Chapter 144

Back when she was in the Celestial Realm, Aqua had once CPU'd Eris; after many years, these two goddesses who had both descended to the mortal realm and failed to recognize each other, Aqua CPU'd Eris once again, making her obediently agree with the outrageous argument that "as long as it's someone you like, even starting a harem is something that can be forgiven."

"Since you also agree that if it's someone you like, you can start a harem, then, regarding becoming one of my disciple's harem members, are you, this friendless thief, willing?"

Having won the argument against Eris, Aqua immediately rode the momentum of victory and pressed the question toward the white-haired thief girl who had lost the exchange.

"Well, naturally it is……"

"You want to say you're unwilling? You want to hurt a young child who truly likes you? He cares for you so much that upon learning you had no friends, he handed you his wallet, wanting to be friends with you, even ignoring this master's feelings — for such a simple, sincere child, can you really bring yourself to hurt him?"

Aqua didn't give Eris the chance to speak a full refusal, preemptively using moral coercion rhetoric on this thief girl.

Eris: "……"

Looking at the boy with a dazed expression, currently gnawing on a fried chicken leg, she really found herself somewhat coerced.

Just as Aqua said, this child acted only out of goodwill, wanting to be friends with her; although there was the intention of wanting her as a wife, what's wrong with directly expressing one's feelings upon meeting someone you like? Besides, does this child really understand what "wife" means? Perhaps he was just led astray by that Axis Cult believer next to him who greatly resembled a former senpai.

So, should she agree?

"I'm sorry, although it will hurt you, I still can't agree."

In the end, Eris apologized to Broly with a single sentence, then jumped off Aqua's moral coercion bandwagon.

Ultimately, her true identity is a goddess; it's impossible for her to neglect her duties and engage in romance in the mortal realm. You have to understand, this is a world where the Demon King's Army is rampaging; compared to romance, finding a way to resolve the world crisis is the key.

"Ah, you said what you shouldn't have said; you actually hurt my disciple!"

Aqua immediately started clamoring, yet she is the one who must bear responsibility for this world's chaos.

At first, the First Demon King appeared in this world, causing the monsters to become powerful; in the end, the people who died because of monsters in this world were all unwilling to reincarnate in this world, leading to a decline in the birth rate of newborns.

To prevent the extinction of humanity in this world, the Celestial Realm began reincarnating young souls who died early from other worlds into this world, granting them Divine Protection from the gods and the responsibility to defeat the Demon King.

However, Aqua is a goddess who does things rather casually; when reincarnating the young souls from her responsible region, she didn't bother to properly explain the specific details of otherworld reincarnation and various additional matters, resulting in the reincarnators causing all sorts of problems, some even causing negative impacts greater than the Demon King's Army.

Although those reincarnators temporarily saved humanity in this world, the chaotic situation in this world today is, in the final analysis, the responsibility of Aqua, this goddess who casually reincarnated otherworldly souls — she bears the vast majority of the blame.

So, fundamentally, the reason Eris couldn't agree is Aqua herself, but Aqua lacks this self-awareness, only feeling that the flat-chested white-haired girl across from her is insensible, daring to refuse her and hurt her disciple.

"Aqua Master, actually I wasn't hurt."

Broly swallowed the meat in his mouth before saying this; the premise for hurting him requires him to have a large amount of Happiness Value on him at least.

For a capture target like Eris, whom he just met and who has no Happiness Value on her yet, refusing him would only make him feel a bit disappointed.

Broly hasn't never been rejected before; Irisviel von Einzbern and Artoria from the Type-Moon World also rejected him.

Back then, it still made him feel bad, but now mere single-digit Happiness Value can no longer hurt him.

【Scum!】

Looking at Eris, whose Happiness Value rose to five points the moment she said those words, this information suddenly surfaced in Broly's mind.

【To truly hurt me, it would probably take an existence like Aqua Master with nearly two thousand Combat Strength (Happiness Value)!】

If he were rejected by Aqua Master in the end, Broly felt he would definitely take a heavy blow.

【This really is a good kid.】

Eris was comforted, and thought so in her heart.

"Broly, how come you're ruining my setup again? You have to know I'm finding you a wife here!"

Aqua was somewhat angry; going by the momentum just now, she definitely would have been able to continue pressing the flat-chested white-haired girl.

"Aqua Master, forcing someone to be a wife is bad behavior."

"Then what about her?"

Hearing this, Aqua immediately pointed at Darkness and asked her own disciple.

"Darkness is willing, and even if forced, it would definitely make her feel happy."

Broly was somewhat unsure.

"Ah, forcing, huh? That seems acceptable too."

Darkness started panting heavily, and seeing her face turn red, one could roughly tell this person had probably fallen into another daydreaming non-existent IF route state. "Forget it, I don't care about you anymore!"

Aqua said something in apparent anger, then started eating happily; judging by how happily she was eating, she probably wasn't truly angry.

"Little friend, although I can't be your wife, we can still be friends."

Eris pushed the money bag over and said to Broly.

"Okay, then we'll be friends from now on."

Broly nodded, accepted the bag, then pushed the money bag in front of Darkness.

"Hm?"

Darkness looked at the money bag pushed before her, gazing at Broly in confusion.

"It's for you."

"Why suddenly give me money?"

"Today's reward."

"Uh, but isn't this a bit too much?"

Darkness did contribute today, solving a pack of Running Lizards, but the money bag Broly pushed over now clearly exceeded the labor she exerted today.

"Not too much."

Broly shook his head and said, offering no further explanation.

Darkness was about to continue refusing the reward that didn't belong to her, when she heard Aqua say: "You've been footing the bill and treating everyone these days; this kid is just worried you'd run out of money to spend, so he gave you money."

Hearing this, Darkness was somewhat stunned.

"You're a masochist woman, but Broly this kid isn't a sadist; although he'll cooperate with your strange fetishes in how he treats you, he fundamentally still cares about your situation — for example, worrying that you'd have no money to spend. That's also why we brought you along on requests.

Darkness, seeing today's scene of us subjugating Running Lizards, you don't really think our party needs a frontliner, do you?

Heh, this is just because we're worried about your tight finances, bringing you along to earn money."

Darkness stared wide-eyed at the boy gnawing on a fried chicken leg.

"That's why, don't go randomly giving your wallet to other people!"

【Darkness Happiness Value Rising】

"Thank you."

This kind of forceful gentleness caused her mindset to shift somewhat; Darkness no longer refused compensation exceeding her labor.

"This meal's on you!"

"How come it's me treating again?"

"Hmm, you're unwilling?"

"That's not quite it."

Eris watched Darkness happily eating rice at the rice bowl with the other two people, and the expression in her eyes softened.

【Lalatina, this time you've found friends who won't dislike you and won't abandon you — that's your own achievement!】

After Eris ate a fried chicken leg, she quietly left, but before leaving, she cast her blessing on the three people.

【May good luck forever accompany you all!】

"Eh, strange, how come I feel a divine power fluctuation appear? Achoo~"

Aqua, eating rice with her head buried, raised her head, sneezed once, and purified the lucky blessing on her body.

This guy's low luck value isn't without reason.

(Chapter End)