"And this is where you were staying?" I ask while frowning at the dilapidated inn.
"Ahh, yeah," Bell replies, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "I didn't have much valis when I came here, and I was hoping to get a Familia to take me in, so..."
"Yeah, I get it. Just go in and get your stuff, then I'll take you to Hestia."
Luckily, with Mother Astraea's constant visit, I knew that the Goddess was living in the basement of an abandoned church.
...Stella's gonna be pissed when she sees that, wasn't she?
But despite the basic description, it was actually quite nice, with comfy furniture and useful magic appliances thanks to Hephaestus and Mother Astraea's charity.
I just hope that Goddess doesn't cause any problems like being too lazy to want a Familia.
"Okay! I'll be fast, I promise!"
"There's no rush, Bell. Just take your time."
With the boy heading inside, I take a deep mental sigh before turning down to look at Stella, who had been glaring at me our whole walk here.
"Yes, sweetie?" I ask gently.
"Why didn't you let my sweet Bell join us!? Are you stupid or something? No. It doesn't matter. I hate you, Papa! Hmph!" she says before turning her head with a pout.
"Gah!"
Feeling the air get knocked out of my lungs, I instantly fall to my knees, grasping my chest in pain.
'I hate you, Papa'... even getting stabbed by Vito didn't hurt as much.
The edge of my vision darkens, and my pulse slows as I feel myself drifting closer to the light...
"Ahh! He's dying! Stella! Cast your healing magic! Quick!" Alea says, fussing from the side.
"Stop with the dramatics, you two. Now that the boy is gone, we should take the time to talk amongst ourselves," Ellie interjects.
"Don't be so callous to your nephew!" Stella whines.
"I'll be as callous as I want to the offspring of that despicable ingrate. And to think he has those same damn eyes... Tsk," Ellie says, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Now, Papa. I am also interested as to why you decided to not accept him. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with his morals."
Getting up from my knees, I then turn to the three kids.
"I already explained it, didn't I? He's too weak and too pure. Do you think that kid could kill a human?"
The three all shake their heads.
"Me neither. And you should know how that can be exploited. Could you imagine him with a fight against Evilus and all their tactics?" I lecture.
My words seem to affect Stella, as she quickly averts her eyes.
She was still a little angry at me though, from what I could tell.
"Besides, I said I'd help him out, and I intend to keep that promise. Both monetarily and in the form of training, I'll make sure he won't kill himself in the dungeon. Besides... I think he'll be growing stronger very soon, which leads me to my second reason for not accepting him."
Stella turns her head back to me.
"And that is...?"
"He's... important, in the future. If I was to guess the setting correctly... he is meant to be the one who kills the Black Dragon in the end."
But unlike the story, this time he would have me and the rest of the Astraea Familia with him.
And these four, I suppose.
"What!? T-That's... that's ridiculous!" Stella shouts.
"Indeed. It seems impossible, but if he lived under that old pervert for so long... well, a good motivation is always useful for growing stronger," Ellie adds.
"Again, I'm not sure, but it's my best guess for what my intuition is feeling," I say, tapping my head.
"But either way, until he grows stronger, can't you four protect him in the dungeon? He'll need teammates in the dungeon that he can trust, and luckily all five of you will be level 1."
That final part seems to do the trick, as Stella nods her head before walking over and hugging my leg.
"Okay... I'm sorry, I don't hate you."
Ah... was it just me, or was the world a bit brighter now?
"But... you have to keep your promise, okay? I want him to have good gear. And I don't want him going hungry. And that Goddess needs to be approved by me before I let him go," she continues.
I gently rub her head affectionately, "I promise. Once we get a feel for his strengths, I'll take him to a nice shop and spend a lot of valis, okay?"
"Un."
Good. With that, my first fight with my daughter came to an abrupt end.
"Anyway... why didn't you tell me about him? I only figured it out after you ran in and hugged him," I ask her.
