First Steps towards Advancing the World

While the Loki Familia members were scrambling around the embarrassed Riveria, Kisuke separated from them and approached Yoruichi, Aika, Sona, Tiona and Ais who were left alone, "Trying to learn how to swim?"

Ais's expression became slightly awkward as she recalled their last conversation. Nevertheless, she still nodded, "Y-yes."

Tiona then smiled wryly and said, "It's not going well, though."

Kisuke looked at Ais for a short while and noted her slight trembling on the water and figured out what's going on, "Well, if you can't overcome your fear of deep waters, you'll never be able to properly learn how to swim. Why are you so afraid anyway?"

To that question, Ais's face became slightly pale and her trembling worsened as she hugged Tiona closely. "Aha...haha. She hasn't recovered from the trauma of Riveria's training years ago," Tiona answered while laughing wryly.

"Hmm...," Kisuke started rubbing his chin. Wondering what he's thinking about, Kisuke suddenly grinned and said, "Want to learn a nifty trick?"

Ais tilted her head and asked, "Trick?"

While his girls, Tiona and Ais were watching, Kisuke suddenly walked over to the water. However, instead of sinking, Kisuke took another step on the water, and now he was standing on the water on his own two feet.

Tiona and Ais's eyes widened at this scene and the former asked with a trembling voice, "H-how!?"

Due to Tiona's exclamation, the people who were scrambling around Riveria, looked in their direction. At first, they couldn't understand what was going on or why Tiona suddenly exclaimed and was making such a shocked expression. But the moment Kisuke took a few more steps towards the deeper parts of the water, they finally realized what was going on, yet they still couldn't understand what's happening, so they could only remain speechless while making shocked faces, trying to comprehend the scene in front of them.

Ais, on the other hand, let go of Tiona and approached Kisuke, before starting to look around his feet, trying to figure out how he's doing this, "This is the nifty trick I'm talking about~." Kisuke said while looking down at her.

Ais then suddenly looked up to him with shining eyes and said, "Please teach me how!"

Not long after Ais's plea, Line also raised her hand and said, "Please teach me too!"

Recovering from her shock, Tiona also joined in, "Me too!"

Recovering from her shyness after witnessing a very interesting technique, Riveria also raised her voice with shining eyes, "I would like to learn it too, if possible."

"If Tiona is learning it, please let me in too!" Tione added, not wanting to be left behind.

As for the rest, since they were not really close to the Hestia Familia, especially Kisuke, nor were they as outgoing and honest as the Hiryute sisters, despite their interest and curiosity, they couldn't tell Kisuke that they wanted to learn it too.

Seeing this, Loki was about to ask Kisuke to include the others too, but before she could speak up, she saw Kisuke winked at her. Understanding what he meant, Loki backed down.

Kisuke then clapped his hands and said, "Alright~! Since so many people want to learn it, those who don't want to play around anymore are free to join~!"

Hesitantly, Lefiya asked, "I-is that fine with you? It seems like a very important exploration skill. And can we really learn it without it being reflected on our Status?"

Kisuke nodded and answered, "You sure can. And if possible, I'd like you to stop thinking about your Skills, Magic and Developmental Abilities, no matter how rare they are, while learning this trick."

Lefiya and the rest looked at each other in confusion, however, it was easy enough of a condition so they just nodded.

"Great~! Then before I teach you how to actually do this, I'd like to talk to Loki-sama in private."

Riveria sighed after hearing this and thought, 'Of course it wouldn't be for free. Most likely, he'll 'issue the bill' to Loki for all this trouble.' However, she understood where Kisuke was coming from and also didn't like the idea of getting indebted to him, and not knowing how to pay it back. It's just too risky when it comes to Kisuke.

Kisuke walked towards Loki and passed by her. Loki thought for a bit before following him towards a certain distance that the others wouldn't overhear their conversation, "What do you want as an exchange and why are you being so secretive about it?"

"Well, you'll probably question my motives so I'm doing this as a precaution," answered Kisuke.

Loki looked straight into his eyes and said with a serious expression, "Out with it."

"My condition is, whatever they learn from me as a group, I would like them to spread it to everyone."

"Everyone?"

"Yes, everyone. Every Adventurer out there, including the Ganesha Familia, Hephaestus Familia and... the Freya Familia."

Loki became quiet for a few minutes and Kisuke just waited for her response. It wasn't long until Loki responded but instead of asking about his motives, she went straight to the thing she's most curious about, "What's going to happen? And what do you know?"

Kisuke was already prepared for her to ask a few questions, but he didn't expect her to go straight to that part. And despite the casual way Loki asked her question, Kisuke could feel some pressure from her as Deity, signifying her seriousness.

But before Kisuke could answer her, Loki continued speaking, "If I'm not wrong, the main component behind that trick is life energy, or what you call Ki, right?"

Kisuke nodded, "Correct."

"Even though us Gods are aware of its existence, we know for sure that only a few people in history were able to manifest it. Even then, they were not able to use it for anything useful aside from lengthening their lifespans by a decade or two."

"So when I heard from Riveria that some of you are utilizing this energy, I was shocked. However, I didn't delve deeper into it with respect to your privacy and Hestia. But now, you're asking my children to spread the method of manipulating life energy which in turn may put them in danger from the attention they would be getting from other Deities."

"On those grounds, I would have immediately refused this despite the apparent benefit. Just so you know, even though us Gods came down here for entertainment, that doesn't mean we don't care about order or the lives in the Lower World if it's for our own amusement."

"However, I still regard you highly. So I'm asking you, what's going to happen and what do you know? Give me an answer that will allow me to agree with your plans."

Kisuke sighed, "I'm not a prophet nor do I have the skill of one, so I don't really know what's going to happen. As for what I do know, I don't really know that much either, so I can't really answer any of those questions in a way that would satisfy you. If it's my motives, it's easier to answer as I only wanted a potential option for the future."

Loki's jaw slackened when she heard Kisuke's answer, "Y-y-you were planning for an indefinite future and placing indefinite measures!? You're planning to drag my children into danger for nonsensical shit like that!?"

"Uh, it's not nonsensical. I at least think that this is a good measure for the things that I think might happen in the future," Kisuke immediately corrected her.