Watching the excited Loki, August sighed.
"Haruhime, use your magic on Finn."
"Yes, August-sama."
Haruhime nodded. Her teachings from Freya-sama were clear: unquestionably obey all orders from August.
As the servant representing the goddess Freya to serve August, Haruhime had caught the attention of the lord.
"Grow. That power and that vessel. Breadth of wealth and breadth of wishes. Until the bell tolls, bring forth glory and illusion."
"Grow. Confine divine offerings within this body. This golden light bestowed from above. Into the hammer and into the ground, may it bestow good fortune upon you."
"Grow."
With the chanting, Finn suddenly felt a powerful force rising within him.
Uchide no Kozuchi, a magic to increase one's level. The magic could only be cast on one person, had a certain cooldown after activation, and the caster couldn't use it on themselves.
Now, this magic was applied to Finn, directly elevating him from level 6 to level 7.
"So strong, my power!"
Finn emitted a faint glow, and his strength experienced a substantial increase.
This made everyone look at Finn with intense confusion, curiosity slowly filling their eyes.
"What's going on, Finn?"
"Loki, my power has become much stronger, definitely surpassing level 6."
"This..."
In an instant, Loki's expression turned incredibly shocked. Finn's current strength, even with a year and a half of effort, it would be challenging to make any slight improvement. Yet, now he had become stronger due to a single magic.
"What's happening?"
Loki's gaze fell on August, clearly waiting for an explanation.
"This is Haruhime's magic, Uchide no Kozuchi. It can temporarily increase a person's level by one. However, after use, there's a cooldown, and it can't be used again for a short period."
"Is this true?"
Disbelieving eyes turned to Haruhime. This kind of magic was incredibly powerful.
With someone like this, they could play a crucial role in battles. For second or third-level adventurers, gaining one level might not make a significant difference. But for Finn, a top-level adventurer at level 6, leveling up once was a tremendous enhancement.
However, Loki's immediate reaction was to think about Ottar from Freya Familia. Wouldn't Ottar reach level 8 with this magic? Moreover, Haruhime, despite being sent here, still belonged to Freya Familia.
After a while, the effects on Finn disappeared, and his strength returned to normal.
This increase and decrease made Finn feel a sense of loss and gain.
However, it also made everyone in the room look at Haruhime with fiery eyes. Such magic was incredibly powerful.
The usually timid Haruhime immediately hid behind August, leaving everyone dumbfounded. She had scared the others unintentionally.
"What are you all staring at?"
August naturally protected Haruhime, and he spoke somewhat speechlessly to the people with shining eyes.
Behind August, Haruhime also watched August carefully.
She considered herself humble, and although she had received help from Goddess Freya and escaped the hellish situation of the Ishtar familia, everything came from this man.
Freya didn't deceive her in this matter. Freya brought Haruhime here because of August.
For over a month, she had been curious about the man who saved her without ever meeting him before. When she saw him, she was moved because she had never seen such a charming man.
"Kid, how did you bring her from Freya? If it were me, I guess I wouldn't be able to send away such a talent."
"She was originally found by me. I asked Freya for help to bring her here."
"Found by you? Where did you find her?"
"She was sold to the entertainment district by the Ishtar familia. I didn't go there myself, as it might cause conflicts with the Ishtar familia. So, I had Freya handle it."
"Ishtar familia? Entertainment district? How do you know about that? Have you been there?"
"Get lost! How could I, with Ais here, go to such a place? Even if it were Freya, she's still a thousand times better than the women in the entertainment district."
Loki also smiled brightly, realizing that she had been too hasty.
Given August's conditions, finding a woman was not a problem, and in Loki Familia, just a beckoning of the finger would attract a large group.
However, one must not underestimate the good taste of women, they were no less lecherous than men.
"Alright, disperse. It's getting late, rest well. Tomorrow, we embark on an expedition."
At this point, Finn spoke, dispersing the others in the room.
Because Finn spoke, everyone didn't linger and went back to their respective places.
August also walked out, with Ais and Haruhime following.
"Oh, by the way, August, this time's expedition is in cooperation with the Hephaestus Familia. Tomorrow, Tsubaki will also join us. You go and receive her then."
"Okay, I understand."
August nodded, there shouldn't be any problems with Tsubaki, after all, she was one of his own.
Finn didn't think too much about it, but looking at the two little tails following behind August, he couldn't help but feel a bit envious.
Only Loki, watching this scene, felt a little uncomfortable.
Although Haruhime's arrival was a good thing, the focus had shifted away from August.
Tonight, she didn't question August about bringing an outsider woman home. But with this situation, she was bypassed, making Loki feel quite annoyed.
However, seeing that Ais didn't show any particular rejection, Loki realized that Ais didn't dislike Haruhime.
Back in the room, Haruhime and Ais followed.
"Haruhime, did Freya say anything when she sent you here?"
"Freya-sama said that from now on, I am your maid. I can follow any orders you give, August-sama."
"It seems she regards you as a servant to be educated. But in my place, there aren't so many rules."
"No, it is an honor for me to serve you, August-sama. After all, you saved me."
"I saved you?"
"Freya-sama said you asked her to bring me back."
August suddenly understood. Freya had sent a favor his way.
But August was quite pleased. He hadn't even met her, and he'd already conquered a girl. What a good thing!
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