After the battle, Roland looked down at the Green Dragon with its snapped neck. He dug out its Magic Stone, severed the dragon horns, and peeled off several intact scales.
Ais, seeing that the dragon was dead, quickly walked over from beneath the tree to his side.
"I recall that Gem Trees usually grow near Green Dragons. What do you think, Ais?" Roland scanned the area but couldn't spot any unusual-looking trees.
Ais walked straight toward a tree that appeared identical to all the others. After observing it closely, she chanted her magic and leapt onto the rough bark, sprinting up toward the high branches.
Roland followed her gaze and finally realized that the top of this tree was laden with fruit that sparkled as beautifully as red and blue sapphires. He tapped his head, realizing he had expected gems to be hidden in tree hollows like in some video game. It turned out to be literal—a tree that actually grew gemstones.
Watching Ais skillfully locate the Gem Tree and cut down the branches, Roland couldn't help but admire her keen observation and experience.
"Ais, you're amazing! Is there a special trick to finding them?" Roland asked as he plucked the gem-like fruits.
Ais pointed to the trunk, a trace of pride in her eyes. "Only this tree has no monster claw marks. And it gives off a distinct scent."
"I see," Roland praised her. "As expected of a Level 3 adventurer. Your experience is truly impressive."
At his words, a small smile played on Ais's lips, her face glowing with joy as she quietly soaked in his praise.
At the Guild Hall, Roland pulled the magic stones and materials from his [Inventory] and exchanged them for Valis. He handed the larger bag of coins to Ais; after all, she had slain more monsters that day. Roland had spent most of his time cherry-picking specific foes to train his stats.
He bought Ais some red bean and cream-flavored fried potato puffs—a snack she never seemed to tire of—and escorted her to the Loki Familia gates before heading home.
Ais returned to her room, unequipped her sword Desperate and her armor, and headed to the girls' bath. Just as she was about to wrap herself in a towel to leave, a figure suddenly lunged out from the water toward her.
"Let me see if my little Ais-tan has grown! Let me feel!" Loki squealed with a lecherous expression, wiggling her fingers as she snatched at Ais.
Ais remained expressionless, clearly used to this. She nimbly dodged Loki's pounce and began dressing. "Loki, I need to update my Status."
"Hehehe, a cold-faced Ais-tan is great too..."
Inside Loki's room, Ais sat with her back to the goddess. Loki pricked her finger, letting a drop of divine blood fall to manifest the status.
As Loki noted the dozens of points gained across her stats, she suddenly gasped. A new entry had appeared in the [Skills] section.
"Eh?! A new skill appeared! Ais-tan, do you have any idea what caused this?"
"A new skill?" Ais's voice grew urgent as she took the parchment from Loki.
Despite having powerful skills, her profile hadn't changed much in the last two years aside from raw numbers. She had begun to fear her potential was drying up.
Ais WallensteinLevel 3Magic: [Ariel] Skill: [Avenger] New Skill — [Wind-Spirit Slash]: Under the state of [Ariel], control over wind magic is enhanced, range is extended, and magical effects are amplified.
Ais's face lit up with joy. Roland really had helped her become stronger. She grabbed the parchment, intent on finding Riveria to tell her the news.
"Riveria and the others are in the office. Let's go!" Loki said with a grin.
When Ais announced her new skill in the office, the three leaders offered their heartfelt congratulations.
"It seems training magic with Roland has paid off," Riveria said. "You should make sure to thank him properly."
Loki, however, huffed in her typical tone. "Hmph! This is all because our Ais-tan is brilliant! What does it have to do with that brat? Our Ais-tan will get even more skills and magic in the future!"
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Danmachi : Mage's Infinite Journey (168 Chapters – Ongoing)
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Ais pouted slightly. "Loki, I'm not a dummy."
Loki immediately began bowing and apologizing, while the others burst into laughter at the scene.
"What's wrong, Lady Astraea?" Roland asked, noticing his goddess had stopped moving behind his back. "Has something changed with my status?"
"Indeed. Roland, you've gained another magic. It seems all three of your slots are now filled." Astraea imprinted the changes and handed the sheet to Roland as he turned around.
RolandLevel 2Strength: I0 → F312 Endurance: I0 → F305 Dexterity: I0 → F334 Agility: I0 → F324 Magic: I0 → D509 Development Ability: [Mystery] Magic: [Element Master], [Blood Source Power] New Magic — [Dimensional Erosion]: Dimension Magic. Allows the conversion of mana into Dimensional Power to cast spells under certain conditions. Taboo: ???
It seems using the power of a Dimension Walker was recorded as a magic, Roland thought.
"It looks like another dangerous one," Astraea said, pointing at the new entry. "Is this how you're able to craft Magic Items? After all, those aren't easily made. You must be using this power."
Roland nodded helplessly. "Yes. Without this power, I wouldn't have succeeded so quickly."
"And it mentions 'certain conditions,' which means you can gain new power by shifting states, right?" Astraea leaned in closer, her eyes sparkling like the night sky. "So, you have a new form? Can I see it?"
Roland looked at his cute, pleading goddess. Compared to other classes, the appearance of a Dimension Walker wasn't exactly his favorite look.
"Alright. But first, Lady Astraea, you have to promise not to laugh at me!"
"Roland, you know me," she said seriously, straightening her posture. "A deity would never mock her child, no matter how... amusing they look."
"Then, here I go."
With a thought, Roland's appearance shifted subtly. Though he was still young, his usual sharp, boyish look softened into something more elegant and androgynous—similar to the elf Celty, where gender was hard to distinguish at a glance.
However, dark circles appeared under his eyes as if he hadn't slept in days. He looked utterly exhausted, projecting an aura of emptiness. Furthermore, as soon as he shifted into the Dimension Walker state, he felt that gaze again.
It was a lingering feeling of resentment, like a scorned lover watching a man cheat. It made Roland's skin crawl. He knew who the gaze belonged to, but he couldn't understand why he was being targeted.
"Hehe, so this is your new form? It's quite cute, though those dark circles are a bit heavy," Astraea chuckled, tracing her finger under his eyes.
"See? This is why I don't like this form. It makes me look like I pull all-nighters." In reality, it was more of a mental fatigue from his sanity slowly fraying, accompanied by strange whispers if he stayed in the form too long.
Roland immediately switched back to his usual Elemental Bomber form to block out the gaze.
"Oh, right," Astraea said, moving to the real reason she sought him. "Do you have a preference for your alias? The Denatus (Gods' Assembly) is about to begin. If we don't pick a good one, my fellow gods will turn this into a circus."
Roland was terrible with names. "Do you have any recommendations? If it were up to me, it would just be 'Elementalist' or 'Wind Walker' or something literal."
Astraea thought: He really has no talent for naming.
She smiled. "Those are okay, but they might reject them for being too plain. Leave it to me! I'll fight for a normal name for you."
"Please! Anything but 'Justice Man' or 'Harem Boy'!" Roland begged, clasping his hands together.
"Don't worry," Astraea promised, punching the air with determination. "As your goddess, I will secure a dignified title for you!"
"Please try harder! I want a cool title like Alise and the others!" Roland's mock-wailing brought another laugh from the goddess.