[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): Welcome red envelope?]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): It's a red envelope I send in the group to celebrate new members joining, containing a set amount of points.]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): Yay! Finally, another source of points. I ran out ages ago.]
[Yuna (Level 5, Stage 7): Same here.]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): What? There's something this amazing?]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 6, Stage 2): That's right! Thanks to the welcome red envelope Eriri sent back then, I was able to get so many things.]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): Honestly, Eriri sending a red envelope doesn't even matter for you. Your luck is so ridiculous that even the luckiest people can't compare!]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): Unlike us… Without red envelopes, we have no way to earn points.]
[Azusa Aizawa (Level 5, Stage 7): Hard to disagree.]
[Chika Fujiwara (Level 7, Stage 1): By the way, Maple, how many points do you have now? I'm really curious.]
[Ruri Gokou (Level 7, Stage 1): Same here. With your luck, you probably gained tons of points just from random draws.]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 6, Stage 2): It's not that much… ehe.]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): 'Not much' means how much exactly? Curious.jpg]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 6, Stage 2): Uh… a little over 200 million points.]
[Kureha Clyret (Level 2, Stage 7): ...]
[Yuna (Level 5, Stage 7): ...]
[Risa Shiramine (Level 5, Stage 6): As expected of you!]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 1 / Group Leader): Incredible. While the rest of us spend points, yours just keeps growing.]
[Akeno Himejima (Level 5, Stage 9): Ara ara~]
[Tatsumaki (Level 5, Stage 8): Huh? Wait, why didn't I get a welcome red envelope when I joined?]
[Fubuki (Level 7, Stage 1): Sister, didn't I already give you tons of points? Besides, you'll still get a share of Eriri's red envelope this time.]
[Arifureta (Level 7, Stage 1 / Group Leader): Let me clarify—those invited by other members don't count as new recruits. Only completely new members qualify.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Exactly what Yuei-chan said.]
[Tatsumaki (Level 5, Stage 8): Oh, I see. Never mind then.]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): ???]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): Over 200 million… and you call that 'not much'???]
[Kaede Honjou (Level 6, Stage 2): It really isn't much. Everyone else has more than me.]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): That 'everyone' definitely doesn't include me, thanks.]
[Yuna (Level 5, Stage 7): Same here, thanks.]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): ...]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): Actually, I've been wondering about something. Most of you were ordinary people like me when you joined, right? But now almost everyone is at Stage 7. Is it really that easy to earn points?]
[Yuuki Asuna (Level 7, Stage 1): Not really. At first, it was really hard—we could only earn a small amount through daily sign-ins. The reason we're as strong as we are now is all thanks to Eriri. We're really grateful to her.]
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): I see…]
Honami was deeply shocked. Asuna's words made it clear—Eriri had practically single-handedly nurtured the entire group.
This revelation once again changed Honami's perception of Eriri.
Originally, she saw Eriri as an incredibly powerful figure who was also exceptionally kind to the group members. That was why she felt comfortable chatting so casually with her.
After all, anyone with common sense would never remain calm when speaking to someone who could effortlessly crush them across worlds—unless they had a death wish.
But now, in her eyes, Eriri wasn't just a kind-hearted powerhouse—she was practically a saint.
What Honami didn't know, however, was that Eriri's kindness was reserved only for her "family" and those she considered as such within the group.
Thinking she was universally benevolent would be a grave mistake.
[Elaina (Level 7, Stage 1): Haha, this might sound strange, but I'm incredibly grateful to Eriri.]
[Arshe (Level 6, Stage 9 ~ Level 7, Stage 1): Same here.]
[Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9): Alright, alright, we're all sisters here. No need to be so formal. Let's move on. It's time for the welcome red envelope. Just like before, everyone gets a share. How much you get depends on your luck.]
Without further delay, Eriri sent out the red envelope, and a notification appeared in the chat.
[Ding! Eriri (Level 8, Stage 9) has sent a luck-based red envelope.]
Just like when Maple and the others had joined, Eriri sent out a red envelope containing a total of ten million points.
It was split into thirty-nine shares, ensuring that every group member, except Eriri herself, got a piece.
Despite Eriri's reassurance that there was no rush, the moment the red envelope appeared, more than half of it was instantly claimed, as if everyone feared someone else would snatch their share away. Only a few members who weren't currently paying attention to the chat had yet to claim theirs.
[Honami Ichinose (Level 1, Stage 2): Got it! So many points!]
[Shinomiya Kaguya (Level 7, Stage 1): Thank you, dear sister, for the red envelope.]
[Ai Hayasaka (Level 5, Stage 9): Thank you, Eriri-sama, for the red envelope.]
[Adele (Level 5, Stage 7): Finally, more points! Thank you so much, Eriri!]
[Riveria (Level 4, Stage 6): Thank you, Eriri-sama.]
[...]
[Kureha Clyret (Level 2, Stage 7): Many thanks for your generosity, Eriri-sama.]
Seeing the extra 200,000+ points in her balance, Kureha's face flushed with excitement.
Before, going against the kingdom had seemed nearly impossible. But with this boost, she was confident she could increase her strength enough to completely overpower the strongest warriors of the kingdom.
Once again, she felt incredibly fortunate to have joined the chat group.
Aside from Kureha, Honami Ichinose and Miko—who had been drawn into the chat by the red envelope notification—also received over 200,000 points each.
It wasn't an overwhelming amount, but it was an average sum.
Unlike those who were unlucky and only got tens of thousands, or in the worst cases, mere thousands of points.
Unsurprisingly, the luckiest person once again was Maple, who managed to grab over a million points, significantly lowering the average distribution.
