"That's not quite what you said earlier, Kaguya."
"We've only known him for two days, and you're already speaking on his behalf."
Lyra's grin widened as she leaned in, her tone light but laced with playful accusation.
"Could it be… you've already developed a crush on him? Hah! No need to deny it."
"You might say no, but your actions have already given you away. Something must've happened between you two, right?"
She shot Kaguya a teasing, knowing smile.
Kaguya's eyes twitched, her lips parting and about to give a sharp retort but before the words could form, Lyra spun on her heel and followed Alise and Ryuu ahead with an impish chuckle.
Despite her teasing, Lyra wasn't someone who judged lightly. She trusted Astraea's judgment, of course—but Akira was a newcomer.
No matter how kind or capable he seemed, it was too early to gauge his true potential.
Still… something about him gnawed at her instincts. That strange gut feeling—like watching a dormant volcano and sensing the tremors before the eruption.
Orario had always been a city where the unbelievable happened. Heroes, myths, miracles… they often wore the skin of ordinary people.
The ritual of updating one's status was the most anticipated moment for any adventurer.
Sometimes, under the pressure of life-or-death encounters or pivotal decisions, an adventurer might awaken new skills or magic. But for most, it remained a distant dream.
The norm? Slow, steady increases in basic stats.
Only when an adventurer hit their bottleneck, where even the smallest gain was a battle, did they even dare to chase breakthroughs.
A gentle voice rang out, laced with warmth. "Come in! Akira, you're here to update your status, right? Sit down—let me see how much you've grown."
The room carried a faint floral scent, and at its center, the goddess of justice smiled softly.
Astraea's warmth was like sunlight breaking through storm clouds.
Akira nodded, took a deep breath, and sat on the chair, removing his shirt with a bit of hesitation. His back faced Astraea.
The steps were nearly identical to when one first received a Falna.
Divine blood etched sacred runes across his back, forming an intricate language only the gods could read. The words shimmered, then glowed.
Those "experience points" built through trials and battles flowed like invisible currents. They were nutrients—raw potential—converted into growth.
And the sacred letters shifted.
The total stats had amounted to zero before, an expected result. But now, they totaled a staggering 461 points.
Such a leap was nearly unheard of.
Her slender fingers traced his back gently, reverently—as if confirming that the numbers were real, and not a dream.
Akira shivered slightly at her touch, about to turn and speak—when he suddenly felt arms around him. Astraea had embraced him from behind, resting her chin lightly on his head.
Her hair spilled around him, and her sweet, faint fragrance wafted into his nose.
Astraea murmured, "I'm just… happy."
"So, so happy that you became part of my familia."
"Did my stats increase that much?" Akira asked, a little stunned.
The gentle weight of her arms, the comfort in her voice—it gave him a fleeting sense of home. He didn't want to let go.
Astraea said, her voice full of affection, "You've grown so much. More than I expected. Honestly, you're the best child I've ever met."
"When I first saw you, I knew—you were the perfect match for Astraea Familia."
"You have a sense of justice that isn't less than anyone else's, and what's more, you treat everyone fairly. You yearn for strength, yet remain grounded. With such rare talent and heart… tou are a true hero of justice."
That sense of justice? That's just because he was raised well—and never truly suffered.
Treating everyone equally? That's because the people around him were all… weird.
And as for wanting strength… well, how can you even survive in this world without it?
His thoughts swirled, but outwardly, he just scratched his head and said, "Astraea-sama, I get it! You can stop flattering me now."
"Oh? Not getting flustered this time?"
Astraea teased, faking a pout. "That's too bad."
"But I truly mean it…"
She leaned in and whispered into his ear, her breath warm, "I really do."
At this moment, footsteps approached outside the door.
Akira gently slipped from her embrace, whispering, "They're coming."
"Astraea-sama, may we come in?"
"You may." Astraea replied, straightening up with a smile.
Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and Ryuu entered.
Astraea tucked her hair over one shoulder, eyes soft as she welcomed them.
"Is something the matter, everyone? Is this about Akira?"
"Everyone's curious about his status update." Ryuu spoke up first, surprisingly.
"Alright, let's take a look. But don't be too shocked." Astraea said, amused.
She carefully copied the updated stats onto a parchment, translating them into the common tongue before handing the sheet to Akira.
As soon as he grasped it, the girls crowded around, eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"This is insane! These stats are absurd—this can't be worse than Finn!" Lyra shouted, clutching her head in disbelief.
"Eh!? This can't be real. Am I dreaming…?" Alise flopped into a chair, dazed.
"What terrifying growth… No wonder he managed to take down War Shadows." Kaguya muttered, recalling the battle.
"You're amazing, Akira." Ryuu said seriously, her tone unusually firm.
"Wait—if he beat War Shadow, what's next? We should try a Killer Ant." Alise's eyes sparkled as she exclaimed.
"Haha! Looks like bringing Akira into the Familia was the right call after all!" Alise burst into laughter.
Even Ryuu, who had once been hailed as Astraea Familia's most promising newcomer, only earned just over a hundred points on her first outing.
Four times Ryuu's gain.
And that wasn't just a fluke.
In Orario, the city of adventurers, most people remained Level 1 for life. Not because they were lazy, but because growth was hard.
Even with relentless effort, progress slowed. Bottlenecks formed. Weeks could pass with no visible improvement.
But Akira was different.
Astraea suspected that [Awakening] played a role, but even so, this kind of rapid ascent was beyond her expectations.
"Children from the lower world… full of infinite possibilities." She whispered.
Later, back in the hall, Akira sat beside Kaguya. They studied common characters together by lamplight, before eventually returning to their room.