----- Alise POV -----
Leading a group consisting of Kaguya, Lyra, Ryuu, and Neze, we made our way back home after dealing with the incident on the 18th floor.
This morning, someone rushed to the guild and explained that someone was threatening to take over Rivira.
Although the guild holds no power or control over Rivira, they recognize its necessity for adventurers, thus they asked us to resolve this issue.
Luckily with an elite group our size, rushing to the 18th floor didn't take that long.
Although the offending group flaunted their level 3 strength, it seemed that they were the type who were strong against the weak yet weak against the strong.
Once we arrived the dispute was promptly solved with the group getting a free night in a prison cell for their troubles.
Currently heading through the 11th floor on our way back, there's an eerie feeling permeating the air.
Though I can't put my finger on why.
At least that was before Kaguya decided to speak up.
"Alise, did you notice? We haven't spotted a monster since arriving on this floor."
That was it.
Once I heard her observation, my instincts screamed that there was something wrong, something very wrong.
"Let's hurry our pace girls, something feels wrong."
Following my order, we ran through the floor at high speeds, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings to find something that would explain this phenomenon.
A roar echoes throughout the area, causing our group to come to a stop.
"Was that an Infant Dragon?"
Ryuu speaks up in a quiet voice, with our heightened senses we can just barely hear the sound of battle in the distance.
"I think so, let's check it out, it might be relat-"
"Help!"
My words are cut off by a resounding yell, looking toward the source, we see a young Chienthrope girl, no older than 14, running towards us.
Her face was a mess of tears and dirt, an empty quiver across her back.
"P-please help him! A-Astraea Familia! You have to help him!"
Kaguya steps forward, causing the young girl to stop talking and catch her breath.
"Calm yourself, child, tell us more about the situation."
Taking a shaky breath, she collects herself before answering the question.
"There's an Infant Dragon, an irregular, Mr. is fighting it but he can't win, he saved me to fight it alone! You have to save him!"
"Alright we'll definitely save him, do you know what he looked like?"
"He had white hair and blue eyes, and-and his face was handsome! He had a dark black sword-"
Before she can finish, Ryuu rockets off to where we heard the noise.
I understand that does sound a lot like Sirius, but we can't just leave her here, it would seem like we're abandoning her.
Hell, we don't even know where Sirius is.
"Don't worry little one, we'll save him, now which way was it? And what's your level."
"I'm a level 2, he was that way."
As soon as the girl points in the direction she came from, the rest of us sprint forwards, luckily for Ryuu, it seems like she is headed the right way.
Being a level 2, the Chienthrope girl should be strong enough to survive on this floor, not that there seem to be any monsters around here anyways.
Soon arriving where Ryuu is, we see an all too familiar scene, a massacre.
Ryuu is frantically looking around searching for Sirius while simultaneously praying she doesn't find him, a state Kaguya quickly snaps her out of.
"Think, Ryuu. She said that he was fighting it, these people only got slaughtered. Even then, we must focus on the irregular before it takes more lives, tending to the dead comes after."
Although the fog makes us unable to see very far, our frantic searching with our enhanced senses eventually comes to fruition as we find where the monster is.
The unfortunate thing is that it is currently charging right toward the young girl at a speed befitting a level 3.
Even Neze won't be fast enough to get there in time.
Before I can lament my weakness, a gold blur cuts through the air, dodging the fire attack from the monster.
As the mysterious adventurer faces the irregular, I'm surprised to see that it's Sirius. Since when can he move at such speeds?
Thankfully, his intervention bought us the time to reach the monster, but before we can attack we see Sirius' sword light up with his enhancement magic, causing all of us to collectively stop in our tracks in surprise.
With his sword looking like the night sky but with a myriad of pretty colours, he leapt toward the monster.
Our group didn't move an inch to help him, were we stunned by the beautiful sight?
His look of determination?
Our instincts telling us to let this play out?
Either way, a scene that looked like it was taken from a fairy tale was played out before our eyes as Sirius cleaved through the monster.
"Get Fuuuucked!"
