[92] Misunderstanding

It was strange.

Although Eiji had experienced people being courteous and letting him go ahead in line before, this was the first time so many people had let him move to the very front, especially when most of them were men.

"Hmm... You're not deliberately hiding your divine aura, are you?"

The city gate guard was also a warrior clad in armour, exuding the sharpness of someone well-trained. He looked at Eiji with a somewhat troubled expression.

"No, I'm just an ordinary person."

Eiji waved his hand.

He had already answered similar questions over a dozen times. Many people in the line seemed to think he was a god, which was why they let him move ahead. Even those who were skeptical chose to follow suit.

"I see. Could you open your backpack for us to inspect?"

From the look in the guard's eyes, it was clear he didn't quite believe Eiji, but he still spoke respectfully and made the request.

Eiji shrugged, making a "what can I do" expression.

If you don't believe me, there's nothing I can do.

"What are these?"

"Local specialties from my hometown."

The guard pulled out a few items like flashlights from Eiji's backpack, looking puzzled.

"Could you demonstrate how they work?"

"...Sure."

"Ah, I see. This is an alternative kind of magic stone lamp..."

Magic stone lamps were probably this world's version of lighting devices. To avoid raising suspicion, Eiji didn't react unnecessarily and remained calm.

"Everything seems fine. You may enter."

The guard carefully inspected Eiji's belongings, registered his name, and then respectfully let him pass. Even when he saw some jewellery in Eiji's backpack, he showed no signs of greed.

"I noticed others got through pretty easily. Why is it so strict with me?"

Eiji rubbed his chin and asked the guard.

He found it strange. The merchants ahead had only been briefly questioned and had their carriages quickly checked before being allowed in. But when it came to him, every single item had to be pulled out and inspected. Was this some kind of discrimination? Be careful, or I might file a complaint.

"It's usually pretty simple for ordinary people to enter, but..."

The guard gave him a strange look, sighing as if to say, "How could you even ask that?"

"If a god wants to enter, we have to conduct a thorough inspection."

After some thought, the guard decided it wouldn't be respectful to ignore a god's question, so he answered Eiji.

Perhaps this was a god from a very distant place who wasn't familiar with Orario's rules.

"I already told you I'm not a god!"

"But with a face like yours, it's hard for me to believe otherwise!"

The guard also looked troubled.

"Andre, since the god isn't familiar with the rules, why don't you explain it to him? I'll take over here."

Someone volunteered to take over the shift, smiling as he spoke.

Andre nodded reluctantly and led Eiji to the side.

Whether the other party was pretending to be clueless or genuinely unfamiliar with the city's rules, adventurers in Orario couldn't disrespect the gods. So, he had no choice but to patiently explain everything to Eiji.

In this world of "Danmachi," gods truly existed all over the world.

And in Orario, the city considered the "center of the world," the number of gods was especially high. However, gods weren't allowed to leave the city freely. Even if they entered from outside, they had to undergo inspection and registration.

Some might ask, since they're gods, wouldn't their pride prevent them from following human rules? Couldn't they just fly, turn invisible, or even teleport, making it impossible for anyone to stop them?

But in reality, that wasn't the case.

—The gods descended from the heavens a thousand years ago in search of entertainment.

Gods were transcendent beings with nearly omnipotent power. Over the course of hundreds of millions of years, their omnipotence had made life in the heavens unbearably boring. Almost nothing in the heavens could give them a sense of novelty.

After seeing how interesting the mortal world was, they joyfully descended and decided to live there with a playful mindset.

Specifically, they had to seal their divine power, forbidding the use of their divine abilities and authority. They had to live like ordinary people, unable to use abilities like invisibility, flight, or teleportation.

In other words, gods in the mortal world were almost no different from ordinary people.

But gods had one characteristic that everyone in Orario knew—they were all incredibly handsome or beautiful.

Without exception, gods could not be ugly.

Even old men and women among the gods had strikingly exceptional features, attracting the attention of those with particular tastes.

"Your appearance surpasses that of many gods I've seen."

Andre explained frankly, praising Eiji endlessly.

With his charm stat at 46, Eiji's looks, physique, and demeanour were almost perfect.

But to say he was devastatingly handsome or capable of enchanting everyone would be an exaggeration.

After all, when it came to appearance, even if one reached a certain level of perfection in facial features and physique, it would only be pleasing to the eye—not something that could drive people to lose their minds like the legendary fox spirits. At least, that's what Eiji believed.

However, in a world where gods existed and every god was a handsome man or beautiful woman, appearance became a significant benchmark.

According to Andre, many male gods couldn't compare to Eiji in terms of looks.

Although gods naturally emitted a special aura called "divine aura," which allowed people to instantly recognize their noble status, this divine aura could be freely turned off. Some gods, in search of fun, often suppressed their divine aura.

In such cases, people couldn't easily identify them.

But fortunately, they were all handsome or beautiful.

So in Orario, if you encountered someone with an exceptionally striking appearance, it was best not to cause trouble.

Even though gods had sealed their divine power, they were still beings who had granted the people of the mortal world crucial blessings. All races were expected to treat them with respect.

"I see..."

Eiji nodded.

It seemed like he could get by pretty well in this world.

He didn't plan to pretend to be a god. If exposed, the consequences would be unpredictable, so it wasn't worth the risk.

But if you mistakenly treat me as a god and worship me like a grandfather, then don't blame me, right?

"Good, tell me more about Orario."

Eiji reached out, slinging his arm over Andre's shoulder, his face showing the kind and benevolent expression of a grandfather looking at his obedient grandson.

"..."

Andre's mouth twitched, feeling as if his back had inexplicably hunched.

And then, Eiji bothered him for a good half hour.

***

Hey readers!

Want to read ahead? 📖 Join my Patreon for early access to 30+ advance chapters! Your support helps me write more and bring the story to you faster.

🔹patreon.com/aarvan🔹

Thanks for being awesome! ❤️