"Is that so?"
"To have her directly engage monsters to build confidence... that really is an unexpected approach."
Riveria looked at Shirou seated across from her, satisfaction clear in her eyes.
Lefiya's situation had been rough, but the method itself was sound. For adventurers, as long as they didn't die, it counted as a success.
"Indeed. Asking you to train Lefiya was the right decision, Shirou."
"That's only because you were willing to trust me, Riveria-senpai."
Shirou responded modestly.
In truth, he had something he wanted to ask of her later.
Even within the same Familia, Riveria would teach him if he asked. But the difference between a willing lesson and a reluctant one was obvious.
Clang.
The door opened and closed.
Lefiya, freshly washed, stepped back into the room.
"Lefiya!"
Her face was flushed. Steam seemed to cling faintly to her body.
And then-
Loki pounced.
"Kya!"
Caught completely off guard, Lefiya let out a startled cry.
But against Loki-whose strength was clearly boosted by her perverted enthusiasm-the timid elf had no chance. She was instantly tackled onto the sofa.
What followed was one-sided torment.
Watching the scene unfold, Riveria could only sigh quietly.
She was completely powerless against her goddess's peculiar hobby.
After all, she herself was often a victim.
Lefiya's cries rang out.
Riveria's patience finally ran out.
"Regarding your proposal, I fully support it," she said decisively. "I'll leave Lefiya's training to you. If you need anything, tell me. Consider it a favor I owe you."
With that, she stood up and headed for the door.
But just before leaving, she stopped.
Her gaze turned icy as it landed on the Amazon sisters, who looked visibly relieved.
"What are you two still sitting there for?"
"Don't tell me you think this ends here."
As expected.
Shirou had known from the start that Tiona and Tione wouldn't escape.
Bullying an elf right in front of a Royal Elf-one whom Riveria highly valued-wasn't something that could be laughed off.
Absolutely impossible.
The sisters' expressions collapsed instantly.
They had already guessed this might happen on the way back.
But people always cling to a sliver of hope.
In the end, they couldn't escape.
Looking completely drained, the two shuffled out of the room behind Riveria.
Her authority truly carried weight.
As expected of the Familia's "mom."
"Loki-sama, please-!"
Hearing Lefiya's muffled protests, Shirou glanced over once, then decided it was time to leave.
At this point, only Shirou, Ais, Lefiya, and Loki remained.
Despite Loki's teasing, Lefiya's cries never crossed any lines. It was thoroughly uninteresting.
"Lefiya," Shirou said calmly, "take tomorrow off. I need to forge equipment for you based on today's situation. I'm still a novice blacksmith, though, so you'll have to cover the material costs."
"I... I understand, Shi-Shirou-san."
Lefiya replied haltingly under Loki's continued harassment.
Shirou nodded.
Then he stood up.
Seeing this, Ais-who had been sitting quietly the entire time-rose immediately and followed him.
In the hallway of Twilight Manor, Shirou glanced at her and smiled.
"My room is just ahead. The girls' dorm isn't in this direction, is it?"
"I have something I want to talk to you about."
Her tone didn't change.
Shirou smiled as if he had expected this.
"Alright. Since we're already here, come in and sit down. We can talk properly."
He opened the door.
Ais walked in without the slightest hesitation.
Shirou closed the door behind them.
What he didn't know was that the moment Ais entered the male dormitory, countless eyes had already locked onto them.
When she followed him inside-
The entire Familia erupted.
"There aren't any spare chairs," Shirou said. "Just sit on the bed. The sheets were changed recently."
As Ais sat down, Shirou took out snacks and drinks.
The snacks were dried foods he had made himself. The juice was also something he had mixed on his own.
With full marks in domestic skills, Shirou had already researched Orario's ingredients not long after arriving.
Compared to his previous world, the ingredients here were far richer.
A world with gods deserved no less.
And Shirou had never been one to neglect his palate.
These snacks and drinks were the results of that research.
"Please try them," he said. "They're my masterpieces."
He placed the snacks on a plate and handed it to Ais.
She picked one up carefully and took a bite.
The flavor spread instantly.
"...Delicious."
"Very delicious."
"Extremely delicious."
Her eyes narrowed happily as she continued chewing, praising each bite without hesitation.
Then she lifted the cup and took a small sip.
Another rich, irresistible flavor bloomed in her mouth, stirring a strange sense of nostalgia.
"Amazing. Both the food and the drink are really good."
Shirou smiled.
For someone who cooked, sharing food and hearing praise was the greatest reward.
If not for the fear that his goddess might become addicted and start demanding meals-cutting into his Dungeon time-he would have shown his skills long ago.
Still, hearing Ais praise his cooking was enough.
His chef's heart was satisfied.
"I'm glad you like it."
He paused.
"But I'm more curious about why you came to see me."
Ais froze mid-chew.
A second later, she realized what she was doing, quickly swallowed, then grabbed the cup and took a drink to avoid choking.
After setting it down, she looked at him.
Her eyes were full of expectation.
"How can I become stronger?"
"Stronger, huh."
Shirou had expected the question.
While they trained Lefiya, Ais had been watching him with an unusual focus.
Now, facing her directly, he became serious as well.
"The essence of a Divine Blessing is that it acts as a catalyst," he said. "It stimulates a person's potential. Whether your stats increase isn't fundamentally tied to killing monsters."
"I've been thinking a lot about Divine Blessings recently."
"For example, Ais-you went from LV.1 to LV.2 in just one year."
"But you've been stuck at LV.5 for three years now, without breaking into LV.6."
"Why do you think that is?"
"...Why?"
Ais stared at him, puzzled, waiting for the answer.
"I think it's because the external pressure has changed."
"In the past, you were weak. You had no magic, no skills, no mastery of combat. Even a LV.1 monster could threaten your life if you made a mistake."
"But now, you're strong."
"Except for Floor Bosses, even the deepest monsters our Familia has reached pose no real danger to you."
"That means you're no longer under pressure."
"Why is fighting monsters more effective than training alone?"
"Because between life and death, there is great terror."
"When faced with a true life-or-death crisis, a person's potential is pushed to its limit. That's why abilities grow faster."
He looked at her directly.
"So it's not that you can't grow because you're weak."
"It's because you're already too strong."
--------More Bonus Chapters!!!!
Every 300 power stones = 1 Bonus Chapter