By the time Roland and Kaguya returned to the surface, the sky was painted in the hues of twilight. The orange glow gave the chaotic city of Orario a sense of vitality.
Night fell, and without skyscrapers or pollution, the sky was pristine. Orario's dim lights didn't overshadow the stars. There were no clouds—only the moon and a dense tapestry of stars. A river of silver hung overhead, vast and magnificent.
Roland stopped, gazing up at a sky he hadn't seen since his childhood in the countryside. He reached out as if to grasp the stars. After a moment, he turned to Kaguya.
"I will protect you all, and the Goddess. I swear it under these stars."
Kaguya looked at the black-haired boy and his sudden oath. She remained silent for a moment before patting his head. "Yes, I'm sure you will."
"Let's go home."
They walked toward the Starry Court in the North Street. Along the way, Roland suddenly spotted a famous duo: a girl with radiant blonde hair and a green-haired elf.
"Are those two the 'Sword Princess' Ais and the 'Nine Hell' Riveria from the Loki Familia?"
Kaguya looked closely. "It's them, alright. Why? Do you know them? Do you want to go over and say hello?"
"I don't know them. I've just heard stories about the Sword Princess reaching Level 2 in only a year."
"That's true. That little girl is indeed something special," Kaguya remarked. "By the way, you're an elf too, right? Well, a half-elf. I've heard Riveria is elven royalty. Shouldn't you go over and pay your respects?"
"Eh? Do I have to? I don't know them, and besides, why should I show her respect? She's never helped me or anything."
"You really are a strange half-elf! I heard from that useless elf of ours that any elf is supposed to bow to elven royalty as a sign of respect."
"Is that so? Ahahaha... speaking of which, Sister Kaguya, do you know the difference between an elf and a half-elf?" Roland tried to pivot the conversation awkwardly.
"Hmph. Isn't it just the ears?"
"Whoa! Sister Kaguya, you're amazing! To know even that... you really are our Familia's Vice-Captain!"
"Hehe. Are you making fun of me? I don't care about your reasons for not doing it, but do you really think I'm that easy to fool?" Kaguya said, her face a mask of smiling intimidation.
"How could I ever think that? It's just your imagination!" Roland replied, though internally he was sweating. 'At this point, how do I even explain that I'm not actually an elf?'
"We're back!"
As soon as Roland returned to the Starry Court, he headed straight to his room to shower and change into clean casual clothes.
When he moved to the other building, he saw the girls gathering near the shower room entrance. Some, dressed in casual wear and holding pajamas, turned slightly red and looked away shyly, while others greeted him openly.
"Yo, Roland! How was your first adventure harvest?" Iska, the Familia's lone Amazon, asked cheerfully.
"Hmph! As a genius, my first adventure was naturally a massive success! Get ready to be shocked!"
"Oh? Then we definitely have to see your status. Speaking of which, how was Kaguya? Did she bully you? Her prickly personality isn't exactly charming," Lyra, the prum, asked gently, ignoring Roland's sudden change in attitude.
"Emm... Sister Kaguya acted as my supporter today and taught me many important things. Oh, and we saw the Sword Princess and Nine Hell on the way back."
"Sister Kaguya?! Oho! As expected of the man Lady Astraea hand-picked. You've got something special to win over Kaguya that quickly." Lyra looked thoughtful. Kaguya might have a sharp tongue, but she cared deeply for the Familia.
Iska caught the last part and smirked. "What about the Sword Princess and Nine Hell? Got your eye on them? That's cold. You already have eleven beauties and a goddess here for your harem, and you're already looking elsewhere?"
Just as Roland was about to explain—
"Roland, good evening!" Alise appeared, smelling of sweat and radiating heat. Lyu followed with a troubled expression, greeting Roland as well.
"Good evening. Where did you two go?"
"A fight broke out on the main street, so Lyu and I went to stop it. I had just finished my shower too! Now I'm all sweaty again," Alise complained.
"How long are you lot going to keep chatting?"
Kaguya, dressed in a patterned yukata, interrupted with a sharp tone. She looked like she had just finished bathing; her skin was translucent and soft, and her black hair was damp and beautiful, as if bathed in moonlight. In her yukata, her curves were subtly highlighted, making her look like a true "Yamato Nadeshiko."
"You can chat whenever you want, but this is the entrance to the women's showers. You idiots haven't realized that the others are too scared to come out?"
