The Star Garden.
When Roy returned, Ryuu and Goddess Astrea had already prepared dinner. They had agreed to take turns preparing dinner; he couldn't be expected to do it all the time.
Although not comparable to Roy's elaborate meals, Goddess Astrea's cooking was good: freshly baked bread, sweet and sour soup, vegetable and fruit salad, and medium-rare beef steak.
During the meal, Roy learned the title the Gods had given him. Although he had expected it wouldn't be anything good, he still nearly spat out his bread.
Roy, the super rookie of the Astrea Familia, the fastest adventurer to reach LV.2 in history.
The title bestowed by the Gods was—"Justice Bud"!
Bud (萌芽/Mengya): The fading of winter, the arrival of early spring, a fresh sprout on a branch, symbolizing a beginning and emergence. It also fit the current state of the Astrea Familia.
It had to be admitted, it was quite tasteful.
But Roy still felt something was odd about it.
Goddess Astrea was quite satisfied. "I think it's nice. Demeter proposed it."
Roy had heard of Goddess Demeter. Her Familia was a commercial one that farmed and sold vegetables and fruits. They owned vast farmlands outside the city and were a major food supplier, known as a pillar of Orario.
Chatting amongst themselves, when Roy heard the suggestions from the other Gods, he suddenly thought his title was actually pretty good.
There was no appreciation without comparison.
If he had been saddled with a title like "Super Invincible Cool Lightning Boy," and people had to greet him with it, Roy felt he would want to die.
In any case, the title could be changed after he leveled up again.
No matter where you are, strength determines your right to speak. Once he reached LV.5 or LV.6, if these Gods didn't give him a pleasant and imposing title, he wouldn't hesitate to trip their Familia members in the Dungeon. He'd see who could torment whom more.
Roy quickly put the title out of his mind.
What raised his alarm was that Freya had also attended the Assembly. He wondered what that crazy woman was planning.
He suddenly had the urge to bring Bell Cranel to Orario ahead of time, at least to divert Freya's attention and keep her from staring at them.
After dinner, Roy returned to his room.
He had one more task: upgrading his equipment.
The Silver Chest dropped by Goliath had contained an Equipment Enhancer that could select one piece of equipment to enhance its quality to Epic grade.
Roy didn't have many pieces of equipment: the Gale Boots, Giant Killer, Steel Gauntlet, Muramasa, and the failed armor crafted by Tsubaki Collbrande.
The Steel Gauntlet was already Epic, so it was excluded. The Muramasa and the failed armor had low potential. The Giant Killer was only effective against huge monsters.
The only remaining choice was the Gale Boots.
That's why he had specifically asked Asfi to repair the Magic Item, afraid that its durability might not hold up and it would be destroyed.
Roy extracted the Equipment Enhancer, placed the Gale Boots inside, and clicked "Enhance."
The furnace-like enhancer trembled slightly.
Roy felt a little nervous. With a 99% success rate, if it failed, he would write his name backward.
[Gale Boots enhancement successful. Quality upgraded to Epic grade. New attributes available for viewing…]
Name: Gale Boots
Quality: Epic
Attribute: Increases speed by 30%.
Special Effect (Walk on the Wind): Boosts own Agility by 50%, lasts for 20 seconds. Each activation of the special effect reduces equipment durability by 8%.
Durability: 96%
…
Roy saw the notification panel and finally sighed in relief. The luxurious attributes were also a pleasant surprise.
Activating the Gale Boots' special effect, combined with the equipment's base attribute, would provide him with an additional 80% Agility—making him virtually invincible among LV.2s!
The next day.
As Roy stepped out of his room, he saw Goddess Astrea looking at him with a slightly exasperated expression, like a jilted woman who was blaming him for having wronged her…
Last night, Ryuu had pulled Goddess Astrea aside and revealed Roy's plan to her.
The plan absolutely required the Goddess's cooperation.
So, Goddess Astrea was quite helpless. She wasn't afraid of the Apollo Familia, but agreeing to a War Game for money, wagering her Familia member's life against them, went against the very "Justice" she presided over. It felt like she was being forced to do difficult things.
Roy gave an awkward laugh.
"This is the last time!"
"I am serious about this," Goddess Astrea said earnestly. At this point, if she refused, the consequences would be even more severe. She also understood the principle that it was better to guide than to suppress. Rather than letting the situation spiral out of control, it was better to guide it.
Roy smiled without saying a word. Breaking a boundary—that was always zero times or countless times…
The three had just finished breakfast. They no longer needed to rush to the Dungeon to earn money. Roy and Ryuu were sparring in the courtyard to hone their combat skills, their blades clashing.
About half an hour later, Apollo appeared at the gate with a large entourage.
"Astrea, let's have a War Game!"
Apollo stared directly at Goddess Astrea, but Roy felt his gaze was constantly shifting toward himself.
If she didn't know the ins and outs of the scheme, Astrea would have directly refused and banished him.
Of course, the show must go on!
Astrea frowned, her beautiful face showing confusion, incomprehension, and a hint of displeasure. "Apollo, what is the meaning of this?"
Apollo laughed. "Astrea, stop pretending. You owe the Guild 60 million Valis. If you can't pay it back, being homeless isn't a pleasant experience."
Astrea remained silent.
"If I win, Roy must convert to my Familia!" Apollo pointed at Roy, his extremely aggressive gaze making Roy feel a chill.
"If you win, the assets of my Familia will be yours to command. The debt can be repaid immediately!"
"Apollo, do you think I would sacrifice a child of my Familia for money?" Astrea's face looked displeased, as if she had been insulted.
Roy silently gave Goddess Astrea a thumbs-up. The Oscar is yours!
"Astrea, you have no right to refuse!" Apollo said smugly. "I know you're desperately trying to earn money in the Dungeon. What do you think would happen if I had my Familia members constantly harass you?"
The idea Roy taught Daphne was merely inducement. Apollo took it a step further—coercion!
A direct, forcible takeover was impossible, but if it was just harassment, the Apollo Familia's hundred-plus members had countless ways to indefinitely delay their repayment deadline.
As the saying goes, destroying a person's path to wealth is like killing their parents.
Any other Familia would immediately go to war with the Apollo Familia, but could the Astrea Familia, which upheld the banner of Justice, simply kill for money?
This tactic of harassment only works against good people.
Goddess Astrea's small face was icy, genuinely angered now. Her previous half-hearted support turned into full backing. "Fine, I agree to this War Game, but not for the sake of money, Apollo. For the sake of those children, you must not remain in Orario!"