After leaving the adventurers' guild, I started looking for an inn that could accommodate me, despite my limited budget.
I spent a good amount of time wandering through Axel's streets, asking questions here and there, trying my luck with the innkeepers.
Unfortunately, none of the establishments wanted to negotiate the price with me, or even accept a reasonable compromise.
Some even looked at me like a hobo, others simply ignored me.
This reminded me of my miserable situation in Japan, and there was no way I was going back to that situation in this reality.
"Despite that, I'll have to endure my temporary poverty"
I also remember that I could have converted those points during customization into money back then.
But I preferred to avoid it and I still think I was right.
That's how I ended up sleeping in a stable, for lack of anything better during my searches.
The only positive side was at least having a well-deserved bath at the town's public baths.
The hot water had somewhat soothed my mind, but not enough to forget my situation.
"Kazuma! You're taking all the blanket..."
"Stop lying, you're the one rolling around on it!"
In the neighboring stable, a couple seemed to be arguing about a simple shared blanket.
The voice of a man and a woman, young judging by their tone, echoed through the wooden partition.
At first, I preferred to ignore them.
I was too mentally exhausted to pay attention to their quarrel, and my future decision-making clouded my already tired mind.
The cold, stress, accumulated frustration since my arrival prevented me from focusing on anything other than finding a break in sleep...
However, one name caught my attention.
Kazuma.
(Image)
This name resonated loudly in my mind like a thunderclap, which led me to sit up all at once.
My heart unconsciously accelerated its beats as I walked toward the direction of the stable where this familiar name came from.
Finally, I reached the door of the neighboring stable.
BAM BAM BAM
After knocking gently but firmly on the door.
There was a slight silence and murmurs, before getting an answer.
"W... We won't make noise anymore!"
"No need to get physical, okay?"
Maybe because of their previous dubious acts or simply out of guilt, the duo thought I was coming to threaten them directly... or worse.
After all, they'd already received various warnings from other beginner adventurers staying here.
"I didn't come for the noise... but it won't be long if you keep bickering like that."
Silence settled in. Then, a masculine voice, a bit hesitant, resonated from the other side of the door.
"Uh... haha, so what are you coming for?"
"Could I come in first? I'd just like to greet a fellow Japanese," I said in a friendly tone.
There was a small silence again, before there were unintelligible noises.
Fortunately, another adventurer yelled insults and complaints at Kazuma's team.
This calmed the cacophony.
Finally, I was able to enter their stable.
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Renji Takamura"
Kazuma looked at me with a suspicious eye, and Aqua was the same since my arrival in their stable.
"A problem?"
I preferred to ask directly, to avoid future misunderstanding between us.
"You don't really look like a Japanese person"
Although the Japanese from the Konosuba world don't resemble those from Earth with their traits, emblematic black eyes and black hair.
They still have precise ethnic features.
"I customized my appearance before coming haha"
I let out an embarrassed laugh because of my shota appearance.
I plan to find a way to fix this sooner or later, because I don't want to stay in Meliodas mode.
"What?! Is that possible, Aqua?"
Aqua put her hand on her chin, as if she were thinking about something.
"Huh?!" she made a strange noise, before pointing at Renji with her finger.
"You used my website!!"
"Website?!"
Kazuma was clearly lost during this part of the conversation, but Renji nodded to Aqua.
"B... but, I was forced to close it because of superiors"
She started mumbling about an angel who scammed her and pushed her to accomplish her tasks herself.
This confirmed that he hadn't been summoned directly by Aqua.
"Stop!! I don't understand anything anymore"
Kazuma cracked.
It seemed that staying in the dark too long had pushed him to his limit.
"Oh sorry Kazuma, it's just that Renji's case is different from yours"
Aqua began to explain in detail the nature of her website, or at least, divine websites used to send people to other worlds.
"Hahaha, I understand better why you were forced to close yours" Kazuma started mocking Aqua after the end of her explanation.
Normally, gods don't need to welcome a person like Kazuma into their divine domains.
Of course, there are exceptions like low-ranking goddesses.
An example of this is Eris.
However, Aqua had started leaving everything to the website, neglecting her divine duties out of laziness and convenience.
This led the higher-ups to confiscate her access to her tool, after forcing her to seal it.
Now, she just discovered that I was sent to this universe thanks to her website.
The logical and simple conclusion to this event is the use of her website by her replacement.
Thus, the angel temporarily taking over for Aqua has less real work on her shoulders than the latter.
"*sniff* I just wanted... *sniff* more free time for my shows"
Finally, the pseudo-goddess cracked and started crying.
"Calm down, Lady Aqua"
After I pronounced the word "Lady" next to Aqua, I had chills of disgust running through my whole body.
Yes, Aqua is beautiful and magnificent.
(Image)
Kazuma hadn't exaggerated in his description in the light novel, but her current pitiful state prevents me from associating her with a powerful goddess.
"B... but"
"You're going back there anyway, right? You can ask for a sanction against that insolent angel later"
As if her tears could be activated by a switch, Aqua was quickly back on her feet.
"Yes, you're right, and you're more polite than that other hikikomori over there"
"W... what?!!"
Finally, the evening went by without problem after clearing up the misunderstanding with Kazuma and Aqua.
They asked me to join their party, but I refused.
My skill or cheat is too dangerous to be shared with the current Kazuma.
He's still biased by his vision or Japanese education and he still lacks maturity.
He might ask to return to Japan, thanks to my skill.
"I don't even know if I can bring someone at level 1"
Apart from the problem related to the skill level, the description of the latter was slightly botched by me at the time.
I wasn't really myself and all of this was a whim, before trying to move to "action."
The description mentions that the skill can allow me to go where I have desired, and not where I voluntarily want to go.
I prefer to raise the skill level, to avoid a stupid incident.
What kind of incident?
A bit like Jack Sparrow's compass; which indicates the place desired by its bearer.
Jack ended up stumbling upon the cursed treasure on Isla de Muerta.
Yeah, I'd better be very precise with my desires and quickly increase the skill level.