On the second floor of Freya's residence, at the top of The Tower of Babel.
Astrea was somewhat surprised after hearing Chen Hai's arrangements.
Before coming here, Astrea had already told her Familia members.
Facing the Dungeon Lord who currently ruled Orario, she had devised two completely different plans.
First: If he was an unreasonable fellow, Astrea would use her Divine Power to fight him, aiming to defeat him before being 'forcibly returned' to Heaven.
Second: If Chen Hai was approachable, a rational and logical person, then the Astrea Familia would re-establish themselves in Orario and continue to investigate the Dungeon Lord.
As for the reason for her sudden return.
Five years ago, Astrea, who had left Orario due to a major misfortune suffered by her Familia, chose to live in the 'Sword City, Solingen,' where she gained several new Familia members.
During a transaction with a traveling merchant, she learned from him that 'Orario had changed dramatically.'
Magic stone production increased.
The number of Adventurers surged.
The number of merchant guilds settling there also increased significantly.
After inquiring about the reason, she realized that a 'Dungeon Lord' had appeared in Orario.
Upon hearing this, Astrea recalled her past misfortune.
She didn't want that kind of thing to happen to other Familias again.
At the same time, to investigate that 'Dungeon Lord,' Astrea brought her new Familia members to Orario.
As previously stated, she had devised two completely different plans based on the Dungeon Lord's reaction.
Combat and cooperation.
However, upon arriving at the scene, Astrea quickly discovered that the 'Dungeon Lord' she had heard about was completely different from what she had imagined after seeing him with her own eyes and speaking to him personally.
He was a rational person.
A person capable of communication.
She felt it was due to her own prejudice that she had imagined the 'Dungeon Lord' as a terrifying existence.
But it couldn't be helped... Astrea's former Familia members had suffered misfortune in the Dungeon, causing her to always view the Dungeon as the greatest threat.
Although 'Dark Faction' had interfered, the terror and danger of the Dungeon were undeniable.
However, on her way, Astrea heard from merchants she met that 'magic stone transactions in Orario are smoother than before, and everyone can make money.'
And all of this started when Chen Hai issued the 'New Dungeon Rules.'
Recalling everything about the 'New Orario,' Astrea couldn't help but look at Chen Hai beside her.
Chen Hai noticed the Goddess's gaze and looked back.
To be honest, Astrea, the Goddess symbolizing justice and order, appearing so suddenly surprised Chen Hai a little.
"Is there something on my face, Miss Astrea?"
"May I ask a question... Lord Chen Hai?"
"Please do."
"The Dungeon... The Dungeon under your control, did it harbor hostility towards us Gods and humans from the very beginning?"
"Actually, this question is difficult to answer because I've already said it before."
Chen Hai asked Astrea to recall what she had heard earlier.
"I know your past, but that already belongs to the 'past.' The 'Dungeon' I control begins from the 'future.' You don't have to view me as the creator of those misfortunes, otherwise I wouldn't have changed this city."
This was Chen Hai's answer.
Simply put, he had cut ties with the past Dungeon.
Everything started anew, from scratch.
Astrea was conflicted by this explanation.
Her Familia had been killed by terrifying monsters in the Dungeon, and the Adventurers' Guild had covered up this information.
Now, the Dungeon Lord, the creator of misfortunes, had turned the tables and become the boss of the Adventurers' Guild... Of course, Astrea wasn't asking Chen Hai to bear all the blame from the past to the present.
It should be known that countless Adventurers had died in the Dungeon over the years.
If Chen Hai had only recently taken control of the Dungeon, he indeed had no reason to be responsible for the past.
Moreover—
If Chen Hai harbored hostility towards humans, countless monsters would probably break free from their restraints and rampage across the land again, threatening humanity worldwide.
But Chen Hai didn't do that.
Furthermore, Astrea had heard something else—
She looked at Chen Hai and asked seriously,
"Adventurers won't be killed by Dungeon monsters, is that true?"
"Of course it's true, every Adventurer can confirm it. However, this doesn't mean they can move freely through the Dungeon. Adventurers can still get injured, even have their limbs broken or equipment taken, but the floors I assign them are suitable for their respective strengths. As long as they don't intentionally overexert themselves, serious injuries are very rare."
"That's wonderful..."
Astrea let out a huge sigh of relief upon hearing Chen Hai's answer.
Her past memories had not been forgotten by her, a Goddess.
Now, hearing that the lives of Adventurers were guaranteed, Astrea had a new perspective on Chen Hai.
