"Hermes, you son of a bitch."
'He actually abandoned me in that alley and left me to fend for myself.'
'What if I'd run into some muscle-bound thugs?'
After asking around, Noah confirmed that he had indeed arrived in Orario.
Just as that bastard had said, Orario was like the center of the world.
In Orario, there was one thing that attracted countless adventurers—the Dungeon, also known as the Labyrinth.
Orario was the name of this massive city.
It was known as the City of the Labyrinth.
Orario was a huge city built atop the underground labyrinth, a place where gods gathered and multiple races coexisted without any discrimination.
In the small country Noah originally came from, demi-humans were a discriminated-against race, not permitted entry as citizens—only as slaves.
They were even bought and sold like commodities.
But Orario was different.
Here, races from all over the world gathered, making it impossible for the city not to be vibrant and exciting.
"Damn it."
'Gone.'
'Everything was gone.'
'My mechanical arm, my tactical boots.'
'My Remington!'
'Even my money was taken.'
"HERMESSSS!!!"
That beast—how could he even steal from a kid?
Noah gritted his teeth, fantasizing about chopping that man into mincemeat to vent his anger.
In the end, he had been tricked into coming here by that bastard!
To make matters worse, it seemed like he had been set up from the start.
Taking his money was to strip him of travel funds, preventing him from leaving Orario immediately after waking up.
To fill his stomach and find a place to stay, he had to find a job or join a Familia for security.
Otherwise, he'd starve or freeze to death on the streets.
'Fuck.'
'What a sneaky bastard!'
Gurgle—
"Am I already hungry? Damn, how long has it been since I passed out?"
"Asshole, he didn't even leave me my watch."
Clutching his stomach, Noah stepped out of the alley.
The blinding sunlight hit his face, making it hard for him to adjust.
Even though it was just stepping out of an alley, as the one experiencing it, Noah felt as if he had stepped into another world.
On the bright bustling streets, there were cat-people, humans, dwarves, and even elves!
Stalls and shops lined the roadside.
How should he put it?
Yes, it felt like a fantasy.
Although he had always resisted coming here, afraid of getting caught up in unnecessary trouble, that didn't mean he had never yearned for it.
Now, an indescribable excitement welled up inside him, beyond his control.
He was now at the center of the world!
But even this feeling was probably part of that bastard god's calculations.
A wave of fragrant aroma interrupted his thoughts.
Noah swallowed his saliva and followed the scent.
It was a small stall.
The vendor was scooping golden-brown, tantalizing fried potato balls out of the oil.
'Hmm...'
'Even if i wanted to buy some, aside from these cheap unwanted clothes, i truly had nothing.'
"Hey there, sir, care for some fried potato balls?"
The vendor noticed Noah's longing gaze and started promoting his goods.
The growling of his stomach was no longer something he could hide.
Even passersby nearby noticed his predicament.
"Hello, I'll take two fried potato balls, please. One with extra cream and double red beans."
"Coming right up! Please wait a moment!"
Noah gazed at the girl who had suddenly appeared and decisively bought two portions of fried potato balls, feeling a rare surge of envy in his life.
'Oh no.'
His vision was getting blurry!
'Was it time to resort to that move?'
His current appearance was that of a child, so he hadn't yet lost the privilege exclusive to children.
Acting cute for survival!
"Please, mister, I'm so hungry. Could you…?"
"Are you okay?"
A freshly made fried potato ball was handed to Noah, snapping his scattered focus back to reality.
Noah looked up blankly at the girl before him.
"This… is for me?"
The girl nodded silently.
She extended the fried potato ball further, almost pressing it against Noah's face.
A wave of scorching heat hit him, accompanied by a rich savory aroma.
Noah grabbed the hot potato ball and took a decisive bite.
As his lips touched the golden, crispy crust, the lingering heat stung him, making him hastily blow on the potato ball in his hands.
"Huff, huff—"
Noah's eating was a bit messy.
Watching him get burned, the kind-hearted girl felt a peculiar emotion welling up inside her.
Driven by this feeling, she reached out her soft pale hand and placed it on Noah's head.
'Huh?' Noah looked at the girl in confusion.
Coincidentally, their eyes met.
The emotion in the girl's heart grew stronger.
She hadn't yet realized that this was a strange preference known as a "brother complex."
Following her heart, she spoke. "Nee…"
"Huh?"
What's this about?
"If you want more fried potato balls, I can buy them for you, but you have to call me 'Onee-san'!"
As she said this, her eyes sparkled!
'The fuck?' Noah stared blankly at the girl who had made such a strange request.
'Call her "Nee-san"?'
And she'd buy him fried potato balls?
"…"
Gurgle~
'Ugh... I don't want to work hard anymore.'
Of course, this was just an inner joke.
He wasn't really a child, nor was he without the means to make a living.
How could he rely on a little girl?
Was it because she had helped him that he was seeing her through rose-tinted glasses?
This girl… she was really beautiful.
Golden hair and golden eyes, a face as exquisite as a work of art—it was almost like… Pfft!
"Cough, cough." Noah suddenly overlapped the figure before him with someone from his memories.
Though the age didn't match what he remembered, the resemblance was so striking that it couldn't possibly be a mere coincidence.
'This girl… could she be…?'
"My name is Noah. Thank you for the fried potato ball. Though it's just words and may not seem credible, I promise I'll repay you."
"So, could you tell me your name?"
Noah looked at the girl nervously.
"My name?"
The girl tilted her head and then naturally gave her name.
"Ais…"