Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

I still remember what that person said.

Don't blindly follow others' instructions. Make your own decision.

I still remember that person's gaze.

This is your story (path).

The smile that person gave me is absolutely unforgettable.

Many words from someone who is no longer here, important memories.

I'm sure I'll suddenly remember this from now on.

☆

"Hey, buddy. You can see now."

Clang, clang.

Hearing the sound of wheels and feeling the impact, I couldn't help but sway my body, waking up from my dream and opening my eyes.

I was sleeping with my knees drawn up to my chest when I heard the driver's voice and jumped up, hurriedly sticking my head out of the wagon piled high with wheat.

"...!"

From the carriage speeding along the orderly streets, I could see a scene from the small hill.

A colossal city surrounded by massive walls, with a chalk tower looming close to the cloudless sky.

Faced with the magnificent view right in front of me, I was speechless, completely mesmerized.

"Wow, that's amazing...!"

"Haha, that's what all the guys who see Orario for the first time say."

As I trembled with emotion, the driver, the traveling merchant, seemed to find it quite amusing and laughed.

On the way here, although it was always visible if you looked up at the sky, the sheer magnificence of this colossal tower was still the most spectacular sight. Faced with this view—the entire panorama of a vast city—that I could only witness after leaving the village where I was born and raised, I was at a loss for words.

The labyrinth city of Orario.

The "center of the world" is a place where wealth, fame, and even fateful encounters exist.

Facing this stage of adventure, which appears in numerous heroic tales, I got goosebumps all over and felt deeply moved.

"Thank you, sir! I'll get off here!"

Almost a year after losing my only family member, my grandfather, I finally made up my mind to leave my hometown village. After thanking the kind merchant uncle who had brought me here, I jumped off the wagon.

I picked up my few pieces of luggage again and started running down the streets leading to that huge city.

"Hey, buddy! We haven't arrived yet!?"

"It's okay, I'll run there!"

I turned around, waved, and smiled at him.

As if driven by a surge of excitement, I ran down the hill toward the labyrinthine city with its chalk towers and massive walls.

It took nearly 30 minutes to finally reach the huge stone wall.

I was drenched in sweat and at my limit, but even so I didn't stop and kept running until I got here. Facing the huge stone wall that looked enormous from a distance, I was amazed for the umpteenth time.

The sheer size of the colossal wall, so tall that looking up at it would cause neck pain, is astonishing. As the world's only labyrinthine breakwater, this barrier, which has stood serenely since 'ancient times,' is both somewhat aloof and solemn.

A sound came from my throat, and I regained my senses while standing there motionless. I was finally about to enter the city.

I joined the long line of merchants' carriages and travelers waiting in front of the gate.

"Next!"

Just as I was becoming so engrossed in the people in the queue, armed with swords and armor, that I couldn't calm down, it was finally my turn. Nervous, I stiffly walked towards the two guards.

Do you have a travel permit?

"Um... is there anything you need?"

When I was told by the orc male in the black uniform—who must have been an employee of the legendary city management agency—that I needed to submit written materials, he immediately smiled at me.

"Because at first glance you don't seem to be a traveler... You're here to become an adventurer too, right?"

"Yes, yes!"

"Then there's no problem. There are thousands upon thousands of people like you who aspire to become adventurers and come to this city."

Managing it is never-ending, the guild staff member said, while asking me to turn my back to him.

I readily complied with his request, and then he pressed the prop that looked like a lantern hanging from his waist against my back.

"What are you doing?"

"To verify the existence of 'Divine Grace.' This inspection is to prevent spies from other countries and cities from entering."

This magical artifact reacts to 'divine blood,' and although I heard him say that, I, having grown up in the countryside, was still completely confused. I started behaving suspiciously, and then another gatekeeper, a man with a sword, crossed his arms and started talking to me.

"Another cute guy has arrived."

It's obvious at a glance—he's an adventurer.

The distorted clothing had heraldic emblems on the shoulders—no, they were factional badges imitating the elephant-faced deities.

The adventurer, with his brown skin and messy beard, certainly had a presence that even I could feel.

Adventurer... I felt a sense of tension as I faced one of the people in the same profession that I also wanted to join.

"Why come to Orario? It can't be some silly reason like making money to support your family. Is it money, fame... or women?"

"Um, that...!? To, to seek encounters in the dungeon..."

"—Guha ...

The adventurous man I admired struck up a conversation without any restraint, and in my panic, I accidentally blurted out my true feelings.

The human opposite me opened his eyes wide and then burst into loud laughter, attracting the attention of everyone around. Having carelessly spoken and dug my own grave, my face turned bright red.

"Hassan, it's still working hours." After being reminded by a guild employee, the adventurer smiled and shrugged, "Don't say that, your guild is taking it too seriously."

It seems that guild staff and adventurers are responsible for guarding the city. After spotting the figures of two types of people in black uniforms and armored gear in the guard room next to the door, I think I understand now.

After a while, the inspection was over, or something. No problem. The staff member who had been inspecting stamped the document with a large stamp.

"To register as an adventurer, you must first go to the guild headquarters. You can also complete your adventurer registration there."

"No, thank you very much!"

"However, the registration requirement is that one is granted 'divine grace'... joining God's 'familiarity' is the minimum requirement."

Are you already used to receiving explanations like this? The guild staff told me about the process of becoming an adventurer.

【Family】. An organization formed by gods who transcend existence.

