The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing

“Kazuma, are we really on a date?” Aqua couldn't help but whisper, “Could this actually be a Red Demon Clan's unique way of dating? If not, it's really hard to explain such idiotic interactions.”

“Don't call it idiotic... although I think so too.”

Satou Kazuma twitched his lips.

The date he envisioned shouldn't be about agreeing to meet somewhere early in the morning, then the guy complimenting the girl's beautiful appearance, followed by going to amusement parks, aquariums, beaches, or shopping streets, and cultivating feelings through numerous intimate interactions, right?

Ideally, they would confess their feelings to each other on the beach at dusk, and then have even more intimate interactions in the evening…

Or was he wrong?

After all, all of this knowledge was gleaned from games.

As everyone knows.

Games are games, and reality is reality.

People who seek realism in fictional stories definitely have something wrong with their heads, and similarly, people who seek fictional feelings in the real world also have something wrong with their heads.

Looking at the two constantly arguing about who is more powerful, Satou Kazuma didn't understand, but was deeply shocked.

“This should be a Red Demon Clan's exclusive dating method.”

“—That's not true!” X2

As soon as he finished speaking, he was refuted in unison by the two.

“Eh!?”

“Kazuma, this is bad! It seems like we've been discovered!”

“D-Don't panic, Aqua. I've already used both the 'Conceal' and 'Suppress Presence' skills. Logically, they shouldn't be able to find me.”

The two eavesdroppers in the bushes panicked.

Yunyun, looking at the constantly rustling bushes, couldn't help but roll her eyes at the self-deceiving idiots, and said, “I really didn't notice Kazuma at first, but Aqua is too obvious. Come out quickly.”

“O-Obvious? Where did I expose myself?”

“The sound of swallowing saliva.”

“––––!?”

Aqua was stunned.

The smell of grilled fish was too fragrant, making people drool. In fact, not only her, but Satou Kazuma was the same. However, compared to Satou Kazuma, who consciously concealed his voice, the unrestrained Aqua kept swallowing her saliva.

“Aren't you coming out? If you don't come out, I'll throw these grilled fish away. I'm throwing!”

“Ah woo!”

As Yunyun threw the grilled fish towards the top of the bushes, clearly overshooting, a blue figure jumped up, snatching the grilled fish in its mouth like a ravenous dog.

Seeing that he had been exposed, Satou Kazuma had no choice but to walk out of the bushes, instantly revealing a somewhat awkward smile on his face.

“Oh, the weather is really nice today! What a coincidence, Yunyun and Megumin, are you two also out on a quest? Actually, the guild said that the lake here has become turbid again due to a landslide, so I brought Aqua here.”

He gave himself a thumbs up for his quick wit.

Yunyun looked amusedly at Satou Kazuma, who was desperately making excuses, but didn't expose him. She even said generously, “No, we're here on a date.”

“Ugh!”

This direct ball left Satou Kazuma speechless.

“Delicious!” Aqua exclaimed while chewing on the grilled fish, “This grilled fish is so delicious! How did Yunyun make it? I didn't see her add any seasoning. This skill is already comparable to the chef god in the Celestial Realm!”

“You're exaggerating, Aqua. Eat slowly, there's still more here.”

“Thank you, Megumin! That Kazuma guy thought you would do something inappropriate with Yunyun, and insisted that I come along, and even killed off my precious game character. You quickly scold him more!”

Can't even stuffing food stop your mouth!?

Satou Kazuma didn't expect to be sold out in the blink of an eye. He thought to himself that he must train Schneider III to death when he got back, and then showed Yunyun an extremely awkward expression.

“Forget it, eat grilled fish.”

“…Thank you.”

After receiving the grilled fish from Yunyun, Satou Kazuma said, ‘Let's eat,’ and revealed the same gluttonous expression as Aqua.

With the matter exposed, he also acted like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, and asked them if they were really on a date.

There was nothing to deny about this. Yunyun and Megumin's relationship had already been confirmed when they went to the Crimson Demon Village, and their companions were also aware of it.

“But as you can see, whether it's the influence of the Crimson Demon Clan's bloodline or youthful immaturity, the dating method has become so distorted.”

“In my opinion, the interaction just now was too idiotic. What was that, a Explosion Magic critic?”

“…That's quite a harsh way of putting it.”

Because of Yunyun's intervention, Megumin's identity as an Explosion Magic critic fell on his head. In addition, with Yuuyu joining the party from the beginning, as well as Darkness and Aqua's help, Megumin's contact with Satou Kazuma was cut off from the start.

He knew that Megumin would come here to cast Explosion Magic every day, but he never expected it to be in such a bizarre way, even distorting the date.

“There's no way, Aqua and I will come to help! That's right! A double date! Wouldn't it be fine if Aqua and I came to help!?”

