Hanasaka Warabi grinned, showing her pearly white canine teeth, and pointed at herself proudly, then at Rin and the others next to her.
"Just now, Lord Heimdall updated the status for all of us!"
"Me! Rin! Mary! Satori! Tsukuyo!"
"We are all already Lv.2 now!"
"Even the Kyoujin, that guy's status has increased by a huge margin!"
"..."
"..."
The air suddenly went quiet.
The originally noisy living room seemed to have been pressed with a mute button at this instant.
The smile on Tsubaki's face froze.
Her single eye slowly widened, and her pupils contracted sharply, as if she had heard some kind of fairy tale.
Even Ryu, who had been silently eating in the corner and trying to minimize her presence, suddenly looked up at this moment.
Those sky-blue eyes were filled with unbelievable shock, and the fork in her hand fell onto the plate with a "clang."
"What... did you say?"
"Lv... 2?"
"All of you?"
"That's right!"
"The real deal!"
"Is there a problem?"
Hanasaka Warabi was very satisfied with Tsubaki's shocked reaction and nodded heavily.
But.
"Is there a problem?!"
"There's a huge problem, okay!"
"How many days has it been since you became Adventurers?!"
Tsubaki felt like her brain was a bit overwhelmed.
"Let me think..."
"You just arrived in Orario... at most, it's only been two or three days, right?"
"The first time you went into the Dungeon... was that time I led you."
"At that time, you had just received your Falna and were definitely Lv.1 rookies."
"And then..."
Tsubaki suddenly turned to look at Heimer, her eyes filled with horror.
"Three days?"
"Or two days?"
"How is this possible?!"
Even though she was well-traveled and a Lv.5 First Class Adventurer, Tsubaki felt her worldview being shaken at this moment.
In the history of Orario.
This was a record that had never existed before!
Ais Wallenstein, known as the Sword Princess and the genius girl of the Loki Familia, took about a year to go from Lv.1 to Lv.2, right?
One year!
That was already hailed by everyone as a genius who broke historical records!
Praised by countless people and a favorite topic of the gods.
But now.
Now, right before her eyes.
This group of delicate-looking young girls.
Two days?
Three days?
They were actually all Lv.2?!
What kind of concept was this?
This was practically taking the word 'common sense,' rubbing it against the ground repeatedly, and then stomping on it with ten thousand feet!
Moreover, although she did have a premonition that this group of little monsters would level up quickly when she was leading the team in the Dungeon earlier.
After all, given the combat power, tactical literacy, and that 'newborn calves unafraid of tigers' ruthlessness they displayed, they didn't seem like a group of rookies at all.
But she never imagined it would be like this.
She had just gone back and locked herself in the workshop to repair weapons day and night for a single day.
The moment she came back out.
This group of little monsters had leveled up?!
Beside her, Ryu.
She was also completely stunned at this moment.
The shock she received was naturally no less than Tsubaki's.
It was perhaps even greater.
After all, as a former member of the Astrea Familia, Ryu had a much deeper understanding of how difficult it was to level up.
Back in the day, she was also a super rookie who shared fame with Ais Wallenstein.
To level up and accumulate Great Feats.
How much sweat had she shed? How much blood?
It took countless days and nights, wandering on the edge of life and death time and time again.
And now.
Three days.
The entire group reached Lv.2.
You've got to be kidding me!
In three days, most people haven't even fully learned the layout of the Dungeon!
What exactly did they do?
How many monsters did they kill?
What kind of Great Feats did they achieve?
Ryu looked at the group of girls who were still giggling and grabbing meat to eat, and suddenly felt as if her years of hard work had become a joke.
These people...
Are they monsters?!
"Let me correct you."
"To be precise, Kirukiru Amou took one day less than them."
"She was already Lv.2 by last night."
"Pfft—!!!"
At this moment, Lord Heimdall continued to twist the knife.
It was the kind where you stab someone hard in the heart and then twist it twice.
"Cough, cough, cough, cough..."
Tsubaki choked on her own saliva, coughing violently, her entire face turning bright red.
One... one day less?"
"Reaching Lv.2 in two days?!"
