Seventh District: Northwest Avenue
On a street corner stood a large white building.
[Guild Headquarters]
Its walls were made of clean white stone, decorated with carved reliefs and statues. Rows of stone pillars held up the triangular roof.
Ronan looked at it for a moment and could not help admiring it.
"I usually just rush past this place without really looking at it. The Guild building is impressive. I wonder which master built it."
He said that, but he already had a rough guess.
Earlier, while studying geography and famous people from this world at the Gnome Grand Library, he had read a series of books called A Brief History of Orario.
A long time ago, the famous architect Daedalus had left his mark on Orario. Places like Daedalus Street in the Fourth District were tied to his name.
The style of the Guild Headquarters was very similar to Babel's. If there were no surprises, it might have been influenced by his style too.
After looking at the stories and figures carved into the walls for a moment, the two of them entered the hall at Jeanne's urging.
"It's so lively. There are so many people."
As soon as Jeanne stepped inside, she was startled by the noise.
Standing at the entrance, they saw a huge crowd. Adventurers were lined up at the counters handling business, while others stood in groups, talking loudly and bragging. The noise hit them all at once. Fortunately, the hall's ventilation was good, so the air did not smell too strongly of sweat.
As an experienced adventurer, Ronan was used to a scene like this. For Jeanne, however, it was something completely new.
"Good thing I had the foresight to make you wear a cloak," Ronan whispered. "With your looks, you would have caused unnecessary trouble."
"Even if you say that, I..."
The tips of Jeanne's ears turned a little red.
Seeing that she was about to blush again, Ronan raised his eyebrows with a smug look.
He glanced at the long line in front of the exchange counter and whispered to Jeanne, "Too many people. Let's wait a little." Then he squeezed into the crowd in front of the notice board to check the quests and notices.
[Adventure Quest]: Investigation Quest
[Task Content]: Go to the town of Rivira on the 18th floor of the Dungeon. Investigate suspicious individuals who are not adventurers. Confirm their identities and goals, then report to the Guild or the Ganesha Familia.
[Requirements]: A party of four at Level 2 or higher, or an individual at Level 3 or higher.
[Reward]: 500,000 Valis
Client: Ganesha Familia
Ronan rubbed his chin and thought to himself:
Evilus, huh? It makes sense for those lunatics to show up in Rivira. After all, that place is full of black market deals.
[Adventure Quest]: Collection Quest
[Task Content]: Go to the 25th floor of the Dungeon, the Water Capital. Collect "Metal Crab Steel Shells."
[Requirements]: A party of four at Level 2 or higher, or an individual at Level 4 or higher.
[Reward]: To be discussed in person.
Client: Hephaestus Familia
...
[Adventure Quest]: Investigation Quest
[Task Content]: Multiple adventure parties have mysteriously disappeared on the 11th and 12th floors of the Dungeon. Find clues and the cause of these disappearances.
[Requirements]: A veteran party of four at Level 1 or higher, or an individual at Level 2 or higher (experienced individuals preferred).
[Reward]: 300,000 Valis
The notice board was covered with all kinds of quest forms.
Of course, besides quests, there were also notices from the Guild.
For example...
The notice about Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein reaching Level 2 was still hanging in the most visible place, even though it had happened a while ago.
Clearly, neither the Guild nor her Familia intended to miss a chance to increase their fame through something like this.
Jeanne also saw the notice. She looked at the portrait curiously and whispered,
"Is she the record holder for the fastest level-up in the city?"
Ronan nodded.
"Yeah. The Sword Princess of the Loki Familia."
Looking at the portrait, Jeanne seemed thoughtful. She thought about her own skills and Ronan's mysterious abilities, then looked at him for a moment.
Ronan acted as if he had noticed nothing and turned around casually.
"Let's go. We should finish our business and head home early. We'll eat out tonight."
...
Clack!
A tray filled with Valis coins was pushed out of the exchange window.
"The total exchange for your magic stones is 71,455 Valis. Please take care of it."
Even though he had expected it, that number still made Ronan smile broadly.
Thanks to the Monster Party. Otherwise, I would have been lucky to get 35,000 Valis.
Hidden by his cloak, Ronan quickly tucked the money bag close to his body.
Then he and Jeanne left the Guild building naturally. No one paid them any special attention during the whole process.
The people who loudly showed off at the exchange counter were either rookies or fools. A veteran adventurer knew better than to expose his money so openly.
