Guild

Orario is an immense place, capable of accommodating two to three capitals of small kingdoms within it. It's so vast that it's said one could get lost and die of old age wandering through the Daedalus Street if they strayed into it.

From above, Orario is surrounded by high walls that form eight sections like a pizza.

Even after an hour of walking, Charlie and Aphrodite had not yet reached their destination.

Along the way, people paused to gaze at Aphrodite as she passed by.

"Does this happen every time you take a walk with Goddess Aphrodite?"

Gradually getting used to it, Charlie was no longer bothered by the stares from those around them.

"Of course not. Usually, I hide my appearance with a cloak so that the public won't be affected by my charm. Freya does the same, except for Ishtar, who openly flaunts her charm in public."

"Then why isn't Goddess Aphrodite covering yourself with a cloak?"

"My cloak was lost when I was captured by the Griffin. And also, I forgot to buy a new one."

"..."

Hearing this, Charlie's impression of Aphrodite was that she was unreliable.

"By the way, has Goddess Aphrodite ever heard of the Hestia Familia?"

"Hestia? How do you know her? Isn't this your first time in Orario?"

Aphrodite wasn't pleased to hear that name coming from Charlie's mouth.

The relationship between the three Goddesses of Beauty and the three Virgin Goddesses wasn't very amicable.

The three Virgin Goddesses are Artemis, Athena, and Hestia.

Aphrodite constantly tried to quarrel with the three Virgin Goddesses, although she was always defeated by Artemis or Athena. In fact, she was jealous of Hestia for having a larger bust size. Although she was feared by other gods and goddesses because of her charm, they ridiculed her for her personality traits, which were clearly disappointing.

"Since you're unwilling to answer, Goddess Aphrodite, forget it, I'll ask another god."

The reason for asking about Hestia was to determine the current timeline. Charlie was just curious whether the plot had started or not.

"No, you mustn't get close to other goddesses! Since you're so insistent, I'll tell you."

"I'm listening."

"I don't know if Hestia has established a Familia or not. As far as I know, after she descended from Heaven, she stayed with Hephaestus at her residence in Babel Tower. Well, that midget might have already been kicked out by Hephaestus to the streets for being a freeloader."

Imagining the event in her mind, Aphrodite had a satisfied expression.

"I see."

This information only confirmed that Hestia was already in the lower world. Charlie needed to verify the existence of the Hestia Familia himself.

"Listen, Charlie, if you have any intention of approaching the Virgin Goddesses, I suggest you give up. Love is important to life, whereas those Virgin Goddesses have remained pure for hundreds of millions of years, losing 2000% of the happiness in life. You're better off choosing a Goddess of Beauty, your life will be filled with love!"

"Thank you for the valuable advice, Goddess Aphrodite. Unfortunately, the thought of romance with a goddess has never crossed my mind."

"Could you at least consider it?"

"I don't know."

Charlie's honest answer left Aphrodite feeling dizzy. For the first time in her life, she doubted her own charm.

Finally, the two of them arrived in front of a large building.

"This is the Guild headquarters." Said Aphrodite.

The Guild manages the monster threats that emerge from the dungeon. Whether it's exchanging magic stones, posting or receiving missions, or seeking information, it's all done here.

Specifically for magic stone exchanges, the Guild is the only place in Orario where adventurers can trade them for money. In other words, they monopolize the magic stone business, making a rule that magic stones can only be traded at the Guild.

Even so, the Guild doesn't monopolize everything. For instance, adventurers can sell drop items elsewhere if they want a higher price.

"..."

As Charlie followed Aphrodite inside, he saw a large hall, announcement boards hanging on the surrounding walls with numerous parchments on them, and adventurers of various races who seemed busy.

The bustling hall suddenly fell silent, unable to ignore Aphrodite's entrance.

Once again, it was proven that Aphrodite's charm was so overpowered that people couldn't take their eyes off her.

Ignoring the awestruck crowd, Aphrodite found an empty staff counter and approached the service window.

"W-Welcome, Aphrodite-sama. How may I assist you?"

The receptionist was an Elf with white hair named Sophie.

Aphrodite chose her not only because the counter was empty but also because she had the same hair color as Charlie.

"I've brought a new member to be registered."

Nodding slightly, her gaze shifted to Charlie beside her.

"Ah, hello. Nice to meet you, my name is Sophie!"

"My name is Charlie Avalon, you can call me Charlie."

Then, Sophie pulled out a piece of paper from under the counter and handed it to him.

Charlie took the paper; he had to fill out some questions related to his identity, such as name, age, level, race, and so on.

"Could you explain the rules after becoming an adventurer?"

"There aren't many binding rules for adventurers, but there are a few rules that must not be broken. First, adventurers cannot kill gods. Second, gods must declare the levels of all their Familia members. Third, exploration-type Familias pay lower taxes but must undertake Guild-mandated missions occasionally. Fourth, if an adventurer wants to engage in a fight with another Familia, they must declare a War Game. Fifth, adventurers can only trade magic stones with the Guild. Sixth, after an adventurer reaches Level 3 or above, they are not allowed outside Orario unless there is a good reason."

"And finally, the Guild is not responsible for any losses in the Dungeon, including the adventurer's own life. Illegal activities beyond certain limits will be penalized. If an adventurer is blacklisted, they won't receive any assistance from the Guild, and all magic stones or drop items will be confiscated."

"That's all. Any questions, Charlie-san?"

"Thank you very much, Sophie. Your explanation was easy to understand."

"It's my duty."

To his surprise, adventurers were quite free. In his previous life, Charlie couldn't act freely to capture criminals due to regulations that restricted his actions.

Then, he began filling out the form with the pen provided. But suddenly, Aphrodite whispered in his ear.

"There's no need to fill out everything. The only parts the Guild cares about are your name and Familia affiliation. People with questionable pasts register all the time, and you can lie or even leave the rest blank, and it's still fine."

"After all, Orario hosts many criminals and fugitives who want to escape their past. The Guild clearly doesn't ask many questions, and given the number of people who die, they're not too worried either. They don't try to ensure that only good people can become adventurers. As long as adventurers can bring back magic stones, they're happy."

"..."

Listening to Aphrodite badmouth the Guild, Sophie just smiled wryly and didn't dispute the statements.

"Understood."

This made it easier for Charlie to create a fake past. Thus, he only filled in the important parts of the form, as Aphrodite suggested.

After completing the registration form, he handed it back to Sophie for inspection.

"Charlie Avalon, Level 1, Hera Familia, 16 years old... Wait, Hera Familia!!!"

Sophie's shocked voice echoed clearly in the Guild hall, which had fallen silent due to Aphrodite's presence.

Instantly, everyone's gaze shifted from Aphrodite to Charlie.

"Ah, I'm very sorry."

Realizing her mistake, Sophie quickly apologized.