Akira sat between Ryuu and Neze, eyeing the sumptuous spread laid out before him.
In front of him sat a glistening plate of sausage and egg custard, a dish made just for him. Around the table, everyone had their own favorites on display.
"So this is the kind of food Akira likes. It looks delicious." Neze said, her eyes sparkling as she looked at his dish.
"Your steak looks pretty appetizing too." Akira replied, eyeing her bone-in cut.
"Hey, want to trade a bite? I wanna try yours." Neze said, practically drooling.
"Sure." Akira agreed.
Neze eagerly used her knife and fork to slice a piece of his custard, and in exchange, offered him a generous portion of her steak.
"Ah! Neze, you're so sneaky!"
Alise suddenly cut in, "I want some too! Trade with me!"
"Hehe, I wanna try Astraea-sama's new recipe too." Lyra added with a playful smile.
"Me too! I want in!" One of the other girls called out, and soon the rest joined in with cheerful enthusiasm.
Astraea, watching the lively exchange, smiled warmly.
Akira looked at his plate helplessly. His once full dish of custard was quickly shrinking while other foods piled up around it.
"Hey, save some for me! I haven't even had a full bite of Astraea-sama's sausage and egg custard yet!"
In the end, only a tiny piece of his beloved custard remained.
Ryuu, sitting nearby, quietly glanced at the piece left on his plate, hesitating. She seemed to be considering whether to trade some of hers with Akira.
Akira noticed her dilemma and chuckled. He split the last bit into three portions and passed them out—one to Ryuu, one to Astraea, and the last for himself.
"Fair enough?" He asked with a mock pout.
Everyone burst into laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"Akira, how was your first solo dive into the dungeon?"
Lyra asked between bites, "Any trouble?"
Akira casually replied, "No issues at all. The upper floors are still pretty easy for me."
A chorus of surprise and admiration erupted around the table, followed by applause.
Akira suddenly felt awkward. It reminded him of being at a family gathering where relatives kept asking him to perform.
Astraea gently said, "Alright, alright. Stop putting Akira on the spot. He won't want to share anything at this rate."
"Sorry."
Alise said, "We're just really impressed. It's rare to reach the sixth floor this quickly."
Hearing that, Akira relaxed and started telling them about helping a pallum girl earlier today.
"Haha, good work, Akira!"
Lyra said, walking over to ruffle his hair, "You didn't ignore her just because she's a little pallum. If I weren't already in love with Finn, I'd totally fall for you."
"It was nothing."
Akira said, scratching his head, "I'm a follower of the goddess of justice—it's only natural I help those in need."
"Oh, and I did punish those two guys in the end. That's okay, right, Astraea-sama?"
"Oh? I'd like to know what kind of punishment you gave them." Astraea asked with a curious smile, setting down her utensils.
Akira said matter-of-factly, "I stripped them of all their Valis, burned their clothes, and threw them into the street."
"But I didn't keep the money—gave some to the pallum as compensation and stuffed the rest into their underwear."
At first, Astraea looked like she was about to scold him for taking their money. But after hearing the full story, her expression softened, and she smiled dotingly.
"Hahahaha! That's such a nasty move!"
Alise doubled over laughing. "Those guys are probably traumatized for life!"
Akira said with a laugh, "Right? I thought it was creative. Next time I see someone like that, I'll make them apologize the same way."
Kaguya slammed the table, exasperated. "You two, stop bonding over this nonsense!And Akira, don't develop weird hobbies!"
"Kaguya, it's not that serious..." Ryuu tried to calm her down.
"Akira and Alise were just talking."
"Just talking!? What if people start calling us the Familia that makes criminals apologize naked on the street? Is that really the image we want!?" Kaguya continued, getting more fired up.
"Ahaha, it won't go that far." Ryuu replied with a wry smile.
"What's wrong with that?" Lyra chimed in.
"Maybe seeing us will scare criminals into surrendering right away. Less trouble for us."
"Exactly!" Akira and Alise said in unison.
"Ugh, I still prefer the image of a just and noble Astraea Familia..." Maryuu gently said.
Before long, everyone had joined the fray.
"Seriously, I never get tired of watching all of you." Astraea said with a smile, her gaze filled with warmth.
"Astraea-sama, which side do you support?" Kaguya asked in a panic.
"Oh, I don't mind either way. As long as you're all happy, that's enough for me."
"There, you see? Even Astraea-sama agrees. Give it up, Kaguya." Akira said with a mischievous grin.
"You brat! Have you no respect for me anymore? Prepare to be punished!" Kaguya rolled up her sleeves.
Akira immediately ducked behind Alise, dodging left and right while she shielded him like a protective hen.
"Hahaha!" The kitchen erupted in laughter once again, warm and full of life.
— — —
Akira
LV 1
Strength: I70 → H171
Endurance: I56 → H156
Dexterity: I88 → G232
Agility: I78 → G201
Magic: H169 → F378
After the update, Akira's stats had soared by nearly 700 points in just one day.
Even during a week-long expedition, most adventurers couldn't see this kind of growth. But for Akira, this wasn't just growth—it was a leap forward.
Yesterday's performance had already been impressive. Today, allowed to venture into the dungeon alone, his stats had skyrocketed. At this rate, reaching Level 2 might not even take two weeks.
Typically, an adventurer could prepare to level up once a single stat reached D-rank (500–599).
At the rate Akira was going, his Magic stat might hit that threshold within the week.
(End of Chapter)
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