The next day, Levi dragged Kazuma through Axel's market.
Kazuma looked around with wide eyes. Weapons, armor, magic tools—everything screamed fantasy world. His dream setup.
Levi, meanwhile, walked like he already knew where he was going.
They stopped at a small shop packed wall to wall with gear. Levi didn't browse. He pointed.
"Daggers. Light. Balanced."
The shopkeeper handed them over. Levi tested the weight once, nodded, then reached for a folded cloak hanging nearby.
"Cloak of Invisibility," the shopkeeper said. "Low-grade, but reliable."
Levi tossed both items at Kazuma.
Kazuma barely caught them. "W-Wait, invisibility already?! Isn't this, like, endgame gear?"
Levi glanced at him. "You have high luck and no combat stats. This keeps you alive."
Then, casually:
"Shopkeeper. How much?"
"Fifty Eris," the shopkeeper replied.
Kazuma froze.
"…Total?"
Levi had already placed the coins on the counter.
"Yes. Total."
Kazuma stared at the daggers. Then at the cloak. Then at Levi.
"You just spent more on me than I own."
Levi shrugged. "Investment."
They stepped outside.
Kazuma hesitated, then pulled the cloak over his shoulders. His body shimmered—and vanished.
"Whoa—!" His voice echoed from nowhere. "I'm actually invisible!"
"Movement breaks it," Levi said. "So does attacking. Think of it as positioning, not cheating."
Kazuma reappeared, excitement slowly replaced by focus.
"…You're treating this like a game you already cleared."
Levi smirked. "No. I'm treating it like one that kills you if you mess up."
Kazuma swallowed.
"…Got anything else I should know?"
Levi looked toward the guild hall in the distance.
"Yeah," he said. "Never fight fair. Never fight alone. And if Aqua says 'leave it to me'—run."
Kazuma nodded immediately.
"I understand perfectly."
Somewhere far away, Aqua sneezed.
As for Aqua, she had been dragged off by the female members of the party.
Wiz held a thick grimoire in both hands. The book looked old—really old. The cover was dark and worn, its edges chipped and soft from years of use.
"This is my old grimoire," Wiz said gently.
Aqua leaned closer, eyes wide. "How old is this?"
Yunyun reached out before Wiz could answer. She brushed her fingers over the cover. It felt rough, cracked in places. The pages along the side had turned yellow, some bent, some repaired with careful magic.
The title on the front was barely readable, the letters faded with time.
"…This isn't just old," Yunyun said quietly. "This has been used for decades."
Wiz nodded. "Longer than that."
Aqua frowned. "Why give something like this away? Isn't this important?"
Wiz smiled, calm and warm. "It was. But I don't need it anymore."
She placed the grimoire into Aqua's hands.
Aqua nearly dropped it. "W-Wait, it's heavy!"
"That's because it's filled with proper spell theory," Wiz said. "Not flashy miracles. Real magic."
Yunyun's eyes sparkled. "This kind of grimoire is priceless… Half of these spells don't exist in modern spellbooks."
Aqua flipped a page.
There were complex magic circles. Notes written in the margins. Corrections layered over older corrections. This wasn't just a spellbook—it was a record of someone learning, failing, and improving.
"…Why give this to me?" Aqua asked.
Wiz tilted her head. "Because you have power, but no structure. And because Levi asked me to help."
Aqua stiffened. "…He did?"
"He worries," Wiz said simply.
Aqua looked down at the grimoire again. Her usual smug grin didn't appear. Instead, she hugged the book to her chest.
"…I guess I should actually study, huh."
Yunyun smiled. "I can help you. If you want."
Aqua looked away. "D-Don't make a big deal out of it."
From across the street, Levi watched the scene with half-lidded eyes.
"…Huh," he muttered. "She's actually listening."
For once, the goddess wasn't complaining.
And somehow, that was more shocking than anything else that day.
Later, in the guild hall.
Kazuma stared at the quest paper Levi had handed him. His face slowly drained of color.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Aqua leaned over his shoulder and tried—and failed—not to laugh. "Find a missing cat? Seriously?"
Yunyun sighed the moment she read the request. "Again… Miss Nora really needs to put a bell on that cat."
Kazuma looked between them. "This is a joke, right? This is my first real quest."
Levi shrugged, arms crossed. "Welcome to Axel. You don't start with dragons."
Aqua puffed out her chest. "Hey, this is a perfectly respectable quest! That cat is very elusive."
Kazuma squinted at the reward. "…Why does a missing cat pay more than goblin extermination?"
Yunyun answered without hesitation. "Because the cat keeps escaping."
Levi nodded. "And because it scratches."
Kazuma lowered the paper slowly. "I died for this."
Aqua patted his shoulder. "Cheer up! At least it's not frogs."
Kazuma froze. "…It's not frogs, right?"
Levi smiled just a little.
Kazuma screamed internally.
Somewhere in Axel, a certain mission cat sneezed—completely unaware it was about to ruin another adventurer's day.
