Late at night in the mansion, the dying embers in the fireplace gave off a faint crackling sound.
Aqua was already sprawled all over her personal oversized sofa, with a string of drool hanging from her mouth as she dreamed about premium sparkling wine. Megumin had also gone back to her room, hugging her staff as she drifted off into dreams of Explosion Magic.
Kōichi sat out on the terrace, slowly swirling a cup of lukewarm black tea in his hand as he watched Kazuma Satou crouched nearby, fiddling with a few crude anti-theft traps.
"Hey, Kazuma. If I remember right, after you hit level 11, you still haven't really spent those Skill Points yet, have you?"
Kazuma stopped what he was doing and looked up. Under the moonlight, that small face of his, full of equal parts burnout and slyness, looked a little puzzled.
"Huh? Yeah, Big Bro. I mean, I'm an Adventurer, the weakest class around, so learning skills from other classes costs double Skill Points. I've been stuck trying to decide what to learn. Well, probably something practical. What, got any good ideas?"
Kōichi gave a light cough, shifted his gaze toward the bright moon outside, and answered in an especially casual tone.
"I was thinking, now that we have a mansion and we've more or less found our footing in Axel, the enemies we face are only going to get stronger. Those beginner-level skills of yours probably won't be enough. So... how about we drop by Wiz's magic item shop tomorrow? She was one of the former Demon King's Army generals, so she's seen plenty. Maybe she can point you toward some powerful advanced magic or special skills. As your teammate, it's only right that I help you make sure you pick well, right?"
Kazuma narrowed his eyes suspiciously and gave Kōichi a long look from head to toe.
Those eyes of his, practically born with a built-in sadist detector, seemed ready to pierce straight through Kōichi's calm mask.
"Going to Wiz's place? What you're saying does make sense, but... why do I get the feeling this isn't really about my skills, and more about that Lich lady who's a total loser but also has an absolutely top-tier body? Come on, when you said Wiz's name just now, didn't the corner of your mouth lift by, like, half a millimeter?"
"That's your imagination, Kazuma," Kōichi replied without changing expression, his gaze as sharp as if he were slicing cabbage. "I'm worried about your survival skills. If some monster drags you off one day, who's going to help me pull weeds in the yard? Besides, Wiz's shop has plenty of items that may be useless but are still interesting. Maybe they'll give you some ideas for your traps."
"Ohhh, so that's how it is." Kazuma grinned with a wicked look that plainly said, I get it, you don't need to explain, then slapped the seat of his pants and stood up. "Since you're being so thoughtful for my sake, it'd be rude of me to refuse. Perfect timing too. I wanted to go see Wiz-san anyway... ahem, I mean, I wanted to see whether there's some chance for me to get stronger. But Kōichi, if you and Wiz-san get too absorbed in talking, at least leave me a little dignity. Just don't make me stand there the whole time like some third wheel."
Kōichi ignored the jab, simply standing up and brushing the dust off his cloak.
"Then it's settled. We leave first thing tomorrow morning. As for Aqua and the others... we'll leave them here to watch the house. Otherwise that idiot Goddess will start throwing out purification magic the moment she sees Wiz and turn a perfectly good lesson into an exorcism scene."
Kazuma nodded in deep agreement. "Exactly. If we bring Aqua, all we'll get is a bunch of completely unnecessary trouble. So tomorrow it's just the two of us... heh, a secret men's journey to get stronger. That actually sounds pretty good."
Kōichi turned and headed for the bedroom, but his mind had already begun sketching out Wiz's awkward, uneasy, yet gentle and approachable expression.
He said it was for Kazuma's sake, but in a world full of absurdity and surprises like this one, getting to see that gentle Lich who could somehow put him at ease really was what he had been looking forward to most these past few days.
On the streets of Axel early the next morning, the mist had yet to fully clear, and two suspicious-looking figures were hurrying along side by side.
Kōichi was dressed in well-tailored dark casual clothes, with the Adventurer Card at his waist looking more refined than ever thanks to his recent level-up. Beside him, Kazuma Satou had his neck hunched and both hands shoved into his pockets. Rather than someone heading out to learn new skills, he looked more like he was on his way to some shady back-alley deal.
"Come on, Kōichi. Aren't we moving a little too fast? People at the guild probably aren't even awake yet, and Wiz-san's shop is probably still closed."
Kazuma muttered between breaths, sneaking glances at the rectangular box wrapped in fine silk that Kōichi was carrying in his arms.
"The early bird catches the worm, Kazuma. If we're going there to ask for guidance on skills, then naturally we should show enough sincerity." Kōichi answered without changing expression, casually tightening his hold on the box.
