The reason I dealt with Chris like that was partly because it was infuriating that she tried to make Kazuma out to be a pervert just because she lost a match, but also to use a useful divine relic without interference. In the original story, there's a divine relic called the 'Golden Den-Den' that produces gold coins when shaken. Kazuma obtains it, but Chris immediately steals it. I have an inventory, so that wouldn't happen to me, but it's obvious she would keep being a nuisance. So, another purpose of this opportunity was to ruin Chris's image and make it difficult for her to move around. But if she still bothers me over the divine relic issue, I'm thinking of catching her and sending her to the royal palace dungeon.
"Cassian, the situation took a strange turn, but thanks anyway."
"No, it was because it was infuriating that she tried to make someone a pervert just for losing a match, so don't worry about it."
Then, an alarm broadcast was heard from the guild tower.
Ding! Ding!
[Emergency Quest! Emergency Quest!]
A bell sounded, and Luna's voice came through the broadcast. Then Kazuma spoke in surprise.
"What is it this time?"
[All adventurers, please gather quickly at the main gate! I repeat! All adventurers, please gather quickly at the main gate!]
'It's here! I spent a lot of money on the armor, so my spare funds are low. I need to earn some here. I need to go get the Golden Den-Den quickly or something...'
"Yunyun, looks like it's harvest day. Let's get ready too."
"Understood!"
"Harvest day? Cassian! What's harvest day!?"
As people inside the guild moved busily. Kazuma, flustered, asked me.
"We don't have time, let's move first. You'll understand when we get there!"
We moved to the main gate of Axel Town.
"Good grief, I didn't hear it was today." "Ooh~ mama."
While moving, the townspeople, perhaps frightened, started going into their houses, locking doors, or closing windows.
"Hey, is this okay? Are monsters invading or something?"
While walking together, Kazuma, seeming worried, kept asking.
"Something like that!"
Arriving at the main gate, adventurers, guild guides, and staff were visible. Luna, perhaps seeing me, waved and spoke.
"Mr. Cassian! As the strongest person in our town, we're counting on you today~!"
"Leave it to me, Ms. Luna!"
We came out in front of the main gate. Kazuma, perhaps nervous, swallowed. Looking around, I could see Chris and Darkness were there too.
'Well, she got cleaned out by Kazuma, so she probably needs to earn money.'
After a while, a green wave could be seen coming over the hill in the distance.
"What? What's coming? What on earth is the emergency quest? A monster attack?"
As Kazuma fumbled and asked, Aqua began to explain.
"Didn't I say? Cabbages. Cabbages."
"What?"
"In this world, cabbages fly. When the harvest season, when their flavor becomes concentrated, approaches, as if to say they won't be eaten easily, they race across villages and plains, cross continents and seas, and finally, deep in an unknown wasteland, they die quietly without being eaten by anyone. Rather than that, it's about us catching as many of them as possible and eating them deliciously."
It's a truly insane setting. It seemed more so because Konosuba is a 'comedy.'
"This year's gonna be rough!" "A storm is coming..."
The adventurers made comments to ease the tension. Looking ahead, I could see the cabbages flying in like a swarm of locusts.
"Go!!!"
Uoooooooh~~~!!!
As the 'Chun-Chun' uncle gave the signal, the adventurers began a simultaneous charge towards the cabbages.
"Yunyun! Let's go too!"
"Yep!"
Here, I ignored all of Kazuma and the others' crazy antics and, using a large amount of mana, indiscriminately used Steal on the flying cabbages. Yunyun was also using magic to shoot down cabbages. Whether Darkness got hit by cabbages or not, whether Megumin used Explosion magic or not, I didn't even pay attention, just kept using Steal and storing them in my inventory.
When no more cabbages could be seen flying in the air, Yunyun and I finished up and handed the cabbages over to the guild staff. Since the number the two of us caught was so high, it took a long time.
