Monsterphilia

After breakfast, Astraea crossed her legs and sat on the sofa, looking at Charlie, who was accompanied by two young girls on either side of him.

"In just one night, you've changed drastically. What happened to you, Charlie?"

Astraea's main focus was on Charlie's eyes, which had changed from caramel to a light blue as beautiful as a clear sky. She was also curious about the glowing green lines on his cheeks that seemed to connect to his chest.

No matter how much Falna enhances a human, it cannot alter physical appearance.

Moreover, Astraea vaguely felt that Charlie had become stronger than before.

"..."

Opening his mouth, Charlie was at a loss for words. It was impossible to lie in front of the gods—lies would be discovered immediately.

The best course of action was to remain silent!

"Charlie has been through a lot that caused changes in him. That's all."

Aishia helped Charlie explain to Astraea.

Astraea observed Aishia for a moment before smiling faintly.

"If you don't want to say, that's fine. Everyone has secrets that others don't know. And besides, I'm not your main god, so I have no right to interrogate you."

Not being an unreasonable woman, she stopped pressing Charlie.

"Phew..."

As if granted amnesty, Charlie was relieved that Astraea didn't investigate further. However, before he could fully relax, Astraea continued in a soft but meaningful tone.

"Since when did you start gathering girls around you?"

"It's not like that! It's not what Goddess Astraea thinks!"

"Then what should I think, Charlie?"

Charlie's helpless reaction amused Astraea.

"Sigh..."

From his perspective, seeing Astraea's disbelief, Charlie let out a long sigh before finally deciding to reveal the truth.

"They're not humans, but Spirits."

"I already knew about Aishia... But there's a second humanoid Spirit?"

Even though Astraea was a goddess, this news still surprised her. In this era, Spirits prefer to hide and avoid interaction with other races. Even gods rarely get to see them, let alone form such close relationships.

"Charlie, you're already extraordinary just by contracting one humanoid Spirit. That alone is an achievement only heroes of ancient times could accomplish... But now you have two?"

"I'm not a hero. I don't deserve to be called that."

Astraea observed him for a moment before smiling faintly.

"Maybe you don't realize it, but we've been waiting for a hero for a long time."

"..."

Astraea looked at him in silence, as if weighing his words. However, instead of pressing further, she simply smiled softly and changed the subject.

"Alright then. Do you want to watch the opening of Monsterphilia today?"

"Monsterphilia?" Charlie frowned. Honestly, he had forgotten many details of the Danmachi anime.

"Oh, right. You haven't been in Orario for long." Astraea smiled lightly.

She had almost forgotten that Charlie was a newcomer. It was natural that he didn't know about the annual event.

"Monsterphilia is an event held once a year by the Ganesha Familia. The event takes place in the Coliseum. There, Tamers from the Ganesha Familia will face monsters brought out from the Dungeon. They won't kill them—the fate of those beasts is now to be entertainment for the masses."

'In short, it's like gladiator fights in ancient Rome.' Charlie thought to himself.

He didn't like violence as entertainment, especially when it involved living creatures. To him, Monsterphilia wasn't something worth watching.

"I'm not interested." He said honestly.

Astraea seemed to have expected this and didn't look disappointed. Instead, she smiled softly and offered an alternative.

"Then how about we just walk around the Coliseum? Events like this attract many merchants from outside Orario. You might find items and food that aren't available here on normal days."

Charlie glanced at Aishia and Est, seeking their opinions. Aishia gave a small nod, while Est remained silent with her usual expressionless face, but from the way she stayed close to Charlie, she didn't mind the idea.

"Alright." Charlie nodded.

"Good. I'm sure you'll find something interesting." Astraea smiled contentedly.

With that, they prepared to leave the house and immerse themselves in the lively atmosphere filling the streets of Orario.

◆━⊰✧⊱━◆

It was now nine in the morning. While most adventurers were already roaming the Dungeon, crowds of townspeople gathered in the streets.

The East Main Street was packed with people. Many merchants had set up stalls along the road to take advantage of the festival visitors.