Satou Kazuma suddenly said this.

Yunyun looked at him with some suspicion, her eyes full of distrust, making him feel insulted.

“Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm the guy who has conquered childhood sweethearts, elementary school classmates, desk mates, upperclassmen, student council presidents, teachers, as well as young mistresses, maids, and assassins. Everyone calls me the Conquest King Kazuma!”

“…Is that in a game?”

“What does it matter! Believe me, dating is a piece of cake!”

“But your own childhood sweetheart got on someone else's bicycle?”

These words directly silenced Satou Kazuma.

He could have used the excuse that he only started deeply exploring conquest games after his childhood sweetheart was snatched away, but the hidden lethality in Yunyun's words was too strong, leaving him unable to refute.

Yunyun extremely distrusted Satou Kazuma.

If she were to say that someone who plays a lot of games can use it on conquering girls and successfully replicate it, Yunyun believes that there is only one person, and that is the God of Conquest, everyone else is a fake.

“Besides, if you and Aqua come to help me, then you, Kazuma, will have to team up with Aqua. Is that okay?”

“That would be a bit…”

Satou Kazuma looked at the silly goddess eating grilled fish with a troubled expression.

But he fell into silence for a long time.

“Hey, Kazuma, you…”

Just when Yunyun thought Satou Kazuma would say ‘Aqua isn't bad either,’ he decisively shook his head.

“No, no, no, that idiot is still out of the question.”

Obviously, that guy isn't someone that just anyone can hit on.

Then, under Satou Kazuma's strong denial, the double date was forcibly changed into a family gathering, making it unclear what this guy came for.

And after the family gathering.

The four, full and satisfied, returned to Axel. When they arrived at the city gate, they were stopped by the gatekeeper uncle.

“Hey, are you adventurers?”

“…Yes?”

“There was an emergency assembly broadcast just now. Go to the Adventurer's Guild to take a look. There might be something urgent that requires you to gather.”

Hearing him say this, the four looked at each other.

They hadn't noticed anything unusual on their way back. There was no monster siege or attack by a Demon King Army executive, nothing like that happened.

However, the Adventurer's Guild is the center of this town. For adventurers, it is a sheltered fortress and the most trustworthy place.

Besides, if there's any problem, Darkness will definitely go.

So they obediently came to the guild to assemble.

However, in front of the Adventurer's Guild, the guild staff big sister, who usually handles counter duties, was holding a microphone and standing on something that looked like a loudspeaker.

“Alright, everyone, please come over here and line up. It's an emergency assembly due to an urgent situation. Sorry to trouble everyone, please forgive us.”

The adventurers began to line up.

Completely not understanding what was happening.

Because they heard it was an emergency assembly, they had returned to put on their equipment just in case, but now it seemed like they weren't going to fight.

Not only that, but the guild staff and those who looked like civil servants of this town were on the outside of these adventurers who were lined up, as if they were going to form a human wall… No, it should be said that it was as if they were blocking the way to prevent them from escaping.

Satou Kazuma looked at Yunyun with a questioning gaze, receiving a look that told him to be calm.

Not only him, but other adventurers also discovered that the atmosphere had become so tense. The adventurers in the field began to clamor and whisper to each other.

“Kazuma-san, Kazuma-san.”

“Yes, I'm Kazuma.”

“I feel very uneasy. There's a vague sense of foreboding. It should be the goddess's intuition, telling me that it's better to escape quickly.”

“What a coincidence, my sixth sense too.”

Satou Kazuma said this.

Just as the two were bending over, planning to sneak away quietly, a figure blocked their way and prevented them from leaving. Looking up, it turned out to be their companion.

“Darkness?”

“You two don't need to worry. There will be no criminal acts committed next, and no one will do anything inhumane to you. Rest assured.”

She said this as if comforting them.

Moreover, unlike the other fully armed adventurers, Darkness was not wearing the white and gold Adamantium ore armor that Yunyun had enchanted for her, but a black shirt and narrow skirt that accentuated her graceful figure.

“Darkness, do you know what the emergency mission is?”

Satou Kazuma asked secretly.

Darkness didn't answer, but simply crossed her arms.

Finally, uneasy whispers began to spread from all around, and a strange atmosphere gradually enveloped the scene. Although everyone felt a little uneasy, they didn't do anything.

After all, the guild wouldn't harm them.

The Adventurer's Guild is a kingdom institution established for adventurers. It is an organization that exists to support them. Therefore, as long as the adventurers don't make mistakes, the guild will wholeheartedly serve them.

In other words, the relationship between adventurers and the guild can never become adversarial!

“––Everyone, pay your taxes!”

The big sister at the front counter said with a smile.

…It seems that's not the case either.