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"Nooo! I'm begging you, don't go!" Inside the guest room of the Royal Castle, Aqua was clinging tightly to one of Fang Li's legs, bawling as she pleaded.
And it wasn't just Aqua, even Kazuma was hugging Fang Li's other leg, wailing like it was the end of the world, crying out in despair.
"If you leave, I'll be stuck alone with this bunch of useless party members every day! Please don't go!!"
Their cries were truly heart-wrenching, anyone who heard them might shed a tear, and anyone who saw the scene would feel a stab of sympathy. However, anyone who actually understood what was going on would realize that Kazuma's despair was, unfortunately, very real.
The three girls in their party were all top-tier classes, but each one was a genuine liability. Even with Fang Li around to keep them in line, they still caused constant trouble. The idea of Kazuma being left alone to deal with them? Just the thought made his vision go dark and his future look bleak.
So yes, this called for tears, for desperate begging.
As for Aqua's tearful reasons? Well, hers were even simpler.
"Who's going to take care of my food and lodging from now on? Don't tell me I have to go back to living in a stable again? Go back to working part-time? Who'll pay for my drinks?! Who's going to clean up my messes?! When I'm out preaching, I won't even be able to say, 'I'm the close friend of the princess's fiancé! Don't believe me? I'll call him right now and show you!' I don't want that!!!"
Aqua's sobs, just like Kazuma's, were loud and intense, but unlike Kazuma's, there wasn't a shred of sympathy to be found in her reasons. In fact, her words made it very tempting to just walk away on the spot.
So Kazuma and Aqua clung to one leg each, wailing loudly for their own selfish reasons: "Please don't go! I'll give you all the savings I secretly stashed away! So please stay!"
"I, I'll even give you my stash of premium liquor! And I promise, you'll totally get rewarded for it in the future!"
As they made their offers, both wore expressions that clearly said, "If you don't agree, we're never letting go." The two of them clung to Fang Li's legs like leeches.
And Fang Li, completely immobilized by this ridiculous scene, was utterly speechless.
"I've had my fair share of farewells up to now, some tearful, some regretful, some calm and understanding, and some sealed with promises. But I've never experienced anything like this. You two have really opened my eyes."
Even Fang Li had to admit he was impressed by these two clowns. Meanwhile, Megumin and Darkness stood silently to the side. From the very start, neither had said a word.
Darkness, for one, wore a troubled frown, clearly having trouble accepting the situation.
"This is too sudden. I wasn't mentally prepared at all," Darkness said. "What happened that made it so you have to leave?"
And it wasn't just Darkness. Even Megumin couldn't stay silent any longer.
"Even if you're planning to leave the Royal Capital, that's no reason to separate from us," Megumin said as she looked directly at Fang Li. Her crimson eyes were filled with sorrow. "Aren't we companions? A team? Then no matter what comes up, we should face it together! We'd all definitely follow you, you know!"
Among the four, Megumin was undoubtedly the one who valued her companions the most.
That was largely due to her life experiences.
Her obsession with Explosion Magic was so strong that she refused to learn any other kind of magic. People often called her a defective mage for that, but it wasn't that Megumin was stupid or ignorant of the consequences of such a choice.
From the very beginning, Megumin had already prepared herself mentally, viewing her companions as people she absolutely needed by her side. Only then could she go on adventures and unleash her Explosion Magic without restraint.
Because of this, she developed a deep belief that companions were more important than anything else. Moreover, her obsessive nature made it inevitable that she wouldn't be welcomed in most parties.
To Megumin, companions were something that could only be found by chance, not by seeking, a truly rare treasure.
So despite her usual eccentric demeanor, Megumin harbored extremely strong feelings for the team that had become her only safe haven. She valued her companions more than anyone else.
The reason she had been able to figure out that Fang Li was the Black Knight wasn't just because of her intelligence. It was likely also because this Crimson Magic Clan girl had always been paying close attention to Fang Li, watching him, caring about him.
And now, Fang Li could even see tears forming in the corners of her eyes, something rare from the always-stubborn Megumin.
At that, Fang Li gave a wry smile.
"Now that's more like it. This is the reaction I expected."
His words, unsurprisingly, infuriated Megumin.
"Don't you dare smile at me like that!" Megumin shouted angrily. "You want me to flip out and blow this place up with Explosion Magic, huh?!"
"This is the Royal Castle! Please, stay calm!" Darkness quickly held Megumin back and looked toward Fang Li with helplessness.
"Come on, stop provoking Megumin. You should understand just how upset she is right now."
"It's exactly because I understand that I'm teasing her," Fang Li replied, annoyed.
"You guys never stop teasing me, can't I be a little selfish for once?"
"Wait… don't tell me that's the reason you're leaving?" Kazuma suddenly looked up and shouted, "I get it, I really do! But this is too cruel! To me, it's way too cruel! So at least take me with you!"
"No! You should take me!" Aqua immediately jumped in. "Compared to a useless shut-in NEET, I'm a super-beautiful, ultra-competent Arch Priest! I'm way more helpful! Look, I can even perform Banquet Party Tricks!"
Kazuma and Aqua's shameless banter continued without missing a beat, yet somehow, their antics only made Megumin's eyes turn even redder.
"Calm down! Calm down!!" Darkness could only try to pacify Megumin with a mixture of fear and caution.
Seeing his four teammates like this, Fang Li finally gave a pained smile.
"Alright already, it's not like I'm abandoning you guys." Fang Li finally spoke more seriously. "Think back. Why did Iris summon us to the Royal Capital in the first place?"
At that reminder, the group paused for a moment, and then the realization dawned on them.
That's right.
At the start, the reason Iris summoned Fang Li and the others to the Royal Capital was because she hoped they would help fight against the Demon King's army.
"Right now, the Demon King's army is still a threat. Who knows when they might attack again?" Fang Li then explained what was on his mind:
"That's exactly why, I can't just walk away and do nothing."
"Leaving the four of you here… is part of that decision."
(End Of This Chapter)