The sounds and smells of various sweets spread through the sea of people. The street itself was decorated with long ribbons and bright flowers. The tempting aroma of sweets mixed with the metallic scent of displayed weapons. Colorful ribbons and bright flowers adorned the streets, while flags depicting wild beasts and the emblem of the Ganesha Familia fluttered in the morning breeze.

Various races gathered in one place—humans, elves, dwarves, demi-humans, pallums, and amazons—all enjoying the annual festival. Even some gods and goddesses could be seen among the crowd, soaking in the joy that filled the air.

The East Main Street had been completely transformed by the exhibition!

Amid the hustle and bustle of the festival, a young man walked with calm steps, his eyes closed. Charlie, who hadn't fully adapted to the Six Eyes, chose to keep his eyes closed to avoid being overwhelmed by excessive visual information. However, his steps remained steady, as if he could still see everything.

On either side of him, Aishia and Est held his hands casually. To outsiders, the scene looked like a blind young man being guided by two attentive young girls.

Meanwhile, Astraea walked ahead of them, leading the way. After a while, she glanced back and asked curiously.

"How can you walk normally even with your eyes closed, Charlie?"

"I awakened a skill called Six Eyes. It gives me extraordinary vision, even without opening my eyes."

"Interesting. Not many unique skills can provide such vision."

Charlie didn't elaborate further. To him, it didn't matter whether Astraea believed him or not.

They continued walking past various stalls offering rare items—accessories, exotic spices, and even weapons and armor from famous blacksmiths. The cheerful voices of children could be heard from the direction of the Coliseum, the main venue for Monsterphilia.

However, not everyone on the streets was enjoying the festival with good intentions.

In the corners of the street, some adventurers gathered in small groups, chatting and laughing in a not-so-friendly tone. They were Dungeon veterans—rough men who had spent years fighting monsters, surviving in a harsh environment.

Adventurers didn't have a good reputation among ordinary citizens. Many of them were considered bloodthirsty and depraved. It wasn't surprising, given that their job involved risking their lives daily in the Dungeon. They needed an outlet—whether it was alcohol, gambling, or women in the Entertainment District.

So, when some of them saw a young man, presumably blind, walking leisurely accompanied by three beautiful women, their envy spiked.

"Damn, even a blind guy can get beautiful girls, while I'm still single?" Grumbled a burly man with a scar on his temple.

"I fight tooth and nail in the Dungeon every day, but women still don't look at me. And then look at this bastard, just strolling through the festival surrounded by beautiful flowers."

"HAHAHA! Maybe he's loaded with Valis. Women don't care about looks or personality as long as your wallet is thick."

"But look at the woman in front of him, isn't she a goddess?"

One of the adventurers squinted, trying to recognize the graceful and voluptuous woman walking ahead of Charlie.

"Who cares? All goddesses love playing with handsome young men. Just look at the Three Goddess of Beauty—none of them are clean. Who knows how many men they've slept with?"

"Tsk, if he has a goddess as his personal plaything, he must be some rich noble who came to Orario just to have fun."

They didn't know it was Goddess Astraea. After all, Astraea had long left Orario, and when the Astraea Familia was still active, she rarely appeared in public. It was no wonder many people didn't recognize her.

Also, Charlie hadn't even been in Orario for a full month. Although he broke the record for leveling up in history, no one knew except himself.

That's why these low-class adventurers, who had been stuck at Level 1 for years, dared to mock Charlie.

Even Level 1 adventurers were superhumans compared to ordinary people without Falna.

"Damn, how can that bastard be holding hands with two beauties like that? Did he hire them?"

"HAHAHA! Maybe he can't see, so he needs the girls to guide him. But if I were him, I'd take both girls to the bedroom!"

"Look at the peach-haired girl. Her face is expressionless, but that just makes her even more tempting! Imagine her staring at you with no expression while you fuck with her. HAHAHA!"

"The other one is amazing too! Silver hair, pale skin, and a petite body... My god, she's like a doll made to satisfy men!"

"Are they his maids? If they're maids, there must be 'special services' involved!"

"HAHAHA! You pervert! Even a blind man knows how to enjoy life!"

"How about we teach him a lesson? Let him know his place and hand those girls over to us?"

The eyes of some adventurers gleamed with malicious intent. Some of them might just be jealous, but others were seriously considering taking action.