So Xien asked another question: Isn't this supposed to be "interference"? Why do skill upgrades also give points?
The orange cat's answer was simple: as an interference source, the stronger he became, the stronger his ability to "interfere" became as well. For example—if he were Level 6 right now, those rampant dark-faction criminals would have to think twice about the strength of the Astraea Familia, and certain hidden crimes would naturally decrease. That, in itself, formed a kind of positive interference.
And since a person's strength wasn't just about raw stats—skills, their quality, and their variety all mattered immensely—then strengthening those areas logically counted too. So skill growth, even leveling up—anything that made him stronger—could generate Interference Points.
Xien understood immediately.
So… basically deterrence.
With the feast over, everyone cleaned up together. Once it was confirmed that the other members would take a day off tomorrow, the group laughed and chatted as they wrapped up and prepared to sleep.
That night, the goddess didn't update Xien's status. On one hand, she'd only updated it yesterday—no matter how fast he improved, updating every day wasn't necessary. On the other hand, the members who had returned from the Dungeon needed updates more urgently, and with too many people at once, she simply couldn't manage it all.
In large Familias, this was normal. With huge numbers, constant status updates were basically impossible. Unless you were someone with extraordinary talent—someone your deity personally took an interest in—you'd just have to wait your turn. Months, even years, wasn't unusual.
By contrast, small Familias had an advantage: fewer people meant updates weren't so pressured. As long as the deity actually cared, updates were realistically frequent.
Xien had no complaints. The Astraea Familia didn't have many members. At worst, it was a matter of a few days.
So he didn't dwell on it. He planned to finish up his chores and go rest—today had already been exhausting, and tomorrow he still had to wake up early to make breakfast for everyone.
But just as he finished cleaning and was about to head to his room, his goddess called out to him.
"Xien, wait a moment."
"Huh? Lady Astraea—what is it?"
Still confused, he walked over.
"Tomorrow morning, get ready and come with me somewhere. Push your training back a bit."
"Okay, Lady Astraea."
He didn't understand the sudden change, but he agreed immediately. Maybe it was something good.
"Good. Then it's settled. Tomorrow morning, I'll wait for you in the dining hall. After breakfast, we'll head out."
"Understood."
"All right. Go rest."
As she watched him leave, Astraea wore a sweet, satisfied smile.
A voice came from beside her—Captain Alise.
"Your plan worked?"
Astraea didn't turn her head. She simply answered.
"Yes. I've already arranged it with Hera. Tomorrow I'll take Xien over to have a look. If it really works… then it won't just be knowledge. He may also gain a Level 7 mage as a teacher."
"I'm glad," Alise said.
"It's… an unexpected bonus, really." Astraea sounded mildly surprised. "I didn't expect Hera to propose it so directly. It doesn't feel like her usual style. I thought about it afterward, and I realized there's probably a reason."
"You mean…"
Alise's expression tightened.
Astraea continued, half amused, half resigned.
"That 'Silence' is a very beautiful woman. Not just beautiful—very strong. Alise… your burden just got heavier."
"Huh? Lady Astraea—are you joking? Would she really do something that shameless? Like a bandit?"
Alise was stunned. She genuinely couldn't imagine a top-tier deity like Hera doing something so outrageous.
"Don't overestimate the gods' bottom line when it comes to fun, Alise. Otherwise, none of us would have descended in the first place." Astraea sighed. "Besides—do you think there's a reason that woman's reputation among the gods is so terrible? And if the person herself is willing… even I can't stop it."
As a goddess of justice, Astraea couldn't forcibly restrain a child who sincerely wanted to transfer Familias. The road she walked didn't allow her to "overly obstruct" something like that.
With her goddess putting it that way, Alise finally grasped the seriousness hidden beneath what looked like pure good news.
If Xien were seduced by that "Silence," then everything they'd done would become a wedding dress stitched for someone else to wear. Xien was the successor Alise had her eye on—she would never allow that.
Still watching the direction Xien had gone, Alise's gaze hardened with resolve.
Meanwhile, the completely unaware Xien returned to his room and did the very first thing on his mind:
"Orange cat. I'll take the remaining two skills."
"Okay, meow…"
He obtained the skills:
Sun Breathing Method
Traditional Martial Arts (Baji)
The next day—
To surprise everyone, Xien woke up extremely early. Before sunrise, he was already in the kitchen.
As expected, it was empty.
Staring at the piles of fresh ingredients—crisp vegetables, clean meat, everything bright and plump—Xien smiled with confidence.
He'd cooked in his previous life, so he understood the basics of heat control. And with the support of the Gourmet Codex, he felt like he'd grown wings.
Everything was ready.
Time to roll up his sleeves and work.
His movements were smooth—nothing like a beginner. Thanks to the past two days of training, his control over his body had improved tremendously. For simple handwork like this, once the memory surfaced in his mind, he could reproduce it perfectly.
Cleaning utensils. Preparing ingredients. Knife work. Cooking.
Everything flowed naturally.
No one was there to witness the strangely pleasing sight of him moving through the kitchen with quiet competence—the fluid rhythm of his actions carried a kind of absolute self-confidence, as if the whole space belonged to him.
Buns. Shumai. Congee. Chinese-style crepes. Egg-stuffed flatbread.
One dish after another was plated and set out, and the rich fragrance slowly drifted through the entire Familia residence.
It even slipped into the noses of members still asleep.
"Smells amazing… what is that? It smells like something really good…"
"Yeah. Where's it coming from? That direction… the kitchen? Who in our Familia can cook something that smells like this?"
Doors cracked open. Heads popped out. Members blinked at one another in confusion, drawn out by the smell—some of them not even properly dressed yet.
