To be honest, having a rich girl like Ako ready to support me is quite a good thing, especially since she always gives her unconditional love.
I saw how worried Ako looked, is there something wrong with me starting work?
"Ako, I appreciate your concern, but as a man I don't want to depend on others, I want to stand on my own feet." I said firmly as I took the tea that Ako had prepared earlier.
Ako looked at me absentmindedly for a moment, before her eyes lit up with stars, as if excited for something.
"My husband, you really are the one for me!" she said as Ako pulled her chair closer, almost touching me, then rested her chin in her hand as she looked at me.
"Then, let me stay here with you. Ako can help tidy up the house, cook, and keep you company. Isn't that great, Husband?"
"Ako..."
When Ako offered herself, I almost even agreed, thinking of how I would be welcomed home every day by Ako when I returned home, I thought it was a good thing.
And this is even more real than the damn letter I received a few days ago
Is this what's called a flower garden?
But, even if it would be a very nice fantasy for myself, if my mother found out that I had a girl at home in her absence, I can be one hundred per cent sure that she would kill me on the spot.
Well, although I will break that in the future as I plan to house some Spirits in my house. Somehow I felt impatient to wait for Tohka's arrival.
"I thought it would be nice, but I don't think it's necessary" I said with a hint of subtle rejection.
Damn, I wasted a golden opportunity like this.
Somehow my heart ached as the image of Ako greeting me in the mornings and evenings as a happy family shattered.
Meanwhile, Ako who accepted my rejection didn't seem disappointed, as if she was used to it, after all before I had that strange dream I had always rejected Ako, but I must admit that this girl is tough enough to continue to stick around me even when I didn't treat her well enough in the past.
Ako smiled softly as she spoke. "Ako understands, husband," she replied in a lower voice.
"Ako just wants to make you happy, my husband" I looked at her, somehow feeling a little guilty when I rejected her.
"Ako..." I called back to her softly as I stroked her head gently, Ako fell silent before returning with a big smile on her face.
For some reason, almost out of all the girls I've met, I feel like Ako has a special space in my heart. Could it be because Ako has been supporting me all this time?
But even if Ako has that much love, I think I'm a little wrong that a girl as good as Ako should meet a boy like me, a harem is something I've been dreaming of since the beginning.
Ako tilted her head as she looked at me in confusion. "Husband, why are you looking at Ako like that? Is there something on Ako's face?" she asked in confusion.
I let out a long sigh at her innocent face.
"Nothing, it's just that I think your cooking skills have improved a lot, Ako" I said as I looked at the food on the dining table.
"Hm! Of course! Ako learnt to cook all this from mum, mum said that husbands would prefer a wife who is a good cook" she said as she looked proud, I could even see the triumphant expression on her face when I talked about the food she made.
I just hope Ako's food this time is edible, because before all the food Ako made really had a strange flavour.
"Here, eat it husband, I know you must not have eaten dinner yet, right?"
I picked up the spoon as Ako placed the warm soup near me, as I tasted it, I froze slightly, staring at the soup in front of me in a daze.
It's not that Ako's cooking is very good, it's just that it's too salty.
Shit! What kind of soup is this?
I glanced at Ako who was still showing a smile on her face, I didn't want to turn that happy face into a broken one.
I just smiled softly as I looked at her, not to disappoint her.
"It's delicious," I said, trying to give a genuine compliment even though my tongue felt a little sore from the flavour.
Ako seemed very happy to hear that, her eyes shining brightly and her sweet smile expanding wider. "Really, husband? I'm trying so hard to make you happy!"
Well, anything will do even if I have to swallow all this salty soup to keep that smile.
Ako sat in front of me, looking at me with a gentle gaze, as if waiting for me to be ready to eat.
"Husband, this weekend, can you accompany Ako to the comikat?" Ako looked at me pleadingly.
"Comikat?" I said with some curiosity.
If I remember correctly, wasn't the last time I went to such a place about two years ago? After all, I became too obsessed with the dating sim game to pay much attention to my surroundings.
But I thought it would be good enough if I could go there, after all I haven't played with Ako in a long time.
"Alright, I'll accompany Ako anywhere this weekend" I replied with a smile.
