Hearing Asuna's question, Ren Isana immediately smiled and said, "The main thing is, I probably won't be able to carry out missions with everyone in the future. We need someone to take my place on this end, don't we?"
When Ren Isana said this, Asuna instantly understood. Thinking about his current strength, it really did make sense. If there was a mission that actually required him to handle it personally, the rest of them wouldn't be able to keep up anyway.
A wave of helplessness washed over Asuna at the thought, but there was nothing she could do. Ren Isana's leveling speed was simply too fast; they couldn't possibly match his pace. With a soft sigh, she didn't say anything more.
Ren Isana having Emilia and the others join was likely just adding an extra layer of insurance. After all, Asuna was well aware of how absurdly powerful Emilia was. She was practically a natural-born warrior, and coupled with her infinite Magic Power, she was simply invincible.
The two chatted idly as they headed back into the school. Upon returning to his dorm, Ren Isana sent a message to Natsuki Minamiya, asking her to make the arrangements.
Receiving his message, Natsuki Minamiya didn't say much, simply replying that she would handle it. Clearly, she had no objections to this arrangement either.
After all, she was very familiar with the people Ren Isana had mentioned. They were more than qualified to join this class. Bell and Haruhime were already members of the class to begin with; they had merely gone over there to build up their foundations.
As for Emilia and the twins? She felt they were a perfect fit as well. All three were highly capable fighters, and with Bell there, they had enough people to form a complete party. Natsuki Minamiya had no reason to refuse.
With those matters settled, Ren Isana headed straight for Asuna's room. The moment he teleported up, he paused, surprised to see both Megumi Kato and Yukino Yukinoshita already there.
Seeing his practiced, casual entrance, the two girls blinked. It seemed Ren Isana visited Asuna's room quite often—perhaps they were even living together without anyone else knowing?
A flash of surprise crossed Megumi Kato's eyes at his arrival. *It looks like the two of them have already become adults...* Realizing where her thoughts were going, her face flushed red.
Still, they were all adults here. This kind of thing was perfectly normal; there was no need to make a fuss over it. Asuna, meanwhile, couldn't help but cover her face. Her biggest worry had actually come true.
The two girls had run over right after she got back, and now Ren Isana had popped in too. The inevitable accident had happened. Well, since things had reached this point, there was nothing left to hide.
"You guys are here too? Perfect, I have something to tell you!" Ren Isana said with a serious expression, instantly drawing their attention.
Yukino Yukinoshita looked at him with a hint of confusion. "What is it? Is there another new world for us to explore?"
At the mention of this, Yukino's eyes brightened considerably, and Megumi Kato shared her enthusiasm. Every time they explored a new world, they reaped massive rewards.
"No, it's about Emilia's group joining our class next, and Bell and Haruhime forming a new party together," Ren Isana explained. As for exploring a new world? He wanted to as well, but there didn't seem to be any recent developments.
Megumi Kato and Yukino Yukinoshita were a bit surprised by the news, but they didn't overthink it. Having those people join wouldn't be a problem at all; in fact, it would boost everyone's overall combat strength.
"That's good news. This means our class will have another powerful party," Yukino Yukinoshita welcomed the idea, appreciating anything that enhanced the class's capabilities.
"Also, if there are any new world explorations in the future, you guys might have to operate on your own. After all, it's no longer appropriate for me to go to certain worlds," Ren Isana decided to just lay it all out.
The sudden news caught Megumi and Yukino off guard, but they quickly understood what he meant. Their strength could no longer keep up with his. If a world suitable for them appeared, having him tag along would be pointless.
Because Ren Isana alone could completely steamroll any world they were capable of entering. If they went together, what would be the point of the expedition? Therefore, it was best if he didn't participate.
"What a pity. It looks like we'll have to speed up our pace of getting stronger," Yukino Yukinoshita sighed. Although she knew this day would come, she hadn't expected it to be so soon. In truth, many people in the class had already discussed this very issue!
Ren Isana looked at Yukino and nodded. "Exactly. You all need to accelerate your growth, so work hard. Otherwise, I'll leave you so far behind you won't even see my taillights~!"
Hearing this, Asuna exchanged a helpless look with Yukino and Megumi. How could they possibly compare to a walking cheat code like him?
Yukino Yukinoshita glanced between Ren Isana and Asuna, then promptly stood up. "Alright, we'll be taking our leave now. We won't disturb your private time together any longer!"
