True to her word, Hestia did ask Hephaestus if she could spare one of her experienced Familia members—someone who could help guide me through my first trip into the dungeon. But as it turned out, anyone capable enough for the task was already busy with their own duties. She couldn't offer anyone at the moment. We didn't push the matter, and Hestia simply promised me she'd ask around elsewhere.
With that, we left the Hephaestus Familia headquarters and made our way toward the Bable Tower.
I had to go towards the Guild and Hestia had to go to a different section to get to the Jagamaru-kun stall. So, we separated from there, promising to meet right back here in half an hour or so.
Making my way towards the Guild, I wondered on the recent revelations.
I was really being thrown ups and downs since I woke up in this world. Finally learning of my Cheats had been a high moment which was followed by today's foreboding revelations. I still wasn't going to give up but I had been affected by it, nonetheless.
I guess this was ROB's way of humbling me or something. I don't know. I just wanted to make it so there's a good enough reason for my circumstances.
Sighing, I saw the familiar building in the distance and shook off the heavy feelings, instead focusing on getting a good enough job to earn some Valis.
I needed that money if I wanted to live in Orario and not be completely dependent on the already struggling Hestia.
Opening the guild's saloon-styled doors, I headed straight to the reception with the least number of people. Admittedly, there weren't many at this time.
Reaching the desk at my turn, I asked for Rose Fannett and was told she's available and would see me in a bit. Thank goodness for small mercies. I won't have to leave empty handed with no results out of this visit.
…
Rose came after a short while as I settled on one of the empty sofas, near a window, looking out at the street.
"Hello."
Her voice broke through my thoughts—calm and crisp, just as last time I met her. I turned to see Rose Fannett standing there, same professional attire, same unflinching expression. She wasn't holding a folder this time, just a notepad tucked under her arm.
I returned the greeting, and she gave another short nod before speaking.
"Follow me."
Like last time, we made our way to one of the private consultation rooms tucked to the side. Soon, we stepped into the same plain but clean office space. Rose took her seat and motioned for me to sit down.
"You said you were looking for job options last time."
She began, flipping open her notepad and quickly scanning whatever she had jotted down there.
"I assume you're back for that reason?"
"Yes."
I affirmed with a nod.
"Some things have happened since we last talked. I've joined a Familia—Hestia Familia—and I've started thinking about entering the Dungeon, but for now, I still want a day job. Something to help pay for food and rent. Adventuring can come later."
Rose's eyes flicked up at me when I mentioned me joining a familia and looking to enter a Dungeon, and I could almost see the gears turning behind that ever-neutral face. She did nod when I finish, however.
"I see."
She muttered softly, then nodded to herself again for reason and continued, putting down her notepad.
"There are two general categories of work available: skilled and unskilled. Since you haven't registered any certifications or proven prior experience, I'm assuming you'll likely be starting on the lower end of the scale."
"I see… yeah, I don't have anything to show like that."
I said with a small frown.
Admittedly, the skills I possessed were for jobs in the modern society. I was great with computers and software in general. But I doubted they cared for such skills—no, they probably didn't even know what a computer was.
For all intents and purposes here, I was an unskilled person for the jobs that actually mattered.
It kinda stung, but I had to suck it up.
"I guess I don't have much choice in the matter."
I muttered, sighing.
"Unfortunately, yes."
She said, flipping another page and not commenting on it.
"There's a courier position currently open. Light package delivery around Orario. Pays decently, though it requires a lot of walking. There's also warehouse work in Daedalus Street—heavy lifting, long hours. Less pleasant environment."
I grimaced.
"I'll keep that one as a maybe…"
Yeah… maybe not. Definitely not, actually. Wasn't Daedalus Street the shady part of Orario? No way I'd want to work in that place, if that was the case.
Rose didn't show any outwards reaction, but she did nod and continued, marking a cross mark on the notepad against the said job listing and a few others.
"There's also an opening for a part-time assistant in a potion shop in the northwest quadrant. The owner prefers someone quiet, honest and punctual. No prior knowledge needed—training is offered."
That one actually didn't sound bad. Potion shops always had a bit of a mystical appeal in fantasy worlds, and if I was lucky, I could learn something useful while getting paid.
"However…"
Oh, never mind, there was a catch there too. Because of course, there was.
"… the pay is less than what's normal."
I nodded, mulling over it.
"I'm… still interested in that one. It's been the best offer so far. How much did you say it paid?"
She didn't. I was just indirectly asking her to quote the price.
Rose flipped a page and glanced down.
"…the pay is approximately 900 Valis per day."
