KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! — What If Aqua Was Actually Useless? - A Goddess's Miraculous Cup of Water

[Individual Name: Satou Kazuma] [Cause of Death: Run over by a tractor] [Mental State at Time of Death: It hurts, it's embarrassing, I don't want to die] "...What?" When I came to, I was standing in a pure white void. Nothing beneath my feet. Nothing above my head either. An endless expanse of white. My entire field of vision was covered in a flat, featureless light. I didn't know where this was. But one thing was crystal clear. (Ah. I died.) My whole body felt cold. The sensation in my fingertips was distant. I couldn't hear my heartbeat. I wasn't even sure if I was breathing. And yet, my consciousness was strangely sharp. It felt odd—like the moment right after waking from a long dream. "Mumble mumble... hehe." A voice. I turned around, and there she stood—a girl. Long, light-blue hair swayed gently in the light. Her deep blue eyes were so moist they looked about to spill over with tears. She was on the short side, maybe around five foot two. She wore a fluffy white outfit, with a round ornament on her head. But what really caught my attention was her expression. She was desperately trying to hold back laughter. Both hands pressed over her mouth, shoulders trembling in small spasms, tears even welling up at the corners of her eyes. "...Are you laughing?" When I spoke, she shook her head vigorously. "I'm not laughing. I'm not laughing at all. Hehe... I'm sorry, just a little, just a tiny little bit." "You're totally laughing." "But, but you know, a tractor? In all my thousands of years as a goddess, you're the first human I've ever seen who got run over by a tractor and died. Hehe, ahaha!" She finally couldn't hold it in anymore. She doubled over, clutching her stomach and howling with laughter. Loud and unabashed, wiping tears from her eyes as she cackled. Listening to that laughter, I felt anger slowly bubbling up inside me. (Is it my fault I got run over by a tractor?) No. That was unavoidable. I was just trying to save a girl who happened to be passing by. In the end, she was fine, and I died. What part of that is funny? "...Hey, you said you're a goddess?" "Yes, that's right. I'm Aqua. Aqua, the Goddess of Water. My job is to guide the dead. ...Pfft, sorry, I'm still laughing." "You laugh way too much. If you're a goddess, shouldn't you have a more solemn aura or something?" "Oh, how rude! I can be proper when I need to be. Here, look closely. At this divine radiance!" Aqua spread both arms wide. I thought something would happen, but nothing did. She was just standing there in the white void. "...Nothing's happening." "Huh? That's strange. Normally, a halo should appear right about now." She tilted her head. That gesture was so oddly human that my irritation fizzled out. "Anyway, moving on. Satou Kazuma-kun. Unfortunately, you've died. And so, from here, you have two choices." "Choices?" "One: go to heaven and spend your time in leisure. It's boring, but there's no hardship. The other: reincarnate into another world and become an adventurer. That one's tough, but it's fun." I crossed my arms and thought it over. (Heaven, or another world.) In my previous life, I was a seventeen-year-old shut-in. I didn't go to high school. I holed up in my room playing games all day. No friends. No girlfriend. No dreams for the future. That was my life. As I was dying, I thought: Maybe I could have done more. Maybe there was a different way to live. But honestly, lounging around in heaven didn't sound bad either. No hardship is the best. I want an easy life. "...What's the other world like?" "You want to know? You want to know, right? Fine, I'll tell you!" Aqua's eyes lit up, and she began explaining with animated gestures. "The other world is called Axelsphere. A world made up of a central continent and surrounding islands. Magic is highly developed there, and adventurers challenge the Abyss Labyrinth. You'll be going to Axel—a trading city. Population forty-five thousand. A lively place." "Huh." "And Axel has an Adventurer's Guild where anyone can register. The fee is five silver coins. Ranks go from F to S, and you'll start at E-rank. You complete quests, earn money, and get stronger." "Hmm. So do I get some kind of special power or something?" "Of course! When you reincarnate, you can bring one thing of your choosing. A weapon, magic, a special ability—anything you want!" I thought for a moment, then said: "...You." "Huh?" "I'm taking you. Aqua, I'm taking you." Aqua's face went blank. Then, as the meaning sank in, her face turned bright red. "W-wait, hold on. You're taking me? Me? W-why?! I'm a goddess, you know! I'm not something you can just pack in a bag!" "Don't care. You laughed at me, remember? That's your punishment. Come with me to the other world." "Th-that's so unfair! I still have work to do! My duty as a goddess to guide the dead!" "Not my problem. You shouldn't have laughed." "You're horrible! Just terrible! Hey, reconsider! Come on, I'll give you a strong weapon instead, or a cheat ability, or something like that!" "Don't want it. You'll do." I grinned. (Serves you right. That's what you get for laughing at me.) And so, my life in another world with Aqua began. ——— "Wow...! Amazing, this is amazing, Kazuma-kun! Look at that building! And those stalls! Something smells so good!" "Shut up. Don't make a racket first thing in the morning." The city of Axel was livelier than I'd imagined. People bustled along the cobblestone streets. Merchants called out to customers at the top of their lungs, children ran around, and adventurer-looking types emerged from taverns, stretching. The sky was blue, and the ridgeline of distant mountains stood out sharply. (So this is Axel.) I looked down at myself. A greenish adventurer's outfit, cheap leather chest guard and knee pads. A short sword at my hip. My scrawny seventeen-year-old body was the same as in my previous life. My black hair still had the same bedhead. "Kazuma-kun, Kazuma-kun! There's something over there! Let's go check it