Interlude: The rising star

Several weeks has been passed since Alicia's first time exploration into dungeon. It's not weird for her to suddenly climb up to level two so quick without anyone know how in the earth she can do that. Advancing to the next level is usually took a long time for someone, precisely a year for the fastest record of someone to level up.

Truth be told, the former demon queen already broke out that record, she became known as the fastest adventurer who level up from 1 to 2, in just several weeks. Much to able gain the Sword Princess attention when she heard that from many people, even her own comrades in her familia; although she didn't mind it very much, but that drawn out her curiosity.

Because of Alicia's achievement, she acquired her own alias, all of it because she kept surprising anyone around her despite she's a new adventurer that barely live in Orario for a year. Some people find it suspicious yet not doing anything… that what you'd thought.

Of course there's some people who dispatch any assassin on Alicia to assasinate her yet all of them ended up beaten. None of them are killed or it would be leave a bad reputation to the former demon queen. Most famous and high-class also second-class adventurers began to take an interest about the mysterious yet unique adventurer who came from Hephaestus familia.

Although the said person herself seems do not care about all of it despite she fully aware… but when she heard that the Sword Princess of Ais Wallenstein pay attention to her, it made her a bit happy that her waifu noticing her and… maybe soon would came to her; Alicia know that Ais would be like herself when with Bell, observing her and trying to find out the secret about her power; how she able to leveling up faster than the said Sword Princess from Loki familia.

All of that happened just in several weeks.

How surprising it is. Although there's some things that she find unpleasant, Alicia didn't bother to pay mind to that and focus on what she would do. She don't want to be stressed over things, especially the unnecessary one.

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A sound of metal being hit a lot can be heard. The heat that came from the certain room really hot and can make people around that room would felt hot immediately; their body would drenched in sweats, although it's not that quick. It just forcing their body to produce sweats and made them felt it.

The person who does this is a woman. She wore a black sport bra that she created by her own power and pants over boot tops. Since this is not modern smithing, there's no need for her to wears a leather apron nor cotton work clothes, and if turned to be worse; like for example she getting hurt, she already made a precaution about it.

One of the new skills she created for things like this… is an ability to self-regeneration. Even if she's demon and they tend to have healing or self-regeneration ability, it has downside and made them not too powerful nor useful. That's why Alicia have a thought about creating a useful and powerful skill yet not in overpowered side.

She also done some erasing memory ability to make sure someone who will see something Alicia doesn't want to be leaked out happened, the former queen herself would immediately erasing it and maybe replacing that with a false memory that she created. Precaution is a must, especially if it mage or wizard, their habits is to take care of theirselves is something worst happened and they able to prevent or minimalize the trouble.

After doing a lot of the same process to the metal; hitting and cool it down to the water, it takes an hour for her to able to create a basic hunting knife. Realistically impossible to do such at short time, but since she has [Blacksmith] as her Development Abilities, it's possible. Moreover she level up the rank to SSS and conceal it to make people see it as D-rank like before.

But if people find out the quality of weapon or equipments she make, they would became more suspicious and don't trust her anymore. These past weeks she already have some friends, acquaintances, and maybe potential enemies; though… she also have a stalker.

Yeah, you could guess it. Her stalker is Freya, the leader of Freya familia. She find it suspicious and curious at the same time about Alicia, about how she capable to level up just in several weeks or approximately three weeks. Even for someone like Bell Cranel only reached level 2 in a month and a half yet Alicia reached that in just three weeks.

She doesn't mind at all if Freya kept stalking her but…

'Please… don't be so obvious…'

She just sweatdrop when know that while checking the knife she just created and sighing in tired also a bit annoyed about that. But Alicia mustn't make that bothering her or she would ended up bad, certainly she doesn't want that.

"Well… this is average yet good knife. Fitting for level 1 or 2 adventurer, but most fitting for level 1 rather than 2. What if the level 2 adventurer had good development abilities? I'm certain this knife won't do if that happened."

Placing the knife inside her interdimensional storage, she then get up and trying to wash herself, because her body full of sweats and a nice bath would do to refill her stamina and make her body surely clean from anything that's considered dirty.

"Alright, time to have a bath. It's weird because this is still a morning but I don't want to smell bad. Women has to keep their body clean and nice after all, unlike men who usually did not care about such thing and just clean theirselves if they feel it's necessary."

