Alise stepped forward until she was standing right in front of Ryuu.
"Ryuu… why?"
She wasn't opposed to using an expensive spirit medicine to save a life. But as captain—second only to their goddess—Alise had to be accountable for the entire familia. A treasure like a Panacea wasn't something that could be spent without explanation, especially under unusual circumstances.
Ryuu met everyone's eyes, her posture straight and her voice firm.
"That boy was beaten into critical condition because he tried to protect an old man. When I arrived, he was already at death's door. Healing magic wouldn't work… so I used it." Her tone didn't waver. "Captain… everyone. You understand, don't you?"
The tension in the room eased, and Alise's expression softened into a smile.
"Oh? So he's a kid with a strong sense of justice." She nodded once. "Then we'll leave the final decision to our goddess when we return."
Alise's smile remained, but her next words were unmistakably official.
"Ryuu, for the next period of time, your earnings will be cut in half and turned in to the familia. No objections, right?"
It wasn't only directed at Ryuu—it was also a statement for everyone else.
No one raised serious complaints.
Ryuu quietly exhaled. It was enough that they didn't blame her. As for half pay… as an elf, she could admit it stung a little, but it wasn't unbearable.
"Yes, Captain. No problem."
Alise looked around one more time, confirming that the group was aligned.
"Alright. I hereby declare this operation a complete success. Return to the home base!"
A chorus of weary agreement followed.
Back at their residence, the rank-and-file members naturally held a small celebration to vent the pressure and exhaustion of the raid.
That evening, while the others rested, Alise brought the core members together—and invited their goddess.
Astraea.
An ancient goddess of justice and order.
She was breathtaking—an elegance that felt less like cosmetics and more like nature's own sculpture. Long brown hair fell like a waterfall to her waist, framing a dignified, graceful figure. Her eyes were clear as lake water, faintly tinted with blue light, carrying a god's wisdom and gentleness.
Even with her divinity sealed, her every movement still carried a quiet authority. She wore a constant smile—warm, never distant.
When Astraea entered the room where Xien had been placed and saw the unconscious boy on the bed, she paused.
Alise, meanwhile, continued talking with her eyes closed, happily laying out her plan—completely missing the widening smile on her goddess's face.
"Lady Astraea, this is the kid the Panacea was used on. My thought is—if we can't recruit him into the familia, then we should at least have him help with some chores to work off the debt."
For Astraea—whose sense of justice practically overflowed—this battered child felt like someone she couldn't simply let go.
Orario wasn't peaceful right now. If the boy was pushed back into the streets, he could easily die in some forgotten corner and no one would even notice.
But what happened next still caught everyone off guard.
"Good work, Ryuu."
"E-eh? Th-thank you for the praise… Lady Astraea?"
Ryuu answered on instinct—then realized what she'd just heard.
Their goddess… had praised her?
For a moment, the proud, prickly elf went blank—then flushed with a mix of embarrassment and a small, irrepressible joy.
The others also froze.
What was this? Why was Lady Astraea suddenly so pleased?
Was it… the boy?
Only Alise seemed to catch the thread of what was happening.
"Lady Astraea… don't tell me…"
"That's right." Astraea's smile deepened, certain and bright. "I won't mistake it. This child—though he's a bit older than ideal—has remarkable potential."
"And more than that…" Her gaze softened as it rested on Xien. "He carries a radiant heart of justice."
She looked up at her familia with unmistakable delight.
"Congratulations. You've gained another adorable little brother."
"E-eh…?"
The room erupted into stunned silence.
To be praised like that by Astraea… the last person who'd received that kind of evaluation had been their captain.
Astraea didn't linger on their shock. She moved closer to the bed and gave an instruction.
"Ryuu. Come help."
"Y-yes, Lady Astraea."
Ryuu snapped out of her daze at once. She understood what their goddess intended—and hurried forward. She removed Xien's tattered top, revealing a body so thin it was almost skeletal, then gently turned him over.
Everyone's chest tightened.
This child… had lived through something terrible.
And the more pity they felt for him, the more disgust they felt toward the scum who had abducted them.
Then Alise spoke up, sudden and careful.
"Wait, Lady Astraea—shouldn't we consider the boy's own wishes?"
