CHAPTER 349: CHAPTER 349 ⤞ NEWS OF THE DEVIL KING’S ARMY

"Waaah—! Uwaah—! Aah—! Aaaaaaah—!!!"

Heart-wrenching cries, filled with endless grievance.

Aqua had been like this ever since returning from the hot spring. She clung to Adam, tears and snot flowing freely.

She looked like someone who had been bullied, but in reality, she was the one who had done wrong.

She had actually purified the Axis Cult Cathedral’s Main Spring!

As a Goddess, her characteristic was to purify any water that touched her body. Aqua had turned the hot spring into ordinary hot water, which was why those people were hostile toward her.

"It’s so unfair—! Why—?!" Aqua howled with incomprehensible loudness, "I’m a Goddess, aren’t I? Why did I have to be kicked out of the church that worships me?! Hey, why—?!"

She raised her small face, glaring with swollen red eyes at Adam as if he were the one who had thrown her out.

"...Even if you say that, it’s not my fault, is it?" Adam wiped her tears, comforting her, "Blame those people for failing to recognize greatness. They just lack insight."

"Exactly!" Aqua continued shouting. "And...! What infuriates me most is that I tried to explain to that manager, ’Sorry, turning the hot spring into hot water was my fault, but it couldn’t be helped... That’s right! I am the Goddess you worship—the water Goddess Aqua!’... As a result, that manager... He... he just snorted at me with a ’Hmph!’...!

I... I am a Goddess—! To be a Goddess yet mocked by my own followers... Waaah—!!!!"

Isn’t it because your explanation was problematic!

Anyone who hears that the culprit who purified their hot spring into hot water claims to be the Goddess they worship would laugh at you!

I think he didn’t hit you only because you’re the High Priestess of the Axis Cult.

"Waaah—!!!! Adam—!!!" She cried heartbreakingly.

It makes sense; having her own followers not believe she’s a Goddess is the greatest injury to her pride.

"Wait, isn’t this Aqua’s fault in the first place?" Megumin held a different opinion, looking at Aqua, "It’s all because you accidentally purified the hot spring into hot water, so the manager despised you... isn’t that right?"

"This isn’t my fault!" Aqua defended herself loudly, "Listen to me properly! I didn’t purify the hot spring pool by choice! Even with Darkness’s high-quality bubble bath that she keeps in her mansion bathroom, I’ve tried putting all the bubble bath in the tub, but it still gets purified by me in no time! So of course that hot spring would be purified by me too!"

Hey, is your defense actually a confession?

"Aqua... that bubble bath was something Darkness managed to get shipped from the capital with great difficulty... and you wasted it like that?"

"Ugh... I’m sorry, I’m sorry!"

Adam pinched Aqua’s cheeks and only let go after she acknowledged her mistake.

After being released, she continued, "But it’s strange... even with my extraordinary purification ability, it took a considerable amount of time to purify the Axis Cult’s secret hot spring."

"Is there another problem?" Yunyun asked.

"It’s a big problem!"

Aqua suddenly stuck her finger into the freshly brewed tea that Adam had made, and in an instant, the fragrant cup of tea was purified into plain hot water.

"See, this is the speed at which I purify water sources." She licked her moistened fingertip and continued explaining her theory to everyone, "As you can see, it happens instantly like this. However, that hot spring took a considerable amount of time, which proves it was severely contaminated...

By the way, haven’t you all heard? ’Rumors all over town about the sudden deterioration of hot spring quality’ or something like that. This must be the work of the Devil King’s Army, who sees our Axis Cult as a thorn in their side!

They must have realized they couldn’t defeat us head-on, so they’re trying to destroy the Axis Cult’s most important source of income—the hot springs—through such underhanded methods!"

"How frightening..." they both muttered.

"Believe me!" Seeing Megumin and Yunyun’s dismissive attitudes, Aqua immediately slammed the table in protest.

Only Adam knew that there really was a Devil King’s Army member here: Hans, one of the Devil King’s Army’s eight Generals — the Deadly Poison Slime.

This villain was here to destroy the Axis Cult’s hot springs.

Hmm? You ask how Adam knew?

That’s thanks to the intelligence provided by Vanir, the [late] Devil General.

Look, as a resident of Axel, what’s wrong with providing some information to its lord? Moreover, the Goddess his lord worships is the same Goddess of the Axis Cult that’s about to face danger.

Of course, to make the Dungeon construction more perfect, he also received a small payment for this: ξ100,000,000.

This was a win-win situation; he had no reason not to do it.

After receiving this intelligence, Adam conveniently suggested going to the hot springs. Using the excuse of "promoting team bonding", he brought them and Wiz to this hot spring town to confront the Deadly Poison Slime Hans.

The purpose was quite simple: raise their reputation, save Arcanletia, and claim the substantial reward.

Running a town requires significant funds. Axel is the town farthest from the capital, and even though many adventurers and merchants have been visiting recently, it’s still not enough to boost its economy.

So... For the villagers to live better lives, to save Arcanletia, to increase our reputation — we’ll have to sacrifice you, Hans.

Just as Adam was about to tell them there was Devil King’s Army in this town, Kazuma rushed in from outside once again.

"Adam-senpai, we’ve got trouble—!"

"...Your senpai is fine right now, what’s the matter again?"

"Huff, huff... listen to me, Adam-senpai! I just got reliable information at the mixed bath!" Kazuma, catching his breath, shouted to everyone, "The Devil King’s Army! There are people suspected to be from the Devil King’s Army plotting to destroy this town’s hot springs!... Hey, wait, Aqua, Megumin, Yunyun, and Wiz, what’s with those expressions?"

"I can’t believe Pervzuma actually went to the mixed bath."

"Hmph, that’s just like scumzuma."

"Um... I also think it’s not good for Mr. Kazuma to go to such places."

"I... I think so too."

He thought this explosive news would make them panic, but instead, their expressions showed only disgust at his visit to the mixed bath.

"...That’s not the issue right now—!!!!"

Kazuma was filled with endless grievance.

✧✧✧

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