----- Alise POV -----
Shortly after dinner had concluded, Kaguya, Lyra, and I headed towards the Guild for the meeting.
The meeting to plan the absolute destruction of the remnants of Evilus within Orario.
The meeting was set up the day we relayed the information on the Juggernaut to the guild, who had been pretty lax with removing Evilus after the Great Feud.
Whether it was corruption or simple laziness, I was glad the guild had finally found its brain.
Well… not that I blame them completely.
After all, there hadn’t been any activity from Evilus for two years, at least before they attacked us two days ago, though there were still rumours.
But from the Hermes Familia’s search of the Evilus bodies, they were still far from being gone.
Hideouts littered across Orario.
Secret bases in Melen and the surrounding towns.
Growing influence around the world as a whole.
…It was slightly terrifying, to think that such a despicable organization still lived.
But that would end today, or at least, soon after today.
Loki, Ganesha, and Astraea.
These Familias who all held deep contempt towards Evilus, for our own reasons, were ready to cleanse this city of them once and for all.
It was a lucky coincidence that we were three of the four strongest Familias in Orario, so as long as we planned well, those demons would have no chance.
But damn… it was still a little scary to think we would have been massacred without Sirius’ intervention.
I, of course, had been in danger many times considering my profession, but a bonafide prophecy of my death?
…Yikes.
Speaking of our newest member, I was pleased to see that there were no problems between him and the girls, at least on the first day.
There seemed to be no problems with him being a male, as any of their animosity or worry they held all but disappeared over dinner.
Thinking back to how friendly the atmosphere around the place was as we left, my lips curled up into a smile.
After all, ensuring the Familia only held trust and affection towards each other was a crucial duty of a captain!
Eventually, our team of three reached the guild, just in time to see two familiar faces as they walked in.
Shakti Varma and Ilta Farna, the captain and vice-captain respectively of the Ganesha Familia.
We follow their example as we walk up to the Parthenon, the main building of the guild in Orario.
Upon entering, we are met with yet another familiar face.
This time our Familia’s guild advisor, Rose Fannett.
With long red hair, sharp eyes, and a set of ears and a tail, this Werewolf has been helping us in regards to expeditions and patrolling for two years now, and although she had her stiff personality, I could tell she cared deeply for us.
Since the guild was closed to the public at this time of night, we were the only ones in the lobby right now, making it the perfect time to conduct a secret meeting like we were about to do.
“Good evening, Astraea Familia. The others are awaiting you upstairs, so please follow me.” Rose says emotionlessly.
“Thanks, Rosey! Hey, hey, are you happy to see your favourite captain after that little scare? Mmm?”
At my words, she simply turns her back to me and begins walking away, not even looking back to make sure we follow.
“Is now really the time, Alise?” Lyra says exasperatedly to my side.
“Of course it is! I’ve gotta keep the spirits up somehow!” I respond.
Plus, if I acted like this, then Rose would feel a little better about herself.
Although she wore that blank stare and emotional facade like a pro, I knew that there was a caring woman behind it.
I could understand.
When I first arrived in Orario, I met Rose by chance, as she was one of the guild advisors for newbie adventurers.
It was an emotionally taxing job, that was.
After all, she would see so many of her assigned adventurers not return from the dungeon, as newbies have by far the highest death rate.
So that expression of indifference… it was a shield.
A shield to not get too attached and protect herself from anguish.
But I could tell there was still care in there.
Whenever we returned from the dungeon to sell our magic stones and report our survival, I could see the sparkle of relief in her eyes, no matter how big or small the quest was.
“Anyway, Rosie. Thanks for taking up teaching our newest member. Ah! Speaking of that, isn’t his first session tomorrow morning? Are you sure you should be up?” I ask.
“There’s no need for thanks. It is my job as your Familia’s advisor to teach new adventurers about the dungeon. As for your question, I’ve lost more than enough sleep in dealing with you and your Familia, so there’s no need for worries there.” Rose replies.
Oh.
“Umm… sorry?” I say.
“If you truly feel that way, then limit the amount of times you get into trouble.”
With those final words, our conversation ends as we reach a set of large wooden doors.
Giving Rose a departing wave, I turn the doorknob before entering.
Inside, I’m greeted by the sight of a bunch of people sitting around a large oval table, the room doused in a tense silence.
