Crimson Magic Clan, Let’s & Go!!

by Natsume Akatsuki

  Copyright

  Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, Vol. 5

  NATSUME AKATSUKI

  Translation by Kevin Steinbach

  Cover art by Kurone Mishima

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.

  KONO SUBARASHII SEKAI NI SHUKUFUKU WO!, Volume 5: BAKURETSU KOMA NI LET’S & GO!!

  Copyright © 2014 Natsume Akatsuki, Kurone Mishima

  First published in Japan in 2014 by KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo.

  English translation rights arranged with KADOKAWA CORPORATION, Tokyo, through TUTTLE-MORI AGENCY, INC., Tokyo.

  English translation © 2018 by Yen Press, LLC

  Yen Press, LLC supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The scanning, uploading, and distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact the publisher. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

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  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Akatsuki, Natsume, author. | Mishima, Kurone, 1991– illustrator. | Steinbach, Kevin, translator.

  Title: Konosuba, God’s blessing on this wonderful world! / Natsume Akatsuki ; illustration by Kurone Mishima ; translation by Kevin Steinbach.

  Other titles: Kono subarashi sekai ni shukufuku wo. English

  Description: First Yen On edition. | New York, NY : Yen On, 2017–

  Identifiers: LCCN 2016052009 | ISBN 9780316553377 (v. 1 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316468701 (v. 2 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316468732 (v. 3 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316468763 (v. 4 : paperback) | ISBN 9780316468787 (v. 5 : paperback)

  Subjects: | CYAC: Fantasy. | Future life—Fiction. | Adventure and adventurers—Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Fantasy / General.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.A38 Ko 2017 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016052009

  ISBNs: 978-0-316-46878-7 (paperback)

  978-0-316-46879-4 (ebook)

  E3-20180403-JV-PC

  Prologue

  “Explosion!!”

  A massive fireball tore through the formerly tranquil plain, accompanied by a whoosh and rumble that whipped up a gigantic dust cloud. I went over to where Megumin, now fresh out of MP, lay collapsed on the ground.

  “H-how many points was that…?” she asked. As drained as she obviously was, the light in her eyes hadn’t dimmed.

  “Based on reverberation and destructive power, I’d say…eighty-five points!”

  “Ah, I would expect no less from you, Kazuma. If I were to rate that explosion myself, I would give it much the same score. What a connoisseur you’ve become…!”

  “Heh-heh! I like to think I’ve learned a thing or two, doing this with you every single day. You may refer to me as your explosier—like a sommelier, except with explosions. Come on, climb aboard.” Megumin gave a tired groan as I hefted her onto my shoulders. “So you really never get sick of explosions, huh? Never think maybe it’s about time you picked up some other spells and changed classes to ‘Great Wizard’?”

  “No, never. In fact, I do not even understand what you’re saying, because I am already a great wizard.”

  The self-proclaimed “great wizard” was running her hands along my back. Thinking about it, I guess she had actually been sort of helpful recently, as long as she used her skills at the right time. With a sigh, I made sure she was safely settled.

  Tomorrow, we’ll be on the road again.

  Megumin had talked me into going out for her daily explosion on the grounds that once we were traveling, she might need to conserve her MP and not be able to use her magic.

  It was true. She really didn’t get sick of explosions.

  We headed for Axel Town with the twilight sun glowing red on the horizon. Behind me, Megumin was muttering stubbornly.

  “Next time, I’ll get a hundred points for sure…!”

  Chapter 1

  May There Be Resolution Because of This Grave Letter!

  1

  —I want to bear your children.

  I froze, tea dribbling from my lips. Yunyun sounded so passionate.

  She stood trembling in front of me, her face red and her fists clenched. It looked like I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t move. Everyone else stood with their mouths hanging open, too. How could they not after such a declaration?

  “Hey, Megumin, could I make a different move? If you let me take it back, I’ll give you this weird-shaped rock I found in the bath at Arcanletia…”

  No, I take it back. One person was ignoring our conversation, completely out of touch. Across from the stiffened Megumin, Aqua was holding one of her pieces and fretting.

  I collected myself and wiped the tea from my mouth. In her astonishment, Darkness had let her cup tilt too far, spilling tea all over the rug.

  I put my own drink on the table, straightened my collar, and turned to Yunyun.

  “…What did you just say?” I asked.

  Burning red, she replied, “I—I said I want to bear your children!”

  Guess I didn’t mishear.

  “…Personally, I want a girl first,” I said.

  “N-no! A boy! It has to be a boy first!” she said.

  Gosh, and here I thought Yunyun seemed like the quiet, submissive type. I guess she wasn’t afraid to speak her mind after all. But there were some things even I couldn’t bend on. A man wants to hear his daughter call him “Dad”…!

  Megumin seemed to come to, because she suddenly stood up. “Now wait just a minute! Who cares whether it’s a girl or a boy?! How are we even talking about that already? Yunyun! What in the world has gotten into you? Do you even know what you’re saying?!”

  “Sh-she’s right! Yunyun, was it? Listen to Megumin! I don’t know what happened between you and Kazuma, but don’t let him mislead you! Do you know what kind of man he is?!”

