CH. 137: Astraea Familia

Ryuu Lion raised her mask a bit, covering her face from the two adventurers. A brown-haired man with golden eyes. Unlike the elves possessing gentle charm, his wheat-colored skin was full of wild charm. The woman standing behind him had the air of someone from the far east similar to Kaguya.

Ryuu frowned a bit. These two had something about them, something she couldn't wrap her fingers around. Like Erebus's presence, the God who had two faces—an evil god spreading chaos to give birth to a hero behind the facade of a careless, clumsy god.

"Look, they are here too!"

Alise knew them?

"We met them at the feast," Kaguya answered. "You were busy."

Busy reminiscing about the old memories of an old friend in the Adventurer Graveyard. The friend she lost in the scheme of Evilus.

A sigh unconsciously left her lips.

"Why are you down on the seventh floor?" Alise asked, being the busybody she always was. "You don't have to risk your life on this floor."

"Okay, thanks for the advice." The man shrugged off her advice with a polite smile. "We were just scouting some things."

"Captain, you are doing it again." Kaguya rubbed her forehead. "Crappy elf, knock some sense in this girl's brain."

Ryuu was trying for three and a half years, right after she joined this familia.

"You know it's impossible." Her eyes twitched as she remembered Kaguya's nickname for her. "And don't call me Crappy elf!"

"Heh, are you not a crappy elf?

"Mou, you two are always making fun of your cute captain."

"Cute, my ass," Lyra, the pink-haired pallum, whispered.

Neze plopped her hand on Lyra's shoulder. "Lyra, what are you talking about? Captain gets a confession almost every day."

The white wolf-ears on her head twitched. She was a werewolf-type beast human with white shoulder-length messy hair and dark skin.

Ryuu had no idea where to look at this woman. She always wore revealing clothes showing half of her breasts, belly, and her thighs. The teasing looks from the passing by men never seemed to bother her.

"She certainly does," Kaguya butted into the conversation with an elegant smile. "That's because our Captain is slim, fair, and has big-boobs to boot. People think they have a chance with her due to her easy-going personality."

That's true for you too, the princess from the far east!

Ryuu retorted in her head. Kaguya's elegant air in public, which won the hearts of almost every adventurer, was quite opposite to her attitude in the Stardust Garden. Roaming around in just underwear in a dungeon, she left every girl in the family worried about her future.

"Obviously, I am the best Captain you all could ask for." Alise formed her signature smug smile. "Asahi-chan, do not worry. You can always ask me for dungeon tips."

The adventurer, Asahi, sighed. "Thanks for that."

There was no gratitude in his voice, prompting Ryuu to shake her head.

Is he confident of his strength or the overconfidence of a rookie?

Whatever it was, he needed to get over it. The dungeon didn't forgive any mistake and will swallow him whole.

"Alise?"

"Yeah?"

"What are we waiting here for?"

"Don't know?" Alise pursed her lips. "Asahi-chan, we shall meet later and talk about the far east over a jug of ale."

"Sure."

"Let's go into the dungeon together next time!"

Asahi agreed while the woman bowed and said her request.

Alise gave a simple nod. "We will, if our mission is upper floors."

Ryuu couldn't help but smile at Alise's kindness. One of the reasons Goddess Astraea adored her so much. This was how people should act. This was what she wanted to see after she ran away from the ugliness of Elves in her hometown.

Her eyes swept across her party. Her friends, her family…

Her hands squeezed into fists, recalling her cheerful friend Ardi Varma, Shakti Varma's little sister. Shakti Varma always put on a hard face but she knew how much she was hurt over the loss of her sister.

I won't allow this to happen again.

Alise jumped at her and rubbed her face against hers. "Lion-chan, why the intense face?"

"It's nothing," Ryuu said, shaking her head.

"Are you sure those two are level one?" Neze asked, her eyes fixed on the back of the adventurer couple. She sniffed his lingering scent. "That man smelled so good…"

Her whisper went unnoticed by everyone around her.

Lyra gave a light nod, her dyed-pink hair bouncing a little. "I asked the dungeon receptionist. They are level 1 and haven't joined a familia yet. Why are you doubting?"

Neze closed her eyes, her tail wagging. "I… don't know. That brown-haired lad made me feel I was standing before the King."

Kaguya crossed her arms on her chest with a frown. "Are you talking about Ottar, the Captain of Freya Familia?"

The sole level 7 in Orario after their death. Ottar, the King.

"That's absurd," Lyra denied.

"Must be my imagination." Neze shrugged it off.

True, Ryuu thought. The King had no match, be it inside or outside of the Orario. Only the deepest dungeon monsters could force his hand.

"Let's go down to the sixtieth floor today!"

"Fifty-ninth is the record for Zeus Familia, Captain!" Lyra retorted.

Alise smiled. "We are going to overtake them, just you watch!"

Kaguya helplessly shook her head. "Lady Astraea, save us from this handful of a Captain."

Ryuu's lips arched up under her mask. She gazed up at the ceiling.

Ardi, I hope you are doing well over there.