After observing Kei who was so focused on target practice for a while, Astraea shifted her attention to Charlie. Her usually calm face now showed slight furrows on her forehead, a sign of concern.
"Charlie, I understand your good intention of giving Kei the best weapon. But remember, good intentions don't always bring good results."
"Hm? What do you mean, Goddess Astraea?"
Charlie tilted his head, his expression showing confusion. He hadn't caught the direction of the conversation yet.
"What I mean is the weapon you gave to Kei." Astraea pointed toward Kei who was aiming, then looked back at Charlie with a serious gaze. "I've lived long and witnessed various types of weapons in this world, from simple swords to the most complex magic items. But a weapon like that which you call a 'rifle' I've never seen."
She continued, her voice low but firm. "Imagine, Charlie. In a world where adventurers must fight at close range, where Mages need time to chant, Kei can finish them off before they finish uttering even one sentence. That weapon provides an undeniable tactical advantage, especially for a Level 1 adventurer like her."
Astraea looked at him with a warning gaze.
"When other adventurers find out how extraordinary this rifle's capability is—a weapon that can launch instant magic without pause—it will create tremendous jealousy and greed."
"Kei will become a target for bad people who want to seize it, or for those who want to uncover the secret of its creation. She carries a weapon that can change the balance of power, and that's very dangerous for herself."
Hearing that explanation, Charlie's face gradually changed. His confused expression was replaced by seriousness.
"I didn't think that far ahead..."
Astraea's concern made sense. Charlie was too focused on providing the best equipment to protect Kei, forgetting the threats that could actually arise from owning that equipment itself.
Using a metaphor, Kei's current situation was like a homeless person wearing pure gold accessories all over their body, then casually walking around in the middle of a city with the highest crime rate in the world.
"Goddess Astraea is right. This weapon is too revolutionary for this world's standards. Instead of protecting, I've actually given her a burden that could threaten her life if I'm not by her side."
Charlie agreed with Astraea's perspective completely. He then turned his body and looked at the Goddess directly with a sincere gaze.
"Seeing Goddess Astraea care so much for your Familia member, I'm truly grateful Kei chose to join Astraea Familia."
"T-That's only natural." Astraea replied somewhat hastily, turning her face away slightly.
Her hand reflexively pressed her chest, where her heart suddenly pounded hard without a clear reason. She tried to suppress the strange emotional turmoil she didn't understand.
Not realizing the fluctuation in Astraea's mood caused by himself, Charlie refocused his attention on Kei who was still busy practicing shooting.
"After careful consideration, the likelihood of the scenario Goddess Astraea mentioned is 90% likely to happen. For the initial period, I'll accompany Kei to the Dungeon so she can get used to being an adventurer."
"But, it's impossible for me to always be by her side. Kei surely doesn't want to become a burden or hindrance to me either. So, once she starts exploring the Dungeon alone, she'll definitely face adventurers who covet that rifle."
Charlie didn't doubt that the morality of most adventurers was bad, especially among Lower Class Adventurers—those with low potential and little chance of leveling up to Level 2.
Desperate people like that wouldn't hesitate to try robbing Kei once they found out about Flare-chan.
Why would they dare do it?
Because human greed has no limits. As long as the profit is big enough, they dare deceive the gods, even dare to overthrow the ruler of heaven!
A philosopher once said: When profit reaches 10%, some people start preparing to act; when profit reaches 50%, some people dare take risks; when profit reaches 100%, they dare violate all human laws; and when profit reaches 300%, they're not even afraid of being hanged.
"Technically, the Guild prohibits murder and robbery among fellow adventurers. But in the Dungeon, where there's no supervision, there are definitely those who ignore that rule. Among the adventurers 'reported' dead in the Dungeon, who knows how many actually died at the hands of fellow adventurers, not monsters."
Charlie paused for a moment, then his gaze shifted to the five Divine Beast Spirits peacefully wandering in the yard.
"The solution to Kei's problem is actually simple. Every time she goes to the Dungeon alone, she'll be accompanied by two Divine Beast Spirits. As soon as she faces an adventurer above her level or is surrounded by several Level 1 adventurers, they'll take action to eliminate the enemy."
"As long as the opponent isn't Level 5, Kei will be relatively safe with the Divine Beast Spirits' protection."
Without Charlie's direct presence at the location, the Divine Beast Spirits' power was limited. That's why they could only be effective against Level 4 adventurers and below.
"What if there's a Level 5 who takes action?" Astraea asked, still not completely at ease. "Of course, High Class Adventurers from Loki Familia and Freya Familia won't rob a Level 1 adventurer like Kei—whether due to moral integrity or to maintain their reputation. But that doesn't apply to other Familias. Indeed Level 5 adventurers are rare, but that doesn't mean they don't exist outside those two major Familias."
Charlie's previous guarantee did lighten her worry a bit, but doubts remained.
"No problem. If there's a Level 5 adventurer who's reckless, I guarantee that person will never return." Charlie answered, his voice suddenly becoming flat and cold. His eyes emitted a sharp gleam that made the air around them feel heavier.
"But what if you're not near Kei when that happens? You'll definitely be too late to save her."
Astraea didn't want to experience losing a Familia member for the second time. That's why she became somewhat paranoid after realizing Kei could become a target just because of the weapon Charlie gave her.
"I'll never be too late." Charlie asserted, a confident smile returning to his face. "Why? Because I have a method to be by Kei's side within seconds once the Divine Beast Spirits send me a danger signal."
Astraea looked at him deeply, trying to find signs of lies. However, what she saw was only unwavering conviction.
"Alright." She finally sighed, releasing a bit of tension in her shoulders. "I trust you. Every adventurer has their own secrets, and I won't question your method. But... don't disappoint me, Charlie."
She paused for a moment, looking at him with a serious expression she rarely showed.
"If something bad happens to Kei because of that weapon... it will all be your fault."
Charlie didn't respond with empty words. He just nodded slowly, his eyes meeting Astraea's eyes with the same intensity.
"Yeah. I promise, Goddess Astraea. As long as I'm still alive, not a single adventurer—no matter what level—will be able to harm Kei."
Hearing that oath, the atmosphere in the front yard of Empyrean Citadel felt more stable. His commitment wasn't just words; it was a declaration of war for anyone who dared disturb their peace.