  There went Darkness, impugning my reputation.

  “Huh? Hang on a second! Yes, that’s it! If I take this Crusader I thought I didn’t need and move her here…!”

  Aqua was still completely oblivious to the commotion, off in her own little world with her game pieces. Her opponent, Megumin, was busy shaking Yunyun by the shoulders.

  “Please, recover your sanity! Then again, I know how you sometimes charge ahead, blind to what’s around you! I beg you to tell us what is going on—slowly and clearly!”

  Yunyun, on the verge of tears under Megumin’s shaking, yelped, “W-well! Well! Y-you know! If Kazuma and I don’t have a child, the whole world will—! The Demon King will—!”

  “I see,” I said, “this is about the world, is it? Never fear. Say no more. Leave the world and the Demon King to me. Yunyun and I just have to have a child, and that will somehow take care of
the Demon King and save the world—is that right? Well, far be it from me to deny the pleas of the distraught.”

  “Why, you impossible—! I recall you fighting us tooth and nail when we wanted to go on a quest the other day!”

  “Indeed! Why would you choose now of all times to start having a heart? In fact, perhaps you should have some doubts about such an out-of-the-blue plot development!”

  “Keep it to yourselves,” I told the two interlopers. “What’s with you guys, anyway? This is between Yunyun and me, and we don’t need any kibitzers. I’m finally getting popular with the ladies—so butt the hell out!”

  “Look who’s talking! I mean—I am not a kibitzer! My friend is getting involved with some weird guy. How can I not say something?”

  Megumin was having none of it, so I returned fire.

  “I’ve spent every minute in this world surrounded by gorgeous younger women and gorgeous older women, and nothing has happened! How’s that for weird? Aren’t we heroes who’ve conquered general after general of the Demon King? Solved every problem we’ve come up against? The girls should be lining up for me by now! Adventurers should be begging for my autograph! Hey, Darkness! If you’re really nobility, how about you get me an award or something for all my great deeds?”

  “H-hey! Don’t say that! It doesn’t count if you’re the one calling your deeds great!”

  Yunyun, watching our argument heat up, finally panicked and jumped in. “E-everyone, please calm down! I’m sorry! I started this—please, just take it easy.”

  “I heard it was normal around here for people to get married between the ages of sixteen and twenty! And that you can get married as young as fourteen or something! Megumin, if Yunyun was a classmate of yours, she must be fourteen already, right? Then there’s no problem! Perfect, it’s perfect! Oh, the joy of not running afoul of the law! Oh, the freedom from accusations of liking one too young! I think I might actually be starting to like this world! Or what? Did you guys want me? Do you feel the flames of jealousy burning now that Yunyun and I are an item? Then come out and say it, you stupid passive-aggressive—!”

  “Why, you—! Darkness! Let’s get him! I want to wring his scrawny little neck!”

  “You got it! Let’s teach him to keep his mouth shut, permanently!”

  “Oh, you wanna go, huh? Don’t forget, I’ve got Drain Touch. So wherever I touch you, it’s legitimate self-defense! Not sexual harassment!”

  I waved my hand threateningly at them, and Megumin raised her eyebrow. And just as it looked like she was about to attack—there was a tug on her cape.

  “Come on, Megumin, it’s your turn. Look at this—I’m super-proud of this move. Come on, get over here!”

  “Explosion!”

  “Eeeyikes!”

  Before Aqua could give her cape another tug, Megumin shouted “Explosion!” and flipped over the game board without even looking.

  “Aww… We really need to ban the Explosion Rule,” Aqua said, picking up the pieces now littering the carpet. Megumin ignored her, instead jabbing her staff in my direction.

  “I strive every day to become the strongest of all wizards. Whereas you, Kazuma, have miserable stats. Even without using magic, I shall defeat you easily!”

  “All right, now I’m feeling it. You know the best thing about me? Despite those crummy stats, I’ve still managed to defeat a whole list of powerful bad guys. I don’t plan on breaking that streak for one Explosion-obsessed moron. And that muscle-headed Crusader over there? As if.”

  “Muscle-headed Crusader?!”

  It looked like war was about to break out when Yunyun, teary-eyed, exclaimed:

  “Megumin, listen to me! Crimson Magic Village—our home—is going to be destroyed!”

  2

  “It’s not much, but have this tea.”

  “Th-thank you very much.” Seated on the sofa as she accepted the cup from Aqua, Yunyun finally seemed to have calmed down a little.

  “Now, what is this all about?” Megumin asked. “I am not pleased to hear our village is going to be destroyed. Could you kindly explain?”

  Numbly, Yunyun passed her an envelope. Megumin pulled out a two-page letter and began to read.

  “A letter from your father, Yunyun? The clan chief? ‘By the time this letter reaches you, I will be dead’?” Megumin’s expression darkened little by little as she ran her eyes over the message. Its contents were enough to upset anyone. The Demon King’s army had set up shop right near Crimson Magic Village, with the general and plenty of subordinates in tow. And apparently, it wasn’t just any general, but one who could withstand magic. And at that moment, the village had no hope of eliminating the army’s base…

  The letter explained that, for the honor of Crimson Magic Village, the clan’s leader would go out and do battle with the Demon King’s general. And…

  “‘I leave you my place as chief of our clan. You are the last of the Crimson Magic Clan in this world. Do not let it die out…’ Just a moment!” Megumin said, thoroughly annoyed. “I can assure you there is at least one other surviving member of the Crimson Magic Clan!”