Later, in the guild hall.
Kazuma stared at the quest paper Levi had handed him. His face slowly drained of color.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
Aqua leaned over his shoulder and tried—and failed—not to laugh. "Find a missing cat? Seriously?"
Yunyun sighed the moment she read the request. "Again… Miss Nora really needs to put a bell on that cat."
Kazuma looked between them. "This is a joke, right? This is my first real quest."
Levi shrugged, arms crossed. "Welcome to Axel. You don't start with dragons."
Aqua puffed out her chest. "Hey, this is a perfectly respectable quest! That cat is very elusive."
Kazuma squinted at the reward. "…Why does a missing cat pay more than goblin extermination?"
Yunyun answered without hesitation. "Because the cat keeps escaping."
Levi nodded. "And because it scratches."
Kazuma lowered the paper slowly. "I died for this."
Aqua patted his shoulder. "Cheer up! At least it's not frogs."
Kazuma froze. "…It's not frogs, right?"
Levi smiled just a little.
Kazuma screamed internally.
Somewhere in Axel, a certain mission cat sneezed—completely unaware it was about to ruin another adventurer's day.
What most people didn't know was that Miss Nora wasn't just a worried cat owner.
She was a druid.
And the "missing cat"?
That was her.
Miss Nora had made a deal with the guild a long time ago. In exchange for a steady supply of easy starter quests, she was allowed to use her animal form to test new adventurers.
It was simple.
If they could track her down, approach carefully, and not panic, they had potential.
If they chased her screaming through Axel, knocked over stalls, or cried halfway through—
Well.
At that moment, Kazuma was crouched behind a barrel, glaring at a ginger cat sitting calmly on a fence.
"That's it," he whispered. "That's just a normal cat."
The cat yawned.
Aqua pointed dramatically. "There! I found it!"
The cat's ears twitched.
Then it vanished.
Kazuma blinked. "…Where did it go?"
Levi sighed. "You yelled."
From somewhere above, a bell jingled.
Kazuma slowly looked up.
The cat was now sitting on a roof, staring down at him with smug, knowing eyes.
Levi leaned back against the wall. "Lesson one, Kazuma. In Axel, even cats are out to get you."
Aqua crossed her arms. "I still say I should just flood the street."
"No," Levi, Yunyun, and Wiz said at the same time.
The cat flicked its tail.
And the chase began.
Kazuma ran.
Not heroically. Not gracefully.
He ran like a man who had just realized this world hated him on a personal level.
"Why is it so fast?!" he yelled, skidding around a corner.
The cat leapt from roof to roof with lazy ease, the bell around its neck jingling like it was mocking him.
Levi didn't move. He just watched, arms crossed.
Yunyun tugged his sleeve. "Aren't you going to help?"
"I am helping," Levi said calmly. "By letting him learn."
Kazuma tried to climb a fence. The fence broke.
He face-planted.
Aqua pointed and laughed. Loudly.
"That's what you get for picking me as a perk!"
Kazuma lifted his head from the dirt. "THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"
The cat stopped.
Slowly, deliberately, it sat down and began licking its paw.
Wiz tilted her head. "Oh… that's not good."
Yunyun blinked. "Why?"
Levi answered. "She's judging him."
Kazuma crawled forward, hands out. "Okay… okay, kitty. Nice kitty. Let's just go home, yeah?"
The cat stared at him.
Then its body shimmered.
In a blink, the ginger cat was gone—replaced by a woman with short brown hair, animal-hide clothing, and the exact same bell now tied around her wrist.
Miss Nora stretched her arms. "Hmm. Ten minutes."
Kazuma froze. "…Eh?"
Aqua gasped. "IT TURNED INTO A PERSON!"
Miss Nora looked at Aqua flatly. "You're loud."
She then turned to Kazuma, eyes sharp but not unkind. "You chased instead of thinking. You shouted instead of watching. But you didn't give up."
Kazuma swallowed. "S-so… did I pass?"
She smiled slightly. "Barely."
A stamp appeared on the quest paper in Kazuma's hand.
QUEST COMPLETE.
Kazuma collapsed onto his back. "I survived…"
Levi walked over and offered a hand. "Congratulations. You cleared your first Axel quest."
Kazuma took it. "Never again."
From the sidelines, Aqua puffed out her chest. "See? Easy."
Miss Nora glanced at her. "You did nothing."
Aqua pointed at herself. "Emotional support."
Miss Nora sighed and transformed back into a cat, hopping onto Levi's shoulder like it belonged there.
Levi didn't react.
Yunyun stared. "…Why does the cat like you?"
Levi shrugged. "Animals usually do."
The bell jingled once.
Somewhere in Axel, another newbie quest was already being posted.
They returned to the guild and handed in the quest.
Luna checked the paper, nodded once, and slid a small pouch across the counter.
"Quest complete. One hundred eris."
