"We swear upon the Sword and Wings of Justice!"
All the members of Astraea Familia straightened at once. This was their oath and their proof as members of Astraea Familia.
Ever since their numbers began to grow, they had engraved the oath of justice every single day.
The timing was never fixed, but it was always done once a day. This time, it happened to be during a meal.
"Then I won't hold back—time to dig in!"
The cake had been divided by Elise into portions equal to the number of members, ensuring each slice was roughly the same size.
Although each member's build was different, and the sense of fullness they felt afterward would naturally vary, the cake they received was still the same.
This was fairness. This, too, was a form of justice.
"This flavor... it's even better than last time!"
"As expected of captain! To be able to taste such a delicacy is this humble one's honor."
"Hey, hey! Kaguya, didn't you call her a monster captain just yesterday? How did you change your tune so fast?"
"None of your business!"
Watching everyone happily enjoying the cake she had made, a sense of satisfaction rose in Elise's heart.
How should she put it... it felt like a mother seeing her children recognize the effort she put into cooking? Though when it came to the entire Familia, Astraea was the real mother, wasn't she?
After all, she had once fed Elise that... well, that.
Seeing everyone eating the cake with blissful expressions—especially Alise and Neze, whose outgoing personalities meant they had never once considered their image while eating—Elise couldn't help but smile.
The others ate more properly, occasionally praising Elise's cooking skills.
Elise naturally enjoyed the compliments from her own members. Praise was praise, but business still had to be handled.
Once she saw that most of them had nearly finished their cake, Elise cleared her throat and prepared to speak.
"This cake tastes even better than the last one, doesn't it?"
"Mm-hmm! It's incredibly delicious this time! The only downside is that the portion's too small... and we can't eat it often..."
"Exactly. It's because it's so delicious that we can't have it often. Otherwise we wouldn't even be able to eat our regular meals."
The others nodded in agreement. If they really ate Elise's cooking every day, they might actually starve from losing interest in everything else.
"Very good!"
Elise nodded with a smile. Yet at that moment, everyone sensed something was wrong. What exactly did their dear captain mean by that?
"Since you're all full, it's time for some exercise, right?"
Faced with their puzzled expressions, Elise maintained her smile—but there was clearly a trace of ill intent hidden within it.
"Don't tell me you've forgotten what we agreed on before?" The instant Elise brought it up, everyone froze. "You've eaten the cake. If you don't honor your promise, then in the name of justice, I'll have to properly punish you."
"Ah..."
All of them revealed expressions of horror.
"I told you, this cake should be called 'Sweet Trap'!"
"Most adorable captain, if I throw up everything I just ate, will you let me off?" Alise clasped her hands together in a praying gesture as she looked at Elise.
"What do you think?" Veins popped on Elise's forehead, and her small fist rose in front of Alise's eyes.
It hardened.
The fist hardened!
"Isn't this basically cheating?" Iska held the remaining half-slice of cake in her hand, unsure what to do. "To enjoy something this delicious, we have to be treated like that... there's definitely something wrong with this, right? What will happen to my beauty?"
"Don't worry. There won't be any scars, and there won't be any hidden injuries. It'll just hurt."
Elise waved her small fist. Although her fist wasn't even as big as an apple, in the eyes of Astraea Familia's members, it was absolutely the most destructive weapon imaginable.
"Get ready. We'll begin shortly!"
...
Any member of Astraea Familia, during their first month after joining, would be dragged off by Elise for special training to help raise their ability values.
The lower the Level, the better the results. Nearly all ability parameters could be effectively improved.
However, as the members' Levels increased, the effectiveness of that special training gradually diminished. So Elise changed the training plan, beginning to cultivate each member's individuality instead. The schedule was also adjusted to once a month.
As for the content of the special training... it was nothing more than a simple combat simulation.
Elise versus every other member of Astraea Familia—excluding Est.
The members had to use every method at their disposal to defeat Elise or escape from her grasp.
Of course, during special training, Elise would not fight at full strength. Otherwise, no one would stand a chance of winning.
There were three ways for the members to achieve victory.
First, defeat an Elise who was not going all out.
Second, endure under Elise's offensive for a set amount of time.
Third, escape the barrier created by Elise.
As for the consequence of failure, it was nothing more than being thoroughly beaten up. Nothing too serious.
Both Maryuu and Elise possessed healing abilities. Within a few hours, everyone would be lively and energetic again.
The five different ability values corresponded to five different directions. For an ordinary person, reaching the peak in even one was already impressive. If multiple could reach the top, they would absolutely become the target of every Familia's competition.
Elise's requirement for her members was not high. As long as one parameter could reach S, that was enough.
If you could hit hard, that corresponded to Power.
If you could endure hits, that corresponded to Endurance.
If you could dodge, that corresponded to Dexterity.
If you could run away, that corresponded to Agility.
If you could use magic, that corresponded to Magic.
At least one of them had to meet the standard, right?
At the entrance to Astraea Familia's training room, everyone stood there nervously.
"Since everyone's here, let's begin!"
Elise opened the door to the training room and walked in first. The others followed one by one.
Although they had sounded reluctant earlier, they all understood that their captain was doing this for their sake. Otherwise, she wouldn't go to such lengths.
Since there was no escaping it, they might as well accept it head-on. At worst, it would only hurt for a while... a long while. It wouldn't leave any real injuries, right?
Hummm—
Tiny points of starlight appeared around Elise. In the blink of an eye, they spread to cover the entire training ground, enveloping everyone within.
The battle formation had already been set.
Vanguards to attack and absorb damage. Midline fighters to maneuver and adapt. Rear guards for healing and ranged firepower.
At this moment, they had only one objective.
Escape the barrier created by Elise.
Looking at the group standing ready, Elise nodded in satisfaction. Her guidance during this period had not been wasted.
"Then now, the mock battle—officially begins!"