Chapter 77: I Don’t Mind Being a Stepping Stone, So Can I See Your Feet First?

Looking at his serious expression, Hiratsuka asked, "What kind of price?"

"I still recommend pretending not to see spirits."

"As long as you do that, they won't harm you. But if you really want to become… a supernatural being, then the cost—"

Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Shirakawa calmly shook his head. "From your perspective, I don't think you'd accept it, no matter what."

"Stop being cryptic!"

The more he danced around it, the more curious she became. After all, what he just did was something straight out of a hot-blooded supernatural manga.

And now—

The opportunity to obtain that same power was right in front of her. If the price wasn't too steep, she was sure she could agree.

"It means becoming a god's follower. Offering everything—your body, your mind, your beliefs."

"In return, you'd receive divine blessings that grant supernatural power."

Shirakawa had deliberately avoided revealing his divine identity up front. He wanted to see how she would react.

But to his surprise—

Hiratsuka didn't get angry. Instead, she chuckled and shook her head. "Honestly? That sounds pretty reasonable."

"Shirakawa..."

"You're that god, aren't you?"

"Yeah," he nodded calmly. "That's why I didn't recommend it. The cost is steep."

She looked him over carefully but found no giveaways. But if he really was a god…

There was no way a normal person could see through his disguise.

She didn't seem to mind. It wasn't like he'd said something lewd. She was just following the conversation.

"So, tell me—how does it work?"

"By becoming a chosen of the God of Pleasure, a divine apostle. You'd break free from the limitations of human life."

"And obtain supernatural power."

"Using magical devices from other worlds to change one's class."

"Other worlds... class change?"

Faced with such a large amount of information at once, Hiratsuka Shizuka couldn't help but frown as she took the black coffee from Shirakawa's hand.

She didn't care at all that it was an indirect kiss.

Taking a small sip, the bitterness actually helped relax her expression. "Whether or not to become the God of Pleasure's chosen... I can't give you an answer right now."

"If I do come to a decision, I'll message you on Line."

"Don't worry. I won't reveal your identity to anyone. Still... the price of becoming the God of Pleasure's chosen really is hard to accept."

"Alright."

The conversation ended there. Instead of returning to the passenger seat, Shirakawa sat in the driver's seat.

He hadn't gotten a driver's license yet.

Otherwise, he'd probably have picked up a sports car too. With practiced movements, he started the engine and glanced at Hiratsuka Shizuka leaning back in the seat. Just as he was about to speak—

He met her expectant gaze.

"So, Lord God, would you take me to another world for a visit?"

"There'll be a chance."

"..."

Sitting in the passenger seat of her beloved car for the first time, Hiratsuka Shizuka felt complicated inside. But she didn't doubt whether Shirakawa could drive.

With strength beyond normal humans—

Even if she hadn't seen it herself, it somehow felt entirely believable that someone like Shirakawa, who hadn't even reached adulthood, could drive without a license.

As the scenery outside rapidly shifted—

With the wind brushing against her face, Hiratsuka Shizuka suddenly asked, "I remember your apartment building has units for rent, right? Any still available?"

"There are."

"If you're planning to move in, it'd be best to do it on a weekend… I need a day free, and there are a lot of things I need to deal with."

Although he really wanted to point out—

That moving into his crystal palace was definitely not the wisest decision for her, seeing the relaxed expression on her face as she made that choice…

Shirakawa responded plainly, "Sure."

Not sure what she was thinking, Hiratsuka changed the subject. "Any other students showing signs of spiritual awareness?"

"Yep."

"This semester's transfer student, Miko-chan, and Miura Yumiko, both have spiritual awareness."

Feeling the immense power of the sports car's engine—

This is why fuel-burning performance cars were king. After getting a feel for the drive, Shirakawa parked downstairs at the apartment and looked toward Hiratsuka in the passenger seat.

"Anything else?"

"If not, I've got things to take care of."

"Nope."

Hiratsuka shook her head slightly as she observed Shirakawa's apartment. The surrounding facilities were pretty well-equipped, and more importantly, she hadn't detected many evil spirits nearby.

Thinking about Miura Yumiko's state—

If someone with spiritual awareness could live life as usual, then she was most likely one of the Chosen of Pleasure.

Bothering Miko Yotsuya, who rarely spoke?

She had no intention of doing that. Now, watching Shirakawa's figure disappear into the building, she felt a sudden emptiness. She had never been in a relationship, after all.

Could it be…

That she really had to set her sights on a student?