Although seeing one of the meeting members, I suppose the term ‘person’ doesn’t fit their description.
There was Shakti and Ilta of the Ganesha Familia, who we saw enter the guild before us.
Then, there was Finn Deimne, Riveria Ljos Alf, and Gareth Landrock, the three level 6 executives of the Loki Familia.
And then, there was Asfi Andromeda of the Hermes Familia along with the God himself.
With our entrance, all the heads turn to us as Hermes gestures to the empty seats surrounding the table.
“Well, now that the final members are here, let’s begin what is hopefully the final meeting pertaining to Evilus. Ah, and before you ask, the guild will not be participating in this coalition due to the… issues that came with including him last time. Ouranos already approved all of this, so no need to worry!” Hermes ends his words with a wink as he flashes his stupid smile.
I had only met the God in person a few times, but he really irked me for some unknown reason.
As for the guild, I was glad they wouldn’t be joining us in this, as there still might be spies lurking in the organization.
That’s what made the Great Feud so difficult, leading to many unnecessary casualties… like Ardee…
But no longer.
This would be the last time, I swear it.
Evilus would be eliminated in the coming days, and then the city would be able to live in peace and safety yet again, save for the odd thug and thief.
Asfi then breaks me out of my thoughts as she continues the meeting.
“From the bodies left in the dungeon and the Hermes Familia’s information network, we have located these bases in Orario and Melen, with the primary targets being the remaining members of the Rudras Familia. We need to strike fast, ideally tomorrow night, as they might be planning to escape or move locations with the survival of the Astraea Familia.”
She then unfurls a map of the city and one of Melen, with a few buildings scattered throughout them highlighted in red.
That must be where the bastards are.
“We will split up our forces into groups and attack simultaneously, and I will leave the team selection to Braver.” Asfi adds.
“I will gladly take on this task.” Finn says with a bow.
“Thank you. Now, this location is where the Rudras Familia is likely to be, as it is their second base location-”
And thus, the plan to rid Orario of Evilus for good was created by the end of the night.
----- Sirius POV -----
After waking up, I did some light stretches to ease my sore body, just like Kaguya had instructed last night.
It… didn’t do much.
But hopefully, the pain would lessen as the day went on.
After washing up and having some breakfast, I followed Alise as she led me toward the guild.
Today would be the start of my dungeon training, which from the sound of it, was more like tutoring.
I was also going to be officially registering as an adventurer of the Astraea Familia, hence why Alise, the captain, was the one taking me.
As it was my first time in the city, I kept my eyes sharp as I looked at the surroundings with both intrigue and wonder.
I was also trying to remember the route so I could find my way back home if I ever got lost.
It was, as expected, not very modern as far as the buildings went, but I was surprised at how clean and well-kept the roads were.
The buildings themselves were, how to describe it… unique.
Alise explained that since Orario attracted so many people and Gods from around the world, it led to a very diverse-looking city.
In short, it was cool.
But was even cooler was the giant tower that rose up from the centre.
Babel.
I already knew about the tower, but I let Alise explain all she could to me as she was very obviously excited to do so.
Babel was the most important place in Orario, and also the world, as it not only was the lid that kept the dungeon's monsters in the dungeon, but it was also the entrance of the place, and thus the source of most of the world’s magic stone supply.
And if that wasn’t enough, the higher floors were where some of the most important, and expensive, shops in the city were located, as well as acting as an apartment building for more than a few important Gods.
So yeah… quite cool.
Once we arrived at the guild building, I had no time to look around as Alise quickly led me through the door and into a room off to the side of the lobby.
“Alright. I’m gonna go complete your registration, so just wait here for Rosie to come over, okay?” Alise says.
“Uhh, alright. Are you leaving afterwards?” I ask.
“Yep! I’m a busy woman, after all! Don’t worry though, Lyra and I will be picking you up once you’re done to take you around the city. Anyway, see ya later!”
And with that, the door closed behind her departing figure and I was left alone.
Looking around, the word I could use to describe the room was… simple.
There was a large desk with a stack of papers and some stationary with a chair on either side of it, as well as a bookshelf standing against the wall, filled with books and binders.
It reminded me of those rooms you go into for banking advice.
Deciding to sit down on a chair, I read over the titles of the books while waiting for my advisor to arrive.
