In this crossover anime/manga series, my romantic choices in my head are a bit strange.

Rivera realized the problem, but the die was cast, and she could only try to dissuade Ais from her plan. Rivera tossed her beautiful, deep green hair and smiled gently:

"Is it because you care about that man's looks?" "...No. Rivera seems like an idiot..."

"Yes, yes, that man was wearing a helmet. So he didn't take it off when you were together? Thinking about it that way, he might be an incredibly ugly person?"

Ais hesitated for a moment. Everyone is somewhat attracted to good looks, but then she thought that she only cared about strength.

“It doesn’t matter. I don’t care.” After a pause—Ais always had this habit of adding details afterward—she added, “I do care about his swordsmanship.”

"Swordsmanship?"

"His swordsmanship is still somewhat raw, but incredibly skillful. It couldn't have been self-created; he has a master. I want to become her disciple!"

Rivera suddenly realized. That man was just a medium; if she told Loki this, she wouldn't mind anymore!

Lady Nine Demoness was in a great mood. She took out the water bottle she wore at her waist and took a small sip. This was special spring water that she had brought from her hometown. Every time she drank it, she felt refreshed and delighted. It was extremely precious to her.

"We must learn swordsmanship and training that allows ordinary people to achieve that level of skill!" "Yeah, yeah... Pfft!!!"

She sprayed the precious spring water onto the ground, and Riveria stared in shock.

"Ordinary people??"

"Yes." Seeing that Riveria didn't believe her, Ais emphasized again, "I want to learn the swordsmanship that makes ordinary people so strong!"

"An ordinary person is... Ais, let me confirm, do you mean he didn't accept any favors?"

"Yes. That's what he told me himself."

Tell you this in person? Wait, to say this to Ais, the rising star of the Loki Familia whom everyone knows? Isn't that surrendering?!

"Hmph. After all this, he's just a genius who wants to join a familia...! Riveria didn't consider the possibility of deception. Whether someone has joined a familia or not is obvious just by looking at their armor, so Lin Tian's intentions are genuine!"

She stamped her foot in slight panic. No, there was still a chance to change things! Lin Tian must think she was making things difficult for him. How could she make him see this as a trial in a logical way, and then get him to willingly join the clan after the battle? She thought of many ways, and finally her gaze fell on Ais.

the other side.

"I heard from Kaguya that you're going to the Loki Familia?" Astraea gently closed her door and walked side by side with Lin Tian down the spacious corridor. Looking at her from the side, her eyes seemed to overflow with tenderness like a pool of spring water, her lips always maintaining a relaxed, slightly upturned curve, and every step she took was as elegant and composed as a textbook example.

"Ok."

"I can guess your reason for contacting that child. You just joined my family by chance; there was no deliberate selection involved. In your view, joining the Loki Familia would be the same."

"That's what I thought before. But I feel incredibly fortunate to have become Lady Astrea's familiar, and I absolutely will not regret it." (Just kidding.) Loki would actually share so much of his divine blood with him? He's lucky he didn't kick him out!

Astraea chuckled softly, then said seriously:

"Loki is no pushover, especially that Nine Demoness, whose knowledge and wisdom are admired by many gods."

"This trip might face unprecedented difficulties! Are you really going?"

"I must go. If I don't even dare to go, what right do I have to be an adventurer?"

Astraea nodded slightly. They then arrived at the main hall. Thanks to Kaguya's message, Astraea's members were already obediently in their places, eagerly anticipating meeting their newest member.

Wow, what cool armor!

"What is this... Lady Astraea has recruited an extraordinary person!"

"A domineering aura, an interesting person!"

"Kaguya really recruited them? Her execution is amazing... The first meeting between Lin Tian and the beautiful girls with different personalities."

Chapter Seventy-Four: A Warm Family

A passionate young woman with a red ponytail, dressed formally and exuding the style of an adventurer, is "Red Masahiro" Alexandra Rofer.

With her M-shaped bangs, less-than-ideal height, and wearing a loose-fitting short-sleeved shirt and tight-fitting shorts, "Cunning Rat" Layla...

I had seen the carefree kimono-clad girl Kaguya Gojou before, leaning against the wall, and the only other girl Lin Tian had ever seen in anime, Xiao Xiao Liu, who looked a bit silly.

