After this, Rhode discussed the future plans for the City of Sinners in detail with several Goddesses.
Then, at Izanami's suggestion, he individually signed the most stringent contracts with three thousand girls of various ages and bestowed Grace upon them.
They were all children, like Laila, born in this city.
Unlike the tens of thousands of criminals before, they would permanently become Rhode's Familia.
These girls would serve as Rhode's most loyal followers, assisting the Goddesses in managing the city, forming teams to accept quests, and venturing out of the city to hunt monsters.
They would also be the largest source of Prayer Points for Rhode over the next ten years.
Rhode's simultaneous contract with tens of thousands of people this time indeed stemmed from a desire to exploit the system.
After all, if he returned, he would instantly have ten years of accumulated prayer!
However, considering that the City of Sinners had now been transformed into a safe haven, it might not generate the vast number of prayers he imagined.
And if he let things run their course and deliberately created an environment conducive to generating prayers, Rhode would undoubtedly be no different from the evil gods he disliked.
He could only choose a compromise.
Rhode suddenly remembered something and turned back to add.
"Oh, by the way, I will leave Kamish behind as a trump card for the city."
"When hunting monsters outside the city, you can also cooperate with the Artemis Familia."
Lavellna, hearing this, couldn't help but brush a strand of hair behind her ear and teased.
"You already have us, and you're still eyeing that Virgin Goddess? You're truly greedy."
"But she's not as easy to deal with as we are; her fiery temper is famous in the Heavens, you know~"
Rhode gave her an annoyed look.
"What are you thinking? It's just that the Artemis Familia is currently the only Familia with experience in continuously hunting monsters outside Orario, that's all."
His tone became serious.
"After I leave, no other Gods are allowed to enter the city."
"Except for Artemis, Hephaestus, and Astrea."
Hella nodded silently, then asked.
"What do you plan to name the faction of those girls just now?"
Rhode looked at Hella, and a mischievous thought almost slipped out—given her identity, naming this team "Valkyrie" would be most fitting.
But he immediately remembered that in the main timeline, this title was already occupied by the Freya Familia.
Wait…
A flash of lightning-fast thought instantly pierced his mind!
At this point in time… the Freya Familia was not yet the king in Orario!
This was about 17 years before the main timeline, an era when the Zeus and Hera Familias were still active and reigned supreme!
During this period, it seemed he could do many other things!
"Never mind that for now!" Rhode's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Do you know how many of the three great adventurer quests have been completed?"
Hella looked at Lavellna; only this Goddess, who sheltered refugees and thieves, had access to external information among them.
Lavellna's delicate brows furrowed as she pondered for a moment.
"I vaguely remember someone mentioning that the 'King of the Land,' Behemoth, had already been subjugated. As for the other two… I don't know much about them."
Rhode clicked his tongue, feeling a slight regret.
Chardo, the main contributor to the subjugation of Behemoth, was 45 years old ten years later, so by time calculation, he indeed subjugated the King of the Land before this.
While the Shadow Monarch's power could revive the undead, the prerequisite was having a corpse.
But was there really any usable residue left of Behemoth…
He'd better go to the battlefield named Deddai later to confirm.
However, the Sea Monarch, Leviathan, was indeed very likely not yet subjugated at this time, as Alfia, the main contributor, was only 14 years old now.
Uh… but with her incredible talent, she might actually be capable of such a feat…
He might as well go check the situation along the way.
Worst case, when he returned ten years later, he could summon it using the Leviathan's corpse sealed at the mouth of the sea.
Thinking this, Rhode asked in his mind.
"System, if I want to stay on this timeline for another month, how many Prayer Points will I need?"
"[Answering Host, at least 1600 Prayer Points are required.]"
Looking at his pitiful balance of 540 points, Rhode's mouth twitched slightly.
"System, can Laila's prayer be settled early?"
"[Upon detection, Laila is already in an absolutely safe environment.]"
"[Special A-rank Prayer completed.]"
"[Mission completion exceeded, prayer satisfaction exceptionally high!]"
"[Congratulations, you have received 5000 Prayer Points.]"
"[Congratulations, you have received a special reward: Passive Skill · Timeline Convergence.]"
"[Effect: You and your associated personnel will not exist in parallel worlds. Any of your actions on the timeline will not affect the single future you wish to guide.]"
Rhode's eyes instantly lit up!
"So, I no longer have to worry about the butterfly effect, right?"
"[The prerequisite is that you do not subjectively intend to guide an event that you have already clearly confirmed in the future.]"