A certain elegant Elf deadpans at the battle cry while the rest of us watch in excitement as the irregular bursts into ash while the victor collapses onto the ground.
Ryuu rushes towards his fallen body as soon as we break out of our trance, casting her Noah Heal to restore his injuries while Lyra pockets the large magic stone that had dropped.
Winning against insurmountable odds, incredible power, and saving a pretty girl, he looked just like a hero, much like when we first met him.
Though I will be sure to tease him about his 'heroic' shout once he wakes up.
Looking over at Ryuu who is carefully embracing his head on her lap with an expression full of worry and relief, I get the urge to tease her later too.
I then feel an inexplicable ache forming in my chest.
Pushing down the odd feeling, I walk up to Ryuu who seems to have calmed down from her earlier outburst of emotions.
Seeing as she has placed Sirius' head back onto the ground with her face covered in a deep blush.
"Aww, why'd you stop holding him like that? I bet he would definitely appreciate it."
She glares at me while her face somehow gets even redder.
Cute.
"Anyways, we should head back and report this to the guild. Hey, little girl are you ok?"
The girl shakes out of her dazed state before running over, peeking down at Sirius with a light blush.
Oh my? Ryuu, it seems you might have some competition.
"I-I'm fine, thank you. Is he going to be ok?"
"Yeah, he'll be fine, just needs some rest is all. We never did catch your name or Familia."
"Ah! Yes, my name is Naaza Erisuis of the Miach Familia! We were making our way to the 18th floor but then..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. We'll escort you back to Orario, all right?"
"Thank you, is it ok if I see him after? I was saved by him and don't even know his name. I want to thank him clearly, and, well, maybe I can learn more about him?"
She finishes her sentence with her blush getting deeper and her tail wagging slightly.
Oh Ryuu, you definitely have competition now.
Looking at this girl so obviously in love, that annoying ache returns once again.
"Sure, but we have to get back to the surface first. His name is Sirius by the way, Ryuu, do you want to carry him up?"
She looks up at me in excitement before returning to her normal stoic expression.
"I suppose I could, I'm the fastest one here so his weight won't affect our travel speed."
I give her a blank stare in response as she loads him across her back, using her belt to keep him secured while Kaguya chuckles in the background.
"All right, let's move out, when we leave I want Ryuu to take Sirius home while everyone else will report the situation to the guild. Naaza, your god is likely waiting outside the dungeon after feeling his children die, if not we'll take you home after."
I receive a chorus of nods with Naaza repeating 'Sirius' under her breath.
Our group easily made our way to the surface in under an hour.
Ryuu heads home with Sirius while the rest of us enter the guild to relay what had happened, Naaza doing most of the talking as Miach, her god, comforts her.
----- Sirius POV - 1 Day Later -----
Suddenly opening my eyes, I slowly observe the familiar surroundings.
Sifting through the cloudy memories, I try to make sense of what had occurred.
So, if my memories are to be believed, I killed the irregular Infant Dragon by somehow enhancing my sword with stellar magic.
After having already been beaten down by the monster for a while.
Well, better late than never.
Checking my body for any injuries, the only indication that I had been hurt was bandages wrapped around my torso and a scar across my arm.
It seems like one of the girls had healed me.
I'll also have to thank that girl for bringing me back.
Feeling a stiffness throughout my body, I begin stretching, getting a dose of satisfaction with each pop of my joints.
Looking out the window at the morning sun just peeking over the wall, I guess I slept through the night.
I then hear a knock on the door before it opens to reveal Mother Astraea.
"Good morning Sirius. It appears you had quite an adventure yesterday."
"Uhh yeah, I suppose. Do you think that was enough for a level-up?"
"It would be quite problematic if it wasn't. Let's get your status updated."
I then take off my bandages, revealing a large bruise along with some small scars, and bend over before feeling the familiar numbing heat coming from my back.
"You can now level up, I'm guessing you want to do so?"
"Of course."
I feel the numbing heat increase for a brief moment before receding to normal while at the same time, my body undergoes a change.
My mind I can feel is stronger, more potent, and in greater quantity.
