Riveria retracted her cold gaze and gently pursed her lips.
"Did Bete have a conflict with you yesterday?"
Raven Eltharion nodded. "Yeah."
As he answered, a trace of thought flickered through his eyes.
He secretly wondered, How did Riveria know about that?
Could it be…
Did Bete personally tell her?
How strange...
Raven had assumed she would be like Syr—coming up to strike up a conversation.
Upon receiving confirmation, Riveria asked again,
"Then, do you still have any interest in joining the Loki Familia?"
Her voice was calm and light.
In truth, Riveria had become a little curious about this young man—
Especially after hearing the guards say:
"With his joining, the Loki Familia is bound to become the strongest Familia."
What if he really was a genius?
Then it would be a huge win for them.
Syr saw what was going on.
And of course, she wouldn't let Riveria have her way!
Before Raven could answer, Syr cut in with a cheerful smile:
"Miss Riveria, he already has a Familia."
The implication was clear—
Give up on recruiting him.
Syr narrowed her crescent eyes and rested her arm on Raven's shoulder like a close friend.
Her sparkling eyes blinked twice as she smiled sweetly:
"Isn't that right, Mr. Raven?"
After all—
The Freyja Familia and Loki Familia had always been rivals.
As Freyja in disguise, Syr would never hand Raven over to the Loki Familia for training.
Raven gave a helpless smile and nodded.
"Yeah, I already have a Familia."
There was no helping it.
He had chosen Hestia Familia and didn't plan on switching gods anytime soon.
Besides, changing Familias wasn't so easy—
It required over a year to make the transition, per the divine rules of the lower world.
Even if the opportunity had passed, Raven didn't regret it.
Moments later—
Riveria looked at the two with a calm expression.
"I understand."
Then, with sincerity, she added:
"For the trouble Bete caused earlier, I apologize on his behalf."
"No problem," Raven waved it off with a kind smile, showing he held no grudges.
Just as he finished…
He suddenly felt something off deep down.
Wait a second—
If this goes on…
Won't my relationship with her get more and more distant?
At that thought, Raven quickly spoke up:
"Could you… teach me magic?"
To close the distance between them, this was the only angle he could take.
After all, Raven was still a rookie magic user.
He had the talent—but zero experience.
And Riveria—
Was known as Orario's strongest mage!
If she could teach him some advanced knowledge and skills about magic…
Then his level-up speed would absolutely skyrocket!
In fact, Raven's unique skill [Sanctified Palace of Magic] had a sixth passive effect:
"Engaging in close contact with beautiful elves will temporarily boost your level.
(Effect lasts 15 minutes)"
!!
This passive was kind of like the fox girl's [Myriad Treasure Hammer]—
Except it only applied to Raven himself!
In the original story, Bell also gradually developed feelings through Ais's training.
But Raven wasn't a swordsman—he had no clue about swordsmanship.
That's why—he chose Riveria.
…
Lefiya's eyes widened in surprise.
"You already learned magic?"
"Yes." Raven nodded.
Lefiya Viridis, currently Lv.3, held the title Thousand Elf—
She was even called the "Magic Power Idiot."
Even though she was only Lv.3, her magic power could rival a Lv.5's firepower.
Lefiya was kind, gentle, and admired Ais deeply.
Unlike other elves, she didn't have that high-and-mighty pride or obsessive cleanliness.
As Riveria's successor in magic, she trained diligently every day.
…
Everyone who heard Raven's response wore surprised expressions.
Riveria slightly raised an eyebrow, her eyes shifting faintly.
Lefiya, unable to resist her curiosity, asked again:
"Then… how many spells do you know?"
That question—
Made Raven pause to think.
Although his [Divine Feather Annihilation] could mimic 99 types of magic, which was insanely powerful—
His real trump card was still [Reincarnation Summon].
Meanwhile, [Illusory Feather] was a defense and healing spell—super useful in combat.
After a brief silence—
Raven casually replied:
"Not many. Around… 99, I guess."
Just trying to stay low-key—and keep his power hidden.
Mastering [Divine Feather Annihilation] alone was more than enough.
Those 99 variations would keep him busy for quite a while.
Yet, when he said that—
Instead of shock rippling through the crowd like a dropped stone in a lake...
Their expressions turned awkward.
Lefiya pretended to be shocked for a moment—
But then quietly turned around and covered her mouth to stifle a laugh.
Clearly, she wasn't buying it.
Let's be honest—
Even Riveria subtly shook her head.
She was polite and didn't laugh out loud like Lefiya—
But her suspicious look was impossible to hide.
If Bete were still semi-conscious—
He probably would've burst out laughing.
And said something like:
"Damn bro, your bullshitting skills are top-tier!"
Everyone knew—
A regular person only had three magic slots.
But Raven…
Claimed to know ninety-nine spells.
That kind of lie—
Even a three-year-old might laugh at.
Straight-up shameless bragging!
Meanwhile, the airheaded Ais tilted her head in confusion.
Ais Wallenstein, currently Lv.5, title: Sword Princess.
She was hailed as Orario's strongest female swordsman—
And her beauty rivaled the goddesses themselves.
Ais was a half-spirit, half-human hybrid—an iconic figure throughout the city.
But she remained aloof from everyone—
Hard to read, emotionless on the surface.
Blonde hair, golden eyes, and a naturally blank personality.
In her heart, she longed for a hero who could protect her.
Across the room—
The cat-man Allen took a long sip of his drink.
Still couldn't understand—
Why did Syr-sama take a liking to this guy?
Was it truly…
Because of his "pure and radiant soul"?
Allen seriously doubted that!
Among everyone present…
Only Syr showed a genuine expression of shock.
As a goddess—
She didn't think Raven was lying at all.