“All right, | see you killed five Giant Toads within three days, as requested. The completion of your quest is confirmed. Good work, everyone!”

| made our report to the receptionist at the Adventurers Guild and received the posted reward.

Aqua and Megumin both stank of toad slime and might have caused more untoward misconceptions to boot, so I’d sent them off to the public bath.

| had been a little concerned about proving we'd killed all five toads, since one of them had been vaporized by a magical explosion, but it turned out my Adventurer’s Card indicated how many monsters I’d killed and of what type. | presented my card to the receptionist along with Megumin’s, and the girl simply used a strange box on the counter to check them.

It was true that magic rather than science had been the focus of development in this world, but there was still some pretty amazing technology here.

When | looked at my card again, it said Apventurer Levet 4.

I'd heard Giant Toads were an easy way for beginning adventurers to raise their level. I’d taken out four of them all by myself, and it had been enough to get me to Level 4. Then again, the lower your level, the quicker it went up. The stats on my card had risen a bit, but | didn’t feel like I’d gotten especially stronger.

| found myself muttering, “So you really do get better just by defeating a few monsters...”

Back when she’d first introduced us to adventuring, the girl at the counter had told us that everything in this world had a soul. That whenever you eat something or kill something—whenever you put an end to the life of another living thing—you absorb some of that thing’s memories.

| guess that really is a lot like a video game.

When | looked more closely at my card, | found the words Skit Points, along with the number 3. | could use those points to gain some abilities.

“Now, then. We’re buying two Giant Toads from you; along with the quest completion award, that comes to 110,000 eris.”

110,000.

Minus the cost of transport, each of those frogs was worth five thousand yen. The reward for actually completing the quest was another hundred thousand.

According to Aqua, most parties had four to six people when they attempted a quest. So think of an average party of adventurers risking their lives in pitched battle for a day or two and coming home with five frog carcasses. Along with the completion award, they would make 125,000 yen. In a five-person party, each party member would come away with 25,000 yen.

... Fhat was so not worth it.

You’d be talking about a rate of 25,000 yen a day, if the quest took only one day. That might sound like a pretty good deal to the average person, but remember we were putting our lives on the line here. If even one more toad had popped up today, for example, | might’ve been eaten, too, and there would’ve been no one to help us. Party wipe. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up just thinking about it.

| took a look at the other quests on the board: Cut down Egil Trees causing trouble in the woods. Reward by volume. Please help me find my lost pet, White Wolf!

Seeking swordsmanship tutor for my son. Note: only Rune Knights or Sword Masters need apply.

Do YOU want to be part of my magical experiments? Note: must have exceptional HP or strong Magic Defense.

Phew. This world sure didn’t make it easy for you.

I'd been an adventurer for only two days, and | already wanted to return to Japan.

“Pardon me, may | have a moment... 2?”

| was sitting in a chair nearby, nursing a bout of homesickness, when a soft voice came from behind me. | looked up with eyes deadened by the realities of this fantasy world.

“Sure... How can | help...y...?” And then | saw the owner of the voice and was at a loss for words. A female Knight.

And a drop-dead gorgeous one, at that.

She was looking at me expressionlessly; she gave off an almost palpable cool.

She was just a little bit taller than | am. (I’m five foot four, so she was maybe, say, five six?) She wore sturdy-looking metal armor, and golden hair framed her blue eyes. | guessed she was a year or two older than me.

Her armor hid just what type of body she had, but something about her was incredibly sexy. Despite her cool look, she gave off the impression of...suffering, somehow.

Whoa, hang on! | can’t go falling in love at first sight!

“Uh, yes, um...what can | do for you?” | could deal with someone younger than me, like Megumin, or someone who was (or at least looked) my age, like Aqua, but my voice cracked a little with nervousness as | talked to this obviously older woman.

That’s what | get for being a lifelong hikikomori.

“Tell me, was it your party that posted this for recruitment? Are you by any chance still recruiting?”

The female Knight held out a piece of paper. I’d forgotten we hadn’t taken down the recruitment notice since adding Megumin.

“Oh, that. Yes, we’re still looking for more members, but to be perfectly honest, | can’t recommend it—”

“Please! Oh, please let me be in your party!”

I'd been trying to put her off gently, but the Knight suddenly grabbed my hand.

... Huh?

“Wh-wh-wh-whoa, hold on. | should warn you—we have a lot of problems. Neither of the other members is even slightly capable, and I’m in the lowest class! In fact, just a little while ago, both my friends wound up covered in slime —Ow ow ow ow!”

She’d squeezed my hand extra hard the moment | said “covered in slime.”

“| knew those were your companions | saw earlier with all that goop on them!

How did they end up like that? Please let me get...get covered in...” “What?!” What did she just say?

“W-wait, let me try again! What | mean is, how could |, a Knight, overlook two tender young women in such a state? How about it? I’m a Crusader, an advanced class of Knight. | believe that fits your requirements.”

What was with this girl? She was giving me the crazy eye. She’d seemed so calm just a moment ago!

A red flag went up in my mind. This girl had something in common with Aqua and Megumin.

| hated to turn down a looker, but | had no choice.

“Wellll, I’m sorry, but as | said a moment ago, | really can’t recommend this party. One of our members has yet to be of any use to anybody, and the other can cast only a single spell per day. And, again, I’m the lowest possible class.

|”

We’re one dysfunctional group, so | really recommend you look elsewh— Her grip on my hand tightened further.

“That’s even better! The truth is... It’s hard to say out loud, but I’m really... I’m confident in my defensive abilities—I am! But I’m a bit of a klutz, and my...my attacks never hit, so...”

Good old reliable intuition.

“So I’m an advanced class, but it’s not a big deal! | want you to send me right out front—use me as a shield!”

The female Knight brought her face, with its graceful features, close to mine as | sat in my chair.

Very...very...close...

Because | was seated, she stood above me, but she’d gotten so near that her long golden hair brushed my cheeks and set my heart pounding.

Now | was really paying for that hikikomori \ife...!

No! No, | wasn’t. This was just too much stimulation for an adolescent virgin, and it was throwing me off. Stay calm! Don’t get taken in by her wiles!

“Now, now, how could we use a woman as a Shield? We really are an extremely weak party, ma’am, so | think you’d wind up as a monster’s punching bag on every single quest.”

“Yes! That’s perfect!”

“N-no, it’s not! Just today, my two companions were eaten by Giant Toads and ended up all slimy! Seriously, that’s likely to happen every single day...!”

...Now | get it.

The female Knight gripping my hand and blushing? As | looked at her, it finally dawned on me. It wasn’t just her abilities that wouldn’t help us. Like the rest of my party, she was useless to the core.