Letting go of me, Stella then looks sadly at the door to the inn before answering, "I... I just wanted him to be free from adventurers. Especially now that Evilus is back."
Well, some good that did.
"Well, some good that did."
Alea... you said the quiet part out loud.
"Heh. I suppose so. I had expected something like this to happen when I left him in the care of that old man, but I was hoping my prediction would be wrong. Damn hero stories," Stella grumbles.
"I too want to punch that pervert for putting such silly ideas in that poor boy's head, but with Papa here, it should all work out okay," Ellie says, placating her sister.
Yes... while I was worried about how much I should interfere with the 'hero' of this story, and whether I had changed too much from the original plot... I would make sure Bell stayed alive.
If not for being the protagonist, then at least for being Stella's kid.
But for training... I think I'd just teach him the basics while making sure he keeps a good head on his shoulders. Otherwise, he might not have any challenges to overcome.
----- 2 Days Later -----
"Try again. This time, don't stumble if you miss, okay?"
"Got it, sir!"
Haa... I told him to just call me Sirius, but I guess that habit wouldn't be curbed for a while.
I had taken Bell to Hestia's a couple of days ago, and as expected, she welcomed him with open arms.
Almost... too open.
I guess she was quite desperate, huh?
Anyway, I also made sure to give the poverty-stricken Goddess some extra valis, if not for the new mouth she had to feed, then at least for the state of her dress.
Stella was... not impressed, to say the least.
But luckily, she seemed to trust my judgement, as well as the earnestness and goodness of the little Goddess, so she approved.
Which brought us to now.
I wanted to let this kid loose on the world as soon as possible as his natural growth might be stunted if he trains too much with me, but I considered this a precaution for any surprises that might come about.
As he said before, his combat experience was non-existent, and after exchanging a few spars like this, I've come to realize another fact about the boy.
From what I could tell, he had no talent.
Was it some cliche shit where a noble heart and grand motivation were enough to be a hero?
Maybe... I mean, I already knew the falna grew with your emotion and determination, but not to that extent.
But the lack of talent was fine.
My goal with training him here wasn't to make him a dragon slayer right away, but instead to make it so he could survive his first dives into the dungeon.
Though later on... well, everyone likes a competent and skilled protagonist, right?
"Alright, that's enough," I say, putting an end to our spar.
"Haa... Haa... H-How did I do?" he asks through panting breaths.
"...You did fine," I say.
It wasn't necessarily a lie.
While he didn't have any combat talents, I was able to discover his base abilities and what would work for him in terms of gear.
Putting it simply... he was agile.
Running, turning corners, pivoting, reacting... they were all pretty good for someone without training. On the other hand, his strength and form were terrible.
Like a rabbit.
"Here, let's head on over to Babel to get you some armour and a weapon. I think a pair of short swords will fit you best," I tell him.
Right now, something small, like daggers or a knife would likely be better, but once he started heading deeper into the dungeon, he would want something at least the length of a short sword.
And it would be better to get used to a weapon right off the bat, so short-swords it was.
Walking down the busy street of Orario, I ignore the various stares of wonder sent my way and decide to talk to the silent Bell.
"So how do you like the city so far? I imagine it's a bit different from a secluded mountain village."
"Ah! Yeah! It's... amazing! There are even Elves and Demi-Humans! We only had stories of other races back home," he says, eyes shining in excitement.
"Mmm. That's good," I say in response.
I wonder... should I take him to Dvalin for his armour?
Probably not, right?
He hasn't even killed a monster yet, so it would be a bit much to get him a personal set of armour at this point.
But maybe once he reaches level 2, I'll get him a nice gift.
"Were you born in this city, sir?" Bell asks me.
Hmm... that's a tough question. One with a long-winded and secretive explanation.
Both for the truth and the cover story.
So I'll just keep it nice and vague.
"Something like that..."
He still seemed a little tense around me, but I didn't blame him.
