"Charlie...?"
Aiz tugged on Charlie's sleeve, snapping him out of his thoughts. Her golden eyes looked at him with hope.
Clearing his throat softly, Charlie pushed aside his unnecessary thoughts.
"Ahem... Why do you want power?"
"..."
Aiz fell silent. She didn't answer, just stared at him quietly.
However, Charlie noticed her expression. There was something behind those eyes... Hatred.
"Let me guess, you crave power for revenge, don't you?"
"How did you know?"
Charlie's guess was accurate, which made Aiz look at him in surprise.
"During our fight earlier, your attacks weren't pure. There was something else accompanying them. I could sense the hidden hatred in every strike."
Hearing his explanation, Aiz knew there was no point in denying it anymore.
"...I want to get stronger so I can take revenge."
Charlie observed her expression. Aiz's face remained flat, but her cold voice carried a deep emotional weight.
He had watched the DanMachi anime, but only up to the first season. He didn't know the details about Aiz's past. However, he also didn't want to ask. If Aiz wanted to talk, she would say it herself.
Even so, Charlie couldn't let the girl be completely blinded by hatred. As someone who had walked his own path of revenge, he could understand her feelings.
He stared at Aiz deeply before finally speaking, "Don't use revenge as the motivation for every action you take."
Aiz opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but Charlie interrupted her.
"There are countless people out there who have lost loved ones. You're just one of many."
"..."
Aiz clenched her fists but didn't argue. The words cut deeper than she expected.
Meanwhile, Lefiya, who had been silent until now, couldn't hold back anymore. Her face turned red with anger.
"That bastard doesn't know anything about Aiz-san, how dare he act like he knows everything!"
Lefiya was about to confront Charlie, but Loki quickly held her back.
"Calm down, Lefiya. Let the kid finish what he wants to say. After that, it's not too late to deal with him."
Lefiya bit her lip, annoyed but unable to argue with Loki. Finally, she sat back down, though her pout was still clearly visible on her face.
However, her gaze couldn't look away from Charlie and Aiz.
On the other hand, Charlie canceled his Elemental Waffe transformation, and Terminus Est returned to Est's form. The spirit girl then walked back to her seat, rejoining Aishia to enjoy their snacks as if nothing had happened.
Placing his hand on Aiz's shoulder, Charlie looked at her with a serious expression.
"Those who use emotions as motivation to grow won't last long in this world. People like that will eventually fall and disappear as their feelings fade. Find your own genuine desire to train and grow stronger."
Aiz's pupils contracted. His words echoed in her mind.
'Is this the reason my strength has stagnated? All this time, my goal to grow stronger has only been for revenge. But if that motivation disappears, will I stop growing?'
Confusion crept into her heart. She looked at him with a questioning expression.
"...So, you're telling me to let go of my hatred?"
Charlie chuckled. His gaze was sharp, but his smile remained relaxed.
"If you don't understand someone's suffering, don't tell them to pity. Kill if you must, slaughter if necessary. Revenge must be repaid!"
Aiz's eyes widened.
Usually, people would advise her to forget her revenge and move on with her life. They would say that's what the departed would have wanted. But Charlie was different from the standard answer.
He didn't ask her to forget her hatred. Instead, he acknowledged it.
*THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!* *THUMP!*
Her heart raced.
Aiz didn't know why, but her impression of Charlie skyrocketed. Unlike others who always saw her as a strong, almost emotionless girl, Charlie treated her as an individual with personal wounds and desires.
For the first time in a long while, Aiz felt understood.
"..."
Just as the atmosphere between the two was getting really good, Loki suddenly appeared with a pout.
Without warning, she pulled Aiz into a tight hug, as if protecting her from danger. Her eyes glared at Charlie like a mother hen shielding her chick from a wolf.
"I won't hand Aiz-tan over to anyone! Aiz-tan is mine! Don't even think about taking her from me!"
Aiz looked slightly awkward in Loki's embrace, but she didn't resist, still pondering Charlie's earlier words.
With a wry smile, Charlie wasn't offended in the slightest by Loki's rough attitude. Then, he used Wind Spirit Art to dry the sweat on his body, making sure no lingering odor remained.
Without saying a word, he walked out to the terrace, sat on the chair next to Aishia, grabbed a bottle of mineral water, and drank it slowly.
