With his headset back Ryu did the obvious and logged in.

“Did you find what you were looking?” said the priestess.

Ryu took a moment to evaluate why the priestess was still here and not somewhere else fulfilling her “duties”. Conclusion: It was a load crap.

[kkaw#2001 wants to chat]

“Well that was quick,” said Ryu.

“Hmm?” said the priestess.

Ryu ignored her.

“Hey!” said Kana, almost immediately after Ryu accepted the call. “My mum said she’ll talk to you.”

“What? Really?” Ryu stopped to take a quick breath. “When?”

“Tomorrow if you’re free. I can pick you up after school-”

“Yeah, yeah, that’ll be great actually. Really, like, really good.”

Perhaps it was because people rarely did anything for him that Ryu felt the urge to run up to the priestess, who’d been quite polite in waiting for him, and clutch her in an inescapable hug. Of course, the fact he still felt horny may have played some part.

“Uh, my school is-”

“Green High, right? Your uniform gave it away,” said Kana.

The priestess shook around a little, but otherwise remained mute.

“And you go to Red High?” said Ryu.

“Bingo.”

“Isn’t Red high really- OW!” said Ryu, letting go of the priestess.

The priestess had stomped on his foot, and she was definitely a lot stronger than her frame let on. Despite pain only be transmitted up to a limit, Ryu was pretty sure she’d just hit it.

“Are you doing something?” said Kana.

Ryu glared at the priestess.

“Yeah, sorry, I’m just doing a quest.”

“It’s fine, I have to go anyway.”

“Do you still want to do that dungeon?” said Ryu.

“Oh, uh, yeah, I’m quite busy that’s all. Anyway bye.”

Kana ended the call, and Ryu’s eyes fell upon the priestess, who’s expression was as composed as always.

“Don’t do that,” said Ryu.

The priestess bowed her head.

“It’s good that you have returned.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

Ryu checked up on where the survivors had been staying, curious what they were up to. When he got there he found them sitting around, sheltered beneath their improvised tents.

“What are they doing?” said Ryu.

The priestess had tagged along, standing beside him. She’d taken the unnoficial position of being an assistant that didn’t offer any assistance.

“I believe they are resting,” said the priestess.

“Why? They should be working!”

“I believe they’re resting because they’ve been working,” said the priestess, matter-of-factly.

“Then why are you resting?”

There was no response, and Ryu looked to the side to watch as the priestess crumbled-

“Fuck off.”

She had drawn what looked like two pom poms and was holding them up, eyes shut with her head tipped back. She opened one eye when she heard Ryu speak.

“Shh, I’m praying to the goddess.”

Ryu couldn’t stay on for too long so he had to ignore the priestess’ blatant disrespect. He had orders to issue, and a quest to complete. He’d never failed a quest before, well, excluding the one that'd gotten him into this mess, but he had no intention to fail this one.

“EVERYONE GET UP!”

Ryu marched into the center of the survivors encampment, waiting as they gathered around him.

“How’s our food situation?” said Ryu.

“We’re all going to dieee…” said one of the survivors.

The little girl who’d been placed under Ryu’s care began to sob, but he ignored her. Sympathy wouldn’t help the situation.

“Shut the fuck up.”

“But you-”

“WE WILL REBUILD!”

Ryu stomped his foot down, waking up a few of the nearer-to-death survivors in the crowd.

“I will bring you food and you will eat it, okay?”

There were still a few places Ryu could teleport to and purchase materials, but he neither had the income or the savings to sustain such a solution. It would only be temporary.

“Yes-!” shouted voices in the crowd, their energy levels suddenly rising.

“BUT YOU WILL BUILD!”

People in the crowd gasped.

“By the end of this week I want housing for everyone-”

“*choking*”

“And an office! An office with a black leather three seater!”

“*choking intensifies*”

Finally someone in the crowd who wasn’t about to faint stepped forward voiced their concerns.

“What for?!”

“W-” Ryu looked at the crowd like they’d accused him of wanting a casting couch. “To welcome guests of course!”