My vision becomes clearer as I can make out more details around me, my brain processing the information faster while I can sense everything in the room, an odd feeling.
It seems this is part of levelling up, I'll have to see later how this has affected my strength and speed.
"You got a new skill, fufu, it seems quite fit for you. Now for your development abilities, you have Hunter, Abnormal Resistance, Swordsman, Mage, and one I haven't seen before, Magic Sense."
From my studies, I know what all of those abilities do, except for Magic Sense, it seems that I've already gotten a unique development ability like Alise's Fire Flash.
From the name, I have a feeling it will make reflecting magic usable in battle.
"I'll go with Magic Sense."
"All right, here's your status. Congratulations on being the fastest level-up in the history of Orario."
She says before handing me the status sheet.
========================================================
Name: Sirius
Level: 1 --> 2
Strength: SS1102 --> I0
Endurance: S968 --> I0
Dexterity: SS1112 --> I0
Agility: SS1124 --> I0
Magic: SSS1297 --> I0
Magic Sense: I
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope - When facing a stronger enemy, landing an attack passively charges the skill, user can discharge the accumulated power in one strike by activating the skill.
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
========================================================
Looking over the description of the new skill, Strike of Hope seems to be great for facing against stronger opponents, but useless in everyday adventuring and large hordes of monsters.
Still a great skill, one that will be invaluable when I face down the Black Dragon.
"Now Sirius, at the Denatus concerning your level-up, would you prefer me to say you had a previous Familia? That would remove much of the attention you would receive if they know the truth."
"No, tell them the truth about you being my first Familia. I don't plan on slowing down my pace to level 3 after all."
"Is that so? Well, you should go downstairs to tell the girls about your achievement and that you're now awake, you made them quite worried last night, particularly Ryuu."
I feel a slight heat wash over my face as I rush to put on a shirt from my dresser.
"I'll do that, thanks for the update, Mother Astraea."
"Of course, and Sirius, I'm proud of you."
A warmth envelops my body at her simple but heartfelt praise.
"Thank you Mother Astraea, I should get down there now."
I then made my way downstairs, entering the common room where I spotted most of the Familia either talking or doing their own activities.
"Hey guys, uhh, I'm up."
Everyone simultaneously turned their heads at my introduction.
Expressions of recognition flashed through the room before smiles filled with relief and joy set onto their faces.
Feeling the familiar feeling of warmth return, Alise speaks up.
"We're glad you're back, had a few of us worried there. But man, that was quite a spectacle, you sliced right through that thing!"
"Ahh, thank yo- wait. You saw it? Then were you the ones who took me back?"
"Yup, we got there at the last second to see it, so you can rest assured that you definitely saved that girl. And Ryuu was the one to bring you back here, she also gave you some, ahem, very soothing healing, yes."
I look over to Ryuu who has her head turned to the side with a red blush adorning what I could see on her face.
"I see, thank you Ryuu, for bringing me back and healing me. Though I have to ask, who changed me?"
Seeing Ryuu hide her face behind her hands, I think I found one of the culprits. Maryuu speaks up to answer my question.
"That would be my, Ryuu, and Mother. We undressed you to check for any injuries and rest assured we did not remove your undergarments."
"I see, thank you, sorry if it was uncomfortable. But where is my stuff?"
"Your armour and equipment were completely destroyed save for your sword which is in the office. Luckily, the Infant Dragon's magic stone got you 80,000 valis, so you should easily be able to recover, maybe even get an upgrade! Now, is there anything else to tell us?"
Alise gives me a knowing smile, since she reads my status updates she must have guessed my fight would be enough to level up.
"Yeah, I'm a level 2 now."
The room is divided into two states at my revelation.
Alise, Kaguya, Ryuu, and Lyra, the four who both have seen my status updates and my fight, nod as if expecting the information.
While the rest of the girls have wide-eyed expressions.
Even if they knew I was rapidly improving, it would still be a shock that I had levelled up in five months, beating the Sword Princess Ais's record of one year for the fastest level-up by quite a large margin.
"W-what!? Level 2 already!"