Geography of the 5th Floor, Magic Stone and Drop Item Value Index, Newbie Mistakes and Common Causes of Death…
So no stories then.
Even though I should have expected it, I was wondering about the fictional stories and legends of this world, especially with the Goddess of Earth’s explanation of worlds in the back of my mind.
Before I could think any further on the topic, the door opened to reveal a woman, with long red hair and red… ears?
Oh yeah, she must be like Neze then.
A Werewolf.
Too bad a Werewolf’s ears could only be scratched by one’s mother or mate because they looked really fluffy.
Anyway, the woman was dressed in the black and white guild employee uniform, adding to her mature appearance.
Her golden eyes were sharp, and her expression was a mix of fierce and indifferent, but from what Alise said to me before, she really did care about her clients.
Well, I guess I should greet my new teacher, no?
“Nice to meet you, Rosie. My name is Sirius.” I say with a small bow of my head.
“Rosie?” She says back, her eyes and ears twitching in synch.
“Haa… that girl. Nice to meet you too, newest member of the Astraea Familia. My name, contrary to what Alise likes to think, is actually Rose. Rose Fannett.”
Dammit, so it was a nickname!
I couldn’t be sure as I still didn’t know the common culture in this world, but to think Alise tricked me so easily!
Rose then closes the door behind her before walking up to the bookshelf, taking a few books, and then placing them in the middle of the desk.
“S-Sorry, for the name mishap.” I finally say.
“No worries. It was entirely the fault of that girl, so there is no need to apologize.”
She then sits down across from me and opens the first book in the stack to its first page before laying it out in front of me.
“As you probably know, I am the designated guild advisor for the Astraea Familia and thus am the designated advisor for you. This week we will be going over everything about the dungeon up to the 10th floor as well as general information for new adventurers.” She says.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
After all, these people haven’t had to go through the slog of grade school and university, so something like this will be easy.
“If you say so… You should know that I will be testing you on the information I deem necessary before allowing you to enter the dungeon. These lessons will continue every morning until I deem you adequate with knowledge up to the middle floors, and after that, you will be on your own. However, you can always ask me or your fellow Familia members for aid. Any questions?”
“Yeah, just one. What is considered necessary information?” I ask.
“Monsters, general layout, chokepoints, common strategies, and things like that. The level of importance for each of these differs from floor to floor, so simply learn the knowledge I teach you.”
“Got it.” I reply with a smile.
So they were pretty serious about this stuff, huh?
Or maybe this was something unique to Rose.
“Good. Let’s hope you can keep up that enthusiasm.” She says with a smirk.
Oh… this pressure… it’s like how it was with Kaguya!
“The very first monsters you will encounter will be Goblins and Kobolds. Due to their humanoid stature, it is often the first hurdle adventures must surpass as many hold an instinctual distaste for killing anything remotely human. Luckily, their stature allows you to train with humans in preparation for facing these monsters. For Goblins, their main weakness lies in their-”
And so, my own personal hell began.
----- 3 Hours Later -----
"-and that is how you effectively deal with a group of monsters while prioritizing your own survival on the first floor. Well, this concludes your first lesson.”
Thank fuck!
“Please take time to internally go over the information so as to not forget it. I will see you at the same time tomorrow. Good day, Sirius."
With those parting words, Rose promptly leaves after placing all the learning materials back onto the bookshelf.
Slowly regaining my lost sanity after the three-hour-long torture session, the door once again opens to reveal Alise and Lyra.
Ah right, I'm supposed to go around the city with them to get clothes and basic equipment.
"C'mon Sirius! Let's not waste any time since you still have training with Kaguya later!" Alise cheers.
Ughhhh.
With that, we left the Guild and headed towards the shopping district.
On the way there, Alise explained the secondary duty of the Astraea Familia other than dungeon exploration, that being patrolling the city alongside the Ganesha Familia.
It had become quite lax ever since the Great Feud, but they kept up with it nonetheless, and after I reached a certain level, I would be joining them on patrols.
And since the shopping district was a hotspot for thievery, our outing would serve as a patrol on the side.
With the smell of street food in my nose and the sound of constant chatter and bartering, we eventually found ourselves in front of a shop that stood out from others on the road due to its size.
