From Freya's point of view, even if Renjiro didn't pick Swordsman or Mage as his Development Ability, she expected him to at least choose Hunter for practicality.
At worst, he could've taken Smithing to broaden his future career paths.
But Cooking? What the hell was that?
And what's more, he used both of his rare and precious chances to choose a Development Ability… on support-oriented ones?
As his goddess and Familia head, Freya felt obligated to temporarily take on the role of adventurer advisor.
Yet…
"Trust me. A villa by the sea." (means "Just trust me, you'll live a good life," often said when making a dubious decision.)
Renjiro thumped his chest confidently, saying this with a sly grin. Seeing his unwavering faith in his choice, Freya suddenly felt unsure.
After a long silence,
"…Fine. I'll trust you with this once."
The usually aloof and seductive goddess let out a helpless sigh.
"This is your life, after all. I'll respect your decision."
"Well then… I'll allow myself to look forward to what kind of future your current choices will shape."
And so, the matter was settled.
Aether: Lv.1 → Lv.2, Development Ability chosen: Smithing (i)
Lumine: Lv.1 → Lv.2, Development Ability chosen: Cooking (i)
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Development Abilities can be leveled up further, but the pace is agonizingly slow.
For example, Riveria, currently hailed as Orario's strongest mage, had chosen Magic as her first Development Ability upon reaching Lv.2.
Yet, even after decades, having reached Lv.6 for seven years already, her Magic rank only improved from i to e.
The ranking goes as follows:
i → h → g → f → e → d → c → b → a → s
(From lowest to highest, 10 tiers in total.)
Beyond s, there exist ss and even sss.
But ordinary adventurers never need to concern themselves with such ranks. Those are the domain of broken cheats, the freaks of the world.
Even prodigies like Riveria, born of elven royalty, and Ottar, Orario's strongest adventurer, only ever reached s rank in a few attributes.
Neither of them are all attributes at s rank.
They represent the normal limit of elite adventurers.
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Basic Abilities
Like Development Abilities, an adventurer's Basic Abilities, Strength, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic, follow the same ranking system.
The difference is, Basic Abilities use numeric values within each rank:
i: 0–99
h: 100–199
g: 200–299 …and so on
a: 800–899
s: 900–999
For example, Renjiro's current Strength is 123 points, placing him in the h range.
On his parchment, it's recorded as: Strength (h-123).
Very clearly, he qualifies as a normal adventurer.
But Aether and Lumine?
Their attributes are sss-level (1099+) across the board.
That's what you call broken cheats.
"Renjiro," Freya spoke seriously, "you should know: normally, once an adventurer raises any Basic Ability to d rank (500+), they can attempt to earn their first Great Feat."
In fact, having a stat reach d rank is a prerequisite for advancing through a god's blessing.
But in practice…
"Most choose to push a stat to c rank (600+) before seeking a Great Feat. The elites won't even consider it unless they hit a or s rank."
This process is called Accumulation.
"In your case," Freya continued, "your Magic has already reached d rank (590 points), and is nearly at c. One more reckless stunt like last week, and you'll qualify for Lv.2."
"Half a month to Lv.2… that would break even the Sword Princess's record."
Her eyes sharpened.
"But… honestly, for anyone else, I'd insist on more accumulation. Otherwise, it wastes their potential."
"But you are different. With that special magic of yours… you don't have to follow the normal path."
"So, will you choose to level up quickly, unlocking the limits of your avatars (Aether, Lumine, and the Genshin body)? Or will you take the slower path, grinding your main body to the extreme?"
Freya's tone carried clear preference for the latter. After all, no matter how strong his avatars were, the Magic stat was still tied directly to Renjiro himself.
But she wouldn't force his decision, just like with his Development Abilities earlier.
================
"We'll see," Renjiro replied calmly.
"For now, neither Aether and Lumine nor my Genshin form have hit their limits. There's no need to rush."
"As for later…" He shrugged.
"If conditions allow, of course I'll polish my main body to the max. Anyone with half a brain would. But if special circumstances arise… I won't be stubborn."
"Basically, it depends."
Freya nodded, satisfied. Aiming for the best without being rigid, that was a survivalist's mindset.
In the past, Freya would have pushed him relentlessly, molding him into her vision of perfection, like those parents who force their children to live the life they never could.
But today, after a certain little incident, her mindset had shifted.
If all you want is to live happily… what's wrong with that?
Of course,
To wear the crown, you must bear its weight. Sooner or later, the trials of the future will come. You'll still need some pressure… and some drive.
Because if the Lower World itself were destroyed, there'd be no "happy life" left to live.
With that thought, Freya narrowed her eyes.
"…Since you've chosen this path, I'll give you a little push."
She began making preparations to subtly shape Renjiro's environment, laying down a road for him.
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The Next Day
Breaking News:Fastest Level-Up Record in Orario Shattered! Freya Familia's Newcomers 'Aether' and 'Lumine' Reach Lv.2 in Just One Week!
Within half a day of the Guild's announcement…
The whole city of Orario erupted.
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