"I'm done. You can put your shirt back on."
My shoulders gave a satisfying crack as I stretched.
Rose had taken her time with assessing my status this time.
I exhaled deeply and seated myself on the couch behind me. The soft material gave way easily as I sank into it.
"What do you say?" I asked.
Sharp golden eyes pierced mine as my advisor stared at me from across the table, sitting rigidly on a couch identical to mine.
"All of your stats are on rank H," she said, shaking her head.
"I have to say, if I didn't already know about your skill, I would not believe it. That kind of progress is…."
A faint huff left her as she watched me blankly.
"Well, I'm sure you already know."
A smile tugged on my lips.
"Actually, I'm not sure if I do… I might need you to explain it to me."
Rose's shoulders loosened, a snort escaping her.
"You wish."
She leaned forward and fixed me with an intense stare.
"What happened yesterday… Did everything go as we planned it?"
I hesitated.
"Yes, I explored the first four floors like we agreed and didn't advance any further."
Rose arched a single crimson brow.
"But?"
The couch creaked slightly as I shifted my position.
"I met someone. She said her name was Tiara of the Isis Fa–"
"You met the little sister of Skvader?" she snapped, shooting upward. "How? When? Where?!"
I blinked.
It was the most agitated I had ever seen her act before.
"On the fourth floor. She was being hounded by a huge number of monsters. Dozens, easily, of all kinds… I saved her life, and in return, she now owes me a debt."
Rose remained motionless for a moment longer, her hands planted firmly on the stone table.
Eventually, she sank backward and eased herself into the couch.
"Cain… do you have any idea how ridiculous what you just said really is?"
"I can't say I do."
My head tilted to the side.
A deep sigh filled the air between us.
"That Tiara of yours… she is the sister of Arya Walpurgis. The Captain of the Isis Familia—a level 5 adventure."
The heavy emphasis she put on the last part was telling.
"I'm aware," I said. "Tiara told me."
My brows rose.
"What's wrong with that?"
"It's not that it's wrong. On the contrary, you lucked out."
Rose rested her chin on her thumb and tapped her index finger against her cheek.
"Skvader doesn't know what happened. If she did, you would not be here right now."
She nodded curtly.
"Yes, that girl was likely too ashamed to admit her weakness. That is good. We need to keep it that way."
I leaned forward.
"Who is this Arya… I've never seen you this worried before."
The tapping ceased.
"Worried? I... well yes, I suppose I am."
Her hand settled at her side as her posture straightened.
"Arya Walpurgis, alias Skvader, is the rising star of the Isis Familia." Her voice sharpened. "She is the prodigy who held the title of record holder before the Sword Princess."
My brows furrowed.
Sword Princess was quite the title.
"No matter her intentions, if she contacts you, every major Familia in Orario will become aware of you soon after." Her golden eyes narrowed. "You understand why that would complicate things for us, don't you?"
I exhaled, leaning back into the couch. "Don't worry, I understand. More than you know."
Rose's wolf ears twitched as her eyes lingered on my face.
"I'm sorry for interrupting you before… What did you want to tell me?"
"It is less tell and more ask. Tiara, she is from a first-class family."
I paused.
"How come this Arya allowed her sister put herself in such danger?"
Rose's expression softened as she let out a breath.
"Every time you ask me things like that, it becomes increasingly clear that you really are not from here."
She shook her head.
"Skvader's protectiveness toward her sister is legendary… but I still would not be surprised if she personally ensured that something like that would befall young Tiara."
Her gaze hardened as she locked onto me.
"Adventurers that managed to cross the barrier to level 2 are abnormal. However, they don't even come close to first-class adventurers. Cain, you cannot assess those people with common sense. I don't know what Skavader was thinking… but there would be nothing I could do about it, even if I did."
Right as I opened my mouth to refute her words, she interrupted me again.
"Never mind that—I will tell you more about the relationship between the guild and the top-ranked Familia later on."
The couch creaked slightly as she rose to her feet.
"It's time for us to go."
She stopped, glancing down at me.
"You did receive the message I left for you yesterday, right?"