"And here's the clothing store! There aren't many others in Orario as they either cater to a specific race or dungeon clothing unfit for casual use, most people buy their clothes outside of Orario or get them custom-made. But it doesn’t mean it's bad. This place has everything you might need, and can take custom orders for clothing too if you need it." Alise says.
Entering the large building, I was reminded of a department store from Earth with how the building was laid out.
Large racks of hanging shirts, tables with various pants and shoes on display, and stuff like that.
Although it was somewhat smaller than the ones I remember.
“Here you are! The bastion of good deals in the economic hellscape that is Orario. Anyway, you won’t need too much since you should be wearing equipment outside the home, so we’ll just get you a few sets. Oh! And a good pair of shoes too!” Lyra says.
Going through the aisles, we soon find a few sets of clothes for a few situations I would likely find myself in.
Two comfortable sets of casual clothing for the house, a flexible and breathable set of clothing to wear under my eventual set of armour, a set of pyjamas, a set of formal clothes, and some training clothes, which were both comfortable and extremely durable, so I could get tossed around by Kaguya even more without ruining my shirt.
Yippee…
Anyway, as the temperature of Orario didn’t fluctuate much throughout the year, remaining around 20 degrees, I didn’t have to get any winter or summer variants.
Overall, it was surprisingly cheap, much to the delight of Lyra.
Well, it wasn’t much, but if I ever needed to get more, or replace old ones, I could always return.
But I only need the basics for now.
For our next stop, we turned back towards the centre of the city as we headed for Babel.
More specifically, the Hephaestus shop located in Babel.
This was to get me some basic equipment for my first dungeon dive, and while that wouldn’t be happening for a while, it was a good idea to get familiar with moving around with the items and the items themselves.
The items were a backpack, a simple dagger, a set of light armour, and a good pair of shoes.
Everything had ease of movement and comfort in mind when buying without worrying too much about the defensive capabilities.
After all, the monsters on the early floors aren’t that strong, so as long as the armour properly covered my vitals, I was good to go.
Lyra and Alise helped me a lot in buying the stuff, as I had obviously never bought anything like this on Earth.
Lyra’s knack for understanding item quality paired with the two’s combined experience, I was glad I was in good hands.
The final stop was back in the shopping district once again, and instead of clothes, this time it was just everyday things.
Journals, pens, toiletries, and all that.
There wasn’t anything inherently interesting about the purchases, though a few magic tools and medicines did catch my eye, but I decided to shelve those thoughts for later.
As for the currency, by viewing the market prices I was able to roughly guess that 1 US dollar was around 25 valis, though food was on the cheaper side while crafted items were a bit more expensive, at least compared to my standard.
I guess this place hasn’t had an industrial revolution yet, huh?
Though with magic, I suppose they didn’t really need one.
“Oh yeah, Sirius.” Alise suddenly says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“I forgot to mention it earlier, but all the girls will be out of the house tonight for a mission. So make sure to protect Mother while we’re gone, alright?” She says with a wink.
A mission?
In the middle of the night?
Did it have to do with the meeting they had last night?
“Is it to do with- mph!”
My question is stopped by Alise covering my mouth with her hand.
“Shh~ It’s a secret, okay?”
I nod my head in response.
Well, I suppose it’s not really my problem.
Not like I’d be any help even if I wasn’t exhausted, which I almost certainly will be after Kaguya’s training.
Eventually, we reach the Stardust Garden and I get to work on organizing all my new belongings.
Toiletries were put into a bag, the journals and pens were placed on the desk, and my clothes were put into the wardrobe.
As for the adventuring equipment, most of it went into the chest save for the dagger, which I opted to keep at my bedside table.
Can never be too prepared, right?
Plus, Alise wanted me to protect Astraea.
After storing my things, I changed into my new training clothes before heading downstairs to the training grounds.
Ugh… bad memories.
Shaking away the troublesome thoughts, I got to work on my warm-up exercises.
Running, stretching, pushups… anything that would prepare my body for the inevitable beatdown I was about to face.
Around half an hour into the exercises, I see a familiar set of flowing, black hair paired with a wicked smile.
Judging from the bokken held in her hands, we would be starting right away.
No words were exchanged as we both set ourselves into a similar posture.
Okay Sirius, let’s try to not get knocked out this time!