Tsubaki whipped her head around to look at Kirukiru Amou, who was silently gnawing on a bone, radiating an aura that warned others not to approach.
If that's the case...
Wouldn't that mean...
This person is even hundreds of times faster than the Sword Princess?!
Never mind Orario.
Even searching through the thousands of years of history in the Lower World, counting from the Age of the Gods, there has never been such a terrifying growth rate!
Ryu also looked at Kirukiru Amou in horror.
That black-haired girl who was still being suppressed by her yesterday morning due to the difference in status.
In two days?
Not only did her status catch up, but she even broke through her level?
Ryu suddenly recalled the sparring session from yesterday morning.
The frenzied battle intent in this girl's eyes, that madness of doing whatever it takes for victory.
Could it be that this monster-like growth rate was achieved through such desperation?
Just what kind of obsession is this...
As if sensing Ryu's gaze.
Kirukiru Amou slowly raised her head and locked onto Ryu from across the dining table.
The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a cold smirk.
"Miss Elf."
"Tomorrow morning."
"I will challenge you again."
In order to verify.
Whether the current her can tear apart yesterday's humiliation.
Kirukiru Amou challenged Ryu once more.
"..."
Stared at by such eyes.
The hot blood within Ryu that had been dormant for a long time seemed to be slightly ignited.
She took a deep breath, met Kirukiru Amou's gaze, and nodded seriously.
Their gazes collided in the air, as if sparks were flying.
However.
Tsubaki, who was on the side, looked completely bewildered.
"Huh?"
"Tomorrow morning?"
"Another challenge?"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait!"
Tsubaki quickly waved her hands, interrupting the visual duel between the two.
"What kind of play are you two putting on?"
"Isn't she an employee of The Hostess of Fertility?"
"Doesn't she have to work tomorrow morning?"
"The pub must be very busy, right? Where would she find the time to run over here and spar with you first thing in the morning?"
"And..."
Tsubaki looked at Ryu suspiciously.
"Aren't you the one who hates trouble the most? Why would you agree to this kind of private duel?"
In Tsubaki's impression, although this person had extraordinary skills, she had been keeping an excessively low profile since going into seclusion, avoiding fighting whenever possible.
"Oh, Miss Tsubaki doesn't know about this yet."
Seeing Tsubaki's bewildered expression.
Lord Heimdall felt that it would be more interesting if he were the one to break the news.
So he put down his chopsticks and gestured toward Ryu.
"To be precise."
"Miss Elf, due to special reasons—"
"Has already made a pact with me."
"To become the elf maid specifically responsible for managing this house."
"Although she's still working part-time at the pub, Miss Elf will come here every morning from now on to do the cleaning."
"..."
"WHAT!!!"
...
And so.
Tsubaki's exclamation echoed throughout the high-end residential area.
However.
All banquets must come to an end.
The table full of mountain-like food was soon reduced to a pile of empty boxes.
Even the few bottles of fruit wine from Shopkeeper Miya's private collection were drained to the last drop.
With everyone full and satisfied.
Looking at the night sky outside, which had turned completely dark.
Tsubaki stood up and stretched her somewhat stiff neck.
"Alright, the food's been eaten, the wine's been drunk, and the show's been watched."
"It's time for me to head back."
"If I don't go back now, the fire in the workshop furnace will go out."
Lord Heimdall also stood up and offered a polite invitation to stay.
"In such a hurry?"
"Won't you stay a bit longer, Miss Tsubaki?"
"Next time, Lord Heimdall."
Checking the time, Tsubaki let out a helpless sigh.
"I really want to stay, but I truly don't have the time lately."
"Lady Hephaestus is currently in seclusion, and all the matters of the Familia, big and small, are now resting solely on my shoulders."
At this point, Tsubaki rubbed her temples with a headache.
"In that case, I won't insist on you staying, Miss Tsubaki."
Heimer nodded, expressing his understanding.
After all...
As the captain of a massive organization like the Hephaestus Familia, the burden on Tsubaki's shoulders was indeed not light. To be able to take the time to personally deliver this equipment was already showing great respect.
"Well then, see you next time, Lord Heimer~"
With that said...
