Chapter 2

God's Grace is essential to enter the dungeon. If you do not have God's Grace, it means that you do not belong to a <Familia >. Entering the dungeon without it is forbidden and will be severely punished by the Adventurers' Guild.

According to the explanation, to be honest, I was not a member of a Familia, and I did not possess God's Grace. I was just an ordinary person who had found his way into this world by force.

That's right, all this time, I had entered the dungeon without anyone noticing. Or, at least, that's how it should have been.

Before I could defend myself, Rose changed her tone and became more serious.

"Eithan, there's a recruitment tomorrow. You know what that means, don't you?"

Of course I did. From time to time, Familias held recruitment events where new adventurers could join their ranks. It was a chance to become stronger, to gain wealth... and also, if you were like me, a chance to be discovered by the gods.

"You should go to the recruitment, Eithan. No, I'm not looking for your approval, you definitely will."

"Ugh..."

I looked at the ground with an uneasy and hesitant expression.

There are many rules in these Familias, and every single one of them is important. You don't have to be strong, but you have to do whatever they tell you. Not to mention that the Familia would get the lion's share of the profits from the Drop Items and Magic Stones, while I would only get a little bit of the money left over.

But aside from my little interest in recruitment, no one wants to turn down the tempting offer to join a Familia if it catches their eye.

The reasons are simple. If your dream is to reach a position where your desires can be fulfilled with a few words, you have to join a Familia and reach a high point in the chain. Otherwise, you'll just have to keep working out here, and you won't get into much trouble other than having to deal with a boring job.

All things considered, things are going to get a bit more complicated now.

"If you don't go, I will notify the guild myself."

It was unavoidable. I was genuinely grateful to her.

Rose, who works for the Adventurer's Guild, has been my guide and my lifeline since I got to Orario. From the start, she should have exposed me. Not belonging to a Familia was a big risk. When she caught me at the dungeon entrance without God's Grace, I thought my time as an adventurer was up. However, even though it was tough to get her to see it my way, Rose just turned a blind eye. Maybe it was because she knew I was short on cash or because she saw how hard I was trying to learn the ropes of being a good adventurer.

She was pretty strict and very loyal to her job, and yet somehow she let me stay in Orario as an independent adventurer for a week.

She gave me a questioning look. "And... what's your answer?"

I did the only thing I could do when faced with such a question.

"I'm at your service, Rosy."

It seemed like the wrong answer because her stoic face turned into a grimace. "I told you not to call me that."

"Then why don't we choose a nice Familia? Ideally, it would be a Familia that doesn't ask a lot of questions and has few or no members. Oh, and I'd be really grateful if it was a goddess, a nice one."

Rose sighed, crossing her arms under her chest. Oh, they're big.

"You're being irrational. Not all Familias are bad."

"Maybe. But what you really want is for me to join a strong Familia. Then I'll be safe, and you won't have to worry about an adventurer under your care dying anymore, right?"

Rose opened her eyes, taken aback. For a second, it seemed like I'd hurt her.

"Eithan, hah~ whatever. At least you'll be in a Familia that cares about you. I've already got one in mind that would be perfect for you. I think you'd be at home with them, considering your lifestyle."

I gave a shrug. The pieces fall into place. With just a couple of comments, I've managed to get her to change her mind about assigning me to a powerful Familia full of prying eyes. No, there's no particular reason for that. It certainly has nothing to do with that big-breasted Loli goddess... No, that's not it. Nope.

"Thanks for all your help so far."

I excused myself before she could say anything else.

"Grururu..."

My stomach growled, which was a bit of a giveaway that I was trying to keep my composure. Given the short distance I'd managed to put between us, I was pretty sure Rose heard it. Heat instantly built up in my cheeks. Oh, world, please swallow me...

"Do I have to worry about you starving to death tonight?"

"You know, Rose. You're a bit harsh on me, but I love you very much."

Her cheeks tinged a light pink. Was it the way I said that? It's irrelevant, though. I liked seeing her like that, with that surprised expression on her face.

"Oh, and Eithan."

I paused and turned to look at her. Her face had regained its usual seriousness.

"Just be careful, okay? Don't die so fast."

Rose doesn't usually show her feelings, but her little confession was even more tender because of that.

Rose, you have such a kind heart. If you keep saying things like that, I'm going to fall in love with you.

"Thanks. That'll be tough for me."

That sentence sounded much better in my head, but she thought it was quite funny. For a moment, I almost thought I saw her upper lip pull up in a little twitch. Wait, did she just smile? Really?

"Don't get too excited. You're a nice guy, but that doesn't mean you're not a bit silly."

Naturally, I had gotten too excited. Anyway, her cute smile hit me like a ray of sunshine in the middle of summer. Tonight, I'll be able to sleep with a little more joy in my heart.

I said goodbye to her and headed over to the exchange desk. Once there, I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Magic Stones I'd stored in my Inventory to make sure I didn't arouse any suspicion.

I traded them in for a total of 3,000 valis, which wasn't a lot, but it'd be enough for a decent meal in a tavern.

***

Dear Isis and Sister,

I hope this finds you well. I wanted to let you know that it has been a week since I arrived in this new world, and I have taken my first steps towards my goal. It's a hard place and the people are aloof, but I've found some warmth amidst the cold.

A woman named Rose came over to me. At first, she seemed aloof and even cold, like the others, but over time I've discovered that there's a kind and sweet person behind that mask. I'd love for you to meet her one day.

That said, I also hope that one day you can read this note and find out about my adventures in this other world.