"You did something extraordinary, Charlie. Thanks to you, many civilians were saved today."
"Even without me, other adventurers would have defeated them."
"So humble..."
The more Astraea got to know him, the more she liked Charlie's unassuming personality.
"..."
Charlie's gaze then shifted to the three members of the Ganesha Familia who were still stunned. They seemed to be processing what they had just witnessed.
"May I leave?"
Of course, after his demonstration of power, none of them were brave enough to try to stop him.
Even if they took him to an interrogation room, what could they do?
After all, the adventurers lying on the ground earlier weren't dead—it was just a regular fight. There was no reason to detain him any longer.
This was the privilege of the strong!
As Charlie prepared to leave with Astraea, a monotonous voice sounded in the air.
"Wait a moment."
Charlie, Est, Aishia, and Astraea turned toward the source of the voice.
From a distance, a blonde-haired girl leaped agilely from one rooftop to another. She landed gracefully in front of them, her eyes fixed directly on Charlie.
Astraea immediately recognized the girl.
Aiz Wallenstein, the Sword Princess of the Loki Familia.
Astraea glanced at Charlie, slightly curious.
'How does he know a famous adventurer like the Sword Princess when he hasn't been in Orario for long?'
Meanwhile, one of the Ganesha Familia members muttered in admiration.
"The Sword Princess... What is she doing here?"
However, Charlie didn't seem too bothered by the situation.
Aiz remained standing a few meters in front of him. Her golden eyes were captivated by Charlie's blue eyes, which reminded her of a clear blue sky. Plus, she couldn't ignore the glowing green lines on his cheeks that seemed to connect to his chest—something unusual.
'He's gotten stronger.' That's what Aiz felt at that moment.
As if feeling the need to explain, she spoke in a flat yet serious tone.
"I saw everything."
"Saw what?" Charlie asked, confused.
"When I was about to handle the escaped monsters. You took care of all of them in one move."
"I see. Sorry for stealing your prey."
"No need to apologize, you did the right thing. If it were me, it would have taken time to reach each monster scattered in different locations... Hm?"
Only now did Aiz notice that there was another Spirit by Charlie's side.
'Another one...'
As a Half-Spirit, Aiz had a natural sensitivity to the presence of Spirits. And now, she realized there was another Spirit with Charlie.
Her eyes briefly shifted to Est, who stood by the man's side.
For reasons she didn't understand, her heart felt uneasy.
'What is this feeling... I should ask Riveria about it later.'
This strange feeling made Aiz touch her own chest, as if trying to understand what was really bothering her.
Meanwhile, Charlie was still unaware of Aiz's inner turmoil. He just let out a small sigh, feeling their conversation had gone on long enough.
"Alright, then—" He began to speak, intending to say goodbye, but the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps stopped him.
"Aiz-tan!"
Loki appeared, followed by Lefiya, Tiona, and Tione.
Suddenly, Loki's eyes widened as she saw another figure among them.
"Astraea?! You're back?"
Normally, Loki's expression was always relaxed, with her narrow eyes and mischievous smile. But this time, her eyes were wide open, staring at Astraea with genuine surprise.
"Long time no see, Loki." Astraea said with a soft smile.
Loki's expression turned into a wide grin. "Heh! The world is small! I thought you had fully retired!"
While the two goddesses chatted, Tiona looked at Charlie with a curious expression. Her eyes narrowed, focusing on the changes in his eyes and the glowing green lines connecting to his chest.
"Charlie, what happened to you?"
Tiona approached without hesitation, almost pressing herself against Charlie to get a closer look. But before her hand could reach him, Tione pulled her back.
"Tione! Don't just approach someone like that! It's rude!" Tione scolded, dragging her twin sister away.
*JIIII—*
On the other side, Lefiya tightly gripped Aiz's hand, glaring at Charlie with an unfriendly expression.
'Aiz-sama... Why is she talking to this man? Why does she seem interested?'
'I can't let her get any closer to him!'
She didn't even realize that her grip on Aiz's hand was getting tighter.
"..."
Aiz, still slightly confused by her feelings, just glanced at Lefiya without saying anything.
Seeing the number of people gathered, Charlie finally spoke up.
"It seems this isn't the right place for a long conversation."
All eyes turned to him as he continued, "My house isn't far from here. If you want to continue talking, how about we go there?"
Astraea nodded in agreement. "After this incident, the Monsterphilia Festival won't feel enjoyable anymore."
However, Loki's reaction was the opposite.
"WHAT?!"
She stared at Astraea with an expression of utter shock. "You... are staying at this man's house?!"
Charlie looked at her, slightly puzzled. "Yes, is there a problem?"
Loki couldn't hold back a short laugh. "A problem? Of course there is!"
Her eyes narrowed with curiosity. "You know, Astraea is very conservative when it comes to men."
She pointed at Astraea. "She's always only accepted female members in her Familia! Just like the Hera Familia! And now she's living under the same roof as a man?"
Loki rested her chin on her hand, smiling with interest. "I'm curious... What kind of charm do you have to make Astraea break her principles? Whether it's Hera or Astraea, they've made an exception for you."
'This man might have a charm like Freya, huh? Anyway, I can't let Aiz-tan get any closer to him.'
Glancing at Aiz, who only had eyes for Charlie, Loki was very wary.
"Yosh!"
Tiona suddenly exclaimed enthusiastically. "Then, let's go to Charlie's house!"
She didn't hesitate at all, instead seeming excited.
Aiz nodded slowly. There were still things she wanted to discuss with Charlie.
Lefiya, on the other hand, seemed to want to refuse vehemently. But she couldn't let Aiz get any closer to this man.
'I have to go... Otherwise, I don't know what will happen!'
She bit her lip, then in a small voice, she said, "I'll go."
'Even though I don't want to, I can't leave Aiz-sama alone with this man!'
With mixed feelings, Lefiya finally followed the group.
Meanwhile, Charlie was now leading a large group of women to his house.
This scene was clearly attracting the attention of anyone who saw it.
The Sword Princess, Thousand Elf, Crusher, Jormungand—they were prominent adventurers in Orario. Big names that always drew attention. After all, the Loki Familia was the strongest Familia in Orario besides the Freya Familia.
However, among them, there were two figures unknown to the public—Aishia and Est.
Even so, their beauty couldn't be ignored.
Both had a unique charm that humans didn't possess.
On the other hand, Charlie was a nobody.
No one knew his name among the top-tier adventurers. But he walked among these extraordinary women as if it were the most natural thing.
No wonder Charlie received hateful glances from the men who saw him.
"Who is that bastard?!"
"Why is he surrounded by beautiful women?! Is he some noble?"
"Tch! I'm jealous!"
Disapproving voices could be heard around them.
If Bell Cranel were in this position, he would have been so nervous that his legs would be shaking.
However, Charlie was different. He didn't care about the envious, jealous, or even hateful glances from the people around him.
Calmly, he continued walking, leading the girls to his home—the Empyrean Citadel.