When Kaguya arrived at Astraea's room, her expression had returned to calm—cold and composed as ever, her steps steady, as if the earlier chaos and tension from the expedition had never touched her.
At that moment, she noticed something different.
Rather than Ryuu being the one seated in front of Astraea as usual, it was Alise who knelt before Astraea, her red hair slightly messy, and her body still exuding traces of battle-hardened fatigue.
Kaguya blinked once, then silently stepped to the side and asked casually, "Have you updated your status already?"
"Ah, not yet. Don't worry." Ryuu replied succinctly from where she stood behind.
"Really?" Kaguya nodded slightly, her tone soft but skeptical.
Just then, Astraea, already preparing the sacred ritual, applied her divine blood to Alise's bare back.
The script of Falna shimmered into view—the proof of their goddess's blessing.
Astraea's eyes scanned the glowing text, and her lips moved gently as she recited the values. "Except for Endurance, which reached over 800, the rest have all broken through 900."
Her tone was calm, but her gaze softened with pride.
After announcing the results, she quickly pulled out a piece of yellowed parchment, well-used and timeworn from years of these rituals, and began recording the numbers with practiced ease.
Once finished, Astraea tilted her head and smiled warmly at the redhead before her.
"Well done, Alise. These are more than enough great deeds. Are you ready to rank up?"
Alise took the parchment in both hands, narrowing her eyes slightly as she silently reviewed her basic stats in her mind. The room fell into a brief silence—tense, expectant.
Then, she looked up, eyes clear, filled with trust, and full of anticipation.
"Please, Astraea-sama."
Her voice was light and sweet, carrying a teasing hint of coquettishness that made even the goddess chuckle softly.
With a warm smile, Astraea raised a hand, her slender fingers tracing patterns in the air, seemingly drawing upon the deeper truths behind the Falna.
"Four new development abilities, hm… Swordsman, Magic Resistance, Healing Power, and…" Her eyes paused for a moment, "Fire Flash?"
Alise tilted her head in curiosity. "Fire Flash? That's a new one. Never heard of it before."
Astraea tapped her chin thoughtfully. "From its name, it likely corresponds to a combat trait rooted in your flame magic and dynamic fighting style. It seems tailored for you."
Alise's expression lit up like a spark catching fire.
"There's only one answer, right? Astraea-sama, I choose Fire Flash!"
"Very well." Astraea replied with a soft laugh.
Then she placed her hand above Alise's back, and the divine ritual commenced.
Alise Lovell
Level: 3 → 4
Strength: S921 → I0
Endurance: A821 → I0
Dexterity: S902 → I0
Agility: S954 → I0
Magic: S972 → I0
Development Abilities:Hunter H, Abnormal Resistance I, Fire Flash I
With the ceremony complete, Alise swiftly put her clothes back on, practically glowing with satisfaction. She stood with hands on her hips and her usual toothy grin.
"Well, how about that?" She said proudly. "Awesome, right? Genius, right? Your peerless captain is the first to reach Level 4!"
"Congratulations, Captain!" came the warm and cheerful chorus of voices from the others.
Ryuu tilted her head slightly, curious. "So… what does it feel like, reaching Level 4?"
Alise blinked, then laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Hmm… I can feel some changes in my body, yeah, but there wasn't some kind of huge power surge or anything. Just… deeper potential."
"Obviously." Kaguya rolled her eyes. "You've already ranked up multiple times. That sensation fades."
She folded her arms, her tone dripping with dry sarcasm. "Honestly, you two idiots. All this time I've been working to raise your levels, I should've focused on making you smarter instead."
Alise and Ryuu exchanged sheepish glances and chuckled awkwardly.
"Now, now, Kaguya-chan, don't be so harsh on them," Astraea said gently, her voice like a mother chiding her children with fondness. "Still, Alise's capabilities have indeed risen. Her strength, endurance, and total combat capacity have clearly reached a new tier."
"She should be able to sense it when she's in actual combat, pushing herself to the limit."
Kaguya nodded, understanding. "I see."
Astraea continued, "Then, let's begin the next status updates."
Following Alise's upgrade, it was time for Kaguya and Ryuu to receive their own updates.
Although both of them had accumulated sufficient great deeds and their stats were nearing the required levels, neither had yet reached a complete bottleneck. Specifically, Ryuu's Strength and Endurance remained slightly below the threshold, while Kaguya's Endurance and Magic were still lacking.
During the most recent expedition, Ryuu had become acutely aware of her weaknesses—her fragility in direct combat, her inability to fully support Akira. She was determined to fix that.
Kaguya, despite possessing powerful magic, had long resisted using it. She disliked the power, seeing it as something unnatural and tainted. As a result, her magic stat remained comparatively low.
Both made the same decision—to wait. To push their stats further until they hit the limit, and only then undergo their level-up.
It wouldn't be long. A month, perhaps. Or a few.
But without a doubt, within three months, Astraea Familia would likely boast two more powerful Level 4 adventurers. Maybe even more.
Meanwhile, Lyra, the clever and resourceful pallum, was always exploring shortcuts. She made heavy use of magic tools and external aids to compensate for her weaknesses. After painstaking effort, she had finally met the requirements to level up.
Yet, this time, she did not rush. Instead, she held the parchment in her hands, conflicted, and chose to wait as well—to surpass the natural bottleneck imposed on pallums.
"Hehe… Still Level 3, but among all female pallums, I might already be one of a kind. Not bad. I really am amazing."
She grinned to herself, eyes sparkling with pride.
As for the remaining members of the Astraea Familia—those not part of the Four Pillars—they too had reaped immense gains during this expedition. Even if their stats had reached the level up threshold, they followed Kaguya and Ryuu's example.
They chose to wait. To break through, to reach their limits, and only then rise to new heights.
If things had continued normally… if fate hadn't intervened...
The girls of the Astraea Familia had the potential to become legends. Each one a hero in the making. It wasn't just wishful thinking.
Even Freya herself had once said. "If they weren't Astraea's children, I would've stolen them for myself."
But far from the light and warmth of the goddess's home, somewhere deep in the old city's abandoned Seventh District...
In a shadowed corner, three figures gathered once more.
"Hmm... Still alive, even after being caught in the Kaenseki explosions? You certainly live up to the name of the goddess of justice's followers."
The low, rasping voice of [Faceless] Vito echoed through the gloom as he flipped through a report in his hand.
It carried a chill like a knife's edge in the silence.
On the other side, [Vendetta] Olivas let out a furious growl. His face twisted with rage, eyes burning with madness.
"How the hell did they all survive?! Even Nagisa should've been blown to pieces in that explosion."