I blinked, doing some calculations from what barebones I knew of the daily needs from Hestia.
And… yeah, that was… low. Especially compared to the 1500 Valis I'd seen scribbled under the courier job listing a few pages earlier.
Still, I wasn't really in a position to be picky. Potion shop meant shade, learning opportunity, and less chance of breaking my back or getting shanked in some alley on Daedalus Street.
"Is it possible to negotiate the pay? Maybe if I perform better than expected?"
I asked, not hoping much. I was proven right to not hold any hope immediately.
"I'm afraid not. The shop is run by a familia who's not in a very good financial state currently. On that matter, are you and your god comfortable working at the place? It's called the Miach Pharmacy and is run by God Miach and his sole familia member."
Miach? I knew who he was. I was being offered to work there? That God was known to be kind-hearted and honest. I could live with that, even if the pay wasn't great. I was quite curious about learning Potion making skills. I could see a lot of uses for it in the near or not so distant future.
"I guess I can live with that. I'm not 100% sure but I think my goddess and God Miach are friends."
I said after a moment.
I would be earning just barely enough to survive. I'll have to pull up my not-so-extensive but still decent budgeting skills to manage things. I should be glad I was usually considered someone who is very budget conscious.
She nodded, jotting something down.
"Understood. I'll write your name for that opening and send word to the Miach Familia. You'll be expected to report tomorrow morning for a trial shift at this place."
She handed me a page with the address and a rough map of the area where the shop apparently was. She'd drawn it on the go—that was impressive.
"Show up on time, make a good impression, and it could turn into a stable position."
"Thank you."
I said, genuinely grateful.
"This really helps, Miss Rose."
Rose nodded again, businesslike.
"You'll owe 500 Valis to the guild for the job placement, due once you receive your first paycheck. I've marked it under deferred payment as agreed before."
"Got it."
I smiled, hiding my wince. There goes most of my first paycheck.
Still, it was worth it, just for the possible experience and a source of Valis.
I was starting to think that if I ever got rich in this world, I'd tip Rose just for being so damn efficient.
As I stood up to leave, she gave me one last look.
"Be cautious, Mr. Cole."
She spoke, catching my attention with her suddenly ominous words.
"Orario looks glamorous on the outside, but many people get swallowed by it. Your first goal should be to survive. Everything else can wait. Do not be tempted by what to you may seem like an easy means to riches or glamour. It rarely is the case for most.
It is safer and more sustainable to work normal jobs, even if they pay well. At least this way, you do not take unnecessary risks to your life."
That advice was given with the utmost seriousness, and I could feel the sincerity in it. So, I could only nod firmly in reply.
"…Thanks for the advice, Miss Rose. I'll be sure to keep that in mind moving forward."
She nodded once more and the meeting ended as I left the room, now with a future job lined up for me.
Outside, the hustle of the Guild Hall was the same. I did catch a glimpse of a brown-haired woman in the guild uniform wearing glasses and pointed ears entering the Guild's employees-only backroom section. Eina Tulle, Bell's dungeon advisor and a relevant side character from Danmachi. I didn't stay for long, however, to look for her like an idiotic and suspicious guy.
I had a job now—or at least the opportunity for one. It was a step forward for me.
Now, I just had to make sure I didn't screw it up.
-x-
With my work at the Guild done, I returned to the place Hestia and I had decided beforehand and upon reaching there, I could already spot the short figure of the goddess wearing an all too eye-catching white dress. Hestia was sitting on a bench, looking around, seeming to be carrying something on her lap.
Reaching closer, she too found me walking up to her and seeing me her bored expression immediately turned happy.
The sheer joy and excitement she showed when her eyes landed on me made me feel a strange kind of happiness. It felt so nice to have someone grow so excited when seeing you. Nobody in my past had shown such excitement and sheer joy when seeing me. At least, not in the recent years. It was an altogether new experience.
So, I found myself smiling back as Hestia and I met in the middle, her having stood up and closing the distance.
"Hey, Ethan! Are you done? Did you get a job?"
Hestia asked, carrying the brown packet in her hands.
"I did. I got an offer to work as an assistant at Miach's Pharmacy."
Hearing that, her eyes lit up in recognition.
"Oh! That's actually great! I know Miach and he's a really nice God. I'm sure he'll treat you well!"
I nodded, agreeing with her. Based on my metaknowledge, that was indeed the case. Miach was one of the rare kind-hearted gods who gave away his potions to those in need. It was one of the reasons why his familia was struggling.
"That's great to hear. Were you waiting for long?"
