Chapter 21 Rock You Like An EXPLOSION! Arc Part 5

Schwanhild Report

Dear Honorable Mother, Twinkle Fai Schlagen

It is I, your daughter, Twinkle Fai Schwanhild. 

Michael Chaser the Dark Paladin had a nice voice. 

That is all I have to report for now, Honorable Mother.

I bid you well.

From your daughter, Twinkle Fai Schwanhild.

===x===

Naturally after arriving in town, Michael made sure that his party would be seen as being around when the emergency announcement for the mountain fire started. He didn't want rumors of being responsible for the mountain fire to start--Even if he had been the actual arsonist.

It was the first time he saw the Emergency Quest announcement, utilizing the city's varies spread speakers. Quite the interesting experience.

"The Emergency Quest is for the fire in the forest nearby from here to here." Luna pointed out to the gathered adventurers on a large projected map, using some magic device. "The fire spread to the mountain is not mandatory to handle as it's too far away and can be expected to go out on it's own. Bonus pay will be given to those who extinguish the mountain flames, given that it's further away, and seems more intense there, but I'm afraid it won't be much--"

"WE'LL TAKE IT!" Michael shouted to the surprise of his teammate and the adventurers around.

"O-oh! Thank you, Mr. Michael Chaser." Luna was surprised as adventurers usually didn't go for additional work, unless there was a lot of money involved.

As Luna continued to explain the details of the quest, Michael took his party aside to address any complains. Mostly Aqua's.

"But whaaaayyyy?" Aqua cried out. They where a bit away from the gathered adventurers, and the sound was muffled by a spell from Michael.

"Because this is our mess and we have to clean it up." Michael said in hushed tones, even if there wasn't a need to.

"You mean your mess, Sensei." Megumin deadpanned.

"No, Student No. 1. A party member's mess is the whole party's mess to fix. Doubly so for student and teacher." Michael said back casually to get them to help. He had an odd feeling this sentiment would backfire, but again, that's Future Michael's problem.

"Oh, got it Sensei." Megumin exclaim.

"They're already calling themselves, 'Sensei' and 'Student'." Yunyun said with a sad voice to herself. Seeing the bond between Megumin and Michael, Yunyun felt that the right thing to do as a rival was to leave the party, and find a teacher of her own.

This would have resulted in Yunyun eventually meeting the Wolbach, the Goddess of Violence and Sloth and being taken by her as a magic apprentice, spending months away from Axel, before finally returning and meeting Megumin once more as an (unintentional) enemy working for the Demon King.

"Hmm? Is there a problem, Student No. 2?" Asked Michael.

But that's not what happened here.

"Wha-Wha-What? Student?" Yunyun asked, her eyes lighting up with surprise and hope. "Wait, 'Number 2'?"

"Ah, sorry. I should have asked first." Michael said sheepishly. "It's just that since we're in the same party, 'why not take Yunyun as a student as well, since I'm already training Megumin?'. If I was overstepping then I apologize."

"N-No! I'm really happy that you would want to train--" Yunyun began, feeling joy at the unconditional acceptance.

"He he he," only for Megumin's sly laughter to cut Yunyun off. "Even when we find Legendary Master to learn under..." Megumin grinned smugly at her self-proclaimed rival (and friend). "You're still 'Number 2'."

"W-W-Well!" Yunyun began shouting red-faced. "Unlike the academy, I'm not giving you a handicap this time. I'm taking the number one spot this time!"

"G-Giving me!? Why you!" Megumin shouted scandalized, and because she remembered how Yunyun was letting her win the weekly test to get the Skill Up Potion out of some misplaced (and misunderstood) pity.

Then the proud Crimson Demons scuffled like little kids out on the street.

And thus Yunyun's whole arc of self-doubt was undercut.

===x===

Schwanhild wasn't allowed on the Emergency Quest due her limited skill set, and because Michael wanted only those that would help in dousing the flames. Megumin naturally wasn't allowed, and her suggestion of waiting a day for her to be able to use Explosion to blow away the flames were rejected.