There were also many other members, all of them enthusiastic and energetic. "We'll be your companions from now on, how about it?" Kaguya grinned mischievously, putting her arm around Ryu's slender waist and pinching her bottom with her right hand. "They're all pretty good women, aren't they? Tell me, is there anyone you're interested in?"

"Kaguya! You're being too presumptuous in front of the new members! Tone it down a bit, or you'll scare them!"

Alexie tapped Kaguya's head, pulled the embarrassed and indignant Ryu behind her, and looked awkwardly at Lin Tian: "Sorry! Kaguya is just like that all the time, please don't mind her!"

Lin Tian was about to reply.

"Ha~ Alice, you always care about everyone's opinion, but you're wrong this time."

Leila chuckled, her petite, childlike face framed by eyes that held a cunning and playful glint in them, like those of a decadent adult. "He was brought back by Kaguya, so Kaguya has probably already shown this unladylike side of him to the newcomer."

"Besides, I heard from Kaguya that Brother Lin Tian was brought back from the entertainment district. Kaguya isn't being offensive at all; he might even be quite to her liking!"

"W-what!"

Alexie looked surprised, because the entire familia consisted of girls, and she had no need to go to the pleasure quarters when looking for someone, but she knew what kind of place it was. Lyra, who had been there, called it chaotic, indulgent, and extravagant—a place suitable for the fallen.

The red-haired, orthodox adventurer hesitated, wanting to offer advice but unsure how to begin... Just then...

"Huh?!!" Liu, contrary to her usual self, stepped out from behind Alyssie, her emerald green eyes glaring angrily and disgustedly at Lin Tian. "You, you scumbag!!"

what?

What exactly is a "scumbag" boyfriend?

The other adventurers also pricked up their ears curiously, and their conversations became much quieter, and the hall fell silent.

"I...I saw this guy just two days ago...and he had three women with him then?!"

"You scumbag! You have three beautiful lovers and you're still not satisfied? You actually went to a place like that!!!"

These words shocked everyone in the room.

"Wow! A ready-made womanizer!" "I never expected the newcomer to be this type!"

"Wait, our clan is all girls... No way! Are we about to become his harem?!"

"Aiya!!!"

The girls gasped in surprise. Liu Liang, the young elf, smirked smugly. There wasn't any grand reason, but since Lin Tian's appearance, Kaguya had unusually refrained from bothering her, and had even spent the entire day yesterday stalking a man, which made her feel slightly uneasy.

Although her relationship with Kaguya wasn't as good as her relationship with Alice, she wouldn't tolerate Kaguya doing something that went against "justice"—especially when she believed Kaguya was being misled!

Don't be fooled by this man's pretentious appearance; see through his facade! He's a scumbag!

The silence lasted for a while. But strangely, Ryu didn't feel that chilling sensation—well, such treatment was too much for a newcomer. Uncomfortable! Yes, an uncomfortable atmosphere!

The uncomfortable atmosphere that Ryu had imagined did not materialize. She looked around in confusion and found that although her companions were screaming loudly and seemed particularly panicked, they were not actually frightened. Instead, they were making all sorts of jokes as if they were playing around, such as "In the kitchen, when the two of them were kissing, Lin Tian walked up from behind and threw his spear," "When Lady Astraea delivered pastries, I was enjoying Mr. Lin's spear across the door," and "The crazy knight who was juggling multiple relationships opened a big gun..." and so on.

Just then, Lin Tian and Alyssa finished their relaxed conversation and left the clan's gate, disappearing from Ryu's sight around a corner.

"for……"

"Why don't you hate it, hmm?"

Kaguya gave Ryu a mocking look, "Ryo, you idiot. Fool. Big moron!"

"Seriously, you're jealous like a little kid! Okay, okay, everyone'll be watching Liu Bao Bao all the time, right? Did you expect me to say that? Hehe!"

"Kaguya, you little brat!" She's being treated like a child!

Ryu was furious. Seeing Kaguya give her a final, provocative smile and turn to follow Lin Tian, ​​she pushed off with her calf and tried to catch up as well.

"No, no... Leon."

