Even today, although the Twin Stars had long been hailed by the world as "Saviors," Renjiro himself had never thought of becoming a true hero.
He knew he couldn't, like Bell, move a stranger he'd just met with pure sincerity in a short amount of time.
Unless it was one of those cliché scenarios where he happened to save someone from imminent death.
And such things, if not deliberately arranged, were obviously rare.
Renjiro didn't like scheming over such matters.
Though he couldn't quite be selfless, he still wanted to treat people honestly.
At least that way, he wouldn't start despising himself.
Besides…
What is a hero?
Undoubtedly, they are those "fools" who always put themselves last, who measure and sacrifice themselves for others.
And Renjiro… he obviously put his own safety first.
Ultimately, only those with pure and flawless souls could truly achieve what heroes did.
So…
"For a Lv.7 skill, instead of rigidly analyzing it with just my Crown of Insight, it's better to try some clever shortcuts while raising favor points."
"For example: using the Primordial Magic to exploit a bug, find a suitable Killing Stone, and perform the 'Uchide no Kozuchi' alone."
"That way, more people will eventually be able to wield the treasure freely."
"Even if it is produced this way and is single-use, it doesn't matter."
"As long as the method works, once the first success is achieved, it can be replicated countless times."
…
Renjiro had been tinkering with such sneaky methods quite a lot lately.
Among these, what concerned him most was: using Primordial Magic to conjure an Indeterminate Grimoire, using it, then canceling the spell afterward.
Clearly, this was another bug-exploit strategy.
The difficulty should have been extremely high.
Yet… he succeeded.
Even though it required a massive expenditure of mana, it was feasible.
"So in the future, ignoring the influence of Aldina [the magical nation], I could even act as a merchant selling Indeterminate Grimoires."
Simply put: help people awaken magic, and in return, gain the reward of learning "newly awakened magic."
A clear win-win: they might profit, but he wouldn't lose.
Of course, that's a matter for later.
Even selecting the right trading partners needed care.
Otherwise, accidentally raising a gang of mischievous troublemakers would be a complete joke.
For now…
"'Assist you in some small experiments'?"
Having heard Renjiro's invitation to the cloaked girl—aka Sanjouno Haruhime—Aisha frowned.
"What kind of experiments?"
Previously, she wouldn't admit it openly, but in her heart, she treated Haruhime like her little sister.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have destroyed the first Killing Stone collected by Ishtar on her own, risking severe punishment from the brown-skinned goddess, almost losing herself in the process.
One could say that Haruhime's survival today was entirely thanks to Aisha's intervention.
"As a 'captive,' you technically don't have the right to question me like this."
Renjiro shrugged.
"But… let's call it a whim."
He looked directly at the cloaked girl, who, even without the temporary Falna, dared to confront him with ordinary human physical abilities.
"Since I've promised not to harm your lives, I'll make sure to keep that promise."
He gestured to the anxious Haruhime beside them.
"Next, I plan to recruit her into my Familia, letting Syr… or rather, Goddess Frigg, grant her Falna."
"From that moment on, as long as she's part of my team, she will be under my protection."
"And I don't harm my own people."
"After all…"
He let out a small, teasing laugh.
"The Frigg Familia isn't the old Soma Familia, nor the long-vanished Ishtar Familia."
"So… do you understand what I mean?"
Aisha paused briefly.
Then, after a short moment…
"Heh~ interesting."
The Amazon warrior laughed heartily.
"Looks like, even without your request, I should join the Freya Familia."
She patted Haruhime on the shoulder.
"Otherwise, if someone bullies her in the future, I wouldn't even be able to defend her."
She said it boldly, and Renjiro didn't mind.
Perhaps a small part of the approval was based on first impressions.
This warm-hearted older sister, though prone to occasionally mischievous behavior due to her Amazon heritage, was undeniably someone worth having as an ally.
"So… from now on, please take care of me, Renjiro-sama."
Encouraged by Aisha, the soft-spoken Haruhime bowed slightly to him.
"Good," Renjiro said, pleased.
The troublesome goddess is finished, and I've successfully recruited a talented new member. Looks like I've fulfilled my duty as a captain.
"Let's go."
He waved to the three beside him—one man and two women.
"First, we'll return to the surface, then… each to their own home."
He pointed at a certain colored fox.
"Of course, you're coming to my house."
"Oh~"
According to the plan discussed with Lumine, Tammuz and Aisha officially joined the Freya Familia the next day.
They were immediately sent by the "disciplinary officer" Hedin for training, passing his tests to qualify as subordinates to the Familia princess.
As for Haruhime… her situation was simpler.
The night of Ishtar's Familia's destruction, she had already received Falna from Syr (Frigg) and formally joined Renjiro's Familia.
"Destroying the 'Pleasure Quarter' this time… how much damage did that cost?"
"About a billion, I think."
In the early morning, after Syr silently returned via Mona, she updated Haruhime's Status while chatting and granting her divine blood.
Then…
"Eh?"
The gray-haired goddess' expression froze.
"You've awakened a new skill?"