Tsubaki gave a very dashing wave, turned, and walked out the front door, leaving only a hearty silhouette that melted into the night.
...
After seeing Tsubaki off...
Ryu stood up exceptionally obediently and began to clean up the mess.
Even though she really wanted to just slip away...
Looking at the messy table, Ryu's sense of responsibility won out.
"Um... I'll clean up."
Ryu kept her head down, her voice muffled, but her hands and feet were unusually nimble as she began to tidy up.
"We'll help too!"
Seeing this, Rin, Hanasaka Warabi, and the others also stood up one after another.
"No need, no need! You're a guest—ah, wait..."
Ryu was about to refuse, but she suddenly got stuck halfway through her sentence, realizing something was wrong.
After all, this wasn't the Hostess of Fertility.
In contrast...
These girls were the actual mistresses of this place.
This momentary cognitive dissonance made Ryu feel even more embarrassed.
"Oh, don't be so polite, Miss Elf. It'll be faster if everyone lends a hand!"
"Exactly, exactly! We ate so much, it's good to move around a bit to help digestion!"
Fortunately...
The girls didn't think much of it, and with many hands helping...
Very quickly...
The originally messy living room became as neat as before, with even the table wiped to a shine.
Ryu finally found an opportunity to take her leave.
"U-um..."
"Thank you... for the hospitality tonight."
Standing at the door with her hands clasped together, Ryu gave Heimer a deep bow.
"And..."
"Lord God... about that night... I'm truly very sorry."
"In the future... I will continue to fulfill my duties as a maid properly!"
This final apology...
Contained far too many of Ryu's emotions.
After finishing those last words...
As if she had exhausted all her courage, Ryu immediately turned around and hurriedly ducked into the night.
That speed...
Was several times faster than when she was clearing the plates just now.
Watching Ryu's retreating figure as she fled in a panic...
Heimer shook his head helplessly.
"She really is an awkward child."
...
*Creak—*
Finally...
As the heavy oak door slowly closed...
Shutting out the night outside...
Tranquility returned to the mansion.
"Ah— they're finally gone!"
The moment the oak door closed...
Hestia, who had been trying hard to maintain even a tiny bit of her goddess image...
Seemed as if her bones had been removed.
She collapsed directly onto the soft, large sofa, even rolling around on it a couple of times for good measure.
"Ugh... so full..."
*Burp—*
Hestia patted her bulging little belly without any reservation and let out a loud burp, completely devoid of any goddess-like dignity.
"This is so comfortable..."
"This is the kind of life a god should have!"
"Sleep after eating your fill, without having to worry about where tomorrow's breakfast is..."
Seeing Hestia's image-less, good-for-nothing appearance—even her signature twin tails were spread messily across the sofa...
The other girls felt a wave of embarrassment for her.
...
Heimer, however, was already used to this girl's behavior and glanced at the wall clock.
It was already getting late.
So he clapped his hands lightly, drawing everyone's attention to him.
"Alright."
"Everyone worked hard just now."
"Get some rest early."
"Especially those of you who just leveled up; your bodies haven't fully adapted to the new power yet."
"Go take a bath, relax completely, and then get a good night's sleep."
"There's more training tomorrow."
"Yes! Lord God!"
At this...
The girls responded in unison.
Having experienced the emotional ups and downs of the recent level-up...
They were indeed a bit tired.
Especially now that the excitement had passed, a sense of mental fatigue set in.
And so...
Following Heimer's suggestion...
The girls took their change of clothes and headed toward the luxurious large bathhouse deep within the mansion.
"I'm going to soak for an hour!"
"Tsukuyo, let me help you, be careful of the slippery floor..."
...
And so...
Deep within the mansion...
In the large bathhouse...
Steam rose and mist swirled.
This bathhouse was one of the reasons Heimer had specifically chosen this house.
Its size was staggering, occupying almost half of the first floor.
The floor and walls were lined with high-quality stone tiles that were both slip-resistant and warm to the touch.
The massive bath was kept at a constant warm temperature year-round, heated by an underground magic stone circulation system.
There were even specialized massage jets and a surfing area.
In a place where land was as expensive as gold like Orario, this was simply top-tier luxury.
*Splash—*
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