Alexie stopped her. In Ryu's heart, Alexie was not only the captain, but also an older sister and a friend, so she stopped abruptly. Her fair face was full of resentment. "Ugh... What jealousy? I'm not! Alexie, you have to believe me!"

"Alright, alright~ Leon is an adult, a V4 Gale, an adventurer of the same level as us." Alexie said a whole bunch of nice things, finally bringing the angry Ryu back to her usual aloof, calm, and indifferent expression. At this moment, she realized she had overreacted, but still hesitated before asking:

"Why doesn't anyone think there's anything wrong? Is it because Kaguya brought him back? But he did go to places like that..."

“No, that’s not true.” Alexie shook her head and chuckled. “How could that be?”

"It's because of Lady Astraea."

"How could there be a problem with the child chosen by Lady Astrea?" She looked at Astrea, who was sitting among the members of the Familia and talking with them, and smiled gently.

The Familia is a good Familia, and Astraea is a rare and wonderful goddess.

Walking through the streets of Orario, Lin Tian thought to himself. The market was bustling with activity; all the item and weapon shops lining the streets were open. A new day had begun, and adventurers clad in armor and carrying bows and arrows were heading towards Orario's precious treasures—the dungeons, of course. Just like yesterday, passersby, upon seeing this dark figure and the greatsword, all showed fear and awe and stepped aside. When passing by the item shops, they were even more excessive; the shopkeepers' voices were much softer.

Hey, being mentally ill isn't scary! Besides, I'm not mentally ill! "This world just can't accept lame jokes..."

Lin Tian muttered to himself as he quickened his pace. Since things had come to this, he didn't bother admiring the scenery along the way and hurried towards the Loki Familia.

When he arrived at the gate of the Loki Familia, a large group of people were already waiting.

Chapter Seventy-Five: A Double Strategy

"Hello, Mr. Lin Tian."

Rivera, who was at the head of the group, bowed and smiled. Behind her were several people Lin Tian recognized, including the current leader Finn and the werewolf Bert.

"Thank you very much for accepting the invitation."

"It's alright. Then I'll get straight to the point. What was Miss Rivera's test like?"

Lin Tian didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point. With his new talent skills, he couldn't wait to try them out! In comparison, the little girl Ais and the like held no appeal for him.

He wouldn't have come if he wasn't afraid of tarnishing the reputation of the Astrea Familia.

Rivera keenly sensed the change in Lin Tian's attitude, and a hint of worry rose in her heart; the recruitment plan seemed unlikely to go smoothly. She concealed her inner thoughts and said to Lin Tian...

"It's a very simple match, just fight Bert." Yoho.

Lin Tian's gaze finally settled on the white-haired werewolf behind him. He had a signature short silver haircut, a flesh-colored scar on his left cheek, and an arrogant look in his eyes. Unlike his IV6 status at the start of the main story, he was currently only IV5, but that was still enough to give Lin Tian a run for his money!

It seems they don't want me to pass... but that's fine too.

Holding the sun and moon in my hands, plucking stars from the heavens, there is no one like me in this world! —It's not that he has no feelings for Ais and the others; the time just hasn't come yet. Once he becomes the strongest in all of Orario, even if Ais hates dragons, she'll have to obediently submit! Occasionally, a truly forced theme to change things up isn't bad. "Okay."

Lin Tian nodded in agreement and followed Bert to the Loki Familia's training grounds. The area was surrounded by members of the Loki Familia, but for some reason, Loki was nowhere to be seen.

Lin Tian adopted an offensive stance and said, "Please give me your guidance."

Bert nodded slightly. He also sensed that Lin Tian had real skills, and his attitude was no longer as arrogant as before.

"Alright... Let's begin!" Riveria gave the order. Inside the arena, two figures passed each other, the sharp clang of metal clashing echoed throughout the arena, creating a piercing buzz.

Even though it was only their first encounter, both sides were even more serious. I remember, Bert's boots were equipment.

Bert, the werewolf, excels at kicking, and just now he raised his right foot to kick Bert straight in the face. He was equipped with the Metal Boots Frosvelt, which possess the ability to absorb magic and are much stronger than ordinary weapons.