----- Alise POV -----
Shortly after dinner had concluded, Kaguya, Lyra, and I headed towards the Guild for the meeting.
The meeting to plan the absolute destruction of the remnants of Evilus within Orario.
The meeting was set up the day we relayed the information on the Juggernaut to the guild, who had been pretty lax with removing Evilus after the Great Feud.
Whether it was corruption or simple laziness, I was glad the guild had finally found its brain.
Well… not that I blame them completely.
After all, there hadn’t been any activity from Evilus for two years, at least before they attacked us two days ago, though there were still rumours.
But from the Hermes Familia’s search of the Evilus bodies, they were still far from being gone.
Hideouts littered across Orario.
Secret bases in Melen and the surrounding towns.
Growing influence around the world as a whole.
…It was slightly terrifying, to think that such a despicable organization still lived.
But that would end today, or at least, soon after today.
Loki, Ganesha, and Astraea.
These Familias who all held deep contempt towards Evilus, for our own reasons, were ready to cleanse this city of them once and for all.
It was a lucky coincidence that we were three of the four strongest Familias in Orario, so as long as we planned well, those demons would have no chance.
But damn… it was still a little scary to think we would have been massacred without Sirius’ intervention.
I, of course, had been in danger many times considering my profession, but a bonafide prophecy of my death?
…Yikes.
Speaking of our newest member, I was pleased to see that there were no problems between him and the girls, at least on the first day.
There seemed to be no problems with him being a male, as any of their animosity or worry they held all but disappeared over dinner.
Thinking back to how friendly the atmosphere around the place was as we left, my lips curled up into a smile.
After all, ensuring the Familia only held trust and affection towards each other was a crucial duty of a captain!
Eventually, our team of three reached the guild, just in time to see two familiar faces as they walked in.
Shakti Varma and Ilta Farna, the captain and vice-captain respectively of the Ganesha Familia.
We follow their example as we walk up to the Parthenon, the main building of the guild in Orario.
Upon entering, we are met with yet another familiar face.
This time our Familia’s guild advisor, Rose Fannett.
With long red hair, sharp eyes, and a set of ears and a tail, this Werewolf has been helping us in regards to expeditions and patrolling for two years now, and although she had her stiff personality, I could tell she cared deeply for us.
Since the guild was closed to the public at this time of night, we were the only ones in the lobby right now, making it the perfect time to conduct a secret meeting like we were about to do.
“Good evening, Astraea Familia. The others are awaiting you upstairs, so please follow me.” Rose says emotionlessly.
“Thanks, Rosey! Hey, hey, are you happy to see your favourite captain after that little scare? Mmm?”
At my words, she simply turns her back to me and begins walking away, not even looking back to make sure we follow.
“Is now really the time, Alise?” Lyra says exasperatedly to my side.
“Of course it is! I’ve gotta keep the spirits up somehow!” I respond.
Plus, if I acted like this, then Rose would feel a little better about herself.
Although she wore that blank stare and emotional facade like a pro, I knew that there was a caring woman behind it.
I could understand.
When I first arrived in Orario, I met Rose by chance, as she was one of the guild advisors for newbie adventurers.
It was an emotionally taxing job, that was.
After all, she would see so many of her assigned adventurers not return from the dungeon, as newbies have by far the highest death rate.
So that expression of indifference… it was a shield.
A shield to not get too attached and protect herself from anguish.
But I could tell there was still care in there.
Whenever we returned from the dungeon to sell our magic stones and report our survival, I could see the sparkle of relief in her eyes, no matter how big or small the quest was.
“Anyway, Rosie. Thanks for taking up teaching our newest member. Ah! Speaking of that, isn’t his first session tomorrow morning? Are you sure you should be up?” I ask.
“There’s no need for thanks. It is my job as your Familia’s advisor to teach new adventurers about the dungeon. As for your question, I’ve lost more than enough sleep in dealing with you and your Familia, so there’s no need for worries there.” Rose replies.
Oh.
“Umm… sorry?” I say.
“If you truly feel that way, then limit the amount of times you get into trouble.”
With those final words, our conversation ends as we reach a set of large wooden doors.
Giving Rose a departing wave, I turn the doorknob before entering.
Inside, I’m greeted by the sight of a bunch of people sitting around a large oval table, the room doused in a tense silence.
