Amid's large, watery purple eyes widened.
"Why are we suddenly talking about leaving Orario? I still need to…"
Before Amid could refuse, Rhode spoke, a single sentence blocking all her subsequent arguments.
"The Spring of Life in Bergen has the ability to suppress diseases; perhaps you can gain inspiration from it."
Amid's expression instantly did a complete one-eighty.
One second she was a troubled little Saintess, the next she immediately changed her expression and hugged Rhode's leg.
She looked up, revealing a sickly sweet smile, her eyes narrowed into adorable crescent moons.
"But then again, since Brother Rhode is so kind as to think of me, I can't very well refuse your kindness, can I~ Hehe~"
Ais, seeing this, thought for a moment and reached out her small hand towards Rhode's other leg, but was ~scared back by Riveria's gaze.
Rhode sighed inwardly.
How come the two strongest healers in this world are both so average when it comes to marshmallows…
It still has to be my Mari-Ryu with her extraordinary talent.
On the other side, A Di's face showed a look of distress, but that hesitation only lasted for a second.
She immediately cheered up and vigorously waved her small fist.
"Alright! Since everyone is going together, I can't be absent either! I'll try my best to convince my older sister!"
Metria, hearing this, mustered her courage and secretly glared back at Alfia, her small face filled with triumph.
Stupid sister, look at her!
As a younger sister, she even dares to defy her sister and "elope" with Rhode!
Alfia closed her eyes, sighing heavily with exhaustion.
Forget it, this world should just be destroyed sooner…
Rhode could resolve this incident by himself, if he wanted to.
It was also a good opportunity to wait for the girls to achieve their goals during this time.
But he wanted to maximize the benefits.
And also to let these guys gradually get used to teaming up with them, deepening their feelings and bonds.
A Di, as the future buff-provider of the team, was still too weak in combat, so this was a good opportunity to train her.
On the way from Belden to the Spring of Life, there were at least five or six hundred monsters, which could allow both her and Metria to train well.
Ais and Ryu were also both close to leveling up.
And since the original Great Struggle would not happen due to his intervention, it was natural to choose other suitable great achievements for them.
The Swamp King in the Spring of Life is still a bit troublesome; even the two of them, at their current levels, would struggle to defeat him together.
But with Amid and Riveria providing support, they should be able to defeat him.
Alfia would serve as the ultimate insurance, and the Bergen incident did have some connection to her, so she also accompanied them.
"Um… do I have to go too?"
Just then, a man's weak, uncertain voice came from not far away.
Metria jumped in surprise, quickly hiding behind Rod and peeking out her small head.
"There's someone else here right now?!"
A black-haired man with a spiky hairstyle and a typical common face walked out with a bitter smile.
"I wouldn't call myself an outsider… Hello, I'm a newcomer to the Loki Familia, my name is Raul."
Loki then slapped her forehead, realizing with a start.
"Ah, I almost forgot I was also here to pick up my newcomer…"
She immediately boasted proudly to Hestia, puffing out her non-existent chest.
"How about it?! My newcomer isn't bad, right?!"
Hestia stared at Raul meticulously for a long time, then finally said hesitantly.
"Hmm… While I don't really want to discourage him, but… he really looks very ordinary."
Bang—
Loki excitedly clapped her hands.
"That's the ordinariness I want!"
"Ever since I missed out on Rod last time, and then you, you little dwarf, picked up such a huge prize, I've been heartbroken and reflected deeply!"
"I've decided, I will never underestimate any seemingly unremarkable guy again!"
Loki turned her head and loudly told Raul, who was trembling under everyone's gaze.
"Hey! Did you hear that?! Your goal is that guy next to you! If you can't catch up to him in the future, I'll personally give you a good beating!"
Raul followed the direction of Loki's finger and saw Rod, who was smiling at him, and his eyes instantly went dark, almost fainting on the spot.
"Lady Loki! Please spare me!"
Raul was almost in tears.
"I… what do I have to compare with Lord Rod?!"
"You idiot! Can't you show some backbone?!"
"But this isn't something you can do with just backbone…"
Rod looked at Raul, who was shaking his head frantically, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Super ordinary person, huh…
According to the timeline, he should have joined the Loki Familia with Anakitty to become a core member in the future.
However, Anakitty is now under his command…
Loki hoping he would become hers was pure fantasy, but her judgment this time wasn't bad at all.
Although this guy wouldn't have any skills or magic in the future, being able to rise to LV4 within four years was indeed commendable, and he could be considered the pinnacle of ordinary people in this world.
