When Isagi woke up in the afternoon, he found that no one else was home.
Cecil was likely still out in the city making deliveries and working part-time. As for Lefiya, she might have run off to practice, or perhaps she went to help Cecil?
What was most confusing...
...was that Goddess Astrea wasn't there either.
Isagi lazily climbed out of bed. When he went down from the attic to the living room, he saw a note left on the table.
Judging by the handwriting, it was left by Astrea, stating she had gone over to Goddess Demeter's place for a bit.
So, he ate the lunch left for him on his own, then took a bath.
Thinking he had nothing else to do, Isagi simply went out and sold fried potato snacks for the whole afternoon. It was both to relax and because he thought—ever since the popularity of the "Omelet Potato," it was about time to develop a new product.
After retiring from the adventurer life in the future, maybe he could open a hamburger shop or something in Orario.
Since there's no KFC in this world anyway, creating some sort of white-bearded "Grandpa Isagi" image shouldn't be a problem, right?
Pondering this and that.
The afternoon passed quickly. He packed up before sunset, and by the time he returned home, Cecil and Goddess Astrea were already back. Dinner had just been prepared, and the Goddess urged him to wash his hands quickly and get ready to eat.
"Where is Lefiya?"
"She came back just a moment ago to update her Status, then went out again. She said she'd eat dinner out."
"It seems she went to the Dungeon with that Elf Captain from the Dionysus Familia."
Cecil's intelligence was a bit more accurate.
She naturally went to the Wine God's Familia often for deliveries, so she had also met Filvis.
"She said she went to ask her compatriot for tips on [Concurrent Chanting]."
"That child works so hard. When she updated her Status this afternoon, her [Excelia] was already sufficient to level up."
"Ah..."
Isagi thought, Lefiya is so efficient. The speed at which a social butterfly makes friends is just different.
After dinner.
As usual, the boy lay on the sofa, letting the Goddess update his Status.
The improvement wasn't much different from before. The sum of the four attributes was still between one and two hundred points, and his [Excelia] had risen by a chunk.
It seemed that for adventurers needing to level up, the most difficult hurdle was no big deal.
The Goddess lowered her eyes slightly, having seemingly fully accepted that the child of her own Familia would become the future hope of the Lower World.
Afterwards.
Isagi naturally began to enjoy the massage that the Goddess had been "practicing" for a while.
Hmm... significant progress.
Her fingers were dexterous and powerful, possessing a certain rhythm within them. After all, Astrea's swordsmanship was very strong, so this was only natural. It even made Isagi let out comfortable sounds from time to time.
"Ngh~"
"Does it hurt too much, Isagi?"
"No, this is just right. But a little lower... yeah... right there... ah... ah... that's nice..."
"Is it here?"
"Yeah, my waist has been a bit sore lately..."
"I understand."
The strange conversation between the boy and the Goddess on the sofa made Cecil, who was on the side, unable to watch any longer!
What kind of guy was Isagi, anyway? To be so at ease letting a Goddess serve him—even if the Goddess wanted to do it herself, it was too much!!
So, she decided to bring up a new topic.
"Isagi, we made a lot today too. By the way, should we prepare to move?"
"Move, huh..."
The Magic Stones and materials he and Lefiya obtained from the Dungeon were all dumped onto Cecil to handle after they returned.
They had indeed saved up quite a bit recently.
On the books alone, excluding the daily expenses for the Dungeon, they already had over two million Valis in savings. It was indeed time to put changing the Familia headquarters on the agenda.
After all, the place they lived in now was on Daedalus Street. Not to mention it was cramped, it leaked rain, the kitchen was inconvenient, one had to wait in line for the bathroom, and there was practically no soundproofing to speak of—sleeping in the attic, Isagi often heard the sound of Cecil grinding her teeth downstairs.
And sleep talking!
The main thing was that she wouldn't admit it!!
Every time she got flustered when he mentioned it, she would get physical.
Heh.
However, this topic wasn't exactly good.
Isagi glanced at the Goddess sitting by the sofa. Indeed, an indescribable expression had appeared on her face.
The Astrea Familia had a Familia headquarters in Orario.
The former "Stardust Garden" still belonged to the Familia. Although more than a year had passed and it had fallen into disrepair, it would certainly still be livable after some tidying up.
But...
Isagi and Cecil knew that the Goddess didn't want to go back.
"Let's go back."
Goddess Astrea suddenly said.
"Once Ryuu returns, everyone will go back together."
This sudden turn of events stunned Cecil, because the girl had originally thought they would just save some money and temporarily move out of Daedalus Street.
Because although there was a forging workshop in the backyard, it was too crude. If she wanted to support Isagi and the others with better weapons and equipment in the future, it would be quite difficult with the current working environment...
She never expected that this would be the final result.
Had Goddess Astrea let it go?
No, the Goddess was just preparing to start letting go. She wanted to try and step out of the past, because no matter what, there were now lovely children in the Familia who needed her to do something for them.
However, Astrea's "counterattack" arrived swiftly!
"After we go back, Cecil should share a room with Isagi."
"?"
"?"
"That way you can properly cultivate your feelings, and moreover, become more familiar with each other~"
The Goddess blinked, looking at the girl whose pretty face was heating up rapidly as usual.
"Isn't Cecil Isagi's personal blacksmith? Only by knowing everything about the other person can you forge exclusive weapons and equipment~"
"Who... who... is that!!"
Her speech became stuttered; after all, something like [Personal Blacksmith] directly pierced through the tsundere girl's heart.
"It's not anything strange."
The Goddess continued to tease her Familia's child on purpose.
It really wasn't strange.
In Orario, many blacksmiths and adventurers had so-called "Exclusive Contracts," meaning all maintenance and crafting of the adventurer's weapons and equipment were performed by a single blacksmith.
For an adventurer, this was absolute trust.
Because the quality of equipment could often determine whether they could survive adventures and battles.
Therefore, an "Exclusive Contract" could be seen as an important act of entrusting one's life to the other party!
And blacksmiths also took pride in becoming the "Personal Blacksmith" of a powerful adventurer.
Of course.
At times, such a relationship would naturally become a more ambiguous and romantic existence in a maiden's heart.
"Besides, it's normal for Familia children to live together and build good relationships. Are you unwilling, Cecil?"
"Then we'll have to ask Lefiya. That child might be willing~"
The big-sister Goddess's "attacks" were like rolling waves. In the blink of an eye, she sent the tsundere girl fleeing in defeat.
Cecil, who had originally been swinging her short legs by the table.
With a flushed face, she bolted back to her workshop in the backyard in a flash, unable to say even a word.
Tsk.
Listening to the Goddess's victorious giggling, Isagi couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
Teasing that idiot tsundere Cecil every day—what was so fun about it? The Goddess really is...
...
Massage over, he rolled over.
Isagi had originally planned to spend the evening lazily and set off for the Dungeon tomorrow.
Senior Ryuu was still investigating the Magatsuhi Familia matters. She would contact him if there were new discoveries, so he didn't need to worry about her.
However.
He was called up by Goddess Astrea, who said they had to go out later.
"The gods are holding a banquet today. Goddess Demeter wants Isagi to go with her. Hurry up and change your clothes."
"Huh?"
___
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