Roy did not offer any warm, comforting words; they would be useless to Ryuu, who was consumed by thoughts of revenge.
With Ryuu rooted to the spot, Roy took the lead and heartlessly pushed open the main door. "If you want to stay there, that's fine, but if I'm alone, who knows what I might do to the noble and beautiful Goddess."
At this, Ryuu's face turned icy. Ignoring everything else, she quickly followed. "If you dare be disrespectful to Lady Astrea, I will cut you down!"
Roy grinned. "Then you better keep up."
Ryuu felt a headache coming on. This person was full of mysteries, sometimes as steady as an old dog, sometimes as cunning as a ghost, and overly exaggerated. She couldn't figure out which side of him was real...
The two entered the mansion. The empty hall was indeed silent, with no one in sight.
The Astrea Familia originally had 11 members, all female: nine Level 4s and two Level 3s. Except for Ryuu, the others were killed by the newly born Juggernaut in the Labyrinth Canyon on the 30th Floor.
"Ryuu?"
The voice that called out was clear, mellow, and beautiful, like a nightingale.
Roy turned to look. The Goddess before him was tall, with cascade of brown hair that fell like a waterfall and emitted a faint fragrance. Her flawless, breathtaking features included a small, delicate nose and thin, cherry-like lips. Her blue eyes sparkled like jewels.
She wore a blue and white evening gown that accentuated her perfect figure without appearing seductive. A calm and peaceful smile graced her stunningly beautiful face, and her temperament was elegant and noble, making her truly an unparalleled beauty.
What was most striking, however, was her enormous chest size.
Although Ryuu's scale was considerable, it paled in comparison to Goddess Astrea.
Roy could bet his life that the Goddess before him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, across both his past and present lives, as if she was crafted by the creation of heaven and earth itself.
"Lady Astrea!"
Ryuu fought back her tears, kneeling on the floor, her smooth forehead pressed tightly against the ground.
Goddess Astrea's gaze lingered between Ryuu and Roy, and she seemed to understand implicitly.
Gods and their Familia members share a blood connection, and she was the first to know of her Familia's demise.
Goddess Astrea knelt down and gently stroked Ryuu's small head.
Under Astrea's soothing touch, Ryuu felt as if she had returned to her mother's embrace. A profound weariness washed over her, and she fell into a deep sleep.
Astrea carefully moved Ryuu's head onto her lap.
Roy felt dazzled. A lap pillow!
Astrea looked up at Roy.
Roy sat down cross-legged, leveling his gaze with hers—a negotiating technique ingrained in his bones.
It was impossible to lie in front of a God!
Roy was very direct. "I am Roy. Ryuu intends to abandon her justice and assassinate the Dark Familia members and associated personnel. I plan to help her get revenge."
Astrea let out a soft sigh, her eyes fixed on Ryuu filled with pity and heartache. She would never show this expression if Ryuu were awake.
"What do you need me to do?"
"Do you have money?"
"How much do you need?"
"The more the better!"
Astrea and Roy exchanged questions and answers. It was impossible to play mind games with a God, so the negotiation was unexpectedly fast. Being free from the complex social dynamics of his past life, Roy actually felt relieved.
Astrea looked deeply at Roy, as if seeing through his heart. "Can you promise me that you will not harm Ryuu in any way?"
"Absolutely!" Roy nodded emphatically. Why would I harm such a useful fighter? I need to protect her!
The two held the gaze for a long time, and eventually, Goddess Astrea relented.
"Give me an hour."
Astrea whispered softly. She carefully slid one arm under Ryuu's perfect, snow-white neck and the other under her legs, lifting Ryuu up like a princess.
The slender Ryuu curled up in Astrea's arms, deeply asleep.
Roy watched this remarkable scene, which broke his impression of Goddess Astrea as merely gentle and virtuous. When a woman is weak, she becomes strong for her child (or dependent). With her Familia wiped out, only this divine mother remained to care for the Elf girl.
Astrea took Ryuu to her room and left the mansion alone, leaving Roy in the living room. She was completely unafraid that Roy would harm the sleeping Ryuu.
In other words, he couldn't harm her.
Ryuu only fell asleep because she was next to Astrea.
The slightest approach from Roy would awaken Ryuu—that was the alertness of a High-Level Adventurer.
Roy took this opportunity to examine his System rewards.
First, the Gale Boots. They were made of soft leather. Even the well-traveled Roy couldn't recognize the animal hide, but they were surprisingly supple, adorned with a hurricane pattern, giving the sensation of treading on a fierce wind.
"A Magic Item!"
Roy recognized the nature of the boots, his expression surprised. In the Danmachi world, weapons and armor forged by blacksmiths were a different concept from Magic Items.
After an Adventurer leveled up to Level 2, they might awaken a Development Ability, which becomes their secondary profession.
The blacksmith profession is usually Forge.
To manufacture a Magic Item, the Development Ability must be Mysterium. The number of adventurers with Mysterium in all of Orario could be counted on one hand. The most famous one was the captain of the Hermes Familia—Asfi Al Andromeda, known by the title "Perseus" and a rare creator of Magic Items in the world.
Incidentally, the red-eyed rabbit's (Bell's) Development Ability is Luck, which is extremely rare. He repeatedly encounters unexpected turns of fortune in desperate situations, making him ridiculously lucky.
The Gale Boots in Roy's hand were also a Magic Item. He eagerly took off his
"Village-Best Shoes"
and slipped his size 40 feet into the wide Gale Boots, which were at least size 42. They were clearly ill-fitting.
But the next moment, the Gale Boots suddenly contracted, perfectly conforming to Roy's skin, making them perfectly comfortable.
Roy's eyes lit up. This is a Magic Item. He stood up and stepped forcefully on the ground, receiving a speed boost. He felt like he was about to fly.
Next were the Dark Ice Blade and the Iron Longsword.
The former was a Magic Sword that could cast magic without chanting, making it incredibly convenient. A child could wield it and cast spells, which was why countless adventurers coveted such weapons.
The latter was a genuine
"Village-Best Sword."
Its quality was similar to the longsword Roy saw at the general store owner's place, valued at around 500,000 Valis. The claim of it being worth one million Valis was, of course, a merchant's exaggeration.
Roy played with his new equipment with keen interest, simultaneously getting used to his strengthened body. Even now, the excitement of gaining supernatural power had not faded from Roy's heart.
An hour quickly passed. Goddess Astrea returned to the mansion and placed a parchment scroll in front of Roy.
"This is a bill for 80 million Valis."
Roy saw the Guild's official seal on it and sighed at the sheer outrageous wealth!