INTERLUDE: SCENE 2

—A Troubled Lonely Girl—

"Listen to me! If you are looking for a companion, I have a good recommendation! There is an excellent spearman by the name of Rein Chelka in this town! He should be the youngest Dragon Knight from the neighboring country. He's very famous…"

"Don't you find it suspicious? Anyway, if he is so famous, why is he adventuring in the Rookie town? By the way, do you know what he looks like?"

"Hm… Uh… I don't know what he looks like, but I heard that he is of noble birth! Except for those who bought their status with money, nobles should have blond hair and blue eyes! That's right. Just find a polite handsome guy with blond hair and blue eyes!"

The noisy conversation echoed in the Adventurer's Guild.

Upon closer examination, a girl with a spear on her back was arguing with a girl who looked like a thief.

Both of them were about my age.

"Excellent spearman, huh? Blond hair is very conspicuous. Anyway, I want a mage or priest. If you see someone like that, please persuade the person."

A young man with a magic sword was talking cheerfully with them.

It seemed all three of them were in one party.

Anyway, that guy said he was looking for a mage or priest just now…

This was my chance.

If I continued to be passive, the distance between me and Megumin would only widen.

I had given up on adventurers coming over to talk to me. If I didn't act now, I would regret it later.

I could not accept being inferior to Megumin forever!

I made my decision and stood up, walking over to the guy with the magic sword…!

"Heh—!"

"Ha—!"

… After coming close to the guy, I turned back as I was afraid of the threatening gestures of the other two girls.

—This wouldn't do.

I was a lonely coward, destined to be Number Two forever.

Just then.

"—Little girl, what is troubling you? Despite how I look, I'm still a priest. If you don't mind, I'll listen to your problems."

As I sprawled on the table in despair over yet another failure to find companions, a beautiful onee-san came and talked to me.

That onee-san was wearing a blue priestly robe, so she is probably an Axis Cultist.

On the way to this town, I was troubled by the Axis Cultists, so I didn't want to get involved with her, but…

"… After coming to this town, something that should have been easily resolved was unexpectedly difficult, so I was very troubled…"

Unwittingly, I confessed my problem to the onee-san.

Even though the other person belonged to the Axis Cult, feared by everyone for their unrestrained behavior.

The onee-san quietly listened to my problem and then said.

"No problem. Lady Aqua will help you."

Hearing her kind words, I couldn't help but raise my head.

As I looked at her respectfully, she immediately took out a piece of paper.

She gently handed the paper to me. It was something I had seen before.

An Axis Cult Recruitment Form.

"Come. If you join Axis Cult, you will definitely meet someone good…!"

The onee-san's attitude suddenly changed and forced me to receive the paper…!

"T-Too much… That's indeed the Axis Cult to take advantage of a kid's depression. Rescuing someone from the quicksand in order to kick the person off the cliff! Look at her happy expression!"

"Their doctrines teach them to do things that annoy others. Unbelievable… But that kid still won't…"

The people in the distance said as they observed our situation.

I clutched the recruitment form tightly.

"I want to join the Axis Cult! If I do that… If I do that, I can make friends and find companions, right!?"

"Eh!" X3

Hearing my decision, even the big sister from the Axis Cult was surprised.