I had underestimated just how much preparation the average adventurer put into each Dungeon dive.
My lips pursed as a party of five demihumans carefully sorted through the contents of their bags, spread out before them on the stone floor.
Weapons and armor.
Potions and bandages.
Food and drinks.
Spare clothes, and various other tools I didn't even recognize.
I glanced down at my own equipment.
A sword.
Armour.
A bag.
My shoulders slumped.
Comparison truly was the thief of joy.
I exhaled and shifted my gaze from the busy party, sweeping it across the packed plaza.
Every morning, people from all over Orario gathered at the Dungeon entrance.
Adventurers checked their equipment one last time. Supporters offered their services. And merchants set up shop to cater to them.
I drummed my fingers against the bench as my attention settled on a party composed of elves and dwarves.
A clear line separated the two groups, yet they spoke with a familiarity that suggested trust and shared experience.
The chances of them belonging to the same Familia were high, as was the case for most parties.
It was rare for unrelated adventurers to intermingle.
The reasons were obvious.
The eternal competition between Familias.
The politics of Orario.
I released s quite breath and allowed my thoughts to wander as I glanced up at the orange sky.
"Excuse me, Lord Adventurer."
My eyes slid shut as I pinched the bridge of my nose. Then I opened them again and turned to the side.
"Hello, little one." I forced a smile. "What can I do for you?"
Like the half-dozen other aspiring supporters before him, the boy stared at me with wide, adoring eyes.
"I couldn't help but notice you were here by yourself!"
He glancing around in a token effort to find a party he knew not to be there.
The young dog demihuman was one of the many who had been observing me since I arrived at the plaza.
"I would be honored to serve as your supporter for the day!"
I suppressed a sigh.
Most of the supporter's to be were just children trying to make a living.
Too weak to become adventurers themselves.
Too young to properly enter the civilian workforce.
Syr had told me that most of the orphans in Daedalus Street had considered becoming supporters themselves at least once.
With that in mind, I could not bring myself to reject them as harshly as I had seen other adventurers do.
It was unfortunate that they had mistaken my restraint for indecision.
"I have no need for a supporter."
The corners of my lips quirked upward.
"Though I'm sure you already know that by now."
The boy flinched and retreated a few steps. His shoulders stiffened.
"It's alright!" I added quickly. "I mean you no harm."
I raised my hands, showing him my empty palms.
"What is your name?"
He watched me like a cornered animal would a dangerous predator.
"I'm Loras…"
Not even once did he take his eyes off my hands.
"Hello Loras."
I softened my voice.
"My name is Cain."
His gaze dropped to the sword and bag at my hips as I lowered my hands toward them.
"As you can see, I carry very little equipment—certainly nothing that would require a supporter such as yourself."
I offered him a smile.
"I'd appreciate it if you informed your friends of that too."
Loras nodded quickly. Then he pivoted sharply and hurried away like a startled rabbit.
On any other day, I would have entered the Dungeon without sparing the crowd a second glance.
That was likely the reason why I had never seen this side of Orario before.
Rose had told me that supporters were rarely treated well by adventurers.
Orario was ruled by the strong.
Those without power, or the backing of a powerful Familia, lived at the mercy of those who had it.
My fingers curled around the edge of the bench as the bruised face of the tiny pallum girl I had seen earlier surfaced in my mind.
"Excuse me."
A deep voice rumbled from beside me.
"Are you the Captain of the Hestia Familia?"
My brows lifted as I turned to the newcomers.
A dark-haired boy and girl. They wore different variations of a kimono—an attire I had grown familiar with during my shopping trip with Syr.
They must be the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia.
"I am," I responded. A polite smile formed my face as I rose to my feet. "My name is Cain."
"I am Kishima Ouka, Captain of the Takemikazuchi Familia," the young man said.
My gaze sharpened slightly as I looked him over.
It was not often that I met someone at eye level.
Ouka gestured to his serious-looking partner. The girl barely reached to his chest.
"This is Yamato Mikoto."
Then they bowed at the waists, their upper bodies perfectly straight.
"Please treat me well."
"I look forward to getting along, Cain-dono."
I blinked, momentarily thrown by the unexpected greetings.
Hestai had given me a brief introduction to the people of the Far East and their costumes. Yet, as always, seeing it in person was a different matter entirely.
My goddess did her best, but it was difficult for her to grasp what it was like to transition from a continent dominated by a single culture—to Orario, the melting pot of an unbelievably diverse world.
I returned the bow.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Ouka-dono," I replied, before turning to the silent girl. "And you as well, Mikoto."
The tall man nodded and crossed his arms over his broad chest as he studied me.
