Riveria's ear tips instantly turned a suspicious red. She quickly suppressed the inexplicable excitement and wavering in her heart, and said with feigned composure.
"I, I never thought about such a thing! Ais alone already gives me a headache!"
Rod noticed Riveria's panic, which made him secretly sigh in relief.
It seems she's not without that ~ thought, huh...
So he spoke directly.
"If you have time, Riveria, would you be willing to travel with me?"
Riveria's beautiful emerald-green eyes widened at his words. After a moment of internal struggle, she gently shook her head.
"My companions still need me..."
Perhaps afraid that Rod would misunderstand, Riveria immediately added another sentence, her voice as soft as a mosquito's hum.
"When I retire... no, after the Dark Faction period passes! I, I might have time... maybe!"
Riveria naturally understood the deeper meaning in Rod's words.
Although she knew Rod was a complete playboy, Riveria didn't have a particularly strong resistance.
Originally, she wanted to say when she retired, but then she thought that by that time Rod might be an old man, which would be very unfavorable for a happy life!
So she quickly changed her words.
Rod's eyes lit up, and he was immediately filled with motivation.
"Now I have to wipe out those Dark Faction guys sooner!"
Riveria's eyebrows and red lips curved, and she couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. Her smile was like a spring breeze, gentle and beautiful, with a hint of shyness that only Rod could perceive.
"You, you guy..."
The distance between the two imperceptibly became a little closer, and their hands occasionally "accidentally" touched while walking.
The Time Management Master, while taking the new people shopping, also deepened his relationship with Riveria.
What a Sea King (leans back).
Passing a fried potato ball stand, the vendor joyfully recognized Rod.
He seemed to be an unlucky person Rod had accidentally saved.
After learning that everyone wanted to experience the atmosphere of the past Holy Night Festival, he didn't say a word, didn't even do business, and went to buy ingredients on the spot. He carefully made a special "white snow cream flavored fried potato ball" from the past Holy Night Festival and presented it to Rod with both hands.
Rod picked one up with a skewer and took a bite, nodding in satisfaction and giving the vendor a thumbs-up.
The vendor, seeing this, showed a genuine, happy smile.
"Hahaha, I'm glad you're satisfied, this is one of the few things I can do for you!"
Taruvi looked at the regular fried potato balls in her hand, her small mouth slightly pouted, her eyes darted around, and then, like a cheerful fawn, she trotted over to Rod's side.
"Mr. Rod~ Do you want to swap and eat?"
Her voice was soft and sweet, with a hint of coquetry, and her big, watery eyes blinked at Rod.
"I want to try Mr. Rod's fried potato balls! Here, in exchange, I'll share mine with you!"
Rod didn't refuse.
"Alright."
So, the two of them each skewered a fried potato ball and simultaneously extended them towards each other's mouths.
"Ah~~~~" Taruvi happily squinted her eyes, took a bite of the fried potato ball Rod fed her, and sighed contentedly.
"Mm! It's super delicious, as expected!"
However...
Behind her, a vein slowly popped on Riveria's fair, smooth forehead.
Even her emerald-green long hair seemed to be subtly tinged with a dangerous red, reflecting her extreme displeasure.
This philandering scoundrel!
One second he was talking to me about our two-person world after retirement, and the next he's already flirting with other girls!
Rod flinched, his heart screaming 'not good'.
He quickly stuffed all the fried potato balls he was holding into Ais's arms, who had been watching eagerly with drool almost dripping, and pretended nothing had happened.
As a result, it was Ais, happily munching on fried potato balls, who absorbed all the angry 'Mama-san's' firepower.
"Ais! How many times have I told you, fried potato balls are unhealthy, you can't eat too many!"
"Ugh..."
Everyone played until noon.
When they came out of a delicate jewelry store, Metria happened to see two drunk adventurers trying to rob a passing woman.
"Perfect timing, let's collect some small gifts on our day off."
"That's right, little lady, we are the great adventurers who usually protect the Labyrinth City!"
"Oh oh~~ Quite a bit, now we can have a good drink."
"H-how can you do this, please give it back to me!"
Metria, with Taruvi, immediately rushed over, fuming.
"What are you doing? Stop it!"
Seeing someone interrupting, the two drunken adventurers unhappily moved to beat them.
"Where did this nosy fellow come from!"
Taruvi immediately spread her arms, blocking Metria, her expression as cold as a winter wind, enunciating each word.
"I hate people like you."
"Huh?"
"Showing off your strength, thinking you're amazing, bullying the weak. Don't you feel ashamed, embarrassed? I hate people like you the most!"
The two adventurers, angered and shamed, drew their swords.
