The legend of the Crimson Demon clan started from Suqing

#188 - The Nature of the Minotaur

As the commotion subsided, Aqua began healing the injured adventurers, while Zun Zun and the others helped organize the goods and repair the damaged carriages.

Ultimately, the problem stemmed from them, and it would be inappropriate not to help.

Soon, night fell.

"Light of Saber… …"

Zun Zun and the others joined the merchants in building several large bonfires resembling campfire stands. The merchants' carriages parked in a circle around the fires, forming a fence.

This not only provided wind protection during camping but also served as a barrier in case of monster attacks. The drawback was the inability to quickly pack up and leave.

However, the troubled merchants were in no condition to travel and could only camp there.

The group received a warm welcome.

During the day, Zun Zun and Yoyo were very active in defeating the High Soaring Hawk Kites. Moreover, not only him, but Kazuma Sato also continuously used his bow and arrows to eliminate monsters, and Aqua even provided free treatment to all the injured after the battle, earning praise.

However, they didn't dare to say that the monsters were attracted by Darkness, so they felt guilty and were very polite when receiving hospitality.

When the merchants offered to pay a reward, Kazuma Sato resolutely declined.

After all, in this situation, they were essentially acting out a self-directed charade. This guy, despite having an incredibly thick skin, refused such things without hesitation. Should he be considered a scumbag with principles?

Zun Zun also looked down on the small reward.

More than money, this commotion allowed him to level up, which made him even happier.

"As expected, I still need to learn Explosion magic."

Megumin shouted loudly, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Zun Zun! You need to think it through. If you don't learn it this time, you'll never have another chance! Take my advice, Explosion magic is more suitable for you! Let's refine Explosion magic together and walk into the abyss of magic!"

"Megumin, stop causing trouble! I admit Explosion magic is strong, but it can only be used in too few situations! Just look at this time, Megumin, you could only watch from the sidelines!"

"Wh-…! Yoyo, are you saying I wasn't useful back then? That's only because I was afraid of affecting you all! If I had acted, those High Soaring Hawk Kites would have been annihilated in an instant!"

"If that were the case, everyone would have been wiped out!"

The two began to argue about what Zun Zun should do, and the trend intensified until Kazuma Sato came over to inquire about the situation.

"What's wrong with those two?"

"Actually, it's a problem with my skill point allocation."

Zun Zun handed him the card.

Although the brightness of the fire was not very high, the 50 skill points on the card made him dizzy.

Some people work their butts off for a single skill point, while others have so many skill points that they don't know what to do with them… The gap between people is too great.

"So, Zun Zun, what are you thinking?"

"First of all, Explosion magic is rejected. I already know Explosion, so I don't need that magic."

Although the lack of precision has some drawbacks, the power of Explosion has reached a level where precision is unnecessary.

Also, there's no need to learn new magic. Instead of scattering skill points to learn miscellaneous skills, it's better to simply increase basic attributes to make my skills more powerful.

In fact, many archmages do this. The most famous legendary mage, Gandalf, only maxed out Lumos.

Also considering Zun Zun's combat style.

"As expected, it's better to increase magic power."

"…Still increasing?"

Kazuma Sato twitched his lips.

After seeing the power of Zun Zun's advanced magic during the day, he was already amazed by his combat power. If he becomes even stronger… wouldn't he become even more reliable!?

So, under the rather dissatisfied gazes of Megumin and Yoyo, Zun Zun lit up High-Speed Chanting, Magic Power Expansion, and Power Amplification.

In short, Deep Blue!

The reduction of skill points was exchanged for an increase in strength. Although it wasn't an exaggerated geometric increase, it was at least a little bit more powerful than before.

At this moment, a commotion suddenly arose in the distance.

Zun Zun curiously looked over and found that Aqua was performing some particularly brilliant talent, causing the surrounding adventurers and merchants to cheer loudly, and even constantly throw money at her.

"One more time! Miss Aqua, please perform the talent you just did again!"

"I'm willing to pay! So, please, perform it one more time!"

"Please don't do this, I don't rely on this to make a living, so don't throw money, please don't do this!"

Aqua stopped at just the right time.

She seemed to know how to fish quite well. Is it because she is the Goddess of Water?

Kazuma Sato helplessly covered his forehead, "That guy… might as well just rely on this to make a living. Why even be an adventurer?"

"I feel the same way."

Zun Zun echoed him.

After the commotion, it was time to sleep.

Knowing that Aqua's constitution would attract undead, Zun Zun cleverly stayed away from them and went to sleep in the carriage with Megumin and Yoyo.

Because the carriage layout was relatively compact, it was a bit crowded for the three of them to lie side by side.

"Yoyo, as expected, you're too big, taking up too much space. Why don't you just sleep outside?"