Darkness was rejected because she would be a burden and would probably try and throw herself into the flame in some misguided attempt to "save" people. Darkness sneaked after the party left and went anyways.

"Freeze Gust!" Yunyun shouted, firing her spell that spread along a much wider area and power than it normally would.

This was due to support spells from both Aqua and Michael, with Aqua boosting Yunyun's magical attack power, and Michael boosting her freezing spell with something she's never seen before. Something called Rune Magic. She had been blushing a bit too much, to catch the first part of his explanation when he took her hand, to write a magic letters on it.

Yunyun felt the "Rune's" magical energy mingle with that of her spell before it fired, resulting in the Intermediary Magic spell to be much cooler than it normally would. And against these fire, Yunyun felt that was much needed. There was an element to these fires that just refused to go out on the first splash.

Yunyun looked next to her to see how her teammates were faring.

"SACRED CREATE COLD WATER! SACRED CREATE COLD WATER! HAHAHAHA DROWN! DROWN YOU STUPID FLAME FOR DARING TO STAND AGAINST THE MIGHT OF THE WATER GODDESS!" Aqua laughed, a rune sequence shining under her collarbone, seemingly on her clothes. Michael had said the Runes would help Aqua's spell be freezing while still being water, to be more effective against the flames.

What Yunyun didn't know, and Michael did and found baffling, surprising, humbling, and finally expected, was Aqua figuring out the magic effect of the Runes, and just doing it on her own, creating her own 'Create Cold Water' version, after the first time she used 'Sacred Create Water' and observed the Runes' effect.

Aqua was washing the surface of the mountain in a way, as she summoned literal floods to drown the fire mountain. The only reason why Aqua's water spell wasn't going down the mountain making a downpour that would flood Axel, was because the summoned waters would freeze a few moments after hitting the ground, leaving behind ice and snow, all which helped in lowering the scathing temperature of the mountain.

It was awesome to watch. In the traditional sense of the word, inspiring awe. Yunyun never expected the ditzy healer to be so powerful, appearing like the renowned Arch Wizards of legend Yunyun heard about. Maybe joining the Axis Church like that nice Priest she once met offered didn't seem so bad...

"HAHAHAHAHA--Wait, what? WAAAAAAAAAH MICHAEL HELP! THE FLAMES ARE COMING AFTER ME!" Shouted Aqua as the fire really did seem to come alive and go specifically after the Arch Priest.

I think I'll take back what I said about her seeming like a mythical figure. Yunyun thought privately, feeling a slight shame for viewing Aqua like that originally. She kept the idea of joining the Axis Church on the back-burner for now.

"THEN PUNCH THEM IN THE FACE WITH YOUR SPELLS AND DOUSE THEM!" Michael shouted back, busy putting out the fire in his own way.

Michael's way of using magic unique to Yunyun's eyes. There were a dozen or so magic circles behind him firing water spells, which she expected. It was his other methods that intrigued her.

He would find a giant boulder write his 'Rune Magic' upon it and throw it at a fire area away from them, where upon the boulder would explode into a giant ice crystals and make snow in the area around them.

He would write Runes that would absorb the fire around them in large quantities till they formed large fire sphere the size of a house, then have half his magic circles aim their water hoses at it, till it shrunk into nothing.

Yunyun wondered if this was the magic discovered or made by those who went beyond Advanced Magic, managing to create their own Special Magic. Yet why would that magic be unrecorded in the magic tree of the Adventurer Card. A mystery for another time she supposed.

The party would spent hours putting off the fire on the mountain, before making their way down all the way to the forest, most of the adventurers where at. Thankfully they didn't meet any monsters, except a few that were immune to fire, or thrived in it. Those where quickly taken care of.

"ALRIGHT! WITNESS THE ANNOYANCE OF A GODDESS, YOU INSIPID FLAMES! GOD BLOW!"

"I DON'T MEAN ACTUALLY PUNCH THE FIRE!"

===x===

"Waaaaaa haaaaa aaaaaaah!" Aqua was crying.

It wasn't because they failed the quest, or she was hurt.

"WAAAAHHHHYYY?" The Arch Priest said while grabbing the Dark Paladin sitting next to her by the collar, as he let her shake him.