I nodded.
"That's good. I'll have to thank old Korus later," she mutter. "For now, you can go on ahead and wait for me downstairs. I will meet you there soon."
My advisor did not wait for a reply and instead exited her office with long strides.
Once I had descended the steps to the main guild hall, it was even busier than what I was used to.
Usually, I visited the building in the early mornings—and then again late at night.
Only the most dedicated of adventurers crossed my path during those times.
A few hours after dawn had broken, the majority of Orario's adventurers were preparing to face the day.
"You there!"
I threw the pink-haired guild employee at the front desk a glance.
"Yes?"
"Come here!"
My brows shot up as I crossed the distance between us and halted just before the counter.
The girl's eyes bore into mine.
"Is there something I can help you with, Misha?"
The soft thud of gloved hands striking wood was quickly swallowed by the surrounding adventurers' commotion.
"This is not about me!"
She leaned forward.
"You better treat Rose well, you hear?"
My lips parted slightly as I met the girl's burning gaze.
"Treat Rose well?" I echoed. "Are we talking about the same woman?"
A crease appeared between Misha's brows.
"Yes. That Rose."
She glared daggers at me.
"If you disappoint her in any way, the Dungeon will be the last of your worries."
I titled my head.
"What do you mean by—"
"Misha!"
The girl's confrontational attitude vanished as she shrank back, averting her eyes from mine.
A small leather purse hung off Rose's shoulder as she marched toward us.
Her brows furrowed as she stared at me.
"What did she say to you?"
Her stare turned into a glare as she directed it toward her whistling colleague.
"It better not have been anything strange."
I hummed, watching their interaction closely:
Despite her theatrics, Misha could not fully hide the smirk on her face, nor was there any real heat behind my advisor's glare.
"Strange?" I met the girl's pink eyes. "No. I suppose she didn't."
——————
"That's the Hephaestus Familia sigil," I said, stepping out of the first elevator I had encountered in this world.
"Don't you think they're a bit… outside of my price range?"
Rose shook her head as we crossed the hallway of the Babel tower.
Bright yellow light illuminated our passage.
"I'm surprised you recognized it."
I shot the redhead a pointed look.
"I don't like the way you said that."
A snort answered my accusation.
"My goddess and Hephaestus are actually pretty good friends," I added. "It's only natural that I would recognize it."
The entrance to the first-class Familias store was very conspicuous.
On both sides of the gilded doors, vast windows advertised a startling diversity of weapons.
My attention did not linger on them for long.
Instead, it was quickly stolen away by the outrageous price tag attached to them.
I shook my head at the ludicrous amount of zeros.
"Is that so?" Rose asked, observing my reaction from the corner of her eye.
"In any case, didn't I tell you not to worry about that? There is no better place for us to go to."
She released a slow breath.
"You will see why soon."
The doors opened on their own as we approached.
Behind them, a well-furnished interior revealed itself.
"Rosey? Is that you?!"
Rosey?
My advisor's shoulder dropped slightly as she turned toward the source of the call.
Following her line of sight, my eyes fell on a tall woman with a pair of curved horns on her head.
"It has been ages since you last visited your poor neglected senior," she whined. "I was beginning to worry you had forgotten all about me!"
Senior?
"You're not my senior, Seria. We were in the same class."
"Eh? But I'm the older one. Wouldn't that naturally make me your senior?"
"That's not how it works!"
I followed their exchange like a spectator in a tennis match.
Eventually, the cow demi-human's green eyes fell on me.
They widened.
"Never mind all that, Rosey! Aren't you going to introduce me to your—" twinkling eyes shifted back to Rose, "—handsome young friend here?"
A smirk grew as both of her thumbs pointed at the ceiling.
"Well done, girl."
Rose did not respond.
Her stare was utterly flat.
She turned her head away from her senior and toward me.
"Cain, this is Seria. She's an old friend from my days at the School District."
She snapped back to the brunette, her brows twitching.
"Seria, this is Cain. He's a rookie adventurer—and I'm his advisor."
"Finally taken another one under your wing, huh? Mhm," Seria muttered, assessed me with narrowed eyes.
