Hanasaka Warabi was somewhat excited.
Although she brought two bears with her and seemed to have adapted well,
It would be a lie to say she didn't miss her subordinates back there, who were always clumsy but very obedient...
Especially when things quieted down at night.
"Of course."
Heimer nodded, giving an affirmative reply.
"Go ahead."
"While Hestia hasn't returned yet."
Heimer glanced at the wall clock.
"From here to The Hostess of Fertility, that glutton will definitely linger there for a while—ordering food, waiting for it, maybe even chatting with the staff about gossip."
"Plus the travel time back."
"You probably have about an hour."
"One hour is enough for you to go back for a look, grab a few things, or..."
Heimer smiled.
"Or even just to stand on familiar ground and breathe the air over there for a bit."
"Go see what you can do."
Receiving definite permission,
The group was momentarily dazed.
"I want... to go back and get my spare comb."
"And... and I want to hear the wind over there."
"I want to go back and see if my manga are still there!"
Rin was already jumping up excitedly.
"I left in too much of a hurry last time, I didn't bring many of the limited editions!"
"And my snacks!"
"My supply is almost gone these past few days."
Excitement bloomed on the faces of the women.
"Then what are you waiting for?"
Seeing their appearance,
Heimer couldn't help but chuckle.
He didn't waste any more time with pleasantries and directly extended his hand toward the empty area in the center of the hall, making a gentle swipe.
"Vwoom—"
Following a spatial ripple,
An oval gate, about two meters high and emitting a soft white light, appeared out of thin air in the center of the hall.
Through that gate,
They could vaguely see the wooden school buildings under the starry sky.
"This... this is..."
"So amazing..."
Although it wasn't the first time they had seen it,
The women still let out a burst of sincere awe.
This power to casually tear space and cross worlds,
No matter how many times they witnessed it, it always left them shaken.
This was their Lord God.
"Hurry up and go."
Heimer urged, pointing at the light gate.
"Stop spacing out."
"Remember, only one hour."
"After one hour, no matter what you are doing, you must return."
"This gate cannot be maintained for long, and if Hestia suddenly returns early, explaining things will be very troublesome."
"Yes!"
The women responded in unison,
Their voices full of energy.
...
In the blink of an eye.
The once lively hall became empty and quiet once more.
That light gate still hung suspended there quietly, emitting a faint glow.
However.
The hall wasn't actually occupied only by Lord Heimdall.
There was another figure.
—— Kirukiru Amou.
She was still sitting on that single-person sofa.
Her long legs, clad in black stockings, were crossed, one hand propping up her chin, her expression lazy.
She hadn't even glanced at the light gate.
As if all that had nothing to do with her.
"Aren't you going back to take a look?"
Lord Heimdall walked over and sat down on the long sofa where Hestia had been lying earlier. He casually picked up the pot of tea on the table that hadn't yet cooled and poured himself a cup.
The tea flowed into the cup.
"To me, all that is just the past."
Upon hearing this, Kirukiru Amou rose from the single-person sofa.
In that instant.
Her previously lazy aura instantly dissipated, replaced by a sharpness akin to an unsheathed blade.
Step by step, she walked towards Lord Heimdall.
Her feet stepped on the floor.
Step by step, she walked until she stood right in front of Lord Heimdall.
"I have already received the god's Falna, and I have seen the vastness of this world."
"What's the point of going back to that narrow world that couldn't even let me have my fill of excitement?"
At this point.
Kirukiru Amou leaned down.
She placed her hands on the sofa backrest on either side of Lord Heimdall, encircling him entirely within her shadow.
Her exquisitely beautiful, Japanese-style face drew closer and closer until their noses were almost touching.
He could even clearly feel the warmth of her breath, carrying a hint of a unique, subtle fragrance.
"So, compared to that..."
Kirukiru Amou's gaze slowly drifted downward.
Lord Heimdall's reflection was mirrored in her black pupils.
And a flame called "desire" was burning fiercely within them.
"Oh God."
"Since they've all left."
"Isn't it my turn now?"
"Your turn?"
Lord Heimdall didn't dodge or push her away. He merely calmly raised his teacup and took a shallow sip.
"Do you also want something?"
"Don't play dumb, God. That's not like you at all."
Kirukiru Amou let out a light laugh. She extended a finger and gently hooked a strand of Lord Heimdall's black hair, winding it around her fingertip.