Rhode narrowed his eyes, his mind racing for a long time, then he snapped back to reality, meeting the Goddesses' inquiring gazes with a smile.
"Those girls, let's call them Valkyries."
The conduct of the Freya Familia members had almost no relation to the symbolic meaning of that name.
Since they belonged to the Norse pantheon, Hella could very well have a Valkyrie corps of her own.
"Let them take the ancient Fiana Knights as their ideal: as long as a beacon of distress is lit in the world, no matter how far, they will travel over mountains and rivers to provide aid."
He changed the subject.
"Of course, the prerequisite is to ensure their own safety and make sure they are not harmed. I think Hella should understand what I mean."
Hella blinked, then revealed a knowing smile.
"You admire pure girls with dreams, but you don't want them to become complete bleeding hearts, right? Heh heh, coincidentally, neither do I."
Most of what needed to be said had already been covered.
Rhode pushed open the door and walked onto the tower's terrace, slowly turning around.
"When Kamish and Pride show abnormal signs, it means I have returned."
"When they suddenly disappear into thin air, it means you can re-establish contact with me."
The sunlight fell on Rhode's profile, and the Goddesses stared at the scene, stunned.
Rhode brought his right index and middle fingers together at his temple, then gently pointed forward, a gentle smile on his face.
"My Goddesses, see you in ten years."
The next second, Rhode's figure "whoosh" vanished from the spot, as if merging into the dazzling light.
A gentle breeze swept across the tower, carrying a hint of the morning's coolness.
A soft, synchronized sigh echoed in the room.
Izanami lowered her head slightly, slowly rose, and spoke in a gentle voice.
"I'll go check on Laila, that child."
Lavellna scratched her head in annoyance, suppressing the inexplicable emotion in her heart, then shook her sleeve and also stood up.
"I'll go help Apophis and the others manage the city's repair work."
Hella snapped back to reality, forcing a smile.
"Then I'll go train those Valkyries… The children must know who they are fighting for."
-
After leaving the City of Sinners, Rhode's figure appeared outside the nearest small town.
He first spent 1600 points to extend his stay by one month, then looked at the somewhat dilapidated town before him.
"First things first, let's figure out the direction."
Deddai's location was far south of Orario. As long as he knew Orario's location, he could quickly teleport there using divine power.
And the direction of the world's center was widely known.
Before long, Rhode successfully inquired about Orario's location in the town.
"Hmm… I didn't expect it to be surprisingly close. It's not even far from the Far East, and at a normal human's travel speed, it would only take less than a year to arrive."
"Congratulations, you have triggered an A-rank Wish."
"Content: Rescue Kaguya Gojo from hell."
"Reward: One of Kaguya Gojo's abilities, and corresponding Wish Points."
He was eating an apple he bought from a vendor, his hand paused, looking at the system prompt that suddenly popped up.
That's right, that Yamato Nadeshiko's past was no less tragic than Lyra's.
Rhode quickly made a decision.
He would go to Deddai for a quick look, then immediately head to the Far East.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly heard an extremely familiar name.
"Oh, Goddess Astrea is out shopping again?"
"Hehe, yes, I can't let this child go hungry with me, can I?"
"Yo, little Alise, why are your eyes red? Crying again?"
"I, I wasn't! Hmph, the pure and beautiful me is just undergoing a trial of justice!"
A childish yet incredibly stubborn voice rang out clearly.
"My sword skills will soon be as good as the Goddess's, just you wait and see!"
Good-natured laughter from passersby echoed through the street.
Rhode didn't turn back, but a genuine smile rose to his lips.
So, they were already here at this time…
In about five years, Kaguya would come here and be invited by Goddess Astrea.
And in another year, Lyra, who had just been sent out of the City of Sinners, would also join the Familia of Justice here.
Without greeting them, Rhode chuckled softly, his figure merging into the shadows of the alley, instantly disappearing.
"Hm?"
Alise, who had been proudly brandishing her wooden sword, suddenly paused. She looked back at an apple stall in confusion, but saw nothing.
Goddess Astrea gently bent down and asked with concern.
"What's wrong?"
Alise was also a bit puzzled, covering her chest blankly, a strange intuition warning her.
"Just now… I felt like something important had left…"
Astrea followed Alise's gaze, looking thoughtful.
"Did it leave forever?"
"No… it doesn't feel like that."
"If so, then you will meet again in the future, sooner or later."
"…Goddess is right."
