Chapter 78: Familiar Sakurajima Mai, Asuna’s World Rescue Mission!

"My feet!"

"What about my feet?!"

Hestia frowned and gave Shirakawa a puzzled look. When her eyes dropped to her exposed feet...

Her cheeks turned bright red.

She finally realized what this guy was implying. Never mind stepping stones—this was just part of his lecherous logic for strengthening a Familia!

"Stepping stones... should probably be asked how they feel about it too."

What Shirakawa really wanted to know was the difference between the sacred words of the gods that granted blessings, and the divine authority of god-class professions.

What exactly was the distinction?

Having finalized the agreement, Shirakawa stood up and glanced toward Sakurajima Mai, who was exploring the weapon shop, curiously inspecting the exotic gear.

As for negotiations, that would be left to Hestia.

Using the divine seal of the Ecstasy Church...

He tried sending a message to Lili, asking her to come to Hephaestus's weapon shop to meet up. They needed to talk about her departure from the Soma Familia.

If it didn't go smoothly—

He'd just take care of it himself.

Having wrapped up most of the matters, Shirakawa looked back at Hestia and nodded toward the calm-looking girl in the distance.

"I think you should start preparing how to convince her to join your Familia."

"It'll work out!"

Hestia cheered herself on, filled with determination. Gaining her first member—Sakurajima Mai—was her top priority.

Wearing her slippers...

She confidently made her way toward the weapon shop and the quiet girl inside.

"Lord Shirakawa, I've successfully left the Soma Familia. It went pretty smoothly. The former captain asked me which Familia I'd be joining next..."

"I didn't tell him."

Lili recalled the details of her departure. The adventurers didn't give her a hard time, and after paying the 100,000 Valis penalty, she was able to leave easily.

It was only just before she left that the seemingly kind Sanis asked about her plans.

That alone made her suspicious.

"I just said I haven't decided yet."

"That's fine."

The Soma Familia was a ticking time bomb. To get the most out of them, they'd need to initiate a War Game later.

For now—

Very few people knew Shirakawa was a god, only Hestia and Lili. He hadn't even attended the divine banquet, so even if something unusual happened, it would just mean stepping in personally as a god.

Spreading out a surge of divine magic to confirm that no one was watching, Shirakawa opened a wooden case and gestured to the magical device inside.

"Let's start by appraising your stats. After that, you can choose your class."

"…"

Lili wasn't used to this kind of process. Just the delicate craftsmanship of the magical device alone suggested it was worth a fortune.

Still feeling nervous, she followed Shirakawa's instructions and placed her palm on the appraisal panel. A soft blue glow pulsed through the machine, and the intricate magic mechanism activated.

Soon, Lili's full stats were evaluated and recorded onto a floating adventurer's card.

Shirakawa, curious to see how becoming a "Chosen of the God of Pleasure" had affected Lili's abilities in this Danmachi world, looked over her stats.

Name: Liliruca Arde

Class: Unassigned

Current Title: Chosen of the God of Pleasure

Level: 1

Constitution: 2.6

Agility: 1.9

Strength: 1.5

Stamina: 3

Mana: 60

Skills: Behind-the-Scenes Contributor, Commanding Presence, Ashen Hearth Maiden

Given her identity as a supporter, the low combat stats made sense. But the title "Chosen of the God of Pleasure" gave her access to all top-tier classes.

After a brief glance, Shirakawa handed the card back to her.

"You can choose from all top-tier classes."

"Think it over. Want to be a mage, warrior, assassin, or support?"

"…"

Taking the card in both hands, Lili's eyes widened. The differences from the Falna system were clear—even the stats and structure were on a whole new level.

Still overwhelmed by this new system, Lili asked tentatively:

"What do you think would suit me best, Shirakawa-sama?"

"Support class. Something like Archpriest or Cleric would match your previous role."

"If you want to go for combat, you could try Swordmaster or Magic swordsmen…"

Despite being a Pallum, Lili had potential. After all, even in the Loki Familia, a Pallum had earned the title of Hero. Shirakawa simply laid out her options without interference.

"Then… I choose Archpriest!"

After a moment of serious thought, Lili made her decision. She selected her class on the adventurer's card.

"This world works differently from yours."