Although seeing one of the meeting members, I suppose the term ‘person’ doesn’t fit their description.
There was Shakti and Ilta of the Ganesha Familia, who we saw enter the guild before us.
Then, there was Finn Deimne, Riveria Ljos Alf, and Gareth Landrock, the three level 6 executives of the Loki Familia.
And then, there was Asfi Andromeda of the Hermes Familia along with the God himself.
With our entrance, all the heads turn to us as Hermes gestures to the empty seats surrounding the table.
“Well, now that the final members are here, let’s begin what is hopefully the final meeting pertaining to Evilus. Ah, and before you ask, the guild will not be participating in this coalition due to the… issues that came with including him last time. Ouranos already approved all of this, so no need to worry!” Hermes ends his words with a wink as he flashes his stupid smile.
I had only met the God in person a few times, but he really irked me for some unknown reason.
As for the guild, I was glad they wouldn’t be joining us in this, as there still might be spies lurking in the organization.
That’s what made the Great Feud so difficult, leading to many unnecessary casualties… like Ardee…
But no longer.
This would be the last time, I swear it.
Evilus would be eliminated in the coming days, and then the city would be able to live in peace and safety yet again, save for the odd thug and thief.
Asfi then breaks me out of my thoughts as she continues the meeting.
“From the bodies left in the dungeon and the Hermes Familia’s information network, we have located these bases in Orario and Melen, with the primary targets being the remaining members of the Rudras Familia. We need to strike fast, ideally tomorrow night, as they might be planning to escape or move locations with the survival of the Astraea Familia.”
She then unfurls a map of the city and one of Melen, with a few buildings scattered throughout them highlighted in red.
That must be where the bastards are.
“We will split up our forces into groups and attack simultaneously, and I will leave the team selection to Braver.” Asfi adds.
“I will gladly take on this task.” Finn says with a bow.
“Thank you. Now, this location is where the Rudras Familia is likely to be, as it is their second base location-”
And thus, the plan to rid Orario of Evilus for good was created by the end of the night.
----- Sirius POV -----
After waking up, I did some light stretches to ease my sore body, just like Kaguya had instructed last night.
It… didn’t do much.
But hopefully, the pain would lessen as the day went on.
After washing up and having some breakfast, I followed Alise as she led me toward the guild.
Today would be the start of my dungeon training, which from the sound of it, was more like tutoring.
I was also going to be officially registering as an adventurer of the Astraea Familia, hence why Alise, the captain, was the one taking me.
As it was my first time in the city, I kept my eyes sharp as I looked at the surroundings with both intrigue and wonder.
I was also trying to remember the route so I could find my way back home if I ever got lost.
It was, as expected, not very modern as far as the buildings went, but I was surprised at how clean and well-kept the roads were.
The buildings themselves were, how to describe it… unique.
Alise explained that since Orario attracted so many people and Gods from around the world, it led to a very diverse-looking city.
In short, it was cool.
But was even cooler was the giant tower that rose up from the centre.
Babel.
I already knew about the tower, but I let Alise explain all she could to me as she was very obviously excited to do so.
Babel was the most important place in Orario, and also the world, as it not only was the lid that kept the dungeon's monsters in the dungeon, but it was also the entrance of the place, and thus the source of most of the world’s magic stone supply.
And if that wasn’t enough, the higher floors were where some of the most important, and expensive, shops in the city were located, as well as acting as an apartment building for more than a few important Gods.
So yeah… quite cool.
Once we arrived at the guild building, I had no time to look around as Alise quickly led me through the door and into a room off to the side of the lobby.
“Alright. I’m gonna go complete your registration, so just wait here for Rosie to come over, okay?” Alise says.
“Uhh, alright. Are you leaving afterwards?” I ask.
“Yep! I’m a busy woman, after all! Don’t worry though, Lyra and I will be picking you up once you’re done to take you around the city. Anyway, see ya later!”
And with that, the door closed behind her departing figure and I was left alone.
Looking around, the word I could use to describe the room was… simple.
There was a large desk with a stack of papers and some stationary with a chair on either side of it, as well as a bookshelf standing against the wall, filled with books and binders.
It reminded me of those rooms you go into for banking advice.
Deciding to sit down on a chair, I read over the titles of the books while waiting for my advisor to arrive.
