Hearing Asuna's sudden question, Ren Isana replied without looking back, "Probably in the next few days. There's no need to worry about them too much. When a [Spatial Magic] user wants to run away, they're faster than anyone else."
From the very beginning, Ren Isana had never worried about the safety of the teachers. He just wondered how much Natsuki Minamiya would be able to fleece out of the situation. Since he had killed Apollo, Freya was probably going to suffer a terrible fate.
Asuna nodded thoughtfully. It seemed there was still more to unfold over there, though the exact details remained unknown. Packing up her things, she stood up, ready to head back to her apartment with Ren Isana.
The students bid each other farewell and left the classroom to head home. Ren Isana, however, still needed to make a trip to the market to buy some groceries.
While he was busy on Earth, back in Orario, Natsuki Minamiya looked over the series of treaties Freya had just signed with her and nodded in satisfaction.
Since Freya was the one who caused this entire mess, Natsuki Minamiya naturally intended to bleed her dry. Who told her to walk right into the line of fire?
The other gods had absolutely no objections to this arrangement. In fact, they were quite happy to see it happen. After all, the Freya Familia was simply too massive right now, which wasn't conducive to the healthy development of Orario!
After the documents were signed, Natsuki Minamiya spoke slowly, "I expect the Freya Familia to prepare the items we requested as soon as possible. I still need to return to our world."
This wasn't a negotiation; it was a notification. Hearing this, Freya could only swallow her pride and say, "By tomorrow night at the latest, I will have everything you need delivered to the Hestia Familia."
She had suffered a catastrophic loss this time. The compensation Natsuki Minamiya demanded was astronomical. It was safe to say this single blow had left the Freya Familia on its last legs. One wrong move, and her Familia might even face forced disbandment.
But being crippled was better than being dead. These people from another world were simply too ruthless. Freya knew very well that if she refused, it wouldn't be long before the Freya Familia suffered massive casualties—perhaps even including herself!
That idiot Apollo had been assassinated, and even his corpse had been taken away. She didn't doubt her own inability to defend against them, unless she unsealed her Divine Power and returned to the Heavens.
But Freya would never accept such an outcome. Furthermore, there was no guarantee that the other party didn't have a way to reach the Heavens. Even if they didn't, it didn't matter—Hestia did.
So no matter what she chose, she could only bleed and pay the compensation in full. Otherwise, only death awaited her. In reality, she never had a choice to begin with.
Natsuki Minamiya gave her a quiet look and said nothing more. The next moment, a [Magic Circle] lit up, and she vanished from the spot along with Yor Forger, leaving behind only Freya and the gods who had come to witness the agreement.
With their departure, the faint, lingering killing intent in the hall also dissipated. After all, Natsuki Minamiya hadn't been the only one present; the others had simply remained hidden.
"Tsk, tsk, how tragic, Freya!" Ishtar was practically dying of laughter. As the mortal enemy of the Freya Familia, she was absolutely thrilled.
As a fellow Goddess of Beauty, her reputation wasn't nearly as good, and she naturally couldn't compare to Freya. Because of this, she had always despised the woman. Seeing the Freya Familia suffer such a disastrous misfortune filled her with immense joy.
At the same time, she felt incredibly fortunate. She had previously clashed with Natsuki Minamiya and had almost fought her over Haruhime. However, she had held back, and thank goodness she did.
Otherwise, Freya's current fate would have been hers, right? Ishtar looked at Freya, a mocking smile forming on her face. In a delightful mood, she turned around and left the hall.
The show was over. *So, Freya, are you ready for what comes next?* Since the Freya Familia was already crippled, she naturally wouldn't mind sending them off on their final journey!
Freya watched Ishtar leave, a cold sneer appearing on her face. She knew exactly what that woman was thinking, but she wasn't panicked in the slightest. Even if the Freya Familia was heavily damaged, they were still the strongest faction in Orario.
As long as her Familia members were fine, she would have the chance to make a comeback. *An old hag like you wants to mess with my Freya Familia? Try again in your next life!*
Perfect... Since she had lost so much, she would just have to make up for it elsewhere. She might have cowered before those people from another world, but how many Lv.8 adventurers did Ishtar have?
However, whatever happened here no longer had anything to do with Natsuki Minamiya. She had already returned to the Hestia Familia with Yor Forger.
Inside the Familia headquarters, Hestia was currently sprawled listlessly on the sofa, while Haruhime watched her with a helpless expression. Outside, Bell Cranel was hard at work training.
A [Magic Circle] lit up as Natsuki Minamiya and Yor Forger returned. Seeing Hestia in such a state, Natsuki Minamiya couldn't help but say, "If nothing unexpected happens, we'll be heading over there tomorrow night. Haruhime, Bell, if you have any business to take care of, get it done early. You'll be coming with us."
Natsuki Minamiya naturally wasn't going to abandon the Hestia Familia. Not only would she not abandon them, but she also planned to move the entire Familia to their world. From now on, Bell and Haruhime would study and live in their world.
Hearing Natsuki Minamiya's words, Hestia instantly perked up. Flipping over like a salted fish coming back to life, she asked excitedly, "Is everything settled?"