"I'm back."
Following the local custom, Ronan used his key to open the courtyard gate. The two of them walked in.
Ronan dropped his backpack on the ground and collapsed onto a stone bench. He grabbed a water bottle and gulped it down.
"Ah! That feels good! I'm alive again!"
Jeanne shook her head. "I'm going to take a shower. I feel uncomfortable."
"Go ahead. I'll count the loot," Ronan replied.
At the same time, he quickly took off his armor, cloak, and mask. Wearing only his combat suit, he sat cross-legged and dumped everything out of his backpack.
"Blue Papilio Wing x1, Needle Rabbit's Tusk x1, Killer Ant Shell x9... tsk."
"Goblin Tooth x3, Imp Claw x1..."
"200,000 + 50,000 + 270,000 + 15,000 + 5,000... that's 540,000 Valis in total."
"Plus the 71,455 Valis from the magic stones, the total is 611,455 Valis!"
The joy of the day's gains made him smile, but the smile quickly froze.
"Luck really is unfair. I only got this much today thanks to the Saint's help."
He muttered to himself:
"Tsk. She was already lucky to begin with, and on top of that, this is her first time in the Dungeon."
"But..."
"The income is high, but the expenses are high too."
Shaking his head, he started counting the costs.
"Used: Standard Recovery Potion x4, Antidote x1, Magic Potion x1."
"A Standard Recovery Potion is 1,000 Valis, an Antidote is 20,000 Valis, and a Magic Potion is 10,000 Valis."
"Total expense: 34,000 Valis."
"611,455 minus 34,000 equals 577,455."
After getting the final number, Ronan let out a sigh of relief.
That was today's profit. Of course, the exact number could change a little with market prices, but overall, it was still a huge gain.
After checking his income and expenses, Ronan opened his supply bag and checked the remaining medicine and supplies.
When he saw that the High-Grade Recovery Potion, worth 50,000 Valis, was still there, he felt relieved.
"Luckily I ran fast on the 10th floor. Otherwise, that High-Grade Recovery Potion would already be gone. And after a fight that intense, the maintenance for the weapons and armor is going to cost a fortune."
Just thinking back to the strength of the Orcs still left a little fear in his heart.
Thinking about the huge costs for repairs, maintenance, and restocking after a battle like that made his heart ache.
"Those commercial Familias really know how to make money. No. Once my strength improves and the Familia becomes stable, I need to find other ways to make money."
After sorting out the loot, Ronan carefully took out his personal prize.
A glowing golden treasure chest.
Ronan placed his hand on the chest and got ready to open it. But then he suddenly paused. Something came to mind, and he immediately rushed toward the bathroom.
Bang! He knocked the bathroom door open without thinking.
Steam spilled out, and Jeanne turned around in shock. Her mind went blank at the sudden intrusion.
Ronan did not care. He rushed forward, grabbed the girl's hands, and rubbed them repeatedly.
"Lend me some luck!"
Still worried it was not enough, he patted her hands again, quickly kissed her on the cheek, and stepped back.
"Saint, give me your blessing!"
With that shout, he rushed back into the courtyard looking completely satisfied.
"..."
The bathroom fell silent.
Jeanne stood there frozen for a few seconds.
Warm water continued to run, and steam filled the room.
Jeanne still said nothing. She simply stood under the hot water. But the trembling of her shoulders showed clearly that she was not calm at all.
Her face turned bright red, and her whole body shook. She clenched her fists, and shame and anger burned in her violet eyes.
The Saint felt a wave of unbearable humiliation and fury rush straight to her head.
Her mind was a mess. She had to let it out. Right now.
Then,
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
A scream tore through the quiet courtyard!
"Ronan! You scum! You pervert! Die!!!!!!!!!"
The Saint finally exploded!
...
"Whoa! You scared me!"
In the courtyard, Ronan jumped at the scream and almost leaped off the ground.
After calming down, he remembered what he had just done. His hand resting on the treasure chest began to shake slightly.
"It was all worth it. I did it for the Familia!"
He took a deep breath, as if gathering all the luck he had just borrowed.
"Saint, bless me. Chest, open!"
Click!
The lock snapped open!
A dazzling light burst out from inside the chest! Ronan instinctively narrowed his eyes. His heart pounded wildly as he stared at the outlines of several items taking shape inside the light...
"This is...?!"