"Elise-tan! I'm here!"
Before the door even opened, Elise could already hear the voice coming from outside.
That Kansai-accented tone left no room for doubt. The god who had arrived was none other than Loki, the chief deity of the Loki Familia.
"Welcome, Lady Loki!"
Elise had been placing the Stigmata onto the shelf, but the moment she saw Loki arrive, she handed the rest over to Lyra and personally stepped forward to greet her.
"Hehe, the more I look at you, the more I think you're a beauty!"
Ever since Elise and Loki had met at the banquet hosted by the Ganesha Familia, Loki's attitude had grown increasingly strange.
At first, Loki had been fairly proper. But as their meetings became more frequent and their relationship deepened, she gradually began to reveal her true nature...
"How about coming to play with my Familia? We've got nothing but talented folks. They speak nicely too—I guarantee you'll have a whole new experience, hehe!"
Loki spread her arms wide, wearing the expression of a shameless pervert as she stared at Elise.
Ever since seeing Elise in person, Loki had felt something peculiar about her. It was as if she were wrapped in mist, making it impossible to see what lay within.
Why did Freya place so much importance on Elise?
Loki had been pondering that question all this time, yet no matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't arrive at an answer. That was why she kept seeking Elise out, hoping to discern something.
"Thank you for the invitation, Lady Loki. However, I've truly been very busy with the shop recently. It wouldn't be appropriate to visit abruptly. I will choose a proper time to pay a formal call in the future."
Elise declined tactfully. Although she knew that those perpetually squinting eyes hid something dangerous—Loki was absolutely no simple figure—that perverted demeanor was genuinely unsettling.
Even in the original story, Loki had truly dared to grope the women in her own Familia. If Elise actually went, it might very well be dangerous.
She was already being targeted by several goddesses. If she added one more, who knew what strange things Lady Astraea might do? The aftermath of the previous Freya incident had already been terrifying enough!
It did feel good... but if it happens again... that might not be appropriate, right?
"Eh, fine then. But whenever you feel like coming, you're always welcome!"
After all, Elise wasn't a member of her Familia, so Loki restrained herself somewhat. And this time, she truly had business to discuss.
"Thank you for your understanding, Lady Loki."
Elise expressed her gratitude once more, though Loki looked slightly helpless.
"Hey now, Elise-tan, have you been influenced by that goody-two-shoes Astraea or what?"
"Even if I can't see your soul clearly, I can still tell something."
"Finn told me—you're strong. But you're still missing something. Or rather, you're not complete. If in the future—"
Loki's narrowed eyes opened ever so slightly, revealing a fleeting, wicked gleam. But it quickly vanished as she returned to her usual joking demeanor.
"Nope, that's not something I need to worry about."
"Today I'm just here to talk business! I won't pry into any other troublesome matters."
"Gareth, Riveria! Come take a look too!"
Standing behind Loki were two of the three pillars of the Loki Familia: Gareth Landrock and Riveria Ljos Alf.
"My apologies. It seems our chief deity has caused you quite a bit of trouble..." Riveria sighed and formally apologized to Elise. "I'll speak to her when we return."
"No, it's nothing. Lady Loki is a very interesting goddess. I'm quite happy to receive her invitation."
"Haha! Little lady of the Astraea Familia, you're indeed impressive—but being too polite can create distance, you know!"
Before Riveria could respond, Gareth burst into hearty laughter. Compared to the serious elves, dwarves tended to be far more straightforward and familiar, which was precisely why those two races often clashed.
"Anyway, the reason I came along today is to ask about these Stigmata. Are the effects you described truly real?"
Gareth didn't waste time on idle chatter and went straight to the point.
"If they really work, we plan to purchase some to provide additional security for our future Dungeon expeditions."
Recently, the central topic of Orario had been the Stigmata created by Elise.
The moment they were introduced, they caused a massive stir—not just in Orario, but throughout the entire world.
