05 - Lunch With the Garcias

I've just finished tidying up my room, and it's already midday. I have plenty of time before diving into the dungeon, but first, my stomach is growling, signaling that I should eat something.

If I dive into dungeons on an empty stomach during my growth phase, it'll be a real pain. Protein is a must, but I want to keep my diet balanced.

Nevertheless...

'Goodness, I know I'm hungry, but this is an overload of calories!'

A massive mound of rice and side dishes sat in front of me. It must be at least 2000 or even 3000 calories! Packed with fried foods, carbs, and fats, it was a menu designed to pack on the pounds, not to mention the minimal presence of vegetables.

"Sorry, but I'll have to ask for smaller portions."

"It's your favorite fried chicken and shrimp tempura. Are you feeling unwell?"

Garcia's mother asked with concern, her hand resting on her cheek. I didn't recall asking her to prepare such a feast, but if I eat like this every day, I'll definitely gain weight. Despite my stomach's protests, I summoned my willpower to resist.

"I'm trying to watch my weight, so I'll stick mostly to vegetables."

"When did you start liking vegetables, big brother?"

My sister arched an eyebrow, clearly suspicious.

I had to think fast.

"I've been trying some new things."

"Really? But you're so skinny already."

"I'm just maintaining."

Standing at 180cm tall and weighing around 69kg, I couldn't afford to gain weight and lose this slim build of mine.

"I'm heading to the dungeon now."

"Already? Take care in there."

"Yes, mother. Excuse me."

Sophia Garcia, the cute baby-faced girl with a twintail in front of me, Theodore's younger sister, mumbled something and glanced suspiciously. Could she be suspicious by her brother sudden change?!

"Take me to the dungeon too, brother."

Oh, I thought she got suspicious about me...

"Sorry, Sophie. You know the rules. It's too dangerous for you."

"But I can handle it! I'm not scared!"

"Sophie, sweetie, you need to listen to your brother."

Sophia pouted, clearly disappointed. She was adamant about wanting to accompany me to the dungeon. However, laws prohibited anyone under 15 from entering the dungeon, including junior high students. While the first and second floors were relatively safe, there were still risks involved, necessitating these age restrictions to safeguard citizens.

Originally, the prohibition extended to those under 18, but the rise of crimes and terrorist activities using physical enhancements in the era of the Artificial Magical Field or shortened as AMF, prompted the government to lower the age limit to 15. Even so, Sophia, being under 15 and in junior high, wouldn't be allowed to enter.

My mother tried to soothe Sophia's disappointment, doting on her as she usually did. Back on Earth, I never experienced such warmth within my family, and witnessing this scene now felt both heartwarming and fragile.

Memories of my own family were faint, but scenes like this stirred something deep within me. I felt a strong desire to protect this family that Garcia cherished so dearly, to make amends for whatever transgressions had led me to inhabit his body. The dungeon might be off-limits under normal circumstances, but there were a few exceptions.

"It'll be a while, Sophie, but if you behave well, I promise we'll go together someday."

"Yeah! I promise to be good!"

Sophia happily agreed and skipped back to her room, humming with excitement. My mother returned to her gardening, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Watching them go, I breathed a sigh of relief.

They hadn't questioned the contents of my bag earlier, but they must have found it strange. If I suddenly claimed I had switched things around, they'd think I was crazy. That wasn't a conversation I wanted to have.

To avoid unnecessary confusion and integrate into this world, I needed to fully recall Theodore Garcia's personality, his mannerisms, and habits. Being single for so long, living with others was a new experience, and my thoughts were still muddled.

Despite this, Theo's memories and emotions surfaced, blending with my own, molding me into this new "Theo". It was a peculiar transformation.

Questions lingered. How could Theodore, who seemed well-loved by his family, become such a self-destructive figure at school? Was it simply his obsession with Akari Hoshimi, or was there more to it?

In the game, Theodore Garcia was depicted as a jerk, offering little insight. At school, I aimed to keep a low profile, steering clear of Akari Hoshimi as much as possible.

