[FGO]: 37

Ryou recited a lengthy incantation, but unfortunately, there was no summoning circle lighting up, no heroic spirit descending from the sky, and not even any cheap special effects. All that was before him was Ais, tilting her head slightly, looking at him with a cute, bewildered expression.

Ah, nostalgia...

Ryou sighed inwardly and sent a request to Ais through the system.

Ais was initially startled, perhaps surprised that someone could speak directly into her mind. She then nodded obediently and softly said, "I am willing."

With her response, the blank card in Ryou's hand instantly lit up with a resplendent rainbow glow.

Ais, dressed in silver-white half-armor and holding the Sword of Despair, appeared vividly on the card.

[Name: Ais Wallenstein

Race: Human (Spirit, not activated)

Class: Saber

Alignment: Lawful Good

Growth Potential: Five Stars

Rank: Ordinary Heroic Spirit

Base Attributes:

Strength: 34.5 (D+)

Agility: 36.2 (C-)

Endurance: 33.6 (D+)

Mana: 28.7 (D-)

(Note: The average attribute for ordinary humans, excluding Mana, is 10. Below 10 is F-, above 15 but below 20 is E-, and so on.)

Luck: B+

Class Skills:

Magic Resistance (B)

Personal Skills:

Ariel's Blessing

Noble Phantasms:

Blessing (EX)

Sword of Despair (D)]

Ais has a five-star growth potential!?

Ryou had looked it up: growth potential ranged from one star at the lowest to five stars at the highest. A five-star growth potential meant that, given enough time, she would almost inevitably grow into an epic-level heroic spirit and might even reach the mythical level with sufficient opportunity.

It made sense, considering who Ais's parents were. Her father was Wallenstein, a great hero from a thousand years ago, and her mother was someone extraordinary—a Spirit known as the Avatar of the Gods.

With such bloodlines, Ais's achievements were destined to be out of reach for ordinary people.

Even Bell Cranel, the protagonist of this world's original story, would not necessarily match Ais's achievements and talents if not for the author's favoritism.

As for feeling jealous, that was out of the question.

My kouhai now belongs entirely to me; what's there to be jealous of?

Ais's basic attributes were roughly as Ryou had estimated. Perhaps due to becoming a contract heroic spirit, her class had changed to one of the three knight classes, Saber. Her class skills included a B-level Magic Resistance, and most importantly, both Blessing and the Sword of Despair had become Noble Phantasms!

Especially the Noble Phantasm Blessing.

The improved version of Blessing that Ryou had, which was modified by Scathach, could only be used in this world and was ineffective in other worlds.

However, Ais's Blessing, after being sublimated into a Noble Phantasm, could be used in other worlds.

Although this Noble Phantasm had no offensive power, its effect surpassed any other Noble Phantasm.

It no longer required the main god to update statuses and could independently guide the host's potential based on their experiences, continuously enhancing the host's overall attributes. It even included the development abilities Ais had previously chosen, such as Hunter and Abnormal Resistance. As Ais grew stronger, more new abilities would emerge.

For example, Hunter allows for greater damage against non-human species such as beasts and phantasms.

In simple terms, Blessing is equivalent to carrying a simplified Solo leveling system.

Ryou had been worried about how Ais would grow stronger in other worlds, but now it seemed her growth rate might not be any slower than his own.

This was a treasure!

Unable to contain himself, Ryou embraced Ais and planted a kiss on her smooth, tender cheek.

Ais's face immediately turned crimson, but she neither stopped his actions nor pushed him away, seemingly giving tacit approval.

Ryou felt a great sense of relief in his heart; it seemed the plan to nurture his kouhai was progressing smoothly.

"Go back and prepare yourself properly. It's best to leave a message explaining that you'll be away for a while; otherwise, Loki will cause a huge commotion again."

Ryou silently added in his mind that even if she left a message, Loki would still cause a huge commotion.

Thinking of that troublesome goddess, Ais's face also turned expressionless.

Loki, with tears streaming down her face, would be shouting, "Give me back my Ais!"

At this moment, the images in both their minds were almost synchronized.

"Try not to draw too much attention to yourself," Ryou couldn't help but feel a headache and rubbed his temples.

Ais nodded, her eyes showing agreement.

