Hiatus Gifting This Unfortunate Guy With Blessings

"What are you saying? I will take care of that overgrown lizard in one shot! It's a perfect opportunity to show you the power of the Explosion magic since you have said that using it in the city is forbidden!"

Megumin answered with fervor to my doubts about the quest instead of Kazuma.

"You wanted to use Explosion in the city?!" Darkness asked seriously while standing up.

"What's the big deal? When I used it in my village people got only a little bit upset. It's not like I would aim at buildings or people. If I release it above the city nothing will-"

"You can't use it in the city! People will get more than upset and the guards surely…"

Darkness and Megumin started arguing with each other loudly and people started observing them. Since the blonde knight seemed to have actual knowledge about laws and whatnot I left her to educate that destruction maniac about some common things, sparing me from having to explain it properly.

Kazuma looked at the duo, or mainly at Darkness with eyes full of deference. His eyes just screamed 'Finally someone normal!' and also a few other, less decent statements. Well, she was really beautiful and indeed seemed very crusader-like at this moment.

Aqua seemed to finally be done with her meal. She put down the tableware, cleaned her mouth lightly with a napkin and also surprisingly seemed like a normal girl today. That was until she opened her mouth towards me.

"Listen here... rookie, why do you even question your senpais in the team? We already chose the quest so there's nothing you - AW!!!!! What are you doing Kazuma! I must teach him his place!"

"Don't be rude to someone who can actually be useful, unlike a certain archpriest!"

Aqua made a hurt face, started loudly wailing about Kazuma hurting her feelings and punching him on the shoulder. Kazuma, on the other hand, kept calm, turned towards me and started explaining.

"There were no better alternatives. Literally, the next quest in difficulty was a hunt for One-punch Bear… Listen, I was skeptical as well but there's only one monster and we got Megumin to take care of it. Darkness here also wanted to do it."

As far as the arguments went, these were logical ones. I wouldn't have anything to ask anymore if it wasn't for the fact that Kazuma 'inconspicuously' peeked at Darkness mid-explanation.

He took this quest to show off, didn't he?

"Are you sure Megumin can take that Gator out?" I asked just in case.

"Receptionist-san said that they aren't much tougher than Giant Toads and Megumin blew one to smithereens yesterday."

Seemed like today's quest really will be the show of 'awesome' Explosion Magic. Although it might feel like a guard duty for the rest of us, my coin pouch was only getting lighter and lighter. Also, it wasn't like I was raring to go and kill things myself. I had already done it and it wasn't the most pleasant memory I had.

"Okay then. No more questions from me." I answered and Kazuma smiled upon hearing that.

We finished our exchange almost at the same time Darkness ended her own lecture about detriments of using large scale attack magic in the vicinity of the city. Megumin didn't look so convinced but she had more sincere expression than the 'whatever' look she gave me when I told her almost the same.

Besides Aqua pouting each time I glanced in her direction the journey outside the city was uneventful. Our team had been chatting about various subjects until we reached the forest line. Then I and Kazuma split from the rest to do some scouting.

Apparently, Chris managed to explain to Kazuma all about the Lurk, Enemy Detection and Steal skills but he picked up only the two first because he lacked points to learn them all and Steal seemed like the least useful skill for the current quest.

"How does it feel to be a mouse?" Kazuma asked me after some time when I did the regular transformation into a mouse to check the smells around. Mice had a really good sense of smell, at least better than Humans.

I changed back to be able to speak and answered. "Surprisingly, not much different. Everything seems gargantuan but besides that, I don't feel any discomfort. I think it's all thanks to the skill."

We split from time to time to check the wider area but each time we met again we talked about different topics. For example, Kazuma asked if I tried to use my powers to 'observe' any ladies from below or about how well the mouse can discern colors. Supposedly some adventurer is paying nicely for the info about a certain guild staff's u.n.d.e.r.g.a.r.m.e.n.ts.

I wasn't about to deny easy cash so- I mean I couldn't believe what Kazuma was proposing. How preposterous! But before we could delve into the topic further Kazuma asked:

"Hey, do you see them?"

I started nervously looking around searching for enemies. I couldn't spot anything no matter how hard I looked.

"No, where?"

"I mean Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness."

We were scouting ahead but in the distance, we could always see the trio following us while chatting. At first, they chatted quietly but as the time went by they became louder and louder. Kazuma backed out time and time again to scold them but they kept doing it anyway.

But now, there was perfect silence behind us. We looked at each other and sprinted back as fast as we could.

It didn't take us long until we found the lost group. They have been standing close together while looking down at something and whispering to each other.

Kazuma and I got close and so we could hear their banter.

"It's so cute!" x3

"What the hell are you guys-" Kazuma started but didn't finish his sentence.

Aqua heard us coming from behind and pointed at something. "Kazuma Kazuma, look at this. Isn't that the cutest thing you have ever seen?!"

Megumin and Darkness made some space so we could also look at the point of interest which seemed to be... a little owl. It was so small that it could probably fit snugly between two human hands cupped together. Its feathers looked like tree bark and it had those huge eyes looking around the humans that were disturbing it.

