Time dragged on like molasses, and Kopii, approaching the adventurers' guild, felt a slight tremor of uncertainty creeping into his heart. But he gathered the remnants of his composure, trying to maintain a mask of bravado and resolve. Crossing the threshold, he swept his gaze over the bustling anthill of the guild.
– Very soon the Loki Familia will return from the depths of the dungeon.
– Yes, I think so. But why don't they unite with the Freya Familia? Just imagine: the two strongest familias shoulder to shoulder, who knows how far they could descend.
– Do you even understand what you're saying? That will never happen. They have a feud; how could they unite?
– Alright, let's drop it. Before the Loki Familia left for the dungeon… I gathered my courage and confessed to Ais Wallenstein herself.
No sooner had he finished speaking than his companion burst into laughter.
– Do you seriously think you had even the slightest chance? If I were a girl, I'd turn you down too, knowing you! But seriously, who are we, and who is she?
Silence hung in the air, saturated with bitterness. Kopii felt how unjust their words were. "All that remains for us is to watch people like them from afar…".
– Alright, enough of the sad stuff. Let's go to the dungeon. Confessing to the Sword Princess, what an idiot you are.
– Hey.
– No negativity.
– Well, fine, forget it... Let's go.
They got up and headed for the exit, and Kopii followed them with his gaze, greedily absorbing every word.
– I finally leveled up!
– Oh, congratulations! Leveling up in three years – you definitely have talent. As for me, I've been stuck in the same place for six years.
An envious gaze bored into the newly minted hero.
– And why are you so quiet?
– I already knew about it. We're from the same familia. And don't compare yourself to him, you're a shield-bearer, and he's a swordsman. It's clear why there's such a difference. Besides, you know that experience is distributed across the whole party. It's always harder for a non-combat class to grow.
– And how long did it take you to reach the second level?
– Five years.
– Not fast either.
– You're simply more talented than us, that's all. But don't look down on us; don't forget what we were taught. – But having said this, his gaze was filled with envy.
– I remember: never look down on an enemy. – Not paying attention to his friend's gaze, he said.
Kopii, with slight irritation, stopped listening. This information was useless to him and, as he knew, would be forgotten within a minute. He decided to move to active actions and began to study the parties he had noted earlier. Gathering his courage, he approached one of them and said:
– Hello, may I join your party? – Kopii bowed, hoping for a favorable answer. The answer followed immediately:
– No.
– What?! Why?! You could at least ask me a couple of questions…
– You don't understand? I said "no"! Get lost!
Kopii did not argue. In the eyes of these adventurers, he saw only arrogance and contempt. A flame of anger began to rise inside him, but he suppressed it and, restraining himself, muttered:
– Sorry for bothering you.
With these words, Kopii, without further ado, headed to the next group.
– Hello, do you need any help in the dungeon?
– No, go back where you came from! – they barked at him rudely.
– Sorry for bothering you…
Kopii hesitated for a moment but quickly pulled himself together. He again began offering his services, but the answers were invariably the same – "no." He did not understand why they wouldn't even give him a chance to talk about his abilities. He was chased away, not wanting to listen, or, at best, having listened, but as soon as he mentioned that he had first descended into the dungeon only a month ago, they immediately ended the conversation.
Upset and depressed by the failures, Kopii trudged home. Not knowing what to do, he decided to ask the captain of his familia.
– Naaza, may I bother you? Are you busy?
– No, I'm free, Kopii. What happened? – Naaza looked at him with her sleepy eyes, and her tail, as always, slowly swayed from side to side.
– I decided to follow your advice and find a party, but no one wants to take me. They didn't even give me a chance to tell them about myself; they refuse outright. What should I do?
Naaza sighed and said:
– There's nothing terrible about that, Kopii. One can understand them. Why would they take a beginner who only descended into the dungeon a month ago? They don't want to bother with dead weight that will hold them back, do you understand?
The word "dead weight" hit him harder than he expected, but he tried not to show it in any way.
– Perhaps, what should I do then?
– Kopii, they might have simply refused you because you are from different familias. Understand, if they accept you into the party, you'll descend into the dungeon with them, and then you could betray and rob them. In the dungeon, there are no rules, except one – the strongest survive. Adventurers do not trust each other.
– But how then am I supposed to find a party? I need one to descend lower; I understand that I can't handle it alone anymore.
– I understand you, Kopii. The only advice I can give you is to form a party with other beginners. And remember, which familia they are from is very important.
– Familias?
– Yes, their familias. – Naaza's eyes filled with complex emotions. And her tail stopped moving completely. – The reputation of a familia can give a lot of information about them.
–...
– Do you understand?
– Yes.
Kopii thanked Naaza and headed to his room. Undressing, he stood under the cool streams of water, pondering her words. Form a party with beginners… sounds logical, but where to find them? And how to make sure they can be trusted? Naaza's words about betrayal, which Kopii had heard from the very beginning, made him wary. He did not want to find himself in a situation where he would have to defend himself against his own comrades.
Getting out of the shower, Kopii felt a little refreshed, but thoughts of a party did not leave him. He knew that Naaza was right: experienced adventurers were unlikely to want to bother with a beginner, especially one who had only descended into the dungeon a month ago. Creating his own party seemed the most logical way out, but it was not as simple as it seemed at first glance.
He recalled Naaza's words about the importance of familia. Miach's Familia consisted only of him and Naaza. And even then, Naaza was afraid of monsters after that incident. Why did no one want to join Miach's Familia?
Imagining if he had even a couple more beginners, the question of a party would disappear. But that would remain only a dream.
Kopii sighed. The problem was obvious: Miach's Familia was not popular. Perhaps the reason was the debt, as he had suspected. He himself had not wanted to join Miach's Familia when he learned about the debt, but he had no choice. And to tell the truth, he did not regret it.
Naaza, though cold, was kind, and Miach was cheerful and had always been kind to him. They simply did not understand how kind a god Miach was… well, never mind.
Kopii dried his hair with a towel and got dressed. Thoughts swarmed in his head. If Miach's Familia did not attract new adventurers, then he would have to look for like-minded people in other ways. Maybe he should turn to those who were also having difficulties finding a party? To those who were rejected due to inexperience. Well, basically, just like him. Kopii decided that tomorrow he would go to the guild and take a closer look at the beginners. He would look for those who seemed as lost and lonely as he himself felt today. Perhaps he could suggest they form their own party, where everyone would support each other and learn together. He understood that this would not be easy, but he had no other choice.
Lying on his bed, Kopii reflected. He needed to look for beginners whose familias were of a low rank, like his own. Falling asleep, Kopii imagined his future party. He saw them together, fighting side by side against monsters, helping each other overcome difficulties and sharing the joy of victories.
«It would be great if I could find such a party.»