The moment Astraea brought up the thing on Elise's face, Elise immediately realized what she meant.
Aside from the "blessing" Freya had just given her, there was no other possibility!
But why could Astraea tell?
For a moment, Elise panicked. Although being kissed had not been her intention, Freya had still done it because of something Elise herself had said. No matter how she looked at it, Elise bore some responsibility.
"Um..." Elise had just started trying to explain when she realized Astraea's attention was no longer on her.
"Was leaving Freya around really a mistake after all? She actually dared make a move on my child while I wasn't here..."
The goddess of justice lowered her head, making her expression impossible to see, but the dark aura leaking from her body had practically become tangible.
This had absolutely nothing to do with justice anymore. This was purely personal vengeance, wasn't it?
"How about we just start a Familia War and kick Freya out of Orario altogether... Elise, what do you think?"
Although Astraea was still smiling, the words she spoke were enough to shake all of Orario.
"Wouldn't that be a bit bad...? Lady Freya's Familia is still technically part of the order faction. If they disappear, Evilus will definitely run rampant for a while."
"Mm, that's true." Astraea looked troubled.
"With them helping hold the line right now, you can relax like this. If Freya disappears and only Loki remains... it would be difficult to suppress the other forces eyeing Orario."
"Forget it. There's no point continuing to think about it right now." Astraea shook her head, throwing all distracting thoughts from her mind.
"There's only one thing I want to know, and I want an honest answer." Astraea stared directly at Elise. "Were you willing, Elise?"
"Absolutely not!"
Elise's immediate and decisive answer satisfied Astraea greatly.
At the same time, it also confirmed that Freya had done something like that to Elise against her will.
"In that case, I won't blame you, Elise. I'll settle things with Freya the next time I see her instead."
Although Astraea said it casually, anyone knew that causing trouble for Freya was anything but easy.
But did Astraea care?
If she did not properly punish Freya, then her Familia might genuinely no longer be safe!
Astraea truly seemed to have no intention of doing anything immediately, which allowed Elise to sigh in relief, but...
"Elise, come with me!"
Astraea directly grabbed Elise's hand and began walking outside without the slightest concern for whether Elise agreed.
"Eh?"
Being yanked straight out of her chair, Elise looked stunned.
Didn't you just say you wouldn't blame me? What exactly are you planning to do now, Lady Astraea?!
This time, Astraea was unusually forceful. Even Elise was intimidated by the goddess' overwhelming presence and did not dare resist at all.
"Where are we going?"
"The bathhouse!"
"Huh?"
Although Elise had only asked out of curiosity, the answer she received was completely unexpected.
Why the bathhouse?
Just like that, Elise was dragged by Astraea into the changing room beside the baths without understanding anything.
Then, right before Elise's shocked gaze, Astraea's clothes slid from her body, revealing soft, fair skin as flawless as that of a newborn child.
"Elise, take everything off!"
The goddess' voice still carried the kind of authority that made resistance impossible, but Elise was not willing to surrender so easily.
"Lady Astraea, why are we doing this? I don't understand at all!"
"Naturally to cleanse the filth from your body!"
"Wasn't it only on my face?"
Elise touched her cheek with an unwilling expression.
Although she had long grown accustomed to bathing together with women, her goddess' mood was clearly abnormal today. Could it be Astraea had discovered something else too?
"Oh?"
After hearing Elise's words, Astraea narrowed her eyes and slowly approached.
The goddess' enormous chest swayed lightly as she moved.
Astraea leaned forward and sniffed lightly against Elise's chest area several times before her gaze became even more dangerous.
"The scent in your chest area is exactly the same as Freya's at the banquet. Do I really need to say more?"
Weren't you supposed to be the goddess of justice?
How is your nose sharper than a dog's?
And this isn't just at all!
Although Elise screamed internally with countless complaints, the dangerous look in Astraea's eyes forced her to abandon all thoughts of resistance.
"No need. I'll strip!"
In just a few swift motions, the Saintess returned to her most primitive state of existence, and the goddess nodded in satisfaction upon seeing it.
"Good. Then let's go in!"
Astraea happily clapped her hands before directly pushing Elise into the baths.
As for what she used to push her with...
Even Elise blushed because of it.
What happened afterward was not particularly suitable to describe too directly.
In short, Astraea very diligently helped Elise cleanse away all the filth originating from Freya.
...
"This area is the most obvious!"
The goddess picked up a towel from nearby. After wetting and wringing it dry, she pressed it gently against Elise's face and carefully wiped her skin.
Astraea's movements themselves were perfectly normal, but the distance between goddess and girl was far too close.
Elise sat properly upon Astraea's lap, not daring to move even slightly as the goddess touched and cleaned her body.
Although she often bathed together with Astraea before, today's Astraea was overwhelmingly forceful, far beyond Elise's expectations.
As a result, Elise could only silently accept everything happening to her, not even daring to entertain thoughts of resistance.
"The filth on your face is mostly cleaned away now. Next is the area around your chest..."
That was also where Freya's body had touched hers when Elise carried her princess-style.
"Alright, Elise. Lie down obediently now... right in my arms."
Thus, within the Astraea Familia bathhouse, an unbelievably beautiful scene appeared, almost like a painting.
Within a vast spring of water stood four strange mountain peaks.
Two stood vertically, while the other two lay horizontally.
From time to time, droplets of water slid down the peaks before ultimately flowing into the sea below.
Beside the spring were two secluded pools that originally should have faced the night sky directly overhead.
However, the horizontal peaks now blocked the view entirely, hiding the heavens from sight.
Cherry blossom trees atop the mountain peaks perfectly reflected against the pools beneath, allowing even the morning dew upon the flowers to be seen clearly.
For some reason, perhaps due to divine power itself, the vertical peaks continuously shifted shape.
At times high, at times low, they displayed their beauty proudly to the world.
What a beautiful landscape painting it was.
Accompanied by Elise's breathless gasps, the goddess' purification finally came to an end.
This was honestly even more exhausting than fighting monsters inside the Dungeon!
However...
"Elise, cleansing the filth isn't finished yet. Come sleep in my room tonight."