Kazuma opened it, counted the coins, and nodded slowly. "Hey… that's not bad."
Aqua leaned in. "See? Easy money."
Levi said nothing.
He took a sip of water and looked away.
One hundred eris was fine for a starter quest. Honest work. Normal pace. The kind of thing beginners were supposed to do.
It just… didn't compare.
His first quest reward had been fifty thousand five hundred eris.
A fact that would remain, permanently, inside his head.
Kazuma stretched his arms, smiling. "Alright! At this rate we'll be rich in no time!"
Yunyun smiled politely. Wiz gave an encouraging nod.
Levi decided—very wisely—not to say a word.
Luna glanced at him, noticed the look on his face, and narrowed her eyes slightly.
"…You're thinking something dangerous, aren't you?"
Levi met her gaze and smiled calmly. "Nope."
She didn't believe him.
Aqua stuffed the coins into her pouch. "Food time! I'm starving!"
Kazuma followed eagerly. "Me too. I earned this."
Levi watched them go, then stood up.
"Welcome to Axel," he muttered to Kazuma's back. "That's how it starts."
And somewhere deep down, the world grinned.
After eating, they regrouped outside the guild.
Levi wiped his hands and looked at Kazuma.
"Alright. More quests."
Kazuma's eyes lit up. "Yes! Monster slaying!"
Levi stared at him.
"…No."
Kazuma froze. "What?"
Levi pointed back at the quest board. "Beginner quests. Labor. Errands. Stuff no one wants to do."
Aqua groaned. "Ughhh."
Levi folded his arms. "You want to live? You grind safe quests first."
Kazuma opened his mouth to argue—
Levi raised a finger. "No frogs. No bears. No lasers."
Kazuma slowly sat back down. "…Okay."
---
Beginner Quest Montage
3.
Kazuma hauling sacks of grain, face red, sweating hard.
Aqua "helping" by cheering loudly and doing nothing.
Wiz and Yunyun watched from the shade.
"Is he supposed to wobble like that?" Yunyun asked.
Wiz tilted her head. "I think that's normal."
---
2.
Kazuma scrubbing mud off the town walls.
Aqua used Purify Water… on her own hands.
Kazuma glared. "That spell works on the wall too!"
Aqua looked away. "It… slipped my mind."
Levi drank water. "Character building."
---
1.
Kazuma chasing runaway chickens through the street.
Aqua yelling directions that made it worse.
"LEFT!"
"That's your left!"
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY CHICKENS?!"
Wiz clapped softly. "He's trying very hard."
Yunyun nodded. "He really is."
Levi watched in silence, arms crossed.
"…Yeah," he said. "This is exactly how it should be."
The montage ended with Kazuma collapsing face-first into the dirt.
Aqua stood over him. "We did great!"
Levi turned toward the guild. "Alright. Same thing tomorrow."
Kazuma lifted his head just enough to scream.
Later that day, in Levi's underwater mansion—
🎵 Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah— 🎵
Levi's eyes snapped open.
"…BUT AQUA IS HERE."
The water above his bed warped. Space bent like glass under pressure, and a glowing divine portal tore open, dumping holy light straight into his carefully curated, calm, not-chaotic living space.
Levi squinted. "I swear, if this is Aqua again—"
It wasn't.
She stepped out of the light with careful grace.
Silver hair flowed down to her ankles, tinted faintly purple. Her eyes were a deep violet, calm and sharp at the same time. Her white-and-purple dress looked ceremonial, almost priestly, and a small scar marked one cheek.
[Insert image of Eris here]
Levi stared.
"…Is that Eris?"
Eris waved awkwardly. "Ah—hello. You're… the adventurer Aqua reincarnated recently, right?"
Levi sat up. "Yes."
She laughed, nervous and soft. "R-right. Since Aqua had to leave suddenly, I took over her duties. That meant, um… ruling this world."
Levi tilted his head. "Okay. And?"
Eris looked away. "When I reviewed your file… I may have done something."
Levi went very still.
"What."
She clasped her hands. "I thought Aqua hadn't finished your setup properly."
A bad feeling crawled up Levi's spine. "So?"
Eris inhaled. "I didn't notice you were a reincarnator. So, to give you a proper role in the world, I… made you the second prince of the Kingdom of Atlantis."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
Eris rushed on before he could breathe. "You were born to a dragon royal line! You went on a voyage, got caught in a massive storm, your ship was destroyed, and with your last strength you teleported to the nearest land—Axel."
Levi's brain shut down halfway through the sentence.
Eris kept going. "Your family searched for months. An oracle located you but assumed you lost your memories. So now—"
She smiled apologetically.
"—your older brother, the Crow Prince, is on his way with a fleet of airships. They're headed straight for Axel."
She bowed deeply. "Good luck."
The light swallowed her.
The portal closed.
Levi stared at the ceiling.
His mind screamed.
I just wanted to shoot monsters and drink tea.
To be continued
Hope people like this ch and give me power stones and enjoy