Leon followed behind Alise, walking along the cobblestone path, through the fragrant front garden, and into the quiet central courtyard.
Not far off, in an elegant stone pavilion wrapped in vines, the goddess sat at a stone table, gracefully sipping tea.
"Hello, Lady Astraea. Lady Demeter asked me to pass along her greetings."
Leon set down the basket in his hand and bowed respectfully.
"Ah, Leon. How thoughtful of her."
The goddess nodded slowly, her expression serene, giving nothing away.
Yet Leon could clearly feel a distinctive aura radiating from this goddess.
It was warm and compassionate, yet carried an unmistakable, awe-inspiring solemnity, the two qualities woven together in perfect balance.
The goddess Astraea!
The embodiment of gentleness and love, the goddess of goddesses, the paragon of the tender older-sister archetype, the very symbol of integrity and justice!
Rumor had it...
There was an unofficial ranking circulating in Orario:
"Beings You Most Want a Lap Pillow and Head Pat From."
And Astraea was the undisputed, unchallenged number one on that list!
That's right, Astraea was exactly the kind of goddess who could stand in as every man's idealized mother figure!
"What are you thinking about?"
After a long moment, seeing that Leon still hadn't responded, Alise, standing attentively at the goddess's side, couldn't help but glance curiously at this "acquaintance" she'd crossed paths with a few times.
Leon almost blurted out his honest thoughts.
Sorry, Alise. Nothing you'd want to hear.
But the instant before he slipped up, his eyes caught the faint, knowing smile playing at the corner of Astraea's lips.
Busted. She'd read half of what was in his head already.
He cleared his throat and pivoted smoothly.
"Just thinking about the Monster Hunter Special transaction. When can I expect the payment?"
His tone landed easily enough.
But the goddess's next words caught him off guard.
Astraea's lips curved up almost imperceptibly, and she gave a soft, knowing laugh.
"Demeter wasn't wrong. You really are a little different from the other children of the lower world. Your heart isn't all that stirred by this matter, yet the longing shimmering in those eyes of yours is so very real... I wonder why that is."
Leon: "..."
He was at a loss, unsure how to answer.
Before he could find the right words, the goddess broke into a smile, one that seemed to sweep away the subtle tension from before.
"Alise, bring the check."
"Yes, Lady Astraea."
Alise moved at once.
...
When the goddess gently slid the check across the table to him, and Leon saw the crisp, clearly printed figure on it, a genuine surge of joy welled up inside him, instantly washing away the goddess's teasing from his mind.
The figure on this check, to be sure, couldn't compete with the gold bars that occasionally dropped from treasure chests, and it was a world away from the enormous sum Hephaestus had so generously paid out that one time.
But what it represented was something entirely different!
The gold bars from treasure chests, the rare materials for anti-magic items, these were all strokes of good fortune, the kind you couldn't plan on. Ephemeral, utterly lacking in stability. Trying to build long-term plans on them was pure fantasy.
But this light little slip of paper in front of him represented long-term, stable, predictable income! It was a solid, visible stairway toward his dream of "buying land and building a castle," a future he could actually see!
Leon knew exactly which one mattered more.
"Since our deal is settled, I won't take up any more of your time, Lady Astraea."
Leon said respectfully.
Then he turned to Alise, his smile warming with sincerity.
"Please take good care of yourself too, Captain Alise. The city's getting more chaotic by the day, and Evilus is growing bolder. They've even started pulling off indiscriminate terror attacks in broad daylight! In times like these, the people of Orario and lower-rung adventurers like us need champions of justice like you more than ever."
Alise's eyes suddenly lit up, as if his words had kindled a fire in her. She clapped her hands and praised him without reserve, beaming.
"Oho, you sure know how to talk!"
"Exactly! That's right! We who carry the sword and wings of justice will never let Evilus's schemes succeed!"
"Then I wish you all the best. May fortune favor your sword."
Leon bowed once more, took two steps back, then smoothly turned and walked away.
Watching his figure cross the front garden and vanish beyond the gate.
Astraea slowly withdrew her gaze.
Her expression was calm and unreadable, her eyes deep.
Her pale, slender fingers absently traced the rim of her teacup. After a long silence, she finally spoke, her voice flowing like a clear spring.
"Alise, what did you think of Leon?"
"Huh?"
Alise didn't catch on right away.
"I mean his convictions, and the way he conducts himself."
The goddess clarified.
"His convictions and the way he conducts himself?"
Alise tilted her head and gave it some serious thought.
"Ummm... he feels... kind of stingy? No wait, he really loves money! As for his strength... seems decent enough for now? And other than that... sorry, Lady Astraea, I can't really put it into words."
"Oh, that's right, I just remembered! I heard from Tsubaki that Mr. Leon might be a bit of a player. Though I don't know the details, so, you know, it's just a rumor, a rumor!"
