Part 1

That night.

After taking our time to do our great deed, we split the rewards for the griffon quest amongst others, feasted at the guild and didn’t return until now.

Komekko fell asleep halfway home from being too full, so Darkness piggybacked her for the remainder of the way. She’s currently sleeping on Megumin’s bed.

Hiking in addition to the intense battle.

While it was tiring, in the end we enjoyed that rare feeling of huge accomplishment.

Slipping under the sheets, I was about close my eyes and embrace that alcohol-fueled good night’s sleep when—

“Kazuma, are you awake? If you are, may I interrupt for a second?”

Megumin’s voice came from the door.

“I’m still awake; about to sleep, though.”

“No… It took massive effort for me to visit, don’t be so quick to fall asleep!”

Megumin opened the door and entered as she complained.

I didn’t sit up from the bed but poked only my head out instead.

“What are you here for this late in the night? Komekko rarely stays over, are you sure you don’t want to accompany her? Although I haven’t a clue when your parents will come pick her up, she can’t stay here forever, can she?”

Though personally I see no problem in letting her live here.

Not that I want to make moves on a loli.

The vivid memories of my time with Iris at the capital are still on my mind.

Right, Iris told me to write letters to her when I remember what had happened.

Even if I do head to the guild tomorrow, I’d only find quests like toad killing. So, I should better write that letter.

As I planned mentally, Megumin started quietly giggling.

“No, um… Actually, Yunyun came to me just a while ago.”

It has indeed been a few days since we last saw that girl; where did she go?

Funifura and Dodonko also said they couldn’t find her anywhere; could she really have gone into “hiding”?

“And then? What happened to Yunyun? Did she come to play with Komekko?”

“Nope. She was here to pass a message from the Crimson Demon village, that the Demon Army occupying the village has been successfully repelled.”

What a battleborne race.

As expected of the strongest mage clan, the Crimson Magic clan.

It’s only been a few days. Couldn’t they reserve their potential for something more practical?

“Isn’t that good news? Although, that would also mean…”

“That’s right, I heard that my mother will be picking up Komekko tomorrow.”

Megumin showed a lonely smile.

“All the more reasons you should sleep by her side tonight; are you sure you would rather be here?”

“It’s fine, no problem. She’s a tough child. Or rather, I’m afraid I’m the one who gets hurt more if I stayed with her any longer.”

Speaking of which, this girl really is a bit of a siscon.

Then, Megumin lowered her head.

“Kazuma, thanks for all your help these past few days, I’m extremely grateful.”

She suddenly thanked me.

“Don’t be such a stranger. Mhm, even though I nearly lost something precious due to my laziness and degeneracy, it makes me happy knowing that everything’s like when it started.”

I smiled wryly as I spoke. Megumin also giggled in return.

“Indeed, the battle we had today felt akin to the ones we fought long ago… Say, this counts as a sign of growth, right?”

Darkness had asked the same question on our way back to the guild; however, I didn’t agree with the phrasing.

Frankly, since I last leveled up, my stats have been rising even more slowly.

It’s possible that my stats are close to being maxed out—a reality that I’m not too keen to accept.

There are no cheats here, so it really is no joking matter when I get stuck with the same stats regardless of my level.

Not understanding my pain and sorrow, Megumin cheerfully chatted with me instead.

“By the way, do you still remember? That time when we first met?”

She asked in a strongly sentimental tone.

“Of course I do; you told me a confusing and awkward name as complete strangers, then abruptly fell to the floor. On top of that, the next thing to come out of your mouth was something about not having eaten for three darn days. Who in the world can forget an experience like that?”

“Oi, how many times do I have to say this: if you have a problem with my name then tell it to my face.”

Seeing the red glow in Megumin’s eyes as she approached me, I, too, felt a wave of nostalgia as the memories of this banter we used to share returned.

It could be that my face did a poor job hiding that thought, or it could be that Megumin isn’t really mad at me… But she chuckled. And so did I…

“Kazuma, I actually knew you before then.”

Megumin suddenly said something important like that.

“Perhaps Kazuma and Aqua don’t know about this, but I was in fact familiar with the two of you before I joined the party.”

“Haw.”

Implying that Aqua and I stood out that much?

“……Let me explain; it’s because of all the fuss you two had made. Getting in trouble at every turn, raging and crying all the time. Be it working at the guild vineyard, working at the grocery; you two managed to get yelled at everywhere. And that’s how I memorized you two.”

“Oi. So you’re saying that we left basically no good impressions?”

Megumin then laughed happily.

“However, despite everything, the two of you always seemed to be enjoying yourselves. That was the real reason I chose your party; at the time, I was thinking of all the fun I could also be having if I adventured with you.”

Since she put it that way, I could no longer stay mad.

“Although, if someone told me at the time that ‘I would take a liking to Kazuma’, there’s not a chance that I would have believed them either.”

“Huh? Was my first impression that bad? It’s quite hurtful of you to describe me that way.”

She again giggled happily.

“Kazuma Kazuma,”

“What now? I’m getting very sleepy, so could you stop bothering me? The alcohol is really taking a toll on my ability to stay awake.”

In response to my little tantrum, she—

“It’s about time for us to advance our relationship to somewhere between friends and lovers.”

