Loki Familia, Central Tower.
"To be honest… Loki, for one brief moment I almost suspected you'd used divine power to remodel this kid's body."
"This is just absurd."
Leaning beside Finn, Gareth stared fixedly at the sheet in front of him, his rough, bearded face unable to hide his astonishment.
"It really is hard to believe," Finn agreed with a nod.
"But it's not entirely impossible. That 'witch' once displayed a miracle belonging to her alone. Even now, thinking back on it still gives me a headache."
At that, Riveria naturally knew exactly who Finn meant by "that witch."
If that woman had not already passed away, then the title of Orario's strongest mage would never have fallen to either her or Hedin.
But Riveria did not speak at once.
Her gaze lingered on the status sheet longer than anyone else's.
She carefully sorted through it in her mind: free switching among four attributes, independent activation, no chanting required, magic that could evolve on its own as he leveled.
Silently, she compared Isis's magical framework to her own, and arrived at a conclusion that left her feelings strangely complicated.
From the standpoint of pure magical theory, this child—like Lefiya, with her Elf Ring—possessed a future whose upper limit simply could not be measured.
That realization did not make Riveria feel dejected.
Quite the opposite.
The corners of her lips lifted ever so slightly, in a smile so faint that even she herself did not notice it.
But then, like a bucket of cold water poured over her, another thought followed close behind.
The more gifted an adventurer was, the more fragile they were during their growth.
Because the gap between their potential and their current strength was simply too great—and that gap itself was danger.
A Level 1 body carrying talent so overwhelming that even a Level 6 would be shaken by it was like stuffing a blazing sun into a paper lantern.
The slightest misstep, and the lantern would burn out before the sun ever could.
Without changing her expression, Riveria handed the status sheet back to Loki. Her fingers paused for the briefest moment on the edge of the page before she let go.
"This kid's incredible, right? With all my years of experience, I can tell you his future could stand shoulder to shoulder with the heroes of old."
"He might even create a miracle unlike anything the world's ever seen."
Loki grinned smugly, delighted as a child, and thumped Isis heartily on the shoulder.
Though a trace of divine majesty still clung to her presence, any real dignity befitting a god was thoroughly ruined by Loki's irreverent behavior and personality.
And yet it was precisely because of that easygoing nature that the atmosphere inside the Loki Familia was so warm and harmonious, so easy for people to feel at home in.
In response, Riveria cast Loki a mild, sidelong glare, then quietly studied Isis as well.
When she saw that his expression remained calm, she found herself relaxing considerably.
Loki's praise had been rather exaggerated, after all. It would have been easy for a newcomer to grow proud and complacent.
Truth be told, when Riveria had first seen Isis's magic and skills, she had been worried that he might become restless and overexcited because of them.
This was the first time he had ever received a god's blessing.
And the first time he had ever stepped out into the world on his own.
But now, seeing the calmness on his face, Riveria felt her concerns might have been unnecessary.
It seemed her elder sister had raised him very well.
His temperament, too—steady, modest, untouched by arrogance or self-satisfaction.
He was composed.
All in all, he was the sort of child who had clearly "seen the world."
That was also the conclusion Finn, Gareth, and Loki had each quietly reached as they watched him.
After all, children like this were rare.
The last one had probably been Ais.
…No, that was not quite right.
Ais's simple nature, along with certain circumstances, meant she had never really been like an ordinary child to begin with.
As for Isis himself, inwardly he was just about ready to cheer.
But having lived two lives had taught him one ironclad lesson:
Never be the general standing on the opera stage with victory flags already planted behind him.
And as for celebrating at halftime—he had learned that lesson painfully enough already.
Especially when adventure was something that could get you killed.
No matter how extraordinary your talent was, without time to grow—or if you ran into an enemy too strong to handle—it all meant nothing.
"Well then… Isis, welcome to the Loki Familia. Your talent will never be buried here."
Finn turned toward him with a smile.
They had already known in advance that Isis would be joining the Loki Familia. They had simply never expected his magic and skills to prove this astonishing.
"Thank you, Captain."
Isis smiled and thanked him.
"Then from now on, just like Lefiya, Isis should train under Riveria's guidance."
Finn looked to Riveria.