After finishing his instructions and agreeing to meet again here the next day before their departure, the two parted ways.

Ryou returned to the Gudako Hotel to begin preparations for his departure.

The operation of the hotel had now entered a stable phase.

Moreover, occasions requiring Ryou to personally cook had become quite rare. With his increasing fame, a single cooking session by him could cost millions of Valis, making it impossible for even top-tier families and guilds to frequently request his culinary services.

To ensure the normal operation of the hotel, Ryou specifically groomed—er, guided—veteran female staff members like May, Ryuu and Chloe to be capable of managing on their own.

Although they were still far from Ryou's level, they had become competent enough to manage the Gudako Hotel.

Aside from their innate talent, the strong physical coordination of these Lv. 4 adventurers played a significant role.

To expedite their training, Ryou taught them based on their strengths, assigning them only to the dishes they were best at.

Chloe, the black-haired catgirl, excelled at seafood dishes. Syr specialized in desserts, and the lively, brown-haired catgirl Anya was surprisingly good at barbecue.

Even Ryuu, the ice-cold elf girl, excelled at making various drinks, showcasing the elves' natural affinity for nature and art.

Due to their skill and fame, the dishes they prepared were much more affordable than those cooked by Ryou himself. While his dishes could easily cost millions of Valis, their dishes ranged from tens of thousands to a hundred thousand Valis, making them much more accessible. Coupled with their natural beauty, the Gudako Hotel saw an increase in business instead of a decline.

However, the sixth floor of the Gudako Hotel, decorated like a heavenly palace, remained Ryou's private dining hall, reserved only for the most distinguished guests and only used when he was cooking. It wasn't used for banquets costing less than ten million Valis.

Ryou cleverly employed a hunger marketing strategy, turning the Gudako Hotel into a membership-based establishment.

From lowest to highest, the membership levels were Bronze, Silver, Gold, and the highest, Diamond.

A Bronze membership card required a cumulative spend of over one hundred thousand Valis at the tavern, while Silver required over one million Valis.

Crucially, these two levels did not grant access to the main dining area of the Gudako Hotel, only allowing dining in the second-floor and third-floor private rooms of the tavern.

Only Gold members had the privilege of entering the Gudako Hotel.

Besides needing to spend ten million Valis, Gold membership also required an evaluation to prove the cardholder had assets worth one hundred million Valis or equivalent status.

However, even Gold members couldn't enter the sixth floor, the Ryou Hall.

As for the highest Diamond level, it wasn't about how much one spent; it was awarded by the Gudako Hotel to the most valuable customers after an evaluation. So far, only five Diamond cards have been issued.

The five known cardholders are two major noble families, a guild, the head of the merchants' alliance, and one card that Ryou had put into the black market auction through a series of channels.

This kind of Diamond-level membership card is tied to the card, not the person. As long as the cardholder enters the Gudako Hotel, they can freely explore the first to sixth floors and enjoy a 20% discount. The most crucial benefit is that this Diamond card allows for up to 100 million Valis in overdraft spending.

In other words, the card itself is equivalent to 100 million Valis within the hotel. Additionally, under Ryou's manipulation, this card has become a symbol of status and prestige, only held by top-tier individuals.

Following this marketing strategy combined with special advertising, the Diamond card that entered the black market auction was sold for a staggering 5 billion Valis.

This not only earned Ryou a significant profit but also promoted the name of the Gudako Hotel worldwide.

After all, it was in Orario, the center of such a world. In another world, such an effect would not have been as exaggerated.

After all, nearly 95% of the gods from the lower world and 99% of the adventurers are concentrated in Orario, making its overall strength capable of overwhelming the entire world.

...

A peaceful day arrived once again.

This time, without alarming anyone, Ryou only informed his partner, Mia Grand.

"Gudao-kun, aren't you going to say goodbye to those girls? What should I do when they come looking for you?"

Mia Grand crossed her arms, her intimidating aura even more pronounced.

There's a saying that the position you sit in naturally cultivates a corresponding aura, and Ryou now believed it.

Compared to before the Gudako Hotel became successful, Mia Grand's aura had increased tenfold.

Other than Ryou and the old-timers of the tavern, no one dared to call Mama Mia anymore; they all addressed her as Madam.

"It's just a couple of months of travel, not like I'm not coming back."

