Kousuke left his office after his talk with Asura and immediately found Eris to discuss the Lily Shinto Shrine.
“So, I want to perform a Divine Power Summon again. Is that okay?”
“It’s fine with us, but are you sure?”
From Eris’s perspective, there was no problem with being summoned through the legitimate method of Divine Power Summon. It was a formally recognized procedure in Asgard and did not violate any agreements with other goddesses. The only concern was whether Kousuke would draw too much attention again.
“Ah. I apologize to you and the others, Eris, but I plan to summon when there are hardly any people around…”
Eris showed an understanding nod and then smiled gently.
“We don’t want to attract attention during the summoning either. Whether people are present or not doesn’t really matter to us.”
It is often misunderstood, but Jal is not the type of person to attract attention unnecessarily. It’s simply the result.
“I see. I’m glad you didn’t refuse.”
“We wouldn’t refuse. …However, there’s another issue. Is that alright?”
“Another issue? What is it?”
Eris looked at Kousuke, who tilted his head in confusion, as if to say, “You really hadn’t noticed?”
“If you’re going to perform another Divine Power Summon, Kousuke, I believe other goddesses will also put in their candidacy, won’t they…?”
“Ah…”
Kousuke realized he had completely forgotten about that fact and thought, “This is bad.”
They visit regularly seeking a connection with Kousuke. Even if it’s just within the floors of the Tower, they wouldn’t miss an opportunity to show themselves directly in the world of Asgard. Previously, Kousuke’s ability to perform another Divine Power Summon was uncertain, but if he performs one now, it will no longer be a question of whether he can. Kousuke didn’t intentionally hide the fact that he could perform Divine Power Summons multiple times, but that’s how it turned out. If he summons Eris and the others a second time, it’s obvious that the next would be their turn, and they’d rush him. Refusing them isn’t impossible, but if he could simply refuse, he wouldn’t be in his current “rare beast” situation in the divine realm. Knowing the goddesses’ circumstances, he found it difficult to refuse.
Kousuke folded his arms and pondered what to do. Eris then asked for clarification.
“You don’t intend to refuse them, do you?”
“Well, yes. I understand their circumstances.”
Eris smiled at Kousuke’s reply, nodded once, and then made a proposal.
“How about we add conditions, just like when granting blessings?”
The granting of blessings to the residents of Asgard is bound by various conditions. These were established to prevent the world from falling into chaos, and Eris’s idea was to apply that logic to Kousuke’s Divine Power Summon.
“That would be a great help if it’s possible… Are you sure about this?”
Kousuke didn’t want to refuse if asked, but he honestly wanted to avoid summoning all the goddesses. If, as Eris suggested, conditions could be set, that would be ideal. In fact, he would be extremely pleased.
Eris nodded in response to Kousuke’s question.
“Yes. From the perspective of managing the world, it’s necessary.”
Eris’s offer wasn’t purely out of goodwill towards Kousuke. The restriction on randomly granting blessings was put in place to prevent significant influence on the world. From that viewpoint, having many goddesses receive blessings in one place wouldn’t be a good thing. Considering all this, setting conditions for Kousuke’s Divine Power Summon was not unreasonable.
“Yeah, I see. …Thank you.”
Kousuke, realizing that managing the world was the stated reason, honestly expressed his gratitude to Eris. Seeing Kousuke, Eris subtly averted her gaze.
“…It’s not just for your sake, Kousuke.”
Kousuke, understanding from her demeanor and slightly flushed cheeks that she was merely embarrassed, simply smiled and said nothing in response.
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After having a general discussion with Eris, Kousuke, Spica, and Jal decided on the specific details of the Divine Power Summon. However, “specific details” mainly involved discussing the timing of the summon and the blessings to be given, with little else of substance. Since the summon wouldn’t be performed in front of many people, those aspects were decided broadly. The issue arose later when discussing the conditions for performing Divine Power Summons for the other goddesses. Kousuke and everyone else wanted to summon as many goddesses as possible, but that wasn’t feasible. Discussions were held from various angles on what conditions would allow permission for the summons. Eventually, after successfully adjusting them, the plan was to present them to Asura for approval and then report them to everyone.
Interaction with the goddesses is no longer like the handshake events from the first time. A standing reception area has been set up, similar to a banquet, and specific goddesses participate at different times. This is all because Kousuke is known to visit Asgard’s divine realm regularly, and now that the goddesses who wish to meet him have had their turn, things have calmed down. After Kousuke finished his general greetings, he was called by Eris as those who wished to continue talking began to do so among themselves. Moving to a place where everyone’s attention could be gathered, Kousuke found himself facing the doubtful gazes of the assembled goddesses.
As Eris confirmed that all eyes were on Kousuke, she spoke to draw even more attention.
“Everyone, I apologize for interrupting your enjoyment. I have an announcement regarding Kousuke, which I will report here.”
At Eris’s words, the goddesses, who had been conversing while looking at her, fell silent.
“As you are all likely aware, Kousuke is creating a place within Amamiya Tower that can be called a shrine.”
After this preamble, Eris added details about the Divine Power Summon. As she expected, the silent goddesses began to buzz. Eris quelled them with a raised right hand and then added information about the conditions they had just discussed.
Of course, this explanation alone couldn’t answer all the goddesses’ questions. Doubts began to arise from various corners. Eris quieted them again and added in conclusion,
“There may be things that aren’t clear from what I’ve said so far. For those questions, we will provide summarized answers to the best of our ability. For those that require individual attention, we will address them later.”
“To ensure those who couldn’t come here today can also learn about this, please spread the word to others!” Jal added after Eris, marking the end of the announcement for now. Since they were told that questions would be answered collectively after taking all of them, no one tried to ask questions on the spot. Kousuke would be informed later about what questions the goddesses asked and what replies were given.
The news of the Divine Power Summon spread throughout the divine realm from those who heard it, causing a great commotion. Kousuke would only learn about this after he left the divine realm.
This is about the future of the Lily Shinto Shrine. For now, the conditions have been worked out. What happens next, neither Kousuke nor Eris and the others know. (Isn’t it standard for Kousuke’s interactions with goddesses to not end simply?)