"Oh, not really. I did finish pretty quickly but I only just reached here as well."
Hestia held out the packet she was carrying, her expression turning proud in that energetic way of hers.
"Look! I got us some Jagamaru-kun!"
I blinked.
"Oh."
"Yup!"
She grinned, puffing her chest out, making those oversized (especially for her size) breasts bounce—like they were trying to show off right along with her. I couldn't help but notice. Hestia's Hestias were… well, let's just say they were living up to their reputation.
I quickly cleared my head though as it felt weird to have such thoughts right now.
"I figured we'd celebrate your first job offer with some real Orario flavor!"
I couldn't help but chuckle. Real Orario flavor? Pretty sure we tasted the Real Orario flavor just last night and even this morning.
Still, I was getting hungry after the hours of being poked and prodded by Hephaestus and then doing the quick detour to the Guild. So, it was welcome, nonetheless.
"Thanks. That… actually sounds really nice right now."
We walked side by side toward the edge of the plaza, finding a shaded spot where we could sit on the low stone ledge lining one of the garden beds. Hestia opened the brown paper packet and the warm, savory scent of—yep, you guessed it—potato croquettes hit me like a comforting wave.
She held one out to me.
"Here, eat! They're best when they're hot!"
I took it with a quiet thanks, watching her pick up one for herself, cheeks already puffed out a little as she chewed.
For a while, we just ate. The sounds of the city played out around us—merchants calling out their wares, adventurers chatting as they passed by, and the general hum of Orario's energy. It felt… peaceful, in a contradictory chaotic sort of way. Like a rare moment of normalcy in a life that had been anything but.
After a few bites, Hestia glanced over at me again.
"So, when do you start?"
"Tomorrow morning. It's a trial shift. If it goes well, it might become a stable thing."
I answered after swallowing my bite.
"Good! That's really good."
She said, sounding more relieved than I expected.
"I was starting to worry that maybe no one would give you a shot without experience."
I blinked, then nodded slowly.
"Yeah. Rose said as much. I'm pretty much bottom rung until I prove otherwise."
I was honestly surprised Hestia knew about that being the case. Was that… actually common sense here? Like, it made sense when I thought about it but it wasn't something I expected Hestia to point out.
It was an odd little moment of reflection; to realize that Hestia was actually somewhat knowledgeable about such things.
Hestia scrunched up her nose, looking deep in thought.
"Well, everyone starts somewhere…"
I gave her a sideways glance. There was something about her tone, like she was trying to capture two different yet similar situations with one line. I wondered if she was also talking about the fact that I was her first familia, and this was a start for the Hestia Familia as well. It was the best guess I could make, but I didn't say it out loud. Instead, I answered simply.
"… True."
She smiled, coming out of her pondering, and the conversation died down for a while.
We finished the last of the Jagamaru-kun in comfortable, thoughtful silence. It was strange how quickly I'd started feeling at ease around her. There was no pressure to perform, no unspoken expectations. Just genuine warmth.
She stretched her arms up after finishing, then let out a small, content sigh.
"I have to go and meet some of my friends and see if they're okay lending their familia members for a short while. It's going to get dark in a couple hours, so you should head home. I'll be back soon."
"Oh. Do you want me to go with you? I have nothing better to do anyway."
"Hm, I suppose… but I'll also be visiting them to have a get-together and catch up. It might get boring for you."
"Ah."
I caught the hint in her words and decided not to pursue it further. She probably wanted to go alone. It was surprising, but I didn't want to burden her or come off as too clingy, so I accepted.
"Got it. Then, I'll go home. Maybe take the scenic route on the way. It's still afternoon and I wanted to check out the marketplace."
Not that I had any money to buy things, but it was a good enough pastime.
She agreed, and after a final warning to not take shady alleys, she left and I was alone, wondering where to go.
-x-
Orario wasn't the largest city I'd ever seen—not by a long shot. The cities from my old world had towering skylines, were sprawling concrete jungles, and technology was prevalent in most places humans lives or visited.
But Orario? It had something else.
It was packed with a sort of energy—lively, chaotic, and alive in a way I hadn't quite experienced before. Not to say I hadn't seen lively, chaotic and alive cities before. No, my own city was exactly that. But here, the nature of that chaos and liveliness, the flavor of it, was very different. Most unusual from what I would have normally witnessed and was used to. There was variety in people, in buildings, and in other things.