"Whatever. Let's just move in first… everything else can come naturally. I really am curious about what this extraordinary world is like!"

Of course—

She was also curious about the day-to-day life Shirakawa experienced.

---

"I still need a space-type skill. Carrying this magical device everywhere is really inconvenient."

As he prepared to head to the DanMachi world—

To avoid standing out among the local gods, Shirakawa changed into the adventurer gear he'd prepared from the Konosuba world.

He packed the adventurer aptitude assessment device into a box—

Just as he was about to activate the world teleportation anchor, the door clicked. Entering the room was Izumi Mio, wearing a home apron.

Same dangerous hairstyle as always—

She had brought cleaning tools with her and, after switching to indoor slippers, was about to begin her once-every-three-days cleaning. But when she looked up—

She saw Shirakawa, looking like something straight out of cosplay.

His light yellow-toned adventurer outfit looked custom-made, with high-quality stitching. Even the gauntlets shimmered with a metallic sheen.

The cape was fastened at the chest, and even the boots seemed to be made of some kind of leather.

As a professional illustrator, she had of course drawn fantasy-themed artwork before. But those had always been products of pure imagination.

Now, seeing Shirakawa in front of her—

He looked like he had stepped straight out of a light novel. Her eyes lit up as she asked curiously, "Shirakawa-kun, are you headed to a convention?"

"Miss Mio, what if I told you I'm going to another world—would you believe me?"

Shirakawa spoke casually. Mio being able to move into this apartment without any ulterior motive? That was clearly just him tricking himself.

There was a lot to take care of in other worlds.

He hadn't even had time to develop the other candidates for the Chosen of Pleasure. Walking over, he took the cleaning equipment from her hands.

But the moment his fingers brushed hers—

He clearly felt her body tremble slightly. As their eyes met—

They were very close.

So close, in fact, that he could faintly smell the fragrance of her shampoo. The proximity brought a blush to Mio's cheeks.

"Another world…"

"Shirakawa-kun, you can't really believe what you read in light novels. You can't just find a dump truck and—poof—teleport. It's all fiction."

Feeling her heart pounding wildly—

Mio did her best to calm down. Being this close again—these past few weeks, she had been suppressing her urges with work.

But when she saw Shirakawa's clean, handsome face, everything reignited in an instant.

"Yeah, seriously—what normal person gets isekai'd by getting hit by a dump truck?"

He couldn't read her thoughts—

But if he had access to the Circle of Carnality authority, this situation would've been much simpler.

Still, she was someone he trusted.

And since she saw it—

Shirakawa didn't bother hiding it. Instead of continuing the conversation, he simply activated the world teleportation anchor.

He selected the DanMachi world.

Lifting the box containing the adventurer aptitude device, he turned to the blushing Mio and said with a smile—

"I'll be back for dinner tonight. Sorry to trouble you, Mio-san."

"N-no trouble at all!"

"It's the least I can do!"

Shaking off her flustered thoughts, Mio tried to calm herself. With a gentle smile, she looked toward Shirakawa—

And then her brain shut down completely.

The wooden floor began to glow with a magical circle like something out of an anime. Before she could even ask what kind of meal he wanted—

Shirakawa, standing in the middle of the living room holding the box, vanished into thin air.

Leaving behind only his voice—

I'll be back for dinner tonight…

So I'm counting on you, Mio-san…

"!!!"

Having lightly teased Mio, Shirakawa began his journey to the DanMachi world. But before that, he contacted Hestia, who was currently hosting Sakurajima Mai.

Their meeting location was at her friend Hephaestus's forge. Shirakawa wasn't yet familiar with Orario, and it took him quite a bit of time just to find the place.

They were set to meet in Hephaestus's office.

Mai had changed into an Orario-style outfit—

More accurately, it was a work uniform Hestia used while working part-time at a fried potato stand. It looked like a mini maid outfit.

With her long black hair falling over her shoulders and a pink bunny hairpin, she stood by the display case, studying various weapons and items with interest.

Her deep eyes held a bored expression, and her stunning anime-perfect face combined with her model-like proportions—

She was, in every sense of the word, the ideal beautiful senpai.

Noticing Shirakawa's gaze from inside the office, Mai tilted her head slightly and calmly returned her focus to the display.

They transferred over to the bustling Babel Tower.

Shirakawa also withdrew his gaze.

Looking at Hestia, who was clinging to his arm trying to act cute—purely in terms of figure, she was the complete opposite of Sakurajima Mai.

Through brief interactions...

