Chapter 98: My Hard Work is Only Worth Three Drops of Divine Power
After the simple quarrel.
"By the way, Kobayashi-senpai. Since you just got back today, why don't we go to the Guild to celebrate?" Satou Kazuma suddenly suggested.
Aqua let out a cheer. "Celebrate? Throw a banquet? Yay!"
As a qualified party goddess, she would naturally perk up upon hearing a celebration was in order.
Kobayashi, however, was a little resistant.
It wasn't that he found it troublesome; it was simply unnecessary. Compared to going to the Guild to make a scene, he would much rather enjoy the warmth of home with his party members.
Darkness said softly, "Let's go. Everyone wants to give you a welcome-back party."
"Let's celebrate! I want to eat the deluxe kid's meal!" Megumin also raised her hand and cheered.
"How about it?" x4
"I think you all just want to go and have fun... Alright, fine, let's go."
Seeing their expectant eyes, Kobayashi hesitated for a moment and then nodded in agreement. His party members meant well, and he didn't want to disappoint them. Besides, he had no reason to refuse.
With a cheer, the group headed to the Guild.
Walking down the main street of Axel, the pedestrians on the street were smiling and full of vitality. It was completely different from that other world. Even as a beginner town, it had more life than the Imperial Capital.
He really enjoyed it here.
Arriving at the Guild.
He pushed open the main doors. The barrier to the hall's clamor was gone, and the noise instantly flooded his ears, immediately pulling him into the heroic and hearty atmosphere of the adventurers.
Upon seeing the four of them, the adventurers greeted them one after another.
"Yo, Aqua!"
"Aqua, you're here."
"It's Aqua. You're here pretty early."
The greetings were endless. Aqua, her face all smiles, responded to each one. It seemed her title as the "party goddess" was already deeply rooted in everyone's hearts.
She walked briskly to a corner. Today was an internal party gathering. It wasn't appropriate for their team to sit in the noisy center, although by the end of the night, it would most likely turn into a collective party anyway.
Just as they sat down, Luna walked over.
She brought over six glasses of juice and, at the same time, handed them menus.
"Huh? We haven't ordered yet." Kazuma was a little curious. "Has the Guild launched some new sales tactic? They serve you juice first, the kind of routine that forces you to order?"
As a modern person, he immediately understood the so-called marketing ploy.
However, he had misunderstood.
Luna smiled, shook her head, and said, "This is a gift from the Guild Master. He said that Miss Aqua performed a magnificent talent for them yesterday, so he wanted to compensate you."
As soon as her voice fell, many adventurers nearby began to hoot.
"Aqua, another trick!"
"That's right, that's right, do another one!"
"Make it a flashy one!"
Hearing their request, Aqua naturally wouldn't refuse. Coupled with her love of party tricks, she performed a [Kachou Fuugetsu] on the spot, earning a round of applause.
Kobayashi blinked, asking curiously, "Is Aqua really this popular?"
He knew she often mingled with the adventurers, but she had never been this hyped up before. Even for a party goddess, this level of popularity was too different from before. Something must have happened while he was gone.
A bad feeling welled up in his heart.
"It's because yesterday, Aqua put on a grand performance at the Guild," Kazuma explained.
Darkness also recalled, "That banquet was too magnificent. Perhaps even the performers at the royal palace aren't as skilled as her."
"It's a pity you weren't here, Kobayashi," Megumin said, looking very regretful.
For some reason, the ominous premonition grew even stronger. He turned his inquisitive gaze on Aqua.
"Oh, it wasn't as exaggerated as everyone says."
Aqua waved her hand, feigning modesty while proudly puffing out her chest. "Everyone was just so happy, so I helped out a little."
"Wasn't it more like you drank too much, got carried away, and just went with the flow?" Megumin's words were a little sharp.
"Of course not!"
Aqua subconsciously retorted, then scratched her head with some embarrassment. "Well, I did get a little carried away... But it was so strange! Yesterday, for some reason, a surge of divine power suddenly flowed into my body. I got so excited, I used it all up! And thanks to that, yesterday's performance was just so magnificent."
"Pffft—"
Hearing this, Kobayashi instantly turned into a Merlion statue, spraying the juice in his mouth. The light orange liquid turned into a curtain of mist in the air, and as the sun shone on it, a rainbow appeared in front of them.
