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Book 6: Chapter 47:1: Steal? Master, I Choose You! Part 1

Due to Satou Kazuma’s knowledge of the future and his instincts, he did his best to prevent that fool Aqua from unleashing a flood when they faced the Dullahan.

[TL Note: This is the Dullahan, a headless undead knight, in question. He is one of the Demon King’s generals: /wiki/Beldia.]

“Just go ahead and flood the place, but consider the consequences of submerging the entire town.”

Since Aqua refrained from causing a flood, Satou Kazuma and his party avoided having to compensate the town for damages. Consequently, they collected the entire reward for defeating the Demon King’s subordinates, which amounted to billions of eris.

Moreover, in the recent battle with the mobile fortress, although the adventurers and the Adventurers’ Association were unaware that Chen Heng had created the black hole, let alone that Satou Kazuma had invited him there, Satou Kazuma’s two party members, Aqua and Megumin, played a crucial role in the fight. Hence, they were sure to receive a substantial reward.

“Have you heard that Giant Toad meat is exceptionally delicious?” Chen Heng asked Satou Kazuma as they strolled toward the beginner’s village.

“Oh yes, it’s incredibly tasty. A delicacy! Chen Heng, we acquired a lot of Giant Toad meat this time thanks to you.”

Walking ahead with Chen Heng, Satou Kazuma occasionally glanced back at the three female party members lugging enormous bags.

Chen Heng wasn’t particularly interested in the Giant Toads he had dissected, but Satou Kazuma’s team, used to tough living conditions, wasted nothing.

Due to the Giant Toads’ humongous size, they had packed only the most delicious hind leg meat.

[TL Note: To those who have never tried frog meat, I totally agree that the hind leg meat is the best. Frog legs is a dish found in Singapore and certain parts of China. In my opinion, it tastes similar to chicken but is more tender. Unfortunately, there isn’t much meat on frogs.]

Satou Kazuma had no intention of helping the women lighten their load as he looked at them.

After all, Darkness was a knight, and such heavy lifting was naturally her responsibility. Megumin had volunteered to handle the luggage before joining the party. As for Aqua…

Moreover, Satou Kazuma currently played the role of a thief in the team. When had anyone seen a thief carrying heavy items?

In truth, Satou Kazuma was just being lazy while hoping to maintain an air of chivalry. He might as well be rooting for Sirin to take Chen Heng by force; that would probably be more likely.

But Chen Heng couldn’t stand by and watch, so he used his ability to help them carry their luggage and relieve their exhaustion.

“Big Brother, once we reach the restaurant, shall we ask the chef to turn our Giant Toad harvest into a delicious meal and enjoy it with some sparkling wine?”

“Sure. I look forward to that delicious meal, but I’ll pass on the wine.”

“Why not? Can adventurers even be called adventurers if they don’t drink?”

“I’m just a little over 18. I’m still a child; I can’t drink,” Chen Heng said, defending his abstinence.

In reality, Chen Heng could handle alcohol but simply disliked it. Whether it was spirits, beer, wine, or any other type of alcohol, he had little taste for it. He hadn’t drunk much even in his previous future, according to what he saw with his Absolute Precognition.

“…” Satou Kazuma couldn’t argue with such a solid reason. Besides, he wasn’t 18 yet; according to Japanese law, he could not drink legally, either. However, being in another world had made him less concerned with adhering to his world’s legal drinking age.

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“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

Chen Heng raised his glass and clinked it with Satou Kazuma’s party. They downed their drinks, savoring the taste.

This world’s sparkling wine seemed more like a beverage than traditional alcohol, despite it containing alcohol.

After the toast, Chen Heng sampled the Giant Toad hind leg meat.

“Mmm! Delicious, very tender with great texture,” Chen Heng complimented, nodding. The food was delightful, although the chef’s skills were only average. However, he couldn’t ask for more.

“By the way, Kazuma, can you give me half of the remaining Giant Toad meat? I want to take it back for my master to try.”

While Chen Heng knew his master had spiced up his breakfast with wasabi (otherwise, he wouldn’t have barely touched it before coming to this world; Satou Kazuma’s matter was not that urgent, after all), he held no grudges, considering it a harmless prank. He even thought of sharing this newfound delicacy with his master.

Chen Heng was genuinely pleased to see his master’s change. It signaled a level of intimacy where Fu Hua felt comfortable playing pranks. After all, Fu Hua had a tough time in her original world, so why not enjoy herself after the world merger?

He’d decided: after returning, he would test the Steal skill he would learn from Satou Kazuma on Fu Hua.

Chen Heng’s curiosity was genuine, with no ulterior motives. Absolutely none. Trust is fundamental in any relationship.

The filial Chen Heng—a role model—respected his master.

“Ah! Immortal Fu Hua, right? Sure, Big Brother, you’ve helped us so much, and most of the Giant Toads were your kills. These are your legitimate spoils.” Satou Kazuma understood clearly that Chen Heng had contributed the most and taken the least.

Satou Kazuma glanced at his party members, and they all nodded in agreement.

“Sure! Mister Chen Heng has been a great help to us, so he deserves this frog meat,” commented Darkness, demonstrating her aristocratic demeanor when it mattered.

“It’s just frog meat, right? Take it. How many eris do you think we’ll get from dealing with the mobile fortress?” Aqua’s thoughts were focused entirely on the rewards, and she cared little about the frog meat.

As the sole individual responsible for dismantling the mobile fortress’s barrier, Aqua was bound to receive a substantial reward. Since it was a team effort, the rewards might be split four ways, but didn’t they have Megumin?

Among the four members, apart from Chen Heng, three had made significant contributions: Aqua handled the barrier, Megumin and Wiz were in charge of firepower, and Darkness, standing at the forefront, could be credited as half a contributor.

Rewards! Rewards! Hehehe!

“Hey, Chen Heng, why not become an arch wizard?” Megumin asked, shifting her attention from the frog meat to promoting her explosion magic. “I can teach you explosion magic. Explosion magic is incredibly powerful.”

“I’m currently an adventurer, and I don’t have enough skill points to level up in explosion magic,” Chen Heng declined while shaking his head.

Compared to explosion magic, summoning a meteorite from the sky would undoubtedly have greater destructive power. Right now, Chen Heng didn’t lack firepower; he was more interested in these peculiar abilities and why they could be bestowed upon adventurers.

Spending skill points to learn skills was just too strange, wasn’t it?

However, judging from the anime, learning skills would also alter certain aspects of one’s body, something like magic circuits?

Chen Heng wasn’t concerned about not having them as a person from another world. After all, wasn’t Satou Kazuma from another world too?