Danmaku, my skills refresh weekly.

The shop owner is a bit plump, but her smile is really beautiful. No wonder the potato balls became so popular in Orario, even rivaling the main character and holding their own against the Cowgirl!

Perhaps people are simply reminiscing about the fleeting happiness that brought them during their most desperate moments in the city.

Ciel stood by the stall, intently munching on his fried potato balls. With each bite, his body felt a precious warmth in this cold era.

Perhaps it was because he happened to encounter the world's only protagonist, as Ciel ate while thinking about where to get some money to tide him over...

The same whimpering sound came from beside me.

Charles turned his head, his gaze seemingly lost in a dream, and there stood before him an elf who looked like he had stepped out of a painting.

It was a little girl of about 9 years old. She had long hair that shimmered in the sunlight, her eyelashes fluttered like crescent moons, and she was chewing on a potato ball like a hamster with her little mouth pouting.

She wore a slightly loose-fitting blue combat suit, with armor protecting her chest and waist, and a design that deliberately exposed her shoulders, revealing the delicate, jade-like skin of a young girl. Below her lower body, a light blue combat skirt covered a one-piece mini-skirt, and a pair of black pantyhose were worn inside pure white combat boots.

In particular, the leather leg rings connecting the combat pack to the legs broke the youthful vibe and made it look a bit erotic.

One has to admire the aesthetic sense of the person who designed this combat suit. They cleverly avoided highlighting the underdeveloped cleavage due to her youth, while maximizing the rest of her youthful beauty. Even in a previous life, this outfit would have been considered fashionable.

Ciel's fixed gaze was clearly noticed by the girl. Her golden eyes glanced at the potato balls in Ciel's hand before she turned back to continue her 'business'.

In her opinion, people who like potato balls are not bad people.

The girl's name is Ais Wallenstein.

The current record holder for the fastest level 2 upgrade is a doll-like girl nicknamed "Sword Maiden." Despite her young age, in Orario, a place filled with elves and gods, her beauty, jokingly referred to as "doll," cannot be ignored.

But that's not what Ciel cares about...

With my current abilities, leveling up in dungeons around level 7 would be incredibly fast, but if I had a powerful companion to take me to the middle... or even lower levels, using my [Fragile College Student]'s invulnerability to kill monsters with potential levels 2 or even 3, wouldn't that be much more efficient?

Charles's only worry was that after he was critically injured and on the verge of death, no one would be there to drag him back to the ground. If he were to go beyond the range of his skills, it was hard to say what might happen if he suddenly died.

But in front of me...

Isn't it perfect to have a clueless doll delivered right to my door?

"Hey..." Thinking of this, Charles spoke up, catching Ais's attention. She blinked her eyes curiously, staring at the unfamiliar "potato friend".

"Nice to meet you, miss. Excuse my intrusion, but would you like some help?"

Ais tilted her head, holding the fried potato ball in her mouth.

Charles smiled sweetly, like the sun, and pointed to his sign:

"A bit confusing? But the situation isn't hard to understand. It's just that a poor supporter who wants to share some of the benefits with the adventurer lady has come to our door to sell his services."

"Miss?" Ais stopped chewing and spoke softly.

Is this what you're wondering about?

"Um... well, you look really impressive, so calling you 'sister' doesn't quite fit the bill."

Ais is nine years old, and even though Ciel is thin due to years of malnutrition, he looks about the same age as Ais.

"A supporter? It's usually Rivera..." Ais muttered.

Charles started counting on his fingers to promote the product:

"There are many benefits to having a supporter. For example, they can help you carry more spare weapons, so you'll never have to end your adventure due to worn-out weapons again."

“Oh…” Ais’s eyelashes trembled.

"You can also bring a lot of fries, which will solve the problem of dry food."

“Oh…” Ais’s eyes widened.

"In addition, I can help you deal with monsters and loot, which can increase your combat efficiency by at least 50% and allow you to kill more monsters."

"Ooh ooh!" Ais opened her mouth.

"And, just between you and me, our clan has developed a potion that instantly makes you stronger! If we encounter a danger we can't handle, we can rely on the potion to return to the surface safely!"

As he spoke, Charles revealed a corner of the "divine wine" in his backpack. Under the sunlight, the clear liquid emitted a mysterious glow.

That was a divine creation, a masterpiece of craftsmanship that had reached its pinnacle and surpassed human intelligence!

"Ooh ooh ooh!" Ais grabbed Charles's black robe tightly and refused to let go.

If I team up with him, I won't have to interrupt my adventure because of a broken weapon. Although Riveria said she would forge a weapon with the "indestructible" attribute for me in a while, it hasn't arrived yet.

Moreover, the expedition's supplies are potato balls, so is it possible to stay in the dungeon for several days? Riveria would never agree to such a trip, but this young man seems capable of taking me there.

There's also the time needed to process the magic stones, plus...

Potions to make you stronger! Deeper dungeons... and most importantly, people who like potato balls are never bad people!

