As a Guild employee, Eina had never set foot in the Dungeon herself, but her theoretical knowledge about it was extensive.
She knew full well that a Minotaur, a monster native to the middle floors, wandering into the upper floors would be catastrophic for a Lv1 adventurer—an inescapable one‑sided slaughter.
She didn't doubt Liang Yue's words.
Just yesterday, when asking about upper‑floor monsters and their traits, he'd only mentioned up to the tenth floor. Anything beyond that—the middle floors—he hadn't touched.
A Minotaur was exactly the kind of powerful monster that could escape upward, and seeing Liang Yue sitting here perfectly fine made her finally relax.
"If you encounter a powerful monster, you must do everything you can to escape," Eina warned seriously, her concern for his safety clear in her tone. "Don't take blind risks."
She didn't even bother fetching the monster encyclopedia—based on experience alone, she explained, "For a rookie adventurer, a Minotaur is a walking disaster!"
"It definitely felt that way," Liang Yue replied.
He could feel the sincerity in her caution, and he wasn't the type to argue for the sake of it. Instead, recalling the battle, he analyzed aloud,
"Its body is much larger than an Earth Lizard's, and it can casually crack the ground with a blow. Its defenses are thick too.
"But that strength and heavy defense also make its weaknesses obvious—its attacks are slow. If you're agile enough to dodge, and can pierce its defenses, you can win."
"You… learned all that?"
Eina's expression turned to one of surprise. She hadn't thought for a second that Liang Yue had actually defeated the Minotaur—especially since he had only registered as an adventurer yesterday.
Just returning alive from a Dungeon trip meant he had potential, but she hadn't expected that simply watching and experiencing a battle would let him glean so many combat insights.
Perhaps this was talent.
It seemed Lady Hestia's Familia had found themselves a promising recruit. Eina gave a small nod but still added a reminder.
"You've learned a lot already, Liang Yue, but I still hope you won't take unnecessary risks."
"Of course."
Somehow, the flow of the conversation had ended up under Liang Yue's control, and Eina found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she asked, "Any other questions?"
"Yes. How much faris can I get for these magic stones?"
Opening his pouch, Liang Yue poured them onto the table. He honestly wasn't sure of their value.
"No problem," Eina agreed immediately—but when she looked over the stones, her expression stiffened.
Based on their size, she could roughly tell which floor's monsters they came from.
The pinky‑nail‑sized ones were likely from goblins or kobolds. Slightly bigger ones would be from Earth Lizards.
The real issue was the one almost the size of a baby's fist.
Coupling that with his earlier analysis of a Minotaur's weaknesses, Eina couldn't help but feel an absurd thought creeping in—was this rookie adventurer, who had only registered yesterday…
…really the one who had slain a middle‑floor Minotaur on his very first trip?
That would make him a true genius.
In her memory, there were only a handful who had ever done something comparable. In recent years, only one came to mind—
The Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein, who had reached Lv5 at the age of thirteen despite her fragile human body.
And now, the rookie adventurer she'd personally registered yesterday seemed to have the same potential.
After taking a moment to steady her emotions, she couldn't help but confirm, "So… that Minotaur that escaped to the upper floors… you really did defeat it?"
"Objectively speaking," Liang Yue replied lightly, "yes."
Leaving the Guild again, Liang Yue found the city of Orario bustling as always in the evening, with street vendors hawking all manner of goods.
The real difference tonight was that his coin pouch had some weight to it. As long as it wasn't something outrageously expensive, he could actually bargain with confidence.
Today's total income: 21,300 valis.
If not for the Minotaur encounter, his Dungeon earnings today would have been cut to a quarter of that.
Now, he had enough to not only improve Hestia's meals but also keep them fed for four or five days.
And his adventures weren't ending here. As he raised his Sword Soul template's level and pushed deeper toward the middle floors, his profits would only grow.
With enough faris saved, it would be best to pay off Hestia's debt to Hephaestus early.
"Let's have dinner at the Hostess of Fertility tonight."
Having decided on the location, he first headed to North Main Street, where Hestia worked part‑time, but didn't find her at the fried potato stall.
Ruling that out, he made his way to the Northwest Main Street—known as Adventurer Street—where the Hephaestus Familia's branch store was located.
Compared to the purely consumer‑oriented North Street, Adventurer Street was far livelier in the evening.
The Dian Cecht Familia's pure‑white clinic, the goblin's general store, and the Hephaestus weapon shop all stood here, catering to those in need of restocking after a day in the Dungeon.
As Orario's most famous weapon shop, the Hephaestus Familia branch occupied the most prominent location, its glass display cases filled with high‑quality weapons.
Every piece on display was a masterpiece—and far too expensive for him right now.
Through the brightly lit shopfront, he spotted Hestia behind the counter, polishing it while dressed in the store's uniform.
"So she really is working here."
…
Liang Yue felt a twinge of complicated emotion toward the goddess who always tried to push herself, but he couldn't just reject her intentions outright.
He pulled open the glass door.
Hestia, still focused on her task, greeted on reflex, "Welcome to the Hephaestus weapon shop. How can I help you?"
Scanning the weapons briefly, Liang Yue pinched his throat to alter his voice. "Dinner."
"This is a weapon shop," Hestia replied earnestly. "If you're looking for dinner, I recommend the Hostess of Fertility on West Street."
Only after finishing with the counter did she sense something was off. Turning quickly, she found Liang Yue standing there with a broad smile.
"Liang Yue‑kun!! You're back from the Dungeon already?"
Wearing slippers and ignoring the other female clerk in the store, Hestia dashed toward him—then leapt into his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck.
The tension she'd been carrying all day finally melted away.
Feeling her warmth, Liang Yue decided to fulfill the one‑sided promise he'd made earlier. Speaking gently, he said, "Lady Hestia, can we go have dinner now?
"Think of it as a victory feast for a successful Dungeon run."
---
Access more chapters at patreon.com/dzeref887