Geography of the 5th Floor, Magic Stone and Drop Item Value Index, Newbie Mistakes and Common Causes of Death…
So no stories then.
Even though I should have expected it, I was wondering about the fictional stories and legends of this world, especially with the Goddess of Earth’s explanation of worlds in the back of my mind.
Before I could think any further on the topic, the door opened to reveal a woman, with long red hair and red… ears?
Oh yeah, she must be like Neze then.
A Werewolf.
Too bad a Werewolf’s ears could only be scratched by one’s mother or mate because they looked really fluffy.
Anyway, the woman was dressed in the black and white guild employee uniform, adding to her mature appearance.
Her golden eyes were sharp, and her expression was a mix of fierce and indifferent, but from what Alise said to me before, she really did care about her clients.
Well, I guess I should greet my new teacher, no?
“Nice to meet you, Rosie. My name is Sirius.” I say with a small bow of my head.
“Rosie?” She says back, her eyes and ears twitching in synch.
“Haa… that girl. Nice to meet you too, newest member of the Astraea Familia. My name, contrary to what Alise likes to think, is actually Rose. Rose Fannett.”
Dammit, so it was a nickname!
I couldn’t be sure as I still didn’t know the common culture in this world, but to think Alise tricked me so easily!
Rose then closes the door behind her before walking up to the bookshelf, taking a few books, and then placing them in the middle of the desk.
“S-Sorry, for the name mishap.” I finally say.
“No worries. It was entirely the fault of that girl, so there is no need to apologize.”
She then sits down across from me and opens the first book in the stack to its first page before laying it out in front of me.
“As you probably know, I am the designated guild advisor for the Astraea Familia and thus am the designated advisor for you. This week we will be going over everything about the dungeon up to the 10th floor as well as general information for new adventurers.” She says.
“Okay, I’m ready.”
After all, these people haven’t had to go through the slog of grade school and university, so something like this will be easy.
“If you say so… You should know that I will be testing you on the information I deem necessary before allowing you to enter the dungeon. These lessons will continue every morning until I deem you adequate with knowledge up to the middle floors, and after that, you will be on your own. However, you can always ask me or your fellow Familia members for aid. Any questions?”
“Yeah, just one. What is considered necessary information?” I ask.
“Monsters, general layout, chokepoints, common strategies, and things like that. The level of importance for each of these differs from floor to floor, so simply learn the knowledge I teach you.”
“Got it.” I reply with a smile.
So they were pretty serious about this stuff, huh?
Or maybe this was something unique to Rose.
“Good. Let’s hope you can keep up that enthusiasm.” She says with a smirk.
Oh… this pressure… it’s like how it was with Kaguya!
“The very first monsters you will encounter will be Goblins and Kobolds. Due to their humanoid stature, it is often the first hurdle adventures must surpass as many hold an instinctual distaste for killing anything remotely human. Luckily, their stature allows you to train with humans in preparation for facing these monsters. For Goblins, their main weakness lies in their-”
And so, my own personal hell began.
----- 3 Hours Later -----
"-and that is how you effectively deal with a group of monsters while prioritizing your own survival on the first floor. Well, this concludes your first lesson.”
Thank fuck!
“Please take time to internally go over the information so as to not forget it. I will see you at the same time tomorrow. Good day, Sirius."
With those parting words, Rose promptly leaves after placing all the learning materials back onto the bookshelf.
Slowly regaining my lost sanity after the three-hour-long torture session, the door once again opens to reveal Alise and Lyra.
Ah right, I'm supposed to go around the city with them to get clothes and basic equipment.
"C'mon Sirius! Let's not waste any time since you still have training with Kaguya later!" Alise cheers.
Ughhhh.
With that, we left the Guild and headed towards the shopping district.
On the way there, Alise explained the secondary duty of the Astraea Familia other than dungeon exploration, that being patrolling the city alongside the Ganesha Familia.
It had become quite lax ever since the Great Feud, but they kept up with it nonetheless, and after I reached a certain level, I would be joining them on patrols.
And since the shopping district was a hotspot for thievery, our outing would serve as a patrol on the side.
With the smell of street food in my nose and the sound of constant chatter and bartering, we eventually found ourselves in front of a shop that stood out from others on the road due to its size.