"Lord Chen Hai takes such good care of the Adventurers, what's the reason?"
"This question has been asked many times..."
All the main Gods Chen Hai knew had asked him this.
Because in the eyes of the Gods, a 'Dungeon Lord' with immense power should simply conquer the entire world.
Monsters would continuously be born, but the number of Adventurers was limited.
Although there might be a prolonged battle at first, Chen Hai would ultimately win.
"I also have my reasons, because Adventurers' exploration in the Dungeon benefits me."
"Benefits... Could it be that the actions of those Adventurers in the Dungeon can temper those monsters and improve their strength?"
"That understanding isn't wrong either."
Chen Hai nodded.
Astrea's guess was close to the truth of Chen Hai 'gaining combat experience points.'
Overall, it wasn't incorrect.
After all, without killing Adventurers and with monsters fleeing when they lose, their combat experience would also increase.
As time passes, it's believed that the overall combat intensity and quality of the entire Dungeon will greatly improve.
At that time, the experience points would most likely double.
"I understand, Lord Chen Hai. I will complete the task you just gave me."
"Is that so? I thought you'd think about it for a while, after all, the Istar Familia's methods of managing the Night Street rely on strength in addition to profit. Her Familia is not weak."
"Neither am I. My life in 'Solingen' over the years has allowed me to meet a group of trustworthy and powerful Familia members."
"Are they all girls, like in the past?"
"Why do you ask that? Although they are all females, it's true..."
Astrea stared at Chen Hai with a strange look.
"Are you planning to make a move on them?"
"I didn't say anything."
"If it really comes to that, I will stake everything to stop you, Lord."
"Then the question is... What happens after you stake everything? What about the Familia members left behind? I won't lose to you, you know."
"That is..."
"Just kidding, don't worry, Miss Astrea, I'm not the type to go around building a harem."
This was the truth.
Chen Hai would only choose those he fancied.
Of course, it didn't rule out the possibility of everyone being fancied.
"Before that, can I talk to Ishtar?"
"Of course you can."
"Oh, right... Lord Chen Hai controls the Dungeon and possesses great power. It should be easy to remove the Familia led by Ishtar, right? Why not directly talk to her and then abolish that street?"
"Because it's more interesting this way."
"..."
After hearing this answer, Astrea, who had been silent for a while, spoke up.
"Perhaps my previous guess was correct."
"What guess?"
"Lord Chen Hai is like us... a God."
In the eyes of the Goddess of Justice and Order, everything Chen Hai did had begun to align with the 'Gods' of the Heavenly Realm.
————
————
After leaving the second floor, Chen Hai had just returned to the main hall when Hestia came up to him.
"You stayed up there for quite a while, what did you talk about?"
"Some interesting topics. I can tell you slowly when we get back."
"It's a deal!"
After they finished talking, others gathered around.
Whether in Heaven or the mortal world, Astrea's reputation was not low.
Therefore, facing Astrea's sudden return to Orario, the Gods all voiced their respective confusions.
"Astrea, according to human time, we haven't seen each other for a long time."
"Why did you suddenly return to Orario with your Familia? Did you hear about the changes in Orario while you were away?"
"As you can see, Orario is indeed very different from before. Everything is built upon one of Lord Chen Hai's new rules."
"The Dungeon no longer takes Adventurers' lives, but its danger still exists. However, it has greatly increased the exploration rewards."
"For our small Familia, the impact isn't that great, because everyone is exploring the relatively safe upper levels, and the amount of Magic Stones we can acquire is still the same."
"Stop complaining. In the past, your small Familia wouldn't have had stable income, would it? Before, it was high risk, medium reward. Now it's low risk, still medium reward. What is there to complain about?"
"Let's not talk about this anymore, Astrea, come have a drink with me!"
Astrea listened to the words of the surrounding gods. After smiling and declining, her gaze fell on Ishtar nearby.
Astrea walked straight over and invited her to the balcony for a chat.
Seeing this, Hestia narrowed her eyes keenly.
"Did you assign Astrea a task?"
"That's right. I asked her to take charge of abolishing the Night Street managed by the Istar Familia. There's no need for it to exist."
"Hmm… I don't like that place either, but if it's just abolished, I feel like there might be problems."
Hestia said softly.
As soon as she said this, Freya and Loki came closer.
"Being an Adventurer is a high-risk profession, even with the assurance provided by Sir Chen Hai, especially for those who are fighting for their lives in the Deep Levels."
Freya glanced at Ishtar nearby.