Hearing Alise's assessment of Leon, Astraea let out a quiet laugh.
She shook her head, took a sip of tea, then rose and walked to one of the pavilion pillars, looking up at the roiling dark clouds overhead.
"It's going to rain again."
With the fresh money still warm in his pocket, Leon walked with his back straighter than usual, feeling almost weightless on his feet.
"Counting this 4.4 million valis that just came in, the familia's funds have finally broken past the 10 million mark! I won't have to grind this hard for a while now!"
"Hm? No wait, hold on!"
Something he'd been seriously overlooking suddenly hit him!
"Me, Jeanne, Rose, we've all hit Lv.2! From now on we'll be operating on the middle levels as a matter of routine."
"At that kind of intensity, Fourth-tier equipment obviously won't cut it anymore. So... our weapons and armor all need upgrading, right? That's another massive expense... damn!"
And the moment he thought about the prices of Hephaestus Familia's Third-tier equipment, the kind that started at a million valis minimum.
His chest tightened and his breathing turned difficult.
"10 million sounds impressive, but when you actually start spending it... haah!"
Walking and sighing and shaking his head, he had already crossed through District 1 without realizing it, arriving at the bustling great plaza beneath Babel.
"Head home first and get the Ice Ring spell wrapped up, then straight to the Dungeon!"
"Have to work out the adjustment issues from leveling up, and while I'm at it do a full assessment of my magic and combat ability..."
"And finally... I still need to squeeze in a trip to the Guild archives to really dig through the intel on the middle and lower levels."
"Tsk, having to handle familia business and my own training at the same time."
"No wonder the three heavy hitters of Loki Familia are leveling slower than the top brass of Freya Familia."
"These two pillars, one's a founding team building a new familia from scratch, the other has senior mentors guiding them and doesn't have to deal with the petty admin. They've got plenty of time to train."
"Their leveling speeds are worlds apart..."
"Thinking about it like this, being a familia captain is seriously not a job for humans!"
Just as Leon was silently griping that captain life was brutal and every one of them had it rough.
A few adventurers in battered equipment, faces etched with despair, happened to walk past him, cursing and grumbling with anxiety on their faces.
He caught snatches of what they were saying:
"How can it only be this much money? I can't even afford a single drink!"
"If I don't get a drink soon, I'm gonna lose it!"
Hold on...
Leon glanced at the Familia Crest on their armor, and a cold smirk twitched at the corner of his mouth.
Soma Familia drunks? What a bunch of losers.
He spat on the ground and strode quickly away.
Back home, Leon first took a cold shower, washing off the day's restless energy.
Then he leisurely made a pitcher of iced lemon water, settled into a rattan chair in a shaded spot, solemnly put on his Gale-Force Reading Glasses, and sank his focus into the study of the Ice Ring spell.
...
Over the next few days, Leon and his companions lived their daily routine, day in and day out.
Meanwhile, the world beyond their little courtyard...
On the surface, a semblance of order was being maintained, but underneath, dangerous currents were already surging, crises lurking on every side.
Under strict orders from the Guild, every major Order Faction had turned out in full force, carrying out unprecedented high-intensity, close-knit patrols through every corner of the city.
Especially in places like the Free Market, the Magic Stone Industrial zone, Adventurer Street, and Daedalus.
These areas were either home to crucial infrastructure that kept the city running, or already notorious hotbeds of chaos, and they had all become priority zones for heavy deployment and repeated sweeps.
The very air of the city felt frozen. Citizens went out less, and even when they had unavoidable errands, they moved with tense faces and hurried steps.
The patrolling adventurers were just as on edge, their sharp eyes constantly scanning the crowds and shadows, dreading that Evilus's agents might pull off another thunder strike and catch everyone off guard.
Because of this tense atmosphere, even the deep-level expedition Loki Familia had been preparing for a long time was forced to be postponed under pressure from the Guild.
There was even a vivid piece of gossip making the rounds:
A certain blonde doll, upon hearing the news, nearly charged straight into Guild headquarters to grab "fat pig" Royman by the collar and have a serious "discussion" with him!
If the elven royal line hadn't intervened in time, the position of Guild Master might well have changed hands.
Storms raged outside, but all was peaceful at home.
During these days, Leon strictly followed the rhythm he'd set for himself, ravenously building up his strength.
Early mornings he drilled in high-intensity live combat with Jeanne and Rose. Mornings he buried himself in books and scrolls, absorbing the knowledge he needed. Afternoons he focused on practicing and mastering new magic, the air often filled with the scent of frost and the hum of mana.
This steady, full routine continued until...
A dazzling light suddenly blazed up in the little courtyard!
That familiar magic circle pattern was sketching itself out in the air, lighting up.
The unmistakable sign of a summoning array activating!
This sudden burst of light shattered Leon's brief and peaceful daily routine in an instant.
"It's here? Took a full seven days this time!"
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