Chapter 4: I’m Quite Democratic by Nature

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Going it alone has its limits. Being a lone wolf sounds cool and exudes a mysterious, carefree vibe, but in reality, it comes with many inconveniences. He knew this all too well. Having powerful teammates nearby during missions provides a much-needed sense of security.

Kobayashi’s reluctance to form a party stemmed from the fact that ordinary teammates were often ineffective; even if he grudgingly teamed up, they were unlikely to be of much help. Take Dust, for example.

When he said at the tavern, "Waiting for teammates isn’t just loafing around," he wasn’t just talking tough.

Don’t be fooled by his current persona as a petty delinquent who shirks responsibilities and drinks a lot. As a dragon knight with a mysterious past, Dust was among the elite of the top tier in Axel, a city teeming with powerful warriors. Even Kobayashi received careful guidance from him when he first arrived in this other world.

The vast difference in strength made Kobayashi painfully aware that even if they were the same level, he had no chance of winning. That was a world far removed from his comfortable, sheltered life before.

After teaming up with Taylor, Lynn, and Chis, such a formidable warrior sealed away most of his power to keep pace with the group, only taking on low-level adventurer missions. Of course, Dust’s unwillingness to struggle too hard and some unreasonable demands from a certain troublesome princess played a part.

Experience from countless predecessors taught them this: to reach higher levels and defeat stronger foes, having powerful support is indispensable.

Given all this, Kobayashi was still willing to team up if the right companions came along. After all, he had no so-called blood curse.

Although Aqua and the others were unreliable and inexperienced, their potential was enough for Kobayashi to patiently train and nurture.

Looking at the four sitting around the table, plus himself, this was the embryo of their party.

As the party leader, Kobayashi felt he should say something to break the ice, starting with some mutual flattery.

“Ahem, Megumin, you might not remember, but we actually had a brief encounter before.”

“Huh? Did we?” Megumin scratched her head, seeming unable to recall.

Kobayashi gave her a hint: “About half a month ago at night, in the small woods to the east...”

“Ah! That demon!” Megumin suddenly exclaimed, as if she remembered something, “You were the one shooting arrows from the shadows to interrupt its magic!”

“That’s right.” Kobayashi nodded.

Half a month ago, a mid-level demon named Holst appeared in Axel, intent on stealing Walbak’s half-body. The hunt went smoothly until victory was nearly theirs, but due to the inherent flaws in the items Wiz sold, their efforts were nearly undone.

At the critical moment, Kobayashi’s arrow interrupted the demon’s escape route, and Megumin arrived just in time to unleash her explosive magic, securing the defeat.

“Your magic is incredibly powerful. As for explosion magic, I consider you the strongest,” Kobayashi praised Megumin highly.

Megumin puffed out her flat chest and raised her head proudly, “Indeed! I am the one who will ultimately master explosion magic to its limits. A mere demon turns to dust at my explosion’s touch!”

“Ohhhhhhh!” The applause erupted enthusiastically.

Megumin’s bravado was undeniably convincing. Anyone unaware of the truth would think this dark-haired, red-eyed little girl was a formidable powerhouse. Even Kazuma Sato thought to himself that he should cultivate a good relationship with her.

Next, Kobayashi looked toward Darkness.

The blonde female knight, not in a daze, appeared as a proud and aloof beauty, truly appealing to many tastes. Of course, a dazed knight would be even more captivating.

Kobayashi’s gaze was somewhat impolite, but Darkness found it quite pleasant, even a bit enjoyable.

“Wh-what is it?”

“Nothing.” Kobayashi paused, then said, “Darkness, I’ve actually heard about you... from a silver-haired thief.”

“Chris?”

“That’s right.”

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That was about a week after Kobayashi arrived in the lower world. Newly leveled, he urgently needed some practical skills that cost few points, so he sought out Chris, who happened to be drinking at the guild.

Thanks to the benevolence of the goddess of luck, Kobayashi learned many useful thief skills. He even invited Chris to team up but was politely declined due to her inconvenient circumstances.

Kobayashi understood that she often traveled to other towns to collect artifacts—divine relics distributed by Aqua that could wreak havoc on this world—so he wasn’t too disheartened.

However, Chris recommended Darkness to him, but for reasons at the time, Kobayashi declined. Thus, the matter of forming a party was left unresolved.

“She said you’re pure, kind, gentle, a qualified crusader, and your physical toughness rivals the hardest Adamantine ore. In terms of defense, you might even be the strongest in the world. Though... maybe there’s a slight flaw in your personality.”

Kobayashi gave her high praise as well.

“Ohhhhhhh!” The other three looked at Darkness with sparkling eyes, exclaiming and applauding repeatedly.