"And here's the clothing store! There aren't many others in Orario as they either cater to a specific race or dungeon clothing unfit for casual use, most people buy their clothes outside of Orario or get them custom-made. But it doesn’t mean it's bad. This place has everything you might need, and can take custom orders for clothing too if you need it." Alise says.
Entering the large building, I was reminded of a department store from Earth with how the building was laid out.
Large racks of hanging shirts, tables with various pants and shoes on display, and stuff like that.
Although it was somewhat smaller than the ones I remember.
“Here you are! The bastion of good deals in the economic hellscape that is Orario. Anyway, you won’t need too much since you should be wearing equipment outside the home, so we’ll just get you a few sets. Oh! And a good pair of shoes too!” Lyra says.
Going through the aisles, we soon find a few sets of clothes for a few situations I would likely find myself in.
Two comfortable sets of casual clothing for the house, a flexible and breathable set of clothing to wear under my eventual set of armour, a set of pyjamas, a set of formal clothes, and some training clothes, which were both comfortable and extremely durable, so I could get tossed around by Kaguya even more without ruining my shirt.
Yippee…
Anyway, as the temperature of Orario didn’t fluctuate much throughout the year, remaining around 20 degrees, I didn’t have to get any winter or summer variants.
Overall, it was surprisingly cheap, much to the delight of Lyra.
Well, it wasn’t much, but if I ever needed to get more, or replace old ones, I could always return.
But I only need the basics for now.
For our next stop, we turned back towards the centre of the city as we headed for Babel.
More specifically, the Hephaestus shop located in Babel.
This was to get me some basic equipment for my first dungeon dive, and while that wouldn’t be happening for a while, it was a good idea to get familiar with moving around with the items and the items themselves.
The items were a backpack, a simple dagger, a set of light armour, and a good pair of shoes.
Everything had ease of movement and comfort in mind when buying without worrying too much about the defensive capabilities.
After all, the monsters on the early floors aren’t that strong, so as long as the armour properly covered my vitals, I was good to go.
Lyra and Alise helped me a lot in buying the stuff, as I had obviously never bought anything like this on Earth.
Lyra’s knack for understanding item quality paired with the two’s combined experience, I was glad I was in good hands.
The final stop was back in the shopping district once again, and instead of clothes, this time it was just everyday things.
Journals, pens, toiletries, and all that.
There wasn’t anything inherently interesting about the purchases, though a few magic tools and medicines did catch my eye, but I decided to shelve those thoughts for later.
As for the currency, by viewing the market prices I was able to roughly guess that 1 US dollar was around 25 valis, though food was on the cheaper side while crafted items were a bit more expensive, at least compared to my standard.
I guess this place hasn’t had an industrial revolution yet, huh?
Though with magic, I suppose they didn’t really need one.
“Oh yeah, Sirius.” Alise suddenly says, breaking me out of my thoughts.
“What’s up?” I ask.
“I forgot to mention it earlier, but all the girls will be out of the house tonight for a mission. So make sure to protect Mother while we’re gone, alright?” She says with a wink.
A mission?
In the middle of the night?
Did it have to do with the meeting they had last night?
“Is it to do with- mph!”
My question is stopped by Alise covering my mouth with her hand.
“Shh~ It’s a secret, okay?”
I nod my head in response.
Well, I suppose it’s not really my problem.
Not like I’d be any help even if I wasn’t exhausted, which I almost certainly will be after Kaguya’s training.
Eventually, we reach the Stardust Garden and I get to work on organizing all my new belongings.
Toiletries were put into a bag, the journals and pens were placed on the desk, and my clothes were put into the wardrobe.
As for the adventuring equipment, most of it went into the chest save for the dagger, which I opted to keep at my bedside table.
Can never be too prepared, right?
Plus, Alise wanted me to protect Astraea.
After storing my things, I changed into my new training clothes before heading downstairs to the training grounds.
Ugh… bad memories.
Shaking away the troublesome thoughts, I got to work on my warm-up exercises.
Running, stretching, pushups… anything that would prepare my body for the inevitable beatdown I was about to face.
Around half an hour into the exercises, I see a familiar set of flowing, black hair paired with a wicked smile.
Judging from the bokken held in her hands, we would be starting right away.
No words were exchanged as we both set ourselves into a similar posture.
Okay Sirius, let’s try to not get knocked out this time!
