Chapter 113: Is Adventure Truly Such an Inconvenient Thing?

“What?”

The merchant’s gaze at Roland suddenly grew strange. Looking at Aster, whose exquisite features were almost dazzling, he simply could not understand why such a delicate young girl had been called a sword by Roland.

The silver-haired girl, whose hair fell to her waist, answered Roland in a voice devoid of inflection.

“Yes. Aster is her master’s sword.”

The words were undeniably provocative, yet Aster’s face remained expressionless.

“Good girl.”

Roland nodded in satisfaction, then reached out without hesitation and began stroking the girl’s head.

“…Mmm.”

Though taken by surprise, Aster did not resist in the slightest. She merely narrowed her eyes in comfort.

What an outrageous master-and-servant pair…

Watching the affectionate exchange between Roland and Aster, the merchant’s mouth twitched. Not wishing to be force-fed any more of their radiance, he simply shifted his attention back to driving.

“Master… He doesn’t seem to believe us.”

Aster glanced at the merchant. Her expression remained as innocent as ever, yet she seemed to have seen straight through his thoughts. Leaning close to Roland’s ear, she breathed warm air against him and murmured in a voice that made the heart itch.

“Shall I prove it to him?”

“There’s no need. The contract between Aster and me does not require anyone else’s acknowledgment.”

Aster’s full weight rested against Roland. Through the clothing woven from magic, her cream-like skin conveyed a wonderful warmth and softness.

He gently brought his hand before her and let her gaze fall upon the spirit sigil on its back.

The taciturn girl extended a finger and softly caressed the marked hand. A strange radiance flickered in her eyes.

“Yes, my destined master.”

By the end of the Fourth War, Roland had already gained a general impression of the contracted spirits belonging to the various ranks. The one who filled the vacant position among the purple spirits was Medea.

That was right. Although their conditions were just as unique as those of the blue spirits, and they also demanded particular qualities from their contractors, the purple spirits were set apart for one reason: they were alive.

Purple spirits generally signed contracts with the Key of All Spirits of their own accord because they possessed special needs that could not otherwise be satisfied. For that reason, they were also the rarest. In most cases, both spirit and contractor chose one another.

Although Roland had already formed some suspicions when he heard the introduction, he still could not conceal his astonishment when he saw her with his own eyes.

The highest-ranking spirit of the sword, the Holy Sword of Demon Annihilation—even to him in his current state, she was a weapon of extraordinary value.

During the process of accumulating power merely to complete his rank, he had somehow acquired qualities worthy of Aster’s choice. He could not help marveling at the strange workings of fate.

Of course, the most important thing was that he had discovered how to integrate himself into this world.

Not as an adventurer. Not as a god.

As a hero, announcing his arrival to Orario.

In the most orthodox heroic epics, before the gods had descended and before the Blessings had appeared, humanity had relied on beings known as spirits to resist the calamities dwelling within the dungeon.

They had always acted as guides and even assistants to heroes. Born with the power to perform miracles, they were incarnations of the elements and capable of countless feats: forging supreme equipment, wielding the highest forms of magic, and even transforming into weapons to aid the heroes of antiquity in battle.

Because their power vastly surpassed that of the other races, and because of their benevolent conduct, they were widely regarded as the race closest to the gods. They were also called “the children most beloved by the gods” and “the incarnations of the gods.”

In the past, spirits had been the true source of the term “divine blessing.” Moreover, because of their scarcity, they were even more legendary than the gods.

After all, the blessings developed by the gods still fell slightly short of what spirits could provide. And compared with the gods, who could be found everywhere, the traces of spirits had long since vanished. If those useless gods had not definitively confirmed that spirits truly existed, they might well have been dismissed as mere legends.

Aster’s nature and the worldview from which she came made her a perfect fit for that role.

As for Roland, the one she had chosen, it was only reasonable that he possessed formidable strength and aptitude. With such an identity as cover, even if some disturbance truly arose in Orario later, no one would connect it to him.

While Roland was lost in thought, the merchant’s delighted voice came from beside him.

“We’ve arrived, Lord Roland. Look.”

He called out to Roland in a tone filled with shared pride and pointed toward the circular city whose outline had finally come into view—a place that seemed capable of existing only in fantasy.

“That is the center of the world, the labyrinth city—Orario.”

Roland instinctively raised his head. Before long, his attention was captured by the towering white tower at the very heart of the city, rising high into the clouds.

He entered Orario without much difficulty. Because of the city’s special nature, the guards at the gate merely checked whether newcomers possessed a Blessing, ensuring that they were not troublemakers sent by a hostile Familia, and then promptly let them pass.

With Aster deliberately suppressing her presence, a few people did look at the pair curiously, but no melodramatic incident occurred. Roland entered the city smoothly.

He soon understood why.

The bustling streets were filled with streams of pedestrians crossing in every direction, presenting a scene that seemed to exist only in fantasy.

Among the crowds, the humans Roland was familiar with were far from numerous. In their place were all manner of fantastical races.

There were elves with long, pointed ears, delicate features, and an elegance in both dress and bearing. There were beastmen, marked by animal-like traits, various ears and tails, and powerful physiques. There were diminutive people less than half the height of an ordinary human, whose appearances ranged from elderly to youthful. And there were Amazons with wheat-colored skin and revealing clothing even more daring than anything Roland, a man from the modern world, was accustomed to seeing.

These races, each with their own distinct style, walked harmoniously together through the streets, conversing without the slightest barrier between them. Accompanied by the vigorous cries of the surrounding vendors, the sight stirred a faint excitement in Roland.

I have never seen anything like this.

This was the first time he had witnessed a genuine otherworld. Even within the Saint Lord’s memories, apart from humanity, his only impressions had been of demons and monsters in every grotesque shape imaginable.