"You know what I want isn't those things meant to pacify children."
"Last night..."
Mentioning this, Kirukiru Amou's breathing grew slightly more rapid.
"Last night's level-up, while it made me stronger,"
"it wasn't enough."
"That feeling of having all the blood in my body ignited, every cell cheering, my soul melting..."
"I want more of it."
As a monster whose [Strength], [Endurance], [agility], and [dexterity] had all reached the SSS stage,
conventional battles, conventional training, even the slaughter within the Dungeon
could hardly evoke that extreme sense of excitement in her anymore.
Only this man.
"And besides..."
Kirukiru Amou leaned close to Lord Heimdall's ear, her voice lowered, carrying a hint of dangerous temptation.
"Didn't you just say?"
"That this was their reward."
"Since I didn't go back, since I didn't waste that opportunity,"
"shouldn't I receive a... more special reward?"
Lord Heimdall set down his teacup.
He slightly raised his head, looking at this face so close to his.
"A special reward?"
"Your appetite is getting bigger and bigger."
"However."
"Since you've put it that way."
"If I don't satisfy you, it would make me, the main god, seem rather stingy."
"Tonight... there's still plenty of time."
Lord Heimdall glanced out the window at the gradually darkening sky.
"Since you don't want to go back to the old world to reminisce,"
"then enjoy this hour properly."
"After all..."
"The night tonight is still very long."
Kirukiru Amou's eyes lit up.
"Yes, God."
...
At the same time.
As the atmosphere within the mansion gradually heated up.
"Hmm hmm hmm~"
Hestia, completely unaware, was walking with light, brisk steps. She bounced a couple of times, her twin-tails jumping merrily.
She turned the street corner.
The tavern sign of [The Hostess of Fertility] had already come into Hestia's view.
However.
"That is..."
Before Hestia could get close, her steps suddenly halted.
Because on either side of the iconic double wooden doors of [The Hostess of Fertility],
two figures were standing, one on the left, one on the right.
The one on the left was a Cat People girl, the one on the right was a human girl.
They were the ones she had seen at the mansion this morning.
——[Black Fist] Lunoire.
——[Black Cat] Chloe.
However.
They weren't busy inside the shop as usual.
Instead, they were standing stiffly at the entrance.
What was even more eye-catching was that
both of them had large wooden plaques hanging around their necks.
Curious, Hestia moved closer to look.
On them, written in bold black ink, were three startlingly large characters.
[I AM GUILTY]
The characters were rough and forceful, the ink seemingly penetrating the wood. It was clearly the handiwork of that [little giant], the proprietress Mia.
"Wuwuwu..."
Hearing footsteps, Chloe, who had been hanging her head, looked up.
When she saw the newcomer was Hestia, her previously lifeless eyes instantly erupted with a fierce will to survive.
"Lady Hestia!"
"Can you ask Lord Heimdall to put in a good word for us, meow!"
Chloe, holding up the plaque, almost plastered herself against Hestia. Her cat tail hung limply behind her, a picture of utter despair.
"It's so miserable, meow..."
"We've been standing here since noon, meow..."
"My legs are about to break, meow..."
Being displayed like mascots with these plaques was worse than killing them.
Every time a customer passed by, they had to bury their heads even lower, wishing they could stuff their faces into their chests.
However.
Before Hestia could even figure out the situation.
*Thwack!*
A crisp sound rang out.
A feather duster accurately struck Chloe's bottom.
"Ouch!"
Chloe cried out in pain and retracted her hand.
It turned out that beside them,
a chair had been placed, and sitting on it was another Cat People girl.
—— Anya.
She was holding the feather duster that had just committed the assault, one leg crossed over the other, frowning. The expression of "I'm very displeased" was practically overflowing from her face.
" Everyone, stand still for me! "
" Don't bother the guests, meow! "
Anya pointed the feather duster at the two unlucky fellows, her tone full of resentment.
" Two idiots, meow! "
" You actually skipped work for an entire day, meow! And it was the morning shift, meow! "
" That was the morning shift!! "
Anya became more and more agitated, even jumping up from her chair.
" Because of you, I had to peel all the potatoes this morning all by myself, meow! "
" Three whole baskets!! "
" Do you know how many potatoes that is?! "
" The skin on my hands is almost peeled off, meow! "
Saying this, Anya felt wronged enough to cry.
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