The morning sun streamed through the inn's small window, catching dust motes in golden beams. Ethan stirred awake, stretching lazily and letting his mind drift over the past few days. In such a short span, he and his companions—Kazuma and Aqua—had power-leveled efficiently, now standing at level 14. Their synergy in combat had improved dramatically, and Ethan's 10x skill point boon was already proving absurdly potent.
As he washed off using the basin provided by the tavern, he muttered under his breath, "I'm getting a little tired of sleeping in this cramped room and using a bucket to wash… Now that we've reached a decent level, it's time to move on and get a proper place. Time to make use of the gold I brought—something long-term. A mansion… a place big enough for us to train, relax, and, well… for team-building activities." He smirked at the thought, feeling a familiar thrill.
Later that morning, Ethan approached a sleepy Aqua and Kazuma, lazily munching breakfast in the guild hall.
"Okay, guys," he said, adjusting his adventurer's card, "I've got some errands today, so you're free. Take the day off and do whatever you want."
Kazuma practically leapt from his seat. "Finally! A chance to relax… I've never worked this hard in my life!"
"Well duh, you were a useless virgin NEET. I bet you're just gonna spend all day in the succubus café," Aqua said sharply, hand to the side of her mouth and a mocking grin in plain view. The women of the guild hall all around looked at Kazuma with deadpan eyes.
Kazuma, already walking away, went stiff. "Hahaha… no way. I was just gonna, um… practice my archery and learn some new skills… yup, that's definitely what I was gonna do. Anyways, bye!!" He took off faster than I'd ever seen him move during all of the combat we had done over the last week.
"Well that was interesting… anyways, I'm off!" I said as I stepped away, walking only a few steps when I felt a tug on my sleeve.
"Let me come too! So far all we've done is fight monsters and run around doing quests. You even went on a date with another girl—it's not fair…" she whined with puffed cheeks.
"Sounds like someone might be jealous," I teased.
She huffed, cheeks puffing out. "Jealous? Me? Pfft! I just… I just want to make sure you don't get distracted by… other girls."
That earned her a teasing smile from me. "Fine. You can come. Just don't get in the way of serious adventurer business."
Her eyes lit up, practically bouncing on the spot. "Yes! Finally!"
We left the guild and headed to the outskirts of Axel, where the mansion awaited. Its gothic spires loomed over the gentle hill, dark stone walls stretching high into the sky. It could intimidate ordinary people, but to me, it was perfect. I had always enjoyed the old mansion aesthetic.
"Are you sure about this place?" Aqua asked, tilting her head.
"Absolutely," I said, excitement bubbling in my chest. "Roomy, sturdy, full of potential. And no more cramped inn rooms or buckets of water." I winked, and Aqua's blush spread immediately.
We handed over the gold I had brought from the BG3 world. The transaction was smooth, and the property was officially ours. Unlike in the anime, I didn't have to bother ridding the place of a ton of spirits to get it—I had an infinite money glitch. Printer go brrrrr, bitches.
My hired crew immediately set to work: enchanted brooms floated across the floors, dust vanished into thin air, and magical wards shimmered over walls to reinforce them. A huge bed was placed in the biggest room. "I wonder what I'm gonna use that for?" I teased Aqua as she blushed.
"This is… incredible," Aqua breathed. "I can't believe you actually did this."
"You'll love it once it's fully ready," I replied, feeling a mischievous tug at my thoughts. "And maybe we'll even enjoy… the large bath."
Her eyes widened, and a light blush crept across her cheeks. "E-Ethan! Stop teasing me!"
"Haha, sorry, I'll stop for now. But I've been thinking—I want to expand the party even more, so I thought we'd put some flyers up in the adventurers hall to recruit new members. I think we could really benefit from getting a tank or some extra firepower," I said with a more serious look on my face.
"As long as you don't try to get another healer, I don't wanna get replaced!" Aqua said with a look of mild panic.
"Don't worry. With your goddess status and stats, you're pretty much the ideal healer. There's no need to get any more healers." I chided her gently as she heaved an exaggerated sigh of relief.
