Labyrinth City Orario.
A massive city built atop a dungeon labyrinth.
A gathering place for gods and adventurers. Humans and demi-humans receive divine blessings and descend into the dungeon to battle monsters and grow stronger.
All in all, this is a Western medieval-style fantasy world.
And Hajime, being a transmigrator, was no stranger to this world.
Yes, he was a transmigrator.
With no apparent reason, he suddenly "whoosh"—arrived in this world.
"Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?"
He remembered the name of the anime clearly.
He used to complain about how light novel and anime titles were getting longer and longer.
He never imagined he'd be "lucky" enough to end up in one himself.
His comment on that was simple:
"Even if you beat me to death, I'm not stepping into that dungeon!"
He said this while skillfully stir-frying a serving of Kimchi fried rice.
Yes—Kimchi fried rice.
The place: Orario's commercial district.
More specifically, a small food stall within the market.
Hajime expertly cooked the fried rice, even adding an egg as the customer requested.
Standing before him was a beautiful girl with elven ears, wearing a guild uniform.
She was a staff member of the Guild that managed the dungeon.
A half-elf named Eina Tulle.
Her job was to advise and guide new adventurers.
And Hajime was one of her assigned rookies.
Hearing his words, Eina was momentarily speechless.
"I'm not here to force you into the dungeon," she said, choosing her words carefully.
"Even though I work for the Guild, I know how dangerous the dungeon is."
She was a veteran adventurer advisor—her knowledge of the dungeon rivaled that of seasoned fighters.
"I usually advise newbies not to go too deep where danger increases."
The deeper the dungeon, the stronger the monsters.
If an adventurer rashly enters a floor they're not ready for, they might not come back.
"But even though safety comes first, we still say adventurers need to adventure…"
Eina gave him a troubled look.
"But someone like you—who's refused to enter the dungeon even once after being registered for a whole month—is pretty rare."
She tried to be tactful, not wanting to hurt his feelings.
In fact, this was the first time she'd ever seen a case like his.
It wouldn't be wrong to call him unique—or outright strange.
Most who chose the adventurer's path would at least try the first floor.
The monsters on the first floor are barely stronger than chickens or ducks.
Even a young human could beat them.
And even if someone didn't want to kill, they could still run.
The first-floor monsters couldn't catch up to humans anyway.
They posed almost no threat.
Most adventurers hesitated only two or three days.
A week, max.
But Hajime?
A whole month without stepping in—and no sign of wanting to either.
Until now, she'd only seen one person like that.
Him.
That's why Eina had come all the way here during work hours—to persuade him.
"Is there something bothering you that keeps you from going into the dungeon?" she asked.
If it was psychological, she felt it was her responsibility to help.
But Hajime shook his head without hesitation.
"No trauma. The reason I'm not going is simple."
"What is it?" Eina asked, puzzled.
"Look!"
Hajime casually pointed in front of the stall.
"There are so many customers. Even selling fried rice, I make more than the average adventurer."
"So why should I risk my life in the dungeon instead of safely making money?"
Eina looked where he pointed—and nodded.
A long line of customers stood waiting at the stall.
Some were drawn by the aroma, some were loyal returnees, and others had come after hearing the hype.
Even though this stall had been around less than a month, it already had a solid reputation.
The line never seemed to end.
Each serving of fried rice sold for 200 valis—a bit pricey, but customers still came in droves.
Even after subtracting costs, he was still earning more than most beginner adventurers.
If this kind of crowd continued daily, the stall might earn more than what even a Level 1 adventurer could make.
Maybe even comparable to a Level 2 adventurer.
Fried rice, of all things—earning more than half the city's adventurers.
As she processed this, Eina held her forehead in mild despair.
"So you're not going into the dungeon... because selling fried rice makes more money?"
She'd done all that research, worried there was something deeply wrong—
But this was it? This simple?
"Yep."
Hajime nodded and added,
"Plus, the dungeon is dangerous."
He knew his limits.
As a weak otaku with no strength, he doubted he could even fight a goose.
Sure, if he tried, maybe he could grow stronger.
But if he could earn safely—why risk it?
Besides,
He had a loli goddess to take care of at home.
If he died, wouldn't she be left all alone?
He couldn't let that happen.
"…Alright."
After some hesitation, Eina nodded.
She had no intention—or right—to force him into the dungeon.
She came only out of duty.
Guiding rookies was her job.
—And to be honest, Hajime being handsome was also part of why she cared this much.
"If that's your decision, then I'll support it."
"But if you ever change your mind, feel free to find me. I'll help with dungeon strategies anytime."
A bit disappointed, Eina said this.
If this was his chosen path, then their fates likely wouldn't cross again.
"Don't worry. I absolutely won't change my mind."
Hajime didn't notice her emotions—he answered with firm conviction.
"My dream is to live a peaceful life like a plant. Adventuring doesn't suit me at all."
That... was a lie.
A man remains a boy until the day he dies.
Of course Hajime longed for adventure, battles, and beautiful girls too.
But he also clearly understood: with his own talents, there was no way he could replicate the protagonist Bell's rocket-like speed of growth from the original story.
After all, even though he was a transmigrator, he didn't have any cheats.
No awakened magic. Mediocre aptitude.
As for some overpowered system, divine artifact, or legendary cheat? Not a single one in sight.
A regular adventurer with no protagonist's luck trying to follow Bell's path would only meet one end—
A gruesome death in the dungeon.
That's why Hajime, fully aware of his ordinariness, made the rational choice to take the safer route.
Survival was the true path to success.
"Alright then... goodbye."
Eina sighed, then turned to leave with a faint trace of disappointment.
Watching her go, Hajime shook his head.
Even if Eina really was stunning, he'd never let himself be swayed by beauty.
Going into the dungeon?
Yeah, right.
Maybe once he awakened a cheat.
If such a thing even existed for him…
Thinking that, Hajime felt a vague sadness creep up.
He accepted a customer's payment in one hand, and handed over a plate of fried rice with the other.
Just as the dish changed hands—
Suddenly—
A flash of white light burst before Hajime's eyes.
When his vision cleared, he realized his view was blocked—he couldn't see into the distance.
Looking around, he found himself standing in a vast, misty white space.
"Where... is this?"
A strange feeling welled up in his chest.
He walked forward about ten meters and arrived at a spacious plaza.
In the center of that plaza, two human figures stood talking.
As he looked at them, Hajime felt a growing sense of familiarity.
The more he looked… the more they seemed to be—
Himself?!