Chapter 15 – Eina's Scolding
Standing right in front of Eina, Akira flinched at the sound of her raised voice.
Whoa… That loud? Seriously? he thought to himself.
"Akira-san! I told you—an adventurer must never take reckless risks!"
"I wasn't being reckless though. The moment my stamina dropped to half, I turned back immediately."
"You just registered as an adventurer yesterday! You just got your Falna! And today you already dared to go down to the ninth floor?! And you're telling me that's not reckless!? Do you have any idea how dangerous that is?!"
"I mean… I felt like I was strong enough."
"Akira-san! The Dungeon is not a playground! Just because you made it back safely today doesn't mean your luck will last forever!"
"Well, about luck…"
Akira gave a sheepish grin and decided not to argue.
He had no intention of sounding arrogant. He simply had confidence in himself—because even if things ever went south, he still had one final trump card.
When he unleashed his sealed power, he could surpass the limits of any mortal and ascend into a Transcendent state—becoming a being who stood at the peak of this world.
If that time ever came, not even the Three Great Unexplored Regions of the World would pose a challenge to him.
…But of course, none of that was something he could explain here and now.
What followed next was a full fifteen-minute lecture.
Akira stood there quietly, listening without interrupting. Internally, though, he was slightly overwhelmed.
Still, he knew she was only looking out for him.
If he got full of himself and ended up dead, it would be his own fault.
Eina didn't have any obligation to worry about him. Yet she still chose to give him this warning—that alone was something he deeply appreciated.
"…Let me say this again, Akira-san: an adventurer must never act carelessly."
"Got it, got it. I hear you, Eina-san," he said with a tired smile.
"Good."
"Then, lovely Miss Eina, could I ask your help with exchanging these Magic Stones?"
"Hahh… Fine. Just give me a moment."
Eina glanced at the backpack sitting on the table and began sorting through its contents—stones of various shapes and glimmers tumbling gently as she counted them one by one.
From nearby, a few Guild staff began stealing glances their way—some with curious looks, others more amused.
Sure, Eina was known for being kind and helpful to new adventurers… but giving a full-on lecture in front of the service desk? That was a first.
Especially the pink-haired girl at the next table—her eyes were practically burning with gossip fuel, clearly holding back squeals.
"All right, I've counted them. Most are small-grade Magic Stones, with quite a few fragments mixed in. The total comes to… 80,000 valis."
As she spoke, Eina handed him a heavy coin pouch along with the now-empty backpack.
"Eighty thousand, huh? As expected, upper floor monsters don't fetch much."
"Akira-san… you haven't forgotten what I just said, right?"
"Of course not, Eina-san."
"Good. I just hope you won't throw your life away because of overconfidence. I've seen too many missing person notices on this desk. I don't want to see your name on one of them."
"…Thanks for the warning, Eina-san."
Akira tucked the pouch into his backpack, gave her a small wave, and turned to leave the Guild building.
Eina let out a long sigh, watching his back as he walked away.
She'd heard that kind of response many times before… and far too often, those same people never came back.
This was Orario—the greatest city in the world, the center of prosperity…
And one of the most dangerous places to exist.
The Dungeon beneath it was a place that devoured people.
Countless names had vanished into its depths—lost forever.
Every adventurer lived with their life hanging by a thread. No one knew when death would come for them.
There was a silent truth accepted by everyone in Orario: the Dungeon is alive. And when it sensed that you were at your weakest… that's when it would bare its fangs.
— — —
Meanwhile, Akira—now with 80,000 valis in hand—began casually walking through the bustling streets of Orario.
No matter how many times he saw it, the sheer vibrancy of this city never failed to impress him.
So this is the heart of the world, he thought. What a place…
People of all races crowded the roads. Merchants shouted from stalls, selling everything from potions and gear to trinkets and exotic snacks.
Then, his eyes caught a certain shop.
It was a meat stall. But not just any meat stall—this one specialized in roasted lamb.
Unlike the skewered styles from his world, this place offered massive cuts—whole legs, thick slabs of meat, grilled ribs.
"Hey there, sir! Why not give our roasted lamb a try? Best in Orario!" the burly chef shouted enthusiastically as Akira approached.
"How much for a lamb leg?" Akira asked casually.
"One leg goes for 3,000 valis! A full roast slab's 5,000. Grilled ribs are 4,000!"
"Then I'll take two lamb legs, one full roast slab, and a set of ribs. Oh—and could you slice the ribs and roast for me?"
"Coming right up! One moment!"
Oho~ we got ourselves a big spender, the chef thought with a grin.
Soon enough, everything was neatly packed into paper wrappers. Two hefty lamb legs, a parcel of roasted meat, and one more of perfectly grilled ribs.
The total came to 15,000 valis. Not exactly cheap, but fair for Orario's standards.
Akira took one lamb leg and stored the rest in his backpack.
Then, without hesitation, he bit into the meat.
Juicy. Rich. Heavenly.
The flavor exploded in his mouth. The lamb was tender, soaked in deep spice and perfectly grilled. Nothing like the roasted meat from his old world.
It was the kind of taste that made you want to close your eyes and savor every bite.
Eating straight off the bone like this… had been one of his silly dreams.
Back on Earth, lamb was expensive—too expensive for full cuts like this unless you were celebrating something huge. Or suddenly became filthy rich.
Walking and eating at the same time, Akira naturally drew attention.
Even in Orario, it was rare to see someone chomping on a whole lamb leg while striding through the street. Add in his good looks and lean physique? Heads turned.
But he didn't care.
His goal lay ahead—Babel Tower.
This meal wasn't even for him. He bought it for Hephaestus.
Even though lunchtime had passed, there was still a chance she hadn't eaten yet. And if she had… well, a second meal wouldn't hurt.
Upon arriving at the towering structure, Akira made his way to the upper levels—where the gods resided.
Knock, knock, knock.
He rapped gently on a familiar wooden door.
Click—
Moments later, it opened.
And standing there, with a mix of surprise and faint amusement in her crimson eye… was none other than the blacksmith goddess herself, Hephaestus.
"Huh? You're back already?"
She blinked at him.
The sun hadn't even reached its peak yet—and yet, here he was. Back from the Dungeon.
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