"Just the two of us?"
Satou Kazuma put the cards back in his pocket and looked at Aqua with some distrust.
He didn't know how strong the monsters in this world were.
But Satou Kazuma was pretty sure that if it was just the two of them, they had no chance at all.
Even street thugs could come and kick them around!
"Felt seems like she can come with us. She said she's been bored in the mansion. Emilia probably drank too much yesterday and is still resting in her room now."
"What about Subaru?"
"He's...probably cleaning right now."
Aqua reached out and touched her head.
At this moment, Natsuki Subaru was cleaning the restaurant with Rem and Ram.
After their hard work last night, the entire restaurant was a mess, with empty wine bottles thrown everywhere.
If that was all, it would be fine.
But the problem was...
Yesterday, Aqua had performed all kinds of party tricks in the restaurant, spraying water and wine everywhere, almost destroying the entire place.
For some reason, Aqua seemed to hear Natsuki Subaru's scolding in her ears.
"I feel like three people isn't safe enough."
Satou Kazuma rubbed his chin lightly.
"I'll go find someone else!"
.....
The Forbidden Library.
At this moment, Beatrice was sitting in a chair, staring blankly at a book in front of her. Her petal-like eyes held a hint of sadness.
This was the Book of Wisdom left to her by her 'mother' — the former Witch of Greed, Echidna. It could tell her what might happen in the future.
Echidna had Beatrice guard the Forbidden Library until the prophesied 'person' appeared and took Beatrice away.
But as four hundred years passed, Beatrice had still not been able to wait for that person.
The Book of Wisdom in her hands had not changed at all.
She didn't know how much longer she had to wait.
Four hundred years of loneliness and repeated disappointment had left Beatrice in despair.
When she saw Satou Kazuma, Beatrice did feel a glimmer of hope.
But the content of the Book of Wisdom did not change in the slightest.
He was not that person either.
Just as Beatrice was feeling sad, the door to the Forbidden Library was kicked open.
"Betty, want to go for a walk!"
Satou Kazuma, with a mischievous look on his face, burst in.
"Betty gets annoyed just looking at you. And how did you manage to choose the chance door on your first try?"
Beatrice closed the Book of Wisdom on the table and piled it under other books.
"I'm just lucky!"
Satou Kazuma said proudly.
"You talk like luck is one of your abilities."
"Isn't it?"
"Betty has had enough..."
"Then let's go quickly!"
"You came in and said a bunch of nonsense to Betty. What do you want, you idiot?"
Beatrice frowned as she looked at Satou Kazuma.
"Of course, to go out and—play!"
Satou Kazuma said with a smile. He naturally didn't mention anything about hunting monsters.
The reason he had come to find Beatrice was to rely on her strength as a great spirit to ensure they wouldn't have any accidents along the way.
"Childish."
"Hearing that word from a little girl like you feels a bit ironic."
"Ughhh, can you not say 'little girl' every time you see Betty!!!"
"If you come out with me, I won't say it."
"Are you treating Betty like a child? Why does Betty have to listen to you anyway!"
"Because you wanted to go out and play anyway!"
Satou Kazuma replied.
"Where did you get that idea from?"
"I can tell just by looking at you. If you really didn't want to go out, you would have refused as soon as you heard about it."
"Betty just wants to know what you're trying to do."
"I heard Roswaal say that you haven't left the mansion in four hundred years, right?"
"So what?"
"So you're a shut in too."
So you're a shut in too, so you're a shut in too, so you're a shut in too, so you're a shut in too, so you're a shut in too.
Beatrice's eyes widened as Satou Kazuma's words rang in her ears like a devil's whisper.
She was actually called a shut in by an idiot?
Ughhhhhhhhhh!
Beatrice's heart was about to break down.
"Although I'm also the shut in type, I'm still a bit behind you in that area. But don't worry, shut in help shut in."
"Don't look at Betty with such sad eyes!"
.....
At the same time, not far from the Roswaal mansion, in the village of Arlam in the Mathers territory, a purple-haired girl was playing with other children nearby.
Meili.
Meili had quietly infiltrated the village a day ago.
No one knew Meili's true identity, and her status as a young girl meant that the others in the village did not suspect her.
Her initial purpose in coming here was only one—to carry out the orders of the assassination organization's leader, 'Mother,' and create chaos in the Mathers territory.
But now, Meili had another goal in her heart.
That was to avenge Elsa, whom she considered her sister!
Meili had heard about Satou Kazuma coming to the Mathers territory.
She couldn't wait to see what kind of person the guy that Elsa was so hung up on was.
"If it's big sister Elsa, her taste definitely won't be bad. What kind of existence is this Satou Kazuma?"
Meili narrowed her eyes slightly and looked towards the edge of the village.
"A barrier has been placed there to protect the village from monsters—but what would happen if that barrier were destroyed~"
A mischievous smile appeared on Meili's innocent and lovely face.
.....
"Betty, why does Betty have to go with you guys?"
A few dozen minutes later, Beatrice left the Roswaal mansion with Satou Kazuma and the others and arrived near the village of Arlam.
Of course, Beatrice didn't want to go with Satou Kazuma at first, but he kept saying things like 'It's the first time I've seen a shut in over four hundred years old, it's a world-class miracle' which made Beatrice very unhappy.
And before Beatrice could refuse, Satou Kazuma wriggled on the ground, saying that he had been injured because of Beatrice and that she had to take responsibility. Beatrice had no choice but to leave the mansion with Satou Kazuma.
----
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