Joining the guild

Because it was in the afternoon, most adventurers were already inside the dungeon and would return in the evening, provided they didn't die.

Setting aside the high mortality rate among rookie adventurers, this was great news, because it meant Ryan and Navi wouldn't have to wait all day in lines. Navi was even more relieved, truthfully, and she let out a relieved sigh. Ryan let out an amused snort, but said nothing, his eyes scanning the guild workers who were busy with paperwork, accounting, and other tasks.

"Let's stand in that line," Navi said with a smile. Ryan followed her pointing finger, and then he shook his head with a wry smile.

It would seem Navi wanted to be serviced by the only wolf girl in sight. The woman had long, red hair, and her eyes were the same golden amber color as Navi's. But her face was also cold as ice, which made her somewhat unapproachable.

In Ryan's humble opinion, she was one of the most beautiful women he had ever laid his eyes on, and if it wasn't for [Abysswalker], he might have blushed like a schoolgirl. But, because he had such a skill, Ryan felt cool as a cucumber, and his face remained neutral.

Navi grinned like a perverted old man. "Me likey." Her intentions were crystal clear. Ryan turned his head to look at her.

"If you make any sexual comments to her face, I'll drag you out of the guild by your horns, Navi," said Ryan with an eerie smile. That guild worker radiated danger and, even though he was confident in Navi's strength; he wasn't sure if the oni could survive that woman's wrath.

Navi folded her arms and stuck out her tongue at him. "I'd like to see you try. But no, I may be a thirsty, but I'm not suicidal. She looks like she could kill me with just a glare, so I ain't taking any chances. I'll behave… a little." Ryan hoped she meant that. He really did.

Ryan took the lead, walking over to the guild worker with a casual smile. "We would like to join the guild, Miss." The wolf woman gave him a critical look, and then her gaze landed on Navi, and then back to him. "Are you two in a Familia?" she asked in a disinterested tone.

Like he had suspected, the woman turned out to be professional and didn't seem to appreciate nonsense from anyone. She was a bona fide businesswoman.

With this in mind, Ryan put less emotion into his voice than usual, and also kept a firm tone. "Not yet. We've decided to sort out our affiliation with the guild first, and then we'll see recruitment by a Familia."

The wolf woman sighed, took out a piece of paper, and handed it to Ryan. "Here's a list of gods and goddesses who are recruiting new members. Some of them are well known, but most of them are obscure and have no reputation."

Ryan began reading all the names, and he recognized some of them from his basic knowledge of mythology. Truthfully, he couldn't decide who would be trustworthy, but now they knew their choices to an extent. They may join a goddess who isn't even on the list. He also crossed off all the male ones, because Navi insisted they joined up with a goddess.

"I'll need your full names, and the names of any next of kin. If you die in the dungeon, most of your valuables will be received by your family members, or the Familia will receive it if you have an agreement with them."

Ryan tilted his head. "I'm Ryan. Ryan Storm." His last name was entirely made up, because there was no way he was going to use his last name from when he still lived on earth. He hated his previous family with a burning passion, and he wanted to forget all about them.

Navi smirked. "I'm Navi Valkyrie!" Ryan blinked in surprise, but he didn't comment on her chosen last name, letting the oni roll with it.

The guild worker wrote all of it down. "And next of kin?" she asked.

In a cold voice, Ryan said, "none. All of them are dead, probably rotting in hell." The guild worker felt a chill go up her spine and visibly flinched when she looked into Ryan's black eyes.

Ryan shook his head and gave her an apologetic smile. "Ah, I apologize. I didn't intend to spook you. I wasn't a big fan of my family, so I'd rather not talk about it." She gave a hesitant nod at his explanation and looked towards Navi.

Navi shrugged. "Yeah, I also don't have any family. Well, I guess Ryan counts." Ryan felt a little warm after hearing that. "But then again, he's a pretty terrible cook, so maybe I should exchange him for some else." And now he felt like he was in a snowstorm.

"I guess I'll stop giving you headpats," said Ryan in a low tone.

Navi's eyes widened. "No! I'm sorry, Ryan-sama. Please don't take away my head pat privileges!" The oni had the gall to hit him with the famed puppy eyes attack, and it worked - curse his weakness for adorable things!

Ryan snorted. "Okay, I won't take them away, but please stop bringing up my horrible cooking." He was going to buy a skill that made him great at cooking, Ryan swore to himself.

