Hajime was focused on cooking and didn't notice anything strange.
But Lefiya, standing nearby, did.
"Ais-sama?"
She called out softly, confused.
Why was Ais, who was normally so expressionless, looking at someone like that?
Before, it was understandable if she just liked the taste of the food.
But now… her attention was clearly locked on the man behind the stall.
What was so special about him—aside from being handsome?
Lefiya didn't get it.
As Hajime finished up the fried rice and handed over the portions, he finally noticed Ais's piercing gaze.
"Why are you looking at me like that?"
Ais paused before answering.
"You've gotten stronger."
It wasn't a question. It was a fact, spoken with absolute certainty.
"—!"
Hajime was momentarily stunned.
He had only met Ais once before, and he hadn't tried to hide anything today. His movements were all natural.
Still, he didn't expect her to pick up on his growth so quickly.
"Why do you say that?"
He neither confirmed nor denied it, just asked with interest.
"From the way you hold the wok, I can tell your strength is at least that of a Level 2 adventurer."
Ais answered earnestly.
As a swordswoman, she was intimately familiar with the mechanics of physical exertion.
You couldn't always judge strength by body size, but you could estimate it by how someone handled weight—like a weapon, or in this case, a cast-iron wok.
Hajime had lifted and flipped the heavy wok with ease, barely using any real force. That alone told Ais he was far beyond Level 1.
Whether he was Level 2, 3, or higher, she couldn't say for sure. But he was no ordinary person.
And that was shocking.
Just a month ago, he was a total newcomer, without even a single stat boost from a god's blessing.
To have gone from Level 1 to at least Level 2 in one month…
That shattered the record even she had set.
This realization made her eyes burn with desire.
"Loki told me never to ask other adventurers about how they got stronger…"
"But I have my reasons—I must become stronger."
"No matter the cost, no matter the price—I'm willing to trade."
Ais lowered her head deeply in front of Hajime, completely sincere.
"Please. Will you tell me how you got stronger?"
As one of Orario's most famous adventurers, known as the "Sword Princess," Ais was already Level 5—a top-tier fighter even within the Loki Familia.
But she wasn't satisfied.
She had been stuck at Level 5 for far too long. Her stats had plateaued, and she hadn't seen any signs of advancing to Level 6.
For ages, she'd been searching for a way forward—without success.
And now, by pure chance, she'd found someone with an unbelievably fast growth rate.
Even if it was shameless, even if she had to give up everything, she couldn't let this chance slip away.
She would trade all her wealth just to know his secret.
Lefiya was stunned.
She'd always known Ais was obsessed with growing stronger—but this… this was another level.
Her gaze then turned toward Hajime.
How would he respond?
Ais bent at a full ninety-degree angle, completely earnest.
Hajime scratched his chin, pondering for a moment before asking:
"You just said you're willing to pay any price… were you serious?"
Ais blinked, about to nod.
But Lefiya suddenly jumped in.
"Wait! Ais-sama, you can't just agree to something like that so easily!"
Her face flushed red.
"He's a man! What if he asks for something weird!?"
As Ais's number one fan—and a self-proclaimed little sister figure—Lefiya felt it was her duty to protect her innocence.
Ais tilted her head in confusion.
"Lefiya… what do you mean by something 'weird'?"
Having grown up in the Familia, Ais was as pure as a blank page. She didn't understand the implication at all.
"Uhh…"
Caught off guard, Lefiya's face turned even redder. She was practically steaming.
How could she explain that in public!?
Ais simply shook her head.
"Lefiya, you're acting strange…"
Then she turned back to Hajime, her eyes filled with anticipation.
"So… is it okay?"
The golden-haired girl asked again, her tone full of hope.