"Defeating monsters gives you experience. Once you level up, your stats and SP increase. You can also use skill points to learn or enhance skills."

It was the same class Aqua used in the Konosuba world. Shirakawa figured he'd bring her to the Danmachi world later to teach Lili all of the Archpriest skills.

Just then, Hestia arrived with Sakurajima Mai.

"Shirakawa-kun!"

"Mai-chan has agreed to join my Familia, so I'm about to give her my blessing… Are you done with your stuff?"

This was Hestia's first official recruit, and her excitement showed on her face. Still, it felt a bit awkward—granting someone a god's blessing was a deeply personal moment, and doing it in a friend's office was…

Well, a bit weird.

Blessings could reveal rare skills, which might make someone a target.

But Shirakawa was more interested in observing the blessing ritual itself, hoping to study how to replicate it for his own "Chosen" system.

"Can I observe?"

"Of course!"

Hestia didn't mind. They were partners, after all—and if she wanted to expand her Familia, that magical appraisal device on the desk would be her secret weapon.

She made sure to introduce Shirakawa:

"You probably know him—he's Shirakawa-kun from the dimensional chat group."

"Normal high school student."

"He's a newly ascended god. I think he's just curious about how blessings are given. You're okay with him watching, right, Mai-chan?"

"I don't mind."

Even Sakurajima Mai, usually composed, gave Shirakawa an extra glance after hearing he was a god.

He wore a practical adventurer's outfit and had a clean, sunny appearance—definitely the popular type back in school. But right now, she was focused on becoming an adventurer.

"What do I need to do?"

"Well…"

"You'll have to undo your skirt from the back and lie face-down on the couch. That way, I can give you the blessing…"

Hestia hesitated, realizing too late how awkward this sounded—especially with Shirakawa watching.

But before she could apologize—

Mai had already laid down, face turned slightly with a bit of tsundere flair.

"I understand. After all, Shirakawa-kun's just a high schooler. It's natural for him to be curious about the opposite sex… As long as he doesn't do anything weird, I don't mind."

"…"

That hit the mark.

This was the bunny girl senpai Shirakawa remembered. As Hestia unfastened her maid-like outfit, revealing a flawless back, Shirakawa's attention remained focused on the loli goddess.

A soft white light glowed as Hestia placed her hand on Mai's back, inscribing divine letters into her skin.

A skill blessing has been detected. Would you like to learn it?

"Yes."

A message appeared in Shirakawa's mind, and he accepted the new skill. As a god himself, it was only natural that he could learn it too.

He didn't pay much attention to the rest.

Hestia looked toward Shirakawa.

Most new adventurers start out with 0s across the board. Based on Mai's current stats, the class options available would be… limited.

Frowning slightly, Hestia asked, "Given her current state, there probably aren't many classes she can choose from, right?"

"Exactly."

Low stats meant low-tier class choices—just like a certain protagonist from the Konosuba world.

Shirakawa looked at Mai, now buttoned up again. Though she looked calm, there was a trace of unease in her eyes. He spoke gently:

"Hestia probably already mentioned this."

"If you want to follow a different power system—like Lili—you'll need to become one of my followers."

"It depends on what you want."

"If you remain an ordinary high schooler with no combat experience, it'll be very difficult to grow."

"…"

"So the price is… becoming your follower?"

Sitting on the couch, Mai brushed her hair behind her ear and studied her stat sheet. A flicker of disappointment passed through her eyes.

Even without fully understanding the system, she could tell from Hestia's reaction that something wasn't quite right.

In the real world, she was used to being invisible—people not noticing her presence.

The idea of starting a new life in a fantasy world had genuinely excited her.

But now, before she even began, she was hit with a harsh reality.

Even so… they were all part of the same chat group. And Shirakawa… didn't seem like a bad person.

Mai remained calm, but after thinking it over, she nodded. "Okay."

"Hey, Shirakawa-kun, Mai-chan's agreed! That means it's your turn now, right?"

Hestia, curious about Shirakawa's divine blessing system, wondered how exactly he was able to grant such a rapid stat boost.

"…"

"No problem."

To Shirakawa, it wasn't a big deal. After all, the Chosen of the God of Pleasure title subtly influenced people's thoughts and faith—some might even call it corruption.