"I want to thank you for accepting our request, Cain-dono," he said. "Mikoto has been searching for a suitable party member for some time now."
My expression stilled.
So that was what their god told them.
He was a better liar than Hestia.
I nodded slowly as I quickly considered the situation.
Hestia and her friend wanted their children to get along. Yet they refused to tell us why.
"Only Mikoto?" I probed. "I'm surprised to hear that. I expected to meet all of you today."
Ouka frowned.
"Did Takemikazuchi-sama not explain things properly?"
I shrugged, deciding to play along with the gods' scheme.
"He contacted my goddess, and she relayed the message. Some of the details must have gotten lost along the way."
Ouka gave a nod.
"The others are taking a break from the Dungeon today," he explained. "I merely came to introduce myself, as is my duty as both the Captain and highest level member of our Familia."
His expression eased as he shook his head.
"Mikoto here is close to ranking up as well. In her hurry to do so, she has been running the rest of us ragged trying to keep up with her desire to spend as much time in the Dungeon as she can."
The girl'd stoic mask cracked as a faint blush crept up her neck.
"Please don't say it like that, Ouka-dono," she muttered, her voice tinged with embarrassment.
"I didn't realize I was inconveniencing you this much."
The corners of Ouka's mouth lifted as he placed a hand on Mikoto's armored shoulder.
"You didn't." His tone softened. "We all admire your drive to improve."
Her blush deepened as she looked away.
She must not be accustomed to praise.
I followed their exchange with interest.
Ouka had been doing most of the talking, so I simply assumed their relationship would mirror that of most Captains and their Familia members.
Distant and hierarchical.
"What did your god tell you about me?" I asked.
Ouka took a moment to respond.
"Takemikazuchi-sama told us that an old friend of his descended some time ago. And that her first child agreed to Mikotot's request to form a party."
Technically not wrong.
"That about sums it up," I said, gesturing toward the surrounding adventurers as I glanced at Mikoto.
"Do you need to make any last-minute preparations, or are you ready to go?"
Her eyes sharpened.
"I'm ready, Cain-dono."
"Good."
A soft smile touched Ouka's lips as he looked down at her.
"I'll be leaving now. Take care."
She nodded and returned his smile.
"I will."
The level 2 adventurer's expression hardened as he took a step toward me.
"My lord told us you're trustworthy." His voice lowered. "But if Mikoto comes to harm, and I find out—"
A small hand covered his mouth.
"Ouka!" Mikoto snapped. "I can take care of myself! You don't need to worry."
She grabbed her Familia captain by the shoulders and turned him around.
"Don't forget to go easy on Chigusa today! She's been overworking herself lately."
"Ouka!" I called.
The young man halted a few steps away and glanced back at me over his shoulder.
"I will treat her as I would own family."
I met his gaze evenly.
"You have my word."
His shoulders loosening as he gave a nod. Then he walked away, leaving no words.
I huffed quietly and shifted my attention toward my partner for the day.
The girl was staring at me with wide, purple eyes.
"Trust is the most valuable thing in the world," I explained, a faint smile spreading across my face.
"My goddess told me that you were trustworthy too. You can count on me, just as I will count on you."
A hunt of levity seeped into my voice.
"Which I'm sure I'll be doing a lot today."
Fighting without the healing effects of Morsalis would be a novel experiencey
"He said you're close to level 2, right? That's impressive."
Mikoto's expression steadied as she looked away.
"It took me over two years to reach this point."
A tight undercurrent of frustration seeped into her voice.
"I'm not—"
"But you did reach it," I cut in as I stepped toward the Babel Tower.
"That's what matters. Most adventurers spend their entire lives dreaming about what you accomplish."
I offered her a smile.
"Don't undersell yourself."
A small crease lingered between Mikoto's sharp brows as she followed after me. Then we passed the demihuman party I had been watching earlier and her expression softened.
"You're very kind, Cain-dono."
I huffed quietly under my breath.
Her Familia should praise her more.
"The lowest I've reached is the 7th Floor," I said. "So I'll be following your lead if we go any deeper."
Though it was unlikely she knew more about the upper floors than I did.
Rose was a very thorough teacher.
Mikoto's pace quickened as she puffed out her chest.
"Leave it to me! This senpai will do her best to guide you."
I raised a brow as we pass through the tower entrance.
"What's a senpai?"
She stumbled.
———————
"Low!" I shouted.
My fingers tightening around the grip of my sword as I dashed toward Mikoto.
"High!" she replied, mirroring my movement.
I kept my gaze locked on her approaching form and tensed my muscles.
We had only practiced this once.
The moment our paths crossed, she leapt onto my shoulders and used them as a springboard to launch herself twenty feet into the air.