However, just as he took his first sip, Tiona eagerly approached him.
"Hey, Charlie! What level are you really? There's no way you're just Level 2!"
Beside her, Tione stared at him sharply, clearly waiting for his answer.
Not long after, Loki came over with Aiz and sat in one of the empty chairs.
Loki crossed her arms and looked at him scrutinizingly.
"Hey, kid. I don't know how strong you are, but if you're hiding your real level, that's illegal, you know? If the Guild finds out, they could punish you!"
Her tone sounded like a warning, but it was clear she also didn't believe Charlie was only Level 2.
"..."
The gods had the ability to detect lies. If someone tried to lie in front of them, no matter how small, it would be immediately revealed. Therefore, there was no point in hiding the truth from them.
After pondering for a moment, Charlie told the truth.
"I'm Level 4."
Loki, Tiona, Tione, Lefiya, and Aiz all widened their eyes.
"Haaah?! Level 4?!" Tiona shouted the loudest, almost making Charlie cover his ears. She stared at him with her mouth agape, as if she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Tione looked at him with a disbelieving expression. "Wait a minute. Weren't you just Level 2 not long ago? How is it possible you're already Level 4 now?"
Lefiya, who had been annoyed since earlier, immediately accused him. "Don't tell me you falsified your level report to the Guild! That's a serious violation!"
Meanwhile, Aiz muttered softly, but loud enough for everyone to hear. "Level 4... can rival me using Ariel?"
Despite the accusations and doubts, Charlie remained calm. In a relaxed tone, he explained, "I didn't hide my level, let alone falsify my report to the Guild. It's true, eleven days ago I was still Level 2. It's just that some unexpected events gave me a massive amount of Excelia. So, I leveled up to Level 4 without having the chance to update my level at the Guild."
However, his explanation only made the girls more suspicious. Tione folded her arms across her chest and glared at him sharply. "You think we'll believe nonsense like that? Leveling up isn't as easy as flipping your hand. Even High-Class Adventurers take years to level up once!"
"Exactly! No matter how talented someone is, it's impossible to level up twice in just eleven days!" Lefiya felt the man in front of her was a cheap fraud.
Tiona scratched her head, feeling annoyed because she couldn't understand the situation. "I want to believe you, Charlie, but this is really hard to digest!"
Aiz remained silent, but her sharp gaze showed she also doubted the truth of Charlie's words.
However, before anyone could argue further, Loki, who had been observing, finally spoke up. "Tsk, even though this is hard to believe, I can say that this kid isn't lying."
The girls immediately turned to Loki with surprised expressions.
Loki squinted at Charlie. "It's hard to believe, but his words are true. Hera really found a monster... The word genius can't describe this kid anymore. The word monster suits him better."
After hearing Loki's assurance, the atmosphere, which was initially full of doubt, slowly subsided. Although hard to believe, if a goddess like Loki said it wasn't a lie, then there was no reason to doubt it further.
Tione was still trying to process the reality in front of her. "I know the world is vast and full of surprises, but this... is completely insane. If this news spreads, Orario will be in an uproar."
Lefiya, who had been strongly opposed earlier, still felt annoyed. "It still doesn't make sense! I know there are geniuses, but even Aiz-san took years to level up. How is it possible this guy did it in just eleven days?"
Tiona chuckled softly, though she still sounded disbelieving. "I don't know whether to be shocked or impressed. If it's true, then Charlie isn't just talented, he's a complete monster like Loki said."
Aiz remained silent, but her expression showed her mind was working hard to digest this information. If what Charlie said was true, then he had achieved something that should have been impossible. That meant the gap in strength between them could shrink faster than she had ever imagined.
Sighing, Loki rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, this kid really isn't ordinary. Hera was lucky to find him before other Familia realized his talent."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Charlie smiled casually, not too bothered by their reactions. He knew his leveling speed was abnormal, but that was the reality they had to accept.
If this information spread, not only would Orario be in an uproar, but many parties would surely be interested in him. Not just jealous adventurers, but also major Familia, ambitious gods and goddesses, and even underground organizations might start targeting him. Everyone would want to know the secret of how he could level up at an impossible speed.
'Unfortunately, it's impossible for them to replicate my leveling speed.' He thought to himself.
However, if anyone dared to try something, Charlie just had to make sure they would never get anything.