We'd made it to the guide after about half an hour. Hestia was not the most reliable when being carted around and I ended up getting lost before my Sun guided my way to the guild! As we arrived at the guild the Sun peeked over the horizon. A perfect mirror to our first encounter!
Hestia's eyes seemed to spin as I set her back on the ground, her heart slammed in her chest and I helped her regain her balance after a moment of her footing becoming uneven on the pathway to the guild.
"So Goddess! What do we do now?" I smiled up at the large building. The fire in my heart burns bright at the opportunity before us! To think I would stand before the fabled 'Adventurer's Guild' one day. Truly my life has become anime.
https://i.postimg.cc/133zk0P6/Guild-Anime.webp
"G-give me a second!" After steadying herself she mutters under her breath. "My first child is a troublesome one . . ." Little does she know I heard her, for part of my Isekai training I have honed my senses to be sharper than any steel!
Or maybe this is just the effects of Sun - Rank 3, truly Hestia is Bestia. She gave me the ability to even hear her mutter under her breath! My Sun hides no secrets from me! Her light illuminates the truth of the world!
She would never do such a thing!
Giving the woman a large smile I simply don't acknowledge her comment. Being a shounen protagonist comes with being denser than a brick wall! Any insults bounce off of me . . . but if you insult my friends or treasured companions it's part of the Shounen Protagonist Code of Conduct that I have to beat you up!
"You need to register at the Guild as an adventurer. I'm not sure what to do after that- hey!" I'm already walking into the mostly empty guild, the sun is barely cracking over the horizon so basically no one is here.
I approach the first person in uniform I see. A woman with scarlet red hair, wolf ears atop her head, and a bored expression on her face.
https://i.postimg.cc/jSkt7Gf3/Rose-Fannett.webp
"Greetings minimum wage employee! I am Andrew Ariti and I seek to become an adventurer!" She doesn't respond for a moment and I blush at the awkward silence. "Um, how do I do that?"
She lets out a sigh and shakes her head while pulling out a form, luckily it's in English so I can read the thing. The form is quite simple. It asks for my name, familia, and level.
"Sign it if you're ready to throw your life away." I give a jovial laugh at her blunt remark. My eyes burn with a fire as a maddened smirk dawns upon my face.
"That's the risk I'm willing to take in pursuit of the world I wish to see!" Doesn't she realize? I'm a shounen protagonist! Preparing to throw my life away in pursuit of saving the world is something I've already prepared myself for. But I don't intend to die, after all in the words of my predecessor.
Nah, I'd Win.
She let out a small hum at my words and shook her head. A faint light glowed behind her eyes for a moment before she decided to give me some extra information.
"98% of adventurers die within their first week. That number drops to 30% if you review the Guild's free information on each floor." There's free lore too! I'm broke as hell so this is perfect!
"Thank you! How do I access this 'free information' you so speak of my new companion!" Her eyes narrowed at my words, is it wrong for a shounen protagonist to become friends with any person they interact with for more than five seconds?
"I'm not your companion, nor am I your advisor. If you want an advisor you need to apply for one and get on the waiting list or beg someone else." She gestured with a thumb to a side room that seemed to be unoccupied. I nodded at her words before pausing.
She foolishly said 'I'm not your companion' Doesn't she know that just laying the bait for a shounen protagonist to act? I swear to the Heaven's and the Earth, this woman shall become my friend by the fall of the Sun!
"Can you be my advisor then?" She snorts at my forward question.
"I don't get close to adventurers. You're all going to die at some point anyways, pissess me off seeing a kid like you preparing to do the same." Hey, I'm seventeen! I might as well be an adult!
"We're all going to die of old age too. Does that stop us from making connections with those around us? NO!" I begin my shounen monologue and she is forced to listen to it because she is a minimum wage employee and I am a customer! Foolish, foolish, foolish! You are bound by societal convention!
"It does not! All things are temporary, the Guild, the Dungeon, and even the Gods themselves shall one day be turned to dust by time and yet we live on anyway! We live for the faint grasp of feelings that please us, we seek connections with others that will disappear into nothing, we set goals that will never accomplish anything and will one day turn to oblivion!" I take a deep breath as I continue.
