Luo Shu fell silent again.
Perhaps it was due to Nia Honjo's unpredictability, or perhaps it was his wariness towards the abnormal Raziel.
At this moment, his mind raced as he sceptically pondered whether Raziel's warning was genuine, yet he couldn't reach a conclusion.
Seeing Luo Shu's expressionless face, Nia Honjo sighed as if she had expected this reaction. She proactively hooked her arm around his neck and said:
"Hey! You're really such a troublesome guy."
"On one hand, you're willing to trust women who've had relations with you, yet on the other, you're guarded against a stunning beauty like me throwing herself at you. Don't you think that's contradictory?"
"A real pervert would just drop their trousers and go for it, wouldn't they?"
Nia Honjo waved her fist, as if threatening yet also coquettishly:
"Could it be that to earn just a sliver of your trust, I'd have to sign that so-called Familia contract?"
Being subjected to Nia Honjo's neck-hooking tirade, Luo Shu found his defences crumbling somewhat:
"Woman, are you deliberately trying to mess with my head?"
"Nonsense, I'm clearly here asking to be messed with." Nia Honjo immediately spat after saying this: "No, that makes me sound cheap."
"Alright then~"
"Just think of it as me wanting to hire your services~ The payment being that I'll lend you Raziel when you need it!"
"How about it~ Quite a bargain, right?"
"And by the way, once you've had a fling with me, it's like you've had one with Miku Izayoi too, plus you'll get intel on Kotori Itsuka. Pretty good deal, eh?"
Nia Honjo chuckled darkly, her grin rather ruining the beauty of her face yet appearing exceptionally genuine.
Seeing this, Luo Shu could only sigh helplessly:
"So, you're really that opposed to the Familia contract?"
"It's not me who's opposed, it's Raziel!" Nia Honjo's expression turned exasperated as she explained:
"Logically, after signing it, I'd become a Demigod by extension - such a great deal. But no matter how I search for answers, the result always comes back as 'death', even though checking other Spirits shows no issues."
"Honestly, I don't really understand the specifics either."
"Maybe... because Raziel conflicts with that thing inside you?"
Nia Honjo ventured a plausible explanation. Though it was just a wild guess, it resonated with Luo Shu.
Luo Shu hadn't forgotten - the true owner of the Almighty God Class, the genuine bearer of the Spirit Dress of Divine Might numbers one through ten, Mio Takamiya, was still sealed within his Divine Kingdom.
What if... if Nia Honjo became a Familia member, Raziel's return and the revival of the Village of Omniscience awakened this Divine Rank Spirit, triggering conflict between Mio Takamiya and the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System?
If that were truly the case... then Raziel's constant frantic warnings would make perfect sense.
After all, a Divine Rank battle erupting within the Divine Pantheon Reconstruction System would be no different from detonating a nuclear bomb inside Luo Shu's body. That Nia Honjo might be caught in the crossfire and perish wouldn't be an unimaginable outcome.
"This can't be that absurd, can it..." Luo Shu felt uncertain, yet deep down, he suspected this might indeed be the truth.
This subtle intuition derived from the Calamity Priest Class sent a shiver down his spine.
"Oh my, judging by your expression, Luo Shu, you seem to have guessed something."
Nia Honjo could tell something was up just by looking at Luo Shu's face, but she didn't mind. Instead, she spoke with an air of nonchalance:
"Whatever. You're just the type who overthinks and instinctively suspects others."
"Anyway, I've taken a fancy to you. What are you going to do about it?"
Hearing this blunt declaration, Luo Shu chuckled:
"So knowing that, as a Spirit, you can't avoid me, you've decided to deliver yourself straight to my doorstep?"
"See? There you go overthinking again." Nia Honjo laughed while chiding him.
"But this time, you're right..." She grinned mischievously. "For the past two weeks, I've been exhaustively searching for ways to avoid you and dodge bad endings. As for the results... well, you know!"
"I don't." Luo Shu shook his head. He wasn't Nia Honjo and hadn't seen what Raziel displayed. Even if asked to guess now, he couldn't be bothered.
He'd come to realise that when dealing with someone like Nia Honjo, perhaps the best approach was to consider whether he could handle the consequences, then charge ahead recklessly.
"How could you not understand?" Nia Honjo retorted before suddenly realising, "Ah, right, you really don't understand divination."
Chuckling, she continued, "Though you're the type of man who consults that Mysticism Encyclopaedia to check if it's auspicious before stepping outside, truth be told, you rely on that encyclopaedia far too much."
"Of course, treating it like some treasure and turning scientific research tools into a divination crystal ball does show you've got some remarkable talent."
"But no matter!"
"With my help, you can toss that shoddy encyclopaedia straight away~"
"Even handing that thing over to that girl called Yukino would be better than you fumbling with it yourself."
"After all, with proper handling of Raziel, it's not impossible to share usage permissions..."
As she spoke, Nia Honjo shook her head before playfully lifting Luo Shu's chin with a grin:
"So then, my little man, having heard all this, do you still intend to refuse me?"
"Getting a great beauty for free, plus the omniscient power of Raziel - isn't that a fantastic deal?"
Hearing this, Luo Shu fell silent for a moment before glancing around:
"Right here... isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
"Eh?" Nia Honjo blinked before making an awkward face. "Ah... yeah, not ideal..."
However you looked at it, she didn't want to surrender herself in some maid café private room.
"Then how about... my place?"
Nia Honjo tentatively extended the invitation to Luo Shu.
At this, Luo Shu turned to look at her before smiling slightly:
"I'll wait for you at the Hidden Management Department garrison entrance."
With these words, Luo Shu's body rapidly turned transparent, soon taking on a glass-like quality before shattering with a 'ping', transforming into indigo sparks that scattered through the air.
Watching this scene, Nia Honjo stood dumbfounded before muttering to herself: "That worked?"
"I'd only made three moves~ Could it be that girls chasing boys really is that easy?"
She shook her head, her figure thinning as if compressed, transforming into a two-dimensional paper figure just 2mm thick.
The next second, the paper figure rapidly folded and shrank until it became a note left on the table.
...
A few minutes later.
Maria Naruse pushed open the door, phone in hand, and after scanning the empty room, her gaze settled on the note.
"That Nia Honjo actually called me over to tidy up? Tidy up what? I'm the shop manager, not a cleaner!"
"If it weren't for the fact you're a regular, I wouldn't even bother with you."
"Huh?"
Maria froze, then stepped forward to pick up the note, skimming its contents.
[I'm off to become a virtuous spirit~ So, I won't be able to order your company for drinks today~]
[That's all~]
[—From the cool big sister who often orders little Maria for drinks~]
Seeing this, Maria's face darkened. She slammed the note back onto the table, fuming:
"Damn it! What do you mean by 'virtuous spirit'?!"
"Did this virgin succubus offend you? Did I offend you? What gives you the right to mock me for not being loose?!"
"It's not like I've met a decent man yet!!!"
Maria gritted her teeth and stomped her foot in frustration before furiously dialling the counter, roaring:
"Blacklist Nia Honjo immediately! From now on, that woman isn't allowed to set foot in Dreamland ever again!"
"Now!!"