The sun in Orario had only just begun to rise when Nad and Alfia stood before the massive marble steps leading into the Guild headquarters. The building, as grand as ever, hummed with early activity—adventurers checking in, out, or passing through for bounties and assignments. Yet, despite the buzz, there was a strange stillness around Nad and Alfia. Heads turned. Whispers flitted through the air like moths drawn to flame. The name "Alfia" still carried weight—heavier than guilt, sharper than swords.
But no one dared approach.
Nad, dressed in his casual black T-shirt, grey blazer, and matching leather shoes, looked wildly out of place. Yet, he wore his presence like a tailored cloak—comfortable, natural, and almost regal. Alfia, however, stood tall with her usual cold, unreadable expression. The same look that once made adventurers shudder now only deepened the mystery of her alliance with this unknown god.
"They are all staring," Nad whispered, leaning slightly toward her with a crooked grin.
"Of course they are," she murmured back. "I'm supposed to be dead, and you are a god no one's ever heard of."
"Fame is overrated," Nad shrugged. "Also, I'm more of a 'limited edition' release."
Alfia rolled her eyes as they stepped through the double doors.
Inside, the Guild staff didn't know whether to run or bow. The arrival of a god was not unusual, but the appearance of Alfia, formerly of the Erebus Familia, was enough to cause several minor panic attacks. Behind the main desk stood a tall, silver-haired elf with sharp eyes and a calm demeanor—an experienced Guild officer from the older generation, trusted with handling delicate situations like this.
"May I help you...?" the elf asked, already sweating.
"Yes," Nad replied brightly. "I'm a new god in town. Thought I'd register my Familia and maybe buy some land."
The elf blinked. "Your... Familia?"
"Yes. This is my first member," he said, gesturing to Alfia.
Silence fell like a guillotine.
The elf glanced at her, then back at Nad. "With all due respect... Lord...?"
"Nad," he said smoothly.
"Lord Nad. Are you aware of who this woman is?"
"Of course. She's the former top adventurer of the Erebus Familia. Deadly reputation. Mysterious past. Dressed like someone who's about to punch me in the throat."
Alfia gave him a look.
"And you still want to form a Familia with her?"
"I already did. We're just here to make it official."
The elf tried not to panic. "We... need verification. If she's to be trusted. You understand."
Nad nodded. "Of course. I assumed as much."
He pulled out a small, grey-bluish crystal from his pocket. The size of a coin, it shimmered faintly, pulsing to the rhythm of his heartbeat. He placed it on the desk.
"Call in another god. Preferably someone who can read souls."
Astraea arrived within twenty minutes.
Elegant, radiant, and serene, she stepped into the room with the grace of a swan and the stillness of a moonlit lake. Her eyes locked onto Nad first, then slowly moved to Alfia.
"So it's true," Astraea said softly.
"Hello, Astraea," Alfia said with quiet dignity. "It's been a while."
"You were supposed to be dead."
"I got bored."
Astraea's expression didn't change. Her gaze turned toward Nad.
"And you are...?"
"A tourist," he grinned. "Also a god. Nad, pleased to meet you."
"Charmed," she said flatly. "May I?"
Nad gestured politely. "Read away."
Astraea approached Alfia and reached out. Her fingers hovered above Alfia's chest before pressing lightly against her sternum. Her eyes fluttered closed.
A pause.
Another.
Then she opened them.
"She's telling the truth. Her crimes were... theater. Painful theater, but no deaths. And she's dying."
Nad chuckled. "Not anymore."
Astraea blinked. "You healed her?"
"Partially. The full package comes with a backyard, a ritual circle in the cellar, and some powdered monster crystals."
"I... see," Astraea said, clearly not seeing anything at all.
With Astraea's blessing, the Guild staff scrambled to process Nad's registration. Papers were signed, names written, and the binding magic of the gods was called forth.
They were guided into a ceremonial room—one used specifically for the creation of new Familia. Candles flickered in wall sconces, and the floor was adorned with sacred runes. A reclining bench of smooth stone sat at the center.
"Lay down," Nad said.
Alfia, reluctant but willing, did.
Nad rolled up his sleeves, revealing a small, elegant dagger at his belt. He unsheathed it without ceremony and pricked his finger. A single drop of divine blood welled up. His fingers crackled softly with invisible power as he pressed his palm—now bloodied—gently to Alfia's back, just between her shoulder blades. The ritual had begun.
