Alise stepped forward until she was standing right in front of Ryuu.
"Ryuu… why?"
She wasn't opposed to using an expensive spirit dicine to save a life. But as captain—second only to their goddess—Alise had to be accountable for the entire familia. A treasure like a Panacea wasn't sothing that could be spent without explanation, especially under unusual circumstances.
Ryuu t everyone's eyes, her posture straight and her voice firm.
"That boy was beaten into critical condition because he tried to protect an old man. When I arrived, he was already at death's door. Healing magic wouldn't work… so I used it." Her tone didn't waver. "Captain… everyone. You understand, don't you?"
The tension in the room eased, and Alise's expression softened into a smile.
"Oh? So he's a kid with a strong sense of justice." She nodded once. "Then we'll leave the final decision to our goddess when we return."
Alise's smile remained, but her next words were unmistakably official.
"Ryuu, for the next period of ti, your earnings will be cut in half and turned in to the familia. No objections, right?"
It wasn't only directed at Ryuu—it was also a statent for everyone else.
No one raised serious complaints.
Ryuu quietly exhaled. It was enough that they didn't bla her. As for half pay… as an elf, she could admit it stung a little, but it wasn't unbearable.
"Yes, Captain. No problem."
Alise looked around one more ti, confirming that the group was aligned.
"Alright. I hereby declare this operation a complete success. Return to the ho base!"
A chorus of weary agreent followed.
Back at their residence, the rank-and-file mbers naturally held a small celebration to vent the pressure and exhaustion of the raid.
That evening, while the others rested, Alise brought the core mbers together—and invited their goddess.
Astraea.
An ancient goddess of justice and order.
She was breathtaking—an elegance that felt less like costics and more like nature's own sculpture. Long brown hair fell like a waterfall to her waist, framing a dignified, graceful figure. Her eyes were clear as lake water, faintly tinted with blue light, carrying a god's wisdom and gentleness.
Even with her divinity sealed, her every movent still carried a quiet authority. She wore a constant smile—warm, never distant.
When Astraea entered the room where Xien had been placed and saw the unconscious boy on the bed, she paused.
Alise, anwhile, continued talking with her eyes closed, happily laying out her plan—completely missing the widening smile on her goddess's face.
"Lady Astraea, this is the kid the Panacea was used on. My thought is—if we can't recruit him into the familia, then we should at least have him help with so chores to work off the debt."
For Astraea—whose sense of justice practically overflowed—this battered child felt like soone she couldn't simply let go.
Orario wasn't peaceful right now. If the boy was pushed back into the streets, he could easily die in so forgotten corner and no one would even notice.
But what happened next still caught everyone off guard.
"Good work, Ryuu."
"E-eh? Th-thank you for the praise… Lady Astraea?"
Ryuu answered on instinct—then realized what she'd just heard.
Their goddess… had praised her?
For a mont, the proud, prickly elf went blank—then flushed with a mix of embarrassnt and a small, irrepressible joy.
The others also froze.
What was this? Why was Lady Astraea suddenly so pleased?
Was it… the boy?
Only Alise seed to catch the thread of what was happening.
"Lady Astraea… don't tell …"
"That's right." Astraea's smile deepened, certain and bright. "I won't mistake it. This child—though he's a bit older than ideal—has remarkable potential."
"And more than that…" Her gaze softened as it rested on Xien. "He carries a radiant heart of justice."
She looked up at her familia with unmistakable delight.
"Congratulations. You've gained another adorable little brother."
"E-eh…?"
The room erupted into stunned silence.
To be praised like that by Astraea… the last person who'd received that kind of evaluation had been their captain.
Astraea didn't linger on their shock. She moved closer to the bed and gave an instruction.
"Ryuu. Co help."
"Y-yes, Lady Astraea."
Ryuu snapped out of her daze at once. She understood what their goddess intended—and hurried forward. She removed Xien's tattered top, revealing a body so thin it was almost skeletal, then gently turned him over.
Everyone's chest tightened.
This child… had lived through sothing terrible.
And the more pity they felt for him, the more disgust they felt toward the scum who had abducted them.
Then Alise spoke up, sudden and careful.
"Wait, Lady Astraea—shouldn't we consider the boy's own wishes?"
It wasn't that Alise didn't want a new mber.
But the Astraea Familia stood as Orario's symbol of justice. Forcing soone into a familia without consent felt dangerously close to betraying the very ideals they claid to protect.
And Astraea—of course—had already thought of that.
"It's rare to et a child so perfectly aligned with our familia," Astraea said gently. "I truly don't want to let him slip away… but you're right."
She looked at Alise with approval in her eyes and offered a smile of praise.
"So I've decided this: I will welco him first, and when he wakes, if he truly does not wish to remain with us, I will erase the blessing and return his freedom. How does that sound?"
She added, almost tenderly, "And look at his condition. The rite itself can also help improve his body."
The group found themselves nodding, one after another.
Even if the Panacea had repaired his injuries, the long-term deprivation and collapse of his health couldn't be fixed overnight.
With no further hesitation, Astraea accepted the fine needle Alise handed her. She pricked her right index finger.
A single drop of divine blood fell onto the boy's back.
It lted on contact, leaving no mark—yet his back began to glow with a soft, gentle light.
As if nourished by that blood, the harsh angles of his fragile body seed just slightly less stark.
Astraea lifted her hands above his back.
Sacred letters erged in the air—holy script forming as the pact took shape.
Under the nourishnt of divinity, Xien's withered body showed faint signs of recovery. He wouldn't beco healthy instantly—but the path back to "normal" had been shortened.
Watching the holy letters settle into place, Astraea smiled with calm satisfaction.
Everything was as she expected.
At that mont, the Astraea Familia welcod a new mber once again.
A short while later, the glow faded and the room returned to stillness.
Ryuu handed Astraea a sheet of paper. Astraea pressed Xien's Status onto it—an imprint of his newly granted falna—and without saying much, simply smiled and passed it to Alise.
The executives gathered in closer, unable to help themselves.
-------
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