Megumi Kato was suddenly baffled by Sora's inexplicable stare. *What's going on?* Being stared at so abruptly left Megumi completely bewildered.
Seeing that no one wanted to buy on credit, Maya dropped the subject. Instead, she smiled and said, "I'll save the next batch of Spatial Backpacks for you all, then. Just let me know whenever you need them."
*It won't be long before these kids come back to buy them,* she thought. After all, she still owed a few of them backpacks anyway.
"You got it! We'll definitely come to you when we want more Spatial Backpacks!" Sora readily agreed. She tossed the bizarre thought of "rewarding" Ren Isana to the back of her mind. It was just too weird. She had no idea why such an idea had even popped into her head in the first place.
Ren Isana's weapons were fully forged, and his materials were all processed. It was time for him to leave. With that in mind, he spoke up, "Maya, Jimmy, thanks for having us today. We'll be taking our leave now."
Maya nodded. "Alright, head on back. I'll let you know when the rest of the Spatial Backpacks are ready."
Ren nodded in acknowledgment. Glancing at the group, he turned and headed for the exit. The others followed suit, carrying their new Spatial Backpacks as they all left the workshop together.
As they walked out of the factory district, the group chatted animatedly. Unable to contain her curiosity, Sora asked, "Class Rep, how exactly do you know Maya? You two seem really close."
*Could they be relatives?* Maya had taken incredibly good care of the classmates Ren brought along, which only made Sora even more curious about their relationship.
"We met when I was working part-time," Ren replied without a shred of hesitation. "As everyone knows, I'm an orphan, so I have to support myself. I've been working for Maya for a long time."
Besides, it was the *other* him who had done the actual part-time work—what did that have to do with the current Ren? Even though he was also an orphan, it didn't matter. There was nothing to be ashamed of. Raising and supporting himself all these years was honestly pretty badass.
The group was a bit surprised by his answer. So that was how they met. Sora muttered, "I thought she was your relative or something."
Ren just smiled and said nothing. What relatives? He was an orphan; he didn't have any of those.
After leaving Maya's place, the group parted ways to head home. Ren and Asuna said their goodbyes to the others at the intersection, walked back to their apartment building together, and then returned to their respective units.
Once home, Ren took out the Spatial Ring he had set aside earlier. Looking at the ring in his hand and the Spatial Backpack Asuna had traded him, he felt a wave of helplessness.
With a sigh, he got to work. Great, now he had four spatial storage items. From now on, he would use the Spatial Backpacks strictly for luggage. As for his two Spatial Rings, one would hold potions and the other would store materials.
His most crucial items would remain safely tucked away in his heart space. *That's a pretty good setup,* he thought, before setting out to modify the shape of the new ring.
With the divine forging techniques he had learned from Hephaestus, this was hardly a difficult task. In no time at all, he crafted a Spatial Ring that looked identical to the ordinary ring he usually wore.
Ren took off his old, ordinary ring. Condensing a ball of flame in his palm, he instantly melted it down into a lump of scrap metal. Once it cooled, he casually tossed it into the trash can.
With that, the "patch" was successfully applied. Ren looked at the Spatial Ring on his finger and nodded in satisfaction. While others didn't even have a single Spatial Backpack, he was already sitting on several spatial items.
Satisfied, Ren spent the rest of his time at home browsing the internet for various fields of knowledge. He might not need the information right now, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be useful in the future.
If he wanted truly advanced magical theory, he would have to wait until he entered a university. Only there could he access higher-level knowledge. But for now, Ren was a sponge, absorbing everything he could find.
As long as it was knowledge, he studied it. He even dove into science subjects like physics, devouring every bit of information available.
While Ren was swimming in the ocean of knowledge, Natsuki Minamiya had finally received her rightful compensation. Looking at the items delivered by the Freya Familia, the corners of her lips curled up slightly.
This was truly a cause for celebration. Natsuki had successfully extorted a massive haul of magic grimoires, precious materials, and rare medicinal herbs—after all, those were the most valuable resources in this world.
On top of that, she had also acquired several properties and businesses. Natsuki had made an absolute killing this time. Nothing could make her happier.
Gazing at the courtyard full of loot, Natsuki cast a spell, instantly storing everything away. Once she was done, she turned her attention to Hestia.
"Make your arrangements. Pack whatever needs packing. There's no need to dismiss your staff; let them continue living in the Familia headquarters. We'll be back after some time." This base was still useful and couldn't be left to rot.
Hestia nodded excitedly and immediately began making preparations. She first called over the Familia's cooks and informed them that she and the others would be going on a long trip.
They would likely be gone for quite a while. During their absence, wages would still be paid as usual. To ensure no one slacked off or ran away, Hestia also planned to ask the Guild to keep an eye on things.
