"Hephaestus, Hestia, Artemis, I'm back!"
After dealing with the giant, Yami returned to the hotel room.
"Welcome back, Yami-kun!" Goddess Hestia greeted him with enthusiasm.
While Hephaestus and Artemis didn't say anything, their subtle smiles revealed their pleasure.
The young man in front of them embodied all the traits of a hero.
"Although the giant has been taken care of, our presence has been exposed," Yami said, sitting on the edge of the bed with a sigh. "It seems it'll be impossible to stay under the radar now."
Hearing this, Goddess Hephaestus smiled knowingly. She was well aware of Yami's personality. He often preferred peace, but from time to time, he would act on whims, doing something completely unexpected. These quirks only made him more interesting.
"So, what's the plan now? Should we leave?" Hestia asked.
"No, we didn't do anything wrong. In fact, by defeating the Vaccine Man and the giant, we've essentially helped the Hero Association," Yami replied with a shake of his head. "Why should we run from them?"
Leaving wasn't part of his plan at all. Instead, a new idea sparked in his mind.
Yami's gaze turned toward Hephaestus. "Hey, Hephaestus, didn't you mention wanting to find rare ores and metals unique to this world? On our own, that might be tricky."
"But if we form a partnership with one of the major powers here, it would be much easier."
"So why hide from them? Let them come to us, and we'll negotiate when the time comes."
"As long as the people from the Hero Association are smart enough, they'll know what to do."
Hearing Yami's confident reasoning, the three goddesses nodded in agreement. They had no objections.
Ultimately, they were only here to accompany Yami and enjoy the experience of exploring a different world with its unique customs and wonders. When it came to serious matters, they deferred to Yami's judgment without interference.
Having spent so long in the lower realms, interacting with humans had influenced their behavior, gradually bringing them closer to acting like mortals themselves.
Rather than engaging directly, gods often found more enjoyment in watching their chosen ones create entertainment for them.
It might sound odd, but that's just how gods were.
"Of course, that's fine, as long as Yami agrees," said Hephaestus with a smile. "In fact, we've grown quite fond of this place. The bed here is so soft—when we return to Orario, I'm definitely taking one with me."
With that, their next course of action was easily decided, and everyone relaxed.
Because of the shockwaves from the giant, all the windows in their hotel room had shattered, and the interior was in disarray.
With no other choice, Yami and the goddesses began tidying up.
Although magic could have made the task easier, Goddess Hephaestus refused to allow it. She enjoyed these peaceful moments of doing things together with friends and family—it was a different kind of experience, after all.
There was no arguing with that logic.
Yami had no choice but to go along with her whims, joining in the task with a lighthearted attitude.
After some time, the room was gradually starting to look presentable again.
But their peaceful moment was interrupted.
Knock knock knock!
The sudden knock at the door made the smile on Yami's face disappear.
"Who could that be now?" asked Hestia, puzzled.
"If I had to guess, it's probably the Hero Association you mentioned," Hephaestus calmly speculated. "They're likely the only ones who could track us down and get here this quickly."
However, Yami smiled faintly. "Hephaestus, I'm afraid you're wrong this time."
There were only ordinary people nearby, and the Hero Association's headquarters wasn't in this city. Even if they wanted to come, it would take some time.
"So, who are these people outside?" asked Artemis, curious.
In truth, Yami wasn't entirely sure himself. He didn't know much about the background of the One Punch Man world, and now that this reality was mixed with another, things were even more confusing.
But one thing was certain: it must be someone important from City D.
After all, even if he hadn't deliberately concealed his presence, only those with considerable resources would be able to track him down and approach him so boldly.
"Whoever it is, let's find out by opening the door," Yami murmured softly before walking over.
He reached for the door and opened it to find a hotel employee standing outside, dressed in a sharp uniform.
Judging by the name tag on his chest, he was the hotel's lobby manager—a well-dressed and dignified man, at least by ordinary standards.
Behind him stood a young woman in a neat business suit, someone who looked remarkably familiar to Yami.
Her presence piqued his curiosity.
"Sorry to disturb you, sir," the lobby manager said politely. "The owner of our hotel would like to meet with you. Do you have time?"
The woman standing behind him looked nervous, clearly uncomfortable with her role in this interaction.
"Nice to meet you, sir. Please allow me to introduce myself," the woman spoke up. "My name is Ai Hayasaka, an attendant of the Shinomiya Foundation. I've been sent by the family's patriarch to invite you to a discussion. Would you be available, sir?"