The troubled girl made a declaration in her heart:

I want to get stronger! I'm still too slow! I need to spend more time killing more monsters and defeating them all!

A fierce fighting spirit, a rebellious spirit, blazed in Ais's eyes. She was going to embark on a spontaneous expedition!

"go!"

With her small but powerful hand, she gripped Charles's wrist and dragged him toward the nearby entrance to the underground city.

"Hey, wait a minute, did you bring your weapons and supplies?"

"Whoa!" Ais froze, her eyes wide, as if to say: Isn't that a problem you, the supporter, are supposed to solve?

Charles scratched his head: "Oh, well, do you have any money with you?"

Ais obediently took a cloth bag out of her combat backpack.

Charles took the money and counted it; it was only about 50,000 falies. "Hmm, that's only enough to buy two weapons."

“My Fali was confiscated by Riveria.” Ais honestly betrayed her mother, just like a child whose New Year’s money had been confiscated.

“Wait a minute…” Charles interrupted Ais again: “Are you planning to spend the night in the dungeon? If so, you’ll need to prepare enough dry food and recovery medicine.”

"Hmm." Ais handed the Fari in her arms to Charles: "You handle it."

“Alright.” Charles turned around and bought two bags of potato balls, about 30 in total, from the potato ball stand. He then turned to the weapon shop on the Tower of Babel and said, “Let’s go to the weapon shop first and choose two spare weapons. After we replenish our potions, we’ll set off.”

"Mm." Ais nodded and followed Charles away.

Little did he know that his actions were witnessed by a girl named Palum who was wearing a hood and carrying a huge bag.

"So, it can be done like this?"

Chapter 25 Sister?

Tower of Babel.

This sealed object, standing at the very center of the labyrinth city and suppressing the entire underground city, has long been developed into a functional building resembling a commercial convention center over the course of a thousand years.

This colossal chalk tower, which almost reaches the heavens, still contains forbidden zones that only gods can use and enter.

The top floor of the Tower of Babel.

This is the throne where only the ruling class, who reign over the entire city, is worthy to reside. A silver-haired goddess, clad in a black lace gown that partially reveals her face, possessing unparalleled beauty, silently gazes upon a corner of the city.

I don’t know when I got used to it, dealing with complicated clan affairs, dealing with gods who come to me with silly faces, and being complacent about my current beauty. This should be the life I’ve always dreamed of, but a glance back in the morning has stirred up my thoughts.

"Charles..."

The goddess Freya… no, Helen murmured the name that existed only in her memory.

Six years ago, after their parents died, Helen and Charles were moved to the Maria Orphanage near the Soma Family.

Helen, who was three years older than her younger brother Charles, took on the responsibility of raising him.

In the midst of repeatedly scrambling for food with beggars and stray dogs, she unexpectedly encountered that divine being—beautiful, powerful, and confident. In that instant, she was captivated by its noble beauty and became utterly irresistible.

By a stroke of luck, the goddess appeared before her once more, and Helen mustered her courage and rushed forward: "Can I become as beautiful and powerful as you?"

"Okay!"

Freya, the goddess of beauty with eyes that can see through souls, easily nodded: "Then, let's make a trade! Name, life, become like me."

Helen succeeded.

She received a blessing and awakened the only mystery in the lower realm—the magic of transformation [Warner Seid].

That is a special miracle that, apart from divine power, completely transforms everything into a divine being.

At the same time, Helen was given a new name, "Seele".

Her life changed. The goddess became Seele, learning to be an ordinary shop assistant. She began to learn the goddess's every word, action, and habit, eventually taking the goddess's place on the throne and wandering among the gods.

The price is freedom.

When she finished her studies and regained her freedom, she returned to Maria's Orphanage, only to find that she had lost contact with her brother.

Some people say he is dead.

Indeed, in this era, it's perfectly normal for children from slums to die.

The younger brother is so weak and only clings to his older sister; how could he possibly survive alone?

It was my fault……

Helen was consumed by self-blame. How unfortunate she was to have irresponsible parents and a sister like me.

Afterwards, Helen, still consumed by self-reproach, was punished. The goddess began to complain about Helen's laziness, so she joined the Battle Wilderness until she reached level 2.

at the moment……

“He… is still alive.” Freya’s shimmering eyelashes drooped, her turbulent thoughts seemingly reaching the other side of the city through the window.

The girl on the street corner was experiencing for the first time the thoughts of her clan, thoughts that she shouldn't have been able to comprehend.

“But he… is dying.” A tear welled up in Helen’s eye.

For the first time, she experienced the feelings of a goddess, and for the first time, she wanted to escape this "cage" called the Tower of Babel without hesitation.

The goddess of beauty is the most capricious, yet also the most dangerous, of all the gods. They need not abide by the laws of the mortal realm; with their unparalleled charm and allure alone, they can overturn the entire world.

Freya was the most outstanding among them, and thus, in the heavens, the virgin goddesses "guarded" her. In the mortal realm, children, in the name of sublimity and nobility, kept her confined to a high place.