  “Never mind that!” Yunyun said. “Keep reading! There’s another page.”

  “‘On the day the village fortune-teller predicted the town’s destruction by the army of the Demon King, she also glimpsed a ray of hope. She foresaw that Yunyun, the lone survivor of the Crimson Magic Clan…’ Once again, why are you the lone survivor of our clan? What do they think has happened to me?!”

  “Shut up and keep reading,” I snapped.

  “‘…Yunyun, the lone survivor of the Crimson Magic Clan, would set off to train in hopes of defeating the Demon King. In a starter town, she would meet a certain man. Irresponsible and totally powerless though this man was, he would become her partner in life.’”

  Aqua, Darkness, and Megumin were all staring at me.

  “Hey, what’s everyone looking at me for? What, you think I’m this irresponsible, totally powerless guy? Yunyun, don’t tell me you came here because of that?”

  Yunyun glanced away.

  “Okay, I’ll keep reading now. ‘…And time would pass. The child born of the survivor of the Crimson Magic Clan and the man she met would grow into a young man. He would follow in the footsteps of his adventurer father, setting out on a journey. But he would not know—he himself would be the one to bring low his clan’s age-old enemy, the Demon King…’”

  “““?!”””

  I wasn’t the only one who caught my breath at that. Aqua and Darkness gulped, too.

  “M-my kid is gonna…?”

  “W-wait just a second! This is completely out of left field! Come on, Kazuma, you’re way too much of a skeptic to buy into something like fortune-telling, right?”

  “This is real trouble! This is real trouble for me!”

  While I stood there agape at the vastness of the destiny that had been entrusted to me, Darkness and Aqua seemed upset about something.

  Hold on. They can’t actually be jealous, can they? Wh-what, seriously?

  Aqua was putting the bitter in this bittersweet moment.

  “I don’t have that kind of time! I need to defeat the Demon King now! Wait until Kazuma’s kid grows up?! How long will that take? When can you call someone a young man, anyway? Not until he’s, like, three years old, right? Please, let’s just pretend this little prophecy never happened!”

  Or maybe it was just all bitter now.

  Anyway, did she want to send a baby to defeat the Demon King?

  “We have a very talented fortune-teller in our village! So this prophecy…”

  “You’re right. Leave it to me. I’ll do what I have to do to save the world.”

  “Y-you impossible man!” Darkness shouted. “Is this really what you want?! In all the time I’ve known you, you’ve never been able to make a snap decision—why today?!”

  She had me by the collar and was bringing her face way too close to mine when Megumin suddenly remarked, “There is one m
ore line to this letter. It says, ‘Chronicle of the Hero of the Crimson Magic Clan, Chapter One—by Arue.’”

  “““?!”””

  Darkness, Yunyun, and I all stopped and looked at her. Aqua peeked at the letter.

  “Let me see that. Oh, hey, the handwriting is different from the first page. That must be a letter from Yunyun’s dad. This page has a postscript. It says, ‘P.S. Postage is expensive, so the chief let me use the same envelope as him. I’ll send you chapter two when it’s ready.’”

  “Aaaaaaaaahhhhh!!” Yunyun snatched the letter and threw it away. “Waaaaah! I can’t believe this! Stupid, stupid Arueeeeee!”

  Yunyun was throwing a tantrum on the floor, and I was completely lost. “Hey, someone explain what’s going on here! Who or what is Arue, and what happened to my kid? What’s the plan? You wanna do it right here, or should we go to my room?”

  “Yes, you should go to your room,” Megumin said, “and go to sleep. Arue is a classmate of ours. She fancies herself a writer or something. She’s…a bit strange.”

  Darkness looked immensely relieved. “Phew, so it was just a story? …Hmm? Hang on—what was that first page about, then?”

  “I suppose it is probably true. The Demon King has wanted revenge against the Crimson Magic Clan since long ago, so it seemed likely he would show up one of these days. He must have finally decided to make a serious attempt against our village.”

  “Hey, what about the man over here? You got me all fired up and now—nothing? Yunyun! Yunyun and I were about to begin our torrid, bittersweet love affair…”

  “No you weren’t,” Darkness said. “Seriously, you’re in the way. Go hang out with Aqua or something. And Megumin, how can you be so calm? Aren’t you worried about your family and your classmates? Your hometown is in a crisis!”

  This caused Yunyun to look up from her weeping. “R-right!” she said. “This is no time for tears. Megumin, what are we going to do?! I think the village really is under attack. How can we help?!”

  Megumin looked at the two girls. “We are the Crimson Magic Clan, which even the Demon King fears. I don’t believe our people will be so easily subdued. And we have you with us, Yunyun—the chief’s daughter. No matter what happens to the village, that means the clan will not die out. So think of it this way. The people of the village will forever be in our hearts—”