The wolf woman cleared her throat to get their attention. "Okay, one last step - do you want me to be your guild advisor, or should I refer you to one of my colleagues?"

"We want you!" said Navi, leaning across the desk to get closer to the guild worker. Ryan sighed. Navi was always too forward, but it also made her endearing, he supposed. "Yes, we would like you as our advisor," said Ryan, pulling Navi away from the desk. She pouted at him, but then he used his ultimate weapon, headpats, and she stopped pouting after that.

The guild worker was slightly gobsmacked about what was taking place, but she did a very good job of not showing it on her face. "Very well. My name is Rose Fannett." Her eyes narrowed. "Before you venture into the dungeon for the first time, I expect you two to have found a suitable Familia. If you brave the dungeon before having done so, I'll have both of you banned from the guild for life, and won't ever be allowed to trade any loot here," Rose told both of them in a serious tone. Truthfully, she couldn't police them like this, and didn't have such authority, but she refused to have them die on her watch.

"Don't worry, we won't be reckless, Miss Fannett," Ryan said in a solemn voice, and Navi also gave a firm nod, fully in agreement with her partner.

Rose went over some of the finer details with them, such as how the guild takes a 30% cut of their findings in the dungeon, which they didn't have any complaints about, since the guild was also a business, and businesses need to earn money. That was just how the world worked. But, if you became a First-Class Adventurer, which was anyone above Level 4, Rose informed them, you would only be taxed 15%. On the lower floors, the danger was much greater, and this had led to a lower tax for the more experienced adventurers.

Ryan hummed and said, "can you provide us with books about the dungeon and its monsters, Miss Fannett?"

Rose's eyes widened for just a second, but she quickly composed herself. She had advised a lot of adventurers over the years, but this was the first time someone willingly asked her for information about the dungeon. It made her hopeful that Ryan would differ from the rest. "Of course. I have plenty of encyclopedias about the monsters, and I also have some strategy guides."

Rose quickly went out in the back, the room she used for personal discussions with the adventurers she was advising, and retrieved all the relevant books. When she got back, a thin smile on her face could be seen, but she hid it away again.

"Here are all the books."

Ryan picked one of them up - Monsters for Dummies. He chuckled. "Navi, I expect you to read these." There were eleven books, all of them containing valuable information about the dungeon. The oni looked horrified but, before she could make a rebuttal, she felt a scary aura from Rose, and then nodded in acceptance. The oni had resigned herself to her fate.

"I take it you're satisfied, Mr. Storm?" Rose asked, her voice a little more lively than before. She was already warming up to him, he could tell, but he also didn't understand why.

Ryan smiled and said, "I'm satisfied. I'll give these a thorough read once we've settled down with a Familia. Oh, and you can just call me Ryan. I hate it when people are overly formal with me."

Rose blinked. "Very well. Can I also use your first name, Miss Valkyrie?"

Navi beamed at Rose. "Please do!" The wolf woman didn't understand Navi's excitement, but she also couldn't say she hated how energetic the girl was.

"Also, are you single?"

"Eh?" Was Rose's intelligent reply, stunned by what Navi had just asked her, and her brain took some time to reboot.

Ryan bumped a fist on Navi's head. "Please stop harassing Miss Fannett, Navi. I apologize for my companion's forwardness," he said with a small bow.

Rose didn't know what was going on, but she still dignified Navi's question with an answer. "I'm currently single, but I don't date adventurers," she said in a firm tone.

Navi blew a raspberry. "Damn."

Ryan grasped his nose. "We better get going. When we have affiliated ourselves with Familia, we'll come and let you know, Miss Fannett."

Rose opened her mouth, but then she closed it again. Eventually, she said, "Yes, please seek me out once you've found a Familia."

Ryan and Rose kept eye contact for a few more seconds, but then they averted their gazes. When Navi observed that interaction, she had to suppress a laugh of victory. Clearly, Rose and Ryan just had a 'moment', a spark, if you will. At least, that was how the oni perceived it, and maybe she was onto something.

Ryan cleared his throat. "Yes, eh, we'll take our leave now. Have a nice day, Miss Fannett."

Rose also cleared her throat before speaking. "Thank you. I wish you the same, Ryan… and Navi."

Navi hid away her suspicions and flashed Rose an energetic smile. "Thanks, Miss Fannett."

Ryan and Navi left the guild but, as they walked, he could tell something was off with his companion.

"What's on your mind?"

Navi blinked at his sudden question, and then she pursed her lips. "You two seemed to get friendly towards the end, too friendly."