At the same time, I crashed into the swarm of Kobolds she had been fighting.
I swung my sword in a wide arc and decapitated one. Then I twisted seamlessly and drove my foot into another's skull.
High-pitched screeches echoed from above as Mikoto cut through a newly spawned cluster of Purple Moths.
She landed behind me without a sound.
The only things betraying her presence were the scatter of magic stones hitting the ground, as well as the dying cries of Goblins as she cut them apart.
I pierced my blade into a kobold's throat, while raising my leg to block a needle rabbit's horns with my greaves.
Pain flared across my shin.
The horn had pierced my armor.
My grip shifted in a blur as I brought the sword down through the rabbit's skull, pinning it to the ground.
Two more magic stones joined the growing pile.
"War shadows!" Mikoto shouted.
I snapped upright, spinning just in time to catch the incoming strike.
War shadows always went for the back.
My arms buckled as its claws pressed against my blade.
I kicked at the monster's wispy leg, then slipped to the side when it faltered and cut it clean in half at the waist.
My heartbeat thundered in my ears as a swarm of Killer Ants closed in from every direction, their clicking mandibles cutting through the cacophony around me.
My shoulders squared as I lowered my sword.
There were no new monsters on the 8th floor.
Instead, the Dungeon birthed stronger versions of the ones that came before.
Rose had warned me that adventurers without at least E-rank stats did not last long down here.
I released a slow breath and called on my Blessing.
I had overestimated myself.
"Cain-dono!"
Killer Ants fell in droves as Mikoto carved a path toward me.
I shook my head and brandished my sword again.
Perhaps not.
A small smile formed on my lips as I stepped forward and brought my blade down on the nearest ant.
"Are you alright?" Mikoto asked loudly.
The swordswoman moved through the battlefield like a dancer, cutting down monster after monster with predatory grace.
"Thanks to you!"
My smile deepened as I crushed a killer ant beneath my heel.
"You fight beautifully," I added. "Your god must be very proud of you."
Mikoto stumbled—then rolled with the motion. When she rose, her blade was already buried in a goblin's chest.
"Takemikazuchi-sama has been instructing me in the way of the sword since I was a child."
Her voice sounded slightly out of breath.
"I would be bringing shame to his tutelage if I wasn't capable of at least this much."
I lashed out with my free hand and caught the needle rabbit leaping toward me mid-air.
The first time I had tried that, its horn had buried itself deep into my arm.
That was behind me now.
My gaze swept across the battlefield as I snapped the monster's neck without looking.
We were almost done.
Mikoto dispatch the last remaining Killer Ants soon after
A high-pitched squeal slipped from her throat as she crouched low and picked up the mandible one of them had left behind.
"It's a drop item!" she exclaimed.
She spun toward me with a wide grin.
"They're worth thousands of Valis!"
"Lucky you!" I chuckled as I paused my own loot collecting.
"I've actually been wondering." I tilted my head. "Why are you so keen on earning Valis anyway? Are there any hidden costs to being an adventurer I'm not aware of yet?"
The smile slowly faded from Mikoto's face as she shook her head.
"No… It's nothing like that."
Silence settled between us as I chose not to pry.
I would never fault someone for keeping secrets.
After all, there were plenty of things I had not shared with her either.
"The shrine I grew up in has been struggling for a while now," Mikoto said suddenly.
"Financially, I mean."
My fingers stilled against the jagged floor as I turned to her.
"That's the reason why we became adventurers," she continued. "It's the most lucrative profession in the word, and we needed the money to support everyone."
"That's very noble of you."
I infused the words with as much sincerity as I could muster.
"They're lucky to have you."
Mikoto's hands fiddled as she ducked her head.
"Do you really think so?" she asked quietly. "Compared to—"
"We haven't known each other long," I cut in, "but it's clear you're a very humble person."
She took a small step back as I unsheathed my sword.
The Dungeon walls were already beginning to regenerate.
"Humility is a virtue," I continued without pause, "but you also have to take pride in yourself and your achievements every now and then."
Mikoto shoulders drew in as she stared at the ground.
"I'm still lacking," she muttered.
"I disagree."
The shadows along the walls deepened.
"There is nothing more important than home, and protecting it is the most honorable thing a person can do."
Her head slowly lifted.
"Anyone who lives by that truth could never be called lacking."
Her eyes widened.
Then she bowed at the waist.
"You're very wise, Cain-dono!"
She didn't so much as flinch as my sword shot past her head and pinned the emerging War Shadow to the wall.
"I wouldn't go that far," I huffed, stepping forward. "Most of the credit belongs to my goddess… and my homeland."
One taught me the meaning of loneliness, while other showed me the value of having a home to return to.