The air buzzed with voices, footsteps, clattering wheels, and distant clashing steel from some blacksmith shop I couldn't fully place. It was a clash of cultures too—human, demi-human, beastkin, elves, dwarves… or their native equivalents: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Pallums, Beastmen, Amazons, etc., all sharing the same space, often side-by-side, sometimes shouting at each other in languages I shouldn't have been able to understand if not for that unwritten and inexplicable ability I had which let me understand the local language. Truly, it was a power I didn't feel grateful for enough.
The buildings were just as varied. Some were short and rustic, built from stone and wood with open-air windows and faded signage. Others were more elegant, with delicate carvings, flowing banners, and enchanted glass that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. There was no one design philosophy in Orario—just like there was no one kind of person. Orario was a melting pot in the truest sense.
And then… there was that.
The Tower.
The Tower of Babel.
No matter where you stood in Orario, your eyes would eventually drift to it—drawn in by its sheer size, its presence, its ridiculous ambition and what it implied. A monument from the gods themselves, a mere hint at their power. It shot up from the very center of the city, so tall that it made even the tallest buildings in Orario seem like dollhouses in comparison. Its upper floors vanished into the sky, hidden by clouds during the day, wrapped in stars at night.
And while I knew it wasn't as tall as some of the skyscrapers and towers in my old world, it was still a monument nonetheless.
I'd seen it my first day here, sure, but I hadn't really looked at it until now. I found myself wandering toward it as if pulled by gravity alone.
The Danmachi lore said it was constructed by the gods themselves—or at least, with divine help—to seal off the Dungeon entrance and serve as a hub for adventurers. But that was only scratching the surface. It was also the heart of commerce, a resident for one the most powerful familias, and the backbone of Orario's entire economy, if one truly thought about it.
To the average person, it was a beacon. A symbol of this city.
To an adventurer, it was a place of opportunities and treasures.
To me… it was mostly a question mark.
I stopped near the outer ring of the tower's plaza, gazing up at its impossibly tall silhouette. Something about it sparked a feeling deep in my gut. Not fear, not awe—though there was some of that too—but curiosity. The kind that got louder the longer I stared.
Just what kind of place was powerful enough to force even gods to seal it off?
How did this tower, from which I couldn't feel any semblance of 'power' or 'magic' able to accomplish that?
My thoughts buzzed with half-formed ideas, things I hadn't read in the source material, mysteries that might never have been explored fully in canon. I would have been at most peeved if the truth behind the dungeon and the tower wasn't revealed by the end of the Danmachi series. After all was said and done, it was just an Ecchi Harem Fantasy anime.
Unfortunately, this wasn't just an anime setting anymore. This was real. Tangible. And something I had to exist in and alongside.
Whatever was beneath that tower… it might as well be where my fate was headed too.
Why did I think that you might ask?
Well, I wasn't naïve enough to not realize the probable.
As much as I had stopped thinking about the implications of my presence in this world, it was clear whatever force put me here did so with some motive. Be it for saving the world (or dooming it? Though I doubted that one), or gain entertainment from my struggles (more likely, given the nature of my 'cheats'). Whatever it was, it was clear that I was to be one of the major players, if not the centerpiece of this story.
Whether it was my story or I was just an OC inserted into the setting to shake things up, it wasn't clear yet—might never be. But I just had this gut feeling telling me that I wouldn't be able to blend into the surroundings fully, even if I wanted to.
It never happened in any of the stories or fanfictions I had read.
I couldn't help but feel disoriented, realizing my situation resembled too closely to a fanfiction setting.
… Yeah, ending that line of thought now before I lose my sanity.
There was no point having an existential crisis in the middle of the plaza. I'd leave it for later tonight when I'll be trying to sleep.
I stayed at the plaza a little longer, letting the noise of the city wash over me and distract me from my thoughts while I watched adventurers of all shapes and sizes pass through the tower's gates. Some armored to the teeth, others in more casual wear. I even saw a chocolate skinned woman wearing nothing but skimpy attire that looked like it belonged to some tropical island or a belly dancer. Hoo boy, Amazons sure were… something else—No! Go away horny thoughts. Now was not the time!
Eventually, I decided to leave the plaza and turned away and started back toward home—toward the abandoned church that now served as my home for the foreseeable future.
I still had time to explore, but after everything that had happened today… I figured maybe it was better to rest and introspect in the privacy of my residence.
Tomorrow, I'd start work.
Soon, I'd step into the Dungeon to see what my current circumstance was.
But for now… it was enough to just exist. To breathe. To… not really belong, but slowly acclimate to the new surroundings, even if only by a little.
And maybe—just maybe—that was a start. A start towards something positive, hopefully.
-x-