Chapter 10: Goddess Astrea

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Arthur Leywin:

Opening my eyes, what greeted me was the clear blue sky.

The last thing I remember was killing the Juggernaut, so why am I here? Looking at my surroundings, I could only see a vast wasteland stretching as far as my eyes could see.

Did the Astrea Familia dump me here and leave?

Throwing this idea away, I raised myself to my legs and started walking to see if I could find something or someone.

I don't even know why I decided to help them. It was just when I taught about Ryuu and what she would do something made me help them.

'Sylv, are you there?'

Getting no response, I got worried. Did something happen to her? Or did I die again, and this is my hell?

Continuing to walk for what seemed like hours, I didn't find anything new. Then, as I was considering stopping, something caught my eye.

Someone was sitting on a pile of rubble. When trying to get a good look at the person, the face was distorted, and the only thing I could see aside from their body was long wheat-colored hair.

The person seemed to notice my presence and looked at me before saying two words before my consciousness faded.

"Not yet."

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I opened my eyes, and this time what greeted me was not the sky but a white ceiling and a lot of pain.

Was that a dream? But who was that person? Could he be...

Sitting up, I saw Sylvie sleeping near my legs. The room we were in was a simple one with a bed, a bedside table, and two bookshelves filled with books.

The door opened as the same red-haired girl that attacked me in Rivira walked in with bandages in her hand.

Seeing me awake, she let out a surprised yelp before recomposing herself.

"You're awake!!"

She shouted loud enough for everyone to hear, and not long after, more people started crowding the small room.

Feeling slightly uncomfortable from all the eyes on me, I decided to speak out.

"Yes, although I still feel the pain from the battle, I'm alright, and thank you for not leaving me there after I passed out."

"No, you don't need to thank us. More people would have died that day if it wasn't for your help."

She said with a sad look while clenching her hands. That's right, I forget the Amazones that the Juggernaut killed. One death over ten is still better, but I couldn't feel bad. She wouldn't have died if I had just used my Integrate Phase from the start.

A new voice that just entered the room brought me out of thinking about other possible scenarios. Looking at the person that entered, she had long walnut brown hair gathered together behind her head and deep indigo eyes, wearing a simple kirtle and a long skirt.

"Girls, let's not bother our guest just after he woke up."

She said, addressing the members of the Astrea Familia before turning to me and speaking.

"And thank you for saving my children. I don't know what would happen if you weren't there."

She said with a slight bow. Deducing she was Astrea because of the children's comment, I said.

"I did just what everybody would do, so you don't need to bow, Goddess..."

Stopping before saying her name. It wasn't like people knew how all the gods looked, so it could be suspicious if I knew her.

Hearing me stop before saying her name, she introduced herself.

"I'm Astrea, the head of this familia."

"As I said, I did just what everybody would do, so you don't need to bow, Goddess Astrea."

Nodding, she observed me for a while before speaking again.

"I would want to talk to you about the incident, but you should rest for now."

With that, she left me alone with Sylvie, and not long after, sleep overtook me.

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Having woken the next day, I went to Astreas office, where I was sitting, sipping on my tea with Astrea on the opposite side of the table separating us.

The silence was broken by Astrea.

"I reported the incident directly to Ouranos."

She stopped for a second before continuing.

"The monster that attacked you was a special monster the dungeon sends as a protection mechanism when the dungeon is damaged too much, so he ordered us to keep this incident secret."

Knowing this already, it didn't surprise me, but there was something that worried me.

"Did you tell him about me?"

I asked, hoping she didn't.

"We didn't know your name then, but I told him about your appearance."

Great, so now the strongest god in Orario knows how I look and what I'm capable of.

Now I'm probably gonna be stalked by a living skeleton everywhere I go. What's next, the Juggernaut returning as a Xenos wanting to fight me again?

"I see."

I told her.

Me being bandaged made it obvious they knew I didn't have a blessing, and Ouranos wouldn't have a problem finding who I was. Well, I was already strong enough to take care of myself if a god sent his familiar after me. But that didn't mean I would just show everyone it just yet. Let's hope they keep it to themselves.

We continued our talk for some time before I made a request.

"As you know, I'm not in a familia right now. So while I can go down to the Middle Floors with small difficulty, the Lower Floors would pose a problem, and let's not talk about the Deep Floors."

Looking at her reaction to see what she thought, I was met with a peaceful expression, so I continued.

"That's why I request you to let me join your children on their expeditions."

Thinking about it, she answered me.

"While I'm not against it, it's something my children need to decide."

"Thank you, Goddes Astrea."

After that, our conversation ended, and I stayed for dinner, where I got to know them better.

They agreed to let me join them on the next expedition. Usually, people wouldn't trust a stranger, but I assume saving their lives helped.

They also asked me about my abilities. Considering that we would be working together, I decided to tell them I knew some elemental spells. They already saw me use them, so why not? And it wasn't a lie, so Lady Astrea didn't find anything wrong about it.

After dinner, I left thinking about everything that had happened. Unfortunately, using the Integrate Phase isn't something I can use freely yet. I need to be stronger so I won't need to use it if a strong enemy appears.

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Authors Note:

Thank you for reading this chapter.

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