Roland sat between Lyu and the dark-skinned beastman, Neze. Before him was a lavish dinner, including a special dish of sausage and egg custard made just for him.
"So Roland likes this kind of food? It looks delicious," Neze said, eyeing the custard while she gnawed on a bone-in steak.
"Your steak looks good too, Neze."
"Roland, can we swap a bit? I want to try," Neze asked, drooling.
"Sure."
Neze cut a piece of the custard, and in return, placed a huge chunk of her favorite steak on Roland's plate.
"Hey! Neze is being sneaky! I want to swap too! Me too!" Alise was the first to crowd in.
"Hehe, I want to try the Goddess's new recipe. Give me a piece too," Lyra grinned.
"Unfair! Me too!" The other girls joined in.
Astraea watched the scene with a chuckle. Roland, seeing his custard disappearing rapidly, shouted, "Leave some for me! I haven't even tasted Lady Astraea's cooking yet!"
In the end, only a tiny morsel was left. Lyu looked at the small piece, hesitating whether to ask. Roland sliced the remainder into three: one for Lyu, one for the Goddess, and one for himself.
"There. Happy now?" Roland grumbled playfully.
"Hahaha!" The room erupted in laughter.
"So, Roland, how was your first solo trip to the Dungeon? Encounter anything?" Lyra asked between bites.
"Nothing much happened in the Dungeon. The current floors aren't a challenge for me anymore."
The group broke into applause and cheers. Roland suddenly felt like a kid being forced to perform for relatives during a holiday.
"Alright, alright. Stop teasing him, or he won't tell the rest," the Goddess gently interceded.
"Sorry, we're just shocked that you've already conquered the sixth floor so quickly," Alise explained.
Calming down, Roland told them about how he helped the Pallum girl.
"Hahaha! Well done, Roland!" Lyra ran over and ruffled his hair. "I'm glad you didn't ignore her just because she's a Pallum. If I weren't in love with Finn, I might have fallen for you, hehe."
"It was nothing. I'm part of the Goddess of Justice's Familia; helping others is what we do."
"By the way... I punished those two. Is that okay, Lady Astraea?" Roland added.
"Hmm~ I'd like to hear what kind of punishment you chose," the Goddess said, setting down her fork.
"I took their Valis, burned their clothes, and left them on the street," Roland answered. "But I didn't want to just rob them—that would make me no better than them. So I gave a portion of their money to the girl as compensation and stuffed the rest of their cash into their underwear."
Astraea had been ready to give him a small lecture when she heard he took the money, but upon hearing the end, she broke into a doting, proud smile.
"Hahaha! What kind of punishment is that?! That's so cruel! They're probably going to be traumatized for life," Alise roared with laughter.
"Right? I thought it was pretty creative. From now on, that's how I'll deal with people like that," Roland said happily.
"You two! Stop finding common ground over this! And Roland, don't go developing such weird interests!" Kaguya slammed the table, exasperated.
"Kaguya, there's no need to get so worked up. They're just talking," Lyu tried to soothe her.
"Ha! You 'Useless-rin'! Do you want people to point at us and say, 'Look, there goes the Astraea Familia, the ones who strip people naked and leave them in the street'? Is that the image you want?!" Kaguya shouted.
"Ahaha, surely it won't come to that," Lyu laughed bitterly.
"What's wrong with that? Maybe criminals will surrender immediately when they see us. It'll save us trouble," Lyra chimed in.
"Exactly!" Roland and Alise agreed.
"Personally... I think a 'Justice' image fits us better than a 'Stripping' image," the gentle voice of Maryu joined the debate.
Soon, everyone was arguing playfully. Astraea watched them with a smile. "Your lively exchanges never get old."
"Which side do you take, Lady Astraea?!" Kaguya asked urgently.
"Oh my... I don't really mind either way. As long as you all are happy, I can accept it."
"See, Sister Kaguya? Even Lady Astraea agrees. Stop resisting," Roland added fuel to the fire.
"You brat! Have you no respect for me?! Repent!!" Kaguya's demeanor shifted. She rolled up her sleeves, looking ready to punch him. Roland scrambled behind Alise, who protected him like a mother hen.
The kitchen was filled with warm, happy laughter.
RolandLV1 Strength: I70 → H171 Endurance: I56 → H156 Dexterity: I88 → G232 Agility: I78 → G201 Magic: H169 → F378
After the update, Roland's total stats had increased by nearly 700 points in a single day. Even during a week-long expedition, no one grew this fast. This wasn't just growth; it was a vertical ascent. If he kept this up, he would be ready for Level 2 in less than two weeks. Theoretically, once any stat reached Rank D, an adventurer could prepare for a level-up—though that was only the bare minimum.
At Roland's current rate of growth, it would likely take less than a week for his Magic stat to reach the minimum requirement for a level-up—the Rank D threshold (500–599).
"I had a feeling it would be terrifying, but I didn't expect a monstrous leap like this. I finally understand why Lady Astraea wanted to keep your skills a secret," Lyra remarked. Though she usually carried herself with absolute confidence, she had to admit that her own knowledge felt superficial in the face of Roland's potential.
