You Are My Child
It was unclear whether it was a coincidence or not, but this world was just like the main one, currently in the midst of summer.
The hustle and bustle of the city added an extra spark to the summer here, making it seem a bit hotter compared to the original world.
Walking amidst the crowd, with stalls constantly calling out to attract customers on the bustling streets, Riezel strolled casually like a traveler, brushing shoulders with the locals.
'It seems like language barriers aren't much of a problem for me.'
Listening to the continuous sounds around him and observing the storefronts and signboards posted on each stall, he confirmed this.
Whether it was the main world or this one, the language and writing used were different from what he learned in his previous life.
However, he could naturally understand the language of people from this world and comprehend the written words. It fascinated him for quite a while.
In the main world, there was no issue since he received the memories of his body's original owner, and understanding the language and letters was expected.
But being able to do the same in this world made him wonder if there was a specific reason for it.
'Is it the influence of the Dimensional Magic Cube?'
Riezel could only think of that possibility.
The Dimensional Magic Cube, capable of freely converting powers between different worlds, might not find it difficult to help its user grasp languages from various worlds.
Thanks to this, after wandering around a bit and interacting with a few locals, he roughly figured out where he was.
'As expected, this is the Labyrinth City, Orario.'
Labyrinth City, Orario.
This was the main stage of the original work, a city with an extremely special and crucial status.
Built on top of an underground labyrinth, it suppressed the labyrinth called 'Dungeon' below, like a fortress lid, preventing the monsters inside from escaping outside.
Due to the existence of the dungeon and its monsters, countless races converged in this city, seeking adventure and the unknown, making this city the unparalleled bustling city above ground.
Therefore, it was considered the center of the world, excelling in adventure, trade, entertainment, and conflict, attracting many experts, merchants, and even Gods.
'This works out perfectly.'
Riezel nodded and spoke inwardly.
'With the dungeon here and so many monsters to subjugate, after receiving a blessing from a God, I can also grow at the fastest rate.'
Moreover, being the main stage of the original work, many familiar people, events, and things were here, allowing him, who was familiar with the plot, to gain the advantage of knowing the future and receiving tangible or intangible help.
'The current top priority should be to quickly find a Familia to join...' Riezel began to ponder.
A Familia was a developmental organization and a family force established by the Gods for their own purposes.
The Gods bestowed the power of 'Falna' upon mortals, allowing them to transcend the ordinary and possess abilities far beyond mortals.
Those who received 'Falna' joined a God's Familia as the 'God's child', following their Familia's policies and providing the resources necessary for their Familia and their God to continue operating and surviving.
Strictly speaking, it was a mutually beneficial, interdependent relationship.
Of course, mortals varied in quality, some strong and some weak, and the same went for the Familia.
Although the blessing received from any God didn't differ fundamentally, due to differences in management philosophy and operational methods, the strength, influence, and position of major Familias varied.
Some Familias were newly established or struggling, making them relatively weak.
Others thrived, with numerous members, making them much more powerful, gathering various experts and resources.
There were also Familias primarily established for business, with members lacking combat power. Some Familias even existed and operated outside of Orario in the form of nations.
This was just the basic difference.
If one delved deeper, factors such as the personality of the God who established the Familia, the internal environment of the Familia, and the presence of negative influences had to be considered.
If one accidentally joined a God that saw their Familia and children as money-making machines or as mere entertainment, it was basically a game over.
After all, Gods in this world voluntarily sealed their Arcanum as they descended to the lower world for the sake of playing. Most of them were all about pleasure and entertainment.
Choosing which Familia to join required careful consideration and prudent selection.
'If I remember correctly, in Orario, the strongest seems to be Loki Familia, Freya Familia, and Ganesha Familia, right?'
The prefix name of a Familia referred to the God who established it. For example, the founder of Loki Familia was the famous God of Mischief from Norse Mythology—Loki.
But unlike the male counterpart in true mythology, Loki in this world was a female.
As Riezel recalled the long-lost original work, he strolled through the streets and suddenly found himself in a somewhat familiar place.
Just beyond the bustling main street, a much taller and larger building than the surrounding area appeared. Several high-rise towers overlapped, resembling a mountain of swords, and a flag fluttered atop the central tower.
