Although it wouldn't be too late to level up after returning from other worlds, they, as seniors, also had their pride!
The next day, the girls of the Astrea Familia handed over their urban patrol duties en masse to the hardworking Ganesha Familia.
They brought A Di, who had been personally led by Shakti and reluctantly joined, and entered the Dungeon with great momentum.
Rhode did not stop them; their experience bars had already met the conditions for leveling up.
Not everyone had to train all their stats to S before leveling up, and most people couldn't achieve that level even with desperate training.
And on this very day, something else happened that shook all of Orario.
The treasure of the Dian Cecht Familia, Amid, who was known as the "Battlefield Saintess," officially submitted a transfer request.
And her target was none other than the recently established Hestia Familia!
On this day, a triumphant Hestia specially dressed up and went shopping all day. Whenever she met a god, she would immediately say, regardless of whether they wanted to listen:
"How did you know Amid was joining my Familia?"
Then she would watch their shocked, astonished, disbelieving, and then frustrated expressions, sticking out her tongue and laughing heartily with her hands on her hips (Mouri Kogoro style).
If it weren't for Ke Luoyi and Runova, her two left and right guardians, there's no way she wouldn't have been beaten up.
"Huh? Why that shorty?! I refuse!!!" The red-haired goddess's mournful wail echoed through the Twilight Manor.
"Hmm… it shouldn't be something Hestia could do, it must be that child." The goddess of beauty's faint sigh resonated through Babel.
"No! Absolutely not! I will never agree! I've raised you for so many years and spent so much money, how can I let you transfer Familias!"
"Wah—I'm going to cry, I really am going to cry!"
Facing her Head God, an old man with a white beard who was currently acting like a three-year-old child, crying, wailing, and rolling on the floor, Amid felt extremely embarrassed, her fair cheeks flushed crimson.
"Uh, you know, Brother Rhode is my future mentor, and Naza is my competitor, so I've decided to bring my talents to the Hestia Familia. I hope you'll agree."
Dian Cecht refused to let her go, even 'diagnosing' himself on the spot with an incurable disease and limited time, claiming Amid had to stay to continue treatment, trying to morally blackmail her with such a clumsy method.
Instead, the seniors in the Familia expressed understanding. After all, the Dian Cecht Familia was a commercial Familia to begin with, and people coming and going was normal.
A senior female healer with heavy dark circles under her eyes, looking as if she could drop dead at any moment, patted Amid's shoulder and said earnestly,
"You're still young, don't let loyalty ruin you."
Just as Amid was in a dilemma,
The Dian Cecht Head God, who had been on his deathbed a moment ago, suddenly recovered miraculously the next second and 'voluntarily' and 'happily' agreed to her Familia transfer request.
According to a certain Hostess of Fertility employee who happened to be passing by, all the changes stemmed from a tall man with a large black sword on his back silently stepping through the Dian Cecht Familia's gate.
However, ever since then, patients who entered the Dian Cecht Familia for treatment often heard a heartbroken wail from an old man in a certain room.
"Our Familia (sobbing)... what will it become (sobbing)... in the future (sobbing)."
Another day later, without anyone knowing, Alfia and Chardo both advanced to LV8.
And it was at noon on this day that the Far East trio finally arrived in Orario.
Inside the Hearthfire Manor, the warm fire crackled.
"Eh? You're actually from Sister Kaguya's hometown?!"
Meili, a Pallum, shook her fluffy purple short hair and carefully offered tea to the three young guests who were about the same height as her.
During their casual chat, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that these three adorable children came from the distant Far East Country.
"Thank you very much for your hospitality."
Compared to the somewhat shy Qiancao, who instinctively poked her fingers when nervous, and Chun Ji, who, despite her noble and graceful demeanor, seemed to suffer from social anxiety.
Mei, though the same age, appeared much more mature and composed.
She had lustrous, jet-black long hair, a pair of calm, bluish-purple eyes, and when kneeling, her dignified, straight back demonstrated excellent upbringing.
Though only eight years old, her beautiful and delicate features were enough to draw praise even from Gods accustomed to peerless beauty.
Mei took a small sip of tea, and with an elegant posture, asked, "I wonder who the Lady Kaguya you mentioned is...?"
Meili held the tray and smiled with narrowed eyes.
"She's an ally of our Familia, an adventurer senior from the Astrea Familia. Her full name should be Kaguya Sanjo."
"Oh?"
Qiancao peeked out a pair of deep green eyes from behind her black medium-length hair and whispered,
"Sanjo... but if I remember correctly, the Nine Families back then weren't allowed to leave the country unless under special circumstances."
