When the gentle sunlight fell on her face, Ai Hoshino instinctively stretched and opened her eyes, saying:
"Wow~~ I feel like I slept really well~~"
But the next second, Ai Hoshino stared at the enormous hole above her head, felt the sunlight streaming down from above, looked around at the stone walls of the cavern, and then down at the coat draped over her—completely dumbfounded.
Hadn't she been sleeping in a hotel?
How had she ended up in some unknown cave?
And why was her back so sore? Whose walls were this uncomfortable to sleep against?!
Just then, a gentle female voice spoke up:
"You're awake."
Mai Sakurajima walked over, carrying a blackened but clean metal canister.
Inside the canister were boiled wild fruits of unknown origin:
"Would you like some fruit? It's just cooled down."
Hearing this, Ai Hoshino mumbled in confusion:
"...Am I dreaming?"
"Well, you could think of it as a dream if you like."
Mai Sakurajima set the canister down on the ground beside her and sat down, saying:
"Perhaps it would be better if Luo Shu explained it to you?"
"Luo Shu? Luo Shu!!" Ai Hoshino suddenly realised who Luo Shu was and couldn't help but ask, "Wait, is Luo Shu dead too?"
"Pfft." Mai Sakurajima couldn't help but laugh, her eyes crinkling into crescents as she said: "So you thought you'd died?"
"But unfortunately, Luo Shu isn't dead, and neither are you. We just got transported here by accident."
"What accident? And what's this 'transportation'?" Ai Hoshino asked blankly, her mind completely muddled.
Seeing Ai like this, Mai Sakurajima slightly parted her lips before suddenly seeming to understand something, nodding as she said:
"I think I understand Luo Shu's feelings a bit now. No wonder he made me sign that contract - it's because of this!"
Hearing Mai say this, the usually perceptive Ai Hoshino grew somewhat uneasy:
"Did I say something wrong?"
"Not at all, your reaction is perfectly reasonable."
As she spoke, Mai's eyes momentarily glazed over as she secretly connected to the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System. Soon after, a contract scroll and pen appeared in her hand.
After handing the scroll and pen to Ai, Mai immediately sighed in relief:
"Sign your name here, and after that, I'll explain what's going on~."
After saying this, Mai Sakurajima added:
"This is something Luo Shu originally intended to give you."
Hearing this, Ai Hoshino looked at the scroll and pen in her hand, then glanced at Mai Sakurajima, her expression hesitant.
At that moment, Mai Sakurajima said calmly:
"By the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Mai Sakurajima."
"Mai Sakurajima?" Ai tilted her head, thinking carefully before her eyes suddenly lit up: "Mai Sakurajima?! The child actress who played young Lady Yodo in the taiga drama 'Toyotomi Hideyoshi'? Wow, it's really you!!"
"Wait, now that I think about it, Luo Shu mentioned you yesterday too..."
Ai suddenly remembered everything. She recalled that Luo Shu had mentioned yesterday that Mai Sakurajima was originally supposed to go to that hotel, but for some reason, it ended up being her instead.
"He talked about me with you?"
Hearing Ai say this, Mai's expression turned subtle.
If she remembered correctly, Luo Shu and Ai Hoshino had only met for the first time the previous night, and... that kind of thing had happened during their initial meeting.
'You were discussing me while doing... that?'
'What kind of play is this?'
'Do young people these days play like this as soon as they meet?'
Mai was genuinely shocked—both by Luo Shu's actions and Ai's boldness.
"Well, he mentioned a few things... but why did you come back?"
As Ai unrolled the scroll in her hands, she gave Mai a curious look.
Mai's mouth corner twitched. So Luo Shu really told Ai about her running away?
This was so awkward that Mai didn't even know how to face Ai now.
After all, if she hadn't run away, Ai wouldn't have ended up in last night's situation.
"Because... certain things happened."
Mai vaguely explained before quickly changing the subject: "Anyway, once you sign the contract, many things will become clear."
"Then I can properly explain the situation."
"Hmm? You don't seem to be lying."
Ai teased Mai with a glance. Though this was their first meeting, she could tell Mai wasn't the type who was good at lying.
Strange... in the entertainment industry, lying is practically a required skill.
But since Mai kept emphasising the contract, Ai thought for a moment before picking up the pen:
"So, I just sign here, right?"
"Yes."
Mai watched as Ai signed without much hesitation and sighed:
"It might sound strange coming from me, but... for contracts like this in the future, it's better to think carefully before signing."
To this, Ai snorted:
"I'm not stupid. I wouldn't sign for no reason."
Then she pointed at the coat draped over her and squinted her eyes while smiling:
"The shower gel scent on this... I recognise it very well~ This is Luo Shu's jacket, isn't it?"
After all, the shower gel had been applied to Luo Shu's body by her own hands last night. Since it was a hotel-exclusive brand and Ai Hoshino had a keen sense of smell, she'd naturally remembered it.
"Eh?"
Mai Sakurajima blinked, then gave Ai Hoshino a strange look:
"So you believed me just because you recognised Luo Shu's scent on the clothes he draped over you?"
"What else?" Ai tilted her head, grinning cheerfully. "Luo Shu covered me with his own clothes and had you stay by my side until I woke up. Isn't that proof enough that you're trustworthy?"
Seeing Ai like this, Mai suddenly realised something and gazed at her with newfound admiration:
"Miss Hoshino."
"Yes? What is it?" Ai asked curiously.
Mai sighed softly. "You're going to become an incredible entertainer, aren't you?"
"Really?" Ai's face immediately lit up with joy. "Then I'll gladly accept your blessing~"
Watching the girl's radiant happiness, Mai smiled gently before murmuring:
"It should be starting soon."
"Huh?" Ai blinked in confusion, unsure what Mai meant.
At that precise moment, an overwhelming flood of information poured into her mind.
Familia Basic Knowledge: Lesson One had begun.
...
Inside the goblin's cave.
Following Natsuki Minamiya and Aya Tokoyogi's remote guidance, Luo Shu was etching containment techniques onto the cave walls to prevent the false gods within from escaping their prison.
Beside him, Sword Maiden carried a bucket of silver spiritual paint, the medium for the technique, repeatedly hesitating as she watched Luo Shu work.
Noticing this, Luo Shu glanced at her while continuing his work and asked calmly:
"If you have questions, just ask."
Hearing this permission, Sword Maiden finally gathered her courage. "Forgive my impertinence," she began, then voiced her burning question:
"Just... what manner of deity are you, my lord?"
Seeing Sword Maiden finally ask what she'd been holding back, Luo Shu's lips curled in amusement:
"And which god do you suppose I am?"
The Sword Maiden looked up at him, her cheeks flushing when she met his teasing expression. In a small voice, she ventured:
"Are you... His Majesty the Supreme God?"
Her heart began pounding wildly the moment the words left her lips.