Megumin reached out her hand and the little owl carefully looked at it but didn't shy away. After a few seconds, Megumin started patting the owl on the head and it seemed very content about this fact judging by how it started to blink. This brought out another round of girly sounds out of Aqua and Darkness.

"You guys know we are on the quest-"

"Shut it Kazuma, you have to start enjoying small things in life!" Aqua once again shouted.

"I would also be able to chill out if it weren't for you buying some stupid rock for all of our money! It was supposed to last us for a week and also cover some of the equipment!"

"That rock had a cute goblin face on it and I lacked one for my collection of cute-monsters-pebbles!"

"Cute goblin face? Can I see that stone?" Darkness suddenly seemed interested and they all started bickering anew while stroking alternately the little owl in the center.

Aqua was totally unaware but Kazuma seemed like he was about to jump on her and once again start a brawl. He suppressed the urge and turned to me saying: "Kazuki, say something to them."

"Hey, let me pet it as well." I said to the trio girls while crouching down near the owl.

"You too?!"

"Ummm… I thought that I could get the owl form for myself." I definitely didn't have any other motives. It wasn't because I wanted to pet this cutest creature. Surely not. This was fully intentional just to get another form. Yeah.

"Owl form?" Darkness asked not understanding what I have said.

"Oh right, you don't know. This guy can transform into animals." Megumin explained to the blonde crusader.

"What?!" Darkness gave out surprised shout but before I could add anything, Aqua butted in.

"Ah, right Darkness, you are a crusader, right? Honorable, pious, powerful and gallant crusader."

"Ummm… y-yes. Powerful might be a litt-" Darkness seemed to become fl.u.s.tered about Aqua suddenly asking about herself.

"Then listen to this. This heathen dared to transform into a Giant Toad and then hurt this archpriest while I had no means to defend myself. Will you help me beat him up?" Aqua asked while pointing at me with one hand and stroking the owl with another.

"He did what?!"

"And also afterward, when I tried to graciously explain to him why he shouldn't do things like that, he transformed again, swallowed me and kept me inside his giant toad's mouth until we came back to the city!"

"I didn't do-" I moved back a few steps when I saw Aqua and Darkness standing up.

"You will deny bathing me in toad's saliva!?"

"I did that but it's because of you-"

"See! He admitted his guilt! Watch out! He can turn into a mouse as well. Don't let him esc-"

At this point, I would call Kazuma's hand a 'hammer of justice'. It waited, always ready to strike the idiot when she was saying dumb stuff. When that happened, it would deliver true godly retribution to the person with the least godly behavior.

"Don't listen to her, Darkness. This was entirely Aqua's fault and Kazuki did what he needed to do."

Kazuma really was the most reliable guy I have known in this world. Well, don't mind the fact that I maybe knew a handful of guys up to that point.

But Darkness didn't seem to calm down at all. Her hands were clenched to the point of giving out a weird sound and she kept shaking while holding her head down.

"Hey, calm down, this is all misunderstanding." Kazuma tried to appease Darkness but that only made her release a very silent sentence.

"... me too …"

"What did you say?"

"Please swallow me too! I always wanted to try it out!"

Yep. That's what I have figured. She could act normal but was broken inside.

"..." x5

Even the little owl that was now sitting in Megumin's arms seemed to be weirded out by Darkness. Kazuma, on the other hand, looked as if his mind just blew up.

When Darkness looked around she suddenly reeled back and whispered to herself very quietly: "They are looking at me with such disdain in their eyes… ahnn."

Well, only I could hear that since I was an owl. Not the one that was sitting perfectly safe in Megumin's arms but the one perched upon the highest tree. I just couldn't handle Darkness's antics and relied on the advantage of the high ground.

Megumin and Aqua came up to Darkness and patted her on the shoulder while also looking to the distance. Was that a show of acceptance but also a show of how weirded out they are? And why is Darkness smiling and breathing heavily again?!

After a few seconds of awkward silence, Kazuma asked Megumin. "What are you gonna do with this owl?"

"It seems to be hurt in the wing so I am gonna take care of it until it gets better."

"Hey, Megumin, did you forget what job I have?!" Aqua suddenly shouted and Megumin made an OH-You-Are-Right! face. Well, it wasn't that hard to forget that Aqua was an archpriest.

"Heal!" Aqua quickly chanted the spell to prove her identity. The owl, on the other hand, didn't make any sudden movements except slowly lifting its wing up and lightly flapping it.

When the light faded and the owl made sure that its wing works without a hitch it unceremoniously prepared quickly and flew away.

"Saraeotomon..." Megumin started, sounding like a little girl whose icecream just fell off to the ground. A little girl with a very weird naming sense that is.

That scene was kinda heartbreaking so I regretfully descended from the advantageous high ground and gently landed on Megumin's shoulder. She startled a bit at the sudden appearance of another predator bird but soon she released a beaming smile.

(A/N: I gave it my all to finish it today. I had a really long day in uni and have to go to sleep early since I need to wake up tomorrow to another round of uni. Please point out any wonky language since I was a little bit rushed. It helps me grow. Cya!)