Meili shook her little head, indicating she didn't understand.
"I don't know about that, but Sister Kaguya has been an adventurer for a long time now."
"Oh, right, what's your name, cute fox girl?"
Chun Ji, whose name was called, looked even more sacred and noble in her splendid miko attire.
Pure white inner garments and juban, paired with scarlet hakama embroidered with white patterns, and on her feet, white tabi and red-corded straw sandals.
Her golden hair was tied up with white tan-shi paper, and the large, fluffy golden tail behind her was gently swaying with a hint of unease.
Her fluffy fox ears twitched slightly, and she spoke in a soft, delicate, yet elegant voice.
"My name is Chun Ji Sanjo, a Divine Child of Lord Susanoo."
"Susanoo? Divine Child?" Two big question marks popped up over Meili's little head.
Mei's eyes instantly gleamed with admiration and longing. She nodded vigorously and explained proudly,
"A Divine Child is a miko who serves a God. In the Far East Country, now renamed Izumo, there is only the Yasaka Shrine dedicated to Lord Susanoo."
She took a deep breath and, with an incredibly solemn tone, spoke the name that shocked Meili.
"And Lord Susanoo is... the Captain you mentioned, Lord Rhode."
"Clatter—"
The tray in Meili's hand fell to the floor with a crash.
"Eeeh?!" Her little mouth was wide enough to fit an egg. "Although our Captain doesn't look like a normal adventurer... but, but... could he actually be a God?!"
Seeing this, Chun Ji couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle softly, her golden tail wagging happily behind her.
"Our country's Head God, Sister Amaterasu... *cough*, Lady Amaterasu, once said that Lord Susanoo is tempering himself in the mortal world and will ascend to godhood in the future, becoming the Lord of all Gods."
Actually, it was just a pretext that Amaterasu and the other Goddesses came up with so that Rhode could accept the worship of the entire country in his mortal body and rightfully stand above the Gods of the Far East.
Even the usually shy Qiancao, when Rhode was mentioned, couldn't help but excitedly puff out her little chest and exclaim,
"Yes! Lord Susanoo slayed the legendary Eight-Headed Serpent, brought unprecedented prosperity to the country, and rescued countless poor commoners and orphans!"
"He is the God of War of our Izumo, our King, and our unique Savior!"
Meili looked at the trio's undisguised, almost fanatical admiration for their Captain, and her curiosity about Rhode's mysterious past grew even stronger.
"Hmm... if you don't mind, could you tell me more details?"
"Of course!"
Qiancao's eyes instantly lit up. She quickly pulled out a thick, bound picture book, an exquisitely made chibi doll, and a small pendant from her little backpack behind her, pushing them all excitedly towards Meili.
"This is...."
"These are Lord Susanoo's merchandise... no, holy images!"
At this moment, Qiancao had completely lost her initial shyness and reserve.
Her little head excitedly leaned next to Meili's, as if she had transformed into the most fervent missionary.
Mei on the side could only shake her head with a wry smile.
Although all the miko in the shrine were absolutely loyal to Lord Rhode, Qiancao was the most unusual.
Normally, she was a little girl who would shyly poke her fingers when talking to strangers, but once Lord Susanoo was mentioned, she would instantly transform into the ultimate Rhode fan, like a chatterbox, endlessly recounting his glorious deeds of the past.
"Look, look! This picture book was personally drawn by Goddess Tsukuyomi and then printed, containing precious images of Lord Susanoo slaying the Eight-Headed Serpent!"
Meili carefully opened the picture book. The first page depicted Rhode under a clear moonlight, his eyes sharp and proud, with an endless, murderous shadow army behind him.
That aura of dominion, as if ruling the world, almost burst through the paper.
Meili's little face couldn't help but flush slightly.
"So... so handsome..."
"Right! Right!" Qiancao, encouraged by the affirmation, became even more excited. "And this! This is the scene where Goddess Amaterasu was captivated by Lord Susanoo's charm and actively requested to join him!"
"Oh, oh, oh! This Goddess is so beautiful! Lord Rhode truly is like a God-King!"
The two leaned their heads together and quickly finished flipping through the entire picture book.
Although Meili felt a hint of doubt about her Captain's true age, listening to Qiancao's eloquent tales of heroism, her admiration grew even stronger.
"I never thought Lord Rhode did so many great things outside of Orario... But, the Eight-Headed Serpent you mentioned earlier, why didn't I see it from beginning to end?"
Hearing this question, a faint trace of melancholy appeared in Chun Ji's beautiful, jade-like eyes. She sighed softly.