Blue symbols emerged, swirling in the air like fireflies in a gentle dance. Nad closed his eyes, focusing. The moment was sacred. This was no mere formality—it was the forging of a bond older than memory, a sacred oath between divinity and mortal. Nad could feel the resistance of her skin give way under the power of his blood, and the warm glow of divinity seeped into her body like a second heartbeat. The runes that formed were complex, older than language, etching themselves into Alfia's back in threads of cerulean light. Each swirl and curve glowed brighter as her soul intertwined with Nad's blessing. The air hummed with the divine resonance of a new Familia being born—not with the innocence of a beginning, but the redemption of a second chance.
He could feel her soul, sharp like a blade, resilient like ancient stone. He channeled the Falna into her.
Lines lit up across her back.
Name: Alfia
Level: 7 (Potential: Level 8+)
Familia: Solara Familia
Class: Mage (Unorthodox Vanguard)
Status:
Strength: D548
Endurance: G202
Dexterity: S999
Agility: S999
Magic: SS1001
Mage: C
Abnormal Resistance: E
Magic Resistance: E
Spirit Pleasure: E
Supreme Light: I
Abilities:
Monstrous Talent: Alfia is an exceptional prodigy, with abilities far surpassing even those of high-level adventurers like Riveria and Gareth. Her unorthodox combination of magic and melee combat grants her immense power, making her an exceptional fighter even among the elite members of the Hera Familia.
Immense Physical Strength: Alfia's physical abilities exceed those of any Level 6 or lower adventurer by a vast margin. Her strength, speed, and durability are so extreme that she can perform incredible feats, such as catching the attack of a Level 3 Kaguya with only two fingers.
Extreme Speed and Agility: Alfia's reflexes and speed are faster than those of Juggernauts from the 70th Floor. Even in a weakened state, she can overwhelm groups of high-level adventurers, including the entire Astraea Familia, before they even have a chance to react.
Unimaginable Endurance and Mental Strength: Despite her illness, Alfia can engage in long battles, enduring immense pain and exhaustion. Her resilience allows her to keep fighting even when her body is on the brink of collapse, though prolonged combat forces her to rest for several days to recover.
Limit Off (リミット・オフ): Alfia can enter a temporary state where her power is exponentially increased. While this state comes with a heavy cost to her body, she can trigger it at will thanks to her ability Gif Blessing. Her attacks while in this state are devastating, but they severely strain her health.
Magic:
Satanas Verion (サタナス・ヴェーリオン): A short-chant magic that releases powerful sound waves, devastating high-level adventurers and creating shockwaves that can be felt from great distances. A single hit is capable of wiping out a group of strong foes.
Silentium Eden (静寂の園): A defensive magic that envelops Alfia in a magic-negating "armor," nullifying incoming magical attacks. This protective shield also reduces her own magic power, functioning more like a seal that keeps her internal energy contained. Maintaining this magic requires a significant amount of mental effort.
Genos Angelus (ジェノス・アンジェラス): A highly destructive magic with a long chant that causes a massive silver-gray bell to appear and release a devastating attack over a wide area. This spell can destroy entire floors but comes at a great cost to Alfia's health each time it is used.
Skills:
Gif Blessing (才禍代償): A skill that permanently activates Alfia's Limit Off state, granting her immense power in exchange for severe physical and mental suffering. This ability causes her health, mind, and stats to decrease with every passing turn, but it allows her to maintain peak performance in battle despite the ongoing toll.
Alme (双分運命): An unknown skill that seems to influence Alfia's fate in battle. Its exact effects are not fully understood, but it likely alters her combat outcomes in some way.
Vel Ardore (奏律曲光): Another mysterious ability whose full effects remain unclear. It seems to enhance Alfia's magical or combat capabilities in some manner.
Development Abilities:
Mage (魔導): This ability enhances Alfia's magical power, improving the range and efficiency of her spells. It grants her a magic stat equivalent to that of a Level 8 adventurer and creates a colored magic circle whenever she uses magic.
Abnormal Resistance (耐異常): Alfia has high resistance to abnormal effects such as poison. At rank E, she is highly resistant to even the strongest poisons and other harmful effects.
Magic Resistance (魔防): Alfia's resistance to magical attacks helps her endure powerful spells and remain a formidable opponent even against skilled magic users.
Spirit Pleasure (精愉): This ability likely enhances Alfia's connection to magical or spiritual forces, though its exact effects remain unclear.
Supreme Light: A powerful ability that likely enhances Alfia's light-based magic or grants a general boost to her magical abilities.
"You're stacked," Nad muttered.
Alfia smirked. "I was born this way."
He removed his hand.
A soft glow faded from her back. She sat up, adjusting her clothing.
