Three days later, Lucas and Jeanne stopped by Tsubaki's forge to pick up their custom equipment.
Inside, Lucas was practically glowing as he ran his hands over his newly restored armor. "Damn, this is perfect. I can't even tell where the cracks were before—it's like brand new!"
Tsubaki crossed her arms and leaned against the workbench, smirking. "Flattery won't get you a discount, kid."
"...Worth a shot," Lucas muttered under his breath.
Across the room, Jeanne was already in full gear, tightening straps and adjusting the fit. She flexed her arms and rolled her shoulders, testing the joints with practiced precision.
"How does it feel, Miss d'Arc?" Tsubaki asked, her tone more curious than casual.
Jeanne clenched her fists, feeling the seamless, weightless protection of the gauntlets. "Incredible. I can move freely without even noticing the weight. Miss Collbrande, your craftsmanship is truly extraordinary."
Tsubaki's grin widened. "Heh, well, forging's all about the magic of the craft. Still got a long way to go before I can match Lady Hephaestus, though."
"Hephaestus…" Jeanne murmured. From what Lucas had told her, the goddess's forge skills were legendary—even sealed from her divine power, her smithing alone could rival the gods of the heavens.
After testing her primary and secondary weapons and finding them flawless, Jeanne nodded with satisfaction.
Lucas paid the remaining balance without hesitation and even grabbed a few extra items—maintenance oil and whetstones—before bidding Tsubaki farewell and heading home.
--
Over the next few days, while waiting for his staff to be finished, Lucas found himself thrown right back into Jeanne's merciless training regimen.
"Why are you so tense? Relax. You can't move fluidly if your whole body's locked up!"
"Stop raising your shoulders! Lower your stance—your footing's everything!"
"Watch your distance! In close combat, spacing is life or death. You're learning staff technique, not dagger work!"
The Holy Maiden's relentless instruction made Lucas feel like he was back in high school—except his teacher could actually beat him up.
"Jeanne-sensei~," he whined dramatically, "if you'd wear glasses, you'd be the perfect scary teacher."
"You—stop fooling around and focus!" Jeanne barked, her cheeks faintly pink.
---
A week flew by in the blink of an eye.
For Lucas, it had been a mix of agony and progress. His daily routine boiled down to two states: getting his ass kicked by Jeanne, and recovering from getting his ass kicked by Jeanne.
He was so wiped out that Jeanne had taken over cooking and housework entirely. Lucas could barely manage to carry supplies without wobbling.
If not for his Skills keeping his body in one piece—and Jeanne's mercy in holding back—he'd probably have ended up back at Airmid's clinic.
Sitting at the stone table one evening, he finally opened his Status Panel, grinning in satisfaction.
"Bruised, exhausted, but damn, it was worth it."
---
[Name]: Lucas
Strength: G223 → G273 (+50)
Endurance: G266 → F355 (+89)
Dexterity: G278 → F348 (+70)
Agility: G258 → F329 (+71)
Magic: E411 → E491 (+80)
---
Thanks to his relentless effort—and the amplification from Heart of a Scholar—his stats had improved dramatically across the board.
+50 Strength. +89 Endurance. +70 Dexterity. +71 Agility. +80 Magic.
A total gain of 360.
He hadn't earned an achievement big enough to level up, but that didn't matter. The numbers alone felt like validation.
Gone were the days when he'd grind endlessly and see nothing move on his panel because he couldn't afford to unlock his potential.
Now? Every bit of progress felt euphoric.
Lucas clenched his fist, admiring the new definition in his arms. "Man, this feeling… getting stronger never gets old."
Across from him, Jeanne sat gracefully, tea cup in hand, legs crossed, every bit the picture of composure. She sipped quietly, watching his self-congratulatory grin with mild exasperation.
"Wow," she muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes. "What a narcissist."
Lucas froze mid-pose, his ego deflating like a popped balloon.
---
Not that she was one to talk.
Jeanne's own growth that week had been monstrous. Every time he updated her Falna, the numbers skyrocketed so fast he started to question reality.
"Only when you face true talent," he muttered bitterly, "do you understand despair."
As a new adventurer blessed by the gods, Jeanne was in her fastest growth phase. With her combat expertise and refined technique, she was like a veteran starting a new account—her progress was practically scripted.
And when you added the growth multiplier from Crest of Affection, triggered by their growing closeness…
The results were absurd. Even knowing what to expect, Lucas still gawked at her panel when he updated it that night.
---
[Name]: Jeanne d'Arc
Strength: I0 → G299
Endurance: I0 → G284
Dexterity: I0 → F343
Agility: I0 → F355
Magic: I0 → F399
---
Six days.
In six days, she'd gained a total of 1,680 stat points.
For comparison: to max out a Level's stats from 0 to 999 across all five attributes, you'd need 4,995 points. Jeanne had covered a third of that in under a week.
Completely unheard of.
After seeing the numbers, Lucas sat her down and spoke in his most serious voice.
"Listen to me, Jeanne. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone about your growth rate. Not the Guild, not other adventurers. No one."
"Even when you level up, you keep it quiet. Got it?"
Jeanne frowned. "Isn't that… dishonest?"
Lucas gave a dry laugh, eyes sharp with amusement. "Your moral compass is way too straight for Orario. If you want to survive here, you need to learn to bend it."
He leaned back and continued, his tone almost casual.
"You think we're the only ones hiding stuff like that? Please. Half the city's doing it. The big-name Familias—the ones who care about honor, reputation, or divine politics—they follow the rules because they have to. But everyone else? They've got their secrets."
"Some hide levels. Some fake weaknesses. It's an open secret."
He smirked. "Take the Hermes Familia, for example. Masters of deception."
"Hermes Familia?" Jeanne blinked, intrigued.
"Yeah. Their specialty's information. Not just in Orario—they've got eyes and ears across the entire continent. That's why they have the same unrestricted travel privileges as the Ganesha Familia or Demeter Familia."
He leaned forward, grinning. "Officially, they're registered as a commercial Familia, not an exploration one. But don't let that fool you. Most Familias fudge one or two members' Levels at most. The Hermes crew? Every single one of them—top to bottom—lies about their real rank. By one or two Levels."
Jeanne's jaw dropped. "Wait… they all lie? Aren't Level-ups supposed to be public?"
Lucas chuckled, leaning closer. "Welcome to Orario, sweetheart. The water here's a lot deeper than it looks."
Jeanne took a few deep breaths, trying to process it all. "So that's why you're always so cautious…"
"Exactly," Lucas said. "Information is power. If no one knows your hand, no one can counter it. That's what keeps you alive."
He smirked. "Anyone stupid enough to mess with Hermes Familia without knowing what they're walking into? They deserve the beating they get."
After a moment, Jeanne puffed her cheeks and gave him an indignant glare. "Fine, then answer this—if I'm the mysterious one, what about you?"
She leaned forward, eyes narrowing. "A mortal using divine power. Summoning me from another world. You're the one surrounded by secrets, aren't you?"
Lucas's lips curved into a teasing smile. He leaned in until their faces were inches apart. Jeanne froze, her breath catching.
Then he lifted a finger and pressed it gently against her lips.
"Shh…"
"Secrets," he whispered, voice low and mischievous, "are what make a man interesting."
The warmth of his fingertip burned against her skin. Jeanne went rigid, face going crimson in an instant.
"You… you're impossible!"
Her voice was half a squeak, half a scold—but the blush spreading across her cheeks betrayed her completely.