"But why? Why do any of this then, isn't that what you are thinking?" I dramatically pause as her jaw drops at my display. Yes, while I have her stunned I must continue the combo!
"It's because of one simple reason, we as temporary beings seek to gain the temporary joys of life. We find meaning in the meaningless, we find things we care about despite it all, and most of all . . . well, at least to me . . . we find people we care about. People we treasure. It's those other people who keep us grounded, united, and more importantly allow us to feel ALIVE." I fling my arms up towards the roof of the building with madness behind my eyes.
"I shall shine like a brilliant star and this world shall be set ablaze by the hope I carry as I soar across the sky! I seek a temporary goal, and what I do shall one day be undone, but I have faith that my successors shall carry forth my will for as long as our torch burns bright!"
"It is from the despair of the world that we carve hope! It is from sorrow that we seek joy! It is from-" She cuts me off as I try to continue my monologue. Honestly, I could monologue for hours. Though eventually, it gets pretty repetitive.
"Alright, fine. I'll be your advisor. Just please never do that again." She waves a hand to dismiss me but for a moment I see the cracks in her tough persona. She is someone who has been harmed by this world and has seen its cruelty. Someone who has sheltered themself from despair through a mask of emotionlessness. I will break through that mask no matter what!
I hold out my hand for her to shake it, a sign of our new bond! She shakes it and lets out a tired sigh.
"I'm Rose, follow my advice and you might make it past the first week."
Then the world comes to a halt as I feel a new power rise inside my soul.
I am thou, thou art I. Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become the Wings of Hope that break the chains of thy Fate.
With the Birth of the Temperance Arcana, You have obtained the winds of blessings that shall lead to freedom and new power. . .
Rose Fannett
Rank 1: Preparation is Key - Increases Growth of Knowledge. Increases chances of recalling relevant information while in danger.
Rose gave me a nerfed danger sense! That's super good! I'm also fully aware I'm kind of dumb. I'm dense as a cobalt and can be quite forgetful so her being able to improve my knowledge could potentially be vital in the future.
Though I have a feeling I'll be using it real soon.
"Thank you, Rose, I look forward to working with you." She just sighs and shrugs.
"Can't believe I agreed to . . . whatever." I give her a radiant smile before waving goodbye and throwing myself to the side room to do something I'd sworn never to do in my life.
Study.
But Rose is my treasured companion now, I'd be a fool to refuse her!
Shelves of little pamphlets lay within and I grabbed the one that said 'Entering the Dungeon for the First Time' and cracked it open while taking a seat on one of the chairs. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Rose looking at me with faint surprise as I prepared to do my homework.
'The first floor of the dungeon is part of the upper layer which consists of floors one through twelve. It is recommended that level-one adventurers stay in the upper layer and only descend deeper after leveling up. The first four floors of the dungeon are largely similar and are filled with Goblins and Kobolds as the main monsters.
It is highly recommended to avoid the second floor of the Dungeon on your first delve as ambush predators called Dungeon Lizards stick to walls and the ceiling and then drop on their prey to kill them. About 70% of first-delve adventurer deaths are from an ambush.
Kobolds: Dog-headed monsters with weak bodies and use numbers to overwhelm you.
Goblins: Weaker than Kobolds but not to be underestimated. Never forget anything in the Dungeon can kill you.
Both of them can wield landform weapons formed by the dungeon. While the weapons are crude and unreliable the sheer number can easily overwhelm you.
It is highly recommended to travel with other members of your Familia or to form a party during your first descent into the Dungeon to avoid any accidents. About 90% of adventurers who do not properly prepare for the Dungeon die in their first descent. That number is decreased to less than 1% when traveling with a more experienced member of the Familia.
The Dungeon reacts strongly to weak prey. If you seem like an easy target the Dungeon shall send more monsters to kill you. If you feel yourself getting tired, leave immediately. If you continue to fight, the Dungeon will eventually notice you and it will kill you.
Adventurers aren't heroes. We are soldiers against the Dungeon that seeks to destroy Orario and then the World.
You are only a soldier. Never forget that.