This was exactly what made Ryou almost leave without saying goodbye.

He had witnessed how terrifying love-struck young girls could be.

Given his reputation in the Gudako Hotel, except for a few, there was nothing he couldn't get if he wanted it.

Although organizing something like an unrestricted gathering or a grand feast might be a bit much, just beckoning would be enough to have those admiring girls voluntarily climb into his bed.

The reason he didn't act was not because he was less than a beast.

It's just that... Transmigrator Golen Rule, getting aroused by a bunch of nameless background characters was too lame.

"Go on, remember to come back early."

Mia Grand waved her hand as if shooing him away, but her slightly reddened eyes and concerned look betrayed her true feelings.

"Then I'll be off. Take care."

Ryou sighed and resolutely turned to leave.

He didn't know that a pair of eyes had been watching him the whole time, lingering until his figure completely disappeared into the morning mist.

...

When Ryou arrived at the city wall, Ais, fully armed, was already waiting there.

Seeing Ais empty-handed, Ryou couldn't help but be surprised.

He had seen some girls who would take a bunch of cosmetics just for a trip, and even more for a vacation—they'd carry a whole suitcase.

It was the first time he'd seen someone like Ais, so lightly packed.

Well, anyway, my kouhai is naturally beautiful; she doesn't need any cosmetics...

Ryou thought happily.

"Is there something wrong with me?"

Perhaps Ryou's gaze caught Ais's attention, and the girl tilted her head adorably.

"No, no! Nothing, let's hurry, or it will be a big deal if your Familia finds out."

Ryou quickly changed the subject.

Ais nodded obediently.

Thus, their figures disappeared into the morning light.

As for the impact their elopement-like action would have on the entire Orario, no one could tell.

However, the people of Orario are unaware that beneath this facade of peace lies a storm capable of sweeping across the entire world!

...

In a mysterious residence somewhere in Orario, from the outside, it looks like an ordinary mansion. But once you step inside and cross the stone gate of the courtyard, it's as if you have entered another world.

The interior is styled like an ancient Greek temple, made entirely of stone, with various heroic and mythological reliefs everywhere, and sculptures of the Olympian gods lined up on both sides.

A goddess with purple hair and bright eyes sits on the throne, and in front of her kneel twelve figures on one knee. They are either slender, athletic, or petite, and each possesses beauty comparable to a goddess. On their earlobes hang twelve golden earrings symbolizing the twelve zodiac signs.

"Your Highness, we have determined the target's movement patterns. The only one who has been by his side for a long time is a single LV7 adventurer, who is not a concern."

An elf girl with an earring in the shape of a centaur aiming a bow at the sky, carrying a huge golden bow as tall as a person, said in a deep voice.

In her words, the strongest warrior of Orario, Ottar, seemed like a small fry who could be dealt with easily. They have this confidence because each of them exudes an aura no less than that of Ottar, the so-called final weapon of Orario and the only LV7. Among them, two and a pair of twins have an aura that far surpasses Ottar's. But the most terrifying is the goddess with purple hair and bright eyes sitting on the throne. Such a terrifying force, capable of overturning all of Orario single-handedly, has remained unknown!

"No rush~ It's time to reap some interest after using our Olympian gods' most important chess piece for so long."

Athena elegantly took a sip from a golden, gem-encrusted wine glass. "This time, we will not only retrieve this chess piece but also make the entire Asgardian pantheon pay the price!"

A confident smile appeared on her face, perfectly combining heroism and beauty.

"Yes! Your Highness! Your will is our mission!"

The twelve voices echoed uniformly in the resplendent temple as if heralding a massive storm about to sweep across Orario.

...

At the edge of time-space in Chaldea, a colorful beam of light lit up, and three figures appeared in the center of the teleportation array.

"So tired, I can finally get some rest."

Back in his independent base, Ryou couldn't help but let out a big yawn.

"A qualified warrior should never let their guard down, no matter where they are," came a cold voice from beside him — it was Scathach.

Being stared at by those cold crimson eyes, Ryou couldn't help but feel immense pressure. However, remembering Scathach's obvious deliberate absence during the final battle, a surge of anger welled up in his heart.

"Does it matter? This is Chaldea at the end of time-space, safety is guaranteed. Staying alert in your own home is just exhausting!"