"I'm sorry if that's what you came here for, but I don't do contracts with rookies."
Her focused stare lifted off me, landing back on my advisor.
Rose held the blacksmith's gaze without blinking.
"The best I can do is a discount… and even that—only because he's one of yours."
A crease formed between the werewolf's brows.
It vanished as soon as her her demi-human friend spoke again, her spotted cow ears perking up.
"But! That doesn't mean there is nothing I can do for him! Honestly, if there's one thing my Familia does not lack—it's talent… I will keep my ears to the ground and let you know once I find someone suitable. Would you like that?"
Rose nodded.
A faint smile graced her lips.
"Yes. But for now, all we need is a simple weapon and some armor. Nothing custom-made."
"I see."
Seria looked me over slowly.
"No time to waste then. Come along, Rosey."
She pivoted and sauntered toward the door on the opposite side of the entrance.
My head tilted to the side as my advisor guided me into the backroom of one of Orario's most upscale stores.
I didn't even have to say a word.
"Alright, let's do this."
Seria rounded on me as we came to a stop in the middle of the room.
The ambiance was more intimate than the previous one.
"What is your dominant hand?" she asked, her gaze dropping to my arms, "and what weapon do you prefer?"
Light steps echoed across the room as she advanced toward me.
"How would you describe your fighting style?"
Her approach halted a mere foot away from me.
"And what is your highest stat?"
A soft thud sounded as Rose seated herself on one of the cushioned seats in the corner.
Meanwhile, her friends' calloused hands were squeezing down on my arms and shoulders.
The look in her eyes was appraising.
"I'm ambidextrous," I replied. "I prefer swords, and my highest stat is strength."
I paused as the woman finished her examination of my build, meeting my gaze at eye level.
"If I had to reduce my fighting style to one defining trait, then it would be efficiency. I try to cut my opponents down before they have a chance to retaliate."
Seria watched me without blinking.
"While I would like it to be, the way I fight is neither pretty nor elegant," I added.
"That tracks," she said with a nod. "Yes. I think I have just the thing for you."
Her tail twitched as she shrugged her shoulders.
"Or maybe not! I guess we'll see."
As soon as she finished speaking, she pivoted away from me and marched toward the weapons lining the walls.
I cast my advisor a sidelong glance, exhaling slowly as the corners of her mouth lifted in response to my look.
This is going to take a while, isn't it?
The next few hours passed by in a flurry of movements.
The grinning blacksmith wrapped me in heavy armor, in light armor, in elaborate armour—and in every other kind she could find.
If it wasn't for the fact that Rose didn't call her out on it, I would've assumed the woman was messing with me.
"How is it?" Seria asked.
The frown I had maintained for the past hour eased away as I slashed the air with a silver sword gripped firmly in my hands.
To wield the weapon most effectively, I instinctively clasped it with both hands.
After a moment of consideration, I changed my stance and cut the empty space in front of me one-handed.
Even now, the sword was light.
"This is the one," I said.
Rose perked up at the corner of my vision.
Meanwhile, Seria smiled as I handed the weapon back to her.
"A longsword, huh?" She nodded. "Good choice. You're tall, so it'll give you the reach advantage over most opponents—and it can be utilized for both strong and fast attacks." She smirked at me. "Very fitting for a guy who likes to 'cut his opponents down before they can retaliate,' isn't it?"
My advisor stepped toward us, studying me carefully.
"How much will it cost? We'll take both the armor and the sword."
"With the friend discount, that will be 24 thousand Valis."
Seria turned toward the other woman.
"As long as your adventurer here doesn't fight like a berserker, they will last him a good while."
24 thousand… it's not an impossible amount. A few more trips into the Dunge-
A rustling sound diverted my attention toward the redhead standing next to me.
She had taken a piece of paper out of her purse and handed it to her friend.
The cow demi-human's brow arched.
"You can exchange that at the guild treasury," Rose said. "Feel free to give yourself a tip if you want."
My determination to grow stronger firmed even further as my eyes traced the woman's blank expression.
