"Astraea, you didn't cheat, did you?"
The suspicion voiced by the gods was only natural.
This was twelve years before the story's beginning. At present, the fastest anyone in the lower world could level up still took more than two years.
Before Bell appeared, Ais had held the record for the fastest advancement in the city—and even she had needed a full year to reach Level 2.
And Elise had only taken two months...
What kind of concept was that?
The gods' first reaction was that Astraea must have used divine power to cheat. Otherwise, such a rapid leveling speed was simply impossible.
Cheating was something the gods despised. In truth, it was considered a desecration of the rules of the gods' game in the lower world. Once discovered, the offender would undoubtedly become the target of public outrage.
But Astraea did not care in the slightest. She had not cheated to begin with—so what was there to fear?
"I am the very embodiment of fairness. How could I possibly do such a thing?"
She used her divine authority as a shield. It was indeed an effective method. The Goddess of Justice would not commit an unjust act.
"Look closely—doesn't that Elise possess extraordinary power?"
"A Level 1 defeating a Floor Boss without a scratch... that's already on par with Level 5 strength, isn't it?"
"Not just that. I once saw Elise on the street. She greeted me so warmly. Such a beautiful child."
"Exactly. Not only is she powerful, her personality is gentle too—like a saintess."
"And me! When I saw Elise-chan's sacred beauty, I couldn't help but confess to her. Sadly, she rejected me."
"If only I could spend a spring night with her..."
"Hey, hey! Think carefully—that's Astraea's Familia you're talking about!"
Among the gods present were naturally Astraea's divine friends. During casual conversations, she had occasionally mentioned the saintess before. She had not expected it to come in handy now.
"Why don't we give that child a proper title?"
"I think something like 'Saintess' would suit her perfectly."
"Yes! Just being around Elise-chan feels like being purified. It's incredibly healing!"
The topic among the gods quickly shifted toward Elise's title. This was exactly what Astraea had hoped to see.
Until a certain voice cut through the discussion, bringing it to an abrupt halt.
"Hey, aren't we still discussing whether Astraea cheated? Even if we're going to give that child a title, shouldn't we settle this first?"
A brown-skinned goddess of beauty exhaled a ring of smoke, watching the scene with cold detachment.
At that moment, countless gods fell silent.
The Goddess of Beauty—Ishtar.
No small Familia dared provoke Ishtar. The consequence would be annihilation. Even most mid-tier Familias avoided clashing with her. As for the upper-tier ones...
Loki narrowed her eyes, enjoying the spectacle. Freya wore an expression of keen interest.
This was rare entertainment indeed.
Ishtar against Astraea—who would come out on top?
Some gods, however, looked at Astraea with concern. Ishtar was truly not someone to trifle with. She held grudges fiercely.
Once she set her sights on someone, whether it was their Familia's children or the god themselves, misfortune would follow.
Those minor Familias could only silently pray for Astraea.
"Astraea, how will you prove you didn't cheat?"
"No, Ishtar. It should be you who proves that I did cheat."
Faced with Ishtar's provocation, Astraea remained utterly unbothered—even meeting her gaze head-on.
"Oh? Such an absurd leveling speed. Isn't that proof enough?"
"If this were the era of Zeus and Hera, would you ask them the same question?"
Astraea shot back without hesitation.
The era of Zeus and Hera had been overflowing with talent. The adventurers of that time were undoubtedly far stronger than those of the present.
"The era of Zeus and Hera is over, Astraea," Ishtar emphasized before continuing, "This is the new era—our era."
"Our era doesn't need the relics left behind by those old fossils."
In truth, Ishtar wanted to remove the word 'our.' But in front of so many gods—especially Freya—she ultimately chose not to.
Her preparations to deal with Freya were not yet complete. She could not afford unnecessary complications.
But Astraea was different. A newly arrived Familia in Orario daring to act so boldly before her?
Freya already stood above Ishtar's head. She would not allow another Astraea to do the same.
"How pitiful, Ishtar."
Astraea looked at her with faint pity.
"Perhaps it is precisely because you think that way that your Familia has not produced a single true talent."
Though the era of Zeus and Hera had passed, that did not mean there was nothing worth inheriting. Otherwise, those two would not have ruled Orario for over a thousand years.
And in the future, when Zald and Alfia would return to Orario and easily defeat the city's Twin Pillars, it would prove one thing.
Legends of the past were still legends.
"Astraea!!!"
That single sentence completely shattered Ishtar's composure.
Did her Familia have any real talent?
Apparently... no.
At present, her highest members were only a few at Level 3.
If she truly possessed outstanding talent, how could she have been suppressed by Freya for so many years without ever turning the tables?
Ishtar could no longer maintain her former poise. She had devolved into something resembling a scolding shrew.
"Whether my Familia has talent or not is none of your concern!"
"Believe it or not, I can declare a War Game against you right now and wipe your entire Familia out!"
"You're welcome to try."
Neither goddess had any intention of compromising. The situation froze in a tense stalemate.
"Ooooooh—"
But Ishtar's words only excited the vast majority of the gods present.
Such juicy drama was a rare treat!
"Fight! Fight!"
"A War Game! Hurry up and start it!"
Just as the tension reached its peak, another goddess spoke.
"That's enough. This farce ends here."
Following the voice, the speaker this time was actually Freya.
"I can testify that Astraea did not cheat."
For a moment, part of the hall was stunned. Freya was standing on the same side as Astraea?
Even Loki opened her narrowed eyes, glancing first at Freya, then at Astraea, clearly deep in thought.
"I have met Elise. She is indeed a child with extraordinary potential. When she was Level 1, she was able to clash with Ottar and escape successfully."
"According to Ottar's judgment, Elise's current strength is at least comparable to Level 5."
"Receiving a fitting title would be only natural."