"You'll be responsible for his instruction. With his talent, I imagine that once he reaches Level 2, he'll already be ready to join the expedition team."
But before he could continue, Riveria spoke first.
"Level 2?"
Her tone did not change. It remained as calm and gentle as ever.
Yet the air in the room seemed to subtly tighten for an instant.
Finn and Loki almost simultaneously sensed the slight shift in Riveria's mood.
"Finn, I will take responsibility for his training," Riveria said evenly, "but I will decide the training plan, and I will judge the pace of his progress."
She was speaking of training, yes—but the latter half of that sentence clearly meant that she would also be the one to decide when he was ready to join an expedition.
Finn looked at her, then smiled.
It was the kind of smile that said, I knew you were going to say that.
After so many years together, he could tell at a glance what state Riveria was in.
She was not objecting as the vice-captain of the Loki Familia.
She was drawing a line as an aunt.
"Of course. I'll leave it to you," Finn said with a nod, offering no argument.
He knew better than anyone how to raise a genius.
And he also knew that it was precisely because Riveria understood that so well that she feared "too fast" more than anyone else.
Isis was a little confused, but even so, he vaguely sensed that the words his aunt had just spoken were not part of some ordinary work discussion with the captain.
"I'll follow Auntie's arrangements."
That was his answer.
Riveria lowered her eyes to look at him.
The boy's eyes were clear and bright. There was no pride in them over his heaven-defying talent—only a quiet trust, the simple sense of I'll listen to you.
Something soft and gentle seemed to bump lightly against her heart.
And then Riveria Ljos Alf—the Nine Hells, vice-captain of the Loki Familia, Level 6 adventurer—did what any ordinary elder might have done.
She reached out and ruffled her nephew's hair.
"Well then, Isis, could you show us that magic of yours?"
"The Attribute Shift—the one that lets you switch among four elemental forms."
After a brief moment of thought, Finn made the request in a consultative tone.
He did not issue it as an order from the captain. Instead, he spoke lightly, in a way that would not make anyone feel pressured.
The reason was simple: the four people present all needed at least a basic understanding of the abilities of Familia members under their command.
The Loki Familia was, after all, an exploration-focused Familia. Whether in dungeon raids or expeditions, they needed to understand each member's skills in order to command effectively.
Of course, there was also a healthy amount of curiosity involved.
Four elemental forms—this was not merely something they had never seen.
It was something they had never even heard of.
Naturally, they wanted to witness it for themselves.
"No problem, Captain."
Isis nodded.
Then, with a thought, he felt the flow of magic that had formed within his body, and slowly raised a hand.
At once, the world before his eyes changed.
A red gleam lit up once more in the depths of his eyes.
Crimson flame.
Icy blue crystal.
Pure white lightning.
Profound darkness.
Inside him, they revolved slowly and magnificently like four galaxies.
Then Isis extended his hand, and a wisp of flame flickered into existence at his fingertips.
With another shift of thought, the flame vanished, and a crystal of ice condensed in its place.
He switched again, and the ice transformed into a tiny white point of light, within which brilliant lightning crackled and danced.
One more change, and the light sank into darkness, becoming a deep, shadowy aura that slowly spread outward.
The four attributes rotated at his fingertips as naturally as breathing itself.
"There's no need for me to actually cast the spells themselves, right?"
After withdrawing his magic, Isis asked softly.
"No need," Finn replied. "You're outstanding, Isis… I believe that one day, you'll reach Riveria's level as well."
His eyes were filled with admiration and approval, his words unreserved in their praise.
Even though Isis had not demonstrated an actual spell, the four elemental forms he had switched between were enough to make it obvious that the magic contained within them was astonishingly pure.
Pure to the extreme.
And more than that, those four elemental powers were unique existences in their own right—not merely manifestations of ordinary magic power.
"I told you the kid was talented! My eye for people's never been wrong."
Hearing Finn praise him like that, Loki laughed smugly, enormously proud of her own judgment.
"Alright then, let's get ready for tonight's welcome banquet! To celebrate our newest companion—Isis!"
Cheering as she spoke, Loki promptly ran off to buy alcohol.
"Honestly…"
Riveria pressed a hand to her forehead in helpless exasperation, then smiled softly and rubbed Isis's head again.
"I'll take you to your room first."
"Okay, Auntie."