Prologue: A Self-Reflection on the Night Before
◇Night 0◇
Poverty hurt.
A reality that Kazuma Satou had experienced over and over again since arriving in this new world.
Over and over again...
But, in all likelihood, it had never hurt as much as it did now.
They took everything. Even the things he thought they couldn't possibly take.
The mansion, once well-furnished, was now stripped of almost all its furniture, its walls plagued with seizure notices.
And on top of that, they had an exorbitant debt.
Yes, they did.
Kazuma shifted his gaze from the ceiling to the side.
By the faint moonlight filtering through the window, he could see Aqua, the constant source of most of their misfortunes, sleeping directly on the wooden floor, curled into a ball, her arms crossed under her head in a futile attempt to make a pillow.
A few steps away, Megumin, the Loli of the group, lay on her side, using her own rolled-up cloak as her only support, breathing calmly despite the cold seeping into the empty room.
No blankets.
No mattresses.
Not even pillows.
Just as he said before... they took everything they could.
Kazuma frowned.
"—...This is the absolute worst," he muttered under his breath.
Truly, nothing had turned out the way he imagined since coming to this world.
The adventure he desired never appeared.
The goddess who was supposed to make his life easier only caused him trouble over and over again.
His companions were a mage obsessed with a single spell and a paladin so masochistic she couldn't even hit a stationary rock.
He didn't have a glorious reputation... only a reputation that was embarrassing to mention.
No heroic titles, only: Scumzuma, Cacazuma, and a 'fans' favorite... Basuma!
When they defeated the Destroyer, he thought that, finally, everything would start going smoothly.
—...Only for them to throw a court summons in his face, accuse him of being part of the Demon King's army, and—
"—Try to execute him even after being declared innocent, all because of the annoying influence... and the power of nepotism from a horrible fat noble!!"
(Someday... someday I'll run into that guy in a dark alley and use Steal to take even his silk underwear. We'll see how noble he feels when he has to walk home covering himself with a 'Wanted' poster while everyone laughs at his gelatinous belly.)
"—No woman will ever love you, you pig! NEVER!!"
...Cough, finishing up.
In the end, it was thanks to Darkness's unexpected sacrifice that he was able to escape that situation...
May God have mercy on his companion and her fatal fate (I'll console her a lot when she gets back).
And even then, they left us with the debt for the damages caused by Megumin's explosion when she blew that mansion sky-high.
"—...Is this really my adventure in another world?" Kazuma murmured, asking himself once more.
He stared at the empty corner of the room where the moonlight barely reached. For a second, a part of him—the part that still believed in Light Novel tropes—hoped something would happen.
A glow, a celestial voice, a legendary object appearing out of nowhere to save him from sleeping on the cold wooden floor.
One second passed.
Two.
Three.
Nothing. Only the sound of Aqua's nasal snoring and the wind whistling through a crack in the window.
Beside him, Megumin let out a small, unintelligible murmur; she was sleeping with a smile of pure satisfaction, oblivious to the financial tragedy, while a thin trail of drool slid from the corner of her mouth onto her rolled-up cloak.
Kazuma scowled, letting out a sigh loaded with self-deprecation.
...Seriously?
"—...I'm an idiot. What the hell was I expecting?" he complained quietly, turning over abruptly to try and get comfortable on the hard floor. "As if this world would ever throw something good my way now."
He closed his eyes tightly, wishing for sleep to arrive before his bones went numb.
...
He didn't see it.
He didn't notice how, on the back of his right hand, a bright red line began to burn beneath his skin. Three interlocking, crimson, and strange strokes formed in silence while the "Luckiest Adventurer" fell asleep in absolute poverty.
The curtain rises and the war begins.
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Well, here's the prologue. I'm writing this because the idea popped into my head and I didn't want to let it fade away. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update yet, but I'll figure it out as I go. Anyone who enjoys the story or has any comments/suggestions is always welcome!
I hope you enjoy the ride!