He had just arrived, and now he couldn't even guarantee his basic livelihood. If he did not set aside his pride and make a living, he might not even be able to eat.
In survival, dignity and integrity were not worth mentioning.
Then, Noa looked past Sato Kazuma, who was desperately trying to explain to the contractor in order to keep his job, and turned his gaze to the side. There stood Aqua, like a child who had done something wrong. She kept her head lowered, standing obediently with an unusually quiet posture, as if she was aware—at least vaguely—that she had caused trouble again.
"What's going on with her? Would you let other goddesses descend to the planet you manage so casually?"
Noa pretended to be confused and asked Eris.
Of course, he already knew what was going on with Aqua, but that was not the point.
The real point was something else entirely. He needed a reasonable excuse—something acceptable within the divine system—to allow him to take action without causing suspicion or misunderstanding among the gods of the heavens, represented here by Eris.
Originally, he had been prepared to spend time carefully searching for such an opportunity.
Unexpectedly, he had encountered Aqua instead.
This was not unlike someone bringing a pillow just when he was about to fall asleep. It was unexpectedly convenient.
"This senior Aqua, her situation is quite special....."
Eris was not surprised to see that Noa had already deduced Aqua's identity.
Although the matter was somewhat complicated to explain in detail, since Noa had asked directly, she chose to explain the cause and effect truthfully. Her tone was careful and measured, as though she was weighing each word to avoid any misunderstanding.
As for whether this would cause trouble for Aqua, that was not something she was responsible for. From her perspective, she was only answering a question posed by a powerful outsider, nothing more.
Noa nodded slowly and continued to guide the topic further.
"So, she can only return to heaven after the Demon King is eliminated, right?"
"That's right."
Eris confirmed without hesitation.
The rule was straightforward. Aqua's return was directly tied to the defeat of the Demon King. Until that condition was fulfilled, she would remain in the mortal world under the restrictions placed upon her descent.
Noa followed up calmly.
"So, in fact, no matter who kills the Demon King, there is no difference, right?"
For a moment, Eris paused.
The implication behind the question was subtle but clear. If the result was the same regardless of who achieved it, then the identity of the "hero" who defeated the Demon King was not strictly fixed.
After a brief moment of thought, she nodded cautiously.
"That should be possible... wait, are you thinking about something?"
Only then did she realize the direction Noa's thoughts were heading. A slight hint of surprise appeared in her expression as she looked at him more carefully, as though reassessing his intentions.
Noa did not deny it. He admitted it directly with a casual tone.
"Just consider it a small courtesy from Great Tree Village. I am also quite interested in the strength levels and power system of your world."
In truth, the explanation was simply a convenient cover. Noa was not particularly concerned about the reasoning itself; what mattered was having a legitimate framework that would not provoke unnecessary interference from the divine order. As long as the excuse fit within acceptable boundaries, he could proceed with what he needed to do.
The Demon King's existence, in his view, was not just a threat—it was also a useful reference point. A benchmark of power, a test subject of sorts for understanding the world's structure.
Eris hesitated slightly.
"This..."
She frowned faintly, not in outright opposition, but in concern. The proposal itself did not directly violate any known divine rules, yet it felt too convenient, too aligned with Noa's interests. That alone made her uneasy.
Still, she did not immediately reject it. Instead, she remained silent for a moment, carefully considering the implications.
Meanwhile, in the background, Sato Kazuma was still desperately trying to salvage his situation with the construction contractor. His voice occasionally rose in panic, mixed with apologetic shouting and increasingly chaotic explanations. Aqua, on the other hand, stood quietly nearby, still holding her head down as if she were reflecting on her mistake—though whether she truly understood it remained questionable.
The contrast between the two scenes only made the atmosphere more surreal. One side was a mundane workplace disaster, and the other was a quiet negotiation that could potentially affect the fate of an entire world.
Noa, however, remained calm.
For him, everything was simply falling into place.