But for the veteran members, this was nothing new.
After sending out the red envelope, Eriri didn't linger in the chat any longer, as she heard Mrs. Yotsuya calling Miko for dinner from outside.
...
Since Eriri had never appeared in front of anyone other than Miko, when Miko brought her into the dining room, Mrs. Yotsuya, Yotsuya Kyousuke, and Miko's father were all left utterly bewildered.
At the same time, they were also deeply shocked by Eriri's beauty.
"What a stunning girl!"
As for Miko's changes, they didn't react much. Apart from the fact that they saw her every day, the primary reason was that Eriri had placed a subtle suggestion on Miko.
This suggestion allowed those familiar with Miko to notice that she had become more beautiful but prevented them from feeling overly shocked by it.
Once they gradually adjusted, the suggestion would automatically fade away.
Mrs. Yotsuya quickly snapped out of her surprise and stood up enthusiastically to greet Eriri.
"Hello, are you one of Miko's classmates?"
Since Eriri wasn't wearing the uniform of Kamikaze Academy, she couldn't be sure whether Eriri was a student there or not.
She then turned to Miko with a slight look of reproach. "Honestly, Miko, you should have told me if you were bringing a friend over. That way, I could've prepared a better meal to welcome her."
"No wonder Sister stayed in her room all day. Turns out she had a friend over." Sitting across from Mrs. Yotsuya, Kyousuke nodded in understanding.
As he spoke, he stole a quick glance at Eriri. Though he was still young and not entirely aware of romance, he did understand beauty.
And Eriri was, without a doubt, the most beautiful person he had ever seen—even more so than his now even more stunning sister.
Just as Miko struggled to explain Eriri's presence, Eriri took the initiative and spoke up.
"Auntie, don't blame Miko. I was the one who asked her not to tell you."
She then gave Mrs. Yotsuya a bright smile and introduced herself. "Hello, Auntie, my name is Eriri Spencer Sawamura. You can just call me Eriri. I'm not a student at Kamikaze Academy, so I'm not exactly Miko's classmate."
Pausing briefly, Eriri then added in a deliberately meaningful tone, "But Miko and I share a very, very, very close relationship."
However, Mrs. Yotsuya didn't catch the underlying meaning in Eriri's words and simply took it as Eriri emphasizing their strong friendship.
"Oh my…" Mrs. Yotsuya let out a helpless chuckle and decided to let the matter drop. Since it was Eriri's request, she saw no reason to dwell on it.
"But still, this won't do. Eriri-chan, how about this—there are still ingredients in the fridge, so I'll prepare some more dishes. We'll just delay dinner a little."
Without waiting for Eriri's response, she turned and started heading toward the kitchen.
But before she could take a step, Eriri stopped her.
"Auntie, there's no need for that. Let me treat everyone to dinner tonight."
"Wait, could it be…?" Remembering the mouthwatering aroma of the meal Eriri had prepared at lunch, Miko's eyes lit up, and she couldn't help but swallow in anticipation, her face full of expectation.
Eriri immediately caught on to what Miko was thinking and smiled. "That's right. It's exactly what you're hoping for."
Watching Eriri and Miko exchange words in an almost cryptic manner, Mrs. Yotsuya and Kyousuke were left even more confused.
Suppressing her curiosity, Mrs. Yotsuya shook her head and declined Eriri's offer. "Eriri-chan, I appreciate the thought, but you're a guest. How can we let a guest treat us to dinner?"
From Mrs. Yotsuya's perspective, Eriri was suggesting they dine out at a restaurant.
Judging from Eriri's appearance and demeanor, it was obvious she came from a wealthy family and certainly wouldn't mind the expense.
But even so, Mrs. Yotsuya couldn't accept the idea of letting a younger guest pay for their meal.
Kyousuke, on the other hand, was quite excited. After all, opportunities to eat out were rare. However, after hearing his mother's response, he had no choice but to suppress his anticipation.
"But my food is already prepared, Auntie. Are you sure you don't want to eat it?"
"Already prepared?"
Eriri's words left Mrs. Yotsuya puzzled, but soon, she seemed to realize something and sighed helplessly. "I see… You ordered delivery, didn't you?"
"Delivery? No, no, Auntie, you've got it all wrong."
Eriri waved her hand with a playful smile. Then, under Mrs. Yotsuya's confused gaze, she casually gestured toward the dining table.
In an instant, the previously sparse table, which had only three dishes and a soup, was suddenly filled to the brim.
One steaming dish after another appeared out of nowhere, and the rich aroma of the food instantly filled the entire dining room.
At that moment, however, neither Mrs. Yotsuya nor Kyousuke had the mind to focus on the delicious scent. Instead, they stared at Eriri with utter disbelief.
"What… what just happened? Am I dreaming? Is this… superpowers? That was awesome!" Kyousuke exclaimed excitedly, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Eriri.
Although he was still a bit too young to fully embrace the typical "chuunibyou" (middle school syndrome), this didn't mean he was immune to it.
In fact, after witnessing Eriri's "instant meal conjuring," he might very well awaken his chuunibyou phase ahead of schedule.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Yotsuya felt as if her understanding of reality, built over the past thirty-plus years, had just come crashing down.
Who would have thought that something straight out of a novel or anime would actually happen right before her eyes?
She didn't believe Eriri was performing some kind of magic trick—after all, this had happened right in front of her, with no chance for sleight of hand.
At the end of the day, magic tricks still followed a basic set of principles.
But what Eriri just did? That wasn't magic.
That was magic.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
40 Advanced Chapters Available on Patreon:
Patreon.com/DaoOfHeaven