Alicia just shook her head in disbelieving. She really doesn't know how men doing something like that to their own bodies, they should take care of themselves more properly or their bodies will be unhealthy and they catch sick.

She then walked out from her workplace and headed to the bathroom of Hephaestus' Manor. Cleaning her body to make sure it won't left any filthy dirt is important for her, but not only Alicia, the majority of women always take care of that.

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Sword Princess currently in dilemma. Either she think about something depressing or not, but that's not it. Right now her mind full of a newfound adventurer of Hephaestus' familia who currently a rising star amongst adventurers and familias. Ais Wallenstein, the rumored and famous member of Loki familia despite not the strongest like Ottar nor have great leadership like Finn Deimne, a famous Pallum adventurer; she worrying her own condition right now.

It's already been years since she join Loki's and arrived at Orario yet she herself seems doesn't satisfied with her current progress to advance to the next level, she still stuck at level 5. She find herself lacking or limited, her growth seems already slowed down.

Although it maybe a bit paranoid for her to think something like that. Maybe at the start, the rising star from famous and wonderful blacksmith familia like Hephaestus fast progress to level 2 is just temporary like her but that's not denying a fact that the former demon queen herself exceed the speed progress of Ais Wallenstein when reached level 2.

While Ais need a year to reached level 2, Alicia only need three weeks to surpass that. That's not a normal speed, so it's given that she in dilemma when think through about it and a bit… jealous of that fact. It's not like she mad or angry but jealous because someone can level up so fast only in three weeks; her praises from the past as the fastest adventurer to level up is just a laugh for her right now.

But she shook her head and decided to diving in the dungeon like usual. Trying to find a stronger monster she could ever find and make sure level up faster than Alicia, for a certain specific reason she had and she's a bit in hurry for that; because of that reason she trying to be an adventurer and drive herself to challenge many strong monster.

But she rather hurried past these weeks and the newfound adventurer catch her attention and interest. She has to make sure to make a contact to Alicia, the former demon queen and Hephaestus' new adventurer; the rising star.

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Riveria Ljos Alf, the mother of Loki familia, a High Elf that really kind to the Loki familia members although she has a serious personality which is really unique combination. She also really worried about Ais Wallenstein, since she already train Ais since she was child.

Upon hearing the newly rumor about the newbie adventurer from Hephaestus familia, she a bit shocked when heard that someone can level up that fast less than a year. It didn't even take a month to the newbie to be able level up to level 2. Riveria herself working hard to be in the level she is right now, even if people said she's genius who rarely appeared.

Riveria right now worried about Ais state of mind. She recently has been pushing herself to dive in the dungeon, only for level up herself to level 6 while she stuck at 5. At first she trying to forbid, but it's no use since the Sword Princess herself seems determined and won't change her mind no matter what.

This of course made the one known as Nine Hell shook her head as she expected and sigh heavily as she give up. But of course she still remind and warn Ais to make sure not training or exploring dungeon all the time, since she needs some rest after all and it's not good if she accidentally pass out in the middle of dungeon; it would be dangerous.

Ais of course nodded in understanding. She fully understand and know that, so she at least has some tendency to other things than becoming stronger only. It's not wrong to become stronger but she has some other needs, like socializing or anything.

Riveria kept reminding this to Ais, which is replied by the quick nodding of her head, as if she understood everything that the High Elf mother of Loki familia told to her. She don't want to make Riveria angry anymore since she knew how scary the Nine Hell be when that happened. Ais doesn't want to experience the "swimming training" that given to her by the 'mother' of Loki familia.

She even shivering every time see water, because the traumatic memory of that always recalled.

But nonetheless, she still care deeply to Riveria as well. To her, Riveria is like a mother figure of her that already pass away in the past. The warm feeling that filled with kindness and felt nostalgic, she always feels secure and comfortable when Riveria care about her; although Riveria herself sometimes not aware of it.

Despite the personality of her, she can be observant to people around her. Although people seems mistake her to be clueless as always. She innocent and pure, it's a fact but actually not entirely true since she already seen how the world being portrait to her this entire time.

Not to mention her cruel and sad past.

She the type of person who hold grudge to a certain person after all, that's a bit worrying and can be dangerous if people make a mistake to messing with someone like that. As long as someone not stupid enough to cause her to holding a grudge, then they would look like safe and doesn't have to be worried about the bad feeling they might have in the future.

