"Besides, you are stronger than Ryuu right now. I can tell."
Astrea's eyes carried a smile that seemed to see through everything. She looked at Aiden, her tone gentle yet incredibly certain.
Although the boy before her was only a Level 3, her experience as a god was vastly profound.
From Aiden's fluid movements and his composure when facing the combined assault of Cecil and the others, she could deduce that even without using any magic or skills, this boy titled "Flamescion" was absolutely not inferior to an average Level 4 adventurer.
If his magic was added to the equation... perhaps he truly was stronger than the current Ryuu.
Hearing this, Aiden just smiled and didn't argue.
Because he himself also believed that he was currently stronger than Ryuu.
The comprehensive enhancements brought by the enchantment magic [Everlasting Flames], combined with [Alpha Inforce]—a skill capable of stacking time to accumulate kinetic potential—meant his actual combat power had long surpassed the shackles of his Level.
The next morning, just as the sky was beginning to turn gray.
Orario was still immersed in peaceful slumber. Only the timekeeping bell tower at the distant Guild Headquarters occasionally chimed a dull preparatory toll.
In the courtyard of the Palais Mermonia, the bluestone paths were slick with cold dew. Furina's chibi fountain statue looked somewhat hazy in the morning mist.
Aiden and his party were already fully armed and ready to go.
The faint sounds of metal armor and leather chafing were exceptionally clear in the silent morning.
Astrea had also changed into a set of dark travel clothes tailored for mobility. Beneath the soft fabric was specialized fiber capable of effectively resisting magic and physical attacks.
She pulled up a large hood, hiding her breathtaking beauty and divine radiance in the shadows. At the same time, she completely suppressed her divine majesty, transforming herself entirely into an incredibly ordinary mortal, inside and out.
When entering the Dungeon, the utmost priority was hiding one's divine majesty.
Otherwise, not only would they be stopped on the spot by Guild personnel guarding the entrance, but the Dungeon's inherent hatred toward the gods would draw endless calamities.
Clearly, Astrea was one of the few gods capable of doing this perfectly.
There was no longer any pride or stubbornness in Cecil's eyes from yesterday, only deep concern and pleading.
She handed several Magic Swords, carefully wrapped in white cloth, to Tifa, then turned solemnly to Aiden, giving him a deep bow.
"Our Goddess... we leave her in your care."
Aiden nodded solemnly and earnestly. He could feel the weight of the girl's words.
"Rest assured, I swear I will protect Goddess Astrea."
With that, the seriousness on his face melted into an easy smile. "Then, during the time we're away, our somewhat troublesome Lady Furina will be in your care."
Originally, having acquired this massive headquarters, the Palais Mermonia, Aiden intended to leave a portion of the members behind to guard it. After all, such a large estate needed looking after, and Furina needed company.
Now, the arrival of the Astrea Familia perfectly solved this problem.
Just as everyone was preparing to set off, a timid voice came from the side.
"Umm... Mr. Aiden, Miss Jeanne..."
Cassandra, hugging a staff, walked over with a somewhat uneasy expression.
"Cassandra, did you have another dream?" Jeanne asked gently.
Cassandra's prophetic dreams were a blessing that felt like a curse.
They were incredibly accurate, yet due to the curse power accompanying her skill, [Princess of the Tragic World], no one would believe her words. Even her closest companions would subconsciously dismiss them as absolute nonsense.
However, after joining the Focalors Familia, she was pleasantly surprised to discover that this curse was ineffective on two people.
Namely, Aiden and Jeanne.
The former possessed the [Descender] skill, meaning the essence of his soul did not belong to this world and was not bound by its common sense. The latter possessed the [Saint] skill, similarly granting her resistance beyond the bounds of common sense.
Therefore, whenever she had a prophetic dream, Cassandra would immediately seek them out to share it. This brought her an unprecedented sense of security.
"What did you dream of this time?" Aiden looked at her with a smile.
In a sense, Cassandra's prophetic dreams could be considered one of the three great cheats, ranking alongside the Battlefield Saint's healing magic and Haruhime's level-boosting magic.
Being able to predict the future, no matter how abstract the imagery, was a powerful ability capable of altering fate.
Cassandra took a deep breath and began using highly abstract language to describe the fragmented dream.
"I dreamed of... a frozen ocean wave..."
"I dreamed of a figure dancing upon solid ice, incredibly elegant."
"I also dreamed of an azure flower blooming. From its stamen, a phantom not belonging to this world was birthed—a woman with blue hair, very beautiful. She danced in the empty floor, and as she danced, she froze the ground. Many monsters were sealed in ice..."
"Finally, I saw... endless solid ice, sealing off the floor..."
The content she described was still just as abstract and disjointed, even mixed with adjectives that left people scratching their heads.
Hyacine, Tifa, and the others were completely lost. Only Aiden and Jeanne's expressions turned serious.
"Cassandra, did you have that weird dream again?"
Daphne let out a soft sigh, her face full of helplessness.
She walked forward and patted Cassandra's shoulder, her tone like she was comforting a child who had just had a nightmare. "I told you it's just a dream. Stop bothering the Captain with these illusory things."
"But..."
"Cassy-dear, was the woman you dreamed of a better dancer than Robin?"
Hyacine blinked, asking curiously. Clearly, her focus was completely derailed.
Even the usually intelligent and calm Robin merely smiled gently, analyzing: "Ice, dancing, blue hair... these elements aren't uncommon in the tales and rumors of adventurers. Perhaps you've been too nervous lately, blending the stories you've heard with your own anxieties into a dream. Relax a bit, Cassandra."
Not a single person believed her.
Aiden and Jeanne exchanged a glance, both seeing the helplessness in each other's eyes.
The side effect of Cassandra's skill, [Princess of the Tragic World], was truly so powerful it defied all reason.
It was a conceptual curse that acted directly on the cognitive level of others.
Even though they had personally verified the accuracy of Cassandra's prophetic dreams more than once, every time a new prophecy emerged, Robin, Tifa, Hyacine, and even Goddess Furina would subconsciously, instinctively choose to disbelieve it, or treat it as sheer nonsense.
Of course, the fact that Furina was affected was largely because she had sealed her divine power and was living in the lower world in a nearly mortal form.
But this was enough to illustrate the terrifying nature of this skill.
Its side effect had transcended simple magic or mental interference, reaching a level of "rule rewriting."
No matter how many times a prophecy was proven true, the next time, the curse of disbelief would still take effect.
In the entire Focalors Familia, probably only Aiden with his [Descender] skill and Jeanne with her [Saint] skill could resist this invisible curse power and truly believe Cassandra's words.
It was just that Cassandra's prophetic dreams were indeed as abstract as postmodern art.
In his mind, Aiden silently began to deconstruct that fragmented poetry.
"A phantom not belonging to this world, birthed from an azure flower..."
Hearing azure flower, the first thing he thought of was a Ley Line Blossom.
This could basically be confirmed.
But "a phantom not belonging to this world"... that opened up a lot of possibilities.
Last time, the Ley Line Blossom birthed an illusion of Alise. But Alise's soul originated from this world. Even if it returned to Heaven after death, its roots were still in this world.
Then, "not belonging to this world"... Could it be...]
----
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations