"Defeat opponents stronger than yourself…"
Ais stared at Ryoji, her gaze flickering.
'So… that's how he's been moving forward?'
Enduring hardships that would break most people, overcoming overwhelmingly stronger enemies through that suffering?
But she was already Lv.5, and not just Lv.5, she had reached the limit of Lv.5. Finding someone significantly stronger than herself, and then defeating them, was almost like reaching for the stars.
"I understand."
Even so, Ais engraved those words into her heart.
Ryoji looked at her quietly, and waves stirred within his heart.
Ais was like him; they were both chasing after strength.
Only, there was a fundamental difference between them.
Ryoji simply enjoyed the feeling of getting stronger. Every bit of growth was satisfying to him. But Ais… she was different. It was like she was being driven forward by a whip.
She had to become stronger.
That was probably her true mindset.
It wasn't "admiration" anymore; it was obsession. A powerful force inside her demanded that she grow stronger. And while that wasn't necessarily a bad thing… sometimes, too much pressure could turn into a heavy burden.
If Ais ever hit a wall and couldn't improve for a long time, she would likely start spiraling into negative emotions, and that could lead to something much worse.
A heart that's too rigid is more likely to break.
For a warrior, if something breaks inside, they might never recover.
"I'd better keep an eye on her."
That thought surfaced in Ryoji's mind.
But at the same time, how much did that have to do with him, really?
Until he was sure he could travel freely between worlds, there was always going to be a thick, unbreakable wall between him and the people of this world.
"Everyone, listen up!"
That morning, Loki banged her spoon against her bowl, drawing everyone's attention.
"Ryoji leveled up to Lv.3 last night! Big congrats!"
Loki hadn't suddenly become obedient just because of one or two uses of Charm. At the very least, she was still an Evil God who had dealt with Freya many times and developed some resistance. Plus, Ryoji hadn't used his Charm at full strength on her.
Even so, she hadn't looked at him even once today.
Even when their eyes met by accident, she hurriedly averted her gaze.
"Lv.3?!"
"No way!"
"Amazing!"
"It hasn't even been forty days, right?"
The entire cafeteria erupted. The wave of shocked reactions hit Ryoji's ears like a tsunami.
To be precise, it had been 39 days.
"You're amazing, Ryoji! At this rate, you'll probably hit Lv.5 in no time!"
Tiona grabbed his arm and shook it excitedly, her eyes sparkling.
Even Riveria and the others looked at him with admiration and surprise.
Ais stayed silent for a moment, then gave a brief "congrats", but her heart grew even more uneasy and pressured.
"He's already Lv.3…" Lefiya stared blankly for a moment, then lowered her head, deep in thought.
The dining hall was filled with laughter, joy, and celebration.
Many were also inspired (or provoked) by Ryoji's leveling speed, secretly reigniting their resolve to work harder.
After breakfast, Finn began assigning Quests.
The massive haul from their expedition, Magic Stones, drop items, and more, had to be exchanged for valis. There was also the Cadmus Springwater commissioned by Dian Cecht Familia, which had to be delivered as a high-value Quest.
Even more pressing was the fact that they had encountered caterpillar-type monsters with weapon-destroying traits. Except for Ais's Durandal Sword and Riveria's Magic Staff, nearly all of Loki Familia's first-tier gear had been destroyed.
They had to forge new weapons, an immense expense, easily costing billions of valis.
Thankfully, the Familia had extorted quite a bit from Ishtar Familia not long ago, which was enough to ease their current financial pressure.
As expected of the first day back from a major expedition, everyone was incredibly busy.
"Where's that bastard?!"
Just after finishing breakfast, Bete stormed through the base shouting, his whole body radiating bloodlust. The expedition was over, and now it was time to settle the score with Ryoji for that humiliating accusation of impotence!
But no matter how thoroughly he searched the entire Familia, Ryoji was nowhere to be found. He asked everyone he could, but all he got were shrugs and "I don't know."
Of course Bete couldn't find him.
Because right after breakfast, Ryoji had already left the Familia, not even waiting around for Finn to issue his Quest.
So where did he go?
Tower of Babel.
After surviving the expedition, how could he not treat himself a little?
"Heh heh…"
At the very top floor of the Tower of Babel,
A certain Goddess, who had been eagerly awaiting Loki Familia's return from the expedition, felt the familiar glow of a soul approaching. She let out a joyful chuckle.
Then, she descended to the first-floor lobby of the Tower, arriving just in time to meet Ryoji.
"Looks like you've made up your mind, haven't you?"
Wrapped in a cloak, Freya kept her face hidden. But even the faint glimpse of her pale, flawless skin beneath the cloak drew countless gazes, leaving onlookers dazed and silent.
Her voice carried the smug delight of someone about to get her way.
In her mind, Ryoji had finally decided to accept her offer, to go work at the Hostess of Fertility in drag.
"Hum hum."
But the only response from under Ryoji's cloak was a quiet, dismissive hum.
Freya's heart immediately grew agitated.
"Freya, you're asking me to take that job... You were really just trying to train my character, weren't you? Help me refine my manners and behavior?" Ryoji also had not revealed his face.
But like Freya, even the slightest, unintentional exposure of his features made passersby stop in their tracks and gawk in a daze, regardless of gender.
These two people… were like black holes, drawing in all light and attention around them, with no room for resistance.
"What… is going on?" Freya was deeply shocked inside.
What Ryoji said was spot on: the purpose of having him work wasn't just for fun. It was to polish his etiquette, refine his presence, to match and harness his ridiculously high Charm, and bring out its full power.
Thanks to her ability to see souls, Freya had long seen through Ryoji, and was keenly aware of where his weaknesses lay.
"Freya…"
Ryoji slowly stepped beside the goddess, and, once again, wrapped an arm around her soft, slender waist.
So soft!
"How about we have another… sparring session?"
His tone was seductive.
"I-- " Freya instinctively wanted to refuse.
Was this guy serious?
He'd already rejected joining her Familia, and now he still wanted physical intimacy?
What did he take the Goddess of Beauty for?
A prostitute?
Worse, one that he could just touch for free?
What happened to her dignity?
Freya had told herself that until he agreed to join her Familia, she wouldn't let him touch her again.
That was the plan.
But as she gazed into the eyes of the beautiful boy in front of her, eyes that seemed to shimmer with starlight, she found she couldn't say no.
"Alright."
Freya hesitated only for a moment… and then tossed her principles aside.
'Principles? Next time for sure!'
Ryoji chuckled.
Charm really is busted.
Someone like Freya, who had mastered the art of charm, should have decent resistance to this kind of power. If not, she'd already be drooling like Loki.
But even so, after being hit with that passive aura again, she still chose to throw away her rationality and indulge in the moment.
It was like a drug addict swearing they'd quit… only to relapse the next moment.
With Ryoji holding her by the waist, the two left the Tower of Babel looking like a loving couple, and entered a nearby inn.
(End of Chapter)
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