Aqua was crying because Michael didn't let them keep the money from the Emergency Quest.

"We're not keeping the money, when we cause the problem in the first place."

"But we fixed it! Even good samaritans get rewarded!" Aqua tried to argue.

"No, that was not us being 'good samaritans', that was us owning up to our mistake." Michael said back.

The party was gathered in a tavern this time. Partially to eat somewhere new, and partially to be away from people celebrating their extra work, because Michael felt guilty about accepting praise.

"You mean your mistake?" Schwanhild offered while she ate her fried frog legs.

They spoke freely, as Micheal added a small ward to make their words seem uninteresting and unmemorable to others sitting nearby. It won't stop someone from coming to talk to them, but the conversation the party was having won't be noticed or remembered beyond what it generally was about, if the hypothetical newcomers focused on the party's words at all.

"Now, now Hilde. It's 'our mistake'." Megumin said slyly as she warped a hand around the noble girl's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Schwanhild said reflexively in a dry tone, but didn't actually move to stop Megumin, merely focus on her meal.

"Megumin, you shouldn't draw other people in your problem. Michael, tell her." Yunyun chastised her friend, before turning to the party leader to act as a responsible authority figure.

Only to see him, looking away and whistling.

"Michael!" She cried out.

"Okay, okay." He chuckled and waved his hands placatingly to well-endowned Crimson Demon, who pouted and cross her arms. "Look, obviously we shouldn't draw strangers into our problems. The idea is, if someone here messes up they can come to the party for help. Yes, I know this time it was me and Megumin that made a problem. Thank you Aqua and Yunyun for helping out."

"What about me?" Asked Darkness.

Michael looked at the Crusader who lost most of her armor as it melted from the flames, and steam was coming off of her from the left over heat from the fire. The panting expecting look on her face, made him want to repreimend her for disobeying him, but he had to acknowledge that she did heal the adventurers who couldn't handle the flames in the forest, and fainted or needed help getting out of there.

Michael sighed. "You did good, Darkness. Thank you." He smiled as the Crusader did deserve praise this time.

"Eh, eh? I'm, I'm not sure how to handle this type of praise." Darkness blushed and awkwardly looked away.

"Eh, it was no problem, Michael." Yunyun spoke, blushing under the praise.

"Thank me by giving me money!" Aqua protested before drinking her watermelon juice to down her fried chicken leg.

"No." Michael instantly shot back, deadpanned.

"I'm a goddess, you should be nicer to me." Aqua protested as she continued to drink.

"That's right, Lady Aqua deserves to be doted on." Said Cecily on the other side of Michael, biting into a chicken leg as well.

"That's right, you get it." Aqua and Cecily high-fived over Michael's head.

Schwanhild looked at the exchanged bug-eyed, and looking around, to see no one else noticed the interloper sneaking nun inviting herself in.

"Ne, Sensei, wasn't it your spell that caused this mess?" Megumin said, fried potato on her fork.

"Wow, already throwing your teacher under the cart. Guess you don't want your first lesson soon. Okay, Yunyun, you have my full attention tomorrow." Michael said back, resting a hand against his cheek.

"Eh?" Yunyun said startled.

"I meant to say, clearly it was our fault and it was only right for us to take on the responsibility together, as well as not selfishly spend the money on ourselves." Megumin instantly changed her tune.

"Good girl." Michael snorted.

"Hey, how come you get Megumin to listen to you so easily? Teach me how you do it!" Shouted Cecily.

"Eh, I'm just letting her make her own des--WHAT THE HELL!? WHERE DID YOU COME FROM?" Shouted the startled Michael, causing the rest of the party to notice the Axis Priest now.

===x===

"So you want us to clear the graveyard from spirits of the dead?" Asked Michael messaging his temple.

After everyone calmed down and took in the Axis Priest appearance, Cecily told the party why she seeked them out. Michael was more surprised that it wasn't because of the free meal, which Cecily assured him it was also that.

"Yes, there aren't enough Axis Priest to help out, and it's actually kinda busy work after a while." Cecily said shamelessly.