In other words, their future salaries would be distributed by the Guild, and their daily tasks would remain the same—mainly just keeping the place clean. For the staff, this was actually a fantastic deal.
Less work for the same pay? It was a dream come true. They had absolutely no objections to Hestia's arrangements. After settling matters at the base, Hestia hurried over to the Guild to finalize the rest.
By the time she finished and returned, the sky had completely darkened. Natsuki Minamiya wasn't in a rush to leave; she planned to wait until the next morning to head back, aiming to teleport directly to the school.
Riveria and the others had already arrived. The group stayed the night at the headquarters. The next morning, shortly after seven o'clock—right around the time Ren and his classmates were heading to school—they finally set off.
The group stood together, their belongings packed and ready. Natsuki placed a magical marker on everyone before activating her spell, whisking them all away from this world.
Experiencing an ultra-long-distance teleportation for the first time was rough. The moment they arrived in Ren's world, almost everyone couldn't help but throw up. The weaker members, Bell Cranel and Haruhime Sanjouno, had it the worst, vomiting until their heads spun.
Ais and the stronger adventurers weren't as severely affected. Taking in their new surroundings, they began observing the area with curious eyes. Natsuki glanced around, and upon confirming that no one was nearby, she didn't linger.
Instead, she cast another spell. Seeing the magic flare up again, the still-heaving Bell and Haruhime turned pale. The scenery shifted once more, though this time the transition was nearly instantaneous, transporting them to a new location in the blink of an eye.
When they reappeared, they were standing on the sports field used by the special class at the school. Ren and Asuna had just arrived at the field. Ren, who had been on his way to the classroom, suddenly stopped in his tracks.
His sharp senses picked up a distinct spatial fluctuation. A moment later, a purple Magic Circle lit up the area. Seeing the familiar array, Ren's eyes lit up. "Ms. Minamiya and the others are back."
Hearing Ren's words, Asuna paused, a flash of pleasant surprise in her eyes. She stood quietly beside him and waited. Naturally, the intense fluctuation of Magic Power caught the attention of the other students as well.
By the time Natsuki Minamiya and her group fully materialized, the rest of the class had rushed out onto the corridors. Seeing Hestia and the others, the students' eyes brightened, and they excitedly called out their greetings.
"Hestia, Ais, Riveria, Haruhime, Ms. Minamiya, Ms. Yor!" Sora was the most thrilled, shouting out to the group. However, Shizuka Hiratsuka was not pleased with Sora's roll call.
"Hey, hey, hey! What about me? Did you brats forget about your assistant homeroom teacher?" *These little punks just completely ignored me?* She was instantly annoyed.
"Ren!" Hestia didn't care about any of that. Spotting Ren nearby, she excitedly ran over to greet him.
"Welcome back," Ren smiled, greeting the ecstatic goddess. The others stepped forward as well, particularly Ais and Riveria.
Truth be told, their admiration for Ren had reached its absolute peak. They had all just been attending a banquet, only for Ren to step out and casually assassinate Apollo. That was a literal god he had killed!
Ais, in particular, felt an eager itch in her heart. She really wanted to find an opportunity to slay a god herself someday—especially one from the Evils. Doing something like that would definitely make her stronger, right?
After greeting Hestia, Ren shifted his gaze to Riveria and the rest. "I didn't expect you guys to tag along as well."
He genuinely hadn't anticipated this. The Loki Familia and Hephaestus Familia were surprisingly straightforward, sending their core members right over. And then there was Miach.
The moment he arrived in this world, Miach felt the seal on his Divine Power lift. A flash of joy crossed his eyes as he immediately turned to Naaza. "Hold out your arm."
Hearing Miach's words, Naaza's heart leaped with excitement. She knew exactly why they had come to this world. Looking at him, she asked, "Lord Miach, is it really safe now?"
She didn't want any accidents. If this place had the same rules as Orario, she would rather stay disabled. After all, if a god used their Divine Power carelessly, they would be forcibly sent back to Heaven.
Listening to their exchange, Ren's mind raced. He instantly understood their purpose for coming here. *Wait, maybe Miach can take a look at Director Ken's injuries?*
With that thought, Ren stepped forward and said, "If you want to use your Divine Power, go right ahead. Hestia used hers plenty of times when she was in this world."
Hearing Ren's reassurance, Naaza looked over, hope reigniting in her eyes. If that was the case, then there was nothing to worry about. She unbuckled her prosthetic and extended her severed arm toward Miach.
The others turned their attention to the pair. The classmates who had run down to the field stayed completely silent, watching the scene unfold with bated breath.