"Don't mind if I do," the blacksmith said with a smile and placed the check into her pockets.
She turned around and proceeded to the desk on the room's other side.
"The sword only needs some more sharpening to be ready—but the armor will need to be adjusted to properly fit the boy… It shouldn't take me too long. If all goes well, they'll arrive at your office–"
"Seria."
Gold eyes softened as they locked with grass green.
"Thank you," Rose said softly.
"It was good to see you again."
My breath caught as I traced the unfamiliar expression on my advisor's face.
A radiant smile curved her lips.
————
The sun colored the sky in a warm golden light as it descended from its zenith.
I let my gaze drift outside the second-floor window of the cozy cafe.
A half-eaten chocolate cake lay forgotten on my plate as I regarded the streaming flow of adventurers and civilians crowding the street.
"You know. I noticed something today."
Rose finished swallowing down a piece of buttery pancake and peered at me from across the small table.
"About what?"
Her tongue flicked out as she licked a small smear of syrup from her lips.
"You," I said. "I have been observing you."
A single immaculate brow rose.
"You've been observing me?" she repeated, quiet amusement seeping into her tone.
Her crimson hair spilled over her shoulder as she titled her head.
"What did you notice?"
"People care about you. They like you. A lot."
Rose blinked—them stared at me blankly.
I shook my head, a chuckle slipping past my lips.
"I could have worded that better."
My elbows rested on the table as I pushed my weight on them.
"It is just… unexpected. Not that they care—but how. The nicknames. The jokes. Their behavior stands at odds with your own, don't you think?"
Golden eyes narrowed.
"Where are you going with this?"
The table creaked as I leaned forward.
"Why are you wearing that mask, even around the people who so very clearly love you?"
Rose's features hardened.
The wooden chair protested as she gripped down tightly on the armrest.
"Cain," she said, her voice low and strained. "Didn't I warn you not to cross that line with me? I am your advisor—that's it."
"You did."
Her eyes burned.
"Don't ask me something like that again."
I held her gaze—
then sighed, turning to observe the pedestrians below.
"If that's the case," I said slowly. "Do you mind if I tell you a story of my own?"
I hesitated.
"I never told it to anyone before."
I received no sign of disagreement.
"As you know, I come from a place very far from here," I continued. "What you don't know is that I was a pretty… introverted child. It was difficult for me to connect with others."
"I find that hard to believe."
A chuckle echoed out into the quaint cafe.
"I know."
A soft smile tugged at my lips.
"I went through an experience that was… transformative not too long ago. My view on things has changed rather drastically since then."
I leaned back into the cushioned chair.
"In any case, I moved around a lot when I was little, so the bonds I made were always destined to be short-lived."
Rose's grip on the armrests loosened.
"In one apartment complex I moved into, I met someone—the neighbor's daughter."
My tone lowered as my gaze grew distant.
"She was… different from anyone I had ever met before, and she never stopped bothering me about playing with her."
I exhaled slowly and locked my eyes with her sharp golden ones.
"I denied her time and time again—after all, why try if I was going to be gone soon anyways?"
I faltered for a moment.
"One day, she found me again," I continued. "She was so excited—and practically ordered me to meet her in her secret hideout at dusk…. For the first time, she did not accept my refusal."
My shoulder slumped.
"Her secret hideout was really just an apartment that stood empty down the street. Every kid knew of it. So… when dusk came, I decided to go and meet her there."
A faint smile touched my lips.
It didn't reach my eyes.
"I waited for hours, but she didn't show up—and neither did she show up the following day, nor the one after that."
Rose leaned forward, searching my face with an unreadable expression.
"What happened to her?"
My jaw tightened as I shook my head.
"I have my suspicions, but I cannot be sure. I never saw her again… and her parents refused to speak to me. Then—just a week later—they were gone too."
Rose's brows drew together.
"Cain…" she said slowly. "What was the point of this story?"
"Does there need to be one?"
Her frown lessened as her features softened.
"Then why share it with me?"
The surrounding space blurred out of my vision as I held her gaze.
"I don't know," I said, tilting my head.
"I guess… it just felt right."