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After finishing a light lunch that almost overfilled me, I changed into my junior high school jersey and got ready for the dungeon. As I descended the stairs with my backpack filled with magic stones, I saw my mother tending to her flowers in the garden.

"I'm heading to the dungeon now," I called out.

"You're going there empty-handed? Aren't you taking anything with you?" she asked, looking concerned.

"I found an aluminum baseball bat in my room, so I'll take that with me. I'm only going to the first floor today, so it'll be enough," I reassured her.

On the first floor of the dungeon, hidden monsters can sometimes appear, but it's mostly just slimes. A baseball bat should be sufficient. I'll be able to rent weapons during the orientation at academy, and if I find a good one, I'll rent it then.

To protect myself and my family from any upcoming threats, I need to become strong. The journey may be long, but I'll keep my spirits high and push forward!

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I jogged back to the academy where the dungeon was located, burning some calories along the way.

By the way, there really are a lot of people around here.

In my original world, this area was a quiet residential city with parks, but in this world, it's a bustling economic zone. Adventurers and dungeon-related companies from all over the country have gathered here, creating a population of over 900,000. This is the only place in Japan with dungeons. Land prices have skyrocketed, with rents for a single room exceeding those in central Tokyo.

As I looked at the stores around me, I remembered what I needed to do first to enter the dungeon.

Normally, entering a dungeon requires a tedious registration process, an interview, several training sessions, and then a written exam, which can take several months. However, my homeroom teacher mentioned that students of the adventurer academy had already passed the strict government screening process and would be issued an adventurer's card immediately by showing their terminal.

So, let's head to the Adventurer's Guild first.

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The adventurer's guild is a familiar organization in other-worldly fantasy, and in this world, it serves a similar purpose. Here, adventurers can register and manage their profiles, buy and sell items, and accept quests.

The first notable difference between this guild and a typical fantasy adventurer's guild is the sheer number of users. Over 10 million adventurers are registered, and more than 100,000 use this vast organization daily. Within the Adventurer's Guild buildings, private companies conduct research and development, open stores, and provide public facilities such as hospitals and libraries, which are frequented by many people besides adventurers.

The guild also treats the injured from both in and out of dungeons, manages public safety, and dispatches high-ranking adventurers to handle disputes among adventurers. For these reasons, the Adventurers' Guild is housed in a modern high-rise complex with over 40 floors.

I stopped at the entrance of this massive building and couldn't help but look up.

"I could see it from the school building, but it's enormous..."

With a lot of people walking by, I decided to move quickly from the entrance to the inside.

The interior had modern brick walls and marble flooring, with enough space for several hundred people to move around comfortably. On the left side was a row of bank-like reception areas, and on the right side were several elevators and escalators, bustling with people moving about in a hurry.

As I recall, there were some events here where I got tangled up, but at this time of day, there were relatively few people on the street and no rude adventurers.

The receptionist for new adventurers is over there at...

"Welcome. What can I do for you?"

The friendly receptionist greeted me with a smile. She seemed well-trained, not like the fantasy novels where receptionists change their attitude based on an adventurer's appearance or rank.

"I'd like to register as a new adventurer."

"You're a student at the Adventurer's Academy, aren't you? Please enter your name and the terminal ID number on your arm here."

When she noticed the adventurer school terminal on my arm, she handed me a registration form. So, this is the terminal ID.

"This is your adventurer ID. Since you're a student at the Adventurer's School, there's no registration fee. Adventurer ranks start at Silver level. Everything you need to know about being an adventurer is written in this manual, but if you have any questions, please feel free to come back."

She handed me the adventurer ID card. From now on, I could enter the dungeon by holding up either this card or the terminal on my arm to the machine at the entrance. The card also serves as my ID, so I'll keep it in my backpack. I'll read the manual later.

Now, let's head to the dungeon entrance. I can't contain the excitement welling inside me.