Bert paused for a moment before attacking Lin Tian again. His short silver hair flew wildly with incredible speed. He first launched a series of kicks at the back of Lin Tian's blade with his right foot, forcing Lin Tian to retreat repeatedly. After feeling Lin Tian's grip loosen slightly, Bert bent his legs and leaped into the air. A series of dazzling leg shadows bloomed in mid-air. Bert poured all his weight and speed into his legs and launched an even more ferocious attack on Lin Tian!

"Ugh. Drink...!"

Lin Tian adjusted his breathing slightly, his hands gripping the sword as firmly as a rock. His swordsmanship was devoid of unnecessary flourishes; each of Bert's attacks precisely struck the widest part of the blade, allowing him to face Bert with maximum ease. Each clash between the metal boot and the blade was deflected with exquisite precision, the sword even grazing Bert's leg armor, sending sparks flying. But now, he was troubled by something: Holy crap, this sword feels like it's about to shatter!

He bought cheap stuff for tens of millions. Even Liu Zhenhao's equipment in the original work was nothing compared to Cheng Zhenyu's—at that time, he had just entered the S-rank, let alone his trash!

"Heh, it seems your sword is about to give out."

Bert let out a soft chuckle, a glint of fervent fighting spirit flashing in his eyes. He stopped his relentless kicking, performing a backflip and landing on one hand. While his kicks were effective in shattering weapons in combat, this was a sparring match, not a life-or-death struggle, and kicking wasn't always necessary. Bert then drew his Roland twin blades from his waist, his figure transforming into a gray blur as he charged towards Lin Tian!

"I admit your swordsmanship is superior to mine! But how long can your weapon hold out!"

Bert's swordsmanship was wide and sweeping, relying on the terrifying agility and strength bestowed upon him by his werewolf race to clash with Lin Tian. Although it sounds strange, Lin Tian could still rotate his sword even when the blades collided, so despite the Roland Twin Blades' formidable power, Lin Tian's longsword could hold out for a while. The greatsword wielded with increasing skill, weaving an impenetrable silver net of light before Lin Tian, ​​the clanging sounds incessant.

In the end, Lin Tian prevailed. He channeled all his energy into his longsword, forcefully bending his body to dodge. His sword, slicing through the Roland twin blades, flicked upwards with a final, powerful swing, causing the blades to rise slightly in Bert's wide-eyed shock. From below, he unleashed a reverse slash towards Bert's neck! Logically, Lin Tian shouldn't have made this move; with his speed, Bert wouldn't have been able to react, and only Riveria could have stopped it. But Lin Tian still struck, because—in an instant, *crack!*

Along with the slash, a large number of black fragments were also unleashed. A wisp of the afterglow of the sun almost touched Bert's skin, and one could faintly feel the heat emanating from the shattered fragments.

"...Thank you for the concession!"

Bert stepped back, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed slightly to him. He could even calculate the blade's shattering; a perfectly sized fragment of the blade stopped just before Bert's throat, enough to neither injure him nor threaten his life.

Such breathtaking skill filled him with deep admiration; it was far superior to his crude method of beating others into submission.

The training ground fell silent, but the moment Bert finished speaking, a loud cheer erupted!

Although it was their own clan that lost, everyone admires the strong, and what's more, to make that werewolf Bert bow down is just too legendary!

"That Bert actually lost!"

"Not only that, he actually lost to this crazy knight! The rumors are wrong!"

"Bert lost! Let's see how he scolds us later!" It seems like it's because he's unpopular.

"Hehe, Mr. Bert, you're joking. You were holding back just now, weren't you? Otherwise, how could you, with your level 5 strength, have lost to me?"

That's true. Perhaps knowing that he and Ais were evenly matched, Bert kept his performance at the level of Iv4. However, he wasn't a master. The strength of a V4 isn't something you can control at will, as evidenced by the fact that he almost shattered Bert's greatsword.

Although he had held back, when Lin Tian rested and looked at the battleground, the ground was covered with spiderweb-like cracks. At this moment, Rivera walked over.

“Mr. Lin Tian, ​​we need to assess your strength with Bert,” she said with a smile. “Well… as you know, Bert isn’t the most pleasant person to talk to, and you happen to need a rest. How about this, would you like to rest at one of our villas?”