Demeter finally gave up.
She released Genichi’s arm and stepped back, her amber eyes revealing a complicated weariness for the first time.
She stared at the young man before her.
His usual teasing grin had been replaced by such open resolve that she had no idea how to respond.
Demeter was truly at a loss when faced with such a hopeless pervert.
She had shown him Orario’s bustling streets and vibrant life, letting him experience the warmth of ordinary people.
She had even resorted to seduction, embarrassing as it was.
Yet the bastard had played along while making it clear that she would never fool him.
In the end, he had even grinned and declared that he would gladly serve her if it happened in her bed.
Demeter desperately wanted to punch his infuriating face.
But she restrained herself.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll use your secrets to threaten you?”
Demeter finally laid her cards on the table.
The threat was her last remaining trump card, yet even she lacked confidence as she voiced it.
Genichi merely raised an eyebrow, his eyes unusually clear beneath the afternoon sun.
He did not answer immediately.
Instead, he tilted his head as if seriously considering the question before finally speaking.
“Of course I’m afraid.
You’re a goddess, while I’m only a Level 1 adventurer.
If you really wanted to deal with me, I’d have no way to resist.”
“All you’d need to do is tell Freya or Loki about my identity and [Dreamwalking].
I probably wouldn’t even make it to Orario’s gates.”
Despite his words, a confident smile formed on his lips.
“But would you really do that, Goddess?”
Demeter fell silent.
Looking at his confident face, she suddenly felt powerless.
Of course she would not do that.
If she had intended to bind him through threats, she could have done so from the beginning.
Why would she have gone to such lengths to show him the city, accompany him sightseeing, or even resort to seduction?
She wanted him to stay of his own free will, not submit because he had been forced into a corner.
Demeter knew that if she threatened him with his secrets, this carefree man would obediently nod and say, “Of course, Goddess.
Whatever you say.”
Then, the moment the Transmigration Gate finished cooling down, he would open it and flee without the slightest hesitation.
Genichi had never been someone who would meekly accept another person’s control.
He would pretend to submit, lull them into lowering their guard, then seize the perfect opportunity to escape faster than anyone else.
If that happened, their relationship would be permanently ruined.
The playful yet warm bond between a goddess and her Familia member would become something twisted, founded on threats and fear.
Genichi would never truly accept this world.
He would always view himself as a prisoner waiting for the chance to escape.
Demeter did not want that outcome.
She wanted Genichi to accept Orario on his own and form deeper bonds with the people living here.
She wanted him to find someone or something worth staying for.
It could be a friend, a meal, or even a favorite view.
As long as something took root in his heart, he would no longer be nothing more than a traveler passing through.
“Goddess, we should head back.”
Genichi’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
He stood before her without his usual playful grin, his expression unusually serious.
There was no mockery or wariness in his eyes, only gentle warmth restrained by a deliberate distance.
Demeter sighed and nodded.
She said nothing more.
She simply turned around and walked back toward the Familia headquarters beside him.
The afternoon sun stretched their shadows across the stone road, overlapping like a silent promise—or perhaps a conversation destined to end before it had ever truly begun.
…
After returning to the Familia headquarters, Genichi did not immediately retreat to his room or prepare for another trip into the Dungeon.
He stopped in the courtyard and turned toward Demeter, his expression open and direct.
It was clear that he intended to settle the matter once and for all.
“Goddess, you don’t need to waste any more effort.
I can tell you clearly that I’ll never become the hero you want me to be.”
“The hero who saves Orario won’t be me.
That role belongs to someone else.”
His voice was quiet, yet his conviction left no room for doubt.
“I know you want me to form bonds with this city.
You want me to stay willingly and become one of its protectors, but I’m sorry.
I can’t do that.”
“I don’t possess that kind of selflessness or resolve.
I only want to live safely.
When the time comes, I’ll travel to the next world and continue my journey.”
Demeter frowned at him.
Her lips parted as though she wanted to object, but she ultimately held back.
As if seeing through her thoughts, Genichi abruptly changed the subject.
“Goddess, you’ve watched the anime and read the novels stored on that tablet, haven’t you?”
“Then tell me—what do you think would happen if I could travel into one of those anime or novels?”
Demeter’s pupils contracted.
Her entire body froze as though she had been struck by invisible lightning.
“You mean…”
Her voice dropped into a whisper, trembling without her realizing it.
Genichi stared at her, his expression so calm that it bordered on cold.
When he spoke, every word sounded as though it had been carefully considered.
“Before I came here, this world was no different from the anime and novels stored on your tablet.”
“The characters in those stories, the events destined to occur, and the fates that had already been written—they all truly exist.”
“Ais Wallenstein, Freya, Loki, and even the so-called promised day…
I had already seen their story in another world before I ever came here.”
Demeter’s breathing quickened.
She instinctively stepped back and braced one hand against the wall behind her, barely managing to remain upright.
Countless images flashed through her mind—the anime and manga she had immersed herself in over the past few days, believing them to be nothing more than entertainment from another world.
Those stories had made her laugh until her sides hurt and moved her to tears.
But if they were all real, and if this world was merely the stage of someone else’s story…