We passed an uneventful week after our brush with the Demon King’s general.

“| need a quest! Even a hard one! Let’s go on a quest!”

“Huh?” Megumin and | were startled by Aqua’s sudden outburst, and less than pleased.

Except Aqua, our party’s purses were overflowing. We certainly didn’t want to go out and work now, with only high-level quests available.

“| don’t mind,” Darkness said. “But Aqua, you and | alone rather...lack firepower.” She glanced significantly at Megumin and me. Well, she could give us all the significant glances she wanted. There was no need for the two of us to go on any dangerous quests.

Aqua could see we weren't biting, and she began to plead.

“Pleeease! I’m sooo sick of doing part-time work every single day! The store owner gets mad at me if there’s even one croquette still left at the end of the day! | promise I'll be helpful this time! | prooomise!”

“Are you insane?!” | shouted, and put the paper back where she’d found it.

Good thing I’d come to check on her. She’d almost gotten us into a lot of trouble.

“Why are you so upset? There’re only two of them! We get them in one place and let Megumin do her thing! Boom! We go home. Sheesh! Forget it.”

Yeah, great plan. And | supposed it was up to me to figure out how to lure two magical, feuding monsters to the same spot.

Just as | was considering taking the quest and sending Aqua off to handle it alone, she came up and started pulling excitedly on my sleeve.

“Hey, look! Check this one out!” | looked at the quest she was pointing to.

Lake CLEANSING— THE NEARBY LAKE, WHICH PROVIDES MUCH OF THE TOWN’S WATER, HAS BECOME IMPURE, AND BruTAL ALLIGATORS HAVE TAKEN UP RESIDENCE THERE. SEEKING PURIFICATION OF THE LAKE. THE MONSTERS WILL LEAVE IF THE WATER IS CLEANSED, SO HUNTING THEM IS NOT NECESSARY. Note: Party MUST INCLUDE A PRIEST

WHO HAS MASTERED PuRIFICATION MAGIC. REWARD: 300,000 ERIS. “...Do you know how to purify water?”

Aqua snorted. “Now who’s being dumb? Just who do you think | am? Think about my name, look at my outfit, and tell me—what do you think | rule over?”

“Party tricks?”

“Wrong, you hikiNEET! Water! The pale blue eyes? The hair? Do these things mean nothing to you?”

| guess | can see the connection.

Three hundred thousand eris just to clean up a little water—it was definitely tempting. Especially the fact that we didn’t have to fight anything.

“Fine, let’s take it. Heck, if it’s just water purification, you can handle it on your own, can’t you? Then you could keep the reward all to yourself.”

But Aqua hesitated.

“Y-yeah...| guess | could... But those monsters probably won’t just sit by and watch me purify their lake. | need someone to protect me from them until I’m done.”

Megumin and | looked at each other.

“Geez, all right already. Fine, go have a look at the board and see if there’s anything worthwhile. If you can find something decent, we'll go with you.”

Aqua dashed off happily to the quest board.

“Kazuma, could you perhaps take a look at the board, too? | have a bad feeling about leaving Aqua to pick something by herself...”

“She’s right. Though | personally wouldn’t mind a quest that got us beat up a little...”

The girls were right, and | knew it. | went over to the quest board with mounting dread. | stood behind Aqua as she diligently scrutinized the quests. She didn’t notice me, only continued to study the pieces of paper tacked to the board. Finally she picked one and pulled it off.

“Okay!” “What’s okay?! Do you even know what you’re getting us into?!” | grabbed the paper from her.

Manticore/G RIFFIN HUNT—A MANTICORE AND A GRIFFIN ARE FIGHTING OVER TERRITORY HERE, MAKING THE

AREA VERY DANGEROUS. SEEKING ADVENTURER(S) TO HUNT BOTH MONSTERS AND END THE FEUD. REWARD: 500,000 ERIS.

Aha...

But “Brutal Alligators” —presumably they were some kind of alligator, right? That sounded bad.

“How long does it take you to purify water, anyway? Five minutes?”

If it was quick enough, we might be able to make do with one good explosion from Megumin.

Aqua shook her head. “Maybe half a day?” “It might as well take forever!”

So we were supposed to guard her for upward of twelve hours against monsters whose name alone sounded like trouble. | made to put the paper back...

“Aww, nooo! Please! There aren’t any other good quests! Oh pleeease help me with this, Kazumaaa!”

| looked at Aqua, clinging to my arm to keep me from returning the quest, and suddenly thought to ask:

“How do you do the whole cleansing thing, anyway?”

“Huh? | just touch the water and keep using Purification magic... Why?” | see. She had to physically touch the water. For a second I’d thought... Well, wait.

“All right, Aqua. | think | know how you can do your ritual—no risk, no problem. Wanna give it a try?”