—flung me a fastball out of the blue.

Part 2

“—Sorry for the trouble Kazuma-san, thanks for taking care of my daughters.”

“No no no, it was nothing. I should thank your daughter for taking care of me…”

The next morning.

I got no happy ending after her unilateral declaration; instead, she plainly bid me goodnight and returned to her room.

And when we ran into each other this morning, she greeted me as if nothing had happened.

Even though I understand we shouldn’t be too reckless with Komekko in the house, what is she playing at by leaving right after saying something like that?

Thanks to her I got almost no sleep last night.

Their family is truly full of demons; both sisters are demonic.

“When you said ‘thank your daughter for taking care of me’, in which context did you mean by ‘taking care’? Though I wouldn’t mind whatever it might mean. After all, my daughter has reached the age to seek romantic partnership…”

Megumin’s mom Yuiyui-san started saying these strange things.

For some reason, upon hearing “age to seek romantic partnership”, Darkness shuddered as she said her farewells to Komekko at the door.

I guess as a noble, she must be self-conscious about people possibly thinking that she’s reached the “unwanted age”—if she doesn’t marry soon.

“Taking care as in while fighting and adventuring; I didn’t mean anything strange by it.”

“I know, I know; I’ve heard everything from my daughter. I understand you very well, Kazuma-san. Everything’s fine as long as you can take the responsibility.”

Hearing such things from Yuiyui, I jerked my head towards Megumin and shot her a glare; however, she shook her head panickedly.

Which means… that the “daughter” she spoke of was…

Under the collective gaze of Megumin and I, Komekko took out her notebook.

It’s that notebook she used to record everything happening around me…

“The blue-haired onee-san is so great, she punched a ghost with her bare fists. The armored onee-san is also very great, she got eaten by a giant bird. Onee-chan’s boyfriend is also super great, he killed a woman with weed killer. Onee-chan is also super-duper great, not sure why yet.”

Eh.

What was that last part supposed to mean? Even though Megumin explained her strengths countless of times to this young girl, she still doesn’t seem to understand at all.

At this point, Megumin was overwhelmed with sadness and she fell to the carpet on all fours. Yuiyui then took the notebook and continued to read.

“Onee-chan isn’t with me tonight, I think she went to her boyfriend’s room, then when I went to check, I heard her saying something like being between friends and lovers.”

“Komekko! So you were awake that entire time! How dare you eavesdrop on me!? When did you start listening in!?”

Megumin abruptly leapt up from the carpet, yelling with a fully flushed face.

Her mother answered with a gentle smile.

“There’s no need to hide it; as a mother, I’m satisfied so long as you are happy.”

Megumin once again dropped to the carpet and rolled around with her head in her arms.

Yuiyui no longer paid attention to her.

“Well, Kazuma-san, we’ll be calling farewell now… On another note, though I’ve heard rumors about it before, I didn’t believe your mansion would be this luxurious. With that, I can now entrust my daughter to you without reluctance.”

Saying that, Yuiyui started an incantation, which is probably the teleportation spell.

“Goodbye onii-san, I want to eat frogs again the next time I visit.”

“Yuiyui, ancestor of mine! Dost thou honestly have no better topic to discuss during this precious reunion with your beloved daughter!?”

Megumin asked desperately.

“Hurry up and have a kid.”

It’s hard to imagine something like this being told to a teenager.

“Hey, mom…!”

Before Megumin could fire back, Yuiyui took Komekko into her arms…

“Live a great life, all. I’ve already thought of a name for my grandchild.”

…And like a gust of wind—

“Teleport!”

They disappeared without trace.

“—Good morning! Hey, I’m really craving chicken this morning…eh? Where did Komekko go?

After sending Yuiyui off.

Because the farewell had been so anticlimactic, we were still stuck in the mood. And just now, the one who could read anything but the mood—Aqua—finally got up.

“How much longer were you planning to sleep? Komekko has already left.”

“Eh!? Why!? Didn’t we agree to go catch neroids together today?”

Weren’t you crying because of them a while ago?

Neroids are very weak; even children can fight them, so to say. However, I didn’t think she’d take it literally.

After finally snapping out of it from Aqua’s comment, Megumin said—

“I’m really sorry for the trouble I brought upon everyone this time… really sorry for everyone having to deal with my mother and sister…”

“Come to think of it, wasn’t everything caused by your heroic posturing before your parents?”

Facing my insult, Megumin awkwardly turned her gaze away.

“Since I’m happy, I’ll let it slide. We could invite her over anytime anyway; we’ll have go catch neroids together next time.”

Said Aqua cheerfully.

“Oi, Kazuma… About what Megumin’s mother said a while ago…”

After Darkness anxiously fidgeted and struggled to decide whether she should speak up, she managed to find enough courage to say it in the end.

We still stood by the door after Komekko had left; unbelievably, someone knocked on it.

Thinking that Komekko might have left something behind, we opened the door to find a young girl with blue eyes and blonde hair.

By her appearance, she should be slightly younger than Komekko…right?

Her face feels somewhat familiar.

She cautiously looked up at us, then spotted Darkness beside me.

“Mommy——!”

She then excitedly yelled such a thing before tightly embracing Darkness—