"Yup, I mean Neze, you saw that fight, did you really expect him to remain a level 1 after that?"
"I-I guess not. But it's still quite shocking."
"Yep, if I didn't see his progress I would say it's a lie, but to be honest he's been ready to level up for a while. Anyways, we're planning to go on an expedition in a couple of months, you'd only be a supporter, but would you like to come?"
"I'd love to! But wouldn't I still slow you guys down?"
"Nah, this one we're going with the Loki Familia in a joint expedition, and they bring their own level 2's supporters, so we'd already be going at a slower pace. Just spend the time between getting used to your new strength and studying up on the lower floors, and of course, get stronger with the time you have. With your magic and training, I expect you to not be that far behind the level 3's."
"Understood captain!"
I stand straight in a mock salute, causing a couple of laughs to emerge.
"Well, I still have quite the bruise, so I'm gonna hold off on training for today."
"Yeah, let's get you some new equipment, then tonight we can eat at the 'Hostess of Fertility' to celebrate your achievement!"
A chorus of agreement resounds through the room.
"Alright, well, no time like the present, go grab your sword, Sirius, and we can head out. We'll report your level to the guild on our way to Babel as well."
"O-ok, I'll get my valis from upstairs."
"Yep, and don't forget your reward for the Infant Dragon magic stone, it should be in a bag beside your sword. Now, Ryuu, do you want to come with us?"
Their conversation fades out as I head upstairs, quickly finding my stash of valis and grabbing my spare backpack to hold it all.
Checking my appearance in the mirror before going downstairs, I notice my hair has been cut shorter and choppier, giving me a more robust appearance.
Most likely due to the heat from the fire breath they had to fix up my hairstyle, but I like the new look.
I then make my way to the office, eyeing my sword in its scabbard resting against the desk with a bag of coins placed beside it.
Storing the coins in my bag and hooking the scabbard to my belt loop before heading to the entrance, seeing Alise waiting for me.
"You got everything?"
"Yep, I haven't spent very much for a while, so I hope it's enough."
"Well, how much is it?"
"In total? Around 900,000 valis."
"Holy sh- yeah, that's more than enough. Honestly, with that amount of money, you could probably get a quality set of armour that would last you until level 5, although it's your choice."
"No, I'd rather not have to buy a new armour with every level up after all."
"Good thinking, then let's go! For your armour, we'll likely need to order it rather than buy it off the shelf, so you might need to wait a week before going deep into the dungeon, but you can use that time to get used to your new strength."
"Ok, I want to practice enhancing my sword with stellar magic as well. Are we ready to go?"
"Yup, we were just waiting on Ryuu but it seems she's done."
I then turn to where Alise was looking and see what is likely the prettiest girl I had ever seen.
A position previously held by Mother Astraea, but this girl's beauty surpassed even that of a Goddess.
Long golden hair tied in a ponytail by a dark blue ribbon, a light blue sundress that perfectly fit around her curves with white gaiters reaching all the way to her knees, showing only a peek of her thighs while leaving everything else to my very active imagination.
A beautiful fairy princess.
That was all that I could think of when I saw the current appearance of Ryuu.
It seems that my scrutinizing stare was noticed as she grew a light blush while looking down.
Realizing my mistake, I began to wear a similar flushed expression, instinctively turning my head away while Alise speaks up.
"R-Ryuu, you look stunning! Hey, can you wear this more often? Please!"
"A-Absolutely not! I just, well, felt like wearing it."
"Just felt like it, huh? I find that hard to believe. When did you get this, anyway? You never go to formal events and when you do you always wear that suit or your regular gear?"
"E-Enough of your questioning, let's go get Sirius' new equipment."
"Alright alright, but is that dress fine for fighting?"
"It provides enough protection, and I have a pair of hidden short swords, so I'll be fine."
"Alright, Sirius, are you coming?"
Finally breaking out of my trance, I quickly run toward them, forcing my expression to remain stoic while looking straight forward to not repeat my previous mistake.
"Yep, let's go."
And so, our group of three headed towards the center of Orario.