Being all but taken under the wing of the strongest adventurer would surely be a shock, much less to someone who hasn't even stepped foot in the dungeon.
Yeah, as I thought, I should ask Lili and the newbies to watch over him for his first few dives.
I would probably just get in the way.
I would also consider letting my kids watch over him like I had promised Stella, but I was worried she would try to hold him back from danger, stunting his growth.
So... sorry, sweetie.
I'll give him a nice grimoire as recompense.
Eventually, we made our way to the Hephaestus Familia shop, and Bell's eyes instantly widened as he looked over the array of various armour and weapons.
"Alright. Pick out a light armour that fits you. Make sure it covers the vitals while letting you move freely. I'll try to find you a few swords to try out after. Got it?" I say.
"Okay!"
Seeing him run off to look at and try on the various pieces of armour, I start getting to work on my side of things.
While I would be getting him a few swords to try as promised, I was also looking out for a good backpack, equipment belt, and footwear. The three most important things for an adventurer that rookies usually cheap out on, or forgo completely.
Hmm... considering the amount of pivoting and jumping the boy would be doing, I should get a boot with good ankle support.
And for the weapons...
----- Bell POV - 1 Hour Later -----
"So that's what you chose?" Celest- no, Sirius asks me.
"Yes! Is it... good?"
Feeling a bit self-conscious, I look down at the armour I had picked out with worry.
It was a plated light armour made of white metal, that covered the vatals in the chest area while allowing for easy movement of the arms and legs.
"No. It's good. Light and easy to replicate when you end up needing an upgrade. Does it fit well?" he asks.
"Yep! Nice and easy!"
I demonstrate with a few punches and kicks, eliciting a small smile from the man.
"Good. Hand me the tag then."
I then take off the tag, glancing at the maker of the armour before giving it to Sirius.
Welf Crozzo... I'll keep that name in mind, then.
"Once you get a bit stronger, I'll take you to someone who can make you a better set with better materials. But for now, this should suffice," Sirius says.
"I-I see... thanks," I say in response.
I was... confused.
Confused as to why he, the strongest adventurer in Orario, or at least among them, was giving me such favours and helping me out so much.
When I asked him before, he just said that it was because his daughters liked me, but I had a feeling it was something a bit deeper than that.
But it wasn't a bad thing.
He was smart, skilled, and as my sore body already intimately knows, incredibly powerful.
If I had someone like him backing me up and helping me... I could definitely get strong enough to be a hero.
'And strong enough to pick up a harem!' Grandpa's voice resounds in my head.
No no no! Bad thoughts!
Shaking my head to clear my mind, I'm interrupted as two sharp blades appear before me.
"Here. Try these out. Take a few swings, and then pick out the two you like best. Remember to try them in each hand, too."
Receiving the first two swords, I do as he instructed, trying to go through the basic stances and swings he taught me earlier today.
"Hmm... alright, try these next two."
We continued this process until I went through every short sword he gathered, and after some consideration, I then chose the two I found the most comfortable.
They weren't anything special, and as such, they didn't have a name, but Sirius said that was perfect for a beginner, as I wouldn't be using them as a crutch.
I was more than fine with that, as with all the things he had given me so far... the guilt was starting to add up.
"Now... I won't train you completely, since I bet you want to head into the dungeon. But I will occasionally give you some tips. Like right now."
As he passed an unfathomable amount of valis to the cashier, an amount of money I had never seen before in my entire life, he continued.
"Basically, you have no skill in terms of swordsmanship or weaponry. But what you can do, is move around and position yourself pretty well. So basically... use the short swords as an extension of yourself, and don't worry too much about technique right now. Understand?" he asks.
"Uhh, y-yes, but, that money-"
"Don't worry about it. My treat," he cuts me off. "But I'd be grateful if you could tell Stella about how much I helped you next time you see her. The one with the silver hair, like me. Please. Please do it," he says with enthusiasm.
"U-Umm, okay?"
I was still a bit confused about why his daughter was so... affectionate with me, but I didn't mind it.