After all, something that could increase ability values without side effects was enough to raise an adventurer's strength by an entire tier. Anyone would be tempted.
Think about it. For an ordinary adventurer, increasing even a single point of ability was extremely difficult. Yet Stigmata could directly add to those values?
That was a bit outrageous.
The strength gap between each level of adventurer was enormous. Yet Stigmata had the potential to narrow that gap—or even allow adventurers to fight above their level.
Although public opinion about Stigmata remained divided, Loki had clearly sensed that if they functioned as Elise claimed, they could bring about a massive transformation to the entire adventurer system.
According to certain rumors, the Astraea Familia seemed to have some kind of transaction with the Guild.
Loki believed there was a high chance that was true. If something happened in Orario, that old god Uranus would certainly investigate the situation.
The Loki Familia still had no Level 6 adventurers. And with the news that Ottar had advanced to Level 7, their title as the Twin Walls was already beginning to waver. They had to find a solution quickly—or the consequences would be unthinkable.
And Stigmata were undoubtedly one promising method. Moreover, from what Loki had recently heard from Finn... Elise might actually be stronger than Ottar.
That was extremely strange. Elise had only just advanced to Level 4 recently, hadn't she? If she were stronger than Ottar, that would mean she could fight across three levels.
Was that the effect of Stigmata?
Though filled with doubts, Loki, Finn, and the others had discussed the matter thoroughly before deciding to purchase Stigmata.
Out of their respect for Elise, the Loki Familia had dispatched Loki herself, along with Gareth and Riveria. Aside from Finn, who had to remain to maintain order within the Familia, nearly all of their upper echelon had come.
"Could you give us a detailed introduction to the different types of Stigmata?"
"We've heard quite a bit outside, but as the creator, you must understand them best, right?"
Gareth looked at the various glass containers displayed on the shelf. Inside each was a different intricate pattern.
They certainly looked beautiful. But as a brand-new concept, very few people truly understood them yet.
Although quite a few people on the market had already purchased Stigmata, most of them were the standard type. Aside from increasing ability values, they had no additional effects. And the fewer ability points they added, the cheaper they were—affordable even for ordinary adventurers.
But the Loki Familia hadn't come here today merely to increase ability values.
"I've heard that higher-grade Stigmata can come with special effects. Is that true?"
Business had arrived.
"Yes."
Elise nodded and began giving the Loki Familia a simple explanation.
Stigmata were divided into two types: Basic Stigmata and Effect Stigmata.
Basic Stigmata were the standard version. They simply increased ability values and carried no special effects.
However, even though they only boosted ability values, they were not to be underestimated—because the maximum increase a Stigmata could provide was 1000 points.
You heard that right—1000 points.
That was equivalent to allowing a Level 1 adventurer to advance an entire level outright.
Even so, there were limitations.
Those 1000 points were distributed across the five parameters: Power, Endurance, Dexterity, Agility, and Magic. In other words, if evenly divided, each parameter would increase by 200 points.
You could choose to allocate all 1000 points into a single stat, or distribute them evenly with 200 in each. The allocation was entirely up to the user—just like assigning stat points in a game. You could freely distribute them among your attributes, though the total cap remained 1000.
At present, the most commonly purchased items on the market were these Basic Stigmata. And even then, the largest increase most buyers could afford was under 500 points. That alone demonstrated just how expensive they were.
The second type was Effect Stigmata.
They were called Effect Stigmata because, in addition to providing up to 1000 ability points, they also carried special effects. The specific effect depended on the wearer's needs.
For example: bonus damage, elemental amplification, group auras, and so on. In most cases, Elise could craft them.
However, there were drawbacks. Unlike raw ability values, special effects could not be finely adjusted. Generally, the bonuses were fixed at relatively high levels.
That also meant Effect Stigmata were far more expensive than basic ones. Even the cheapest cost one hundred million valis.
