The Hostess of Fertility, a renowned adventurer tavern in Orario. Even large familias like the Loki Familia often held banquets here.
Famous for its top-tier cuisine and adorable waitstaff, the tavern was highly praised by adventurers.
Including the proprietress, every single mber of the staff was anything but ordinary.
The proprietress, Mia Grand, was the forr captain of the Freya Familia and a Level 6 adventurer.
The elf waitress, Ryuu Lion, was a forr Level 4 adventurer.
Among the two catgirl waitresses, one was Anya Frol, also a forr Level 4 adventurer from the Freya Familia, known by the title "Chariot's Shadow."
The other was also Level 4, but not an adventurer—instead, she was "Black Cat" Chloe Lolo, an assassin with a 100% mission success rate.
The two human waitresses were equally unusual. One of them, Seer, was a split incarnation of the goddess of beauty, Freya.
The last one, before joining the Hostess of Fertility, had been a mber of the Deter Familia—a Level 4 bounty hunter nad Runoa Fast, also boasting a perfect mission success rate, known by the title "Black Fist."
What a lineup—one Level 6, four Level 4s, and a goddess's avatar, all in one tavern. Most familias in Orario couldn't even dream of such a configuration.
Previously, Charles had avoided this tavern to prevent drawing Freya's attention.
But after Ryuu's earlier outburst, so much had already been unintentionally exposed that Charles no longer saw the point in holding back.
Led by the two won, Charles arrived at the most famous tavern in Orario.
After they seated him, Seer ran off to the kitchen. Before long, a tall and muscular woman ca out.
The woman, affectionately called "Mama Mia" by the staff, was a top-tier Level 6 adventurer. Charles could clearly sense the terrifying strength radiating from her.
Intimidating, wasn't she? At six feet tall, Mia was a dwarf—the "Little Giant."
Six feet tall… one had to wonder what "dwarf" even ant anymore.
Mia walked over to Charles and said, "Haven't seen you before, brat! First ti at our place, huh?
I heard one of my staff did sothing real rude to you, so let make it up to you with a proper al! I'll pick the dishes—just relax and eat your fill!"
Charles replied, "It was just a misunderstanding. Everything's fine now."
Mia patted Charles on the shoulder and laughed. "Didn't expect you to be such a stand-up guy. Just sit tight and look forward to my cooking!"
Charles nodded. "Then I won't be shy."
Mia glanced at Ryuu, who was sitting across from Charles, sighed, said nothing, and turned back toward the kitchen to start preparing the food.
Charles placed the earring on the table. Seeing the item that had once adorned her enemy's ear, Ryuu's emotions began to stir again.
But this ti, she managed to control herself. Staring fixedly at the item on the table, she said, "That item… where did you get it?"
Charles replied, "I ran into a man wearing it in the dungeon. That's right—it's the one you're thinking of. Jara, of the Rudra Familia."
"Where is he?" Ryuu asked through gritted teeth, as if flas of hatred were beginning to burn within her.
Charles shook his head. "You'll never see him again."
Ryuu froze, confused, and looked at Charles.
Pointing to the earring, Charles said, "You think he just handed that over willingly? That bastard's corpse has probably already been devoured down to the last scrap by monsters on the 27th floor."
"He… died?"
Ryuu didn't know what to feel upon hearing the news.
Happy? She should be—after all, the man responsible for her close friend's death had finally perished in the sa place, his body nothing more than monster feed.
Disappointed? Perhaps—after all, she hadn't been the one to personally exact revenge.
In any case, her heart felt like a tangled ss of threads she couldn't unravel.
Seeing the complex expression on her face, Charles let out a long sigh. He always seed to encounter these troubled souls, and watching their pain and inner turmoil, he couldn't help but want to comfort them.
"Miss Ryuu, I've heard about what happened to the Astrea Familia."
Ryuu looked up at Charles upon hearing the familiar na.
Charles continued, "After encountering Jara, I dug into his background and unexpectedly learned about you and the Astrea Familia.
Though I never t your goddess, I did co to understand so of her ideals regarding justice."
Astrea was the goddess of justice—not the kind that bowed to authority like so navy next door. From Charles's modern-day perspective, her idea of justice was the most aligned with his own understanding of the concept.
He couldn't help but regret arriving in this world too late. If he had co before the tragedy unfolded, he would have made sure it never happened.
Ryuu showed a bitter smile and said, "Do I even have the right to speak her na, or talk about justice, anymore?"
Charles finally understood what had been eating away at her.
Five years ago, the disaster had claid the lives of her close friends. Since then, vengeance had beco the sole aning of her existence.
For that, she had asked her god to let her leave Orario—effectively abandoning the justice she had once upheld with her companions.
So during her quest for revenge, she used every ans at her disposal: torture, traps, poison, assassination. She had forsaken all principles, not to ntion the usual elegance and dignity of an elf.
Justice—that was the only thing her departed friends had left her besides their broken weapons. And yet, she had thrown it away for vengeance.
But she didn't regret it. If she had to choose again, she would still take up the blade of revenge. That didn't an it hadn't caused her pain.
Charles didn't understand that part and said, "Is there really a conflict between justice and revenge? People say revenge has no aning, that it only brings pain and more hatred.
But that's not right! Revenge does have aning. At least, for the victim and the offender, it's the punishnt and closure they deserve. Isn't that justice?"
Seeing the pain on her face, Charles didn't expect his words to suddenly resolve her internal struggle.
So he continued, "The only ti revenge is aningless is for the one who seeks it. Even if they succeed, the dead won't return, and the pain won't go away."
Ryuu wholeheartedly agreed with that. In the years following her revenge, she had often wished she had just died alongside her comrades on the 27th floor.
Looking her straight in the eye, Charles said loudly, "That's why you have to keep living—because those who seek revenge carry more than just hatred. They carry the lives of the friends who died.
Your life is the proof that they lived. Even if people call you shaless, you must live on with strength. Only then will their sacrifice not be in vain."
Charles averted his gaze and said no more. Ryuu lowered her head, lost in thought, and silence fell over the surroundings.
Thud!
Mia had probably been watching from the sidelines the whole ti. As soon as the two went quiet, she walked over and slamd a tray down hard in front of them.
The sizzling steak gave off an irresistible aroma, its rich sauce making Charles swallow instinctively.
With her usual hearty tone, Mia said, "Made this one just for you. A real man should eat and drink big—that's part of an adventurer's romance."
She then placed a huge mug of ale in front of Charles.
"This one's on . Thank you—for taking the trouble to talk things through with one of my girls."
As he shoved a mouthful of steak into his mouth, Charles waved a hand, indicating she didn't need to worry about it.
Mia chuckled and turned to bring out the other dishes.
Ryuu remained silent, while Charles focused on eating and drinking. By the ti Ryuu ca back to her senses, only a pile of empty plates remained in front of her—and Charles had long since left.
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