It was only then that Roland realized where he was standing. Several heads were peeking out from the doorway. Since the Astraea Familia was all-female, they usually moved around freely, but with Roland there, they had to be more cautious. Despite being powerful upper-class adventurers, most of them were still innocent young girls.
"Sorry! Sorry! I was looking for the Goddess to update my status! Sorry for the trouble!" Roland apologized profusely and bolted.
Kaguya watched him go with a huff. "Listen, since he's part of our Familia now, don't be too polite. If you want him to get lost, tell him. If you're too polite, he'll get the wrong idea."
"Hahaha, you're right! I'm going to see the Goddess too; I want to know Roland's growth!"
"Me too." Alise and Lyu hurried after him.
"That doesn't sound like you, Kaguya," Lyra teased with a smirk. "You've only known him two days and you're already speaking up for him. Do you have a crush? It's okay if you don't admit it, your actions gave you away. Something must have happened between you two, right?"
Before Kaguya could explode, Lyra chased after the others. While she trusted the Goddess's judgment, she wondered just how much a rookie could grow. Then again, some people were born to defy common sense—the kind of heroes Orario had seen in the past.
Updating a status was usually the most anticipated moment for anyone blessed with the Falna. After surviving a difficult adventure or making a major decision, one might awaken a new magic or skill. Of course, for most, that was just a dream; increasing basic stats was the norm until they hit a bottleneck.
"Come in! Roland, you're here for an update, right? Come, let me see your growth."
The room was filled with a delicate fragrance. Astraea, the compassionate Goddess of Justice, gave Roland a gentle smile. An adventurer's strength lay in their stats, and every level-up brought an exponential increase in power.
Roland sat on the chair, back to the Goddess, and removed his shirt. The process was the same as the initial blessing: using divine blood to activate the "Excelia" (experience) within him. As the transformation occurred, the sacred text on his back began to shift.
RolandLV1 Strength: I0 → I70 Endurance: I0 → I56 Dexterity: I0 → I88 Agility: I0 → I78 Magic: I0 → H169
Astraea stared in shock. Last time, his stats were all zero. This time, he had gained a total of 461 points in a single day.
Roland felt a hand brush his back, the touch so gentle it felt as if she were inspecting a precious treasure. Before he could ask, Astraea hugged him from behind, resting her chin on his head. Her brown hair fell around him, and her scent filled his nose.
"What is it, Goddess?"
"Hehe. I'm just expressing my joy. I'm so happy you joined my Familia."
"Did my stats go up a lot?" Roland wanted to stay in the embrace a little longer; it felt so safe.
"Yes, very, very much. You're the most wonderful child I've ever met. From the moment we met, I knew you were perfect for us."
"You have a sense of justice that rivals anyone, and more importantly, a sense of fairness toward others. You have a heart that yearns for strength and incredible talent. You truly are a Hero of Justice."
'My sense of justice is only high because I grew up in a safe environment, my fairness is just because I'm used to weird people, and I only want to be strong to survive this world,' Roland grumbled internally.
"I get it! No more praising, Lady Astraea!"
"Oh? You're not blushing anymore? How disappointing," she teased. "But I truly mean it~" she whispered into his ear.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Roland gently slipped out of her embrace. "They're coming," he whispered.
A knock came at the door. "Lady Astraea, can we come in?"
"Come in."
Alise, Kaguya, Lyra, and Lyu entered. Astraea brushed her hair over her shoulder and smiled at them. "I assume you're all here for Roland?"
"Yes. We want to see his growth," Lyu was surprisingly the first to answer.
"Then take a look. Try not to be too shocked."
Astraea transcribed the status onto parchment and handed it to Roland. The girls immediately crowded around him, their curiosity piqued.
"This is terrifying... Is he even more of a monster than Finn?" Lyra clutched her head.
"Huh!? Am I dreaming?" Alise slumped into a chair, questioning reality.
"Incredible potential. No wonder he could take down a Shadow," Kaguya recalled.
"You really are amazing, Roland," Lyu said earnestly.
"Wait, Roland already beat a Shadow!?" Alise shouted.
"Yeah, we tried it out. He might even be able to handle Killer Ants," Kaguya added.
"Hahaha! I knew bringing him in was the right call!" Alise laughed.
Even Lyu, the most talented member, had only gained about 100 points on her first adventure. Roland had gained over 400—four times as much. In Orario, more than half of all adventurers were stuck at Level 1 because of the "human limit." Roland's growth, fueled by his [Awakening] skill, was defying the laws of the world.