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With Mika's increased strength, his ability to travel between worlds was no longer a closely guarded secret.
His power was now sufficient to handle most threats—Unless, of course, he encountered a world like [High School DxD] or [Saint Seiya]—filled with beings far stronger than himself.
While Orario had numerous Gods, their combat abilities weren't a major concern. However, they were still Gods, capable of causing significant—disruptions if they chose to.
Therefore, Mika and Yahweh had decided to keep his world-hopping ability relatively discreet, though not entirely secret.
After all, Yahweh needed this ability to recruit other Gods as her subordinates. Otherwise, her sudden influx of Divine followers, in a time when the Gods were unable to use their powers, would seem—suspicious.
And with the Gods now residing in the lower world, forming Familias and interacting with humans, they had agreed to let Astraea share the secret with her Familia's core members, though it had to remain confidential—Revealing it to too many people would inevitably lead to the other Gods finding out.
"Level 6? But I want to go now!" Alise's face fell upon hearing Mika's condition. While she was confident in her ability to reach Level 6 eventually, it would take time.
She looked at him pleadingly—and the other girls, seeing her expression—followed suit, except for Ryuu, who, despite Gojouno's prompting, couldn't quite manage a convincing plea. Her expression remained—stoic.
"No," Mika said firmly, crossing his arms. "And don't even think about using your—feminine wiles on me." He wasn't lying.
He had encountered countless beautiful women during his travels, especially during his time as Emperor, where even the palace maids were incredibly attractive. He had become—immune to such—distractions, at least on a purely aesthetic level.
His true reason, however, was more pragmatic.
This was just the Astraea Familia—a relatively small group. Once his power surpassed that of Orario's Gods, he intended to consolidate their power, using them as a foundation, a power base in this world.
The Gods of other worlds weren't always so welcoming to outsiders. And once he surpassed them, Orario's adventurers, his friends and comrades—would undoubtedly want to join him on his journeys.
However, he couldn't personally escort every single one of them; He didn't have the time. Therefore, setting a minimum level requirement was necessary.
This ensured that the number of eligible travelers, while significant—wouldn't be overwhelming. He didn't want to be constantly ferrying people between worlds.
He glanced at Mellie; it had been her idea, after all.
His own strategic thinking was often limited to the knowledge he had acquired from his memories of other worlds. He relied on Mellie for more—practical, long-term planning.
"Why?!" Alise sighed, disappointed, but she quickly recovered her usual cheerful demeanor. "Astraea said you would lead us on expeditions to help us grow stronger. Is that true?"
"Of course," Mika confirmed.
"Excellent!" She had been worried there might be—conditions attached to this offer. After all, such opportunities, usually reserved for the Loki and Freya Familias, were incredibly valuable.
The chance to explore the Deeper levels of the Dungeon under the protection of stronger adventurers, accelerating their growth—it was a dream come true.
The Astraea Familia were incredibly driven, their desire for strength fueled by their dedication to justice.
Their mission, after all—was to fight against evil. However, they weren't among Orario's strongest yet. They were still no match for the dark faction's elites.
Therefore, they craved opportunities for growth.
Ais, for instance, had progressed at an astonishing rate, leveling up once a year until reaching Level 5. However, this rapid advancement was partly due to the Loki Familia's resources and their frequent deep-level expeditions.
Once she reached Level 5, her progress had slowed, as the Loki Familia hadn't explored much beyond that level yet.
Alfia, too, had experienced similar rapid growth, thanks to the Hera Familia's extensive exploration of the dungeon. She had reached Level 7 without any significant obstacles, until her illness prevented further progress.
Therefore, an adventurer's growth, besides their inherent talent, was also influenced by their Familia's strength and resources.
Even Alfia, if she had joined the Loki Familia, might have progressed at a similar rate to Ais.
Conversely, Ais—without her illness—might have surpassed even Alfia if she had been a member of the Hera Familia, though her combat abilities might not have reached the same level—After all, Alfia's talent was extraordinary.
Mika wasn't surprised by their desire for strength; after all, who in Orario didn't want to become stronger? As long as their ambition didn't lead them astray, it would be a powerful motivator.
