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Chapter 13: The Labyrinth City, Orario
It was a city whose grandeur defied description. Countless buildings of various styles stood row upon row, extending to the very edge of vision.
And in the exact center of the city, a pure white giant tower, appearing as if built by the hands of gods, pierced through the sea of clouds and stabbed straight into the sky.
Babel Tower.
It stood there quietly, seemingly connecting heaven and earth, overlooking the entire world.
Seeing this miraculous structure with his own eyes for the first time, Aiden's mind was deeply captivated, and an emotion named awe surged within his chest.
However, this awe was soon replaced by a deeper, more complex emotion. Within seconds, the look in his eyes shifted from wonder to profundity.
Here... was Orario.
The place Alfia finally reached. And the final stage where she ended her own life.
"Why the long face? Shouldn't you be smiling at a time like this? You've arrived at Orario, the place all adventurers admire."
A cold voice sounded beside him.
Unnoticed, Artemis had already come to his side. Ignoring the instantly burning gazes of her Familia girls, she just looked at him quietly.
"Yes..."
Aiden recovered from his complex emotions. He turned his head, looking into Artemis's pure green eyes, and the corners of his mouth curved up into a smile again.
"I should be smiling."
"That's more like it."
Seeing this, Artemis nodded in satisfaction, her tone carrying her characteristic sternness.
"Adventurers always wallowing in the past—what kind of behavior is that?"
After saying this, she turned and walked away, leaving behind a dashing figure.
Furina, standing to the side, pouted in confusion. She felt her screen time had been stolen again; she clearly wanted to say something to encourage Aiden just now too.
On the other side, Robin silently lowered the hand she had halfway raised. Her intelligent eyes looked at Aiden, then at Artemis's retreating back. In the end, she simply revealed a gentle smile and said nothing.
When the convoy finally reached the city gates of Orario, they were greeted by a queue so long the end couldn't be seen.
The noise of human voices hit them like a wave. Various races that only appeared in fantasy works were now gathered here in the flesh.
Arrogant elves impatiently adjusting their gorgeous robes; dwarves with full beards carrying giant battle axes, boasting to companions in booming voices; and prums, half the size of normal humans but full of energy, as well as werewolves and dog people whose ears and tails couldn't be fully concealed...
Some were merchants laden with specialties from the outside world, coming to seek wealth. Some were young people with eyes shining with longing and unease, eager to realize their heroic dreams in this city.
People of all colors and kinds, harboring different goals, together formed this vivid picture leading to the center of the world.
And responsible for maintaining order and guarding the gateway of this great city were adventurers clad in light armor and wearing iconic elephant-shaped masks.
They belonged to one of the top Familias in Orario, led by the Elephant God Ganesha—the Ganesha Familia.
This massive Familia, rated S-rank by the Guild, boasted a staggering eleven Level 5 First-Class Adventurers and over a hundred High-Class Adventurers of Level 2 and above.
Their total membership reached into the thousands. Not only were they a significant force in exploration, but they also cooperated deeply with the Guild, undertaking the security work for all of Orario. They were the veritable "City Police."
Although the Artemis Familia was perennially outside the city, they were quite famous in Orario. The guards simply verified their identities and let them pass.
As for the newly arrived "Focalors Familia," they needed to undergo simple information registration. This was just a temporary record. Official Familia registration would require them to visit the Adventurer's Guild personally later.
When the three of them stepped through the city gates together, the atmosphere of extreme prosperity rushed over them.
The wide stone-paved streets were heavy with traffic, and the shops on both sides were a feast for the eyes.
Many shop windows displayed exquisite products made from Magic Stones—street lamps that glowed on their own, bathing devices that automatically adjusted water temperature, and various ornaments containing weak magical power.
These high-value items, hard to buy for a thousand gold pieces in the outside world, seemed like ordinary commodities here.
On the streets, adventurers wearing various equipment could be seen everywhere.
They walked out of taverns in groups of three or five, loudly laughing about yesterday's harvest, or hurried toward the entrance of the Dungeon, eyes burning with the desire for battle.
Elves holding carved longbows, dwarves shouldering war hammers, humans with sharp longswords at their waists... Although he had been in this world for a long time, this scene, visible only in fantasy movies before, still opened Aiden's eyes wide, causing an indescribable excitement to surge in his heart.
With the commission successfully completed, the Artemis Familia's escort mission also came to an end.
The moment of parting had finally arrived.
"Ugh... Sister Robin, Lady Furina, you must come find us to play if you have the chance in the future."
Lante held Robin's hand, her eyes red, face full of reluctance.
The other girls of the Familia also gathered around, bidding farewell to the new friends they had made during this journey. Especially toward Aiden, their eyes were filled with exasperated expectation.
Lante puffed out her cheeks and complained in a voice neither too loud nor too soft: "It's been a month, Mr. Aiden. You're too useless! Absolutely zero progress."
"Pfft—"
Aiden felt as if he had been shot by an arrow, his face instantly darkening.
Standing nearby, Artemis's face, originally cool and elegant, also sank, her body emitting a dangerous aura.
Sensing that their main god was genuinely angry, the girls stuck out their tongues and shrank their necks, trying to muddle through by acting cute.
Artemis ignored them and looked at Furina, her stern gaze softening considerably: "It is your first time in Orario. If you have any difficulties, you can come find me. Our Familia will be staying in Orario for a period of time."
As she spoke, she handed a slip of paper with the address of their temporary residence to Aiden.
Before leaving, Artemis seemed to remember something. She hesitated for a moment, then added, "If... you cannot find a suitable place to live temporarily, we still have spare rooms there, enough for the three of you to live."
"Artemis!"
Hearing this, Furina was moved beyond measure and directly gave her a big hug.
"You're too considerate! I really regret not interacting with you more back in Heaven."
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