to get home and panic over what to wear tomorrow.
The next day, the sun was barely beginning to illuminate the streets of Axel when Theo was already at the guild doors. He had slept well and felt ready. If his calculations were correct, today was the day certain key members would appear looking for a group.
As soon as he entered, the atmosphere was unusually loud for such an early hour. A group of adventurers surrounded a young girl who was gesturing energetically. She had dark hair, an eyepatch over her left eye, and wore a red mage robe with a tattered cape.
'Megumin' - Theo identified immediately. The archwizard of the Crimson Demons who only knew explosion magic.
Theo passed her by, looking for something else. His eyes went to the notice board, and there he saw her.
A girl with dark hair tied in two braids, with a figure notably more developed than the red mage's and a cheerful expression as she pinned a paper to the mission board. She wore a high-quality mage robe. As soon as she finished pinning it, she stepped back and sat at a nearby table, looking around every now and then, waiting for someone to approach.
It was Yunyun.
Theo decided that before approaching, he should play the part a bit. He headed to the reception desk to greet Luna.
"Morning, Luna. What's all this racket?" - he asked, faking curiosity while pointing at the group surrounding Megumin.
"Ah, Theo! Good morning" - Luna sighed, rubbing her temples. - "It's an archwizard from the Crimson Demon Clan who just registered, and well, now everyone is trying to get her to join their group."
Theo nodded with a neutral expression. Luna looked at him curiously, noticing his lack of enthusiasm.
"Not interested? She's a top-tier class. She could be a good addition to your group" - she suggested.
"Not really" - Theo replied, glancing at the commotion. - "I doubt someone who calls herself the greatest archwizard has any interest in joining a simple adventurer. Besides, there are too many people over there. I don't like crowds."
'And I have a better option to choose from' - Theo thought, feeling quite happy about it.
Luna made a small face and whispered something Theo barely caught. - "A 'simple adventurer,' you say... if you only knew you have the best mission record in the whole city..."
Then, she turned serious and gave him a piece of advice Theo already expected. - "Still, Theo, you should consider looking for more members. Just you and Lady Darkness is a bit risky for the rank of missions you're starting to take."
Theo agreed with her; after all, she wasn't wrong. The missions were getting harder, and Darkness and he wouldn't be enough.
"I will, Luna. See you later."
He walked away from the bar and headed directly to the mission board. He wasn't looking for a hunting job; he was looking for the paper Yunyun had just put up. He found it quickly. It was a group request written with perfect, almost too formal calligraphy, offering her services as an archwizard for missions of any kind.
Theo ripped off the paper. He knew that Yunyun was, technically, much more versatile and useful for his combat style than Megumin. She could use intermediate magic, she was sensible, and most importantly, she didn't become useless after a single shot.
He turned and walked toward the table where the girl with the braids was sitting. Yunyun was so absorbed in her own thoughts—probably wondering if anyone would ever talk to her—that she didn't notice Theo's shadow until he was right in front of her.
"Hello" - Theo said in a calm tone, holding the paper. - "Did you put this up?"
Yunyun literally jumped in her chair. She stood up abruptly, red as a tomato, and began to introduce herself rapidly while the words tripped over each other in her mouth.
"Y-yes! That's me!" - she exclaimed, trying to sound professional but failing due to nerves. - "My name is Yunyun! I'm from the Crimson Demon Clan! I'm an archwizard—well, for now, I only master intermediate magic, but I promise I'll level up fast and I won't be a burden! Please, do you want to team up with me!?"
Theo observed her for a second. Her nervousness and innocence were evident.
'This is going to be much easier than I thought...' - Theo thought. - "I wasn't complaining."
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Okay, the canon begins, although before the Konosuba canon, we have the final chapters of the Megumin anime.
So I'm going to finish this part of Megumin's story, and then I'll do another mission.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter.