Soloing the Dungeon is real pressure—you have to watch for monsters popping out at any moment, and for the hungry looks from other adventurers. But the moment he saw the half-elf girl's spring-breeze smile—
All of that melted away for Keyaru. He sank into the Guild's soft sofa, glanced at Eina's gentle smile across from him, and nodded lightly. "It went pretty smoothly. Didn't run into anything too dangerous."
She didn't weigh in on the process. Walking with him toward the counter, she asked breezily, "Mr. Keyaru, would you like some hot tea?"
"If it's free, I won't say no."
"Of course. The Guild doesn't cheat people," Eina chuckled, setting a steaming cup of black tea before him. Leaning back into the sofa, curiosity brightened her eyes. "When you left the Guild that day, you didn't come back for two days. I thought maybe…"
"I can't gamble with my life," Keyaru said naturally. "If I'm going into the Dungeon, I've got to be fully prepared."
"Can you tell me what you did to prepare?"
She'd met plenty of adventurers as a staffer, but she'd never really sat down like this to hear what actually happened in the Dungeon.
"I asked a veteran to teach me the basics of swordplay, then spent a day on live-combat drills. Once that was done, today was my first window to dive," Keyaru answered with a smile.
"Very prudent," Eina said. "Plenty of adventurers charge in on a hot head and then…" She shook her head, thinking of how many registrants vanished without a trace. The good news: the boy she'd taken a liking to was far more steady than those hotheads.
Remembering why he'd come, Keyaru set the magic stones and drops he'd collected on the table, then looked up at the half-elf. He shrugged. "Miss Eina, could I trouble you to convert these to valis? I'm about to run out of food money."
"No problem. I'll estimate the price first."
Exchanges weren't really her job, but faced with the brown-haired boy in front of her, she couldn't bring herself to refuse. With his okay, she opened the bundle. First to catch her eye was a heap of small magic stones—goblin drops, most likely. About 30 valis each; not bad once it adds up. Then she opened another bundle—and her brows knit without thinking. These stones were clearly larger, but what really seized her attention was the metallic gleam of one particular drop.
She knew it instantly. She'd been the one in the lounge who explained to Keyaru that War Shadows sometimes drop "War Shadow Claws."
"Did you… pick this up?"
"If I had that kind of luck, I wouldn't have needed all that prep," Keyaru said with an easy grin under Eina's puzzled look. "I reached Floor 5 and happened to run into a War Shadow. Figured running would be tough, so I fought. Can't waste the drop—might as well sell it."
He said it lightly, but inside Eina a wave rose. That thing is called the rookie-killer for a reason! She didn't accuse him—she just stared, incredulous. "Didn't you say you spent the last two days getting ready to go in?"
"Yeah. Trained sword basics under Lord Takemikazuchi, then asked a Level 2 from his Familia to drill me in live combat." When he confirmed it, the half-elf fell silent.
"And then?"
"Just normal sparring. The veteran who coached me said my technique was already close to hers; I just lacked real combat experience. So I went to the Dungeon."
"…," Eina's mouth twitched. Her brain short-circuited. Two days of prep and his technique rivaled a Level 2's? Was that even impossible?!
—
Leaving the Guild, Keyaru felt like the half-elf girl's gaze held a touch of grievance—but it didn't dent his mood. After tallying everything, his take from today's dive came to 3,570 valis. Given Orario's prices, as long as he avoided high-end splurges, that would cover five days of living expenses.
He finally understood why so many people flocked to become adventurers. Even on the shallow floors, if you're willing to fight, the money easily covers your costs—and you keep getting stronger.
So what do you do after earning money?
"At least tonight's celebration won't be on Hestia's dime."
His goal was simple. He couldn't afford a new place, but he could upgrade dinner—live on fried potato balls and he'd be malnourished soon enough. He strolled the bustling streets of Orario without heading straight back to the Familia base, planning to swing by the Hephaestus branch; if he found her, they could pick a decent, affordable restaurant.
He set a course for Northwest Main. The adventurers' street was lively at dusk, full of people just back from the Dungeon. What really caught his eye, though, was the girl at the Hephaestus storefront in a clerk's uniform and brown leather shoes. Hard to miss: sleek black hair tied into twin tails, a slightly ill-fitting uniform puffed out by a figure that didn't match her baby face.
Hestia, arms full of thick flyers, was handing them out to passersby, still unaware of Keyaru's arrival. Her voice was tired. "New weapons in stock. Take a look if you're interested. Great value, best choice for Dungeon runs~"
"Um… can I ask—if I buy a weapon, do I get the shop girl as a bonus?"
"Absolutely not!" Hestia shot back without even looking up. Then the familiar voice clicked; she looked at the brown-haired boy in front of her, eyes blazing with surprise and disbelief.
"Lady Hestia, are you sure I can't?" he teased again.
At his voice, the short-circuited gears in her head finally caught—and seeing the boy who'd kept her on edge all day standing there safe and sound—
Hestia flung the stack of flyers, leapt up, and threw her pale arms around his neck with a voice that brooked no argument.
"Come on. We're going home!"
~~~
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