"Oi, it's literally your Job to help those living and dead." Michael pointed out in a dry tone.

"Meh, meh, semantics." Cecily waved him off. "Besides at least us from the Axis Church actually help spirits cross over every once in a while. Those Eris Cultist won't do anything unless they're paid first!"

"Tsk, of course that junior goddess's religion who would even make her name be this world's currency name, won't move unless given money. How disgraceful." Aqua huffed.

"I know, right!" Cecily agreed.

"Oh wow, Aqua." Michael acted impressed. "I didn't know you spend your free time purifying souls in the graveyard. That really raises my opinion of you."

Aqua stilled. "Y-Yeah, that's totally what I do when we're not together. Aha, aha hahahaha." Aqua looked away, sweating in shame, not wanting to meet Michael's eyes.

Michael just snorted and shook his head.

"Out of curiosity, why didn't you do that?" He asked, making it clear he plainly didn't believe her.

"...I forgot. Sorry. I tried to act cool." Aqua squeaked, with her head bowed in apology for lying.

"Okay," Michael accepted the apology, just smiling at Aqua's antics. "We have a few things to do tomorrow, then we'll get on with visiting the graveyard at night. Schwanhild, do you have experience purifying spirits?"

"No," She shook her head. "I haven't learned Turn Undead yet. It should be an interesting experience." Schwanhild said, some excitement in her eyes, even if her expression didn't change.

"Say Michael..." Cecily said sweetly next to him.

"Yes?" He sighed already regretting whatever it is she's going to say.

"I heard you came across a nice some of money recently. Won't you consider donating to your local Axis church so Lady Aqua's blessing be upon you?" Cecily smiled and extended her open hand.

I feed your goddess and give her money directly. Michael wanted to argue. "No, that money isn't gonna be spend us or the Axis Church." He said pointedly.

"Alright." Cecily pouted but let it go. "Say, I asked around and you don't have a place of residence for Lady Aqua." She stated.

"No, we're currently rooming at the 'Weary Head'." Michael mentioned the cheap inn he was currently at.

"Oh? Then why not stay at the church I'm at. Rent will be cheap, triple for an Eris Cultist." Cecily eyed Darkness while saying the last part, to which the Crusader moaned about being extorted. "It would be free for any Axis member though." She smiled.

"I..." Michael was about to answer, when Megumin tugged at his arm, shaking her head 'no' when he looked to her. Megumin and Yunyun's stay at their own motel was about to end. Naturally they wanted to stay with their party leader would be staying.

For Michael, Cecily's offer was pretty good as Darkness had told him that she ended the pay her family was sending to the room she was staying in, so she could stay with her party for the genuine experience as an adventurer. The only party member that wouldn't be rooming with Michael would have been Schwanhild whose family was paying for her own inn room at the guild. Although the young Priest had expressed that she wouldn't mind staying with Michael once he got his own manor, and pay rent then, to which Michael dismissed that notion, saying as a party member, she would be welcome to live in that hypothetical house all the same. A gesture that Schwanhild accepted as normal with a nod.

"What's the rent?" Michael sighed, and offered the paling Megumin a small mouth 'sorry', as he turned to Cecily. After discussing the rent, and when they would move their luggage, all that was left was the contract for their stay.

"You only need to sign these papers." Cecily offered him three formed with a smile.

One was for rent, one was for conversion into the Axis Order, and one was a marriage contract.

Michael burned the latter two without a second thought.

===x===

The next day, Michael immediately set about spending the money from the Emergency Quest reward on either covering innocent people's debts, or funding construction projects that were left undone due to budget cuts. Like housing, trap arrows for local farm so their plants don't get ideas, or improved water piping and sewage for the poorer areas.

Michael didn't want people to know of his help and 'generosity', but Aqua being the attention whore that she was, told everyone they help taking heaps of their praise on her and Michael. The Dark Paladin was grimacing constantly beneath his awkward smile, guilt stabbing at him, with ever 'thank you' thrown his way.

Finally it was nightfall, and the party gathered at the graveyard.