However, what did surprise him was their reaction to another matter.
"Astraea told you, didn't she? About her—arrangement with Yahweh. You'll now be under my command. Don't you have any—objections?"
He was genuinely surprised. If he suddenly had a new superior, he would certainly have—opinions. But Alise and the others didn't seem to mind at all.
———
"Oh, that?" Alise said, feigning a sudden realization. "It's no problem at all! We're used to being led by you, Mika. It's been that way ever since we met. And under your leadership, we've always been victorious."
Mika smiled, recalling their first encounter. He had met the Astraea Familia after reaching Level 2 and joining the fight against the dark faction.
At the time, they were only Level 3, but Mika's combat strength had always defied expectations. He had quickly gained recognition for his prowess, his standing within the alliance against the dark faction growing steadily.
And thanks to Yahweh and Astraea's friendship—their Familias had grown close, often working together. With Mika's strength, Mellie's strategies, and Airmid's healing, they had consistently achieved victory, Mika—as the Yahweh Familia's captain—naturally taking the lead.
And after he shared the information about Zald and Alfia, triggering the joint expedition and revealing his true strength in the dungeon—his leadership had been confirmed—From that point on, whenever they worked together, he was the one in command.
"So it's been that way since then—" he mused, looking at the four girls.
"Besides," Alise added, "We owe you a lot of valis, a debt that keeps growing. If we're all part of the same Familia, we wouldn't have to repay it, would we?"
Mika, pulled from his nostalgic reverie by her blunt words, pressed his hand to his face. "So you're—not planning to repay us?"
"Do we still have to?" Alise asked, feigning shock, though her words were clearly premeditated.
"No, you don't." Mika shook his head; if they preferred becoming family to repaying their debt, there was nothing he could do.
"But are you truly unconcerned about Astraea's—decision?"
"Of course not!" Alise replied with a smile.
"Astraea-sama has always guided us, even during our darkest days, when we were forced to eat grass to survive—She never abandoned us, always by our side, leading us forward. Despite being the Goddess of Justice, she never imposed her definition of justice upon us, always encouraging us to find our own. She's always been kind and understanding. Therefore, she must have a good reason for this decision—We trust her judgment."
Gojouno, Ryuu, and Lyra nodded in agreement.
They had discussed the matter at length after hearing Astraea's explanation the previous night and had reached a consensus.
"I see—" Mika smiled. As expected of Astraea. She had earned her children's unwavering loyalty and respect.
"Besides, we don't—dislike this arrangement," Gojouno added. As a master swordswoman, she valued skill and strength above all else.
However, true masters of swordsmanship were rare in Orario. Most were self-taught, their techniques lacking refinement—Even those stronger than her weren't her equal in skill.
But Mika—he was in a different league entirely. She had learned much from him, and she looked forward to his continued guidance.
"Since you can travel between worlds, your strength—it must be related to these other worlds, right? Being by your side…we believe we can become even stronger," she said earnestly. She was eager to learn about the martial arts of other worlds, inspired by Mika's own skills.
"I understand," Mika said, his voice filled with a quiet confidence. "I will train you. I will make you the Greatest Heroes Orario has ever seen. Therefore—don't disappoint me..."
"We won't!" Alise declared.
"Then let's start planning our expedition," Mellie said, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "We'll observe your performance in the dungeon, then provide—personalized training. Be prepared; our methods are—thorough."
"Don't underestimate us. We can handle anything you throw at us," Gojouno replied, her voice filled with a competitive spirit.
Mellie frowned, sensing something more than just determination in her words. She glanced at Mika, a subtle smile playing on her lips. 'This is going to be…interesting…'
———
A week later, news spread through Orario:
The Yahweh and Astraea Familias, laden with supplies, had entered the dungeon together.
The two Familias had formed an alliance.
Orario was currently ruled by three dominant powers:
Freya, Loki, and Yahweh, in descending order of strength.
This alliance could potentially disrupt that balance—though the three Familias themselves weren't particularly concerned. However, the other Gods, always eager for entertainment—were intrigued. The news spread rapidly, reaching even beyond Orario.
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