Unleash the Chuunibyou!

Chapter 44: Deal

"Hey, what's the big hurry?!" Gib asked as he hurriedly followed Fumiko as they walked through the streets of Algus. "You aren't going to be rushing like this all of the time, are you?"

"Alright." Fumiko, now that she'd had a chance to get over having the idea of a party thrown at her, sighed as she figured that she'd better do things properly.

"Alright what?" Gib asked before slowing down as Fumiko had stopped, turned towards him and bowed slightly.

"I'm sorry for the way I've been acting but it's just that I have a lot on my mind right now." She apologized to him before looking up and striking a pose. "I am she who has fallen into the icy abyss and returned stronger. I am Kagome Fumiko, Master of Magic and Seeker of Hope!"

"Uh... We've already introduced ourselves." He said while looking at her blankly.

"Yeah, but I didn't do a very good job of it." She replied. "And you said that you're a knight, right? What do you specialize in?"

"I'm good at both cavalry practice and archery but I specialize in swordsmanship. Mainly with a sword and shield combination but I can use two-handed swords too." Gib smiled while explaining. "I don't really have a mount at the moment though so I'll be on the ground until I get one."

"Saying on your feet would probably be best for now anyway." She nodded as she spoke.

"What about you? I don't see you carrying any weapons either... Do you need to buy some too?"

"I'm a ranged attacker specializing in destroying targets at medium to long ranges." Fumiko answered. "And you don't see my weapon because I use magic."

"Magic?" Gib asked in return as a flicker of doubt crossed his face.

"You'll see when I do it." She stated evenly as she didn't have time to demonstrate at the moment. "But as for why I'm in a hurry, since you're going to be in a party with me, then I'll tell you now that I have a destiny."

"Doesn't everyone?" He asked curiously.

"Perhaps, but mine is more... Hectic, than a normal person's." Fumiko explained. "What I'm trying to say is that, while I don't know when this will happen most of the time, I will have to leave for days, weeks or maybe even months at a time. Not to mention that I won't always be at Algus."

"So what you're trying to say is that you might disappear randomly and for random lengths of time?" Gib now looked even more uncertain. "That doesn't sound very reliable."

"Yeah, but unfortunately I won't be able to help it. I'm just letting you know what you're getting into and who you're getting involved with." She replied.

"Okay...But why is telling me this the reason that you're in a hurry?" He asked.

"Because one of those times if fast approaching and I need to level up as much as I can before it happens or I might die." She answered honestly.

"Wait, your destiny is that dangerous?!" He asked in shock.

"Of course it is. I'm not the type of person who would just abandon my fellow adventurers for nothing." She sighed. "But now that you know, can we hurry now? If need be then I'll explain more later."

"You're weird, you know that?" He said after a few moments of silence before grunting to himself afterward. "But sure. So long as you explain what needs to be explained when the time comes then I guess I'll accept your explanation for now."

"Great! Then what are you going to get? A blade large enough to cleave any who stand against you or a shield that protects all you hold dear?" She asked.

"Uh..."

"A two-handed sword or a sword and shield?" Fumiko lowered her tone as she explained her question.

"Ah, I'm thinking I'll pick a sword and shield this time. After all, it's what I'm best with and dire rat nests are supposed to be tight caves and I wouldn't be able to fight very well with a long blade." Gib answered. 

"Their nests are underground but they don't go very deep below and I'm hoping that we can kill most of them before they even realize that we're there. But should my attack fail then we'll probably be meeting them out in the open." Fumiko explained.

"How are we going to kill them without them knowing that we're there?" Gib asked while confused.

"I have a way to spread fire quickly and I was planning on starting a large fire in their nest and cooking most of them while they're sleeping during the day." She continued to explain as the two started walking through the streets again. "With any luck we can burn most of them and finish off any survivors as they try to escape."

"That sounds like a plan to me." Gib smiled broadly as he replied right before they walked into a large weapon store that had its wooden walls lined with so many different blades and axes that they seemed almost like a second wall. And with the single support beam in the center being covered by empty suits of armor, Fumiko felt severally out of place as this wasn't her kind of store at all. Her new party member, however, seemed like he was in heaven as he dashed around to nearly every corner of the store while almost drooling in excitement. And all the while he was looking at things, the boy was rambling about what he was looking at, listing off several fighting styles that each weapon used as well as explaining which situations that they were best used in.

While Fumiko honestly couldn't care less about what she was hearing, she couldn't help but to memorize all of what Gib was spewing as her earring was still affecting her. And by the time he finally found a short sword and buckler that he wanted, she figured that he knew the uses and at least part of the histories of just about everything in the store. But now that she'd helped him pay for everything, they finally left the weapons store and continued to shop for provisions just like he'd wanted. And while she only got a few preserved meals that she could fit inside of her satchel, Gib ended up getting an entire backpack stuffed full of things like food, water skins, rope and even a bed roll.

While Fumiko thought that she could actually provide most of what the boy was buying, she thought against doing everything for him since it wasn't guaranteed that they'd always be together and he needed to have his own supplies. And while she didn't mind him getting all of his equipment, it was still her money that he was spending and she had to stop him from getting several pointless things that he wanted such as a portable juicer and a really long pillow which he seemed determined to get. Though when they eventually finished and Gib's new backpack was stuffed full of equipment, they were ready to go and began to leave the city.

"Thanks again for this. I'll pay you back soon, I promise." Gib spoke with a smile as they walked through the city's southern gate. "Now I'll be able to go on a lot more quests and be able to return all of the living expenses that my dad gave me... I'm finally free."

"Free?" Fumiko asked curiously.

"I- It's nothing. It's just that life as the third son of an important noble isn't all that fun." He explained. "But nevermind that, we need to focus on the task at hand."

"Yeah." She agreed since, after following the wall, she was fairly sure that they'd reached the target of their subjugation.