I felt oddly comfortable around her too, after all.
He then takes the boots he bought, as well as the two swords and the equipment belt, and puts them inside a bag that he then hands to me.
Woah... with all this stuff... the reality was finally beginning to hit me.
I was gonna be an adventurer! A true adventurer, just like in those stories, that fought monsters and stuff!
"Right. Let's head back to your Goddess then. Do you need any food?" he asks.
"No thanks! My Goddess... always makes sure to bring home snacks."
Thinking about my Goddess, I can't help the smile from spreading across my face.
Sirius was right. She was really nice and made sure to always show how much she appreciated me, even though I'd only been in her Familia for a meagre two days.
The bond we had... it was already inseparable.
"She works at one of those stands, right? The one that Ais loves," Sirius then says.
"Ais?" I ask in confusion.
Who was that?
Was it one of the Astraea Familia members?
"Oh, right... It's no one in particular. Anyway, you can't just eat fried food if you want to get strong, so let's stop by the market too," he says before making his way outside.
Walking down the busy street once again, I can't stop my eyes from darting to and fro, looking at the various shops and houses, all so different from what I was used to.
But I guess this would soon be my new normal, huh?
I'm so excited!
"So when are you planning on heading into the dungeon?" he suddenly asks me.
"Huh? I was... hoping to start tomorrow," I say, averting my eyes.
Was that too soon?
Was I acting too conceited?
It probably looked that way, huh?
But I wanted to start right away! To feel that thrill of adventure that I could only get a hint of from stories!
"Tomorrow, huh? Well... just make sure you get a guild advisor before you start. They'll make sure you won't make any stupid decisions," he says.
"Huh? Oh... okay. Thanks for everything, Sirius! I promise to pay you back eventually!"
"Don't mention it... besides, I have a feeling you'll be paying me back sooner than later."
Huh? That sounded... quite ominous.
But I'm sure I was just imagining that... right?
"And this is where you were staying?" I ask while frowning at the dilapidated inn.
"Ahh, yeah," Bell replies, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, "I didn't have much valis when I came here, and I was hoping to get a Familia to take me in, so..."
"Yeah, I get it. Just go in and get your stuff, then I'll take you to Hestia."
Luckily, with Mother Astraea's constant visit, I knew that the Goddess was living in the basement of an abandoned church.
...Stella's gonna be pissed when she sees that, wasn't she?
But despite the basic description, it was actually quite nice, with comfy furniture and useful magic appliances thanks to Hephaestus and Mother Astraea's charity.
I just hope that Goddess doesn't cause any problems like being too lazy to want a Familia.
"Okay! I'll be fast, I promise!"
"There's no rush, Bell. Just take your time."
With the boy heading inside, I take a deep mental sigh before turning down to look at Stella, who had been glaring at me our whole walk here.
"Yes, sweetie?" I ask gently.
"Why didn't you let my sweet Bell join us!? Are you stupid or something? No. It doesn't matter. I hate you, Papa! Hmph!" she says before turning her head with a pout.
"Gah!"
Feeling the air get knocked out of my lungs, I instantly fall to my knees, grasping my chest in pain.
'I hate you, Papa'... even getting stabbed by Vito didn't hurt as much.
The edge of my vision darkens, and my pulse slows as I feel myself drifting closer to the light...
"Ahh! He's dying! Stella! Cast your healing magic! Quick!" Alea says, fussing from the side.
"Stop with the dramatics, you two. Now that the boy is gone, we should take the time to talk amongst ourselves," Ellie interjects.
"Don't be so callous to your nephew!" Stella whines.
"I'll be as callous as I want to the offspring of that despicable ingrate. And to think he has those same damn eyes... Tsk," Ellie says, shaking her head in disappointment.
"Now, Papa. I am also interested as to why you decided to not accept him. There didn't seem to be anything wrong with his morals."
Getting up from my knees, I then turn to the three kids.