"So," Nad said. "Welcome to the Nad Familia."
"That's not a name," she said.
"Sure it is. It's minimalistic. Chic."
"It sounds like you're naming a brand of soup."
He grinned. "Nad's Soup Familia. Only the spiciest members allowed."
She rolled her eyes. Again.
With the Familia formation complete, Nad made his next request.
"Land. Preferably something cheap and away from foot traffic."
The Guild employee—now sweating from three consecutive panic situations—produced a list.
"There's a ruined estate near the southern outskirts. It's... mostly rubble."
"Perfect," Nad said immediately.
"You haven't even—"
"Perfect."
Alfia sighed and handed over a pouch of valis, enough to cover the cost.
"So you're funding this?" Nad asked.
"You're the god, but I'm the practical one."
"I see how it is. I'll pay you back in the form of magical anime effects."
"I will end you."
As they stepped out of the Guild, paperwork complete and land purchased, Nad stretched his arms toward the sun.
"And thus begins the legend of the greatest soup Familia in Orario."
Alfia kept walking.
"Stop calling it that."
"You secretly love it."
"You have five seconds."
"Four and a half."
The sun had reached its peak by the time Nad and Alfia approached the abandoned property on the southern outskirts of Orario. The ruins were exactly as described—crumbling walls swallowed by ivy, a crooked archway barely standing, and the remnants of a forgotten estate worn down by time and neglect. Yet, despite the decay, something in the air shimmered with potential. A whisper of something greater.
"It's perfect," Nad said, hands on his hips, taking in the cracked stone and collapsed roof.
Alfia stood beside him, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. "It's a ruin."
"Exactly. You can't buy history like this. Think of the character. The ambiance. The metaphor."
"You're planning to be poetic now?"
"Maybe," he said. "Or maybe I'm just good at seeing potential where others see problems."
She gave him a sidelong glance. "Or maybe you're too cheap to buy something that isn't falling apart."
"That too."
They stepped forward through the ruins, their feet crunching over gravel and scattered tile. Nad paused by what was once a fountain, now dry and cracked, and knelt. He pressed a hand to the ground. A faint pulse responded.
"There's a leyline here," he murmured. "Weak, but it runs close enough to the dungeon. This place can become more than a home."
"A sanctuary?"
"A stronghold."
They began cleaning immediately. Nad didn't wield a hammer or broom—he wielded magic. Stone reformed under his touch, walls reassembled with a whisper of light, and vines slithered back into the earth like obedient snakes. It wasn't instant, and it wasn't perfect, but the foundations were returning.
Alfia, meanwhile, moved like a ghost through the property. She inspected each corner, checked for structural integrity, and even kicked a few loose stones with a critical eye.
"This building still won't be safe for living," she muttered.
"It will be," Nad replied, sweat beading on his brow. "Give it time."
She looked at him then—truly looked—and saw more than just a joking god with a tendency for dramatic flair. She saw power. A divine presence cloaked in casual irreverence. And perhaps, for the first time in a long time, she felt something close to hope.
That night, they camped in what was once the central hall. The stars peeked through the collapsed ceiling, and the air was filled with the scent of fresh-cut vines and stirred earth. Nad sat with his back against a pillar, a small fire flickering between them.
"Why me?" Alfia asked.
He raised an eyebrow.
"You had options. Any new adventurer would've jumped at the chance to join a god's Familia. So why choose someone like me? A person with a terrible reputation, hunted and broken?"
He didn't respond right away. He just stared into the fire.
"Because you're worth it"
She blinked.
"Because you've seen hell and walked out of it. You made mistakes, but you're still standing. And because..."
He turned to her, eyes glowing faintly.
"I need someone who remembers how to fight like it matters."
Silence stretched between them.
"You're a strange god, Nad."
He smiled. "Limited edition, remember?"
They sat in silence after that, the fire crackling softly.
Morning came with the scent of possibility.
A knock echoed across the broken archway. Nad and Alfia turned simultaneously.
A courier stood awkwardly, holding a sealed scroll. "Message from the Guild, Lord Nad."
He accepted it and opened it with a flick.
"Congratulations on your registration. Your Familia is now formally acknowledged by the Guild. Please visit within the week for further administrative tasks and dungeon access clearance."
He tucked it away and turned to Alfia.
"We're official."
She nodded. "Good."
"Now comes the hard part."
"Which is?"
"We build something worth remembering."
She stared at him, the firelight from last night echoing in her memory.
Perhaps this ruined estate wasn't a grave.
Perhaps it was a beginning.