Chapter 9 - What are you doing to Lady Astrea!?
To create Magic Items, one's Development Ability must be Mystery, and there are no more than five adventurers of the Mystery caliber in the entire Orario.
The most famous is Asfi Al Andromeda, the Captain of the Hermes Familia, known by her alias Perseus, who is also a rare creator of Magic Items.
Incidentally, Bell's Development Ability was Luck, which is extremely rare. He repeatedly encounters seemingly coincidental opportunities in dire situations.
The Wind Chaser Boots in Lain's hands were also Magic Items. He couldn't wait to take off his normal shoes and put his size into the wide Wind Chaser Boots. He could clearly see that they wouldn't fit.
But the next moment, the boots suddenly contracted, clinging tightly to Lain's feet and providing perfect comfort.
Lain's eyes lit up. This was truly a Magic Item. He stood up and stomped on the ground, gaining a speed boost. He felt like he was about to fly.
Then came the Mystic Ice Blade and the Iron sword.
The former is a Magic Sword that can unleash magic without chanting, making it extremely convenient. Even a child can unleash magic while holding it, which makes such items highly sought after by countless adventurers.
The latter is a genuine beginner sword, of similar quality to the swords Lain saw at the general store, worth around 500,000 Valis. Of course, the merchant's claim of a million Valis was an exaggeration.
Lain played with his equipment with great interest while adapting to his enhanced body.
Even now, the excitement of gaining extraordinary power had not faded from Lain's heart.
An hour passed quickly, and Astrea returned to the mansion, placing a parchment scroll in front of Lain. "This is a bank draft for eighty million Valis."
Lain saw the Guild stamp on it.
Orario is managed by the Adventurer's Guild, founded by Ouranos.
The Guild is fully responsible for matters related to the Dungeon, gods, familias, urban public order, and economic development; it is effectively the governing body of Orario.
Different Familias have different ranks and even have to pay taxes to the Guild, with higher tier Familias paying more.
With this parchment scroll, he could withdraw 80 million Valis from the Guild. As expected of a high tier Familia, the Astrea Familia did have some wealth.
Lain accepted the draft without hesitation.
In this world, the average person needed about 40 to 50 Valis for a simple meal. Since Orario is the center of the world, prices might be higher, but it would be cheaper elsewhere.
What does 80 million Valis mean? As long as you don't do anything reckless, an ordinary person couldn't spend it all in a lifetime.
But Lain wasn't that foolish. Without proof of identity or Astrea's authorization, the check was just a piece of paper. Some people always think that if they find a check for millions on the street, they can just cash it at the bank.
But more likely, they'd receive a pair of silver bracelets, or at the very least, a certificate of merit for returning lost property.
The person signing this check is the most important factor!
The details of their cooperation had been finalized.
Lain and Astrea stared at each other in the quiet mansion. It was their first meeting, and they didn't have much in common to talk about, aside from a brief discussion about Ryuu.
Grrr...
Just then, an untimely sound rang out.
Lain's gaze shifted downward, landing on the flat stomach of Astrea. Her flawless cheeks flushed with two rosy blushes, and she revealed a wry, embarrassed smile.
"Lady Goddess, I know a little about cooking."
Lain would certainly not be so presumptuous as to embarrass a woman, especially such a beautiful goddess, who would be a pleasure to behold even if she were just sitting there.
These gods were omnipotent once they unleashed their Arcanum, yet they chose to seal their powers and confine themselves to the Lower World, experiencing the joys and sorrows of ordinary people. This made Lain feel a sense of closeness to them.
As time passed, the elven girl lying on the bed slowly awoke, her mind and injuries fully recovered.
Ryuu stepped out of her room and quickly located the kitchen, where she could smell food and hear two people.
"I'm so sorry. I need your help."
"It's okay. Two people working together is even better."
"I'm coming."
"Ahh~"
"Bear with it, this's a bit larger."
...
The conversation coming from the kitchen made the innocent girl's eyes widen instantly.
Remembering what Lain had said when he arrived, Ryuu's face turned bright red. No way, that's impossible! He just met Astrea!
A blush spread to girl's pointed ears. Her two ears drooped and then stood up.
"What are you doing?!" Ryuu rushed over and pushed open the kitchen door.
The scene before her eyes left her stunned.
The boy and the Goddess were squatting on the ground. Astrea held a Magic Stone lamp in one hand for illumination, while Lain held the Goddess's delicate, silk-like hand and pulled out a wooden splinter.
"Ryuu?"