Immediately spirits started to appear and head toward Aqua.

"Waaaah! What the heck? Stay away, Turn Undead." Aqua shouted, a large magic circle spread above her and spirits started turning to light and ascending to heaven.

"Why are all the spirits going after Aqua?" Asked Darkness, as more dead souls kept appear only to be purified by the holy magic circle.

"I'm guessing they sensed her holy energy, and felt she can purify and send them to the afterlife, so they instinctively seek her out." Michael offered an explanation.

"That's right, the undead are lost souls, it's only natural that they seek the goddess for salvation." Realizing what she said, Cecily quickly added. "And as an Arch Priest Lady Aqua has the closest connection to Lady Aqua, thus the undead target her."

"Hmmm," Michael made a noise, saying he got what she was saying.

For the next hour the party purified spirits in the graveyard, or rather Aqua cast the magic circle, and just left it there, and sat down with the party having a picnic (food prepared by Michael), waiting until all the spirits were gone.

"How long is this gonna take?" Aqua shouted. Even though she was happy to eat food made by Michael, the atmosphere of being in a graveyard really soured the experience.

"Well, these graves weren't visited for a long time. It's likely that there are a lot of spirit only now making their way here from all of Axel. It might take a while." Cecily commented. "By the way, this food is really delicious, kinda makes me motivated to work. Michael, what do you say you marry and cook for me, and I'll be the breadwinner?" She asked in the same breath as chugging some honey lemon juice, to down some steak strips.

"No." Michael deadpanned.

He noted that the graveyard was surprisingly much larger than he thought, but he supposed that it should be expected for an adventurer town.

The spirits where likely wondering from far away, and they don't seem to know the Turn Undead magic circle was up till they get close enough to feel it, then they head straight toward it. Literally lost wandering ghosts.

"As the only one capable of sending dead spirits along their next path, does that mean we should come here to purify them every night?" Asked Schwanhild.

"Waaah, Hilde you're just so earnest and cute!" Shouted Cecily who then tried to hug Schwanhild only to get punched in the face. Schwanhild didn't never turn toward the Axis Priest.

"I don't want come here every night." Aqua pouted and looked down.

"Okay," Michael stood up. Everyone looked at him in surprise, asking him what he's up to, but he gestured for them to just wait.

He looked for an area that can act as a center for the spirit gathering and headed there. "Follow me." He gestured for them, and they did, with Aqua dismissing the magi circle, thinking it was no longer needed.

Michael found a grave, so old the name was gone from it. He turned and sat down against it.

"Aqua."

"Yeah?" The Water Goddess tilted her head.

"Make another magic circle and fix it to this place." Michael said as he began writing Runes in the air. "I'm going to cast a spell that would affix itself to your magic circle, and it's effects would work with your own. We should be done in five minutes."

He was met by exclamations of surprise from the other, while Aqua nodded with a smile and got to work, and Cecily stared at the Goddess and Dark Paladin curiously.

Michael finished the Runes, which moved and floated against his neck. Michael cleared his throat and the sound seemed to reverberate throughout the field, surprising the party. He nodded with a smiling, seeing that it worked.

Then Michael took a deep breath, and spoke...

"I am a pooooooor wayfaring stranger..."

Or rather, he sang. 

The girls were surprised but didn't interrupt, feeling that this was a heavy moment.

Aqua felt what Michael was doing and smiled at her workload now being easy and wouldn't require her to constantly look for spirits to find her, or come to the graveyards every night. Aqua sat down next to Michael and rested her head on his shoulder. He gave her a look, before smiling and continuing his song.

Michael stared forward seeing hundreds to spirits now further away, and now heading without detour toward him. Entering the radius of the magic circle and moving up to heaven with a smile on their faces, now reverted their original appearance before they became shambled corpses. Michael smiled, seeing his effort bare fruit, then closed his eyes and leaned his head back, facing the night sky.

Michael's voice echoed and spread, yet beyond the immediate area and people around him, no one would hear him. No one living that is.

His voice travel far and wide along the astral side, reaching all the spirits in the graveyard. Those far away, and those buried deep and forgotten.

