"Ah! I didn't expect registration to be this simple. That means we can head into the Dungeon now!"
After leaving the Guild, Elise and Alise stepped out through its main doors. Just moments ago, they had completed the registration of a new Familia member in the hands of a nameless receptionist.
Now, Alise was officially a member of the Astraea Familia.
"Then, Captain, let's set off right away!"
"A whole new world is waiting for us!"
Alise pointed toward the towering Babel, her face brimming with excitement.
It was hardly surprising. She had been so thrilled last night that she barely slept at all, all for the sake of today's Dungeon adventure.
But...
Elise did not think the same way.
"No, Alise. You can't go to the Dungeon today."
Elise's emotionless voice instantly shattered Alise's fantasy, and her expression fell at once.
"Eh? Why not?"
However, Elise did intend to explain things properly.
"Do you know how strong the monsters in the Dungeon are? You don't even have equipment. How are you supposed to adventure down there like that?"
"Uh... well... what about this?"
Alise remembered that she was currently completely broke. If she hadn't joined the Astraea Familia yesterday, she might have ended up sleeping on the streets.
How could she possibly have any valis to buy equipment?
So she waved her fists, as if trying to show off her impressive combat skills.
"How about I give you a couple of punches to test it?" Seeing Alise's gesture, Elise felt a bit speechless. "If you can reach this level, then you can enter the Dungeon barehanded."
Elise raised her right hand and clenched it into a fist.
As a woman, her fist was naturally within the normal range for a female—perhaps even somewhat petite.
That was, if one ignored the starlight constantly flickering across it...
"Never mind, never mind! You're my senior. It's only right that I accept your guidance."
Looking at that small yet overwhelmingly threatening fist, Alise shook her head frantically.
What kind of joke was that? If she got hit directly by that thing, wouldn't she explode on the spot?
She was Alise. She had no intention of becoming Alise-chan.
"Sigh. It's not that I'm forbidding you from entering the Dungeon. But before you go, we need to prepare a few things for you. Come with me."
"Eh? Where are we going?"
Elise took Alise's hand and led her in a certain direction. Although it was somewhere Elise herself had never been before, she still remembered the route.
"A weapon shop!"
"You don't have any weapons or armor. You can't just go down into the Dungeon like that."
"What if you get injured?"
"Even if I can heal you, it would still hurt, wouldn't it?"
Hearing that, Alise froze for a moment before breaking into a smile.
This captain... she's actually pretty great.
As expected of a Familia of justice...
Both the goddess and the captain are like this...
I still need to keep working hard.
"Mm, thank you, Captain!"
At that moment, the young girl Alise strengthened her resolve.
I'll grow stronger too—burning myself to add another spark to the cause of justice!
...
"So this is the weapon shop?"
They were inside Babel. Although Babel served as the lid of the Dungeon, the tower itself was not empty.
Inside were various shops rented by different Familias—weapon stores run by smithing Familias, pharmacies and clinics operated by healing Familias, a hall where the gods gathered and stirred up trouble during meetings, and even a little black room where Freya indulged in her lovestruck fantasies.
In short, the facilities were complete and the variety of shops abundant. There was no need to worry about not finding what you needed.
Today, Elise had brought Alise here specifically to choose a weapon for her.
To be honest, if she hadn't received the news so suddenly, Elise would have used the rare materials she personally obtained to forge a full set of equipment for her Familia member.
A growth-type weapon would have been even better.
But under the current circumstances, the newly minted adventurer Alise wouldn't be able to use such high-grade equipment anyway.
For now, it was better to buy her some relatively refined gear suited for beginners. In any case, Elise's funds were more than sufficient. The valis stored within the Familia alone amounted to over a hundred million. And if she added her own private savings...
Buying Alise a set of quality equipment was no problem at all.
These were the kinds of things a captain had to consider.
Thinking carefully about the savings of the Astraea Familia members in the original story...
Alise had saved six thousand.
Kaguya had saved three hundred seventy thousand.
Lyra had saved four million.
Was it really the captain who had to worry the most?
How else could she end up that poor?
But now things were different. Since the captain was Elise, she would never let herself go hungry, nor would she let her Familia members starve.
After finding a decent shop, Elise led Alise inside.
Though the shop wasn't large, it had a complete selection of equipment. From Level 1 to Level 4 gear, nothing was lacking.
Alise was dazzled by the glittering high-level equipment, little stars practically sparkling in her eyes.
Then Elise spoke.
"Pick whatever you like here."
Nine simple words, radiating pure financial confidence.
After all, the higher the equipment's level, the higher its price. Repair costs were also a long-term burden.
Without sufficient funds, people wouldn't casually purchase high-level gear. While shops allowed credit, owing too much money to others wasn't exactly a good thing.
Although Alise didn't know the exact prices of the equipment, she had a clear understanding of her own strength.
If she used high-level gear, it would feel wasteful.
After all, frugality was also a form of justice.
Besides, Elise was standing right beside her. She might have said "pick whatever you like," but did Alise really dare?
Of course not.
It was best to choose equipment that suited her current level.
Otherwise, whatever good impression she had managed to build would be ruined—though, admittedly, she didn't have much of one to begin with.
Breastplates, shoulder guards, various pieces of armor and weapons—Alise examined them all carefully, thinking about what kind of weapon would suit her best.
Until a sword with a red hilt caught her eye.
"As expected, for a beautiful girl like me, red is the most suitable color. Not bad at all!"
Before long, Alise had finished selecting her equipment. Though not top-tier, everything fit her perfectly.
After putting it on, she stood in front of a mirror for quite some time. If Lyra were here, she would probably tease her with something like "showing off again," or similar remarks.
This was what a real young girl looked like.
Completely different from someone merely playing the part.
Elise only sighed faintly before paying the valis.
But...
Even if you're a genuine young girl, so what?
The title of number one beauty in the Familia still won't fall into your hands.
That was Elise's confidence.