With that, she turned and headed for the door. Seeing this, Megumi Kato hurriedly stood up to follow. Neither of them had any intention of staying behind to be third wheels. As they left, they thoughtfully closed the door behind them.
Once the two were gone, Asuna gave Ren Isana a massive eye roll. "Honestly, couldn't you have checked before coming up?"
This was so embarrassing. She truly hadn't expected to be caught red-handed by those two this time. It left her feeling incredibly frustrated~!
In response, Ren Isana just smiled and said nothing. He didn't take the matter to heart at all. So what if they knew? It wasn't like they were having an illicit affair.
But perhaps because the secret was out, Asuna simply stopped hiding it altogether. Instead of waiting for Ren Isana to sneak into her room, she openly and brazenly walked right into his room, often staying for long periods of time.
When the holidays ended and classes resumed, Natsuki Minamiya brought Emilia and the others straight into the classroom. "From now on, there will be a new party in the class. You're all familiar with Bell and Haruhime. Emilia, Ram, Rem, please introduce yourselves."
Natsuki Minamiya didn't waste any words, directly instructing Emilia and the twin sisters to give their introductions. As for Bell and Haruhime, there was no need—everyone was already incredibly familiar with them.
Hearing Natsuki Minamiya's prompt, the three girls hurriedly introduced themselves. The moment the classmates heard Emilia's name, they already knew exactly who she was. Kumo, in particular, stared at Emilia with shining eyes.
Wasn't this the exact person she had been dreaming of? Someone with near-infinite Magic Power—someone who made her drool with envy. She was in such desperate need of Magic Power, and now they were actually joining their class? That was simply fantastic!
"If you want to reorganize your parties, you can arrange that yourselves. I won't say more on the matter. Let's begin today's lesson," Natsuki Minamiya said after having Emilia and the others find seats, immediately diving into the coursework.
Any other business could be discussed slowly after class. Everyone was quite welcoming to the newcomers, and once the bell rang, they all crowded around to chat with them.
Meanwhile, Natsuki Minamiya called Ren Isana to her office after class. Once they arrived and she sat down, she asked, "What are your plans moving forward? Are you going to keep attending classes?"
Her opening question left Ren Isana stunned. If he didn't attend class, what else would he do? He looked at her in confusion. "Where else would I go if not class? Is there a world for me to go to?"
He unceremoniously found a seat and sat down. Natsuki Minamiya's sudden question baffled him. As a student, what was he supposed to do if not go to school?
"There actually is a new world. It was detected this morning. The level isn't high, so there's no need for you to go. Therefore, you're free now," Natsuki Minamiya calmly delivered the frustrating news.
There was a new world to explore, but Ren Isana had no part in it. That was why she had asked him that question—to see how he planned to arrange his time.
Hearing her explanation, Ren Isana finally understood. So that was it. No wonder she asked. If everyone else went off to explore a new world, he would be left with absolutely nothing to do.
"Then let them go. As for me, I'll find something else to do when the time comes, or maybe I can just settle down and research my own breakthrough," Ren Isana said without overthinking it. Attending class was out of the question now.
If everyone else went to another world, what class would he even attend? Besides, he was usually the one teaching the others in class anyway. Since that was the case, he might as well focus on figuring out how to get stronger.
Hearing his plan, Natsuki Minamiya nodded and continued, "Then go back and tell the others in a bit. Have them get ready. They'll be the first batch to enter. The level of that world won't be too high, making it perfect for them to explore."
After finishing his conversation with Natsuki Minamiya, Ren Isana left and returned to the classroom. The others were currently gathered around Emilia and the newcomers, chattering away. Walking in from outside, Ren Isana headed straight for the podium.
Seeing this, the crowd paused for a moment before quieting down and turning their attention to him. He clearly had an announcement to make; they were all too familiar with this scene.
"Listen up. You guys are going to be heading out to explore a new world next." The moment those words left his mouth, everyone's eyes lit up. They all looked at him—sure enough, there was a task for them.
However, some caught the specific phrasing he used: *You guys?* Did that mean this exploration didn't include him? Asuna, Megumi Kato, and the others exchanged glances, already guessing the truth.
"Class Rep, what kind of world are we exploring this time? Do we have any data?" Sora asked excitedly. She was always incredibly proactive when it came to exploring new worlds. She wondered what kind of adventure awaited them this time.
Seeing her excited expression, Ren Isana spread his hands and put on an innocent face. "I don't know either. But supposedly, it's not a very strong world, so you guys can rest easy!"
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