Even with Hestia present, he decisively summoned his divine power into his palm. A pink light glowed, instantly filling the room with an ambiguous, intoxicating aura.

"Lift your skirt."

"…"

Mai really wanted to question what kind of ritual this was—but under the influence of Shirakawa's divine aura, she complied. She exposed her perfectly toned stomach without hesitation.

She could only see Shirakawa's glowing palm approaching.

The moment it touched her abdomen, a wave of gentle warmth surged into her body. It rapidly transformed her, sending a soft tingling sensation that made Mai's cheeks flush.

When the transformation finished, she subconsciously glanced down at her stomach—and froze.

A dark purple pattern had appeared.

As a modern high schooler, she immediately recognized the meaning behind such a tattoo. Trying to hold back a twitch at the corner of her mouth, she stared at him.

"Umm…"

"Shirakawa-kun, are you sure this is part of a divine blessing? And not just some weird kink of yours?"

"Of course."

It was just a "silver crest."

Shirakawa shrugged, his expression calm. "Oh yeah, I forgot to mention—I'm the god of pleasure and delight."

"So naturally, my followers are called the Chosen of Pleasure."

"…"

Hestia, who had watched the whole blessing process, kept a tight frown on her face. Something about Shirakawa's divine power… didn't sit right with her.

It wasn't like Freya's charm, which merely enchanted and mesmerized.

As the goddess of the hearth, Hestia was immune to Freya's beauty-based charm.

But Shirakawa's power?

Even she had almost lost herself in it.

If Freya could manipulate desire, then Shirakawa was desire incarnate.

If he fully released his divine aura, Hestia couldn't imagine anyone resisting it—maybe only by coating firewood with divine blood and kindling the hearth flame could one shield against it.

It wasn't just tempting.

It could corrupt the soul.

She'd never heard of any god with such an ability. Surely he wasn't a normal god… was he some kind of evil god?

With rare seriousness on her face, Hestia stared at him and asked:

"Shirakawa-kun… are you really a god?"

"Of course."

Though the phrase "chaos god" crossed his mind, Shirakawa smiled and nodded sincerely. He definitely wasn't the kind of person who'd do anything shady…

Besides, both Hestia and Mai had given their permission before he used his [Divine Mark].

He gestured to the magical appraisal device.

"You can go ahead and pick a class now."

"Okay."

Even though the dark-purple mark didn't change her outward appearance, Mai could clearly feel her body growing stronger. She didn't mind the mark.

Looking at the strange magical device on the desk, she felt like her dream of living as an adventurer was finally within reach.

Same as before, Shirakawa guided Mai through the adventurer stat appraisal.

Following her own instincts, she chose the class Swordmaster.

"That's… it?"

"…"

Looking at Mai's adventurer card, Shirakawa noted that her stats were completely different from those using the standard Falna system.

The difference?

Her base stats had started at zero—but now they were already in the single digits.

Hestia narrowed her eyes.

"These stats… They don't look like the ones granted through blessings. Why are they so different?"

"Try updating her status again."

Shirakawa remained relaxed. After all, he had just gained another Chosen of Pleasure.

"Different worlds use different systems, so the stats are tracked differently."

"…"

Hestia had never even imagined a scenario where a newly blessed follower could have their stats updated so quickly.

But when she did update Mai's stats—

She was stunned.

From a flat zero, her base stats had skyrocketed.

Strength I: 25

Dexterity I: 21

Agility I: 19

Magic I: 41

For a brand-new adventurer, these were exceptional!

In such a short time…

Hestia turned to Shirakawa, her tone serious for once.

"Shirakawa-kun… this divine authority you possess—and that magical device…"

"If other gods found out, they'd go crazy!"

"Obviously."

The gods of the Danmachi world had existed for eons. If they ever learned of a foreign god with the power to alter stats, grant high-tier classes, or even cross dimensions…

They might just lose interest in Orario altogether.

Shirakawa calmly shook his head and packed the magical device back into its case. Taking it back to the real world was the safest option.

But right then—

A message from the Dimensional Chat Group appeared in his mind.

[Group Notification: A group member, Asuna, is in danger.]

[Emergency Rescue Mission Activated.]

[Participant Limit: 2 members.]

[Would you like to go?]