The reason she had been so depressed was that she didn't know when Natsuki Minamiya would finish her business and return to the other side. Now that there was finally news, how could she not be thrilled?
"It's settled. Their compensation will arrive tomorrow. By the way, notify that idiot Loki and have her call Lefiya and Ais over," Natsuki Minamiya said, looking calmly at Hestia.
She wasn't returning empty-handed this time. She was even going to bring her allies over and have them establish a branch in that world.
Besides the Loki Familia, there were also Miach and Hephaestus. As for the Miach Familia... Miach was bringing everyone over directly, considering his Familia currently only consisted of two people.
So it was perfectly fine for all of them to tag along. Bringing a kind-hearted God of Healing to their world—and an unsealed one at that—was an absolute steal no matter how you looked at it.
Based on their understanding of that god, Natsuki Minamiya and the others were more than welcoming. The strategic value was simply too immense. Plus, the other party also had some matters they wanted to resolve using their Divine Power.
The sole remaining member of the Miach Familia... her arm had always been a prosthetic. Using Divine Power in another world wouldn't cause any repercussions, so how could Miach pass up the opportunity? Of course he would go with them and heal Naaza first!
"I understand! I'll go tell her right now!" Hearing this, Hestia immediately jumped up and headed outside. Not long after she left, Shizuka Hiratsuka popped out from who-knows-where and followed her.
Hestia still needed to be closely protected right now. It would be a disaster if she got provoked, used her Divine Power, and was forcibly sent back to the Heavens.
Watching the two leave, Natsuki Minamiya turned to Haruhime. "Haruhime, if you have any friends you need to say goodbye to, you can go take care of it. The next time we return here, it might not be until the passage between the two worlds is fully connected, which will probably take over a year."
Hearing Natsuki Minamiya's words, Haruhime shook her head. "I don't think I have any friends left here, so there's no one I need to say goodbye to."
Currently, Haruhime was still unaware that her childhood playmate was also in Orario, so she truly had no friends to bid farewell to. As for the people in the Pleasure Quarter? They weren't friends.
Natsuki Minamiya nodded and said nothing more. As for Bell outside? He was fine. He was an orphan, and his only grandfather had supposedly passed away, so he had even fewer people to say goodbye to.
As Hestia went to find Loki and Hephaestus, the various Familias began their preparations. This time, aside from sending Riveria, Ais, and Lefiya—the three who were familiar with Ren Isana and the others—the Loki Familia also included the Amazon twins, making it a total of five people heading over.
If possible, Loki really wanted to go too, but she couldn't leave. Natsuki Minamiya also refused to allow it, using the excuse that the current passage couldn't withstand too many gods crossing over, and that bringing two was already the absolute limit.
Loki suspected that Natsuki Minamiya was targeting her specifically, but she had no proof. Because of this, Loki couldn't tag along this time and could only let Riveria, her vice-captain, lead Ais and the others.
Although she was reluctant to part with Ais, Loki was very open-minded when it came to important matters. Ais and the others would be able to achieve better development in Ren Isana's world. This would bring immense benefits to both the Loki Familia and the girls themselves, so she had no reason to stop them.
As for the Hephaestus Familia? Hephaestus directly sent over the people she had previously dispatched to the Hestia Familia—namely Tsubaki and her group. There were still others remaining in Orario to hold the fort.
Tsubaki going over wouldn't affect much. After all, the Hephaestus Familia wasn't some small-time faction in Orario; Tsubaki and her group's departure wouldn't cause any major disruptions.
And so, the several Familias began their preparations. Since they were heading to someone else's territory, they naturally had to prepare some gifts. This time, both Familias prepared quite a few welcoming presents!
Ren Isana had no idea that their world was about to welcome a bunch of familiar faces. He and Asuna went to the market to buy some groceries, shared a meal together, and then began their evening [Meditation].
Asuna eating with Ren Isana had gradually become a regular occurrence. After all, eating alone was nowhere near as enjoyable as eating with someone else. Both Ren Isana and Asuna actually quite enjoyed it.
If their relationship hadn't yet reached that specific stage, they probably would have just moved in together. Why bother running back and forth every time they finished a meal?
The night passed quietly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the next day. After waking up that morning, Ren Isana headed to school with Asuna, just like usual.
Upon arriving at school, Ren Isana bid Asuna farewell and headed straight for the principal's office. He hadn't forgotten that he needed to pick something up from Director Ken today.
Watching Ren Isana head toward the office, Asuna felt quite expectant. After all, she would soon have her very own Spatial Ring. She had already discussed the matter with her parents, and the funds were ready.
Regarding the purchase of a Spatial Ring, her father was naturally more than happy to support it. He hadn't even expected that his daughter studying there would bring such a pleasant surprise.
Yukino Yukinoshita was in the same boat. Yukino had also told her parents about it last night, and they had offered their unconditional support. If possible, they even hoped Yukino could acquire a few more in the future.
But who knew if that would ever happen? It wasn't as if those things were as common as cabbages. Just getting one was enough to treat it as a family heirloom.