Karma can be a bitch after all and Ais can do the work of that to someone if she want it.

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Become someone fan is actually normal and not weird at all. Idolizing or admiring people is okay since people would always doing that, regardless if the people who they idolized or admired know that fact or not. It's not the same like stalker, since they don't do anything like stalking them to get the every details of them for theirselves.

But became stalker is something abnormal and can be labeled as weird. I mean… who want to be stalked by someone they don't know? But even if they're stalked by people they know, it still disgusting and weird, many people would start ignoring or report them to the police or guards; to make sure they're safe from the hands of those people.

Stalker itself can be considered crime, actually it is a crime. In modern world, stalking someone is crime, that's why they had something like spy or agent to spying or stalking someone without being noticed. Also it's because spying right now can't easily arrested and reported as crime.

Moreover, if that person is goddess, of course they can't easily arrest them as anyone would scared to offend a being like gods or goddesses. They value their own life and not stupid enough to anger a being that further beyond their reach and power. If anyone who dare to do that, either they're foolish powerless people or someone strong enough to be able match gods power.

But mostly the foolish one.

For Freya, thing like stalking is not a problem for her. She doesn't even see it as something disgusting or abnormal, at least if the one who did it is her. If it other people, then she would change that kind of view and trying to suits it with normal people view regarding stalker and stalking.

She became a fan of Alicia, the newbie adventurer who currently rising star, not too long. Although she still doesn't fond out about who is the person who hold that mysterious power she sense back then. Her suspicions faded little by little and her mind currently filled with happiness that she never thought and found all this time; as if any problem or trouble would easily be solved by her.

After all, it's rare to see Freya to be happy like this. But obviously she didn't show that kind of attitude or face to others, it would be bad if someone knew that fact and ruin her image that already being build from scratch. She doesn't want anyone to know the truth and loss her potential adventurer for her familia. Freya doesn't want to scaring her members after all, she want them to work for her and continue to have fun while doing their jobs.

But most are choose to be her slave and doing anything she want, that made her reputation slowly ruined and she herself aware of that, but trying to taking care of it little by little and don't let anyone notice it easily; especially her potential enemies.

Oh yes, she also has enemies. It's given and natural since she in the past, Freya unintentionally anger someone and offend them. That can be considered her mistakes, goddess isn't a perfect being like anyone told in the history book or tales; they can be imperfect and made a mistake too like human. It will be weird if Freya doesn't have any enemies.

After doing another job, although it seems she do nothing at all from anyone perspective, it's given since most gods whose familia are big is rich and wealthy enough to do nothing. All of them spend their time do anything except a job, but mostly hated work or job they do is still paperwork; that's the enemies of all beings, all creatures hated that. But someone has do that or things won't work easily for others.

And let's talk about the same topic related again.

As a fan and stalker at the same time, Freya can be considered the avid and best fan. Her room has everything she needs about Alicia, but since this era isn't modern and around medieval so there's nothing that so modern in her room. But something resemble poster or photo of her, although all of is painting or something like that and mini-statue that resembling Alicia is also there; indicating that's similar like figurine.

How all of those even exist? She's the one who made all of it. That's her handmade merchandise of Alicia, even she can do painting! There's also pillow hug of Alicia, bedcover, lap cover, and almost everything else is Alicia. But it's okay since there's no altar or something to worship: it would be weird is a goddess worship adventurer, especially a demon; also let's not forget about the fact that Alicia Sevaria herself is a former demon queen.

People would freak out when find out about this, so Freya really and very cautious to not let anyone see it. There's also a few ways for her to conceal this so people won't easily see it, like casting some magic onto the room and made someone who aren't at gods level can't see it.

She just sigh in tired and heavily when doing such works.

"This is really a hardwork. Probably a real work I've ever done in these past centuries outside of war back then. But nonetheless, if it for Alicia-sama, I would hold nothing against it. I mean… she's beautiful and cute…"

Freya said that with happy smile engraved onto her face. It's like she's out of character from her usual self and unbelievable for the goddess of beauty made a face like this. Maybe this is the first time anyone unintentionally made a goddess like Freya into this kind of state.

But fear not, she's not possess something like a creepy smile or heavy breathes like those fat gross otaku you always seen in doujin or anything. After all, she's a goddess and know how to behave like what goddess should do.