"Where did this bastard come from... Stop being so arrogant and running your mouth!"
Alfia was about to make a move, but A Di had already rushed up, cleanly knocking one of the adventurers to the ground.
"Quickly return what you stole and apologize to that lady!"
The other adventurer sobered up considerably, his face turning pale as he looked at his unconscious companion on the ground.
"Damn it, it's someone from the Ganesha Familia."
He cursed under his breath, turned to run, but bumped into a blindfolded man with a cold expression.
The man's voice was low.
"Clamor, noise, this town is too loud."
"Hey, stop blocking the way! Are you looking for death?!"
"Stop barking, beast, speak like a human. Although my eyes cannot see, I hear very clearly, and such a broken, raspy voice truly pollutes the ears."
"You dare to look down on me! Watch me kill you!"
Facing the adventurer who angrily charged at him, the masked man merely rested his hand on the sword at his waist, standing still.
"Four steps."
"What?"
"Don't understand? Four steps is my attack range."
The next second, a sharp sword light, barely visible to the naked eye, cut through the air!
The adventurer didn't even manage to let out a scream before blood spurted from his body, and he fell heavily to the ground.
All the girls present narrowed their eyes slightly.
So strong! This level of strength far exceeds that of ordinary adventurers!
Alfia merely glanced, then quickly looked away, finding it rather uninteresting.
Ryu, however, watched him warily, her slender fingers already quietly gripping the wooden sword at her waist.
"Level 3, no, at least Level 4. His swordsmanship is on par with Kaguya!"
After doing all this, the masked man ignored everyone and spoke directly to Taruvi.
"Princess, Lady Vera will arrive soon, we should go."
Metria looked at the bowed-head Taruvi in surprise.
"Are you... returning to your country?"
Taruvi took a deep breath, looked up, and forced a brilliant smile.
"Yes... I originally wanted to stay longer for the Holy Night Festival in Orario, but since there's no celebration here and it's dangerous, I can't be too willful."
She looked around, her gaze sweeping over everyone who had played with her all morning, finally resting on Rod, a hint of reluctance and affection in her eyes.
"Unknowingly, I've met so many friends, it's truly delightful."
"Although I've said it many times, it really feels like a dream! This has been the most colorful and happiest time of my life..."
"Being able to meet you all and become your friends, there's truly nothing happier than this!"
A Di also felt a bit reluctant, holding Taruvi's hand.
"Can't you stay for one or two more days?"
Taruvi shook her head, a hint of determination unsuited for her age in her eyes.
"Although I really want to continue playing with everyone, I also have my responsibilities as a Princess."
Just then, a crisp sound of hooves approached from afar.
A Goddess, draped in a black robe with golden trim, slowly dismounted, her waterfall-like misty blue straight hair gently swaying in the wind, with two longer strands elegantly falling on either side of her body.
Below her slightly upturned eyes were three small red dots, arranged in a downward-pointing triangle.
This unique facial pattern gave her both a primitive tribal beauty and a sense of sacred ritual.
However, the moment she spoke, this beauty was utterly destroyed.
"Ah ah, Orario is too far, it's so troublesome, my back hurts so much."
She complained while rubbing her back, completely lacking the composure of a Goddess.
"Speaking of which, to make a Goddess specially run an errand to pick you up, that's truly Princess treatment, a Chief God is like farts--"
"Taruvi~ I've specially come to pick you up, you should thank me!"
Taruvi happily ran over.
"Vera, you really came! Mm-hmm, thank you!"
Amid couldn't help but tug on Rod's sleeve, whispering a complaint.
"This Goddess is like someone who inherited Loki's personality psychologically, but Goddess Hestia's body physically."
Vera's ears were sharp; she immediately turned around and retorted unhappily.
"Huh, did you say Hestia? I'm not that short!"
"Damn it—!!!"
At this moment, Hestia, who had been following everyone all morning, could no longer hold back. She jumped out directly, glaring at Vera in a huff.
"You're still the same, 'Honest Person' Vera!"
"Oh, isn't this Hestia, whom I just mentioned? I've always been deeply impressed by you, because I dislike you."
"You, what did you say! Why do you suddenly dislike me?!" Hestia stamped her foot in anger, completely unable to understand Vera's logic.
"Is that a question for me? It is a question, isn't it? Well, there's no helping it then, I shall graciously answer you."
Vera's smile faded, and she stared at Hestia with an expression of undisguised disgust.
"Because your compassion is infuriating."
Hestia clenched her small fists, but then sighed helplessly.
"We haven't seen each other for thousands of years, and the first thing you say upon reunion is that?"
Vera showed a mischievous smile.
· · · · · · · · ·
"Because you asked me a question, and if I'm asked, I must answer. After all, I can't lie."