"Yunyun, let's go to the guild to eat now. They say this year's cabbages are well-ripened and delicious, so I'm looking forward to it."
"We can have a delicious meal with comrades today too? I'm also really looking forward to it!"
'I wonder if there's no way to fix Yunyun's way of speaking? It's a pity... Well, time will solve it, I guess.'
Entering the adventurer's guild, Chris was bowing her head and apologizing to Kazuma.
"Sorry! No matter what, I shouldn't have done that to a rookie adventurer."
"It's okay, I already forgot. But thanks to the Steal skill Chris taught me today, I caught a lot of cabbages too."
Kazuma is, well, not exactly a saint, but kind in his own way? Yunyun and I also went and joined Kazuma and the others at their table.
"Chris, so you've decided to live righteously now?"
"Because of you, adventurers glare at me whenever they pass by! What are you going to do about that!"
"See, you should have lived righteously. Not only failing to help a rookie adventurer but also bullying him—if it weren't for me, wouldn't Kazuma have been the one receiving those looks? This is all karma."
"You, you this...!"
"As you all know, Kazuma is a rookie adventurer, a situation where he needs a lot of help from those around him. But if his image around others becomes that bad, he could really die in a dangerous situation without receiving any help. Who will take responsibility for that?"
"Ugh... That's why I'm apologizing..."
Chris looked like she was about to cry again. Then Darkness changed the mood.
"Chris apologized and said she's sorry, so let's just eat. The cabbages are delicious, so you guys try them too."
Yunyun and I ordered stir-fried cabbage and Chuwachuwa. In the Konosuba world, even good ingredients have experience points, so dishes made with high-experience, good ingredients can sometimes level you up just by eating them. Royals, nobles, and the wealthy always eat such meals, but commoners can't eat them unless they have an opportunity like this.
While sitting and waiting for the food, Kazuma and the others began praising each other's exploits of the day.
Aqua: "You really are a Crusader. That cliff-like defense, even the cabbages couldn't break through it."
Darkness: "No, I'm just a hard woman. I have no merits other than becoming someone's wall and protecting them."
Megumin: "Aqua's 'Flower, Bird, Wind, Moon' was also splendid. While raising the morale of the adventurers, she maintained the freshness of the harvested cabbages with cold water."
Aqua: "What of it? It's only natural for an Arch Priest who heals everyone."
Darkness: "Megumin's magic was also incredible! You blew away a group of cabbages in one strike."
Megumin: "Hmph~ Have you realized the power of the Crimson Demon bloodline?"
Listening to this, it was so absurd that I forcibly held back the words, 'You crazy women, you just caught cabbages! If others heard, they'd think you fought the Demon King's army!' from jumping out of my throat. Hearing Megumin's words, Darkness, perhaps remembering the Explosion magic she was hit with today, started getting excited again.
"Ugh~! That kind of firepower magic! I've never been hit directly by it before."
Kazuma, also listening to the conversation, perhaps finding it absurd, spoke up.
"Don't aim it directly at her!"
"Kazuma, you were pretty good too."
Then Aqua started including Kazuma in the praise relay, and Megumin also chimed in with a chuunibyou-like remark.
"Indeed, erasing your presence with the Stealth skill and assaulting from the rear with Steal. That appearance was like a dazzling assassin."
"Kazuma, in my name, I bestow upon you the title 'Dazzling Cabbage Thief'."
"Shut up! Ah, really, how did it come to this?"
As Aqua gave him a weird title, Kazuma, agonizing, wrapped his head in his arms and collapsed onto the table. I thought, 'Is it a cursed title from a goddess?' Seeing the effect appear immediately on the spot, it seemed quite effective.
Darkness introduced herself again.
"I'm glad everyone recognizes my skills as a Crusader. Well then, let me reintroduce myself. My name is Darkness. I mainly use a two-handed sword, but don't expect much in terms of offensive power—above all, I'm clumsy, so my attacks hardly ever hit. But being a wall is my specialty."