More powerful Effect Stigmata could easily exceed one billion.
"As expected of my child—how could I possibly give them anything inferior!"
After hearing Elise's explanation, Loki immediately set her sights on the Effect Stigmata. But she soon let out a sigh.
The price was simply too high.
Even as one of Orario's Twin Walls, her Familia would struggle to bear such a cost. No wonder the only purchase she'd heard about recently had come from the Hephaestus Familia.
"Riveria, do you have any specific needs?"
After listening to the explanation, Loki turned first to Riveria. As the Familia's rear guard and primary high-output mage, she was the obvious candidate.
In Dungeon expeditions, raising the upper limit of damage output was naturally the most important factor. Monster attacks could be dodged—but if you couldn't damage them at all, what was the point?
This decision had already been discussed among the upper ranks of the Familia. Finn and Gareth had no objections to prioritizing a Stigmata for Riveria.
"As for me... I'd prefer something that increases both my magic's power and its range. Is that possible?"
Although Elise's explanation had given Riveria a basic understanding of Stigmata, enhancing both the range and power of magic... could such a thing truly be achieved by the small item inside that bottle?
"Of course. Please give me a moment."
Elise waved lightly and stepped into the back room. Before long, she returned, holding a special bottle.
"What about this Stigmata?"
"It increases Magic by 1000 points. Its effects are: magic power increased by 30%, magic range increased by 30%, and mana recovery speed increased by 30%."
Ah?
That... sounded rather impressive.
Riveria stared blankly at the red pattern within the small bottle, then turned to look at Loki beside her.
Loki nodded. Gods could easily see through lies. She was absolutely certain Elise wasn't lying—the small object in the bottle was exactly that powerful.
But no matter how good something was, you still needed the funds to afford it.
"So then... what's the price?"
Loki looked at Elise, but Elise did not answer directly.
"My apologies, Lady Loki. I'm not very familiar with market pricing, so matters of cost are determined by my Familia member."
Elise had always maintained an excellent public image. Haggling simply didn't suit her—otherwise, the persona she had built over the years would collapse.
So she had found someone perfectly suited to play that role.
Elise glanced to the side. Loki and the others followed her gaze and saw Lyra approaching with a decidedly ill-intentioned smile.
"Thank you for your patronage. One billion five hundred million."
"..."
I may not be human, but you're definitely a devil.
"Isn't that... a bit too expensive?" Riveria asked softly.
"How could it be?" Lyra wore an expression that clearly said, Are you joking? "This treasure can effectively raise a mage by an entire level. Where else in the world could you find something like this?"
"However... lowering the price isn't entirely impossible. I'd even consider making it free."
"Oh?" A gleam flashed through Loki's eyes, though it was quickly replaced by caution.
That was one billion five hundred million.
How could it possibly be reduced so easily?
Lyra glanced at Gareth, then at Riveria, and finally said, "Where's the hero of our race?"
"As long as you hand him over to me, this Stigmata is yours for free."
One Finn, valued at one billion five hundred million...
"N-no! Trading Familia members is strictly forbidden!"
For a brief moment, Loki genuinely considered selling Finn. But after noticing the subtle looks from Riveria and Gareth, she reluctantly abandoned the idea.
"Tch." Lyra clicked her tongue. "Then it's one billion five hundred million. Or have Finn come negotiate with me personally!"
Loki clutched her chest in apparent agony, as if waging an intense internal battle.
"Fine!"
In truth, when Elise had first asked Lyra to help sell Stigmata, Lyra had refused.
"Why do I have to be the villain here?" Lyra had complained unhappily about being cast as the bad cop.
But...
Elise had said, "For every Stigmata sold, we split it nine to one. I take nine, you take one."
"No deal. Three-seven. I take three, you take seven." Lyra had tried to resist.
"Eight-two. I take eight, you take two. You set the price. And I'll help you pursue Finn." Elise delivered the finishing blow.
"Deal!"