My front door leads to a comic strip

Chapter 140, 139: Ryu's Thanks, the Blushing Elf

With her hands pressed tightly to her chest, Ryu tried to calm her shocked state by taking deep breaths.

At the same time, she blinked, trying to confirm whether what she was seeing was an illusion.

After all, even as an elf, one can only receive one as a farewell gift when leaving the village.

There are at least two hundred of them right now, two, three, four, five.

It would be more than enough to buy the Starry Garden.

Where is it?

Just as she was becoming a god, the door to the entrance was gently pushed open.

The creaking goddess's serene figure was outlined by soft light.

"Isn't it spectacular, Ryu?"

Astraea's voice remained as gentle as ever.

"—My Goddess, what exactly are these?"

"These are the spoils that Gu Yuan and Alexie brought back today."

"Spoils of war?" Ryu's breath hitched, almost instinctively grasping the meaning behind those words.

After all, it's no surprise that such a large number of "Great Tree Branches" existed in Orario and were taken back by the two of them.

As the goddess softly explained, it became clear that these sacred branches had almost been resold by unscrupulous merchants, and might even have fallen into the hands of dark factions.

The gaze of Ichiryu, who had been trying to harm her companion, suddenly turned icy, and she clenched her fist with a "crunch".

Until I heard that those greedy merchants had been punished and that the vast majority of the tree branches circulating in the market had been safely stored here—

The chilling intent in her eyes gradually melted away, and her tightly clenched fists slowly loosened.

a long time.

"call-""

Liu exhaled, raised her head, and the coldness in her eyes had transformed into complex gratitude; her voice was also slightly softer than usual.

"God, please thank him for me."

She couldn't imagine what the consequences would be if the dark faction actually succeeded.

My initial aversion to men has softened somewhat at this moment, although there is still a struggle deep inside.

The goddess smiled gently and turned to gesture for Liu to come inside: "Come in first, they should be back soon."

"As for—thanking you," she turned to look at Ryu, a hint of encouragement in her eyes, "I think it would be more sincere if you said it yourself."

Inside the living room, the soft glow of the magic stone lamps had already illuminated the room, dispelling the deepening twilight.

The few companions who had returned earlier were sitting around the coffee table, talking in hushed tones.

Liu sat down on the sofa and quickly reported the day's mission to the goddess.

She then mentioned the somewhat strange behavior of her partner, "Lyra".

"On her way back, Lyra encountered the Loki Familia and chatted with the hero Finn for a few words before going with them."

Ryu reported truthfully, but the elf's keen observation made her hesitate for a moment before adding her doubts, "However, something is strange. In the past, Finn was always polite to Lyra, but he always maintained a just-right distance. This time, he seemed to take the initiative to talk to her and tacitly allowed her to follow him—"

She paused briefly, a hint of understanding flashing in her icy blue eyes:

"Perhaps he's using this opportunity to obtain information about Gu Yuan?"

Given the Loki Familia's intelligence network, the "cleanup" incident in the North District could not possibly have gone unnoticed by them.

That little warrior's wisdom and strategy were renowned throughout Orario.

Upon hearing this, the goddess merely smiled knowingly, seemingly unsurprised.

"Don't worry, Ryu, that girl Leila knows what she's doing."

She shifted her gaze slightly to the twilight outside the window and said softly:

"Furthermore, the 'justice' he is carrying out is so sensational that it will inevitably attract attention from all sides. This is just the beginning."

During the conversation, *pat* "Hmph hmph hmph~"

"I'm back, where are you, God?"

A light humming and footsteps came from the doorway, breaking the slightly somber atmosphere in the living room.

It's Alexie and Gu Yuan who have returned.

As always, Alexie was full of energy and couldn't wait to see the goddess as soon as she entered the door.

Gu Yuan, standing behind her, remained calm, his clothes still damp with dust and a faint air of killing intent, as if he had not yet fully detached himself from the battle.

The two stepped into the living room, and the goddess gave Liu a timely, smiling look.

Liu pursed her lips, struggled internally for a moment, and finally stood up and walked towards Gu Yuan.

Her movements were somewhat stiff, and each step seemed particularly heavy.

"That—that—"

She spoke, her voice much softer than usual, her gaze unfocused, unable to meet the other person's eyes directly, "Regarding—the branch of the Great Sacred Tree—thank you very much."

The moment she spoke, Ryu felt her cheeks uncontrollably flush slightly.

She almost immediately turned to the side, trying to hide her embarrassment with a cold profile.

But it was too late.

"Pfft"

Kaguya, who was standing next to her, finally couldn't help but burst out laughing.

She immediately covered her mouth with her wide sleeves, revealing only her eyes, which were curved into crescent moons:

"Oh my gosh~ Our Rio's face is so red! Could it be that this is the first time she's thanked a man since she came out?"

"Stop being so long-winded!"

Liu abruptly turned her head to glare at her, her icy blue eyes shimmering with embarrassed and angry tears. This reaction only made her cheeks flush even more.

If she could, she really wouldn't want to have any interaction with any men—the experience of almost being trafficked when she first entered Orario three years ago is still a lingering shadow.

But reality never allows her to retreat forever.

Thinking of this, Liu secretly glanced at Gu Yuan out of the corner of her eye.

Seeing that Gu Yuan simply nodded indifferently and briefly replied with "No need to be polite," seemingly not paying attention to her, she inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.

He stepped back onto the sofa, but his sword-holding posture was more reserved than before. He occasionally glanced up, then quickly looked away.

A minor incident in the living room livened up the atmosphere.

Just then, Gu Yuan glanced around and his calm voice rang out, naturally steer the conversation back on track:

"Speaking of which, how long until the others return? I want to update my stats as soon as possible."

The goddess paused slightly, then realized she hadn't yet inquired about Gu Yuan's specific achievements that day, and her gaze instinctively turned to Alexie.

Alexie paused, as if recalling something unpleasant, a hint of guilt flashing across her face, and whispered:

"I'm sorry, my goddess—Mr. Gu acted too quickly, and the enemies were scattered. Many were taken care of before we could even see them clearly—"

She pulled a small, blood-stained booklet from her bosom, respectfully handed it over, and whispered, "This is what I've recorded as much as I could."

"——"

This action clearly failed to fulfill the responsibilities of a group leader.

But Astraea didn't say anything. She simply calmed her breathing, took the paper calmly, and gently turned the pages with her fair fingers.

As she read, her gentle expression gradually turned serious, and her fingertips paused for a long time on a certain number on a certain page.

"One hundred and fifty?"

The cold numbers that came out of her lips sent a ripple through her heart.

There are already so many records.

How many of those that weren't recorded are there in total?

"Cruel justice".

The word entered Astraea's mind almost instantly.

Astraea closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and a barely perceptible look of pity crossed her face.

As a deity who governs justice, she understands the weight of life better than anyone else.

But she also knew clearly that in this city where darkness breeds, sometimes drastic measures were necessary to protect the light.

So when she opened her eyes again, all that remained in them was a clear and resolute gaze.

With a "snap," the booklet was gently closed.

A brief silence filled the living room.

"I see."

Astraea said gently, standing up and glancing at Alexandra with a comforting look, "Since things are beyond repair, there's no point in pursuing it further. Alexandra, you've done your best. Keep going."

"As for Gu Yuan, you—"

His gaze lingered on Gu Yuan for a moment, then swept over the girls in the hall. "I'd also like to see for myself what kind of growth your experience today has brought about."

"We can eat later. And as for a bath—"

He paused subtly, a complex look flashing in his eyes, but said nothing more.

Some decisions can only be made after she has witnessed them firsthand.

She turned and went upstairs.

"Come with me."