Hestia had gotten a good grasp of Sakurajima Mai's personality. Though her understanding of Orario and the dungeon was still superficial, as the first potential member of her Familia, Sakurajima Mai was more than qualified!

She blinked and asked with a hint of pleading in her voice, "Shirakawa-kun, I want to invite Sakurajima Mai to join my Familia."

"You'll have to ask her opinion on that."

They hadn't even had a proper conversation yet, and she already wanted Sakurajima Mai to devote herself entirely? That would easily get one labeled a creep.

Shirakawa smiled and shook his head.

He didn't interfere with whether Sakurajima Mai joined Hestia's Familia or not—he preferred to let things take their natural course. "I think you should be confident."

"After all, you're a goddess from the Upper Realm. You ought to have that kind of self-assurance!"

"..."

Hearing that, Hestia's expression crumbled instantly. She slumped on the sofa and kicked off her slippers while pouting, hugging her knees.

Her petite white feet were exposed right in front of Shirakawa. Despite her mortal form, they were untainted and flawlessly smooth.

They could easily be held with one hand.

Her toenails were neatly trimmed, glowing softly under the lights—perfect for admiring up close. And after cleaning them... tasting them wouldn't be out of the question.

[Note: Nah, This is weird as fuck]

If there were white stockings in this other world, Hestia would be the ideal match.

White stockings, twin tails, and a mini-skirt—what god could resist that combo? At least as a chaotic evil god, Shirakawa...

Just wanted to indulge.

"You know how things are for me right now. I don't even have a proper base of operations. I'm still staying at Hephaestus's place," Hestia muttered.

"There are so many powerful Familias out there..."

"I can't force Sakurajima Mai to join mine, right? Can't you help me out?"

She looked up at him, a rare sight of distress on this normally energetic goddess. Compared to other Familias...

Yeah...

She wasn't exactly attractive in terms of benefits.

"You're talking about a class transfer, right?"

Shirakawa didn't need to guess to know what she was thinking. She wanted to use his magic apparatus to help Sakurajima Mai become a proper adventurer.

Help her get a profession.

"Yes, exactly!"

If Shirakawa really agreed, Hestia wouldn't hesitate to prostrate herself in thanks. Her sorrow disappeared in an instant.

"Besides that, I really don't know what else would convince her to join my Familia."

"No problem."

Shirakawa didn't refuse her request, but nothing came free. Looking at the little goddess bouncing on the couch, his gaze lingered on her figure.

He calmly added, "Helping Sakurajima Mai with a class transfer isn't a problem—but there's a prerequisite."

"What condition!" Hestia asked without hesitation.

"Let me explain how the magic apparatus works first. It evaluates based on the user's comprehensive abilities. The higher their stats on their first assessment—"

"The more class they can choose from, and the higher the starting level."

He pointed to the unopened wooden box on the table. "Do you understand now?"

"I get it."

"So I give Sakurajima Mai a blessing first, then once her stats are high enough, we have her do the class transfer, right?"

Understanding his thinking, Hestia began evaluating how feasible it was.

But considering that Sakurajima Mai was a high school student from another world—would she really be able to handle the dungeon?

"There's actually another option."

Seeing Hestia deep in thought, Shirakawa's eyes gleamed with amusement. He said slowly, "It's a simpler option. You know who I am."

"I can grant her the title of Chosen of the God of Pleasure, helping her transcend into a superhuman and boosting all her stats."

"In other words..."

"She becomes one of my Chosen, and then joins your Familia as an adventurer."

He laid out this alternative—one that maximized benefits for both sides. He didn't rush her, simply waited for her answer.

In this world, belief systems weren't strictly enforced. Take the Soma Familia, for example—the members didn't believe in Soma, but in his wine.

If Hestia could accept this...

Then it would be a win-win. Shirakawa could expand the number of Chosen under his Pleasure Church, while Hestia could refine the composition of her Familia.

Even without a base of operations...

Her Familia would finally have a competitive edge: unique systems from another world.

Mutual benefit.

Having a Chosen join her Familia sounded fine at first, but the more Hestia thought about it...

The more it felt like Shirakawa was turning her into a cow being milked.

"I accept! To build the strongest Familia in Orario, to surpass that awful Loki, I'll take your deal!"

"To expand my Familia, anything in my way will be stepped on!"

That part might've been aimed at Shirakawa too, but he didn't mind. He gave Hestia a thoughtful look.

"Being a stepping stone? I don't mind."

"So..."

"Can I get a peek at your feet first?"