Ren Isana arrived at the office and knocked on the door. After hearing a voice from inside, he pushed the door open and walked in. Seeing Ren Isana, Director Ken smiled and said, "The higher-ups are extremely satisfied with the magic spells you provided. I've successfully acquired the items, and on top of that, you got quite a bit more of the materials you requested."
As he spoke, he brought out two boxes. One was about the size of a chalk box, while the other was slightly larger than a shoebox. Director Ken placed them on the desk and opened them.
Inside the small box lay four Spatial Rings, while the large box contained specially partitioned pieces of metal. There were five pieces in total, each identical in size.
"These metal pieces are one kilogram each, making it five kilograms in total. A certain master blacksmith specifically added extra for you," Director Ken explained, introducing the materials to Ren Isana.
There was no need to mention the Spatial Rings; the things Ren Isana had provided were more than enough to exchange for a good number of them. As for the metal, the master blacksmith had treated the forging manual Ren Isana had transcribed from the God of Forging as an absolute treasure.
Upon learning that Ren Isana wanted this specific metal, he had added extra without a second thought. Originally, Director Ken had only managed to secure two kilograms, but once the master found out, he immediately bumped it up to five kilograms.
In his own words: *Two kilograms? Who are you looking down on?* The techniques Ren Isana brought back were worth far more than that, not to mention that Ren Isana had already learned the forging skills of a god. Giving these materials to Ren Isana wasn't a waste at all; giving him more would only allow him to put them to better use.
Hearing Director Ken's explanation, Ren Isana was somewhat surprised. This was truly an unexpected delight. He immediately said, "Please help me thank that master, Director!"
Director Ken couldn't help but laugh wryly. "He's the one who should be thanking you. After all, the materials you brought back are far too helpful."
Whether it was the forging techniques or the pharmacological knowledge, they were all priceless treasures. Furthermore, the higher-ups now placed even greater importance on Ren Isana. This kid's talent truly never failed to bring surprises.
His decision had been correct. So, no matter what happened next, he had to ensure this kid was well protected. He couldn't allow any accidents to befall him. If anything happened to Ren Isana, it would be a massive loss for them.
"Alright, take your things and go. Your teachers should be back by tomorrow, so I'll have to trouble you to continue teaching your classmates today." Director Ken looked at Ren Isana with satisfaction and promptly shooed him away.
He had no intention of criticizing what Ren Isana did yesterday, especially the battle with his classmates. Even if Ren Isana and the others had literally torn the school down, it wouldn't have mattered. They could just rebuild it.
Hearing Director Ken's words, Ren Isana nodded. He stepped forward, stored the metal away, and picked up the small box. After saying goodbye to the Director, Ren Isana headed toward his classroom with the items in hand.
On the way, Ren Isana pocketed one of the Spatial Rings for himself and kept the remaining three in his hand, intending to give them to Asuna and the others. The capacity of these rings was identical. Although they weren't as large as Ren Isana's, they were still quite impressive, boasting double the storage space of a Spatial Backpack.
Carrying the items, Ren Isana returned to his classroom. He glanced over at his seat and saw that Yukino and Megumi Kato had already arrived. Aside from them, many other classmates were also present.
When Ren Isana stepped into the classroom, quite a few people greeted him before burying their heads back into the notes they had taken yesterday. These guys were still chewing on the [Flight Magic] Ren Isana had taught them.
Sweeping his gaze across the room, Ren Isana walked toward his seat. As he passed Yukino, he placed a Spatial Ring on her desk, followed by one for Asuna and one for Megumi Kato.
Having done all this, he sat down in his seat. Asuna and Yukino were instantly overjoyed upon seeing the rings Ren Isana had given them, but Megumi Kato was left completely bewildered.
She stared at the Spatial Ring on her desk and looked at Ren Isana in confusion. "Ren Isana, did you prepare this for me?"
She couldn't afford this! The sudden appearance of the Spatial Ring caught Megumi Kato completely off guard. Why had Ren Isana prepared one for her too?
"Of course. Since everyone else has one, how could we leave you out?" Ren Isana smiled at Megumi Kato. Since Asuna and Yukino both had one, Ren Isana naturally wouldn't ignore Megumi. After all, if everyone in the party had one except her, it would inevitably make her feel isolated.
"But I don't have enough money to pay you..." Megumi Kato voiced her awkward predicament. She couldn't afford something like this. She could scrape together a few million, but a Spatial Ring was priced in the hundreds of millions!
"It's fine. I'll give you an interest-free loan. If you can't pay it back in the future, you can just pay with your body. I don't mind," Ren Isana waved his hand dismissively. Since he had already exchanged for it, he had no intention of asking Megumi Kato for the money right now.
She could just pay it back slowly in the future. There was no need to stress over it. Given Megumi Kato's potential, she would definitely be able to pay off this amount eventually; it was only a matter of time.
Hearing this, Megumi Kato opened her mouth, at a loss for words. At that moment, Asuna chimed in, speaking directly to Megumi, "Just accept it. It's pocket change. At worst, we can just go hack away in the Dungeon for a few months."