"Haha, so that's what happened!"
"You've really had a tough time!"
After listening to Elise's explanation, the black-haired male god burst into hearty laughter.
"No matter what, thank you for helping me out earlier, Lord Miach."
Having been subjected to the 'enthusiastic welcome' of Orario's citizens, Elise was only able to escape thanks to Miach's assistance.
"It's nothing," he replied.
"Besides, you don't need to worry too much about the condition you're experiencing. After some time, it will gradually fade."
The kind-hearted god pointed out the issue affecting Elise and couldn't help but sigh with emotion.
"Still, Astraea truly values you. To think she even did something like that for you."
"You know about it?"
"Of course. Although it's not divine power and can't be sensed from afar, any god can notice it when they're close enough."
"Astraea performed that ritual for you, didn't she?"
Even though he didn't say it outright, Miach's meaning was clear. As a god, he naturally understood the effects of such actions.
"Yes... last night, we did that together..."
Being directly called out by a male god made Elise feel a little embarrassed, but Miach had no intention of making things difficult for her.
"As a member of Astraea's Familia, be sure not to disappoint her care and expectations."
"Yes, and thank you again for your help."
After chatting with Miach for a while, Elise realized that he was truly a good god.
His attire didn't resemble that of a deity at all; instead, he looked more like a gentle homemaker.
Although his Familia wasn't among the very top in Orario, it was one of the few healing-focused Familias capable of competing with the Dian Cecht Familia.
Moreover, Miach was nothing like Dian Cecht, who carried himself like a nouveau riche. Handsome, elegant, and charitable, it was no wonder readers often referred to him as one of Orario's "three fair-faced gentlemen." He really was quite fair-skinned!
"Lord Miach, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. There are still some matters within my Familia that need attention."
As Elise prepared to depart, Miach stopped her.
"Wait! There's one more important thing I almost forgot!"
"My Familia members mentioned that during their last expedition into the Dungeon, they were saved by a blonde girl wearing a blindfold. That must have been you, Elise."
As he spoke, Miach rummaged through his bag and took out a box of healing potions, handing it to her.
"I originally planned to deliver this directly to your Familia, but since we've met here, it saves me the trouble."
"Thank you for helping my children. Please accept these as a token of my gratitude."
"This... how could I possibly accept such a gift?"
Elise could shamelessly accept gifts from ordinary people, but accepting something from a god was not so simple.
"This is a gesture of thanks. You saved the lives of my Familia members, so as their patron deity, it's only natural for me to express my gratitude. Otherwise, it would be inappropriate."
"Please, you must accept it."
Miach spoke with great sincerity, and Elise could clearly sense his goodwill.
Another benevolent god.
In the end, Elise accepted Miach's gift.
"Please give my regards to Astraea."
...
"Well then, no need to buy healing potions, and no need to buy food either..."
After everything that had happened earlier, Elise had received a substantial amount of supplies. She had originally planned to shop in other districts, but that was no longer necessary.
The quantity of items she had been given far exceeded her expectations.
"Still, I should return the favor later..."
When she came back from the expedition, Elise would undoubtedly bring back many items. At that time, she could distribute them according to each merchant's needs.
In this way, a network of relationships would gradually be established, eventually becoming valuable connections for her future.
The most important remaining issue was her level.
Elise needed to raise her level as soon as possible. Only by reaching the First Tier—Level 5—could she truly establish herself in this city.
Otherwise, if a mere Level 1 accomplished something extraordinary, would anyone believe it? Worse still, it would attract endless trouble.
Elise intended to take this opportunity to hone herself thoroughly.
Coincidentally, the Loki Familia and the Freya Familia had only recently ascended to the pinnacle of Orario. The Evilus faction's attention would certainly be focused on them.
As for a small and relatively unknown Familia like Astraea's, they were unlikely to attract much attention.
This provided Elise with valuable time to grow.
Why not take advantage of it?
Moreover...
Raising the banner of justice in Orario was by no means an easy task.
Every action Elise took had to be carefully considered.
The same applied to this solo expedition.
It would hold immense significance for her future growth.
The Adventurers' Guild recommended certain team compositions for exploring the Dungeon.
For instance, a standard three-person party consisting of offense, defense, and support could best compensate for each other's weaknesses while also improving the adventurers' chances of survival.
The larger the party, the higher the probability of survival. Conversely, the fewer the members, the more dangerous the expedition became.
After all, expeditions placed extremely high demands on adventurers.
The fewer the participants, the higher their individual abilities needed to be.
Throughout the known storyline, Elise recalled that the only person capable of conducting a true solo expedition was Ottar.
After all, the boar-man race possessed exceptional defensive and regenerative abilities. Combined with his own relentless efforts, it was hardly surprising that he could achieve such a feat.
Fortunately, Elise herself was no ordinary individual. With her diverse abilities, she also met the requirements for a solo expedition.
"However, since this is my first expedition, it's better to play it safe. I shouldn't set my goal too high."
"Let's aim for... the thirtieth floor."
Elise had already foreseen that she would inevitably struggle with achieving great feats in the future. Her first great feat had been defeating the Floor Boss, Goliath, on her own.
Her second great feat would likely be far more difficult, and future ones might become even more challenging.
Among the currently known floors of the Dungeon, aside from the wandering two-headed dragon, there were only four Floor Bosses. If all of them were used as great feats for leveling up, they would barely be enough to raise Elise to Level 5.
However, as she continued to grow stronger, relying solely on them for advancement would clearly be impossible.
"I'm afraid that only the future Seven Days of Death and Antares will provide a great enough feat for me to level up again."