Alise instantly regained her energy, raising her small fist high, a bright and confident smile on her face.
"Good! In order to find this important thing, whatever it is, again in the future, I must work even harder to spread the wings of order and ignite my soul of justice! Oh oh oh oh oh!"
But the next second, her stomach rumbled.
Alise's proud expression instantly froze.
"Uh, before, before that, let's figure out how to fill our stomachs."
She scratched her head awkwardly.
"Sigh, when will I get a new companion? I hope it's someone with max-level cooking talent!"
Astrea smiled and ruffled her little head.
"You'll definitely meet them."
After leaving the small town, Rhode continuously flashed, adjusting his direction in various places.
Occasionally, he would also trigger some A-rank Wishes to deal with bandits or monsters along the way.
Since he was currently extremely short on Wish Points and the difficulty wasn't high, Rhode completed them as he went.
This time, in a town just before reaching Deddai, Rhode rescued a group of innocent people framed by a corrupt official, and casually chopped down that official.
"Thank you, my lord. You responded to our prayers like a god. If not for you, we would probably have died in the cold prison long ago…"
A family of four in front of Rhode shed tears of excitement.
The kind old grandmother, who was leading them, desperately wanted to know Rhode's name, wishing for her descendants to forever remember his Grace.
"It's not a big deal to me," Rhode said in a flat tone. "If you must remember something to feel at ease, then remember [Justice]."
For actions that were purely driven by utilitarian motives, Rhode did not wish to accept others' gratitude.
He preferred to view it all as a transaction.
In the end, the old grandmother still couldn't get Rhode's name, but she secretly memorized his appearance, and regretfully bowed to Rhode with her family before departing in a carriage.
A dirty-faced blonde girl remained in place.
"Aren't you going with them?" Rhode asked, a little surprised.
The girl, instead, asked strangely.
"I don't know them, why should I go with them?"
"Then why did you come out with them?"
"Uh… Since someone broke us out of prison, it would be stupid not to come out, right?" the girl said righteously. "But still, thank you, good person."
"…"
Rhode was speechless for a moment, then waved his hand.
"Never mind, consider it a rare act of generosity on my part. I won't charge you."
The girl's eyes had a cold aura, but the moment she spoke, that atmosphere was completely shattered.
Her way of speaking was somehow similar to that of the idiotic Alise…
Rhode turned and walked out of the town, but the blonde girl thought for a moment and followed him like a little tail, step by step.
"Handsome big brother, is there anything I can help you with?"
"No."
"That won't do! Being ungrateful isn't my style!" She puffed out her small chest, looking serious.
"Hehe, what a righteous statement," Rhode was amused by her. "So, how did you end up in prison?"
"I robbed the rich to help the poor and messed up, of course!" she said carelessly. "I'm telling you, I'm going to be the Queen of Thieves! For that, I swore before that I would never contract with any Head God except the patron god of thieves!"
"…Then if you don't have any bloodline, you probably won't be able to."
"I don't understand what you're saying, but I'm serious about wanting to repay you!"
The girl quickly ran in front of Rhode, spreading her arms to block him, her blonde hair fluttering in the wind, her large eyes looking up at him with sincerity, gleaming with stubborn light.
"I know I'm weak now, but won't I get stronger one day?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't need me now, but I'll work hard so I can repay this Grace!"
"So, at least tell me where I can find you when I become the Queen of Thieves in the future!"
Rhode found the girl in front of him quite interesting at this moment. He thought for a moment, then casually tossed her a Grace activation switch.
The girl fumbled to catch it, then held it carefully in her palm.
"Wh-what is this?"
"This is a special mechanism that can remotely activate Grace. The Head God who stores divine blood in it is Lavellna, who is the patron god of thieves."
Rhode brought his index and middle fingers together, then poked the girl's brow.
"Go to the City of Sinners, Bergen, and you will receive the most comprehensive training. If there's a chance in the future, we'll meet again in Orario."
"Alright, I should leave."
The girl anxiously tried to say something else, but the moment she looked up, the young man in front of her had already vanished.
She frantically looked left and right, but couldn't find that familiar figure, finally lowering her head in disappointment, looking at the exquisite mechanism in her hand.
"City of Sinners… Orario…"
After the girl had been in a daze for an unknown amount of time, a slightly frivolous voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Oh? Why are you spacing out in the middle of the road? That's very dangerous!"
The girl turned around and saw a man with a feathered hat, blonde hair, and orange eyes looking at her curiously.
The faint aura emanating from him was different from ordinary people.