Outside the door, the rest of the Familia was waiting. "You really caught a once-in-a-century genius, Alise," Iska, the Amazon, said while leaning against the wall.
"It's true," Maryu added gently. "Knowing Roland is amazing is one thing, but reaching Level 2 in less than a month makes my heart feel quite complicated."
"Exactly. And he defeated a Floor Boss solo while still Level 1," Kaguya noted. "We Level 3s might not even be a match for him anymore."
The hallway erupted into whispers. "He beat the Wyvern and the Goliath?" Ryuu confirmed, "Yes, he fell down while adventuring on the 15th Floor."
"Roland certainly had an eventful day—though it's exactly the kind of day I'd want to avoid," Noin said, pacing the corridor. Aste caught her to stop her from pacing. "No wonder his stats grew so fast. Poor Roland must have worked so hard."
"Now that he's Level 2, what title will he get at the Denatus?" Neze asked.
"As long as it isn't a joke title," Lyana laughed.
After twenty minutes, Alise grew restless and knocked. "Lady Astraea? Are we done yet? Our curiosity is about to explode!"
"Come in, everyone," the Goddess called out. Eleven girls crowded into the room, surrounding Roland on the sofa. Astraea handed the parchment to Alise.
"Whoa! An ultra-rare development ability!" Alise shouted. The others pushed her aside to see: [Mystery].
"The ability to make magic items," Lyra noted. Kaguya asked about the other options. When Astraea mentioned [Mage], [Hunter], and the unique [Integration], Kaguya sat beside Roland and pinched his ear—not hard, but firmly.
"Mystery is rare, but why didn't you choose the one most suited for combat? Do you plan to become a craftsman instead of an adventurer?"
"I still plan to be an adventurer, Sister Kaguya. Don't be so hasty, let me explain," Roland said. Once she let go, Maryu began massaging his ears and head.
"The answer is simple. I want to use my power to create magic items that can get everyone out of danger in an emergency."
The room went silent. Lyra looked touched. "Whoa... you did it for us? I haven't loved you in vain; I'm practically falling for you now!" She squeezed onto the sofa and began nuzzling his face.
"Hey, no fair! I want a turn!" Neze snatched Roland up. Kaguya and Lyra's heads bumped together as they lost their "prop."
"My turn, Neze!" Iska intercepted him, and soon Roland was being passed around like a mascot. Even the dwarf Aste picked him up and spun him around. Only the two elves stood to the side, looking conflicted—wanting to join in but being too shy.
Astraea clapped her eyes to save him. "Alright, business first. Should we report Roland's level-up to the Guild?"
Lyra pointed out a loophole. "Roland, if you don't want to register, it's fine. If we get caught, we just pay a fine."
Roland slipped away from Ryuu's blushing embrace. "If we register, can we change the date?"
"You mean, making it look like it took a year instead of a month?" Kaguya asked.
"Exactly! We could just say I was a converted member from another Familia."
Alise and Kaguya immediately shut that down. "Denied!" Alise cried. "Your first Familia is the Astraea Familia. You can only be a member of Justice!"
"Exactly. I don't want rumors going around that we're poaching members from other Familias," Kaguya added, supporting Alise.
Faced with their glares, Roland waved his hands awkwardly. "I was kidding! It was just an example."
"Is that something to joke about, you brat?! Right, Lady Astraea?"
The Goddess put on a serious face, feigning anger. "Precisely! Roland is such a dummy." She continued, teasing him further about the reward she'd given him earlier. "If you're already planning on finding a second Goddess, then I won't give you your next reward."
The moment the others heard the word "reward," their eyes changed. Alise skipped over to Astraea. "Reward? What reward? Lady Astraea, I want one too!"
Astraea stroked Alise's hair while giving Roland a meaningful look. "Well, maybe next time I won't give Roland the reward of a head-pat."
Hearing it was just a head-pat, the girls lost interest. While a pat from the Goddess was wonderful, it was something they could get just by asking. They didn't realize the "reward" Roland had actually received was far more intimate.
Roland, understanding the Goddess's silent threat, raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, I yield. I agree to register, but can we say the level-up took three months instead of one?"
"Why do you want to hide the time, Roland?" Ryuu asked.
"Because we're already famous. If news breaks that I leveled up in a month, those 'entertainment' gods will make a huge fuss and bring trouble to the Familia. The Evilus would target us even more. It's dangerous."
"Another excuse about doing it for us... you really are a handful," Lyra sighed. "We've only known you for a month, yet you put us before yourself. That won't do." She couldn't resist her usual tease. "You don't actually think of us as your harem, do you?"
Without a hint of hesitation, Roland answered seriously, "If I could live with all of you for the rest of my life, I would be happy to. I don't want to lose a single one of you."
The room went silent. The girls' faces turned various shades of red. He just confessed! This kid actually said it! The atmosphere became thick with a sweet, awkward tension.
Finally, Celeity couldn't take it anymore. She covered her blushing face and bolted out of the room with a cry. One by one, the others followed. Only Iska and Maryu remained at the door. Iska leaned against the frame and blew Roland a kiss, while Maryu clasped her hands over her heart. "My wish is the same as Roland's—just to live together with everyone," she said gently. "I'll leave the rest to you guys. I'm joining the girls' meeting!"
Only Astraea, Roland, and the core quartet remained.