Nero was currently en route to Kazuma's residence in the royal capital.
Kazuma and his team no longer stayed in the castle but had moved to a nearby inn.
After all, a royal castle wasn't the kind of place that could accommodate outsiders indefinitely.
Nero and Yunyun, being Alice's close friends and companions, were given their own rooms in the castle. However, Kazuma's group wasn't afforded the same privilege.
Darkness, being the Dustiness family's heiress and a close childhood friend of Alice and Claire, could have stayed in the castle if she wished. Yet, she chose to stay with Kazuma and the others instead.
On her way, Nero stopped to buy some grilled meat skewers, munching on them as she walked.
"The skewers here are pretty good. Not like the ones I used to buy—those were barely larger than corn kernels but cost a fortune," she muttered, thinking back to past experiences.
Recalling the overpriced and minuscule skewers she'd seen during outings with friends, Nero couldn't help but grumble.
Pulling another skewer from the bag she carried, Nero happily ate, the juice from the meat leaving a sheen of oil on her bright red lips.
"Umu, hmph… They even managed to get the heat just right… though I still can't tell what animal this meat comes from," she mused.
Today's purpose for visiting Kazuma's group was to invite them to join the trip to Erodia.
Nero wasn't too worried about being rejected—her plan was for Kazuma to help her make money, and she doubted he'd turn that down.
Aqua, with her inexplicable love of gambling despite her consistent losses, would probably agree without hesitation.
Megumin's attitude was less predictable, but Darkness would likely come along. Protecting Alice and preventing her teammates from embarrassing themselves in another country sounded exactly like something she'd do.
When Nero arrived at their inn, she found the scene oddly quiet.
"Umu! Strange. They're usually so lively. Why are things so calm today?"
Following proper etiquette, Nero knocked on the door.
"Darkness! Megumin! I have something to discuss with you."
After waiting a while with no response, Nero knocked again.
"You're not pretending no one's home, are you? Don't worry—it's nothing troublesome or bad. I'm here to help you make big money!"
As Nero continued pounding on the door, a growing unease crept over her.
"…Strange. The door's not locked?"
Gripping the handle, she easily pushed the door open.
Inside, she was greeted by the sight of a simmering hot pot on the dining table… and four unconscious bodies slumped over it.
---
"Phew! That was close—I almost died from pufferfish poisoning," Kazuma groaned weakly, sprawled on the couch after Nero's life-saving intervention.
Megumin and Darkness had also been saved, though they still looked worse for wear. As for Nero…
"Ahahahahaha! Oh, my sides—my abs are going to pop from laughing! Ahahahaha—!"
After learning the full story, Nero had been laughing uncontrollably, clutching her stomach on the couch.
"The legendary team that defeated multiple Demon King generals… nearly wiped out by a poisonous pufferfish! You lot never fail to surprise me! Ahahaha!"
Nero's unrestrained laughter only added to the humiliation for Megumin and Darkness, their faces burning red with shame.
Their embarrassment quickly turned to anger, which they directed at the culprit behind the fiasco.
"Hiccup…"
Aqua, clutching an empty bottle of wine, lay curled up on the couch, snoring peacefully.
"Unbelievable… That useless goddess is sleeping soundly after almost killing us all!" Kazuma seethed, too weak from paralysis to do anything but glare at her.
"She brought back the deadliest Extreme Bliss Pufferfish, cooked it herself, and assured us there was nothing to worry about. 'As a high priest, I don't even need to remove the poison—if you're poisoned, I can heal you right away, so just eat without fear,' she said. And then… she got herself drunk and passed out!"
When Aqua had slumped over onto the table, Kazuma had initially panicked, thinking she'd been poisoned as well. But the moment he heard her snore, he'd nearly lost his mind.
To make matters worse, Aqua's divine robe rendered her immune to all negative effects, meaning the pufferfish toxin hadn't affected her at all.
If Nero hadn't arrived by chance, Kazuma and the others might've already checked into Eris' afterlife.
…On second thought, maybe Kazuma's absurdly high luck stat had saved them again.
Though Kazuma ranted loudly, Aqua's snores made it clear she wasn't hearing a word of it, which only made Nero laugh even harder.
At this point, Kazuma could do little but grit his teeth and silently plot revenge against the slacker goddess once his body recovered.
"Phew! It's been a while since I laughed this hard. For that, I must thank you!" Nero wiped tears from her eyes, her spirits now sky-high.
Of course, Nero hadn't forgotten the reason for her visit.
She proposed having Kazuma's group join Alice as escorts for her diplomatic trip to Erodia, where she would negotiate with the neighboring kingdom's prince to reinstate financial aid.
While Kazuma and Megumin seemed ready to agree, Darkness was the first to speak, firmly rejecting the idea.
"While I'm grateful for your trust in us, Nero, I must decline this request. A party that nearly succumbed to a single pufferfish isn't suited for such an important task," Darkness said with conviction.
Though her words sounded noble, Nero suspected Darkness was simply worried about her teammates embarrassing themselves in front of Erodia's dignitaries.
Darkness's declaration immediately sparked protests from Megumin and Kazuma.
"What are you talking about, Darkness?!" Megumin demanded. "This is my chance to showcase the greatness of my explosion magic to the world! How dare you try to ruin my reputation as the number one explosion mage! I'll even impress my disciple, Alice, so don't you dare mess this up for me!"
"Exactly!" Kazuma added. "Who gave you the right to decide for us? Nero said Erodia is a gambling nation, and she wants to use my godlike luck as a trump card to bankrupt them if negotiations fail! Do you know how rare it is for someone to see me not as a pervert or weakling, but as a key player?! There's no way I'm letting you ruin this!"
If not for their paralysis, Kazuma and Megumin might've already tackled Darkness.
"This is exactly why I want to refuse!" Darkness shouted, clearly exasperated.
As the three bickered, Aqua shifted in her sleep, scratching her rear before letting out another loud snore.