"And the Night Street, which Ishtar manages, can, to a certain extent, eliminate the daily accumulated stress of those Adventurers."
"Or rather, they need a 'place to vent'."
Loki added.
They were goddesses, not women.
The concepts of gods and humans were, after all, different.
It was precisely for this reason that Freya and Loki believed that the Night Street had a reason to exist.
However, there were also goddesses who stood on another viewpoint.
"Conflicts often occur in the Night Street, and some Adventurers even fight fiercely for popular prostitutes, which could eventually escalate into conflicts between Familias."
Hephaestus stated the facts she had witnessed.
"That's right, members of my Familia were affected once… Two Adventurers who came out of the Night Street got into a fight and dragged my Familia into it."
Demeter also chimed in in agreement.
To this, Freya asked,
"But isn't that just a problem with the Adventurers, not a problem with the Night Street?"
"The Night Street is a place that breeds problems. I think it can be understood that way."
Hestia spoke again.
Then the five goddesses looked at Chen Hai, waiting for him to express his opinion.
"In any case, abolish it first."
The Dungeon managed by Chen Hai did not need that kind of district.
After finishing their discussion, Ganesha, the principal god of the Ganesha Familia, came over.
"Can we talk alone? I want to discuss the topic of Heretics..."
The topic brought up by this muscular man greatly interested the goddesses.
For this, Chen Hai decided to explain it clearly right there.
"Those Heretics are beings who can become 'companions'."
With this as a start, Chen Hai began to narrate everything about the Heretics.
— — — —
— — — —
At the same time, on the balcony on the west side of the Freya Familia's banquet hall.
Astrea looked at the goddess Ishtar beside her.
"Ishtar, long time no see…"
"You left Orario five years ago. I thought you wouldn't come back."
"Because I heard rumors about Orario in other cities and wanted to confirm them."
"And the result?"
"Unexpectedly, I didn't think that the Dungeon Lord would actually change Orario, and even influence the entire world through it."
Astrea mentioned the situation in the city she was in.
"The Sword City Solingen recently saw many merchants emerge. They all hoped to hire a group of Adventurers in the city to escort their upcoming transactions."
People gradually understood that Orario had undergone earth-shattering changes.
The number of Adventurers, merchants, artisans, and travelers gathering in Orario was increasing.
From this perspective,
"I believe that in a few years, Orario might even become the center of this world."
On her way here, Astrea even heard some artisans mention the topic of Orario's expansion.
After hearing all this, Ishtar turned around and leaned against the railing.
"You just arrived in this city, met with that Dungeon Lord, and you believe everything he said?"
"I don't completely believe it…"
Shaking her head, Astrea emphasized,
"Even so, there's no reason to be his enemy. At least everything Sir Chen Hai has done so far proves that he is not a Demon King from the Dungeon, but more like a merchant skilled in negotiation, or rather… a 'God' from somewhere we don't know."
"A God? An interesting view… So, after you talked to him, why did you come to me?"
"Regarding Orario's pleasure district, the Night Street, Sir Chen Hai asked me to talk to you, and then… abolish the entire street."
"Chen Hai mentioned this before. Does he really want to carry it out? Without my Night Street, the number of troublesome Adventurers will surely increase."
"I don't need to consider these things. You just need to give me an answer."
In this regard, Astrea appeared quite serious.
Knowing that she couldn't reason with her, Ishtar raised the pipe in her hand and took a puff.
"The Goddess who presides over justice and order, is she now going to obey the orders of the Dungeon Lord?"
"I don't think conflict is the right decision."
"Is that so? Can you give me some time for this matter?"
Ishtar pressed on,
"Just half a day, how about it?"
"Only half a day…"
"Oh, you must take good care of your Familia. Don't encounter the 'misfortune' of the past again."
"Ishtar, are you threatening me?"
Looking at Astrea, whose expression had turned serious, Ishtar shook her head.
"What a huge misunderstanding. I'm just reminding a friend who is also a god."
"…"
With that, Ishtar left the balcony.
She returned to the hall, and her vice-captain, Aisha Belka, approached Ishtar.
"Lady Ishtar, what should we do…"
"I'll handle this matter. You are responsible for managing the newly arrived 'goods'."
Ishtar looked at her vice-captain and added,
"Abolishing my Night Street, this is the Dungeon Lord's biggest mistake. I just need to make him realize this mistake."
Saying this, Ishtar pushed out her chest.
"Let him understand the pleasures of the night, and I believe he will change his previous views."
The Goddess of Beauty, Ishtar, was very confident in her plan.