Who wouldn’t want a solid, reliable knight standing in front to protect them?

“Th-that can’t be... you’re exaggerating,” Darkness blushed deeply, unsure whether from embarrassment at the compliment or excitement over being compared to ore harder than any mineral.

“No, I believe she was telling the truth.”

“Exactly! Darkness, you should puff out your chest like I do!” Megumin was optimistic about the knight: “You and I will make a perfect team!”

“Uh, uh... hehe...” Darkness giggled shyly, her cheeks tinted pink.

Yes, it seemed she appreciated the praise.

Kobayashi then turned to Kazuma Sato.

“Kazuma, like me, although we haven’t known each other long, I know you’re a reliable companion. I foresee your flashes of cleverness will bring us surprises, and I’m already looking forward to it. Even if you’re just an ordinary adventurer, it’s fine; I believe you have the potential to become strong, and I firmly hold to that belief.”

He praised Kazuma more than the others.

“Oh, you’re making me blush,” Kazuma said, rubbing his index finger under his nose. Though he claimed to be shy, the upward curve of his lips revealed his pleasure.

Indeed, trying hard to keep Kobayashi-senpai was the right move. Handsome and eloquent—he was very fond of him.

As for the “idiot goddess”...

“Aqua is an indispensable part of the party; those who understand, understand.”

“...Is that all?!” Everyone else had received considerable compliments, their words full of respect, but for Aqua, just a cryptic “those who understand, understand”...

That was too perfunctory!

Aqua flopped onto Kobayashi’s back: “Hey, say more! It’s okay to praise me more, after all, I’m a goddess!”

“All right, that’s enough. Although we have different interests and hobbies, I hope we can respect our differences.”

“Please, I’m counting on you.”

“If anyone has any requests, bring them up now. I’ll do my best to accommodate.”

“Come on, say it, say it!” Aqua chattered incessantly in his ear, but Kobayashi chose to ignore her and encouraged the party members to speak up.

Megumin raised her right hand: “I want to cast explosion magic every day.”

“No.”

“...Huh?”

The rejection was so blunt she had no time to react.

“Your explosion magic is too powerful and often affects the town. The western forest has already been devastated and needs reforestation. And wasn’t the massive disturbance recently caused by you—the mad, chuunibyou explosion archmage?”

“B-but if I don’t cast explosion magic, I’ll die from mana overload!”

“Then die,” Kobayashi answered coldly and ruthlessly.

Next was Darkness: “I want to raise tentacle monsters!”

“No.”

“Ugh...”

“Monsters cause chaos in town, and since most of the party members are female, we need to consider their feelings... Just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you won’t get punched. Sometimes, fists are just unreasonable.”

Rejected, she breathed heavily, flushed, and seemed to be enjoying herself.

“Um, I want to—”

“No!”

“I haven’t finished!”

Before Aqua could finish, Kobayashi decisively refused, unaware of what she was about to say but sure it wouldn’t be good.

Megumin: “I want to hunt one-hit bears.”

“No.”

Darkness: “I want to raise mimics.”

“No.”

Aqua: “Um, I want to—”

“No.”

“I haven’t finished!”

They proposed many more demands—high-difficulty quests, raising monsters, hosting grand parties—but all were promptly denied.

At last, everyone sensed something was amiss.

Kobayashi sat in the leader’s seat like a ruthless tyrant on a throne, exuding a terrifying aura that froze the air.

His sharp eyes glowed a scarlet fiercer than Megumin’s, sweeping over the seated group as if looking at a noisy band of traitors.

“Anyone else————!!!”

“...”

The four fell silent instantly.

This was a stark contrast to his earlier gentleness.

Kazuma recalled the terror once imposed by a cold, merciless mother and shivered involuntarily.

Where was the democracy? Wasn’t this supposed to be a democratic party?

Democracy meant they, the members, ruled, not a ruthless tyrant like Kobayashi!

“Hmph, democracy.”

“Kazuma, did you say something just now?”

“No, no, I said nothing!”

Kazuma lowered his head in fear, avoiding Kobayashi’s scarlet gaze.

Pragmatism was also one of his virtues.

After a while, no more discord arose in the party; the earlier lively atmosphere was instantly extinguished, and the laughter seemed like an illusion.

Thus, everyone’s opinions were (forcibly) unified.

Kazuma felt bitter in his heart—was this party really going to be okay? He worried about its future.

But he would soon understand that Kobayashi was the only truly trustworthy member and would grasp the thoughtful reasons behind his actions.

“Since we’ve formed a party, let’s start doing missions. This will help us clearly understand each member’s strength and prevent chaos during battles.”

“Oh, oh~~~~” The four sounded unenthusiastic.

Hmm, it must be an illusion—they were trembling with joy.

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