Journey to Godhood Begins in Frieren

After breakfast, Shichen and Megumin headed to the Adventurers Guild with the others.

First they turned in last night's quest for eliminating the Zombie Maker, then immediately accepted another job: Giant Toads Subjugation.

Those things are impossible to wipe out—new ones show up every single day.

That may be bad news for ordinary townsfolk, but Shichen rather liked it: a steady paycheck tomorrow is guaranteed.

The payment for the cabbage‑catching crusade still hasn't been totaled. The haul was so large that the accountants need a few more days, so for now they still can't gauge what price range of house they can afford.

He'd been concentrating too hard at the time and never noticed how many cabbages he actually grabbed. That's the downside of those "smart" adventurer cards—they make people lazy.

Today's toad Subjugation Quest felt easy; numbers these two days are already lower than before.

Shichen and Megumin sat this one out, and Aqua didn't need to act either. The work was left to Yunyun, Darkness, and Kazuma.

Darkness volunteered, and Yunyun and Kazuma both needed the EXP boost.

"Ah ~ come lick me! I won't move—just get me all sticky and slimy!"

Unlike Yunyun, who opened with spells, or Kazuma, who charged in with a dagger, Darkness sprinted up to a Giant Toad, spread her arms wide, and simply stood there, ready to be devoured.

The toad didn't even glance at her—it hopped off sideways.

"How can this be…?"

Darkness drooped for a split second, then perked up and chased another toad.

"Come on, lick me! I won't fight back—trust me!"

"Ribbit—!"

The Giant Toad bolted again, even faster than before.

"How…how could this happen…?"

"Darkness… what is she doing?" Megumin asked, the corner of her mouth twitching.

"What do you think?" Shichen sighed.

"Isn't she afraid the toad'll swallow her like it did Aqua before…? Although, come to think of it, maybe she never saw that."

"See it or not, she'd probably enjoy it even more."

"True… Masochists are scary. Shichen, you don't like that sort, do you? Or do you have other kinks besides being a lolicon?"

"I told you I'm not a lolicon!" Shichen rubbed her short hair into a mess.

"Hmph! Nobody believes that!"

"Really? If I were, shouldn't you be frightened?"

"Eh? Ah… oh, r‑right…"

"…What's with that happy look on your face?"

"N‑Nothing!" Megumin turned away in a hurry.

Shichen chuckled and shook his head. "Keep an eye on Aqua for me. I'll go handle Darkness."

"Okay…" Megumin still didn't turn back.

Shichen threw a glance at Aqua—who was squatting and drawing circles on the ground—then teleported beside Darkness.

"Shichen, why are you here? What's wrong with these Giant Toads? Why won't they—ow!"

"They're ignoring you, that's what!" Shichen flicked her forehead.

"It hurts~ Hit me again~ heh heh heh—" Darkness lowered her head, thrilled.

"You're beyond saving." Shichen did not indulge her.

"Not going to hit me?"

"Sure—hit your head!"

"Exactly, hit my head!"

"…Enough. What were you just doing?" Shichen forced the topic change.

"Drawing aggro," Darkness said as though it were obvious.

"Drawing… aggro?" Shichen frowned.

"Yep!" Hands on hips, she explained proudly, "Once a Giant Toad's got someone in its mouth, it stops moving. My defense is sky‑high, so I won't take real damage, and Yunyun and the rest can finish it off safely."

"Heh—sounds airtight." Shichen's smile was paper‑thin.

"But of course—ow!"

"Then what were you shouting about? Think I'd buy that?" He rapped her head again.

"T‑That was… just habit, trash‑talk… Hehe—one more?"

"Still cheeky?" Shichen tugged her cheeks.

"Mmm‑mm—!" Darkness's words were mashed.

"Did you forget what I told you?" He released her and asked coldly.

"Huh?" Darkness blinked.

"I said you aren't allowed to act like that with anyone but me. Were you treating my words as wind?"

"No…"

"Hmm?"

"A Giant Toad isn't a 'person'—it's only a monster."

For once, Shichen had no comeback.

"So monsters don't count, right?" Darkness asked.

"…Whatever. As long as it's not goblins or tentacles, do what you like." Shichen answered wearily.

"Tentacles? What are those?"

"Never mind. Carry on." With a shake of his head he teleported away.

"Eh? You haven't told me why you came—"

"Ribbit—"

Only the toad's croak answered her, getting farther and farther away.

"Wait! Don't run!"

After finishing the toads, Shichen led everyone back to the guild for their reward. Instead of returning to the inn, they found an empty table and sat down.

"Shichen, aren't we going back?" Aqua draped herself across the tabletop.

"In a bit. Important business today."

"Fine, then I'll nap."

"Big Bro, what's up?" Kazuma asked.

"Kazuma, what level are you now?"

"Level ten already!" Kazuma announced, smug.

"Leveled up, huh… You've learned a bunch of skills then?"

"Yep! One‑handed sword and basic magic."

"Basic magic? What good is that?" Megumin couldn't resist cutting in.

"Megumin, just because you can't use it doesn't mean Kazuma can't."

"Really? Still not as good as my Explosion."

"Go to sleep." Shichen pushed her head onto the table.

"Grr! You learned Explosion too!"

"Sleep." He patted her head perfunctorily.

"Big Bro, need me to demo basic magic?"

"No. Today's business isn't that."

Basic magic is just the simple summoning of earth, water, wind, or flame. To the locals—fixated on the Demon King war—it's useless, but to Kazuma, a modern guy, it leaves lots of room for creativity.

Shichen never doubted Kazuma's ingenuity.

"Then what business?"

"Why, of course…" Shichen grinned at everyone. "Buying gear."

They left the guild and headed straight for a small specialty shop.

"This place is…?"

"A magic‑item shop?"

"Didn't expect one of these here."

"Come on, let's go in and pick out some suitable items." Shichen pushed the door.

"Woo‑hoo!" Kazuma followed, eyes sparkling.

In this party, only he really needed gear, and the word item reminded him of old video games—he couldn't help fantasizing about a power jump.

Ding‑a‑ling—

The bell over the door chimed, alerting the owner.

"Welcome… eh?" The owner started to greet them, then froze.

"Wiz-san, right? Long time no see." Shichen smiled.

Truth be told, he'd come mainly to see her; he didn't need any items, and the stuff in Wiz's shop even less.

(For the record, Wiz carried no Divine Fragments; Shichen couldn't sense even a hint.)

"What do you mean long time? We only parted yesterday—ah—"

Panic flashed across Wiz's face, because Aqua had just stepped inside.

"Ah! You damned undead monster! Running a shop here? How brazen! As a goddess I won't allow it. In the name of the gods, I'll smash this place!"

Aqua shrieked the instant she saw Wiz and marched toward a stool, ready to hurl it.

"What are you doing?" Shichen caught her helplessly.

"Doing what? I'm a goddess—liches are my mortal foes! I spared her yesterday, but today I won't—ow—"

Shichen tapped her head. "Quit it. We already know she's a good person."

"Liches can't be trusted!"

"I‑I really am a good… good lich!" Wiz protested.

"A good lich wouldn't say she's a good lich!" Aqua shot back.

"But I've never harmed any humans, please believe me," Wiz pleaded.

"Hmph! I won't believe a word. Take this—Turn Undead!"

"Noooo—!"

~~~

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