They knew their usual meals. Apart from a couple members who could cook something "acceptable," their food generally didn't belong anywhere near the word delicious.
So what was this?
Did the sun rise in the west today?
"Who's in charge of cooking?"
"I think it's Xien. He can do this? Let's go see…"
Roused by the aroma, they quickly decided to get themselves together and head to the dining hall to see what on earth was happening.
Astraea, who arrived first, tasted this "food that didn't belong to this world" almost immediately after her initial shock.
"This is very, very good, Xien. I didn't know you could cook so well. It seems we should prioritize this a little more."
Her face lit up with pure happiness.
For a long time, the Familia's food had been a small-but-persistent pain point. It filled their stomachs, but it wasn't something that gave real joy. And Astraea had always regretted that—because good food wasn't just fuel; it was positive emotional feedback, a way to soothe hearts worn down by danger.
But the children were always busy, and the times weren't peaceful—no one had spare time to seriously develop something that wasn't considered "important."
And yet today…
What a huge surprise.
Seeing her goddess smiling with such genuine satisfaction, Xien's heart filled with a deep, warm sense of fulfillment.
Then he noticed curious heads peeking in from the side of the dining hall, and he immediately welcomed them with enthusiasm.
"Everyone, sit down! I made a lot—if it's not enough, just tell me…"
"Yeah!!" a chorus erupted.
Before he could even finish, they swarmed to their usual seats, grabbed whatever looked most appetizing, and started eating.
In the blink of an eye, happy smiles bloomed on every face.
So many dishes—color, aroma, and flavor all bursting together—that even Ryuu, an elf who normally didn't care much about food, found her appetite awakened and ate several more than usual.
She thought no one noticed.
But Xien had been watching quietly.
"So she likes vegetable-filled buns… and shumai too. Okay—write it down in the notebook…"
Without drawing attention, he instructed the orange cat to record the "critical intel," then continued serving everyone breakfast.
In the end, amid everyone's reluctant promises to help clean up later, Astraea left the residence with a refreshed, glowing Xien.
He'd finally experienced what it felt like to be admired.
It was ridiculously satisfying.
And being the cook without having to wash dishes?
That was its own kind of happiness.
"Lady Astraea… where are we going?"
Walking through the crowded streets, Xien finally remembered to ask after replaying Ryuu's cute reaction in his head.
"One of Orario's two strongest Familias—Hera's residence."
Astraea had just enjoyed an excellent meal, and her mood was so good her tone sounded lazier than usual.
"Oh. Then… you specifically called me along—so this is related to me?"
"Very smart. You guessed correctly." Astraea lightly tapped his nose. "Yesterday I reached an agreement with Hera. Using your special healing ability, you'll help treat a certain patient. If it works… your path as a mage will be guided by a very mature and powerful teacher."
She chose to tell him everything outright. She hadn't said it earlier because she wasn't sure it would succeed—dangling an unrealistic hope in front of him wouldn't have been fair. But now the matter was settled, so she had no reason to hide it.
"Huh? So your outing yesterday… was for me?"
"Hehehe." Astraea laughed softly. "You're all my lovely children. As your goddess, I should do something for you…"
This was what it meant to have a true patron deity—always thinking of her children, wrapping them in warmth before they even realized it.
"Thank you, Lady Astraea."
What else could he say to a goddess this gentle, this considerate?
Only offer the highest respect from his heart—and quietly accelerate his secret plan to place a statue of Astraea in his room and bow to it every morning.
"Still," Astraea added, "whether you can seize this opportunity depends on you. That patient's illness… is a terminal condition that even a blessing from the gods can't improve. In fact, it makes it worse. Otherwise, we wouldn't have a chance like this."
"I see… Then the patient's name is…?"
"Alfia. Her title is 'Silence.' A being the gods call a 'monster of talent.' After the Hera Familia lost the Empress and other core members, she became their strongest—Level 7, a mage. And… she's quite a beauty, too."
"Oh. Never heard of her."
It wasn't his fault. He'd only watched the anime—and the era he was living in right now was the story's background period. Who would spend time tracking obscure "background characters" in an anime world?
"Not knowing is fine." Astraea waved it off, then suddenly pouted, acting pitiful. "But Xien, if you succeed… don't let your new teacher lure you into their Familia. If you did, I'd be sooo sad… boo-hoo…"
Xien had never faced something like this—a motherly head-of-household goddess suddenly acting cute and pretending to cry in the middle of a busy street was absolutely unfair.
He hurriedly swore before passersby could start staring.
"Never. Lady Astraea—Ryuu and everyone saved me at the edge of death. They gave me a place to live, took me in, treated me like family. I will never betray everyone. I swear it."
Those were his true feelings. They'd done so much for him—if he betrayed them, he'd be worse than scum.
"Mmm." Astraea's expression flipped instantly back to bright happiness. She patted his head. "Good child. I believe you. And thank you for liking all of us…"
She was genuinely happy. The flame of justice in this child's heart was burning brighter—he was slowly beginning to understand what those words truly meant.
As they walked, Xien quietly questioned the orange cat in his mind.
"Based on what she said… my skill should be able to treat it, right? I mean, the Apothecary's rank speaks for itself."
A power granted by a cosmic Aeon-level existence shouldn't fail against something like a terminal illness.
"You're right, meow." the orange cat replied. "Life-attribute healing can restore any injury or damage except those bound by fundamental laws. From what Lady Astraea described, that patient likely has a congenital disease. With sufficient life force, you can rebuild her into a healthy body."
"As long as you can push that skill to the next stage, you'll be able to cure it completely. At your current stage, you can still replenish her life force and ease the symptoms, meow."
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