Ryan's eyes lit up. "Ah, now I understand; you're jealous." Her entire body became stiff, and then she clenched her fists. "Maybe a little," she admitted with gritted teeth. "Just a bit." All of this was an act. Her feelings were entirely different.

He was certainly amused by this, but he cheered her up. "There are a lot of women out there, Navi. Besides, it's not like you don't have a chance with Miss Fannett. Sure, she rejected you, but perhaps you can melt the ice around her heart and break her oath about not dating adventurers?"

Navi licked her lips. "Yes, you're right." Ryan gave her a few headpats, and she accepted them with a contented smile.

But Ryan was still wrong about his assumption. Navi wasn't jealous. No, she was insanely happy. The oni had a dream, and she had vocalized it before.

Navi wanted a harem of beautiful women, but here was the twist; it would also be Ryan's harem. Ryan would be the king of the harem, and she would be his queen. This was what she was gunning for.

Because of [Tame], Navi had an unconditional love for Ryan, and the only one who was aware of this was Lucy.

{So, I assume you want Rose to be part of the harem?}

For the first time, Lucy had spoken to just Navi, keeping Ryan out of the loop.

'Of course. Girl is drop dead gorgeous,' thought Navi.

{Do you not feel any resentment? You could make the argument you've been brainwashed into loving Ryan.}

'No, I don't feel resentment. I don't care if my feelings are fabricated by the System's powers, I'll fully accept all of them. Also, aren't you in the same boat?'

{T-That's… no, you're right, I suppose. But, just like you, I don't feel any negative emotions. I…I want to support Ryan, through thick and thin, no matter what person he becomes}

Navi mentally smirked. 'Ryan will not know what hit him… hmm, but how do I confess my feelings to him?' she wondered. Navi wasn't shy or scared of doing it, but she felt as if she had to confess with some flair, and turn it into something very special.

{Yes, Ryan deserves something special. I expect great things from you, Navi}

Navi gave Lucy a mental salute. Meanwhile, Ryan wasn't privy to any of this, but he felt an odd sense of… foreboding. Navi flashed him a cute smile, and the feeling went away. He took out the list of gods and goddesses. It was time to find a Familia.

---

"Hey, Rose. What was that just now?"

Rose's left eye twitched, and it only did that when she found herself annoyed by something. The person who had asked her that question was named Misha Flott, a human female coworker with short pink hair and matching pink eyes.

If Rose were to describe Misha with one word, it would be; nosy. She was so damn nosy, and it could sometimes drive her insane.

Currently, Misha was wearing a smug smile. "I saw how you were looking at that newbie! Perhaps the Ice Queen has found her match?" she teased, and Rose sighed. The wolf woman hated that nickname.

Rose gave her a dry look. "I appreciated the fact he had some actual common sense and asked for information about the dungeon. If all adventurers joined our guild with the same amount of careful consideration, we would have far fewer fatalities every day," she explained to the irritating woman. Misha hummed, and Rose knew the woman didn't believe a word she was saying.

Okay, while she found her irritating, Rose also considered Misha to be a friend. Misha had an ability to liven up the place and, as much as Rose was loath to admit, it made their line of work a lot more enjoyable.

…but, she could still be annoying.

Luckily, someone came to save Rose from her plight. "That's enough, Misha. Also, have you forgotten Rose's policy; she doesn't date adventurers."

Her savior was Eina Tulle, a younger woman, having just turned eighteen. Eina was a beautiful Half Elf with a slim body, pointy ears, shoulder-length brown hair, and emerald colored eyes. She used to have long hair, but after experiencing the death of the adventurer she was advising, the Half-Elf cut her hair short.

"And I understand her reasons. You know how often adventurers die, Misha," Eina chastised, sounding remorseful. She still hadn't recovered from her recent loss.

Realizing she had messed up, Misha gave both of them a troubled look and said, "I-I'm sorry, you two. I was just trying to lighten up the mood, because this paperwork is absolutely atrocious."

Rose and Eina gave each other a look.

"It's fine," they both said in unison, and Misha let out a relieved sigh, happy they weren't angry with her. Since they both understood her intentions, it was hard to hold a grudge against her.

Rose looked towards where Ryan and Navi had left, and she felt a pang of hurt around her heart when she thought of the phrase: adventurers aren't remembered by how they lived, they are remembered by how they died. She hoped Ryan and Navi would prove that saying wrong.