With an unknown surge of courage, Ryou argued.

"Is that so~ So that's what you think."

Scathach slightly frowned but said nothing more, turning and leaving the teleportation room.

"Geez~ What a weirdo."

Ryou tried to dispel the unpleasant thoughts from his mind and then smiled at Ais, who was quietly standing by as an observer.

"Kouhai, let me show you to your room."

Ais nodded obediently. My kouhai is so well-behaved~ Ryou's mood lightened a bit as he led Ais to the living quarters.

Due to its layout modeled after the Chaldea in the FGO mobile game, the decor here is filled with a futuristic sci-fi vibe. This was very novel to Ais, who came from a medieval background, and she couldn't help but look around curiously.

Seeing this, Ryou slowed his pace and started introducing the place as they walked.

"The place we just came out of is the teleportation room, which can send us to other worlds. Now we're passing by the training ground, which can simulate various environments and even any enemies we've encountered before. Any injuries sustained inside, including fatal ones, can be instantly healed."

Ryou pointed to a large black iron door as he explained.

Ais's eyes lit up as she looked at the door, the training ground piquing her interest.

"...I'm not too sure about the specifics, something about placing the real body in a parallel space and then simulating an identical copy on the spot..."

Ryou was enthusiastically explaining when he noticed Ais staring intently at the training ground door.

Ryou couldn't help but pat Ais on the head.

Enduring the itch in his nose, the two of them walked and toured around. Unknowingly, they arrived at a spacious hall with more than a dozen tables in the center.

"This is the dining hall. That big round ball in the center, if you place your hand on it, you can change the background layout of the dining hall through your thoughts. You can either cook for yourself or choose to have the dining hall cook automatically."

After passing through the dining hall, the two soon arrived at the residential area, where two rows of doors were neatly arranged. There were nameplates beside the doors, and apart from the first two rooms occupied by Ryou and Scathach, the other nameplates were blank.

Ryou led Ais to the door of an empty room next to his and pointed to the blank nameplate, saying, "Place your hand on the nameplate and imagine the decoration layout of your room. Once your name appears on the nameplate, it means the space inside has been replaced. Give it a try."

Without waiting for a response, Ryou took Ais's small hand and placed it on the nameplate.

Ais's cheeks flushed with a faint blush, but she did not pull her hand away from his grasp, letting him guide her.

Soon, a flash of light passed, and the name "Ais Wallenstein" appeared on the blank nameplate.

The door then swung open with a swish.

Curiously, Ryou peeked inside, only to find that Ais's room was not only small but also had very few items and furniture. It had just the essentials: a bed, a set of tables and chairs, and a wardrobe. Its decoration style was reminiscent of her room in the Loki Familia.

This girl is too simple...

Ryou shook his head helplessly but respected her choice.

"If you want to change the layout or decoration, just place your hand on the nameplate again and use your thoughts to control it," Ryou reminded her, still a bit worried.

"No, this is fine," Ais said, looking at the familiar room with a touch of warmth in her eyes.

"Alright, as long as you're happy. My room is right next door, so just come to me if you need anything," Ryou said with a hint of helplessness.

"Goodnight," Ais said and walked straight into her room, closing the door behind her, shutting out the words he still had to say.

"Goodnight," Ryou said with a bitter smile to the closed door, then turned and went into his room. He threw his tired body onto the bed and soon fell into a deep sleep.

---

Just as Ryou was sleeping soundly, he suddenly felt a strong killing intent approaching. Without even opening his eyes, his body reacted instinctively, rolling off the bed.

Who am I? Where am I? Who hit me?

Ryou was forcibly awakened, his mind still in a daze. When he looked up at his bed, there, a crimson magic spear was impaled. If he had been a bit slower, it would have pierced his throat.

Wait a minute! Aren't I in Chaldea? Why am I being attacked, and why does this spear look so familiar!?

"Awake? It seems I need to correct you; your alertness is barely adequate," Scathach's cold voice came from the other side of the bed.

"What exactly are you trying to do!?"

Nearly being stabbed to death for no reason, combined with his morning grumpiness, Ryou completely ignored the difference in their strength and was furious.

"You have been resting for eight hours since you returned to your room. That time is enough to recover your physical and mental strength. Now it's my turn to train you."