Then it extended further to all of Axel.

The song was melancholic, a song originally sang by solider about to meet their doom knowingly and willingly. Now it was being sang to guide the dead home to their peace.

Darkness grew quiet. She was a knight. A part of her resonated with the song, getting a feel of it's original purpose. She sat down facing Michael and quietly listened.

Megumin smiled, mentally reaffirming that her magic teacher of choice was the right now, as he could defeat even spirits. Too bad that he didn't do it with an explosion, but the song wasn't that bad, just too sad for her tastes. She turned to stare at her clanswoman, only to be startled to see Yunyun crying.

The shy Crimson Demon cried as she felt like Michael was singing from his soul. That he was singing this song because he was about to die and leave as well. It just felt like there was too much emotion in the song, for it to just be Michael casting a spell. It was only Megumin shaking Yunyun's shoulder that spanned the Arch Wizard out of it. Yunyun rubbed her tears away, and gave a smile to Megumin, only to be met with a sly smirk that promised that Megumin would bring this up later. Yunyun pouted.

Schwanhild wanted to watch the spirits being purified and moving to the afterlife. To examine the phenomena and understand it, so she can fulfill that duty well. Instead she found herself closing her eyes to listen more intently to the song. She felt...still.

The urge to move forward, to improve, to uncover evil and bash it with her staff, shine her light upon the world. To be the greatest Arch Priest of them all! It was all still there, but for now, she was still and present. She would fight evil tomorrow, for tonight she would listen and dream.

Cecily could see that there was more to Michael than he normally showed. Not just a powerful warrior and mage, but someone world-weary yet still trying to live, to be happy. With how her Lady Aqua felt safe and peaceful near him, Cecily wondered if their relationship was closer than she initially concluded of Goddess and Summoned Hero. It would be wise and respectful to step back then, and let her lady have what she desired even if she didn't know, or act on it yet.

"Nah," Cecily whispered and grinned, before slowly making her way to the other side of Michael and leaning against him, resting her head on his shoulder like her Lady Aqua.

The song continued, telling the spirits to come, so they may meet their mothers, the fathers, or their siblings. So they may head home, and find contentment. The Goddess Eris would find herself with a massive number of souls in needing of reincarnation that night, but that was her problem at that point.

"...I'm only going over home~."

Michael finished the song, opening his eyes to see the spirits of a father and son hugging before looking at him, smiling, and then glow and turn to light before heading upward.

Michael felt two bodies resting against him. First was Cecily to which Michael sighed and annoyance, which the Axis Priest heard, looked at while still resting her head on his shoulder and fluttered her eye lashed at him. Michael rolled his eyes, and rolled his shoulder to get her off. She didn't.

"Aqua," Michael ignored his failure with Cecily and gently patted Aqua's head. "Come on, we're done."

Aqua yawned and sat up straight, stretch her arms up. "Aaaaaah, good morning."

"It's still night, and did you seriously sleep?" Michael deadpanned, then used the arm from his Aqualess side to push Cecily's face away.

"Puuuu," Cecily let out a sound dramatically and let herself fall over.

"What? I can't help that your voice is soothing." Aqua said back.

"Michael, that was umm, surprising." Said Darkness.

"Yeah," Megumin agreed.

Before the others could comment, or Michael response a lone voice interrupted them.

"...elp me. I'm go...ven..."

The party spooked, but ready in Michael's case, looked up to see a pale figure heading toward them. Schwanhild was still sleeping.

"...I'm going...I'm going..."

The party stood quiet and alarmed. Weapons raised in case of Darkness and Michael, and except for those two everyone was ready to bolt. Schwanhild continued to sleep peacefully.

Finally the figure came into view. It was beautiful well-endowed woman with a curvaceous figure, having brown hair and eyes, wearing a long purple robe. She was heading toward the group seemingly against her will, and almost crying.

"Help me." She whined then tripped and fell flat in front of the party.

"Huh?" Michael blinked in surprise as he saw the woman would become see-through on occasion.

"Help me, I'm going to heaven." She cried out.

And that's how Michael and his party met Wiz.