"I already explained it, didn't I? He's too weak and too pure. Do you think that kid could kill a human?"
The three all shake their heads.
"Me neither. And you should know how that can be exploited. Could you imagine him with a fight against Evilus and all their tactics?" I lecture.
My words seem to affect Stella, as she quickly averts her eyes.
She was still a little angry at me though, from what I could tell.
"Besides, I said I'd help him out, and I intend to keep that promise. Both monetarily and in the form of training, I'll make sure he won't kill himself in the dungeon. Besides... I think he'll be growing stronger very soon, which leads me to my second reason for not accepting him."
Stella turns her head back to me.
"And that is...?"
"He's... important, in the future. If I was to guess the setting correctly... he is meant to be the one who kills the Black Dragon in the end."
But unlike the story, this time he would have me and the rest of the Astraea Familia with him.
And these four, I suppose.
"What!? T-That's... that's ridiculous!" Stella shouts.
"Indeed. It seems impossible, but if he lived under that old pervert for so long... well, a good motivation is always useful for growing stronger," Ellie adds.
"Again, I'm not sure, but it's my best guess for what my intuition is feeling," I say, tapping my head.
"But either way, until he grows stronger, can't you four protect him in the dungeon? He'll need teammates in the dungeon that he can trust, and luckily all five of you will be level 1."
That final part seems to do the trick, as Stella nods her head before walking over and hugging my leg.
"Okay... I'm sorry, I don't hate you."
Ah... was it just me, or was the world a bit brighter now?
"But... you have to keep your promise, okay? I want him to have good gear. And I don't want him going hungry. And that Goddess needs to be approved by me before I let him go," she continues.
I gently rub her head affectionately, "I promise. Once we get a feel for his strengths, I'll take him to a nice shop and spend a lot of valis, okay?"
"Un."
Good. With that, my first fight with my daughter came to an abrupt end.
"Anyway... why didn't you tell me about him? I only figured it out after you ran in and hugged him," I ask her.
Letting go of me, Stella then looks sadly at the door to the inn before answering, "I... I just wanted him to be free from adventurers. Especially now that Evilus is back."
Well, some good that did.
"Well, some good that did."
Alea... you said the quiet part out loud.
"Heh. I suppose so. I had expected something like this to happen when I left him in the care of that old man, but I was hoping my prediction would be wrong. Damn hero stories," Stella grumbles.
"I too want to punch that pervert for putting such silly ideas in that poor boy's head, but with Papa here, it should all work out okay," Ellie says, placating her sister.
Yes... while I was worried about how much I should interfere with the 'hero' of this story, and whether I had changed too much from the original plot... I would make sure Bell stayed alive.
If not for being the protagonist, then at least for being Stella's kid.
But for training... I think I'd just teach him the basics while making sure he keeps a good head on his shoulders. Otherwise, he might not have any challenges to overcome.
----- 2 Days Later -----
"Try again. This time, don't stumble if you miss, okay?"
"Got it, sir!"
Haa... I told him to just call me Sirius, but I guess that habit wouldn't be curbed for a while.
I had taken Bell to Hestia's a couple of days ago, and as expected, she welcomed him with open arms.
Almost... too open.
I guess she was quite desperate, huh?
Anyway, I also made sure to give the poverty-stricken Goddess some extra valis, if not for the new mouth she had to feed, then at least for the state of her dress.
Stella was... not impressed, to say the least.
But luckily, she seemed to trust my judgement, as well as the earnestness and goodness of the little Goddess, so she approved.
Which brought us to now.
I wanted to let this kid loose on the world as soon as possible as his natural growth might be stunted if he trains too much with me, but I considered this a precaution for any surprises that might come about.
As he said before, his combat experience was non-existent, and after exchanging a few spars like this, I've come to realize another fact about the boy.
From what I could tell, he had no talent.
Was it some cliche shit where a noble heart and grand motivation were enough to be a hero?
