The Guild was the largest organization in Orario, overseeing the entire city's operations. It managed both the adventurers and the Dungeon, and also handled the trade of magic stones and drop items. Because of this, everyone in Orario had to deal with the Guild at some point, and for new adventurers, the first step upon arriving in the city was to register with them.
For newcomers, registering at the Guild as early as possible was essential—followed by finding a Familia to join.
Of course, finding a Familia wasn't easy. For rookie adventurers, this was often the hardest part.
That said, the difficulty didn't lie in the adventurers choosing a Familia.
Anyone with a bit of sense would aim for the best Familia they could get into. Joining a strong Familia meant access to more resources and support, giving them a solid foundation for growth. Powerful Familias provided far more for their members than smaller ones, so finding the right Familia was crucial for any new adventurer.
The problem was, those powerful Familias never lacked promising recruits. So if you wanted to join one, you had to prove yourself—show that you had potential worth investing in.
When it came to these big Familias, it wasn't about the adventurer picking them. It was the other way around. You had to showcase your skills and let them decide whether you were worth taking in.
And that's where things got tough: the key was whether a new adventurer had any innate talent.
Like rare skills. Or natural-born magic.
Those with standout talents were the first picks for major Familias.
But for the average adventurer—those with nothing to offer and no unique traits? Forget about joining a big Familia. They'd struggle just to get into a small one.
For a new adventurer, innate talent meant everything. It was the difference between getting a shot at greatness or being dismissed entirely.
Bell had the qualifications to enter a major Familia—but he didn't want to.
Part of it was because of the god he intended to serve. The other part came down to his personality.
Joining a big Familia meant exposing his abilities, and doing that would immediately put him under Orario's spotlight. While it was inevitable that his powers might be revealed someday, Bell had no intention of facing that situation before he was ready.
So, when he finally stood before the Guild's receptionist, he asked the question that had been on his mind.
"Excuse me, do all the gods have to register at the Guild when they establish a Familia?"
The one receiving him was a young elf girl with a pair of oval glasses that gave her the air of a schoolteacher. Her soft, cute features made her instantly approachable, and her voice was gentle—probably a key trait for anyone in her role.
From their brief exchange, Bell had already figured out her name: Eina Tulle. She was the same receptionist who had guided the protagonist in the original story. No wonder she felt so familiar.
Serious and dependable—that was what defined Miss Eina.
"Yes, that's right. The Guild serves as a bridge between gods and adventurers. Every god registers with the Guild when establishing their Familia. The Guild may recommend certain adventurers with specific intentions to suitable Familias, but it's important to understand—these are only recommendations, not arrangements."
What Eina was really saying was, "If you're hoping the Guild will assign you to a Familia, forget it," though her tone was much softer and more tactful. It was easy to see why she was considered the Guild's top receptionist.
"I understand. I also know that a rookie like me won't have any connections to those big Familias, and I'm not here to trouble you with something like that, Miss Eina. I'm simply hoping to find an ordinary Familia—ideally one that hasn't accepted any members yet. As the first member, the god likely wouldn't be too picky about someone like me, who doesn't have any abilities."
Bell's words were clear and direct, and Eina realized she'd overthought it. She blushed slightly, surprised that a newcomer could be so self-aware.
To be fair, it wasn't entirely Eina's fault. Many new adventurers were downright delusional. They'd barely arrived in Orario and already had dreams of joining one of the "twin kings" of the city, thinking everything would be smooth sailing from there. Some were even arrogant enough to believe that becoming a top-tier adventurer was a given, and that joining the Loki Familia or Freya Familia was just a matter of time.
Honestly, every time Eina dealt with those self-important newbies, she couldn't help but sigh. She always wanted to tell them, "Please stop being so full of yourselves. Familias choose based on ability."
So when she encountered someone like Bell—someone with a grounded view of himself—she felt not just relief but also a little embarrassed.
"Sorry. I thought you were one of those adventurers."
"You've probably just met too many of them, Miss Eina. Don't worry about it. But if you do mind what I said earlier, then please help me find a suitable Familia."
"No problem. Just give me a moment."
Eina began searching for a suitable match. The criteria were simple: a Familia that wasn't too high-ranking and preferably had no current members. These filters weren't difficult to apply, so it didn't take long to reach a result.
"Hmm… Bell, your standards aren't high, but most Familias already have members."
"Is that so?"
Bell fell silent, lost in thought. He remembered that after Hestia descended, she'd spent a long time loafing around. Was this still that period of idleness? Had he shown up too early?
The answer left Bell uncharacteristically speechless.
There was no doubt that the best match for him was Hestia. But if she was still slacking off, what could he do? There was nothing to say.
'Join another Familia? No, none of them would take me seriously. Joining any Familia requires something in return. Some of them are even blatantly transactional—you'd have to bribe your way in.'
Bell quickly reached a decision.
'I'll hold off on joining any Familia for now.'
He wouldn't reveal his abilities, nor would he stoop to force his way into a Familia that didn't suit him.
All he could do now was wait—wait for the moment when Lady Hestia stopped slacking off.
Bell gave his thanks to Eina.
"Miss Eina, in that case, I'll hold off for now. With my circumstances, it's tough to get accepted into any Familia—and I don't have any money either. So I'd appreciate it if you could keep an eye out for a Familia that doesn't have any members yet."
Seeing that Bell had made up his mind, Eina didn't press the issue. And of course, keeping an eye out for him was part of her job.
"I understand. If such a Familia appears, I'll let you know, Bell."
"Thank you very much."