Orario is managed by the Adventurers' Guild, founded by the great God Uranus.
The Guild is fully responsible for matters related to the Underground City, Gods, Familias, public order, and economic development of the city, essentially acting as the ruler of Orario.
Various Familias, depending on their level, even have to pay taxes to the Guild; the higher the level, the higher the tax.
With this parchment, he can withdraw eighty million falis from the Guild. The Astrea Familia truly lives up to its B-rank, still possessing some wealth.
Roy accepted the voucher openly and honestly.
Eighty million falis—any Adventurer with even a slight hint of evil intent would likely abscond with the money.
In this world, the cost of a meal for an ordinary person is about forty to fifty falis. Orario is the center of the world; in other places, it would be even cheaper.
What does eighty million falis mean? As long as one doesn't court death, an ordinary person could never spend it all in a lifetime.
But Roy was not that foolish. Without the Goddess Astrea's identification, this voucher was just a piece of scrap paper. Some people always think that if they pick up a check for several hundred million on the street, they can go to the bank to cash it.
But more often than not, it would result in a pair of shiny handcuffs, or at the very least, a certificate of commendation.
The person holding this check is the most important!
After settling the cooperation matters, Roy and Astrea stared at each other in the mansion, wide-eyed. It was their first meeting, and they had no common topics, at most chatting a bit about Aishe.
Grumble, grumble—
Just then, an untimely sound echoed.
Roy's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the Goddess Astrea's flat stomach. Her flawless cheeks flushed with two patches of red, and she gave a wry smile.
"God, I know a thing or two about cooking."
Of course, Roy wouldn't presumptuously embarrass a woman, especially such a beautiful God. Even if she were just a vase, she would still be pleasing to the eye.
These Gods, once they unleash their divine power, are omnipotent beings, yet they willingly confine themselves within the framework of the lower world, experiencing the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, which made Roy feel a sense of closeness.
Time passed, and the Elf Girl lying on the bed slowly woke up, her spirit and injuries fully recovered.
Aishe lightly stepped out of her room and quickly located the kitchen, where she sensed the presence of two people.
"I'm so sorry, I still need your help."
"It's alright, two people working together is better."
"I'm coming."
"Ouch~"
"Bear with it, this one is a bit big."
...
The conversation coming from the kitchen made the pure Elf Girl's sky-blue eyes widen instantly.
Recalling what Roy had said when he first entered, the Elf Girl's pretty face turned crimson. No way, it's impossible, he just met the Goddess Astrea!
A blush spread to the Elf Girl's pointed ears. Her two translucent ears drooped and then perked up, moving up and down like a bird's wings.
"What are you doing?!" The Elf Girl rushed over and pushed open the kitchen door.
The scene before her made the Elf Girl freeze.
The boy and the God were squatting on the ground. Astrea held a magic stone lamp for illumination with one hand, while Roy held the God's delicate, silken hand, pulling out a bloody wooden splinter.
"Aishe?"
Roy and Astrea looked at her in confusion.
In this situation, the Elf Girl immediately realized she had misunderstood. A feeling of shame welled up, and waves of heat seemed to emanate from the top of her head.
They were cooking. When the God was adding firewood, a sharp wooden splinter had pricked her finger, and Roy, with a very simple intention, was helping her pull it out.
"Why aren't you using magic stone equipment?"
The Elf Girl looked up and quickly understood. The magic stones for the refrigerator, gas stove, hot water kettle, and other equipment were already shattered. She pursed her lips, wondering how the Goddess Astrea had been living these past few days.
Ten minutes later, four dishes and one soup were laid out on the table, their rich aroma filling the entire house: stir-fried beef and shredded potatoes, Kung Pao chicken, cold cucumber salad, steamed egg custard, and mushroom soup.
Astrea and the Elf Girl stared intently at the delicious food on the table, their eyes unblinking.
"This cooking skill is more than 'knowing a thing or two.' You're truly impressive to be able to lie in front of a God and not be detected," Astrea said with a smile.
Roy showed a polite yet awkward smile, "A little bit, proficient in eight or nine!"
It was his first time interacting with a God, so Roy definitely wanted to try out all the ideas he had for over a decade.
As long as he believed in his heart that he wasn't lying, the God would at most detect a slight anomaly and couldn't be entirely sure. He truly wasn't lying; compared to those top chefs in his previous life, he really only knew a little...
It mainly depended on who he was comparing himself to.
Of course, if the God questioned him directly, it wouldn't matter how much he played with words.
Listening to Roy's sophistry, the Goddess Astrea smiled gently, like a hundred flowers blooming, unstained by mud, far surpassing the allure of the food.
After that difficult battle in the kitchen, Astrea and Roy became much more familiar with each other.
More importantly, Astrea sensed Roy's true intention: a way to save Aishe and the others.
"So you came from the Rajiya Kingdom. It must have been tough, since that country has Ares."
"It's alright. My greedy old man (village chief) is even better at social etiquette than I am."
"That's truly unimaginable."
"Haha!"
...
Watching Roy and God chatting happily, the Elf Girl next to them felt like the sky was falling. What exactly happened while she was resting?
If she had known that letting Roy and the Goddess Astrea meet would result in this, she truly wished she could go back in time and slap her past self twice.
The three of them swept through the delicious dishes on the table. After eating their fill, the room fell into silence.
They all knew that what must come, would come.
The annihilation of the Astrea Familia—such a tragic outcome demanded an explanation!
"Lady Astrea." The Elf Girl lowered her small head, still finding it difficult to face her beloved God.
"Aishe, do as you wish," Astrea said softly. With this young man by her side, she wasn't worried that Aishe would break down because of this.
Facing the God's trusting gaze made Roy feel a little embarrassed, but this time, with the hope of resurrecting Aishe and the others, and his interruption of her revenge, the Elf Girl did not completely fall into despair.
"Yes!"
The Elf Girl nodded heavily.
Roy and Aishe walked out of the Star Garden.
After leaving the mansion, Aishe's expression instantly changed. She stared coldly at Roy, "What exactly are you..."
Roy interrupted her, giving a laugh, "To the Guild headquarters. The second step is next."
Seeing Roy playing dumb, Aishe's face showed displeasure. What was wrong with this person? What was his purpose?
Aishe suppressed her doubts, "How do we do it?"
Roy smiled, "To deal with a Familia of over a hundred people in one go, of course, it's a War Game!"