Rod walked up to him and patted his shoulder encouragingly.
"You don't have to become anyone else; just strive for your own limits."
"Ugh… Lord Rod!"
The boy was both excited and moved, almost on the verge of tears, his eyes filled with adoration for Rod.
In the eyes of these new adventurers, Rod had already become a legendary figure in their hearts.
"Hey, hey, hey, why is it that my earnest encouragement as a Goddess is not as effective as Rod's perfunctory encouragement?!"
"Wuwuwu… I've decided to take off this shoulder guard and keep it as a lifelong treasure!"
"Raul, you idiot, listen to me!"
And so, everyone parted ways amidst their playful squabbles.
When they returned to their outpost in the evening.
As the winner of tonight's lottery, Nize had already quietly snuck into the Hearthfire Manor.
This werewolf, with short, light gray hair and healthy brown skin, was the only person in the Astrea Familia taller than 170cm, even sparking discussions about her being a 'big sister' figure.
Unlike the other girls, Nize boldly challenged Rod to a competition.
"If you want to have me, try to win against me!"
She grinned, revealing her cute little fangs, her eyes burning with competitive fire.
"Just so you know, I won't go easy on you!"
Of course, the competition wasn't a direct fight, but a race.
Bathed in moonlight, the transformed Nize let out an excited wolf howl, her limbs filled with explosive power, and with confidence, she transformed into a gray lightning bolt, running forward with all her might.
However, when she looked back and saw Rod's beast transformation, like a "Saiyan," it instantly left her dumbfounded.
Rod then transformed into a whirlwind undetectable by the naked eye, utterly dominating Nize by several laps.
This made the usually perfect big sister display a blank expression, like a defeated female knight.
Rod picked her up from the ground, her eyes vacant.
"Sorry, Nize, for any other competition you chose, I could have played around casually."
Losing to his wives was called romantic fun.
"But, running is the one thing I can't lose."
That was the first power Rod had obtained, and it was also his bond with Silent Suzuka, who was now in another world.
Nize regained her composure and didn't develop a complex from losing the race to Rod; instead, she was angry that he mentioned another woman on what was supposed to be her night.
She huffed angrily, and her fluffy, flexible tail instantly wrapped around Rod's body, her hands gripping his wrists like iron clamps.
With a thrust of her waist, Nize actually flipped Rod over, pinning him down on the cool grass!
She looked down at the young man from above, her cheeks puffed out, like a small animal guarding its food.
"Damn it! Why did all of us fall for a scoundrel like you?!"
Rod retorted righteously.
"Loving one and discarding another is what makes a scoundrel, but I merely fell in love with all of you."
"….Love, I'll make you love!"
The wild beautiful girl gritted her teeth, actually activating her beast transformation again, wanting to start another battle with Rod in this state!
The surroundings had already been cleared by the Shadow Soldiers; the location was the central courtyard of Hearthfire Manor.
Rod, who had intended to return to his room, seeing this, simply engaged in a fierce battle with Nize, relying solely on his own attributes.
However, not long after the battle began.
The bright moon overhead, as if not wanting to witness such an embarrassing scene, gradually became enveloped by thick clouds.
"Eh… what's going on?"
Nize, whose power was gradually fading, widened her eyes, her cheeks flushing.
She, who could barely contend with Rod earlier, was instantly on the verge of defeat.
Rod was triumphant.
"Don't you know? The Moon Goddess is a deity who symbolizes chastity; how could she allow you to use such opportunistic methods~"
However, no sooner had he spoken than the dark clouds overhead suddenly dispersed, and the moon reappeared, even brighter than before, its light so dazzling that Rod could barely keep his eyes open.
"…"
"Hahaha, again!!!"
Although Nize persisted for a long time with her beast transformation, she eventually went easy in this battle.
"Sorry, Nize, besides running, this is also something I can't lose."
She weakly patted Rod, who had said this, her eyes empty as she gazed at the moon in the night sky, entering a state of contemplation.
"Now that I think about it, I feel like something was a bit strange just now, as if the Moon Goddess was cheering me on from the side."
"You'd best not say that in front of Artemis, or even Astrea won't be able to save you."
Rod lay beside her, his gaze on the stars that flickered in and out of sight beside the moon.
In the timeline without him, the girls eventually became stars in the sky.
Now, he had turned the girls into stars beside him; although a bit greedy, he had changed something.
After the two enjoyed a moment of tranquility.
Nize began to tell Rod about her past.
Her past had no tragic experiences, it was peaceful and happy.
And she had joined the Astrea Familia early on, supporting the children who joined later as a senior member.
