"Captain? Good morning. What's up so early?"
Standing in front of him was none other than the red-haired girl captain—Alise.
"Morning, Xien. I was just about to knock. Didn't expect you to come out on your own—so diligent," she said playfully. "But I need to borrow you for a moment. Something to take care of—come with me."
She spoke with a teasing lightness, completely without the air of a commanding officer. If she weren't still a girl with a bit of reserve, she probably would've slung an arm around his shoulders.
And since she wasn't wearing armor, it didn't look like they were heading outside. So Xien didn't bother changing and just replied:
"Yeah, okay."
Confused but obedient, he followed her immediately.
They passed through a fairly ornate corridor and stopped at the door to a spare room.
Alise pulled out a key, unlocked it, and opened the door.
The first thing that caught Xien's eye—by far—was the pile of books stacked on the table.
The room itself wasn't large, maybe twenty-some square meters. A little empty, but otherwise excellent: good light, good location—no real problems.
"Considering how your abilities are going to grow from here," Alise said, gesturing toward the books, "we prepared these for you. This is everything the Familia collected in Orario related to healers. We hope it helps."
As she introduced the books, she placed a key into Xien's hand.
"This is the key to this room. Aside from yours, the only other one is with Lady Astraea. Keep it safe, okay?"
"From today onward, this room is temporarily your workshop. Happy?"
She threw an arm over his shoulder, poked his cheek with her finger, and shamelessly teased him.
"I'm extremely happy. Thank you, Captain."
Alise grinned. Seeing that reaction made the all-night sorting worth it.
Xien's heart trembled as he stared at the key in his palm—an unfamiliar swell of wonder and satisfaction rose inside him, hard to describe.
He looked around again. The emptiness didn't matter.
This was a room that belonged to him—his own space where he could do as he pleased. A huge, completely unexpected gift.
And those books…
In Orario, where knowledge didn't circulate freely, acquiring a "small mountain" of books like that must have cost the Familia dearly.
There was no need for extra words. Every bit of support they gave him—he engraved it in his heart.
While Xien excitedly toured the room, Alise quietly slipped out with a smile.
She'd already spoken with Ryuu. Alise's intent had been for Ryuu not to wait for Xien—but Ryuu had insisted she would train there and wait anyway.
That outcome made Alise chuckle. Their elf—often labeled stiff and socially blunt—really had changed.
Xien didn't stay in the room long. Someone was waiting for him. Even if the captain had likely informed her, he didn't want to gamble on "what if."
Besides, there was little else to do for now—just basic tables and cabinets. There would be plenty of time later.
He roughly sorted the books into categories, then headed to the training grounds.
As expected, he saw that familiar figure—training alone.
They'd just completed a full-Familia expedition yesterday, so everyone needed rest. By long-standing tradition, the next day—aside from required duties—was basically a collective day off.
Free time. Most people used it for logistics, hobbies, and errands.
Some would fix damaged gear or buy replacements. Girls might go shopping for clothes, eat something nice, or go out together. Couples would go on dates. Single men… would drink—and the more "enthusiastic" ones might go wandering through the pleasure district.
In this city, entertainment was simpler—more monotonous—than Xien's previous life.
He didn't like drinking. Tsubaki's weapon repair appointment wasn't set yet. And as for the pleasure district—forget it. The Familia and the goddess would never allow it… and he was still a minor.
So after thinking it over, he decided to spend his time training. In this world, training gave such strong, immediate positive feedback that it was enough to soothe his mind.
And clearly, Ryuu was the same type of person. Rather than drifting around with nothing to do, she preferred sharpening herself.
"Sorry I'm late, Ryuu."
Xien rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed.
"It's fine. You're not late. Honestly… I'm surprised you came this quickly," the elf girl said, stopping her movements.
If she judged by her own experience—when she first got a private room of her own, she hadn't shown much on her face… but inside, she'd been delighted for a long time.
"Heh. Because you were here waiting for me," Xien said. "I can look at the room anytime. But I can't miss an appointment with you."
Ryuu's heart jolted, and heat rose to her face.
Xien's sincere bluntness was… hard for her to handle. She hurriedly changed the subject.
"Th-then let's continue. I'll teach you something new. This afternoon, I'm taking you to get familiar with patrol duties."
"Oh. Got it."
In this era of Orario, the main force maintaining public order wasn't Ganesha Familia like in the original story—it was Astraea Familia, whose overall strength was higher.
Compared to Ganesha Familia—many members, but only the captain at Level 3—Astraea Familia had nine Level 3 members, making them unquestionably stronger as a whole.
So day-to-day city security was led by Astraea Familia, and every member had a fixed duty: patrolling the city.
Because their numbers were limited and Orario was enormous, they usually worked alongside Ganesha Familia—Astraea as the core, Ganesha providing manpower support—to maintain public safety together.
Patrol structure was typically:
Level 3: solo patrol
Level 2: pairs
They focused on areas flagged by Ganesha Familia as problematic, or on special situations encountered by chance.