"Your homeland?" Mikoto asked curiously as I walked past her.
"I don't understand."
A quiet hum escaped me as I pulled my sword free from the wall.
"The Far East is different from Orario, isn't it?"
Mikoto nodded, her nose wrinkling slightly.
"Very much so. I still find myself feeling perplexed by the people here sometimes."
I snorted as I sheathed my sword.
Orario was the most diverse place in the world, yet most adventures close to never interacted with anyone outside their own Familia.
"My homeland is the same," I said. "It taught me things I wouldn't have learned in Orario."
Mikoto's eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze dropped to my sword.
"It that why your swordsmanship is so… unorthodox?"
I blew out a sharp breath and dropped the War Shadows' magic stone into my bag.
"You don't have to sugarcoat it."
I had never been blind to my own shortcomings.
"I fight like a brute."
Mikotot's eyes widened as she frantically waved her hands.
"I didn't mean to insult you, Cain-dono!"
Her over the top reactions were strangely endearing.
"It's alright," I replied easily. "I'm not ashamed of it. After all, there's only so far I can go without a teacher."
Mikoto blinked and slowly lowered her arms.
"You don't have a teacher?"
Her knife-like brows drew together.
"Cain-dono… for how long have you been practicing with the sword?"
"I fought my first battle around… ten days ago."
It was hard to believe it had not yet been two weeks since I arrived in this world.
A faint smile touched my lips as I recalled my battle with the 1st-Floor Goblin.
"I've learned a lot since then."
"… Ten days?"
"More or less."
Not all of those days had been spent training.
Mikoto merely started at me.
The reason why hit me a few moments later.
My rate of improvement would seem rather absurd to someone who didn't know about Morsalis.
I suppressed a wince and shifted my gaze down to my armor.
Scratches and puncture marks covered the once pristine surface.
I traced the line of a deep cut running across my chest plate as I chewed on my lip.
I would need to find a blacksmith.
Soon.
————-
Welf's teeth clenched as he slammed the door shut behind him.
Another day, another store refusing to sell his wares
As always, it did not take long for the familiar heat of his smithy to steady his mind as it washed over him.
He released a quiet breath and carefully set the heavy box he had carried halfway across the city beside the three others just like it.
It wasn't fair, but just because they did not recognize the value of his works did not mean that he should start treating his works without the respect they deserved.
Welf's expression tightened as he dropped into the chair beside the anvil.
It was that damn Crozzo name.
The root of all his problems.
He was a good blacksmith. A great one, even. And yet, none of that mattered.
He had hoped things would be different.
This was Orario.
The city of legends.
The centre of the world, where the greatest of all races gathered to compete against each other.
When he first came here, he had been sure that he had finally found a place where he would be recognized for his talent, and not his name.
He was wrong.
Welf's fingers curled around one of the wine bottles stashed beneath the table.
It didn't matter a lick that he was more skilled than any level 1 blacksmith they had ever meet.
All anyone cared about was his Crozzo Blood.
Fools crowded around his swords as though they were priceless artifacts—only to treat them like trash the moment he told them that they wouldn't shatter after a few swings.
Welf tipped the bottle back and took a long drink. He closed his eyes and urged the alcohol to do its job.
A loud knock echoed through the room.
He groaned as his forehead collided with the edge of the table.
There was only one person who would bother him this late.
Seria Anglada.
That cow had been meddling in his affairs since the moment Hephaestus marked his back.
After the no good day he had already been forced to endure, that woman was the last person he wanted to deal with.
He took another sip and ignored the noise.
"I know you're in there, brat."
Welf pinched the bridge of his nose.
Who was he kidding?
There was no avoiding this.
"What do you want, udder for brains?"
His voice slurred as he turned his chair toward the door.
"What did you just call me?"
The knocking turned into pounding.
Welf tuned out the part of his mind telling him to shut up and clicked his tongue,
"You heard me, you old hag!"
The room went silent.
"Are you pouting, tomato boy?"
Instead of sounding angry, Seria's tone was dry.
Welf's jaw tightened as he gripped his knees.
"I'm not pouting!"
The cow woman chuckled.
"And you've been drinking too! I can smell the stench of cheap booze from here."
Perhaps he should have just ignored her after all.
"Couldn't find anyone willing to sell your products again?" Seria asked, her voice softening.
Welf froze.
She could not have know that.
None of the shops he visited were tied to the Hephaestus Familia.
"Because if so," Seria continued, "I've got some good news for you."
"…Come in."
A wide grin spread across the tall demihuman's handsome face as she stepped into his smithy.
She did not spare the empty bottles a glance as her gaze locked onto him.
"There is someone I want you to meet."