"The Eight-Headed Serpent... refers not to a real monster, but to the corruption itself, like a parasitic vine or poisonous snake, clinging to the nation and sucking its lifeblood."
"Ten years ago, the country's court was managed by nine ancient families. The Gojo Family, which I belong to, was one of them."
"However, except for one family directly serving Goddess Amaterasu, the power-hungry rulers of the other eight families had long been corrupted and eroded by power. They colluded with each other, transforming into monsters intent on dragging the entire country into an abyss."
At this point, Chun Ji's tone gradually became more impassioned. Her small hands tightly clutched her chest, and her beautiful eyes once again sparkled with light.
"And Lord Susanoo, on that day, descended like divine punishment, suddenly leading the legendary soldiers of the Underworld!"
"He punished evil and promoted good, judged wickedness, and with thunderous methods, cut away the rot for this country, bringing true rebirth to our lives!"
This was an epic, a myth that surpassed heroic tales.
Meili was deeply shocked and couldn't recover for a long time.
The symbolic meaning of this story was far more profound and subtle than the fairy tales of heroes vanquishing evil monsters.
"No wonder you all admire and believe in Lord Rhode so much..."
Meili's heartfelt admiration and approval instantly caused the Far East trio's favorability towards her to skyrocket.
Chun Ji suddenly thought of something, and her bright, golden tail happily wagged from side to side.
"Most of the miko in the shrine, like me, are selected from the purest, most beautiful, and most talented girls among the children of noble officials recognized by Lord Rhode."
"But there are also some girls from the orphanage personally established by Goddess Tsukuyomi, entrusted by Lord Rhode. They are all orphans whose parents died due to natural disasters or man-made calamities in the past."
"These special miko have another name, you know, Daughters of the Gods~"
Meili cupped her small face in her hands, revealing an incredibly gentle expression.
"As expected of our Captain, he's so gentle."
Qiancao nodded vigorously, her small eyes sparkling with excitement and enthusiasm.
"Yes! But that's only a title for when we're underage. Once we become adults, we'll be called — [Brides of the Gods]!"
The smile on Meili's face instantly froze.
Huh?!
This sudden turn almost snapped her little waist.
Why did a heartwarming and touching story from one second turn into some strange R-rated novel territory the next?!
Mei's pretty face also flushed upon hearing this. She cleared her throat and added, somewhat embarrassed,
"Y-yes, that's right, but the miko's body and mind already belong to Lord Susanoo; we just gain an additional title!"
"Wait, is Miss Mei also one of them?"
".....Hmm, Qiancao and I are both among them." Mei admitted, blushing softly.
What was this, raising brides from lolis?
Was their Captain no longer satisfied with Pallum substitutes?!
Meili's feelings were extremely complicated, and she decided to secretly discuss countermeasures with Senior Ryra when she returned.
Oh, right, Lili from the Hephaestus Familia was also their ally.
The glory of the Pallum must not be lost!
After answering Meili's questions, the Far East trio also grew intensely curious about Rhode's experiences in Orario.
These miko, who had served Gods since childhood, already knew that Rhode possessed the ability to travel through time, so they weren't surprised by his age or the differences in his displayed abilities.
Meili suddenly felt a sense of pride.
Although she was also a latecomer, in terms of time spent together, these three little ones still had to politely call her 'big sister'!
If, in Izumo, the Far East trio understood more of Rhode's divinity,
Then, through Meili's narration, they gradually came to understand Rhode's humanity.
It turned out that the God they served also experienced joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and had once been weak; he had a sense of justice but was never pedantic; he would unreasonably favor his own people, and of course... he was also a little bit of a playboy.
The image of Rhode in their minds became increasingly vivid.
Not only did they not feel that their perfect image of him had collapsed because of this, but they instead developed an indescribable sense of closeness.
"Yo, you've already arrived."
Just then, a slightly lazy voice came from the doorway.
Although they had never heard Rhode's voice with their own ears, the moment the three little lolis heard it, they immediately realized—this was the being they had envisioned in their hearts and worshipped day and night since childhood!
"Lord Susanoo!!!"
Three eight-year-old lolis, like three small cannonballs, rushed one after another towards the figure at the door!
Rod was surprised for a moment, then a brilliant smile bloomed on his face. He knelt down, opened his arms, and embraced the three adorable little ones.
"Hehe, just call me Rod."
"It's…it's so warm in Lord Rod's arms."
"Sniff, sniff…it smells like sunshine."
"Ugh…this humble one…this humble one should have performed a grand bow first…this humble one is truly a rude, foolish fox…"
Rod rubbed the heads of the three little ones, paying special attention to the little fox who had become melancholic.