If they ran into something they couldn't handle alone, they could notify nearby Ganesha members for assistance.
And today, Ryuu was taking Xien—this Level 1 newcomer—to learn the routine.
Their patrol route was the West District, where many unaffiliated laborers lived with their families, forming a large slum-like residential area.
It was also one of Astraea Familia's key patrol zones.
And the old man who had helped Xien the very first time lived here.
Hearing that, the black-haired boy felt a surge of joy. He quickly asked Ryuu about the situation there—especially what people lacked. He wanted to take this chance to visit the old man, thank him in person, and offer whatever help he could.
After thinking it over, Ryuu suggested bringing some basic supplies. Xien had earned quite a bit from the Dungeon expedition, and the West District's residents lived simply—what they truly needed were everyday necessities.
Xien nodded in full agreement.
No matter the world, the people who could live carefree were always the minority. Most struggled just to get by.
Time passed quickly—especially when focused on something. In the blink of an eye, afternoon arrived.
Patrols took time, and unexpected incidents could stretch things out. So Xien likely wouldn't make it to the Guild today. Being responsible, he sent word ahead to the half-elf girl to explain—so he wouldn't end up standing someone up.
According to plan, the two arrived in the bustling West District.
"Wow… it's the elf big sister from Astraea Familia…"
"And there's a big brother too—who is he? He looks so cool…"
The first to notice them were the kids playing by the roadside. With sharp instincts, children always sensed changes in the environment first.
They immediately stopped their game and swarmed around Xien and Ryuu—yet somehow didn't slow their pace at all.
Clearly, this wasn't the first time. In their eyes was only closeness and admiration. Just having their idols come here made them happy.
Smiling, Xien greeted them and handed out candy he'd prepared in advance.
He'd obviously anticipated this.
That only made the kids even more excited.
"Big brother, are you from Ganesha Familia? You're so lucky—getting to patrol with Miss Ryuu…"
"Big brother, big brother! What's your name…?"
They knew bits and pieces—like Astraea and Ganesha Familias cooperating. And because Astraea Familia had a "special" admission threshold, they assumed Xien had to be from Ganesha.
Xien laughed, ruffled the little boy's hair, and struck a flamboyant, self-admiring pose.
"Why can't I be from the same Familia as this elf big sister? Is it because I'm not handsome enough?"
With his cool gear, he actually did pull off a certain unique charm.
"Uh…"
For a moment, the kid was completely thrown off by Xien's shameless narcissism. They hadn't expected someone who could talk naturally with the strict elf big sister… to be such a peacock.
A little girl beside them chimed in with eyes closed, lecturing him very seriously:
"Impossible. Everyone knows Lady Astraea only accepts girls. Even if you are handsome, lying is shameful—especially in front of respected Astraea Familia members."
"Huh? Is that true?" Xien blinked, then turned to Ryuu.
Ryuu shook her head—she didn't know either.
So it was a rumor.
Honestly, what a harmful piece of slander… but if everyone believed it, fine. Arguing with kids had no meaning. Once his reputation rose, people would naturally respect him properly.
Besides, when he leveled up to Level 2, wasn't there supposed to be a formal naming ceremony for titles? Once his title was confirmed, everyone would know Astraea Familia had someone like him.
Though… he vaguely remembered those titles were hard to "hope" for. He just prayed he wouldn't end up with something like "Non-Human".
Maybe he should think of one himself and have Lady Astraea force it through?
After sending the kids off, they continued walking, greeted by friendly neighbors throughout the district.
The gratitude ordinary residents had for Astraea Familia was genuine.
After all, Astraea Familia steadfastly protected their daily safety. Because they were here, people could keep living peacefully.
As they walked, the usually stone-faced Ryuu taught Xien practical techniques to sharpen his observation: patrol routes could be memorized, but exceptional awareness took years of accumulation.
Under her instruction, Xien started noticing details he'd ignored before—places where someone could likely hide, blind spots that needed checking, and most importantly:
Helping people around you whenever you could.
Not bullying the weak—helping and protecting them. That was one of Astraea Familia's versions of justice, and the reason they earned the people's hearts.
In this city, plenty of people used their superhuman strength to bully ordinary citizens—most of it just happened in dark corners Astraea couldn't always see.
For those without self-discipline, greater power often meant greater ambition and uglier desires. That was human nature. Most people here hadn't been guided by the moral frameworks of a peaceful world. There were good people, yes—but not everyone.
Otherwise, there wouldn't be so much dark-faction scum.
And their patron gods were often shunned "evil gods" and the like—put them together, and it was a perfect match.
Bringing his thoughts back, Xien soon found himself near the home of the old man who had first helped him.
He swallowed, then carried the supplies he'd prepared and knocked on the wooden door.
Knock knock knock—
Click.
The door opened.
But it wasn't the old man he remembered.
It was an elderly woman.
....
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