----- Alise POV -----
Leading a group consisting of Kaguya, Lyra, Ryuu, and Neze, we made our way back home after dealing with the incident on the 18th floor.
This morning, someone rushed to the guild and explained that someone was threatening to take over Rivira.
Although the guild holds no power or control over Rivira, they recognize its necessity for adventurers, thus they asked us to resolve this issue.
Luckily with an elite group our size, rushing to the 18th floor didn't take that long.
Although the offending group flaunted their level 3 strength, it seemed that they were the type who were strong against the weak yet weak against the strong.
Once we arrived the dispute was promptly solved with the group getting a free night in a prison cell for their troubles.
Currently heading through the 11th floor on our way back, there's an eerie feeling permeating the air.
Though I can't put my finger on why.
At least that was before Kaguya decided to speak up.
"Alise, did you notice? We haven't spotted a monster since arriving on this floor."
That was it.
Once I heard her observation, my instincts screamed that there was something wrong, something very wrong.
"Let's hurry our pace girls, something feels wrong."
Following my order, we ran through the floor at high speeds, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings to find something that would explain this phenomenon.
A roar echoes throughout the area, causing our group to come to a stop.
"Was that an Infant Dragon?"
Ryuu speaks up in a quiet voice, with our heightened senses we can just barely hear the sound of battle in the distance.
"I think so, let's check it out, it might be relat-"
"Help!"
My words are cut off by a resounding yell, looking toward the source, we see a young Chienthrope girl, no older than 14, running towards us.
Her face was a mess of tears and dirt, an empty quiver across her back.
"P-please help him! A-Astraea Familia! You have to help him!"
Kaguya steps forward, causing the young girl to stop talking and catch her breath.
"Calm yourself, child, tell us more about the situation."
Taking a shaky breath, she collects herself before answering the question.
"There's an Infant Dragon, an irregular, Mr. is fighting it but he can't win, he saved me to fight it alone! You have to save him!"
"Alright we'll definitely save him, do you know what he looked like?"
"He had white hair and blue eyes, and-and his face was handsome! He had a dark black sword-"
Before she can finish, Ryuu rockets off to where we heard the noise.
I understand that does sound a lot like Sirius, but we can't just leave her here, it would seem like we're abandoning her.
Hell, we don't even know where Sirius is.
"Don't worry little one, we'll save him, now which way was it? And what's your level."
"I'm a level 2, he was that way."
As soon as the girl points in the direction she came from, the rest of us sprint forwards, luckily for Ryuu, it seems like she is headed the right way.
Being a level 2, the Chienthrope girl should be strong enough to survive on this floor, not that there seem to be any monsters around here anyways.
Soon arriving where Ryuu is, we see an all too familiar scene, a massacre.
Ryuu is frantically looking around searching for Sirius while simultaneously praying she doesn't find him, a state Kaguya quickly snaps her out of.
"Think, Ryuu. She said that he was fighting it, these people only got slaughtered. Even then, we must focus on the irregular before it takes more lives, tending to the dead comes after."
Although the fog makes us unable to see very far, our frantic searching with our enhanced senses eventually comes to fruition as we find where the monster is.
The unfortunate thing is that it is currently charging right toward the young girl at a speed befitting a level 3.
Even Neze won't be fast enough to get there in time.
Before I can lament my weakness, a gold blur cuts through the air, dodging the fire attack from the monster.
As the mysterious adventurer faces the irregular, I'm surprised to see that it's Sirius. Since when can he move at such speeds?
Thankfully, his intervention bought us the time to reach the monster, but before we can attack we see Sirius' sword light up with his enhancement magic, causing all of us to collectively stop in our tracks in surprise.
With his sword looking like the night sky but with a myriad of pretty colours, he leapt toward the monster.
Our group didn't move an inch to help him, were we stunned by the beautiful sight?
His look of determination?
Our instincts telling us to let this play out?
Either way, a scene that looked like it was taken from a fairy tale was played out before our eyes as Sirius cleaved through the monster.
"Get Fuuuucked!"
A certain elegant Elf deadpans at the battle cry while the rest of us watch in excitement as the irregular bursts into ash while the victor collapses onto the ground.