That's . . . very intense. I look down at the paper with a thoughtful expression. This world is pretty dangerous then. I understand Rose's feelings toward forming bonds with adventurers a bit better now.
"Reality finally setting in?" I smile at her snarky words, the light still dances between my eyes even when faced with a tidal wave!
"This is only the first hurdle for me to overcome. If I was to be stopped here by fear then how could I call myself a Shounen Protagonist? Instead, I'll change the Reality of the Dungeon by carving through it with my own two hands and the companions by my side!" She lets out a slight breath at my words and speaks causing me to smirk in response.
"Just don't expect me to go down there with you." Foolish! I've caught you in a Friendship Trap!
"Already considering yourself my companion then? I'm glad to hear it!" She waves me off with a roll of her eyes.
"In your dreams kid, I don't date adventurers." That's not really what I meant but I smile nonetheless.
"A companion is so much more than a mere date! A companion is someone you promise to hold in your heart forever, someone you'll never forget and always cherish!" She gives me a weird look before chuckling.
"You really are a kid, Are you sure you want to be an adventurer?" Her expression is serious. She doesn't want me to die but unfortunately, I'll have to refuse her kindness.
"The only thing I can do is be an adventurer. It's just who I am!" She grumbles a bit and gives me some vital information next.
"Then you should know the Guild loans weapons to new adventurers with no interest. Additionally, you should get a bag for any magic stones you collect." Free weapons? Nice! Well, it's not free but it's close enough. I know how to use a sword pretty well, and I'm good at mixed martial arts so I'll probably grab a sword of some kind. I'm best with a bastard sword but I can use other ones if I need to.
The bastard sword is a good mix between a claymore and a longsword, finding a steady balance between the two. However, it's too weighty and long to be properly used with a shield hence the name.
I always thought shields were lame but when people used them I could see their importance. However, if I was to be a shounen protagonist then I could never hide who I was! A shield was the very antithesis of my being!
"I'd like one Bastard Sword then." she raised an eyebrow at my weapon choice.
"Do you even know how to use that?" I smiled at her and thought back to her rank one.
"Preparation is Key, isn't it? I've trained my whole life for this, I'm not going to throw my life away without a second thought." Her eyes widened and she smiled at me.
"Maybe you'll make it past your first day, kid."
Rank 2: Reliable Service - Increases Drop Rates.
More loot! Rose is amazing!
"Rose, you're amazing!" She gave a light snort at my words and didn't give me a response. Only going back into the Guild building and coming out with a large Bastard Sword.
"I recommend you get some armor as well. You need to protect your vitals and legs, but if you aren't used to armor I recommend training with it before entering the Dungeon." I nod, I'd trained with armor before and her leg suggestion makes sense. Even if you get hurt you can still run if you have uninjured legs, and I'm sure getting stuck in the Dungeon is an easy way to die.
"I've used armor before, I'll need a light chest piece. Arm and leg protection will also go a long way." I pause for a moment before flashing her a winning smile. "Thank you, Rose!"
She went to the back and got me some armor and handed it over to me without narrowed eyes.
"You should get used to the weight before entering the Dungeon. I recommend you don't even enter the Dungeon today at all." Well if Ms. Rose recommends it- Oh who am I kidding I'm going dungeon diving today!
"Don't worry Rose, I'll only do some light scouting today!" She lets out a sigh at my remark.
"At least pay back the guild for your equipment before you die. The loan is going to cost you 9,000 Valis. For the Armor, Weapon, and a Bag." My eyes widen as I realize I have no idea what that currency is nor how much that money is worth. Instead of worrying about it I just flash her a thumbs up!
"Of course! I intend to pay it back as soon as possible! Student Loan Debt was enough Debt for one lifetime!" I'd promised to never go into debt again but Hestia was probably super broke so I wasn't about to beg the penniless goddess for money!
I threw on the gear with practiced ease. This stuff is pretty good quality, I move with the bracers with minimal effort. Armor is about balance, control, and not working against the armor you're wearing.
Light armor was more my speed, also wearing a helmet isn't shounen at all! I waved goodbye to Rose as I stepped outside where Hestia waited for me with a pout.
"I'll be back." I threw her one last determined look over my shoulder as I breached the door.
That was a promise.