It wasn't that Alise didn't want a new member.
But the Astraea Familia stood as Orario's symbol of justice. Forcing someone into a familia without consent felt dangerously close to betraying the very ideals they claimed to protect.
And Astraea—of course—had already thought of that.
"It's rare to meet a child so perfectly aligned with our familia," Astraea said gently. "I truly don't want to let him slip away… but you're right."
She looked at Alise with approval in her eyes and offered a smile of praise.
"So I've decided this: I will welcome him first, and when he wakes, if he truly does not wish to remain with us, I will erase the blessing and return his freedom. How does that sound?"
She added, almost tenderly, "And look at his condition. The rite itself can also help improve his body."
The group found themselves nodding, one after another.
Even if the Panacea had repaired his injuries, the long-term deprivation and collapse of his health couldn't be fixed overnight.
With no further hesitation, Astraea accepted the fine needle Alise handed her. She pricked her right index finger.
A single drop of divine blood fell onto the boy's back.
It melted on contact, leaving no mark—yet his back began to glow with a soft, gentle light.
As if nourished by that blood, the harsh angles of his fragile body seemed just slightly less stark.
Astraea lifted her hands above his back.
Sacred letters emerged in the air—holy script forming as the pact took shape.
Under the nourishment of divinity, Xien's withered body showed faint signs of recovery. He wouldn't become healthy instantly—but the path back to "normal" had been shortened.
Watching the holy letters settle into place, Astraea smiled with calm satisfaction.
Everything was as she expected.
At that moment, the Astraea Familia welcomed a new member once again.
A short while later, the glow faded and the room returned to stillness.
Ryuu handed Astraea a sheet of paper. Astraea pressed Xien's Status onto it—an imprint of his newly granted falna—and without saying much, simply smiled and passed it to Alise.
The executives gathered in closer, unable to help themselves.
-------
Promotion Valentine's Month Sale: 20% off for 7 days. Apply now!
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
I, Herta's Fiancé, the Universe's Number One Male Fist (114 Chapter (Simulpub-Full) )
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Succubus in Sixth Street (400 Chapter)
Reborn in Type-Moon, My Sister is Aoko Aozaki (254 Chapter)
MyGO!! A Story Voiced by Me (140 Chapter)
BLEACH: Blade of Purification (158 Chapter)
Konoha: Starting the Game as Yoriichi (400 Chapter)
My Real Job is Spying on Konoha, but I'm Also its Hokage (140 Chapter)
The Pinnacle of the Navy! Starting from Being Captured by Garp (172 Chapter)
Watching Yu-Gi-Oh! short videos is making the veteran players lose...(80 Chapter)
Uma Musume : The Trainer Who Just Wants to Live (200 Chapter)
Zenless Zone Zero The Random Kamen Rider (200 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: It All Began With Me Being Stepped On by Arlecchino (120 Chapter)
Naruto: I Can Synthesize Summoning Beasts (96 Chapter)
Demon Slayer: The Great Swordsman's System, Disciple of Yoriichi (140 Chapter)
My Wife is a General, but I'm an Emanator of Abundance! (160 Chapter)
Type-Moon: My Nine-Fold Path (140 Chapter)
Uma Musume: They're Peeking at My Diary, and All of Tracen is Panickin (Ending)
The Wild History of Type-Moon world (70 Chapter)
Reborn in Conan, But I Refuse to Be the Bad Guy (80 Chapter)
Ruan Mei is begging me to go back? But there's no going back anymore (140 Chapter)
Just a Slacker at Tracen Academy (165 Chapter)
Survival in Blue Archive (70 Chapter)
Kimetsu no Yaiba: Doma Wasn't Hated Today, Either (100 Chapter)
The Vibe of This Chat Group is a Little Off (100 Chapter)
Heartbreak Simulator: I Broke Them and Made Them Cry (80 Chapter)
The Talentless Trainer Doesn't Want to Restart (80 Chapter)
A Journey Starting as a Quincy (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: The Master of Romance Obstruction (80 Chapter)
Uma Musume: You Can't Be a Hero Without a Little Chemical Enhancement (40 Chapter)
Honkai Impact 3rd Your Boyfriend is Really Amazing (40 Chapter)
Warhammer 40K: My Fiancée, Fulgrim (180 Chapter)
Classroom of the Elite: Trying to Capture Me! (120 Chapter)
Genshin Impact My Named Senji Muramas (150 Chapter)
A Chef, the Vice-Captain of the Rocks Pirates? (160 Chapter)
Naruto : My Uchiha Girlfriend is Too Tsundere (130 Chapter)
Type-Moon: Reincarnated in a Lostbelt, I Became the Alien God (90 Chapter)
The Way These Horse Girls Look at Me Is Terrifying! (160 Chapter)
Naruto: Tsunade's Deskmate (130 Chapter)
I Just Want to Live a Normal (50 Chapter).