Ryuu rushes towards his fallen body as soon as we break out of our trance, casting her Noah Heal to restore his injuries while Lyra pockets the large magic stone that had dropped.
Winning against insurmountable odds, incredible power, and saving a pretty girl, he looked just like a hero, much like when we first met him.
Though I will be sure to tease him about his 'heroic' shout once he wakes up.
Looking over at Ryuu who is carefully embracing his head on her lap with an expression full of worry and relief, I get the urge to tease her later too.
I then feel an inexplicable ache forming in my chest.
Pushing down the odd feeling, I walk up to Ryuu who seems to have calmed down from her earlier outburst of emotions.
Seeing as she has placed Sirius' head back onto the ground with her face covered in a deep blush.
"Aww, why'd you stop holding him like that? I bet he would definitely appreciate it."
She glares at me while her face somehow gets even redder.
Cute.
"Anyways, we should head back and report this to the guild. Hey, little girl are you ok?"
The girl shakes out of her dazed state before running over, peeking down at Sirius with a light blush.
Oh my? Ryuu, it seems you might have some competition.
"I-I'm fine, thank you. Is he going to be ok?"
"Yeah, he'll be fine, just needs some rest is all. We never did catch your name or Familia."
"Ah! Yes, my name is Naaza Erisuis of the Miach Familia! We were making our way to the 18th floor but then..."
"Oh, I'm sorry. We'll escort you back to Orario, all right?"
"Thank you, is it ok if I see him after? I was saved by him and don't even know his name. I want to thank him clearly, and, well, maybe I can learn more about him?"
She finishes her sentence with her blush getting deeper and her tail wagging slightly.
Oh Ryuu, you definitely have competition now.
Looking at this girl so obviously in love, that annoying ache returns once again.
"Sure, but we have to get back to the surface first. His name is Sirius by the way, Ryuu, do you want to carry him up?"
She looks up at me in excitement before returning to her normal stoic expression.
"I suppose I could, I'm the fastest one here so his weight won't affect our travel speed."
I give her a blank stare in response as she loads him across her back, using her belt to keep him secured while Kaguya chuckles in the background.
"All right, let's move out, when we leave I want Ryuu to take Sirius home while everyone else will report the situation to the guild. Naaza, your god is likely waiting outside the dungeon after feeling his children die, if not we'll take you home after."
I receive a chorus of nods with Naaza repeating 'Sirius' under her breath.
Our group easily made our way to the surface in under an hour.
Ryuu heads home with Sirius while the rest of us enter the guild to relay what had happened, Naaza doing most of the talking as Miach, her god, comforts her.
----- Sirius POV - 1 Day Later -----
Suddenly opening my eyes, I slowly observe the familiar surroundings.
Sifting through the cloudy memories, I try to make sense of what had occurred.
So, if my memories are to be believed, I killed the irregular Infant Dragon by somehow enhancing my sword with stellar magic.
After having already been beaten down by the monster for a while.
Well, better late than never.
Checking my body for any injuries, the only indication that I had been hurt was bandages wrapped around my torso and a scar across my arm.
It seems like one of the girls had healed me.
I'll also have to thank that girl for bringing me back.
Feeling a stiffness throughout my body, I begin stretching, getting a dose of satisfaction with each pop of my joints.
Looking out the window at the morning sun just peeking over the wall, I guess I slept through the night.
I then hear a knock on the door before it opens to reveal Mother Astraea.
"Good morning Sirius. It appears you had quite an adventure yesterday."
"Uhh yeah, I suppose. Do you think that was enough for a level-up?"
"It would be quite problematic if it wasn't. Let's get your status updated."
I then take off my bandages, revealing a large bruise along with some small scars, and bend over before feeling the familiar numbing heat coming from my back.
"You can now level up, I'm guessing you want to do so?"
"Of course."
I feel the numbing heat increase for a brief moment before receding to normal while at the same time, my body undergoes a change.
My mind I can feel is stronger, more potent, and in greater quantity.
