"Hiss!"
The long-black-haired high school girl sitting on the white fabric sofa drew in a sharp breath through her teeth.
She lifted her right foot, now bare after removing her black stockings, her alabaster toes curling unnaturally from the pain.
Kneeling before her, Luo Shu dabbed at the soles of Utaha's feet with a cotton swab soaked in antiseptic, remarking:
"Speaking of which... letting a man you've known for less than half an hour into your home? Even for someone as eccentric as you, there should be limits."
"While that may be true..." Utaha frowned, her feet - now raw from their earlier escape - curling uncomfortably, "That's assuming you're actually human!"
Hearing this, Luo Shu paused his ministrations, his expression turning peculiar:
"Should I take that as you insulting me?"
"Don't be so sensitive about adjectives, Mr God."
Utaha Kasumigaoka's expression was one of exasperation, as if to say, 'Is there any point in keeping up this act?'
"Your God's Servant has already informed me of everything they could disclose."
Utaha Kasumigaoka emphasised the words 'could disclose', seemingly stressing something.
"God's Servant?" Luo Shu was completely bewildered by this: "Wait a minute."
'System?'
[Your loyal God's Servant eagerly awaits your summons~~ Heart emoji x2.jpg]
'Wait, what? Since when did you become my God's Servant?' Luo Shu was utterly confused, completely unable to comprehend the current situation.
This so-called system, which couldn't solve problems from the start, forced him to find a protagonist and even manipulated monsters to coerce the protagonist into agreeing to terms - this very same shady system was now calling itself his God's Servant?
What kind of servant behaves like this?
[Indeed, there is, dear user.]
[Regarding recent events, rest assured that even if you were to perish under 99.99% safety conditions, your loyal God's Servant has prepared a Reincarnation System to ensure your return within eighteen years.]
[As for your first subordinate Utaha Kasumigaoka's understanding, it isn't actually incorrect.]
[This system's full name is 'Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System', with the ultimate goal of establishing your divine universe and creating a 'mythology' centred around you as the core deity.]
[Miss Utaha Kasumigaoka's description aligns perfectly with this system's mission. Please be advised.]
'You have sentience?' Luo Shu's expression twitched slightly upon hearing this.
[This system's intelligence is derived from your subconscious, so please rest assured about security matters~ Heart emoji x2.jpg]
Hearing this, though still uneasy, Luo Shu understood he had no choice but to trust this rogue system under the current circumstances.
As Luo Shu was contemplating this, a pale, delicate foot began swaying before his eyes.
The movement proved too distracting, making Luo Shu instinctively reach out and grab it, then firmly swipe a cotton bud soaked in red medicine across the sole, leaving a thin crimson line.
"Ahh!!"
Utaha sharply inhaled through clenched teeth, tears even welling in the corners of her eyes. It took her a while to recover before she glared at Luo Shu with reddened eyes:
"So eager to bully your own 'subordinate', mysterious god?"
"Luo Shu. You can call me that."
Luo Shu sighed, picking up the girl's other foot before dipping a fresh cotton bud in medicine and applying it more gently this time:
"So how much do you actually know?"
"Are you referring to how an ancient deity who just awakened discovered he had no remaining worshippers in the modern era, attempted to rebuild his pantheon, only to find his powers nearly depleted from lack of faith, forcing him to work part-time at a bookstore?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka smiled sweetly at Luo Shu while adding:
"Incidentally, the bookstore you're working at happens to be my regular haunt. The owner's an acquaintance, too, since I've held two autograph sessions there. Perhaps next time, you might have the chance to address me as Teacher Utako Kasumi."
Luo Shu continued applying medicine methodically, glancing up at the smirking Utaha before calmly responding: "The issue of address... Very well, here's the question. Utaha Kasumigaoka from Class 2-B, how should you address a third-year senior when you meet one?"
Hearing this, Utaha Kasumigaoka's expression stiffened. She quickly studied Luo Shu carefully, then thought to herself:
'Luo Shu... Luo... That Chinese exchange student from Class 3-A at Toyogasaki High School? That Senior Luo? The violent transfer student who beat up third-year seniors right after enrolling?'
"It seems you've remembered."
Having finished applying the medicine, Luo Shu tossed the cotton swab into the nearby bin, screwed the cap back on the medicine bottle, then stood up from the floor, pulled over a chair and sat down, saying:
"Going to greet me properly?"
Seeing Luo Shu like this, Utaha couldn't help but mutter: "The despicable seniority culture of Japan..."
After muttering, Utaha bowed her head towards Luo Shu and said helplessly:
"Good afternoon, Senior. Thank you for your hard work, Senior!"
"By the way, Senior, how did it feel touching a beautiful girl's toes?"
"Average." As he said this, Luo Shu looked at Utaha with slight surprise: "Although you've become my so-called Familia, your current attitude... Are we that close?"
Luo Shu's expression showed confusion. Were they really that close? True, gods and their Familia shared a close bond, but both of them knew they'd only actually known each other for less than an hour.
In such a short time, Utaha had invited him to her home, let him apply medicine to her bare feet...
Was this really... appropriate?
Utaha blinked at these words, then gave Luo Shu an extremely peculiar look:
"Senior, didn't your God's Servant tell you that a Familia is meant to accompany their chief god for their entire lifetime?"
'There's that too?' Luo Shu was stunned for a moment. He couldn't help but check with his system, and after receiving confirmation, his expression turned peculiar:
"Speaking of which, how come you accepted something like this so quickly?"
Hearing this, Utaha lifted her left foot, which was already beginning to heal, observing the skin that had become more delicate than if powdered:
"If you wrote in a contract about extending lifespan to three hundred years, maintaining eternal youth at will, even gaining special abilities... I imagine even with the condition being 'becoming Senior's Familia', the queue would stretch from my house all the way to the Pacific."
"Not to mention, if I assist you in ascending to godhood, even immortality becomes possible. These are things ancient emperors and nobles dreamed of. Isn't it normal that I can't resist such temptations?"
'Though I never expected I'd experience a heroic rescue scenario and become its heroine...'
Utaha silently complained in her heart, but these were words she couldn't say to Luo Shu. On one hand, she feared this chief god, who'd be tied to her for life, might overthink it. On the other hand... well, it was just maidenly reserve.
'Is this really Utaha Kasumigaoka? There's something subtly different from how I imagined her in the past...'
Thinking this, Luo Shu leaned back in his chair, exhaling deeply:
"Fine, let's accept that reasoning."
"So then, the medicine's applied, and you seem fine now, so I should probably head back..."
Before Luo Shu could finish speaking, Utaha Kasumigaoka widened her eyes and looked at him:
"So we're going to discuss how to rebuild the divine pantheon now?"
Luo Shu's expression immediately turned peculiar:
'Why do I feel like you're more eager than I am?'
'Is this the so-called situation where the emperor isn't anxious but the eunuch is? How enlightening...'