Hearing the discussions around him and the burning gazes gradually being cast upon him, Roland retracted his sword and let Est transform back into a young girl, standing quietly beside him.
Even though they had seen the weapon that Est had transformed into, the pure and holy girl would undoubtedly attract greater enthusiasm than the cold holy sword.
Among them, Ais, who was obviously still immersed in the complex emotions of failure and the past, was the one who was attracted the most.
"You're not hurt?"
Roland tilted his head with a victorious smile on his face, grasped Ais's soft and slender wrist, and pulled her up.
This familiar scene made the girl lose her mind again. She did not resist at all, nor did she regain control of her body. She was lifted up like a rag doll. After staggering a few steps, she fell directly into Roland's arms.
Roland was totally surprised to see such a naive person, but he still subconsciously hugged Ais's slender waist.
Perhaps it was because it was the first time she was treated like this by a member of the opposite sex, or perhaps it was because Roland's figure overlapped with her past memories, the slender Ais did not resist, but just twisted her body casually.
One of Roland's hands was still held by Est. He could only hold Est with one hand, and the distance between him and her was very close. Est's seemingly unintentional struggle made him fully feel the wonderful touch. The unique fragrance of the girl also constantly stimulated Roland's emotions.
As the girl twisted her body, her perky buttocks kept rubbing against Roland's hands that were around her waist.
But before Roland could maintain this subtle feeling, Est spoke in a flat voice.
"Lord Roland, did Est do well?"
Although there was no emotion expressed and her pretty face was calm, Est's eyes began to waver, making people feel as if she had been wronged.
"Of course, Est is my most proud sword."
Although he didn't dare to say that he understood women's emotions, Roland knew that the fact that Est didn't call her "master" as usual was proof that she was in a bad mood.
So he withdrew his hand with a little regret and began to calm his sword.
However, even without Est as an interlude, this situation would not be able to continue.
"Ais-tan!"
Loki rushed over and hugged Est. Although she was also interested in the exquisite and lovely Est, she did not lose her sense of propriety. Loki, who knew a lot of inside information, had put away the cynical smile that was always on his face. His squinting eyes were now full of brilliance. He stared at Roland and asked.
"You won. I will not break my promise. You can come to Loki's Familia for any reasonable request."
Although Loki felt sorry for Ais's failure, as she had said before, as a fun-loving person among fun-loving people, Loki looked forward to all new and interesting things.
"Then let's see if you can turn this city upside down."
She spoke with an excitement that could not be concealed, like a little child who had encountered something interesting.
"Soon, your name will spread throughout Orario, and countless clans will flock to you. Facing the only remaining hero in the world and the fairy spirit that has not been seen for a long time, no god will not be interested in you."
"That would be best."
Roland nodded in satisfaction and smiled slightly, with a look of success flashing in his eyes.
——It went exactly as planned.
For this world, his main goal is to find the escaped Contract Spirit. Logically speaking, it is against common sense to take the immortal spirit and defeat one of the strongest people in Orario in such a high-profile way. The right way is to take it step by step like in the Holy Grail War.
But risks and opportunities often coexist. Roland did not feel the existence of the spirit in Orario on the surface, but instead noticed some clues in the underground city of the Tower of Babel in the center.
To conquer the dungeon, one person's speed is far from enough. Since there is ready-made power, it would be a waste not to use it. What's more, the main line of the dungeon is consistent with his purpose.
He didn't even need to do anything extra. He just needed to play the role of a hero with peace of mind. With his unstoppable progress, he would naturally attract the attention of the gods and prompt the entire Orario to move.
Then, when the hero obtains the favor and begins the epic, all he needs to do is create an enemy that will alert everyone. Without Roland saying much, these adventurers will naturally follow the shining hero to fight against evil.
In the battle between good and evil, Spirit Contact naturally has nowhere to hide.