We, the people of the lower realm, can obtain "favors" and become part of the divine retinue by making contracts with the gods.

Then the "family" refers to... family members who share joys and sorrows.

As I recalled my grandfather's memories and vague instructions, I felt a stirring in my chest for some reason.

"Is there anything you want to ask? I'll answer anything now, okay?"

"Did you particularly like what I just said?" the human adventurer asked me with a cheerful smile.

Faced with someone who could even be considered a senior, I hesitated for a moment before looking up at their high-minded face and trying to ask a question.

"What is the most important thing for an adventurer?"

The adventurer, whose muscles were taut and who was of medium build, answered without hesitation.

"Naturally, you must have encountered a good deity."

He crossed his arms and nodded with a confident smile.

"Because this is the only thing even the guild can't take care of for you. Finding a good god is the strength of an adventurer, no, it's the ability of someone who can do that... After that, it's all about 'luck'."

"luck……"

"Ah. This is also the most essential power for adventurers."

Finally, he said, "Good luck, newbie," and patted me on the shoulder.

Seeing the other person's smile made me happy, so I replied with a smile, "Yes!" and entered through the opened door.

After passing through the gate with excitement, nervousness, and anticipation, the view suddenly opened up.

"Wow……!"

What unfolds before us is a street scene of unimaginable beauty outside the city walls.

Extending from the square in front of the gate, a wide and bustling avenue winds its way across neatly arranged stone bricks, with horse-drawn carriages weaving through the rows of shops. Centered around the majestic white tower in the distance, the vibrant streetscape of Orari possesses a splendor and liveliness unseen in the rural countryside.

It presented a scene so captivating that it felt like stepping into the Grand View Garden. My cheeks flushed with excitement as I strode forward.

Whether they were looking around or sighing, they couldn't stop.

The road was lined with many demi-humans—and adventurers equipped with swords and armor!

I was mesmerized by the beautiful fairies with swords, and my eyes lit up at the sight of the dwarf warriors carrying greatswords. The little dwarf sorceress with her pointed hat and wand was also incredibly adorable to me.

Because the village where I grew up only had humans and a very small number of orcs, even this large crowd of people of various races moved me. The noise of the crowd subtly made me feel comfortable.

The feeling of being in a foreign land—that phrase came to mind. The labyrinthine city was unfolding before my eyes for the first time. Everything I saw and heard was new; I was experiencing moments that brought me such joy for the first time.

"...? What's going on?"

Then, as I aimlessly walked south through the bustling streets from the city gate I had passed—the one located in the north—I encountered a huge crowd. Tilting my head in confusion, I approached the human wall and asked what was happening.

"Um, what's going on here? Why are so many people gathered together?"

"It's the Loki Familia! The Loki Familia!! They've returned from the 'Expedition'!"

Loki's Familia...An Expedition...?

Seeing my completely bewildered face, the young man who answered me made a surprised expression.

"You, are you new to Orario? You don't even know the Loki Familia? What kind of country bumpkin are you?"

The young man, while expressing his surprise, explained the situation to me.

The Loki Familia is one of the top adventurer groups in Orario. They are an exceptionally powerful team possessing a handful of adventurers, not just in the city, but in the world, who are considered "Level One Adventurers."

And now, this is what they look like on their way back from their deep exploration of the dungeon—the vast underground labyrinth that unfolds beneath Orario.

Upon hearing this information, I, the city's largest faction, hurriedly tried to look at the other side of the human wall.

The crowd of people, having gathered, kept a distance from the adventurers traveling along the bustling street, making way for them as if they were afraid to approach. I finally managed to peek out from the crowd, and the adventurer group I had mentioned earlier came into view. Scattered among them were humans and demi-humans, their armor covered in wounds.

Carrying heavy luggage, weapons and wands never seen before, and a huge shield shining brightly in the sunlight.

They were just like, yes, heroes returning victorious from the battlefield. They possessed the air of seasoned adventurers. It was as if one had stumbled upon a scene from a heroic tale.

Alongside the bustling crowd, I felt like a fool, completely absorbed in the spectacle.

"Hey, look!?" "Blonde hair, golden eyes...!" "It's [Fiora]!!"

After a while, the onlookers from afar, and even the other adventurers, suddenly raised their voices.

(Fiora...?)

Ignoring their excitement, I only caught a glimpse of that figure for a fleeting moment.

Long golden hair, silver armor. A sword sheathed.

In just a fleeting moment, before I could even get a good look at her face, the adventurer who passed by from the front... a girl about my height, her hair shimmering like golden sand, swayed as she disappeared into the distance.

Is such a slender girl... a so-called first-level adventurer?

As the group carrying the large iron crates turned from the bustling main street onto a side road, their figures were about to disappear, but my gaze continued to follow the striking blonde hair that stood out among the adventurers.

"【Sword Princess】...The princess of the sword, is that right?"

I left the place as the crowd was about to disperse.

I couldn't keep staring at the sights of the city. So I took action.

Once you enter a town, the first thing you need to do is find a place to stay. That's the basics of travel. Well, I only learned this from the villagers on my own.

He wandered around, mustering the courage to ask passersby for directions, searching everywhere for cheap accommodation.

Because the money in my pocket is all I have now, I can't afford to waste it even if I make a mistake. After pausing occasionally at the incredibly vast plaza and chalk tower in the heart of the city... before the entrances to the underground city, I headed towards the eastern part of the city, which is said to have a high concentration of accommodations.