After resolving the matter involving the wandering Bunny Girl, Mai Sakurajima, Izumi found himself with some free time.
So he decided to take a leisurely stroll through Dimensional City.
The bustling streets were as lively as ever.
Countless races, adventurers, merchants, and travelers moved through the city, creating a scene that never failed to entertain him.
As he wandered aimlessly, a flash of crimson suddenly entered his field of vision.
Izumi paused.
"Hm?"
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"Stella?"
A grin spread across his face.
"Yep... just as impressive as I remember."
The red-haired princess possessed a figure that was impossible to ignore.
Even in a city filled with extraordinary beauties, Stella Vermillion stood out.
Naturally, Izumi's curiosity was piqued.
After all, he had been familiar with her long before she ever entered this world.
Without drawing attention to himself, he quietly followed behind her.
For Izumi, secretly tailing someone was effortless.
In his own world, he could hide his presence so thoroughly that even standing directly in front of someone wouldn't guarantee they noticed him.
Thus, Stella remained completely unaware that she had acquired a shadow.
She moved quickly through several districts before eventually arriving at a familiar location.
A restaurant.
More specifically—
Mystia's restaurant.
Izumi blinked in surprise.
"Huh?"
"This place?"
Immediately, his interest deepened.
He knew perfectly well that this restaurant had become one of Asuna's favorite gathering spots.
So what was Stella doing here?
Curiosity won.
Izumi revealed himself and pushed open the door.
The moment he entered, Stella's voice echoed through the room.
"Sorry, everyone!"
"I'm late!"
A cheerful voice immediately answered.
"It's fine."
"We just got here ourselves."
"Come on, take a seat."
It was Asuna.
At the same moment, Mystia looked up.
"Sorry, the venue has been reserved toda—"
Her words stopped midway.
"Eh?"
"Izumi-kun?!"
The moment she spoke his name, everyone inside looked over.
Their eyes instantly lit up.
"Izumi!"
Asuna looked genuinely surprised.
"What are you doing here?"
Even Stella appeared startled.
Nobody had expected the ruler of the Dimensional World to casually walk into their gathering.
Izumi smiled and glanced around the room.
The sight before him was quite impressive.
Besides Asuna, there were numerous familiar faces gathered together.
Maple.
Eris.
Shana.
Claire Rouge.
Est.
Mitsuki Nase.
And several others.
Practically every famous heroine he recognized from his previous life seemed to be present.
The biggest surprise, however, was Eris.
The self-proclaimed Goddess of Luck had somehow managed to gather an absurd number of people around her.
That's actually impressive.
Izumi couldn't help thinking so.
These weren't ordinary members.
Every one of them was a protagonist-level heroine.
"Yo."
"Why are you here today, Izumi-sama?"
Eris crossed her arms and puffed out her cheeks.
"Aren't you usually busy?"
"Too busy going on dates with other girls."
The accusation carried a noticeable hint of resentment.
Izumi immediately understood.
He smiled.
"Oh?"
"Are you jealous?"
"Tsk."
"That's rare."
"E-Eh?!"
Eris instantly turned bright red.
"N-No!"
"Who's jealous?!"
The entire table burst into laughter.
Her reaction was simply too obvious.
Chuckling, Izumi found an empty seat and sat down.
Meanwhile, Stella and several newcomers couldn't help sneaking glances at him.
This was their first time seeing him in person.
The legendary creator and ruler of the world.
And...
Ridiculously handsome.
Every time their eyes met his, they instinctively looked away.
The gathering gradually resumed.
As the conversation continued, Izumi finally learned why everyone was assembled here.
The answer surprised him.
Eris.
Once again.
It turned out that Eris had established a surprisingly successful adventuring group.
The members regularly traveled throughout Dimensional City and various connected worlds.
They hunted monsters.
Completed commissions.
Participated in interdimensional conflicts.
And constantly sought opportunities to become stronger.
Stella's lateness had a simple explanation.
She had just returned from another world after completing a mission.
The trip back had taken longer than expected.
After hearing the full story, Izumi looked at Eris with newfound curiosity.
"I've got to ask."
"How exactly did you recruit this many people?"
"And why do more keep joining?"
"It's honestly impressive."
The moment she heard the word recruit, Eris immediately objected.
"I didn't recruit anyone!"
She puffed out her chest proudly.
"Everyone joined willingly!"
"Because I'm the Goddess of Luck!"
"Hmph!"
"Lots of people want to join now."
"If they're with me, they'll become lucky too."
"Who wouldn't want that?"
Her expression radiated pure pride.
And honestly...
She had earned it.
The girls around her couldn't help smiling.
Within the group, everyone treated Eris like a beloved younger sister.
She genuinely cared about every member.
Always helped whenever possible.
And never acted superior despite her status.
That sincerity had naturally drawn people toward her.
Watching the scene, Izumi shrugged.
"As long as you're happy."
"Honestly, seeing you enjoy yourself this much is reassuring."
His gaze swept across the room.
Then he nodded thoughtfully.
"At this rate..."
"Your Familia is becoming strong enough to rival Loki's."
The mention of Loki wasn't an exaggeration.
After the merger of countless worlds, powerful individuals had appeared everywhere.
Naturally, the various Familias had expanded as well.
The Loki Familia had grown tremendously.
The same was true for many others.
Even the once-small Hestia Familia had gained numerous talented recruits.
The world was changing rapidly.
And Eris' group was evolving right alongside it.
Looking around at the gathering of extraordinary heroines laughing together, Izumi couldn't help smiling.
It seemed that everyone had found their own place in this ever-expanding world.