My vision becomes clearer as I can make out more details around me, my brain processing the information faster while I can sense everything in the room, an odd feeling.
It seems this is part of levelling up, I'll have to see later how this has affected my strength and speed.
"You got a new skill, fufu, it seems quite fit for you. Now for your development abilities, you have Hunter, Abnormal Resistance, Swordsman, Mage, and one I haven't seen before, Magic Sense."
From my studies, I know what all of those abilities do, except for Magic Sense, it seems that I've already gotten a unique development ability like Alise's Fire Flash.
From the name, I have a feeling it will make reflecting magic usable in battle.
"I'll go with Magic Sense."
"All right, here's your status. Congratulations on being the fastest level-up in the history of Orario."
She says before handing me the status sheet.
========================================================
Name: Sirius
Level: 1 --> 2
Strength: SS1102 --> I0
Endurance: S968 --> I0
Dexterity: SS1112 --> I0
Agility: SS1124 --> I0
Magic: SSS1297 --> I0
Magic Sense: I
Skills:
Heroic Will
Strike of Hope - When facing a stronger enemy, landing an attack passively charges the skill, user can discharge the accumulated power in one strike by activating the skill.
Magic:
Celestial Ascent
========================================================
Looking over the description of the new skill, Strike of Hope seems to be great for facing against stronger opponents, but useless in everyday adventuring and large hordes of monsters.
Still a great skill, one that will be invaluable when I face down the Black Dragon.
"Now Sirius, at the Denatus concerning your level-up, would you prefer me to say you had a previous Familia? That would remove much of the attention you would receive if they know the truth."
"No, tell them the truth about you being my first Familia. I don't plan on slowing down my pace to level 3 after all."
"Is that so? Well, you should go downstairs to tell the girls about your achievement and that you're now awake, you made them quite worried last night, particularly Ryuu."
I feel a slight heat wash over my face as I rush to put on a shirt from my dresser.
"I'll do that, thanks for the update, Mother Astraea."
"Of course, and Sirius, I'm proud of you."
A warmth envelops my body at her simple but heartfelt praise.
"Thank you Mother Astraea, I should get down there now."
I then made my way downstairs, entering the common room where I spotted most of the Familia either talking or doing their own activities.
"Hey guys, uhh, I'm up."
Everyone simultaneously turned their heads at my introduction.
Expressions of recognition flashed through the room before smiles filled with relief and joy set onto their faces.
Feeling the familiar feeling of warmth return, Alise speaks up.
"We're glad you're back, had a few of us worried there. But man, that was quite a spectacle, you sliced right through that thing!"
"Ahh, thank yo- wait. You saw it? Then were you the ones who took me back?"
"Yup, we got there at the last second to see it, so you can rest assured that you definitely saved that girl. And Ryuu was the one to bring you back here, she also gave you some, ahem, very soothing healing, yes."
I look over to Ryuu who has her head turned to the side with a red blush adorning what I could see on her face.
"I see, thank you Ryuu, for bringing me back and healing me. Though I have to ask, who changed me?"
Seeing Ryuu hide her face behind her hands, I think I found one of the culprits. Maryuu speaks up to answer my question.
"That would be my, Ryuu, and Mother. We undressed you to check for any injuries and rest assured we did not remove your undergarments."
"I see, thank you, sorry if it was uncomfortable. But where is my stuff?"
"Your armour and equipment were completely destroyed save for your sword which is in the office. Luckily, the Infant Dragon's magic stone got you 80,000 valis, so you should easily be able to recover, maybe even get an upgrade! Now, is there anything else to tell us?"
Alise gives me a knowing smile, since she reads my status updates she must have guessed my fight would be enough to level up.
"Yeah, I'm a level 2 now."
The room is divided into two states at my revelation.
Alise, Kaguya, Ryuu, and Lyra, the four who both have seen my status updates and my fight, nod as if expecting the information.
While the rest of the girls have wide-eyed expressions.
Even if they knew I was rapidly improving, it would still be a shock that I had levelled up in five months, beating the Sword Princess Ais's record of one year for the fastest level-up by quite a large margin.
