Shirakawa casually swept his gaze across the gathering crowd—adventurers, guild workers, even Luna, the receptionist, had stepped out to watch.
It seemed this was the moment Aqua successfully had her abilities appraised.
Yet the crowd didn't react strangely to Shirakawa's sudden appearance. Reincarnators popping up was a fairly common occurrence here.
Having pieced together the basic situation, he felt the soft pressure on his arm and gently reminded,
"I suggest you settle on a class before we talk about anything else."
"Uh..."
Aqua blinked, clearly flustered. The question of choosing a class had completely slipped her mind. Living alone in a strange world, the only way back to the heavens was to defeat the Demon King.
Like that's even possible...
Her bright blue eyes blinked thoughtfully as she nudged his hand.
"What kind of class do you think suits me?"
"High Priest."
No real combat capability to speak of, but she could serve as the party's healing support thanks to her divine water-based powers. It was better for her to stick to the original route.
Without hesitation, Shirakawa replied.
"Then I'll pick High Priest!"
Aqua had long since given up thinking for herself. After all, this guy was a member of the Dimensional Chat Group—and even offered her friendly tips before.
She turned toward Luna.
"High Priest, huh?"
"Yes," Luna replied, professionally polite. "It's a versatile class capable of casting all healing and support magic, while also boasting enough raw power to stand on the front lines. It suits you perfectly."
"Then, Lady Aqua..."
"Welcome to the Adventurers' Guild. All of our staff look forward to seeing your future exploits!"
Luna smiled cordially, her voice tinged with surprise.
Ignoring Shirakawa's sudden arrival, the surrounding adventurers, after a brief pause, erupted into cheers again.
Shirakawa couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
Compared to the world of Goblin Slayer, KonoSuba was practically the embodiment of madness—but he couldn't say he disliked it.
As the ruckus gradually faded...
Sitting in front of the guild's party recruitment board, Shirakawa studied the blue-haired girl seated across from him.
Her aquamarine hair shimmered in the light—her divine beauty practically otherworldly.
The jewel ornament on her head looked suspiciously like a water molecule model.
A classic case of a "beautiful but useless" type of girl. She wore a blue divine robe, short white sleeves, and a short blue pleated skirt.
...Was she wearing underwear?
Shirakawa instinctively looked down but reconsidered. That line of thought was... problematic.
Figure-wise—
She could even give Hanako Hiraki a run for her money.
As Aqua lay slumped across the table in despair, Shirakawa finally explained,
"Your luck stat is innate. It can't really be changed."
"Well, maybe with certain equipment, you could boost it..."
"..."
"So I really have to defeat the Demon King to get out of this world?" Aqua asked, despondent. "Shirakawa, how do these 'World Anchor Points' actually work?"
On her own, the idea of assembling a team to defeat the Demon King felt laughable. She wasn't even sure where her next meal would come from.
Returning to the heavens felt... impossibly far away.
"It's a bit complex," Shirakawa replied. "Once the Dimensional Chat Group assigns a mission, you can go to another world. If you spend points to establish an anchor, you can freely travel back and forth."
Axel was a fairly large city.
Trying to locate Megumin would be difficult without luck. Shirakawa could only hope something on the guild's job board would lead to her.
Chatting idly with Aqua helped pass the time.
"But there's no way a mission would appear in Heaven! How am I ever supposed to go back?!"
With that depressing realization, Aqua felt her dream of returning to divine life shatter entirely.
She glanced at Shirakawa.
They were both just high school students—yet that shut-in NEET had dragged her into this bizarre world!
But the longer she stared at the boy before her...
Aqua suddenly slammed her hands on the table and stood up, eyes gleaming.
"Shirakawa."
"Do you want to become the Hero who saves the world and defeats the Demon King?"
"I might not have the power to reincarnate you, but I am the Goddess of Water! A High Priest of the highest tier!"
"If we form a party, we'll totally be fine!"
Reliable, level-headed, and a member of the Dimensional Chat Group—there was no better choice. Aqua tried to recruit him outright.
But Shirakawa refused without hesitation.
"I must emphasize—I'm just a normal high school student."
"And besides—"
He didn't get to finish.
A girl's voice cut him off from behind.
She had short, smooth black hair with a few longer strands framing her cheeks. Her adorable, youthful face was shaded slightly by a mage's hat.
Petite, like a textbook loli. An eyepatch covered one red eye, and as a Crimson Demon, she wielded a staff of considerable size.
She slowly stepped forward.
"I heard you were discussing the defeat of the Demon King," she said. "This encounter is fated by the will of the world itself—I have awaited people like you."
"..."
Ignoring her over-the-top chuunibyou speech, Shirakawa turned around and examined the black-haired, red-eyed girl in front of him.
The telltale eyepatch.
Obvious malnourishment from poverty. In Japan, she'd be mistaken for an elementary schooler. But those weren't the most important details.
As Shirakawa's eyes settled on her—
Excitement surged through him. A system prompt flickered before his eyes.
[Ding!]
[Prerequisites met. Would you like to unlock the new Profession: Arch-wizard?]