Maybe... I mean, I already knew the falna grew with your emotion and determination, but not to that extent.
But the lack of talent was fine.
My goal with training him here wasn't to make him a dragon slayer right away, but instead to make it so he could survive his first dives into the dungeon.
Though later on... well, everyone likes a competent and skilled protagonist, right?
"Alright, that's enough," I say, putting an end to our spar.
"Haa... Haa... H-How did I do?" he asks through panting breaths.
"...You did fine," I say.
It wasn't necessarily a lie.
While he didn't have any combat talents, I was able to discover his base abilities and what would work for him in terms of gear.
Putting it simply... he was agile.
Running, turning corners, pivoting, reacting... they were all pretty good for someone without training. On the other hand, his strength and form were terrible.
Like a rabbit.
"Here, let's head on over to Babel to get you some armour and a weapon. I think a pair of short swords will fit you best," I tell him.
Right now, something small, like daggers or a knife would likely be better, but once he started heading deeper into the dungeon, he would want something at least the length of a short sword.
And it would be better to get used to a weapon right off the bat, so short-swords it was.
Walking down the busy street of Orario, I ignore the various stares of wonder sent my way and decide to talk to the silent Bell.
"So how do you like the city so far? I imagine it's a bit different from a secluded mountain village."
"Ah! Yeah! It's... amazing! There are even Elves and Demi-Humans! We only had stories of other races back home," he says, eyes shining in excitement.
"Mmm. That's good," I say in response.
I wonder... should I take him to Dvalin for his armour?
Probably not, right?
He hasn't even killed a monster yet, so it would be a bit much to get him a personal set of armour at this point.
But maybe once he reaches level 2, I'll get him a nice gift.
"Were you born in this city, sir?" Bell asks me.
Hmm... that's a tough question. One with a long-winded and secretive explanation.
Both for the truth and the cover story.
So I'll just keep it nice and vague.
"Something like that..."
He still seemed a little tense around me, but I didn't blame him.
Being all but taken under the wing of the strongest adventurer would surely be a shock, much less to someone who hasn't even stepped foot in the dungeon.
Yeah, as I thought, I should ask Lili and the newbies to watch over him for his first few dives.
I would probably just get in the way.
I would also consider letting my kids watch over him like I had promised Stella, but I was worried she would try to hold him back from danger, stunting his growth.
So... sorry, sweetie.
I'll give him a nice grimoire as recompense.
Eventually, we made our way to the Hephaestus Familia shop, and Bell's eyes instantly widened as he looked over the array of various armour and weapons.
"Alright. Pick out a light armour that fits you. Make sure it covers the vitals while letting you move freely. I'll try to find you a few swords to try out after. Got it?" I say.
"Okay!"
Seeing him run off to look at and try on the various pieces of armour, I start getting to work on my side of things.
While I would be getting him a few swords to try as promised, I was also looking out for a good backpack, equipment belt, and footwear. The three most important things for an adventurer that rookies usually cheap out on, or forgo completely.
Hmm... considering the amount of pivoting and jumping the boy would be doing, I should get a boot with good ankle support.
And for the weapons...
----- Bell POV - 1 Hour Later -----
"So that's what you chose?" Celest- no, Sirius asks me.
"Yes! Is it... good?"
Feeling a bit self-conscious, I look down at the armour I had picked out with worry.
It was a plated light armour made of white metal, that covered the vatals in the chest area while allowing for easy movement of the arms and legs.
"No. It's good. Light and easy to replicate when you end up needing an upgrade. Does it fit well?" he asks.
"Yep! Nice and easy!"
I demonstrate with a few punches and kicks, eliciting a small smile from the man.
"Good. Hand me the tag then."
I then take off the tag, glancing at the maker of the armour before giving it to Sirius.
Welf Crozzo... I'll keep that name in mind, then.
"Once you get a bit stronger, I'll take you to someone who can make you a better set with better materials. But for now, this should suffice," Sirius says.
