Alice picked up the money pouch, hefted it in her hand, and noticed the half-elf staff member across from her hadn't answered her question.
'Did she not hear me?'
Thinking that, Alice raised her voice a notch.
"Hello?"
"Ah! Yes!" Eina, who had been momentarily captivated by Alice's beauty, snapped back to attention. "What is it?"
"How much did my magic stones exchange for?" Seeing the half-elf lady finally respond, Alice felt a flicker of curiosity. 'Was something on her mind? She seemed totally spaced out earlier.'
"Ah, the magic stones, right!" Eina suddenly remembered her task and sat down on the sofa opposite Alice, placing her record book on the table. "Miss Adventurer, although you had a large quantity of magic stones, their quality was quite average. They were likely dropped in the dungeon's first ten floors, so the total comes to 300,000 valis."
"I see," Alice nodded. "Thank you."
With that, she made to stand up and leave.
"Um! Could you wait just a moment, please!" Seeing Alice about to go, Eina quickly called out to stop her.
"Hmm?" Alice turned back, puzzled.
"Ahem…" Eina cleared her throat, putting on a professional smile. "While 300,000 valis isn't an enormous sum, the Adventurer's Guild requires registration for any exchange exceeding 100,000 valis."
"Our staff couldn't find any records for you, Miss Adventurer."
"So, would you mind providing some basic information? I'll just make a quick note."
As she spoke, Eina opened the notebook on the desk, took out a pen, and leaned over as if ready to write.
"Is registering necessary?" Alice frowned.
"Well, yes, but please don't worry. We only record your name and which Familia you belong to—nothing more. This is just part of how we keep track of adventurer numbers."
"We would never pry into your private affairs, and even these basic records are never disclosed to any familia."
"You have my word—please trust the Guild on this."
It was true that the Adventurer's Guild had such a policy, but it wasn't meant for adventurers exchanging magic stones. Rather, it applied to new adventurers who had just joined a familia, or newly established familias themselves.
In fact, the Guild maintained a roster of every adventurer in Orario. But given how dangerous the profession was, these lists were often meaningless.
The roster of Level 2 and above adventurers, however, was another matter. Every adventurer who reached Level 2 was considered a valuable asset to Orario. Even exceptional Level 1 adventurers would draw the Guild's attention—at the very least, their general appearance and familia affiliation would be noted.
Bringing in 300,000 valis' worth of magic stones—all from above the tenth floor—was no small feat for a Level 1. Even if those stones had been saved up over time, it was still impressive.
So, Alice, who had turned in the equivalent of a lower-level adventurer's monthly income in magic stones all at once, was clearly outstanding.
That's why Eina wanted to register her details.
But…
Alice wasn't an adventurer. She hadn't even joined a familia.
"What if I don't want to register?" Alice asked, still frowning.
"Hmm… you don't want to?" Eina tilted her head, looking curiously at Alice. "Might I ask why?"
"No reason. I just don't want to," Alice shook her head.
"I see…" Eina hesitated. Registration wasn't strictly mandatory, and some who did register ended up giving entirely false information anyway. Only when a new adventurer was first registered by their patron god alongside their familia were the details reliably accurate.
"Alright, if you prefer not to register, that's fine. But please understand—I do have a job to do. Could you just give me any name and a familia?"
Eina offered a calm, professional smile.
Seeing that Eina wasn't going to press further, Alice felt a slight appreciation for this tactful half-elf.
"Any name and familia, huh," Alice thought for a moment, then a faint smile touched her lips. "Then call me Patchouli Knowledge, from the Hestia Familia."
Without waiting for Eina's reaction, Alice turned and left.
If any answer would do, then any answer she gave was fine.
A name that didn't exist in this world, and a familia that had no adventurers—hadn't even been properly established yet. What better way to brush off the question than with something that didn't exist?
Stepping out of the Adventurer's Guild, Alice discreetly tucked away her money pouch and headed toward the market district.
She planned to use her freshly earned cash to buy plenty of fine ingredients—a nice reward for herself after all her hard work in the dungeon.
Alice was gone.
Back inside the Guild, Eina sat motionless, staring at the empty seat across from her.
Pen in hand, she had written the name "Patchouli Knowledge" in her notebook. She left the familia field blank.
As a skilled Guild employee, Eina had memorized every major and minor familia in Orario.
The Hestia Familia was no exception.
That was the problem.
The Hestia Familia did exist.
If it were a made-up name, Eina would have simply written it down without a second thought.
But she knew the Hestia Familia well.
Just that morning, that goddess with the ridiculously ample chest had come in with a very earnest-looking young boy and registered the Hestia Familia.
The familia was brand new—still completely unknown. Eina might have been the only one who knew about it.
And its only member was that boy, Bell Cranel.
"Could it be… this Lady Patchouli has some connection to Goddess Hestia?"
Even though she knew "Patchouli" was a pseudonym, Eina could only refer to her that way for now.
"But still," she mused, "was that adventurer even human? Or perhaps an elf? She was stunningly beautiful… and that goddess from this morning had such an enviable figure. It's enough to make anyone jealous."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
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If you guys wanna check it out.