Around an hour later, we were sitting in the adventurers hall. By now our party had gained a decent reputation for clearing quests and a perfect record of a 100% completion rate and record times, so we had more interest with people wanting to join. With me in charge and my combination of powerful magic and the extra stats gained from the spear, I had yet to find any real challenges. Especially since I knew to build up my strength before tackling quests I couldn't handle. In RPGs, you didn't try to tackle the level 50 zone at level 30, and I was applying the same logic here.
In the anime, Kazuma and the rest just coasted through on insane amounts of luck and never seemed to truly apply themselves efficiently, while with me here I kept Aqua under control and Kazuma shined much better as an archer archetype in my opinion.
While waiting at the table we had set up as our recruiting station, a short girl in a wizard's hat approached.
Petite and slender, she carried herself with the dramatic poise of a stage actress. Her crimson eyes sparkled with intensity, always brimming with pride and mischief, as if daring the world to challenge her.
Her dark, shoulder-length hair was slightly messy, with uneven strands that framed her expressive face. Tucked against her locks was a small black eyepatch, worn more for theatrics than necessity, giving her an air of mysterious danger that she clearly relished.
She wore her signature crimson robe trimmed in gold, cinched at the waist with a simple belt that hung slightly askew from her energetic movements. A wide-brimmed, pointed wizard's hat rested on her head, so large it looked ready to topple over in a strong breeze, yet she wore it with the confidence of royalty.
A staff nearly her own height was always clutched in her hands, topped with a red orb that gleamed faintly in the light. To Megumin, it wasn't just a tool—it was the medium for her singular obsession: Explosion magic.
Despite her dramatic flair, there was a certain cuteness to her small frame and overly serious expression. She radiated the aura of someone who wanted desperately to be seen as fearsome and powerful, but whose every exaggerated gesture only added to her charm.
"Hello, are you here to join our party? If so, please introduce yourself and state your specialty."
Megumin planted her staff firmly into the ground, her oversized hat bobbing as she straightened up. Her crimson eyes gleamed with fiery conviction as she threw her cape back with one hand.
"I am Megumin! The greatest genius of the Crimson Demon Clan, wielder of the most destructive force known to all adventurers—the great Explosion Magic! My power reduces mountains to rubble, shakes the heavens themselves, and obliterates all who stand in my path!"
She paused, puffing out her chest proudly, before adding in a quieter voice, "…Although I can only use it once per day. Afterward, I, uh, collapse and can't move until someone carries me."
Her staff wobbled as she clutched it tighter, eyes darting between Ethan and Aqua. "But! With me in your party, you will wield the ultimate weapon! So, great leader Ethan, I, Megumin, demand—no, request—to be accepted as a most loyal and explosive companion! I don't even require money—food and lodging will suffice as payment!"
As Megumin stood there, head bowed with watering eyes, waiting for the inevitable rejection she had faced so many times before, I simply said, "Great, welcome to the party. I'm Ethan, and this is Aqua. Our other party member isn't here right now. Membership includes lodging and all profits are split evenly among the party with an equal share taken from all for expenses. Welcome to the team."
"Eh!? You mean you'll really accept me!? I mean, cough… of course, I, Megumin, great Arch Wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan, will humbly accept entrance to your party. You can count on me to bless your party with the greatest gift—Explosion Magic!!!" Megumin shouted.
Knowing just how Megumin worked, I lowered my voice and said, "You see, Megumin, unlike others, I can appreciate the great art that is Explosion Magic. I myself have explosion magic as well. After all—art is an explosion!" I whispered dramatically in her ear as she looked at me with watering eyes.
"Finally, I have found someone who can truly appreciate the good things. You have this one's loyalty—I shall show you the greatest explosion of all!"
Aqua immediately puffed out her cheeks, stomping one dainty foot on the guild floor."Wait, wait, wait! You can't be serious, Ethan! This pint-sized weirdo only knows one spell, and she knocks herself out afterward. What use is she besides being dead weight?!"
Megumin's crimson eyes flared with indignation. She slammed her staff down, the orb at its tip pulsing faintly as if echoing her mood."Dead weight?! How dare you, Bluey! Explosion magic is the pinnacle of all arcane art, the greatest force in existence! To call me useless is to insult the cosmos itself!"
"Explosion magic is flashy nonsense!" Aqua shot back, crossing her arms. She proceeded to cast party tricks—two fans appearing with a flower pot on her head gushing water. "See? This is the true essence of magic! You don't see me falling over after casting one measly spell!"
