The moment Loki's words fell, everyone in the main hall surged forward at once.
"Outta the way, outta the way, I'm looking first!"
The Hiryute Sisters flanked Ryota on either side, poking their heads in.
"You two idiots! You're bashing my skull in!"
Bete rubbed his aching head, but still tried to crane his neck forward.
Gareth clicked his tongue and squeezed one eye through a gap, while Finn hurriedly leaned closer as well.
Even Riveria, usually so composed, couldn't help bending slightly forward, her graceful eyes fixed on the parchment.
And the one closest to Ryota—Ais—was practically leaning over his shoulder, her nose almost brushing his ear. The sheer intensity of her gaze made Ryota stiffen instinctively.
Is Ais... a bit too close?
Okay, no wonder Lefiya was staring at him earlier like she'd overdosed on something.
Sensing Ryota's awkwardness, the blonde girl merely glanced at him, then focused once more on the parchment without even pulling back.
He could even catch a faint sweet scent from her, but soon enough, all his attention was consumed by the words laid out before him:
· Strength: D517 → SS1010
· Endurance: D517 → SS1010
· Dexterity: D517 → SS1010
· Agility: D517 → SS1010
· Magic: D517 → SS1010
[Development Abilities]: None yet
· Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu — [Details omitted]
· Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu — [Details omitted]
· Three Basic Jutsu — [Details omitted]
· [New] Fire Style: Fierce Dragon Flame Jutsu — Summons a "Flame Dragon" with powerful piercing and burning force, capable of hitting multiple targets in a straight line, with an area-of-effect explosive impact.
· [New] Teleportation Jutsu — Extreme short-term body acceleration, using controlled leg strength to move at high speed, allowing the user to instantly close the distance with an enemy or retreat.
[Note: Teleportation Jutsu is not true spatial teleportation, but a peak-speed technique.]
· Demonic Illusions: Shackle Stakes — [Details omitted]
All-Encompassing Divine Eye
· Insight — [Details omitted]
· Copy — [Details omitted]
· Opening — [Details omitted]
· Genjutsu — [Details omitted]
The hall went dead silent.
Everyone's eyes locked on that parchment, their faces looking less like they were reading a rookie Lv.1 status sheet and more like they'd just seen a divine judgment handed down from the heavens.
That silence stretched on for a solid minute.
"Th-this... SS or whatever, there's no way that's real!!"
Lefiya, who had been secretly pouting over how close Ryota was to Ais earlier, had already flung that sour feeling straight out of her head.
In her mind right now, only those two letters—SS—were echoing like a war drum.
At her outburst, everyone else seemed to snap out of a genjutsu, staring at Ryota like they'd seen a ghost.
If it had just been S-rank across the board, it wouldn't have been this shocking.
After all, Freya Familia's "Juggernaut" Ottar had once set that bar.
Full attributes at double S!
That was a monstrous growth record never before heard of, so shocking even the Big Three momentarily lost their words.
Finn was the first to recover.
In the blink of an eye he moved to the hall's doorway, slammed the doors shut with a crisp bang, then turned around with a grave look.
"From this moment on, no one is to speak of this outside these walls."
"Ryota's status info is absolutely top secret. Not a single hint of it leaves this room."
Everyone nodded, no arguments.
It wasn't an order. It was a shared, ironclad understanding.
They all knew that if the enemy learned about this kind of monster, the trouble it would bring would be unimaginable.
"Aww, Finn, you're being too cautious. This is obviously a good thing!"
Loki leaned back on the sofa, grinning at Ryota.
"Ryota's growth this fast is incredible for the Loki Familia. I have a hunch you'll be an irreplaceable part of our next expedition."
Ryota was about to say something modest, but Riveria cut in.
"Ryota, how is your magic control progressing?"
She fixed him with that aristocratic, elven stare.
"I think from now on you should join Lefiya and me for lessons."
Holy crap, that's what elven royalty intimidation feels like?
No time to even think, huh.
Still, being trained by Orario's strongest mage? Only benefits there.
"Of course, it would be my honor, Lady Riveria."
As soon as he finished, Loki picked up the parchment. A faint blue light shimmered around it before it crumbled away like a feather, scattering as tiny starlike motes in the air.
At the same time, the tense, frozen silence finally began to ease.
Everyone had gathered for this moment, to witness just what kind of monster-class rookie Ryota really was.
Now that truth was laid bare, whether they felt shocked or awed, they had no choice but to bury the storm in their hearts.
As Finn and Gareth headed up to the second floor, the rest of the group also began to disperse.
Soon, only Ryota, Ais, and Loki—who was debating whether to pour herself a drink—remained in the hall.
Just as Ryota was about to get up, a voice came from right in front of him:
"Could you... spar with me?"
Ryota blinked, raising his eyes to meet a pair of golden ones.
Ais Wallenstein, who at some point had stepped directly in front of him.
Her tone was calm, utterly devoid of excess emotion, but there was a subtle flame dancing in her eyes that made her intentions crystal clear.