Ryou swore he didn't see wrong. When Scathach said the last sentence, although her expression remained cold and proud, a clear hint of excitement flashed in her eyes.

"Alright, if you're a man, stop dawdling. Didn't you say you wanted to become my best disciple? Just talking isn't enough," Scathach said, and with a wave of her delicate hand, the magic spear embedded in the bed was pulled back into her hand as if by an invisible string.

"Here I come!"

Scathach shouted, thrusting with a speed that was just fast enough for him to dodge.

"Wait!... At least let me get dressed!"

Ryou, not caring about his posture, messily dodged Scathach's thrust.

"To be a qualified warrior, you must be able to enter combat at any moment. Moreover... do you think the enemy will wait for you to get dressed?"

Scathach said as she launched another three-strike combo.

Ryou immediately gave up on getting dressed. Wearing only a pair of boxers, he quickly took out the Elemental Fury from his storage space and put it on his hands, then blocked Scathach's three strikes left and right.

"What kind of teacher are you! I'm going to leave the school!"

Ryou roared in anger.

"Too late! Since you became my disciple, you either earn my acknowledgment or you die by my hand; there is no second path!" Scathach continued to thrust her magical spear relentlessly, the crimson spearhead raining down on him like a bloody storm.

"You! You Spartan teacher!"

Ryou barely managed to fend off the spear rain with all his might.

"Spartan? Their education method was taught by me!"

Perhaps getting more excited as the fight went on, a hint of bloodlust appeared on Scathach's face.

"Fukou da!!!"

Ryou let out a wail that echoed throughout all of Chaldea.

...

In the room next door, Ais was just putting on her gear, preparing to head to the training grounds. Hearing the sounds of battle and Ryou's cries of despair from the adjacent room, a hint of envy flashed in her eyes.

I envy Senpai, being personally trained by Shishou. I can't fall behind!

This was the truest thought in the heart of Ais Wallenstein, who was single-mindedly focused on becoming stronger.

One had to admit that Scathach's teaching methods were extremely rough and unreasonable, but they were incredibly effective.

She seemed to have an almost supernatural understanding of Ryou's body, able to detect even the slightest changes, thereby pushing his physical limits and allowing him to continuously break through with the help of his Noble Phantasms.

In just one day, Ryou's basic attributes saw a slight increase.

Of course, the price was that... Ryou was practically trained to the point of being unable to move, not even a single finger, and had to be carried back to his room by Ais.

And this was just the beginning. For the entire following week, Ryou lived in a state of constant torment.

Only when Scathach saw that his body and spirit were truly exhausted did she let him go and turned to train Ais, who was eagerly waiting for her turn.

Scathach's training of Ais, however, was extremely measured, appearing to be a perfectly normal teacher-student interaction.

Unable to hold back, Ryou questioned her, only to be shut down by Scathach with one sentence.

"Because you're a man. If you cut off what's below, I can be 'gentler' with you too, how about that?"

When she said this, she kept glancing at his lower half, making Ryou's hair stand on end.

Under Scathach's Spartan-style training, within just a week, all of Ryou's basic attributes broke through 25 points, reaching D-. Several of his innate skills also saw significant improvement.

Attributes were one thing, but the key was in combat.

Previously, Ryou had never been systematically trained by anyone and would rely on his high defense and strong recovery to tough it out, fighting with a do-or-die mentality.

This fighting style was effective against monsters but less so against martial arts experts.

They could easily deliver a fatal blow without waiting for you to slowly drag them down.

Although Scathach's methods were harsh, she taught him the most suitable combat style for him in the shortest time.

A defensive counter-attack style focused on defense and dodging vital attacks.

With Ryou's Noble Phantasms and Mystic Codes, as long as he could drag the fight into a prolonged battle, not to mention enemies of the same level, even those a level higher would lose once they were dragged into a prolonged battle, allowing Ryou to continuously accumulate mana.

Scathach's methods might have been cruel, but they were incredibly effective in teaching her disciples, benefiting Ryou greatly.

However, Ryou really couldn't endure this Spartan-style education.

Originally planning to take a month off in Chaldea, he now had to end his plan early.

When Ryou found Scathach and explained his intentions, Scathach's eyes were a bit strange. "You say you want to go to another world?"

PS: Next Chapter is Gacha Time!