With the help of Ais's influence, the inherent impression of a hero with a fairy spirit must have been very successful. Next... all he needs to do is continue to maintain the opening like the protagonist.
Thinking of this, Roland glanced at Ais. Although she had gradually recovered from the failure, Ais still lost her mind from time to time. After catching Roland's gaze, she was stunned for a moment, then lowered her eyes, like a child who had made a mistake.
At this moment, the stern coldness in her body had completely disappeared, and her face was full of heart-breaking compassion.
She looked at Roland, her clear eyes sparkling with a different light.
"Can you be so strong without grace?"
"I'm a hero, so it's natural for me to be powerful," Roland was stunned for a moment, and said softly, "Because I have to protect this era. Aren't all heroes in stories like this?"
Hearing these words, the confused expression on Ais's face was immediately replaced by a glittering admiration, but before she could continue speaking, a voice interrupted her.
"stop--!"
Loki hugged Ais's waist and looked at Roland warily. "You little brat, if you want to be a hero, I can help you if you don't have money. If you don't have equipment, I can ask other gods I know to help you make it. But don't even think about our Ais carbon!"
"thump--!"
Before Loki could finish his words, Ais had already punished his main god with a ruthless iron fist. With his divine power sealed, Loki suffered such a heavy blow and immediately collapsed like a salted fish, and was held in one hand by Ais like a piece of luggage.
"Thank you for your hard work."
"Um..."
Ais also nodded, agreeing with Roland's words. Even though she knew Loki was very kind to her, she felt that if she gave in to this funny god, he would become more and more demanding. Therefore, although he was the main god, Loki was quite undignified in his clan's daily actions.
Although she seemed to want to say something else, looking at the crowd gradually gathering around her, Ais finally said a simple goodbye and left quickly with Loki.
And when her figure completely disappeared, Est spoke in a ethereal voice.
"That girl has a deep connection with the elves."
The elves that Esther mentioned are exactly the fairy spirits that the adventurers in this world call.
"Ah..." Roland nodded in understanding. "She is the offspring of an fairy. There is nothing we can do about it."
"Offspring?"
Est, who had been expressionless all this time, suddenly raised her head and looked up at Roland with a curious look.
"Can fairy spirits also have offspring?"
Fairy are pure creatures, often composed of a single element; therefore, this race has no ability to reproduce.
"I'm not very clear about the process, but after all, she is the fairy who is responsible for delivering miracles. If this situation really happens, it is not impossible. Just like Est always thought that she would never be contracted again, didn't she also meet me?"
Est looked at Roland thoughtfully, then raised her pretty face and looked at him. "So, can Est also have children with the master?"
"Huh?"
Roland's face froze, and he stared at Est, then gave a helpless smile.
"At least we have to wait until we really find that method. Although I have similar technology, it is not mature. But why does Est think so?"
"Because this is proof that Est belongs to the master," Est's voice was still clear when she mentioned this matter, but a blush appeared unconsciously on her cold face.
"Est is the sword that belongs to the master. It is the master's property. The girl has both fairy and human blood in her body. This is the best proof of the eternal contract between the master and the servant."
"Then wait with hope, Est."
As if coaxing a child, Roland placed his hand on her soft silver hair and stroked it gently.
"Hmm…"
Although she didn't seem satisfied with Roland's answer, Est, whose head was being pressed, narrowed her eyes and lowered her head in satisfaction.
It's so easy to handle…
Roland looked at Est with a smile and glanced around casually.
Because a large area of the guild, which was a symbol of order, had been cut down, a large number of adventurers outside had blocked all exits in groups of three or five, and were tentatively looking into the guild.
As Roland's deeds became more and more outrageous, no one in the clan dared to be the first to invite Roland.
Even the receptionist who re-entered the guild and began to count the remaining pieces only dared to look at Roland with awe, but did not dare to approach.
But Roland seemed to be unaware of what he had done. He held Est's hand and greeted Eina in a familiar manner.