Miach didn't hesitate. He released his Divine Power, channeling it directly into Naaza's body. Under everyone's watchful eyes, flesh and bone began to sprout from her stump, slowly growing and reforming until a perfectly normal arm was restored.
Regenerating a severed limb was child's play for Miach when he had access to his Divine Power. In their original world, the rules prevented him from using it, but here? It was a joke. As long as someone had a single breath left in them, Miach could pull them back from the brink.
He could probably even reverse death itself. With just a fraction of his Divine Power, Naaza's arm was instantly healed. Having finished the treatment, Miach couldn't help but smile.
"It's finally restored." At that moment, the heavy burden in Miach's heart was finally lifted. Naaza stared at her newly regenerated arm. She flexed her fingers and clenched her fist.
It felt surreal. This wasn't a prosthetic; it was her very own arm. Feeling the sensation of her lost limb returning, tears streamed down Naaza's face.
Ren looked at Miach and spoke slowly, "Mr. Miach, welcome to our world. Since you can use your Divine Power now, could I ask a favor of you?"
Hearing this, Hestia immediately grew anxious. "Ren, are you hurt?"
She hurriedly flared her own power, preparing to inspect him. *Did that bastard Apollo leave some kind of hidden injury on Ren? Damn him to hell!*
Seeing Hestia's panic, Ren patted her on the head. "Step aside. I'm not hurt. Seeing Miach's power just made me think of Director Ken. I want to see if he can heal him."
Shizuka Hiratsuka immediately stepped closer upon hearing this. Director Ken used to be her teacher, so she naturally cared deeply about his well-being. Ren's suggestion made perfect sense to her.
"Yes, Mr. Miach, please take a look at him!" she pleaded. Regardless of the odds, having a God of Healing right here meant they had to at least try. It was a beacon of hope.
Faced with their requests, Miach didn't refuse. With his Divine Power restored, his entire aura had shifted, making him appear even more gentle and approachable. He agreed without a second thought. "As a healer, I will never turn away a patient."
With his consent, Ren didn't waste any time. He immediately headed toward the director's office. "Please follow me. Ms. Minamiya, I'll leave the others in your hands for now to help them settle in. I'm going to see the director."
Natsuki Minamiya nodded. She also deeply hoped that Director Ken could recover. In fact, bringing Miach along had partially been for this exact reason.
A god specializing in healing... There were many heroes like Director Ken who had suffered grave injuries. Miach's arrival would undoubtedly allow many of them to recover, which would in turn massively boost their side's overall strength.
Watching Ren and the others leave, Natsuki turned to Riveria's group. "Head to the classroom with the students for now. We'll discuss everything else later. I'll arrange your living quarters shortly."
Since Natsuki had just returned, she needed to report on her mission's progress. She didn't have the time to babysit the newcomers, so leaving them with the special class was the best option.
After all, they already knew each other and got along quite well. No one had any objections to Natsuki's arrangements, and they all readily agreed.
Seeing this, Natsuki grabbed Yor Forger and vanished from the spot. The rest of the students helped carry the mountain of luggage Ais and the others had brought into the first-floor classroom.
Once that was done, Sora and the others led Ais's group into the room. They turned on the multimedia TV and started playing movies to help the newcomers understand this world—it was the simplest and most direct method available.
Meanwhile, Ren and Shizuka Hiratsuka escorted Miach to the director's office. Ren knocked on the door, and upon hearing a voice from inside, he pushed it open and walked in.
Director Ken paused when he saw Ren and Shizuka. Looking at Shizuka in surprise, he asked, "You're back? And who might this be?"
His gaze shifted to Miach. *A god from the other world?* Miach's Divinity was currently quite potent, making it easy for Director Ken to deduce his identity.
"Director, this is Miach, the God of Healing," Ren quickly introduced. "He's the one who taught me a lot of my pharmacological knowledge. I brought him here to take a look at you."
Director Ken's eyes lit up. *The generous and benevolent god?* Ren had brought him all this way just to treat him... A warm feeling spread through the director's chest. *This kid really is something else.*
"Greetings, Mr. Miach," Director Ken said, standing up to welcome him and gesturing for him to take a seat.
Miach had been observing Director Ken ever since he walked in. Hearing the greeting, Miach spoke slowly, "Greetings, Mr. Ken. The condition of your body is quite terrible. If this deterioration isn't stopped, you won't live past three years."
He had already completely diagnosed the director's state. Shizuka's face instantly drained of color, panic setting in. Ren frowned and asked, "Can he be cured?"
Shizuka hurriedly looked at Miach. Director Ken also turned his gaze toward the god. He knew his own body better than anyone, and Miach was absolutely right—he was already at the end of his rope.