Genshin Impact: A Hundred Confessions? It's Just a System Task (70 Chapter)
OnePiece : Starting as a Veteran of the Roger Pirates (60 Chapter)
Uma Musume : I Have Special Horse Taming Techniques (190 Chapter)
Uma Musume : My other self is a Horse Girl (130 Chapter)
Jujutsu Kaisen : All Affection Stats Maxed Out (200 Chapter)
Satou Kazuma's Decision to Live by Swindling, Starting from Re:Zero (60 Chapter)
Bleach : Ichigo! Take Over the Soul Society (89 Chapter)
Crossover Anime: The Master of Plagiarism with a 'Love Obstacle (140 Chapter)
Arknights Succubus Nurturing System, But I'm a Quiet Office Worker (90 Chapter)
Genshin Impact: Using My Personas to Break the Hearts of Players (50 Chapter)
One Punch Man : i am King? (150 Chapter)
Genshin: My Stats Are Irresistible (70 Chapter)
Naruto: Master of Dream Fulfillment! (70 Chapter)
Why Are All My Chat Group Friends Spin-Off Characters? (123 Chapter)
Arknights : Batman System (30 Chapter)
Chat Group: Swapping Bodies with the Bad-Ending Herta from the Start (72 Chapter)
DanMachi: Why Did My Dungeon Turn Into a Soulslike Game? (92 Chapter)
Losing Money on Uma Musume...What Do You Mean You Actually Won? (93 Chapter)
I'm Gotou Hitori—Who Are You? (40 Chapter)
Were You Ever Even a Uma Musume? Stop Making Things Up! (75 Chapter)
Moon Project: A Full-Time Love Adventure for the Lobotomy Corporation (75 Chapter)
The Leisurely Days of the Hyuga Main House (65 Chapter)
Arknights : A Draco Surviving in a Matriarchal Terra (115 Chapter)
Arknights: What if My Luck Is Too Good? (105 Chapter)
Honkai: The Romance System Only Shows Up After I Marry Mei (55 Chapter)
Arknights: Who Are You Calling Repressed, X?! (105 Chapter)
The Chat Group Only Arrived After I'd Cleared the Game (42 Chapter)
Gojo Satoru Flat-Out Refuses to Admit He's a Supporting Character (40 Chapter)
Chat Group Isn't Supposed to Be Like This! (30 Chapter)
If You're Moriarty…then Who Am I? (50 Chapter)
Uma Musume: Since I "Can't See," They Take Turns Stealing My Underwear (50 Chapter)
Arknights: Why Are All My "Brothers" Girls? (47 Chapter)
Danmachi: Start Training Haki (30 Chapter)
Emiya Shirou's Rebirth (30 Chapter)
I Can Get Stronger Just by AFK'ing—So I Joined a Chat Group (50 Chapter)
Endfield: I Can Always Pull Out One Yuan (40 Chapter)
Limbus Company : I Started a Company in Project Moon (50 Chapter)
Lobotomy: Do Cooks of Alley 23 Dream of Bloodfiend Knights? (50 Chapter)
DanMachi: Freya Familia's "One-Blade Shura" (37 Chapter)
DanMachi: Emiya, the Great Hero Becomes the Protagonist (40 Chapter)
TYPE-MOON: One Special Instance Every Week (30 Chapter)From Danmachi: The Abundance Apothecary (30 Chapter)
If there's a particular novel you're enjoying on Patron, please give it a 'like' so I know to focus on it