"Ms. Eina, you're back. I'm sorry for ruining the guild like this."
"Anyway, Loki's Familia has already assumed all responsibilities and compensation," Eina still felt a little embarrassed.
"It's all because of my mistake that you were involuntarily exposed to the public. You clearly didn't intend to join the Familia. Now, I'm afraid it will be difficult to avoid those gods..."
"It's okay, I changed my mind."
Roland didn't care. "Going to the dungeon without grace is just a means, not an end. Now, I have received the gaze of the gods and the awe of the adventurers. Naturally, this is the time to change."
"If that's the case...Loki is planning to gather the gods she's familiar with tonight. She specifically asked me to send you this invitation if you want to choose a familia."
——
"Is this the place?"
Roland looked at the invitation in his hand. There was nothing in it except a place name.
—The hostess of abundance.
This is a two-story pub that looks very ordinary. It is a good place to relieve stress after Happy Street. There are many such buildings in Orario, and it is also the place where most information is circulated and transmitted.
However, since this tavern was favored by Loki's Familia, it must have its own characteristics.
"Welcome."
Roland pushed open the door and entered the store. Just after coming out from the counter, a middle-aged woman holding several exaggerated wine glasses in one hand, who looked to be in her forties, greeted people skillfully. When she saw Roland, her eyes fixed.
"The guests who booked in have arrived. Prepare to clear the place."
"No, Aunt Mia!"
When the regular customers who were sharing the table heard the news, they subconsciously complained, but what they got in return was a blunt retort from the female owner.
"This is a party hosted by Loki's Familia. Only the Lord God will attend. Except for the special guests, everyone else should behave themselves."
"oh..."
Seeing Roland with black hair and red eyes, and the exquisite Est, combined with today's rumors, the regulars naturally would not get into trouble with such things, and walked out complaining.
"So it was him... There's nothing we can do about it."
"He is the Sword Hero after all... My Lord God ran out excitedly when he heard the news."
Sword Hero?
Roland, who unceremoniously found a chair and sat down, was stunned when he heard the idle chatter of the guests who had left.
"Is it strange?"
The shop owner came over after putting away the wine glasses and said with a smile, "Your name has spread all over Orario, the sword hero with fairy spirit. To be honest, if it weren't for the fact that Loki's Familia admitted the defeat of the sword princess, I'm afraid many people would still refuse to believe the authenticity of this news."
"Well, great hero, welcome to my tavern. What would you like to order?"
Roland looked inside the store. As the customers left, several pretty shop assistants dressed in Victorian-era maid dresses gathered together, poking their heads out curiously and sizing her up.
"It's funny to hear the word 'condescend' coming from a level 6. You are all level 4 adventurers or above. Why don't you go to the dungeon to make a name for yourself and come here to work? Your train of thought is really similar to the guys I met before."
The female shop owner's expression froze when her true colors were exposed, and she laughed.
"As expected of you, you are the Sword Hero. You have a good eye. But we are just a group of guys who have retired and are keeping each other company. How can we compare with a rising star like you who is destined to achieve great things?"
"You're really unconvincing. You guys can be a main force without any problems, right? There aren't many Familiars in Orario that are stronger than you."
"It's just a coincidence... Besides, I don't specifically look for special people with unspeakable secrets to take in. For example, the poster girl in our store is a genuine ordinary person. Syr, come and entertain this hero!"
Aunt Mia greeted, and a cute voice came over.
The girl holding a tray walked out of the kitchen and looked at Roland in confusion. She had dark but shiny long light gray hair, eyes that matched the hair, and skin as white and delicate as cream. She was naturally pretty and cute, and looked like a girl next door.
"This one is even more important..."
Roland's mouth twitched, he raised his head, and a flash of deep red appeared in his pupils.
She took light steps, quickly glanced at Est who was beside Roland, and came to Roland with a friendly smile.
"What do you want, sir?"