"I-I see... thanks," I say in response.
I was... confused.
Confused as to why he, the strongest adventurer in Orario, or at least among them, was giving me such favours and helping me out so much.
When I asked him before, he just said that it was because his daughters liked me, but I had a feeling it was something a bit deeper than that.
But it wasn't a bad thing.
He was smart, skilled, and as my sore body already intimately knows, incredibly powerful.
If I had someone like him backing me up and helping me... I could definitely get strong enough to be a hero.
'And strong enough to pick up a harem!' Grandpa's voice resounds in my head.
No no no! Bad thoughts!
Shaking my head to clear my mind, I'm interrupted as two sharp blades appear before me.
"Here. Try these out. Take a few swings, and then pick out the two you like best. Remember to try them in each hand, too."
Receiving the first two swords, I do as he instructed, trying to go through the basic stances and swings he taught me earlier today.
"Hmm... alright, try these next two."
We continued this process until I went through every short sword he gathered, and after some consideration, I then chose the two I found the most comfortable.
They weren't anything special, and as such, they didn't have a name, but Sirius said that was perfect for a beginner, as I wouldn't be using them as a crutch.
I was more than fine with that, as with all the things he had given me so far... the guilt was starting to add up.
"Now... I won't train you completely, since I bet you want to head into the dungeon. But I will occasionally give you some tips. Like right now."
As he passed an unfathomable amount of valis to the cashier, an amount of money I had never seen before in my entire life, he continued.
"Basically, you have no skill in terms of swordsmanship or weaponry. But what you can do, is move around and position yourself pretty well. So basically... use the short swords as an extension of yourself, and don't worry too much about technique right now. Understand?" he asks.
"Uhh, y-yes, but, that money-"
"Don't worry about it. My treat," he cuts me off. "But I'd be grateful if you could tell Stella about how much I helped you next time you see her. The one with the silver hair, like me. Please. Please do it," he says with enthusiasm.
"U-Umm, okay?"
I was still a bit confused about why his daughter was so... affectionate with me, but I didn't mind it.
I felt oddly comfortable around her too, after all.
He then takes the boots he bought, as well as the two swords and the equipment belt, and puts them inside a bag that he then hands to me.
Woah... with all this stuff... the reality was finally beginning to hit me.
I was gonna be an adventurer! A true adventurer, just like in those stories, that fought monsters and stuff!
"Right. Let's head back to your Goddess then. Do you need any food?" he asks.
"No thanks! My Goddess... always makes sure to bring home snacks."
Thinking about my Goddess, I can't help the smile from spreading across my face.
Sirius was right. She was really nice and made sure to always show how much she appreciated me, even though I'd only been in her Familia for a meagre two days.
The bond we had... it was already inseparable.
"She works at one of those stands, right? The one that Ais loves," Sirius then says.
"Ais?" I ask in confusion.
Who was that?
Was it one of the Astraea Familia members?
"Oh, right... It's no one in particular. Anyway, you can't just eat fried food if you want to get strong, so let's stop by the market too," he says before making his way outside.
Walking down the busy street once again, I can't stop my eyes from darting to and fro, looking at the various shops and houses, all so different from what I was used to.
But I guess this would soon be my new normal, huh?
I'm so excited!
"So when are you planning on heading into the dungeon?" he suddenly asks me.
"Huh? I was... hoping to start tomorrow," I say, averting my eyes.
Was that too soon?
Was I acting too conceited?
It probably looked that way, huh?
But I wanted to start right away! To feel that thrill of adventure that I could only get a hint of from stories!
"Tomorrow, huh? Well... just make sure you get a guild advisor before you start. They'll make sure you won't make any stupid decisions," he says.
"Huh? Oh... okay. Thanks for everything, Sirius! I promise to pay you back eventually!"
"Don't mention it... besides, I have a feeling you'll be paying me back sooner than later."
Huh? That sounded... quite ominous.
But I'm sure I was just imagining that... right?
