Elise was still looking down, staring at her hands which were tightly clenched on her thighs. She desperately kept her tears from spilling out. "But I'm still a beginner."
"Me too, right?" Renee shrugged, smiling again. "Well, you can't join Lauren's party, but you can still adventure with me. We will reach the highest class in no time!"
Elise's mouth opened, then closed again. She took a deep breath, then smiled too, even though it looked so forced. "I can't, Renee."
Renee's eyebrows rose. "Why?"
"I have to go."
"Go where?" Renee couldn't understand her friend's expression even more.
In her heart, Elise still wanted to be with this woman, who might be someone she could really be friends with. In all her life, Elise had not had a self-sacrificing friend like Renee, who would clearly prosper if she joined Lauren's party.
"It's complicated." After Elise said that, a wisp of white fog appeared on the ceiling, making everyone else gasp except for Elise. Lauren immediately raised her staff while Alain pulled a knife from behind his back.
"What the hell is that!?" Renee shouted, getting out of bed.
"Looks like my time has come." Elise sighed again. She was still smiling, but this time it was fainter. Her eyes were already hot and cloudy with tears.
Renee widened her eyes. "W-where are you going?"
Instead of lifting Elise's body, the fog lowered an object that glowed brightly. It continued to descend until it finally landed in Elise's hands. Slowly the light in the thing faded.
And once the light on that thing disappeared completely, everyone just froze. Elise widened her eyes until they looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. Her mouth also gaped very wide as if it could swallow the thing in her hand.
It was shaped like male genitalia of an absurd size, perhaps five times the size of an average penis. The object is so realistic, with a tip shape similar to the original, combined with wrinkles and prominent veins. It's just that the color is dark brown, not like skin color.
"Hi, everyone. My name is Raymund." Suddenly that thing let out someone's voice.
Lauren and Alain jumped back, while Renee switched to her fighting stance.
"Err…. Sir?" Elise was still looking at the thing in her hands. "What the fuck?"
"It's a talking dildo!" Renee was loud, almost hysterical.
"Oh, in that world, there were dildos too?" Raymund continued his words through that thing. "Don't worry, this thing is harmless. It's just a communication tool."
"Communication tool?" Alain frowned. "And who are you?"
"I am the God of hope, the one who sent Elise to Renee. I am the one who heard Renee's prayer."
Renee looked directly at Elise again. Elise just nodded in a slow motion.
"I'm so sorry, but Elise has to go. I know you two have forged a bond of friendship in just a few days, Renee." Raymund sighed, using a tone that gave the impression that he was sad. "Unfortunately, I only have one servant, and I have to help others achieve their wishes."
Renee, Lauren, and Alain were again unable to speak. They were all still trying to digest the words of the dildo-shaped object.
"Give that thing you're holding to Renee, Elise." Raymund gave the order.
Elise really handed the thing to her friend. The woman's movements were stiff due to a mixture of feelings of unwillingness to leave Renee and the very odd shape of the object.
However, Renee did not immediately accept it. "If you really are the god of hope, can you grant my wish to stay with Elise?"
Elise held her breath.
"You have got one of my blessings, Renee." Raymund's words grew firmer. "Asking for more than that is too much! Understand your position, mortal!"
Renee had already opened her mouth to argue, but Elise signaled her to be quiet.
"I don't want you to get hurt, Renee," Elise spoke in a pleading tone. "He can give you a nasty lightning strike…. I've seen it once."
"At the time, it was the goblin boss, and I wasn't in the mood to use all my abilities," Raymund added in a haughty tone. "In truth, we were forbidden to interfere too directly with what was happening in the human world. That's why I sent servants like Elise. However, when I'm angry, I don't care anymore."
Raymund was satisfied with his acting as a god.
"Is he really a god, Elise?" Lauren sounded skeptical.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared, followed by a roar of thunder from outside. Everyone in the room flinched at that.
Alain hurriedly looked outside and said, "It's still bright outside. There's no sign of rain."
"You guys still doubt me, huh!? You want to get more than that!?" Raymund sounded so angry. But inside, he was laughing. "I was kind enough to give the communication tool. You can ask me to take Elise down again if you need her, Renee. But, if you guys disrespect me like this, I could change my mind."
"At the very least, use a normal shape." Renee hissed quietly.
"What did you say!?" Raymund's tone rose even more.
"Ah no…." Renee grimaced. "I would gladly accept this thing, sir."
Despite her doubts and disgust, Renee took that thing.
"Well, at least it's multifunctional." Lauren chuckled, seemingly unaffected by the God's 'rage.'
"Please, don't talk like that." Renee couldn't imagine using that thing other than as a communication tool. The shape is too gigantic. It will be painful to use that thing for a different purpose.
"As I said, that thing can be used to communicate with me. Depending on the situation, I can send Elise to your world again. However, remember that I can't do it carelessly. So don't call me if you're not really having a hard time or facing something big. If you disobey my words, I'll have to take that thing again, Renee." Raymund spoke at length, then sighed. "So, now I have to take Elise from you."