It must be fate for Darkness to join Kazuma's party. It was fortunate things were flowing according to the original. Aqua spoke as if the party was now finally complete.
"Our party has become quite luxurious, hasn't it? Me, an Arch Priest, Megumin, an Arch Wizard, and Darkness, a Crusader—a party where three out of four members have advanced jobs is rare, you know."
"Then, Kazuma, from now on, don't hesitate to use me as bait or a wall instead! If I ever hold the party back, scold me without mercy! Or you can discard me like a useless card. J-just imagining it makes my whole body tremble. Well then, I look forward to working with you."
As Darkness, perhaps imagining the things that would happen to her in the future, excitedly said she looked forward to it, Kazuma sighed as if he had given up on everything. I wondered if Darkness's panties were okay with her getting so excited. Yunyun seemed to be enjoying the situation, eating stir-fried cabbage and laughing, and Chris was quiet, so I looked at her. She was making a face, glaring at me, and stabbing her cabbage with a fork as if it were me, so I ignored her and also began eating the stir-fried cabbage deliciously.
The next day, I slept in a bit, thinking I'd rest properly, but Kazuma and Aqua seemed to have already woken up as they were nowhere to be seen, and their sleeping area was tidied up. They probably went out early, anticipating the reward for yesterday's harvested cabbages. I also washed up simply and headed to the guild. Entering the guild, I saw Aqua grabbing the guide Luna's collar and shaking her.
"What? What are you saying! Do you know how many cabbages I brought in?"
'Ah! This is the episode where Aqua caught a lot of lettuce instead of cabbage and gets less money.'
I decided to intervene first. I grabbed Aqua's arm, which was shaking Luna.
"Hey, Aqua, why are you doing this to Ms. Luna, who had a hard time working overtime yesterday because of the cabbages?"
"Cassian! Listen to me! They say most of what I caught is lettuce, so they can't give me much money."
I checked the cabbages (or rather, lettuce) piled up beside Aqua.
"Hmm... Aqua, this is indeed lettuce."
As I confirmed it, Aqua, as if accepting the fact, spoke in a voice on the verge of tears.
"Ugh... why is there lettuce mixed in..."
Aqua suddenly, as if she remembered something, changed to a smiling face and then, like a girl frolicking in a flower field, cutely ran over to Kazuma.
"Mr. Ka zu ma!? How much is the cabbage reward this time?"
"About 1,000,000 Eris."
When Kazuma said 1,000,000 Eris, everyone was surprised and looked at Kazuma. I hadn't received my reward yet, so I didn't really know. Suddenly, Aqua, as if she wanted something from Kazuma, began acting cute.
"Ka, Kazuma-sama~ I've been thinking for a while, you are, you know... somehow you gave off a good feeling, right?"
"If you can't think of anything specific to praise, don't force it!"
Aqua, perhaps because no other method came to mind, suddenly started crying and clinging to Kazuma.
"Uwaaah~ Mr. Kazuma! I, I thought this reward would be substantial, so I spent all the money I had. Thinking a lot of money would come in, my tab at this tavern is nearly 100,000."
Kazuma forcefully pushed away Aqua, who was clinging and not letting go, and said firmly.
"What do I care! It was you who said this reward is for each person's own share!!"
"But I thought I'd be the one earning a lot!
That Aqua girl really was hopeless.
"Please, lend me some money! Even just enough for the tab is fine!"
Thinking I should acquire a useless goddess slave on this occasion, I decided to help her. I'd also get to learn skills.
"I'll give you that money."
Aqua's face suddenly brightened, and she ran over to me.
"Cassian~! As expected! You're the only one, Cassian-sama~~~!"
"But I'm not giving it for free. You will teach me the skills I need. And when you receive requests that need a healer, you will provide support. Those two conditions."
Aqua agreed without hesitation.
I'm not sure if this is a good move, but I thought it wasn't a bad deal since I definitely need Cleric skills, even just for the bunker's radiation problem.