The liquid dripped onto his collar, and RyuZU took out a handkerchief to wipe it for him.
"Oooohhhhhh!" x4
The four party members applauded vigorously.
Kazuma asked in surprise, "Is this a new skill you learned, Kobayashi-senpai?"
"It's not as good as mine, but it was still very flashy," Aqua said, patting his shoulder. "Why don't you and I form a party trick duo, Kobayashi? We'll definitely be famous!"
"That's not it! You've completely misunderstood!"
Kobayashi slapped her hand away and instead grabbed her by the shoulders, asking urgently, "You said yesterday a surge of divine power flowed into your body, right?"
"That's right." Aqua nodded.
She then recalled, "Divine power has been trickling in for a while now, but yesterday's surge was the biggest. So I got happy and used it all up."
"All of it?"
"All of it."
"...Are you kidding me?"
"What?"
"I said, are you kidding me!"
Kobayashi grabbed Aqua's cheeks and pulled them outwards. Unable to contain his anger, he frantically kneaded her tender, elastic, pale cheeks.
And here he was, thinking of improving his attitude towards her. It seems it's impossible!
All his painstaking effort, going through countless schemes and overcoming myriad difficulties to establish a Holy Kingdom, even risking offending Eris... all the faith he had finally managed to gather was just that easily spent. And on what? On party tricks!
His rage instantly boiled over.
"It hurts, it hurts, it hurts! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I was wrong!"
Although Aqua didn't know what she had done wrong, it was never wrong to apologize first.
Seeing him suddenly fly into a rage, the other party members were at a loss.
"Um... Kobayashi-senpai, what's wrong?"
"I don't know what happened, but you should probably let her go first. We can talk this out."
"That's right, that's right."
Under their persuasion, Kobayashi let go of his hands.
"Sorry, I was too impulsive," he apologized to them. Even if Aqua was wrong, he shouldn't have disciplined her out here. After all, adventurers were a bunch of fun-loving gossips. He would be laughed at.
But before that...
"Aqua, how much divine power did you waste yesterday? Show me, using water."
"Er... about this much."
Her cheeks bright red, Aqua sheepishly dabbed three drops of water on the table.
...Just three drops. Are you kidding me?!
"That was an entire country! The faith of an entire country! And it was only worth three drops? THREE DROPS?!!!"
Kobayashi was dumbfounded on the spot.
That feeling... it was like Tom Cat trading his entire fortune for a tiny little diamond ring, bringing it before the goddess of his dreams to give to her, only for her to toss it aside without a second thought.
This is bad! The mental image is too strong! I'm feeling attacked!
Kazuma said softly, "Kobayashi-senpai?"
"...Sorry, I spaced out."
Kobayashi shook his head.
Then, he told them a heavily redacted and abridged version of what had happened in that other world. After all, Darkness and Megumin didn't know about his ability to cross worlds; they just thought he had gone back to his hometown for a while.
"You actually converted your hometown to the Axis Order? Are you okay, Kobayashi?" Megumin asked, concerned.
Darkness also said worriedly, "The Axis Order has a terrible reputation. I hear they're all a bunch of troublemakers."
"It'll be fine!... right?"
Kobayashi wasn't sure. That fanatical Acting Pope was very likely to stir up trouble. To avoid any major disasters, he should probably go back and check on them often.
"Wait! I can't just pretend I didn't hear what you said!"
Aqua slammed the table, her cheeks puffing out, which made her already red and swollen face look even bigger.
She said indignantly, "Those kids are good kids! The people of the Axis Order are not at all like you say they are!"
"Right, right, you're absolutely right."
"Hey—!"
That obvious placating made her very unhappy.
However, she turned her head and comforted him. "It's fine. Faith is just one crop after another. It'll gather this much again very soon."
"Don't talk about believers like they're leeks, you idiot goddess," he couldn't help but retort.
But she was right. Faith was all about sustainable development. It was a long-term plan. As long as there was enough time, they could definitely gather a considerable amount of divine power.
...Assuming Aqua didn't squander it all.
"Rest assured! This is the faith gathered by my precious children! I will absolutely not waste it!"
"Really?"
Even though she was patting her chest and guaranteeing it, there was no way he could believe her.
He could only hope that, knowing how hard it was to come by, she would cherish it and use it well.
...Although that was highly unlikely.
(End of Chapter)