Miss Ryuu and Daphne placed a large sack of magic stones on the ground for the Guild staff to appraise.
From magic stones alone, this expedition earned nearly ten million valis. Including monster materials, the total revenue reached around forty million valis.
They had already recovered the full cost of the expedition.
Such an enormous sum would make countless people greedy—
Yet no one dared make a move.
The Guild hall gradually fell silent. Adventurers and gods alike watched Roy's group with tense anticipation, waiting for the final confirmation.
"Everyone leveled up?!"
Eina carefully stored the expedition report Roy submitted, her astonished voice echoing throughout the hall.
"Yes."
Roy smiled deliberately and raised his voice so the entire hall could hear:
"I advanced to Lv. 3. Daphne and Cassandra reached Lv. 2. And 'Gale Wind' Ryuu Lion has risen to Lv. 5—becoming a first-class adventurer."
Although he had already reached Lv. 3 before the expedition, he had only announced it now.
The hall plunged into stunned silence.
Then—
An explosive uproar erupted.
Gods leapt straight up from their seats.
If they had leveled up, then the story of four people defeating Amphisbaina was likely true.
It was madness.
Undoubtedly, several records had been shattered: the fewest participants ever to subjugate Amphisbaina, the lowest combined level—
Of course, no one was foolish enough to ask how Roy had done it. Skills, magic, and equipment were an adventurer's lifeline. Such information would never be revealed.
They only knew one thing.
Roy's group had succeeded.
And everyone had leveled up.
The news spread like a raging storm, shaking all of Orario.
Every person who heard it wore the same expression of disbelief.
Some high-level adventurers even rushed into the Dungeon to verify it themselves.
Though the Dungeon had largely repaired the battlefield, faint traces of devastation remained—
Enough to suggest how brutal the battle had been.
They emerged pale-faced.
After a month of silence, the Astraea Familia once again dominated Orario's discussions.
On every street corner, people talked about this legendary Familia.
They seemed like a miracle made manifest.
Roy had broken the record for fastest advancement to Lv. 3.
Ryuu—once hailed alongside the Loki Familia's "Sword Princess," Ais Wallenstein (Lv. 4), as a rising star—had now taken the lead, reaching Lv. 5 first.
Daphne and Cassandra had previously belonged to other Familias before joining Apollo Familia. Counting everything, they had taken just over a year to reach Lv. 2.
Naturally, they couldn't compare to Roy's abnormal growth—
But their speed was astonishingly close to the level-up records once set by Ais Wallenstein and Ryuu.
Gods swarmed the Guild headquarters like madmen, hoping to extract information from the Astraea Familia's "exclusive staff member," Eina.
Preferably details about Skills or magic—
They were firmly refused.
Beneath her gentle and well-mannered exterior, Eina possessed a professional integrity stronger than most—strong enough to confront gods head-on.
Bribes, threats, pestering, shameless tactics—
She did not budge.
Cowering in a corner, Leomer trembled.
Thank the heavens he had handed the Astraea Familia over to Eina.
Otherwise, he would be the one surrounded by gods right now.
Terrifying.
He silently vowed never to approach within one hundred meters of Roy again.
The Astraea Familia's fame now surpassed even its pre-annihilation days.
As the story spread throughout Orario, merchant caravans carried the tale across the world.
A Fishing Village
A pair of Amazon sisters had just slain a monster lurking in a nearby lake.
The strength they displayed was on an entirely different level from ordinary adventurers.
Tiona grabbed her sister's arm excitedly.
"Tione, let's go to Orario!"
Tione frowned, unable to understand her eternally cheerful sister.
"Why all of a sudden?"
"I want to meet this boy!"
Tiona held up a newspaper given to her by a merchant who had returned from Orario.
On the front page was a handsome young man with a confident smile.
Who else could it be but Roy?
The fastest-leveling adventurer in history.
The Astraea Familia's rising star—
"Justice Bud."
Tione snorted dismissively.
"He's probably a fraud. Most men are weak."
It wasn't arrogance without cause.
Born in the Land of the Amazons, they had grown up killing each other. There had been no rest—only blood and fire.
Each level-up had been earned through brutal struggle.
In terms of combat experience and technique, they surpassed even most Dungeon veterans of Orario.
Even they had taken years to reach Lv. 3.
They knew the hardship and danger involved.
How could anyone reach Lv. 2 in mere days—and Lv. 3 in just a few months?
"Let's go, let's go!"
After days of relentless pestering, Tione finally gave in.
Though her personal plan was to travel to Orario and beat up that pretty-faced boy.
The two boarded an ocean freighter as stowaways, beginning their journey to Orario.
A Rural Village in the North
A white-haired, red-eyed boy stared at a newspaper brought back by a neighbor.
His eyes were filled with curiosity about the wider world—and longing for adventure.
He ran to his grandfather, who was plowing the fields.
"Grandpa! I want to go to Orario and become an adventurer!"
"Hahaha!"
The old man, hair and beard already white, burst into laughter.
Years of teaching had finally borne fruit.
A man must pursue encounters! Build a harem!
"What's brought this on today?" the old man asked kindly, patting his grandson's head.
The boy handed him the newspaper.
The old man glanced at it—and his mouth twitched.
From Lv. 1 to Lv. 3 in four or five months?
He had only been away from Orario for a few years.
Where had such a ferocious youngster come from?
The white-haired boy's eyes sparkled with excitement.
The old man stroked his head thoughtfully.
Perhaps he should fake his death and let the boy go explore Orario?
But—
Though the boy was the sole remaining heir of two of the strongest Familias…
He was only ten years old.
A dangerous gleam flickered in the old man's eyes.
Orario – Twilight Manor
A golden-haired girl of goddess-like beauty, her features doll-like and serene, read the newspaper in silence.
Then she picked up her longsword and walked out.
"Ais-tan, where are you going?"
Loki immediately regretted bringing the newspaper home.
The blonde girl did not answer.
"Momma! Follow her! Ais-tan's going to cut someone down!"
"Who are you calling 'Momma'—"
Riveria retorted, but she still followed after her.