Though the streets appeared noisy, they were not chaotic. The Guild, which governed the city, had the fundamental duty of preserving order. In addition, the security force operated by the Familia founded by Ganesha—who looked like a complete fool but was, at heart, a genuinely good man—helped maintain peace throughout Orario.

At least, peace on the surface had been preserved. To supply the logistical needs of the gods’ Familias and the adventurers, ordinary people in this labyrinth city faced little danger so long as they avoided deliberately wandering into secluded alleys.

Yet in a city containing perhaps more adventurers than anywhere else in the world, conflicts hidden in the shadows never ceased.

Humanity could not even solve the oppression within its own race, let alone in a city where multiple races lived side by side.

The gods, meanwhile, were pure pleasure-seekers. Most of the time, they acted for amusement alone. They cared nothing for the injustices endured by the inhabitants of the lower world. Some gods even treated the Familias they had founded with utter indifference, abandoning them to fend for themselves.

It was no wonder that the merchant had been so worried about Roland’s carefree attitude when they entered the city.

After all, Roland was currently on the visible dark side of humanity’s evil. Setting aside his physical qualities compared with those of Servants, as well as the twelve talismans, the Beast’s Authority, and his still-incomplete Stand, he was simply weak and pitiful when compared with the strongest people in this world.

After taking in the surrounding sights, Roland had not gone far before arriving at the Guild, the city’s governing organization.

As the center of power responsible for Orario’s operation, the building was strikingly conspicuous. It resembled a magnificent temple. Upon entering the first-floor hall, Roland swept his gaze across the bulletin boards and the crowds gathered around them before quickly fixing his attention on the receptionists in their matching uniforms.

Their attire possessed a distinctly modern quality: white shirts and sleeveless waistcoats on top, black trousers below. Most of them were also attractive enough that they would not have seemed out of place even in Fuyuki City.

There was no need to ask who had brought this masterpiece into the world. Still, Roland had to admire the gods’ sense of style.

Uniforms were a magnificent civilization.

Especially when the receptionists wearing them were easy on the eyes.

Following his instincts, Roland approached the prettiest one, Aster walking beside him.

“Hello. How may I help you become an adventurer?”

Aina, who had been organizing documents, raised her head and looked at the young man before her with some surprise. She had never heard a voice so clear and melodious.

She had a pair of pointed ears resembling an elf’s, though their curve was less pronounced. Warm light gleamed in her emerald eyes, and a faint smile habitually adorned her sweet, lovely face. It distinguished her from the natural aloofness traditionally associated with elves and made her feel far more approachable.

Beneath her neat uniform, her graceful figure was fully apparent.

Though a half-elf of mixed blood, Aina’s personality had made her the most popular receptionist in the Guild. As a result, adventurers often approached her, forcing her to dismiss them with the excuse that she was busy handling official matters.

“Forgive me. I will process your request immediately.”

As Aina took out a form, she examined Roland.

Black hair and red eyes were rare even among humans. More importantly, there was a natural air about him, one that inspired trust. The adorable girl clinging tightly to his back only strengthened that impression.

Still, he looks rather young. Did some unreliable god lure him here?

Aina unfolded the form and began her customary questions.

“Which god’s Familia do you belong to?”

“I don’t belong to one.”

Roland answered in a bright, confident voice, but those brief words left Aina staring at him in disbelief.

“Pardon?”

It was not particularly unusual for someone in Orario to belong to no Familia. Aina herself worked at the Guild simply to supplement her household income. But for an adventurer, it was extremely abnormal.

“Without a Familia, you cannot enter the dungeon. It is far too dangerous for an ordinary person.”

Even so, Aina instinctively continued to show him goodwill.

Roland did not appear weak, and he was already an adult. If he possessed decent innate qualities and some particular talents, joining a Familia would not be especially difficult.

“What kind of Familia would you like to join? Since you want to become an adventurer, I imagine you are mainly interested in an exploration-oriented Familia. In that case, why not come back in a few days? Gods occasionally ask us to help recruit new members. I can keep an eye out for you.”

“There’s no need.”

Roland merely smiled and firmly rejected her kindness.

“I have no reputation at present. Joining a Familia would be no different from begging to be chosen like merchandise. Rather than being chosen, I would prefer to seize the right of choice myself after I have caused a sensation throughout Orario.”

Roland spoke as though stating an obvious fact. The arrogance in his words was almost tangible.

Even though Aina was not an adventurer, she was shaken by what he had said. Was it not perfectly normal for gods to select the inhabitants of the lower world?

The gods were transcendent beings, yet in Roland’s mouth they sounded like equals—or even beings beneath him. Over the years she had worked as a receptionist, Aina had encountered all kinds of adventurers. That was why she could tell that the young man before her was not putting on an act. He truly believed every word he had said.

“But… if you do not join a Familia, how will you enter the dungeon?”

“Does the Guild have a rule stating that one must belong to a Familia to enter the dungeon?”

The question left Aina speechless. The Guild indeed had no such rule, because every rational person understood that entering the dungeon without a Blessing was tantamount to suicide.

Even the goblins on the first floor could kill an ordinary person without combat experience if they attacked in sufficient numbers.

Even a naturally gifted member of one of the various races would reach the limits of their ability after descending into the upper levels. In the past, the historical records had preserved the image of armies numbering in the tens of thousands being crushed by a single minotaur.

Not everyone was a legendary hero capable of turning the tide and guiding the development of an era.

“That is true, but…”

Aina still wanted to say something more, but Roland only smiled faintly and spoke in a resolute tone.

“Since that is the case, please register me as an adventurer.”

“—Can’t one go adventuring without a Blessing? What kind of adventure would be so inconvenient?”

Sorry for the late update. I adjusted the pacing of the story a little.

(End of Chapter)