As Elise's blindfold drifted down, everyone saw her full face.
"So beautiful!"
"Th-This truly is a face that can rival a goddess!"
"And that pure, flawless aura... it's incredible!"
The prismatic radiance intertwined with drifting golden motes, making the sacred air around Elise even more pronounced. Simply gazing at her was enough to warm one's heart.
When the blindfold slipped free, the girl's slightly flustered motion as she reached out to catch it added a touch of human playfulness to her presence, bringing her closer to ordinary people.
Gods were far too distant from humanity. Only humans could truly blend into the crowd.
Sometimes, even a saintess had to consider her distance from the people...
Not too far, or she would seem unreachable—overly idealized and devoid of reality.
But not too close either, for a saintess also possessed a transcendent side.
As for that distance, Elise would decide after observing the situation firsthand.
At least for now, she seemed to be handling it well.
"It's getting late. I still have matters to attend to back in Orario." Elise performed a graceful curtsey before continuing, "Time is short, so please forgive me for taking my leave first..."
Dinner still hadn't been prepared at the familia.
I wonder if Lady Astraea is waiting for me...
The moment her words ended, Elise vanished from the seventeenth floor—along with the enormous magic stone. The people of Rivira stared at one another in bewilderment.
"Hey! Did you see that?"
"I did! She just disappeared!"
Such an ability was unheard of in Orario.
Of course, this did not refer merely to Elise herself disappearing.
Simply vanishing from the sight of numerous Level 1 and Level 2 adventurers through sheer speed was something even certain Level 3 adventurers could accomplish.
That alone proved nothing.
But!
Elise had not disappeared alone.
She had taken the floor boss' magic stone with her.
Goliath's height was comparable to a building over a dozen stories tall, and its magic stone alone stood at least three or four stories high.
To carry away such a massive object like that—even some Level 6 adventurers might not manage it.
How had she done it?
Was it some rare magic or skill?
But could a Level 1 possibly possess such an ability?
For a moment, they even began to doubt whether Elise was truly a new adventurer.
It was common knowledge that newly blessed Level 1 adventurers generally possessed no magic or skills at all.
Only those with exceptional talent would occasionally manifest one or two skills at most.
And Elise?
As an agent of the Lord God Space, she had far surpassed that threshold, and the strength she displayed was accordingly overwhelming.
Of course, that was something no one else knew.
On the road back to Orario.
Elise leapt forward at tremendous speed. Each step spanned dozens of meters, making her return to the upper floors far easier than one might expect.
What she had just used was the storage function built into the Lord God Space. It could be accessed at any time. She had not expected it to accommodate even a magic stone three or four stories tall...
It certainly saved her a great deal of trouble.
"I spent so much time farming monsters today, triggered a Monster Feria, and even soloed a floor boss. My growth today should be significant, right?"
"Tonight I'll... no, better wait until tomorrow to update my status."
"If I find out tonight, I definitely won't be able to sleep..."
That concluded today's adventure.
...
The next day.
"Elise, are you ready?"
"Yes, Lady Astraea. Let's begin!"
Astraea picked up the needle from the plate and gently pricked her finger.
Elise removed her garment, revealing her fair and flawless back.
The goddess' finger traced across Elise's skin. With every stroke, a line of crimson blood appeared—only to vanish instantly, as though absorbed into her body.
Previously, to ensure that Elise's status could not be seen by other adventurers or gods, Astraea had deliberately placed a lock upon it.
As long as the lock remained, no third party could view it—unless it was broken with an unlocking potion.
But with Elise's strength, who would be foolish enough to provoke her?
If they were not dealt with by Elise, Astraea herself would think more highly of them.
To be honest, even Astraea was beginning to lose sight of just how powerful Elise truly was.
How strong had she become?
Perhaps only Elise herself knew.
Yet as her patron goddess, Astraea could faintly sense it.
Elise... likely possessed the power to erase the entirety of present-day Orario on her own.
Exaggerated?
Perhaps.
But Astraea genuinely felt such a possibility existed.
And she was a goddess.
A god's intuition—even if not perfectly accurate—would not be far off.
Thus, in Astraea's understanding, even if Elise did not match the very top tier of adventurers, she would certainly not be far behind.
That was both good and bad.
For a familia of justice, without overwhelming strength as support, they would easily be broken by those lurking in the shadows. Elise was that support.
Any future actions they took would be backed by that confidence.
That was the good.
But great strength also drew attention from all sides. As an openly righteous familia, their every word and action would become constrained.
Just like Loki and Freya—bearing the title of the strongest familias meant constant scrutiny. A single misstep could give rise to damaging rumors.
That was the bad.
Returning to the matter of updating the status.
"Alright, the lock is open. I'll update your status now."
Astraea picked up a sheet of parchment, preparing to record Elise's abilities.
Then she noticed something abnormal in Elise's status.
Though she was a goddess, Astraea's small mouth parted slightly in shock.
Even the parchment slipped from her hand and fell to the ground.
At the instant she saw Elise's updated abilities, her pupils contracted sharply.
Crack—
The goddess quickly recovered, raising a hand to conceal her astonishment and forcibly suppressing her expression.
"Elise, what was that just now? I thought I heard something strange."
"Oh, nothing special, Lady Astraea." Elise smiled. "I just kept a little souvenir. I didn't do anything unnecessary."
To blur the concept, Elise deliberately used phrases like "nothing special" and "nothing unnecessary." From her own perspective, that was entirely true.
So she had not lied.
And if she had not lied, a god could not see through it.
If it had been Loki, the god might have concluded that Elise was not lying but was concealing something—after all, Loki was the god of lies and trickery.
Astraea was no such deity.
As for what that "souvenir" actually was, Elise had no intention of explaining.
"A souvenir?" Astraea assumed Elise was referring to her status growth and smiled. "Indeed, it deserves to be commemorated."
Unbeknownst to her, the moment of shock she had just displayed had already been permanently preserved by Elise through certain means.