Riveria looked puzzled.
"Can't lie?"
Hestia crossed her arms, speaking unhappily.
"That's right, although it's harsh to say, Vera is a very strange deity. She will answer your questions, but her answers, while true..."
"...cleverly disturb the other person's heart, making them suspicious. She never lies, so she is also known as the 'Malicious Honest Person'!"
Rod's gaze swept over her "marshmallows" which rivaled Hestia's.
Her nickname is 'Honest Person', but her figure is anything but 'honest'.
And... to be called that, at least have green hair like Riveria next to her.
Vera shrugged.
"No matter how many times I hear it, I think that's a truly excessive nickname. I merely live honestly, but some people with strong paranoia just keep complaining."
"Besides, Hestia, you dislike me too, don't you? Then we're even, there's nothing good between us."
"Ugh~~~! You're right, I really hate this about you—! It infuriates me."
Hestia was utterly defeated. Her eyes darted around, she shoved Riveria aside from Rod's side, then deliberately started fake-crying and pouting to Rod.
"Rod-kun~~ Look at this person bullying me~~~ Quickly help me get even!"
Vera looked at Rod with interest.
"Young man, what will you do?"
"You answer questions, and you can't lie, right?"
"Are you trying to ask me a question? That's right!"
Rod narrowed his eyes, looking at Vera with a half-smile.
Vera met his gaze without backing down.
In this Lower World, there are a total of four distinct Divine Weapons and Divine Gifts.
During the Fianna Knights era, there was the mysterious lock (Chains of Heaven) that bound Minos, and the 'Sword of Oath' held by King Cormac.
The lock's ability is dominance, at the cost of sacrificing the user's blood relatives; the higher the blood concentration, the more effective it is.
The Sword of Oath, on the other hand, can compel obedience after an oath is sworn, at the cost of receiving a pair of prophecies for each oath sworn.
These two Divine Gifts were pure liabilities to him, with no need to seek them out.
And a definite Divine Weapon is Orion's Arrow.
The Arrow of Orion possesses the power to twist even the laws of nature, making its might considerable.
However, it comes with the causality of [Artemis must be killed] (must kill Artemis), and its user must be a pure soul recognized by Artemis.
Putting aside the difficult side effects, Rhode suspected he was not at all associated with purity, so he never considered using it.
And the last one was the Celestial Fire, secretly thrown down from the heavens by Prometheus out of compassion.
This divine flame is now masterless, and it comes with the ceremonial sword, the Beak of the Fire Eagle, which acts as its flame controller.
It corresponds to the beak of the bird that pecked at Prometheus's entrails in mythology, and thus it was also called by the gods 'the Eagle that Pecks at Divine Intestines'.
It is both a ceremonial sword that manipulates flames and a divine weapon truly capable of slaying gods!
From the very beginning of its forging, this sword was intended to draw down the Celestial Fire to inflict pain upon the gods, which is why its name is so peculiar.
However, obtaining the Celestial Fire is not simple; the combat power of that great hero is no longer an issue for Rhode.
But the currently corrupted Celestial Fire, even if it is the eternal holy flame, Hestia, with her powerful purification abilities, would need to sacrifice herself to purify it.
The energy it contains is equivalent to a complete god!
Rhode wanted to obtain pure Celestial Fire, but he also wanted to minimize the cost of acquiring it as much as possible; if he could find a way to get it for free, that would naturally be even better.
Now, right before him, there was an omnipotent god who presided over something completely opposite to the Celestial Fire!
Rhode's thoughts raced, and then he suddenly asked,
"Is the Spring of Life a sub-divine power or a divine weapon?"
At these words, Wira's originally amused smile instantly froze, and she stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
"You... you... how did you know?"
Although the person standing opposite her was human, Wira felt a terrifying sensation of being seen through.
Rhode deliberately replied in her tone, his voice somewhat playful.
"Is that a question? But unfortunately, I don't have a habit of having to answer, and you can't answer a question with a question, can you?"
Wira's voice faltered, somewhat flustered, and she ruffled her hair in annoyance.
"Ah... damn it... you really have given me a difficult problem..."
Riveria's expression was a bit subtle, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.
Has someone finally understood her feelings? Only this time, it's a god.
Wira clicked her tongue in displeasure, but eventually answered, her voice carrying a hint of reluctance, yet also the helplessness of having no choice but to speak.
"Although I really don't want to answer, but... you're right, that below is indeed my winter staff."
Hestia beside her reacted, not happy about Wira's discomfiture, but instead, she frowned deeply and questioned,
"Wira, did you still directly intervene and interfere with the Lower World back then? This violates the agreement among the gods!"