Kazuma Satō, age 16, stands in the prime of his youth.
He should be living a carefree life at school, savoring his teenage years.
Instead, he finds himself trapped in another world — one without video games, anime, manga, or convenient transportation. This otherworldly existence drains his spirit, shattering his once-beautiful fantasies.
Yet these past two months have brought him unexpected happiness. Though the beginning was rough, thanks to the joint efforts of his party members (particularly Adam and himself), the team now lives free of financial worries.
They've become so prosperous that despite not working for nearly two months, Kazuma lives a life of pure leisure. He even has extra money to indulge at the Succubus Cafe.
This morning, he strolls out of an inn, feeling refreshed.
As he walks down the street, Kazuma's face wears a smile that any man would recognize — a somewhat lewd and vulgar expression that makes passersby instinctively keep their distance.
But in the next moment, his mood sours.
"Damn that Aqua!" He complains loudly, "The mansion was just built, and before half a day passed, she set up powerful purification magic circles in the courtyard, forcing me to stay at an inn!"
This shameless man hasn't even considered why he needed to spend the night elsewhere.
Mansion... No, it should be called the Lord's Manor now.
Since Aqua is a Goddess with a natural aversion to the undead, of course she would set up protective magic circles in her residence. These barriers prevent creatures like succubi from entering the Lord's Manor.
Oh my. Wondering how the Lord's Manor was built so quickly?
Well, this is where Kazuma's characteristic quick thinking comes into play.
It all involves the Duke of Hell, Vanir.
This demon lord, who could see through people's hearts, had caused plenty of trouble for the party members before with his "Vanir Dolls".
However, Kazuma found a way to use this to his advantage — he struck a deal with Vanir.
Kazuma would pay Vanir to create tireless golems that needed no food or drink. These golems would work continuously to rebuild the Lord's Manor that he had accidentally blown up. The cash-strapped Duke of Hell seemed eager to agree.
Initially, Vanir refused — after all, he was a proud Duke of Hell who commanded demon armies and saw through hearts. One couldn't simply expect him to help on command.
But Kazuma's offer was impossible to resist.
ξ50,000,000! A full 50 million Eris!
When Kazuma neatly arranged the bright, gleaming gold coins — enough to fill Wiz's small Magic Shop — before him, Vanir's eyes lit up. He accepted without hesitation.
Finally, he would have enough money to renovate the Dungeon!
And so, under Vanir's round-the-clock construction, the Lord's Manor was rebuilt before the coldest winter arrived.
Now Kazuma walks toward it on the outskirts, the beautiful morning sun ahead. He passes through the gated entrance, across the neatly paved courtyard, and into the manor's great hall.
Like a delinquent who'd been out all night, he's ready for some good rest and to reflect on how easy life has become.
That's how it should have been...
But there on the sofa sits someone he's never seen before. The morning sunlight illuminates this tiny figure so brightly that Kazuma has to squint to make out their features.
"A little girl...?" He looks puzzled.
He stares at this small girl who has suddenly appeared in the mansion, unable to understand why she's here, especially at this early hour.
Then Kazuma has another flash of insight.
"Oh, is she lost?" He strokes his chin thoughtfully, "This is the Lord's Manor — did you come seeking help?"
You have to admire his peculiar thought process. While unusual, his reasoning made sense — a little girl appearing at the Lord's Manor did seem like the most logical explanation.
"Alright, let's ask." Kazuma decided to find out why she was there.
He approached the little girl slowly, crouched down with a smile, and tried his best to make his ordinary face appear kind. He spoke in the gentle tone he once used with young children in his previous life.
"Hello there, little one, what's your name?"
This was the standard approach — one that a police officer had actually taught him after a previous misunderstanding where he'd been mistaken for a kidnapper.
Who would have thought such knowledge would prove useful in another world? He felt quite pleased with his foresight.
Unfortunately, the little girl met his attempt at kindness with clear suspicion.
"Hmph." She let out a small snort and turned away, clearly wanting nothing to do with him.
"Must be self-protective psychology." Kazuma nodded knowingly and continued in his soft voice, "Big brother isn't a bad person, you know. If you have any troubles, you can tell big brother about them."
It was natural, he reasoned. Everyone puts up defensive walls when meeting strangers. His approach was designed to use kindness to break through those psychological barriers.
But he had overestimated himself. Despite his efforts to appear friendly, his naturally creepy expression (or so the little girl thought) betrayed his villainous nature.
Another dismissive snort. She clearly had no intention of talking.
Ugh... Kazuma felt his patience wearing thin.
Being the despicable, shameless, and unprincipled person he was, he normally would have lost his temper at being ignored.
But he managed to contain himself. After all, she was just a little girl, and he was determined to be kind.
The solution seemed simple enough: keep talking, show his kindness, and gradually earn her trust.
And that's exactly what he did.
"Hey, are you a town resident? Or maybe from a noble family?"
"Hey hey, did you come here by yourself, or with your parents?"
"Hey hey hey, too shy to speak... I guess not."
Despite Kazuma's attempts to be kind and communicate with the little girl, she wouldn't speak — responding only with light snorts.
She looked quite displeased.
Unfortunately, Kazuma was a man with absolutely no self-awareness. He truly believed his kindness had reached irresistible levels.
So in his mind, the problem must be with her.
Without thinking, he blurted out, "Could it be that you're mute, unable to speak...?"
"Hm?" The little girl's eyes narrowed.
This incredibly rude comment exhausted her patience with the noisy man.
"What did you just say, you fool?" The little girl's sweet voice carried a cold edge as it echoed through the morning hall.
"Oh, so you can speak after all." Kazuma's facade of kindness finally crumbled, "If you can communicate, then answer my questions! This one-man show is getting awkward!"
Hearing his words, veins popped on the little girl's forehead. She had originally wanted to make a good impression on her future companions, but this idiot who suddenly barged in was getting on her nerves.
If that's how it is...
"Sigh, no matter which world it is..." The little girl sighed softly.
He couldn't hear the rest of her sentence, but even with his limited intelligence, he could tell she was looking down on him.
Kazuma immediately became upset. After putting on such a "kind" act, how dare she not appreciate it?
"How dare a mere little girl say such things..."
Before Kazuma could continue his outburst, the little girl had already gently placed her small hand on his waist.
"What, are you going to give me a massage as an apology... AAAAHHHHH!"
A searing pain erupted inside Kazuma's body — like being roasted alive!
The agony was so intense that he curled up involuntarily. The burning sensation coursed through him with such ferocity that he feared his very life force was being incinerated.
An attack?! That was his only coherent thought.
"W-what's happening..."
"No matter which world it is... there are always hopeless, ill-mannered idiots like you."
As the little girl's words reached his ears, Kazuma's consciousness began to fade.
His vision darkened, and he slipped into unconsciousness.
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