Chapter 29

INTERLUDE THEATRE: ACT II The Worries of a Lonely Girl “Listen up, you two! You want an adventuring companion? I’ve got just the guy! Lain Sheyka! He’s an unbelievably talented spearman, and he’s right here in town! He was the youngest person ever to attain the rank of Dragon Knight the next country over, and he’s supposed to be so famous…!” “I dunno, y’know? Smells fishy to me—what’s a living legend doing in a town full of newbies? Heck, do you even know what he looks like?” “Er… W-well… No, not exactly, but I’ve heard he’s a noble by birth! And all nobles, other than the ones who have bought their position with money, have golden hair and blue eyes! We just have to look around until we find the blond, blue-eyed, and totally dignified hottie, and we’ll have him!” I could hear the girls jabbering from across the Adventurers Guild. When I looked over, I saw a young woman carrying a spear and another who looked like a Thief. They both looked about my age. “A great spearman, huh? You’re right—gold hair would definitely stand out. Honestly, though, I think I’d rather have a wizard or a priest—if we see anyone like that, let’s talk to them.” The speaker smiled at the two women: He was a young guy carrying what looked like an enchanted sword. I guess the three of them were in a party together. What really interested me, though, was what the young man had just said about wanting a wizard… This could be my chance. If I just sat here waiting for something to happen to me, the gulf between Megumin and me would only grow. I had already given up once on trying to initiate conversations with adventurers, but if I didn’t do something now, I was sure I would regret it. I wasn’t going to play second fiddle to Megumin forever! I got up my nerve and then stood, starting over toward the young man… “Grr!” “Hiss!” …until I was cut off by the two women, who gave me unmistakably threatening looks. I turned around and went right back to my seat. I had failed. A forlorn coward like me was doomed to be second fiddle my entire life. But that was when it happened. “You there. You’re worried about something, yes? I may not look it, but I am a priest. If you wish, I would be happy to listen to your concerns.” As I sat there, slumped on the table, having failed yet again at getting companions and wishing I could just die, a lovely woman, a little older than me, came and talked to me. She wore a robe mostly of blue—probably an Axis follower, I figured. I had run into a lot of trouble with them in the last city we’d been in, and I wasn’t really eager to have anything more to do with them, but… “…You know, I thought I could manage something if I came to this town, but not a single thing has gone right, and it’s just killing me…” Before I knew what I was doing, I was baring my soul to the older woman. Even though she was one of those terrifying Axis followers who hounded people with their so-called freedom. She listened silently and then said, “It’s all right. For verily, even unto you, Lady Aqua reaches out her hand of salvation.” I found myself looking up hopefully at the young woman’s kind words. I gazed at her beseechingly, and she produced a single sheet of paper. It looked familiar. Axis Church Profession of Faith. “Now, if you will only join the Axis Church, you will surely make a friend…!” Suddenly, she was on the attack, trying to shove the paper into my hands…! “G-geez, how low can you go? I didn’t think even the Axis Church would try to take advantage of a girl so down in the dumps. Set ’em up and knock ’em down! Look at her smile!” “I know their religion is, like, to do the worst things they can to people, but I can’t believe this… And that girl is buying it…” I could hear people whispering about us from a distance. I grabbed the profession of faith. “I will join the Axis Church! And then… Then I’ll have friends and companions and everything, right?!” “““Buh?””” Everyone sounded completely flabbergasted—including, for some reason, the young woman from the Axis Church.