But the weekend? Isn't that two days from now? I think I'll get some time off by then anyway.
"Really?! Husband! It's a promise okay! Don't try to dodge it later!" Ako spoke excitedly as she approached me.
Such a good girl, I thought I'd repay all her devotion over the years, after all I was quite stupid in the past.
"I promise!"
Ako smiled with satisfaction when I agreed to her little request. She really looks like a child who just got a new toy, even though this is just a simple promise like going to Comiket.
"But! Husband you must remember this! Don't forget it like last time, you forgot to bring an umbrella that time so I had to get soaked in the rain that time!" she said.
When Ako said that, I fell silent.
"Ehem... that was an accident you know? I was busy playing games at the time" I said, trying to defend myself.
"Besides, Ako looked cute with wet hair that time" I continued as I looked at her playfully.
I was quite fond of the rain-soaked Ako back then anyway, I think her charms could even capture my heart which was under the evil influence of the loli girl at the time.
Ako chuckled, her cheeks flushing slightly. "Husband, you really know how to sweet talk now."
"Yep, that's me" I said proudly.
Is this the feeling of being the protagonist? Having a beautiful girl as a life companion is something every man on earth dreams of!!!
For some reason, the atmosphere that formed between us was quite warm, but as Ako and I laughed together, the house bell rang.
Damn, who comes at this hour?
With a hint of annoyance, I walked to the door and opened it.
There, I saw a pretty girl with blue or purple hair? I don't know, after all it's quite dark right now so it's hard to tell.
But other than that, I have to admit this girl has a very beautiful figure, not to mention the long blue hair that impressed me, but her piercing eyes that radiate warmth. She looked like a night goddess descending from the sky.
"Husband, who's here?" Ako suddenly appeared from behind me, carrying a cup of tea in her hand. I looked at her, confused.
"Emm... Ako, I don't even know who this girl is..." I said.
The girl smiled a little before stepping in uninvited. She looked directly into my eyes. "So, you're the contract master who's been chosen?" she said in a cold voice.
"Contract master? Wait, who are you? Also why did you just walk into my house like that?" I asked with a furrowed brow.
But why did this strange girl look so familiar?
Ako, who initially seemed calm, now stood beside me with a wary face. "Who is she, Husband? Is she one of the"
"Wait a minute!" I quickly cut in. This was not the time to bring up clichéd misunderstandings, after all it was common knowledge to Ako that I was dreaming of a harem.
"Who are you and what do you mean by 'contract master'?" I demanded.
The girl raised one hand, before putting it into the bag she was carrying and starting to take something out of it.
"Human! You have been chosen by this honourable Water goddess to travel the journey of reincarnation!" she said as she showed me a piece of paper that looked like an employment contract in front of me.
Okay! Now I think I know where I know this girl.
Quickly, without even considering anything I closed the door with a bang.
I turned towards Ako, holding her shoulders with both my hands.
"Ako! Listen to me, whatever you will face in the future, no matter how difficult it is, never believe in that weird cult called axis and never take drugs no matter what!" I said seriously, no matter what happens I have to keep Ako away from those weirdos.
"Ah?! Eh... Sure, Ako will obey if it's Husband's order" Although Ako seemed quite confused by my sudden action, she agreed without much question.
What a good girl.
"Wait! Hey what do you mean by calling my Devotee weird!!! I can hear it from outside!" The girl's screams could be heard from behind the door, and she even tried to forcefully break down my door.
Damn it! I've had enough of the role of an NPC in harem novels, but do I also have to have Kazuma's fate?
No! I will never sleep in a stable!!!
But one thing that confused me was Aqua's existence, shouldn't she be in the other world as the mascot in Kazuma's party?
But why would this goddess who is even worse than the water tap in the park appear in front of me?
But leaving that aside, right now there were things that were far more important than thinking about the appearance of this stupid goddess.
As my gaze returned to the direction of
"Ako, go into the room and lock the door! Don't come out until I say it's safe!" I ordered sternly.
"Eh? But, Husband don't you always forbid me from entering your room-"
"No, this time I'm allowing you to come inside my room, so please hurry up, Ako" I cut off as I spoke.