"That's so mean, saying I'm big…"

"That's right, that's right! It's all because of your hateful breasts, taking up so much space, it's even become difficult for me to breathe!"

"I-Is that so, hehehe…"

"I'm not praising you!"

"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts!"

"Meg-Megumin too, if you think it's crowded here, you might as well sleep in another carriage! Anyway, Mr. Kazuma and Miss Aqua are sleeping outside, you must be very happy to enjoy the space in the carriage alone!"

"How could I let you two be alone here ahhhhh!"

The two wrestled in the small space.

This might be their way of fostering a relationship, but the one who got hurt was Zun Zun. Either his chin got punched, or his stomach got slapped. It wasn't until he got an elbow to the chest that he finally couldn't help but speak out.

"…W-Why don't you two sleep here, and I'll leave?"

"No!" "Zun Zun, you can't leave!"

The two said in unison.

Alright, he couldn't leave even if he wanted to.

At this time, Megumin said, "Yoyo, how about we have a showdown, and whoever loses leaves this carriage!"

"A showdown? O-Okay! I definitely won't lose this time!"

"Okay! Then the method of the showdown will be rock-paper-scissors, and whoever loses…"

"Wait, Megumin, that's not right! Shouldn't the person being challenged decide the method of victory in a normal situation? Why are you deciding, Megumin?"

"…Tch."

Hearing Yoyo say this, Megumin made a very obvious and displeased click of her tongue.

But she wouldn't give up so easily, instead provoking her with an irritating tone: "Oh my, could it be that Yoyo is afraid? The daughter of the Crimson Demon clan chief is actually afraid of using rock-paper-scissors to decide the victory? That's really funny."

"W-What did you say!? F-Fine, since Megumin has said so, then let's use rock-paper-scissors to decide the victory!" Yoyo retorted without showing weakness.

Won!

Megumin's lips curled into a sinister smile.

Yoyo seemed to have thought of something, and said: "But Megumin, let's make it clear in advance that you won't cheat, right? Saying you lost but then saying you want to do a best-of-three, then changing it to a best-of-five, and then saying you didn't use your true abilities, and you have to activate stages two, three, four, five, and six…"

"I-I won't do that!"

Megumin's cheeks were slightly red.

This was still her black history from her student days, when she had to deceive… cough cough, win against Yoyo to survive on the other's bento.

But she is completely different now!

"Feel free to regret it, Yoyo, for daring to challenge me! You'll leave here like a defeated dog, shedding tears of regret in the corner!"

"I-I won't lose!"

The two became serious.

They looked at each other with burning eyes, with no one else in their eyes.

Zun Zun felt ignored.

He suddenly remembered that the essence of NTR is actually a man's humiliation of another man, and whether the woman exists is not important at all.

Just like now.

Except it's reversed.

For the two of them, it was no longer important whether Zun Zun was here or not. What was important was that they didn't want to lose to each other.

Megumin grinned and said, "Then let's increase the difficulty a bit. Next, I will play paper, and I won't change it. How about it, I've already told Yoyo what I'm going to play."

"I-Is that a lie? Megumin, you always say that. Then you change your mind and say you're lying to me."

"No, this is the answer I'm telling you as a friend. When have I ever lied to a friend? Yoyo, don't you trust friends?"

"Frie-Frie-Friends! ?"

This word can be said to be a finishing move.

Yoyo had already wavered. She didn't know what to do in a panic, but she still cheered up and fought back.

"Th-Then I'll play rock, I-I won't lie to Megumin either, because we're friends!"

"That sounds really nice."

Megumin narrowed her eyes.

In a brief silence, the two seemed to be dueling, raising their momentum, and a sense of oppression filled the small space.

At one moment—

"Scissors, rock—" X2

At the moment when Megumin was about to play paper, and Yoyo was about to play rock.

"Okay, that's it."

Zun Zun suddenly took action, put his arms around their slender waists, and then hugged the two of them in his arms, lying together in the narrow carriage.

"Eep—!"

"Ah!"

The two exclaimed in unison.

Because they were close to each other, they could feel their stiff bodies and slightly accelerated breathing.

"Zun-Zun… what are you doing!?"

"Su-Su-Suddenly hugging like this…! S-So shy…"

Zun Zun didn't care about these things.

If he didn't take action at this time, then what kind of man would he be?

"It's already very late, and who knows what will happen tomorrow, so let's rest early today. Or… do you hate being with me?"

"N-No… Th-That… I-I don't hate it…"

"…Zun Zun is really strong."

With Zun Zun's strong intervention, they no longer argued. The three squeezed into the narrow carriage, and under the contemptuous and disgusted gaze of the red dragon cub, they fell asleep in each other's arms.