"W-what!? Level 2 already!"
"Yup, I mean Neze, you saw that fight, did you really expect him to remain a level 1 after that?"
"I-I guess not. But it's still quite shocking."
"Yep, if I didn't see his progress I would say it's a lie, but to be honest he's been ready to level up for a while. Anyways, we're planning to go on an expedition in a couple of months, you'd only be a supporter, but would you like to come?"
"I'd love to! But wouldn't I still slow you guys down?"
"Nah, this one we're going with the Loki Familia in a joint expedition, and they bring their own level 2's supporters, so we'd already be going at a slower pace. Just spend the time between getting used to your new strength and studying up on the lower floors, and of course, get stronger with the time you have. With your magic and training, I expect you to not be that far behind the level 3's."
"Understood captain!"
I stand straight in a mock salute, causing a couple of laughs to emerge.
"Well, I still have quite the bruise, so I'm gonna hold off on training for today."
"Yeah, let's get you some new equipment, then tonight we can eat at the 'Hostess of Fertility' to celebrate your achievement!"
A chorus of agreement resounds through the room.
"Alright, well, no time like the present, go grab your sword, Sirius, and we can head out. We'll report your level to the guild on our way to Babel as well."
"O-ok, I'll get my valis from upstairs."
"Yep, and don't forget your reward for the Infant Dragon magic stone, it should be in a bag beside your sword. Now, Ryuu, do you want to come with us?"
Their conversation fades out as I head upstairs, quickly finding my stash of valis and grabbing my spare backpack to hold it all.
Checking my appearance in the mirror before going downstairs, I notice my hair has been cut shorter and choppier, giving me a more robust appearance.
Most likely due to the heat from the fire breath they had to fix up my hairstyle, but I like the new look.
I then make my way to the office, eyeing my sword in its scabbard resting against the desk with a bag of coins placed beside it.
Storing the coins in my bag and hooking the scabbard to my belt loop before heading to the entrance, seeing Alise waiting for me.
"You got everything?"
"Yep, I haven't spent very much for a while, so I hope it's enough."
"Well, how much is it?"
"In total? Around 900,000 valis."
"Holy sh- yeah, that's more than enough. Honestly, with that amount of money, you could probably get a quality set of armour that would last you until level 5, although it's your choice."
"No, I'd rather not have to buy a new armour with every level up after all."
"Good thinking, then let's go! For your armour, we'll likely need to order it rather than buy it off the shelf, so you might need to wait a week before going deep into the dungeon, but you can use that time to get used to your new strength."
"Ok, I want to practice enhancing my sword with stellar magic as well. Are we ready to go?"
"Yup, we were just waiting on Ryuu but it seems she's done."
I then turn to where Alise was looking and see what is likely the prettiest girl I had ever seen.
A position previously held by Mother Astraea, but this girl's beauty surpassed even that of a Goddess.
Long golden hair tied in a ponytail by a dark blue ribbon, a light blue sundress that perfectly fit around her curves with white gaiters reaching all the way to her knees, showing only a peek of her thighs while leaving everything else to my very active imagination.
A beautiful fairy princess.
That was all that I could think of when I saw the current appearance of Ryuu.
It seems that my scrutinizing stare was noticed as she grew a light blush while looking down.
Realizing my mistake, I began to wear a similar flushed expression, instinctively turning my head away while Alise speaks up.
"R-Ryuu, you look stunning! Hey, can you wear this more often? Please!"
"A-Absolutely not! I just, well, felt like wearing it."
"Just felt like it, huh? I find that hard to believe. When did you get this, anyway? You never go to formal events and when you do you always wear that suit or your regular gear?"
"E-Enough of your questioning, let's go get Sirius' new equipment."
"Alright alright, but is that dress fine for fighting?"
"It provides enough protection, and I have a pair of hidden short swords, so I'll be fine."
"Alright, Sirius, are you coming?"
Finally breaking out of my trance, I quickly run toward them, forcing my expression to remain stoic while looking straight forward to not repeat my previous mistake.
"Yep, let's go."
And so, our group of three headed towards the center of Orario.