The flag depicted a clown as if showing a comical smile to the people on the ground, particularly eye-catching.
The somewhat familiar building and flag made Riezel stop in his tracks.
'Loki Familia, huh?'
The clown flag, precisely the symbol of Loki Familia, one of Orario's strongest Familias, Riezel unexpectedly found himself in the heart of their base.
'Could it be... this is fate?'
===
As the sun set, Orario was enveloped in the glow of the evening sky.
The people finishing a day's work and the adventurers returning from the dungeon strolled through the streets with a mix of exhaustion and involuntary relaxation, transforming the city into the embrace of the night.
"Hmm~ Hmm~ Hmm~"
In a corner of the street bathed in the twilight hues, a figure of a woman with long, casually tied crimson hair and eyes squinted walked with an elegant yet strangely messy appearance. Though possessing a refined countenance, she exuded an air of nonchalance and a lack of seriousness.
Humming a tune, she strolled casually but her hums faded as she lost interest.
"Ugh, so boring~ Wandered around all day and found nothing amusing."
The woman grumbled in a tone that sounded oddly down-to-earth.
"All the kids are off on expeditions, and only a few are left at home. And they all claim to have work to do, refusing to come out and play with me."
"That's not the worst part. I went out to have some fun myself, and those guys who are usually desperate for a party seem to have taken some strange medicine. Not a single one showed up today."
"Boring, just plain boring~!"
"Aah~ I want to play patty-cake with cute girls and have some lovey-dovey time with Ais."
Walking with a swagger, the woman continued her lamentations, making remarks that were far from flattering, causing pedestrians to instinctively steer clear.
Unaware of the effect of her remarks on others, she continued to sigh.
"Let's just go home and have a drink. If I calculate the time correctly, everyone should be back soon. I can endure a few more days."
After saying that, the woman turned into the road beyond the bustling main street and reached the mountain of swords-shaped buildings—Twilight Manor.
On the highest tower amid the multitude of towers, a flag depicting a clown still swayed in the wind.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, the laid-back woman stopped in her tracks.
For no particular reason.
It just, on the manor's gate, someone stood there.
'A human boy?'
The woman recognized the person's race and gender, and her initially squinted eyes widened slightly. Inside, an unusual brightness for a mere mortal glimmered.
Especially when she saw the other person, who had clearly seen her as well. Yet, the boy remained standing by the gate, openly locking eyes with her. His figure showed no signs of wavering, and this display immediately piqued her interest.
'I see... Is he waiting for me?'
In an instant, the woman seemed to see through the boy's intentions and burst into hearty laughter.
Her smile, reminiscent of the clown's whimsical grin hanging on the flag at the highest point of Twilight Manor, added an inexplicable touch to the atmosphere.
'Interesting...'
When such a feeling arose in the woman's heart, there was no suspense about what action should be taken next.
To see something interesting and want to get closer was the nature of Gods.
Tired of the heavenly life, willingly sealed their Arcanum to pursue entertainment in the lower world and roamed freely like mortals.
The woman—or rather, the Goddess fully played out this trait, walking straight toward the human boy.
"Hey, kid, what are you doing here by yourself?"
The Norse Goddess—Loki, greeted the boy who had just arrived in this world today, standing nonchalantly at the entrance of her Familia's base.
In response, the boy simply flashed a calm and steady smile.
"I have no place to go."
That's what the boy said.
Simple and concise.
Although it was not a particularly glorious situation, the boy's attitude was so calm and seemed almost indifferent to his own unfortunate circumstances.
But Loki knew he wasn't lying.
Even though her Arcanum was sealed, as a Goddess who had survived for countless eons, her divine insight and knowledge were sufficient to see through many things that mortals thought were profound.
Based on this, it was almost impossible for mortals to hide something from her.
"Do you want me to take you in?"
The comical smile on Loki's face seemed to be getting thicker as she asked that.
"Yes." The boy nodded straight.
"Good!" Loki said joyfully without any hesitation while still grinning. "From today on, you are my child!"
Was this just a whim of the Goddess, or was there a deeper meaning?
No one knew.
There was only one thing certain.
Riezel had successfully joined Loki Familia.
In just a few words.