Their voices rose until half the guild was watching with either irritation or amusement. I pinched the bridge of my nose, then smirked. "Alright, enough. There's only one way to settle this—Megumin, why don't you show us what you've got?"
Her eyes widened. "Y-you mean… you'll actually let me demonstrate?!"
"Of course," I said with a grin. "Let's head outside. We'll find something worthy of your 'ultimate magic.'"
Within the hour we stood at the edge of a rocky field just outside Axel. A massive boulder, easily the size of a small house, jutted from the earth like nature's challenge. Perfect target practice.
Megumin marched forward, staff clutched tight, cape fluttering dramatically behind her. She planted her boots firmly in the dirt and raised her staff high. "Bear witness, comrades! Today you shall experience the unrivaled might of Explosion!"
Aqua muttered under her breath, "Let's see this so-called explosion… more like a firecracker."
I chuckled. "Relax, Aqua. Let's just see where this goes."
Megumin began her incantation, words rolling off her tongue with practiced precision. The orb atop her staff glowed hotter and hotter, crimson light spilling across the field. My heart actually raced—seeing her pour everything into a single spell was breathtaking, like watching a fuse burn down to its inevitable blast. Even in the anime, the artwork for the explosion spell always looked amazing. It really was pretty badass.
"EXPLOSION!"
The world detonated.
The boulder didn't just crack—it vaporized, shards and molten fragments scattering in every direction as a shockwave flattened the grass around us. A mushroom cloud of fire and dust climbed toward the sky, leaving the air hot and humming with raw mana.
And then… Megumin collapsed face-first into the dirt with a soft thud.
I walked over, crouched down, and poked her shoulder. "Well, that was one hell of a performance. I think you just sold me all over again."
Megumin's muffled voice came weakly from the ground. "Did… did you see it, Ethan? My masterpiece… unrivaled, unparalleled, unmatched…"
"Yeah," I said with a grin. "Art is an explosion, remember?"
Her face flushed crimson even as she lay motionless, a goofy smile spreading across her lips.
Behind me, Aqua groaned, hands on her hips. "Great. Now we have to drag around a half-dead mage every day. Just what I needed."
"Don't worry," I said, scooping Megumin up and throwing her over my shoulder with ease. "That kind of firepower is worth the trouble." I thought to myself, a strategic nuke is always useful—even if you have to carry it afterward. Haha.
Walking back to town, the sky just beginning to darken, we met up with Kazuma, who had a little too satisfied look on his face. "Sup guys, who's the sack of potatoes you've got slung on your shoulder?"
"Kazuma, I trust you've had an interesting and productive day… This is Megumin, the latest member of our party. While we were gone, we've been busy. Follow us and take all your stuff out of the tavern—I got us a new place to stay."
Having placed a teleport marker in town and one at the mansion, I transported us back. "Check it out. Me and Aqua have already picked out our rooms, so take whichever one you want."
Megumin and Kazuma both looked at me, shocked, mouths hanging open.
"I didn't know you were so loaded, Ethan!?" Megumin shouted.
"Geez, Ethan, I knew you had some money, but I didn't know it was this much!" Kazuma muttered.
"Well, it's been a long day and we need to wash up and sleep. Let's all get situated and we can talk more tomorrow," I said.
About forty minutes later, Kazuma was nowhere to be seen and Megumin had already gone to bed, exhausted from casting Explosion earlier. Deciding to visit the bath, I walked in—the air nice and steamy, the magically enchanted water kept at a constant temperature and with self-cleaning attributes. That's when I heard humming and splashes coming from the bath-pool. I grinned to myself as a thought passed my mind.
"Hey Aqua, what a coincidence meeting you here?" I said, looking down at her blue hair done up in a bun, breasts barely hidden by the water.
"Kyahhhhhh! Ethan, w-what are you doing here?!" Aqua shouted, hand struggling to hide the generous mountains on her chest.
I boldly stepped into the water, walking toward her. "Oh, I think you know exactly where this is going… and I believe you've been wanting this just as much as I have…"
Aqua's face flushed like a ripe tomato as I moved closer, and noticeably, she didn't try to leave.
I pulled her toward me, pressing her firmly against my body, her wet, smooth skin sliding against mine as I lowered my face toward hers.