"If I kidnapped you and gifted you to the Goddess Loki, I bet Finn would gladly agree to marry me."
Lyra was infatuated with Finn Deimne, the Pallum captain of the Loki Familia. Since they were cut from the same cloth, even a veteran like Finn found her difficult to handle. Lyra felt that if she handed over a treasure like Roland to Loki, there was a seventy percent chance the Goddess would agree to "marry off" Finn as a trade.
"Hey, Lyra! Don't you dare start something crazy," Alise—the Scarlet Flower herself—interjected, cutting off Lyra's delusions.
"Once Roland grows up and becomes our ace, under my leadership, we'll handle everything from difficult expeditions to fighting the Dark Factions with style. I can already see that beautiful future! As expected of me—my soul of justice is roaring! Whoo!"
"Oh my... hey, Miss Elf, did you see that? Your growth looks like nothing next to Roland's. It's the difference between a tiny star and the full moon."
"There you go again, Kaguya! That tone of yours is so irritating. I'm working hard too, you know!" Lyu snapped back.
The girls continued their endless bickering—a dynamic that had clearly become their unique way of bonding. Astraea watched the commotion with her usual serenity. Instead of stopping them, she turned to Roland.
"Little Roland, are you settling in well with the Familia?"
"It's great. Everyone is very kind to me. Why do you ask, Lady Astraea?"
"Well, our Familia is mostly female. I was worried you might not have much in common with them, especially since you're such a shy boy. I'd hate for you to feel lonely if you can't join their conversations," the Goddess said, looking at him with genuine concern.
"Ahahaha, I'm fine, Lady Astraea. I used to spend a lot of time alone; I don't get lonely easily," Roland replied earnestly. "Besides, if I ever get bored, I have plenty of magic experiments to keep me busy."
"I see. You're just as much of a handful as Lyu," she sighed affectionately. "Tell you what—go take a bath, then come to my room later. Can you do that?" She rested her chin on her hands, striking a playful, cute pose.
"Sure, no problem. Do you need me for something specific?" Roland asked, puzzled.
"Just go," Astraea replied vaguely.
While in the men's bath, Roland wondered what the Goddess wanted. Was it because of that "punishment" he gave the thugs earlier? Shaking it off, he decided to check his progress for the day.
[Personal Info]
Name: Roland
Level: LV12 (System Level)
Status: Healthy
Class: Mage (Male)
Identity: Transmigrator / Astraea Familia Member
"Open Inventory. Use Level 10 Gift Pack."
A Level 20 Gift Pack appeared, along with a Weapon Selection Box and ten sets of health/mana potions. He chose the [Sharan's Practice Staff].
'Four more levels until my Class Advancement. By then, I should have power rivaling a standard Level 3 adventurer.'
Roland stepped out of the shower, dried off, and used his wind magic—mixed with a hint of fire for warmth—to blow-dry his hair. He walked to the Goddess's room and knocked.
"Come in, Roland."
He entered to find Astraea wearing a pale blue nightgown. The silky fabric did little to hide her stunning figure, and her long brown hair flowed loosely over her shoulders as she sat on the bed with a book.
"Lady Astraea? What did you need?" Roland found it difficult to look her in the eye.
"Roland, come here." She patted the spot beside her on the bed.
Roland didn't have the courage to sit right next to her on the bed, so he pulled up a chair instead. Astraea looked at him with a hint of helplessness; despite being a boy, he had a stubborn sense of boundaries that made it difficult to get close to him.
She reached out, grabbed his hand, and with a gentle but firm tug, pulled him onto the bed. Roland ended up face-down on the mattress, surrounded by her scent. He lay there stiff as a board, still clutching her hand.
"Lady Astraea, why did you do that? I don't understand," he mumbled, his voice muffled by the bed.
"A boy like you... surely you know."
"Goddess, this is too intimate. I'm not used to this."
Astraea set her book aside and ran her fingers through his hair. "Get up and sit by me. If you refuse again, I'll be truly heartbroken." Her voice was soft and pleading.
Roland reluctantly sat up, leaving a cautious gap between them.
"Closer." She patted the bed again.
He shifted until their skin touched. His heart began to race, forcing him to secretly use a bit of ice magic just to keep his composure. But as soon as he cooled down, Astraea pulled him into her arms, resting his head against her soft chest. The heat rushed back instantly.
"Tonight, Roland, you're sleeping here with me."
'Too fast! This is way too fast!!'
"Goddess... do you do this often?"
"Of course not," she replied, giving his head a playful swat. "I've only ever done this with Alise and Lyu. And now you."
"Ahaha, I see." Roland laughed awkwardly. 'Don't overthink it. She's a goddess; she's ancient. She probably just likes talented kids,' he told himself as he finally began to relax.
"Roland-chan, are you thinking something rude about me in your head? That's not allowed."
"I'm not!" he replied instantly.
"Mhm. Fine. Let's sleep, my child." She pulled him down under the covers.
In the warmth of her embrace, drowsiness took over. "Your hug is really warm, Goddess... I like it," he murmured sleepily.
"Is that so? I like it too."
"I like Astraea too..." Roland whispered as he drifted off. Astraea stroked his hair gently. "Sleep well."