Megumin x Male Reader

Chapter 34: Catching a Thief 101

(I'm back, baby! It took, what, 4 months, but I finally finished this chapter. I thank thee for thy patience. So, I'm not gonna lie, but it's become really difficult to write for some reason. I mean that physically. I make more mistakes while writing than I used to, to the point where I need to fix a word after every five words. Sometimes multiple times. And it really adds up. And it becomes frustrating. But anyway, this chapter is really long at a whopping 13k words. Could have been longer, but I decided the end chapters based on the light novel rather than the anime. Anyway, enough yapping, get to reading.)

The party was led inside the villa by Alderp himself, much to his annoyance. In front of the front door, the party stood in front of the noble, who had his back turned towards them.

Alderp: "So... You came to my place without hesitation?"

The corrupt noble turned to look at the party, his arms crossed.

Kazuma: "Yeah, reluctantly."

Y/N: "Reluctantly in the sense that we don't want anything to do with you."

Kazuma: "Please shut up, you're not making things easier."

Alderp's expression turned angrier, causing his triple chin to grow larger. Although it was mostly hidden by his ruff. (A ruff is that thing he has around his neck.)

As Kazuma slumped his shoulders forward, Aqua spoke up from behind him.

Aqua: "Seriously, Kazuma, do you have a fatal allergy to not getting wrapped up in trouble? I guess I'm stuck helping you, but you're in no position to whine about me anymore! Because you're just as bad! Just as bad, Kazuma!"

Megumin: "Indeed he is! And he can hardly refer to us as troublemakers anymore, can he? Granted, as his friends, we will gladly help him instead of leaving him to his own devices!"

For whatever reason, Megumin said that in a very smug tone and expression.

Y/N: "Yes, Kazuma is truly troublesome. It's beyond me how he manages to get all of us in trouble. I even tried to stop him, to... Really, he's hopeless."

Kazuma: 'Okay, that earned him more teasing about being awful at romance.'

Now that everyone except Darkness had gotten a turn to bully Kazuma, Alderp's eyes landed on Darkness.

And stayed on her for a long while, almost as if he was imagining her naked right then and there.

Despite empathizing with him for finding her erotic, Kazuma looked at him with a small glare. Noticing it, Alderp gave him a cold look.

The fatso's eyes moved on to Aqua, albeit half-heartedly.

Aqua squeaked softly and hid behind Kazuma.

Alderp: "... Oh... Oh! As expected of Lady Dustiness' companion, how beautiful! Your beauty rival's that of a goddess!"

Aqua: "What do you mean rivals, I am a goddess! I am one!"

Aqua's head poked out from behind Kazuma, shouting in protest.

Alderp: "Ha, not only is your beauty exemplary, your sense of humor is great, as well!"

Aqua: "Just wait for your divine retribution!"

Treating that as a joke too, Alderp laughed before looking at Megumin.

Much like during Kazuma's trial when he did the same thing, Y/N stepped in front of Megumin, as if to shield her from the ugly bastard's leer.

Without showing it, Megumin felt thankful for Y/N.