Ako nodded hesitantly without hesitation, but I could see a slight smile on her face as if entering my room was the biggest impiam she had and now it was realised. But I don't have time to think about this right now.
After a while Ako finally ran towards the room, leaving me alone.
I approached the door, taking a deep breath before opening it again, this time with a little more caution.
The girl stood there, both hands on her waist, with an angry look.
"Human! How dare you close the door in front of a goddess!" she said in a tone full of pride, as if I had committed a great sin.
But I didn't care as I interrupted him. "Sorry, I'm not the kind of person who likes to be dragged into strange cults," I retorted with a flat expression.
"You! What do you mean weird?! How dare you insult my cult members as freaks! You really are a rude human being. But it doesn't matter. You have no choice in this matter. This contract has already been signed by fate!"
I think this girl has a changeable mood all by herself.
She flicked the sheet of contract paper in her hand towards me, as if that was enough to change my mind.
I glanced at the contract, looking at the ancient writing that I could barely read, even the strange writing in the club room was still better than this.
"I don't remember signing anything. So, you must have the wrong person."
"Of course you don't remember! It happened in a dream!"
Instantly my body froze.
A dream? Ah! What does this girl mean about the dream I had five days ago? After all it was another dream other than the strange woman's dream back then that emerged from my usual dreams.
"What did you do to me in that dream?" I asked suspiciously.
The girl crossed her arms and snorted. "I only selected you as a candidate to carry out this great mission. In return, I'll give you powers you can't imagine."
"Power?" I said looking sceptical, after all I already had enough power to destroy the current city as an Earth Spirit.
"Of course! You are a hero destined to save another world! With me as your guide, your success is certain!" She said proudly.
But having this girl as a guide? I think I'd better dive into the demon lord's headquarters head-on.
I rolled my eyes as I spoke to her again. "Sorry, I'm not interested, I still love my life anyway"
The girl's face turned serious when she heard my rejection.
"You think you have a choice? If you refuse, the consequences will be total destruction for this world."
"Then?"
What was this stupid goddess thinking? Even if I'm not a bad person, I'm also not a hero who would sacrifice my own life for the safety of others.
"You! Shouldn't you be happy about this? After all, it's not every day that one would get a golden opportunity like this" she said.
"I think since I'm not the normal-looking majority human group, I'm just a strange minority in this country"
"Hmpf! As I expected, you finally admitted to being a freak because you dared to call this goddess follower a freak! Don't know yourself!" The girl folded her arms, her face bright red with anger.
"You know what? You didn't even introduce yourself properly" I said flatly.
"Eh? Well that's my fault, let me introduce my majestic and mukai self.... I am the great Goddess of Water, Aqua! You should feel honoured to be chosen by me to save another world!"
I looked at her sceptically. "Goddess? Are you sure? If so, why did you bring a contract like an MLM salesman? Is this some kind of fraud scheme?" I asked while pointing at the contract paper in her hand.
Aqua's face turned grim. "This is not a fraudulent scheme! This is an official contract from the divine realm! You were chosen because... well, well... it seems like our last choice. But still, this is a great honour!"
Last resort? I think they just lacked the funds to find a more competent hero.
"I think I'm fine here. If you want to find someone else, go ahead." I waved a casual hand, preparing to close the door again.
However, before I could do so, Aqua slipped her foot through the crack of the door nimbly.
"Wait a minute! You can't just refuse! That other world needs you. After all, you want to build a harem, don't you? That world is the perfect place for you, they even have fox girls there" she said in a teasing tone.
I fell silent. Damn, she knows my weakness.
"But..." I looked at him suspiciously. "Why did you show up here? Shouldn't you be helping Kazuma in your world?"
Aqua's face suddenly became sour. "Don't mention that name! Kazuma is an ungrateful person! I left him for a bigger mission! Also, why do you know Kazuma?"
I squinted my eyes. "Well, think of me and him as the same lone wolf but are you sure you're here on a mission and not because you were kicked out?"
Aqua coughed awkwardly, looking away. "Forget it! the point! how? Do you want it or not?"
It was a difficult choice, especially with a fox girl in that world.
"If I agree to go, can I come back here?"
"No!"
Damn, that's a short answer but quite painful.
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