..
In the Familia, she had always been an admired and relied-upon presence by everyone.
However, she still mentioned something that made Rod laugh.
"Do you know? My original title was actually [Red Blood and Fang of Justice]!"
"Uh… good name."
"Right, right! Everyone at the time thought it was super cool too! The gods who gave me this title totally understood me!"
Nize held Rod's hand, happily revealing her little fangs, and proudly puffed out her chest.
"Although I felt a bit embarrassed at first, later, seeing how much everyone liked it, I couldn't help but passionately accept this title!"
But then, Nize regretfully slumped her shoulders, like a deflated ball, and rolled over, resting her head on Rod's shoulder.
"However, after learning my title, it was the first time I saw the Goddess look so pitiful."
"She was trembling all over, like a twenty-something woman tormented by old wounds, hugging herself tightly, her face flushed, almost dying of anger."
Afterwards, everyone rushed over in a panic, but Goddess Astrea tearfully shook her head, saying it wasn't their fault.
Then the next day, the imposing Goddess of Justice, carrying a sword, charged furiously from the outpost all the way to Babel.
And then, Nize's title was changed to [Just Fang].
Nize played with Rod's fingers, rambling on about many of the Familia's embarrassing past stories, and Rod listened with keen interest.
After an unknown amount of time, the girl's enthusiastic laughter in the courtyard gradually faded.
The two snuggled under the moonlight, letting out soft, steady snores.
Early the next morning.
..... . ....
Rod yawned, sitting in the dining room, looking at the previous day's summary on the system panel.
Yesterday, the girls from both worlds earned him 21,000 Wish Points.
This time, the contractors from the City of Sinners and the Far East were also included in the summary.
However, after the initial changes ended, the two stable nations did not generate a large number of wishes, but relying on their population advantage, they each earned him 5,000 Wish Points.
Although a bit disappointing, this was within Rod's expectations.
After all, not every problem or request would trigger a wish.
Rod had previously planned to teleport to these two countries to see their current situation, but Kaguya and Laila charmingly persuaded him not to go.
They seemed to want to go back with Rod to see and boast fiercely to those gods.
For this, two incompatible individuals didn't hesitate to genuinely act as mother and daughter once, convincing little Rod.
Although these two were eager to return home, they were still busy earning points for world travel, so they probably wouldn't be back anytime soon.
Rod took a bite of the sandwich Metria fed him, snapped his fingers, and summoned a Shadow Soldier.
"Have Mei and Qiancao bring Chun Ji over."
"Oh, and bring all the leftover materials from the warehouse to the Far East. Let them trade them for Falna."
The Xenos had a natural advantage in the Dungeon and had already collected many materials.
Among them was a considerable amount of low-grade material, which would surely be devalued if released all at once.
Rod didn't want to trade directly with the Guild, so he simply had the Shadow Soldier take them to the Far East.
After all, that place was even more remote than Bergen.
The Shadow Monarch's ability and Kamui Space had similarities: they both possessed a nearly infinite space that could even hold living beings, and they could connect to various parts of the world for teleportation.
However, the Shadow World had one major disadvantage compared to Kamui Space: it could be forcibly invaded by other Monarchs.
Therefore, Rod only used the Shadow World as a transit station; important items were all kept in Kamui Space.
Over the past decade, Bergen and the Far East had established a trade relationship through the Shadow World, complementing each other's development.
Seeing that Rod had no further instructions, the Shadow Soldier bowed respectfully and merged into the shadows, disappearing.
Kaguya held a cup of hot tea, handed it to Rod, then went behind him and gently combed his slightly messy hair.
"Are those children special? I didn't know them when I left the Far East."
Rod took the hot tea and sipped it.
"Qiancao has good focus and a talent for archery."
"As for Mei, she possesses rare gravity magic and skills quite convenient for exploring the Dungeon."
"And Chun Ji..."
Since the original event had not yet occurred and would not occur in the future, her name was still Sanjo Chun Ji.
"She's a bit special. You'll understand once she arrives and you experience it yourselves."
Kaguya heard this and playfully chided him.
"So mysterious."
Chun Ji was personally taken in by Amaterasu as a Familia member and carefully nurtured when she was very young, so she awakened the Wanbaochui early on.
Rod had no intention of listing her as a combatant right now; instead, he wanted to see what kind of power the Empress would unleash after being forcibly raised one level.
Level 10... Rod thought more and more about how outrageous this skill was.
No matter the target's level, it could forcibly raise them one level, and it wouldn't even increase its own consumption based on the target's level.