Inside was a batch of premium strawberry cream daifuku he had stayed up late making the night before. To keep the texture just right, he had even used a trace of magic to maintain a constant temperature.
"Sincerity, huh? Heh, sure." Kazuma let out a cold laugh and unconsciously touched the small cloth pouch tucked into his own clothes with his right hand.
Inside was a book he had picked up a few days ago from a general store, Extremely Rare. Illustrated Guide to Ancient Ruins Plants. He claimed it was for helping Wiz identify stock, but the truth was that he knew that overly gentle Lich had absolutely no resistance to that kind of weird plant trivia.
The two of them fell into a knowing silence for a while, until the shabby sign reading Wiz Magic Item Shop came into view at the end of the street.
"We're here. Remember this, Kazuma. Once we go inside, talk about the Skill Points first. You're there to get stronger, got it?"
Kōichi stopped at the shop entrance and gave the reminder with utmost seriousness.
"I know, I know. You just happened to bring some sweets along while helping me get stronger. I totally get it."
Kazuma flashed a wicked grin that plainly said, we're past needing to spell it out.
Kōichi took a deep breath and pushed open the wooden door, which as always gave off that harsh creaking squeal.
"Welcome... Ah! Kōichi-san and Kazuma-san!"
Behind the counter, the beautiful brown-haired Lich in a long purple dress, with her lovely figure and sleepy expression, had her drowsy eyes light up the instant she saw them.
She hurriedly sprang to her feet, only to bump into a pile of dangerous items behind her labeled Self-Destruct Potions, setting off a loud clatter.
"Wah. S-sorry! I'll clean it up right away! Please, have a seat first... Um, were you looking to buy something today? Or... are you here to help me deal with all that unsold inventory again?"
Wiz twisted her fingers together, her face carrying both shyness and anticipation.
"Actually, Wiz, we're here to ask a favor today." Kōichi stepped forward and gently set the silk-wrapped box on the counter. His voice was so gentle it made Kazuma break out in goosebumps. "Kazuma's saved up quite a few Skill Points lately, and I was hoping you, with all your knowledge, could give him some guidance. As a thank-you, I brought a few homemade sweets. I hope you'll like them."
"Eh?! H-homemade sweets?" Wiz's face instantly turned bright red, and she almost looked like she was steaming. "Kōichi-san, you're far too kind... I-I'll make sure to savor them properly! And as for skills, if it's something I can teach, then I'll hold nothing back!"
Kazuma rolled his eyes and stepped up as well, pulling that little cloth bundle from inside his clothes.
"Ahem, Wiz-san. I also found this illustrated guide for you while I was out. That way, next time you restock, you won't get tricked by shady merchants into buying things like exploding cabbage roots again. Let's get started already. I don't want to stand here watching this pink aura keep spreading."
Wiz fumbled as she accepted both gifts, so moved she looked ready to cry.
"Waaah, you two are so nice... even though I'm just a useless shopkeeper who only knows how to run the place at a loss..."
Seeing Wiz look both touched and flustered, Kōichi secretly felt rather pleased with himself, while Kazuma was already figuring out how to pry some absurdly overpowered skills out of this former Demon King's Army general.
Wiz's violet eyes now shimmered with tears.
She hugged the box of sweets from Kōichi tightly, then looked at the illustrated guide Kazuma had given her. Her slender shoulders trembled faintly as she sank into a state of overwhelming happiness and anxiety, the kind that came from having no idea how to repay such kindness.
"Waaah... Kōichi-san, Kazuma-san... I'm just a useless shopkeeper who only causes trouble for people and even buys exploding cabbages when restocking... and yet you're both so kind to me..." Wiz sniffled, then suddenly seemed to make up her mind. She jerked her head up, and a kind of tragic resolve shone in her eyes, as if she were marching toward death. "P-please wait! I have to give you something in return! Most of the things in this shop are defective, but I do have one thing... one absolutely, absolutely safe family heirloom! I was planning to keep it as the store's prized treasure!"
With that, she shot off like a purple whirlwind and plunged deep into the chaotic storeroom.
Almost immediately, sounds of "Ow!", "Don't touch that!", and "Wah, it exploded!" rang out from inside, mixed with all kinds of suspicious chemical reaction noises.
About five minutes later, Wiz emerged covered in dust, with a few mysterious feathers stuck in her hair, carrying a metal cylinder caked in heavy dust and plastered with red seals.
She carefully set it down on the counter, moving as gently as if she were holding a nuclear bomb that might go off at any second.