out!" "Ah, shut up. You're a goddess, aren't you? Act more composed." "But it's my first time in another world! Isn't it fun? Aren't you excited?" "Not really. I want to find an inn and sleep." "You're no fun. And here we are at the start of a grand adventure." Aqua pouted. That expression was so childlike that I sighed. (Is she really a goddess?) As the two of us walked, a particularly large building came into view. Three stories, wooden, with a sign showing a sword and shield at the entrance. "That's the Adventurer's Guild, huh." "That's right. Come on, let's go! Your adventurer debut!" Aqua grabbed my hand and pulled me inside. ——— The inside of the guild was bigger than I'd expected. Quest notices covered one entire wall, with a crowd of adventurers gathered in front of it. At the counter in the back, a woman who looked like a receptionist was seated. "Welcome. How may I help you today?" The receptionist greeted us with a soft smile. Her brown hair was tied back in a single bundle, and she had the calm beauty of someone around twenty. "Um, I'd like to register as an adventurer." "Certainly. Please fill out this form with the necessary information. The registration fee is five silver coins." I filled out the form as instructed. Name, age, race, desired rank. I'd barely ever filled out paperwork in my previous life, but I managed to finish. "Thank you. Here is your adventurer's card. Satou Kazuma-sama, you are registered as E-rank." "E-rank, huh. Well, I guess that's how it goes at the start." "Kazuma-kun, amazing! Now we're adventurers too! Come on, let's take a quest right away!" Aqua's eyes sparkled as she ran over to the quest board. "Which one should we pick? Oh, how about this one? Goblin extermination! Reward is ten silver coins! It says it's for beginners!" "You're really fired up. But before that, there's something I want to confirm." "What?" "What can you actually do? You're a goddess, right? You've got some amazing power or something, yeah?" Aqua puffed out her chest. "Of course! I'm Aqua, the Goddess of Water! When it comes to manipulating water, no one in the heavens can match me!" "Then show me. Right now." "Fine. Watch this!" Aqua thrust both hands forward. "O water, answer my call, and show here your purest flow! Aqua Creation!" I expected something to happen. But nothing did. No—to be precise, a tiny trickle of water dripped from her palm. About a cup's worth. And it stopped almost immediately. "...What?" I couldn't believe my eyes. "Huh? Huh huh? That's strange. It's supposed to come out in a big whoosh." Aqua chanted the same spell again. "Aqua Creation!" This time, a little spurt of water came out. Less than before. "W-why?! Why does it only come out in such a tiny bit?!" "Are you really a goddess?" "I am! A genuine, bona fide goddess! It must be the effect of coming to this world—my power just isn't coming out properly!" "Then what about healing magic? If you're a goddess, you can at least use healing magic, right?" "Of course! Leave it to me! O light of healing, envelop the wounded and restore their body! Heal!" Aqua held her hand out toward the receptionist. The next moment, the receptionist's hair got slightly damp. "...Um, is something the matter?" The receptionist touched her damp hair with a puzzled look. "No way... my Heal just... got her hair wet..." Aqua crouched down on the spot. Shoulders shaking, she began to sob. The adventurers around us were watching and laughing. "Hey, look at that. That woman just made a tiny bit of water." "Healing magic that only wets hair—what kind of spell is that?" "A goddess? Don't make me laugh." I could hear the mockery. I looked down at Aqua, crouched on the floor. (So she really is useless, huh.) "...Hey, how long are you going to cry? Get up." "But, but... this isn't how it was supposed to be. When I was in heaven, I could use way more power..." "Don't care. Crying won't bring your power back. Come on, get up." I grabbed Aqua's arm and forced her to her feet. Her face was a mess of tears and snot. "Are you all right?" It was the receptionist from before. She was wiping her damp hair, wearing a gentle smile. "Ah, sorry about that. She did something weird." "No, please don't worry about it. More importantly, what are you two planning to do now? If you'd like, I can introduce you to a beginner-friendly quest." "...Please do." The receptionist pulled out a quest notice. "This is a goblin extermination request for the first floor of the Abyss Labyrinth. The reward is ten silver coins. It's well within the capabilities of E-rank adventurers." "The Abyss Labyrinth—you mean that underground dungeon?" "Yes. A massive labyrinth that spreads beneath Axel. It has twelve floors in total. Floors one through three are for beginners, four through seven for veterans, and anything below the eighth is called the domain of death. For the two of you, I'd suggest building experience on the first floor first." "I see. Thank you." "Not at all. Please be careful. ...Ah, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Luna, a receptionist here. If you ever need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." Luna smiled brightly. That smile was oddly warm, and I felt just a little bit saved. ——— The entrance to the Abyss Labyrinth was on the north side of town. A massive cave mouth gaped open. Cold air and a faint animal smell drifted out from within. "Hey, Kazuma-kun. Am I really that useless...?" Aqua's shoulders slumped dejectedly. "Well, even if it's just a trickle of water, it'd be handy when you're thirsty." "That's not comforting at all!" "Shut up. Let's just go. If we don't earn living expenses, we won't have a place to stay tonight." I drew my short sword and stepped into the labyrinth. The first floor was a cave full of rocks. Glowing moss grew on the walls, dimly illuminating the surroundings. The air was damp, and the sou

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Name: KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! — What If Aqua Was Actually Useless?
Author: Novelia

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