Dungeon orario
Bell and Kazuma staggered out of the Dungeon with unsteady steps. Bell helped Kazuma walk, supporting his badly injured body.
It was no wonder—Kazuma's ribs seemed broken after their brutal battle with the Minotaur.
During their return journey, they saw several groups of adventurers killing monsters.
Some of them glanced at Bell and Kazuma, but nobody asked what had happened to them. In Orario, the sight of injured adventurers was nothing unusual.
"Are you sure you're alright, Kazuma-san?" Bell asked worriedly, looking at his companion's face grimacing in pain with every step they took.
"Don't worry," Kazuma replied, trying to smile despite the sharp pain in his chest. "I've been through worse."
Although in his heart, he admitted that the Minotaur's attack might have been one of the strongest blows he had ever received, even compared to the wild boar king he had fought before.
Finally, they exited Babel Tower and walked into the streets of Orario.
As usual, the city was bustling with various activities. Some people glanced their way—especially at Kazuma who was clearly severely injured—but nobody asked questions. In a city full of adventurers, scenes like this were all too common.
"We should go to the Guild now," Bell said softly. "Maybe Eina-san can help..."
Kazuma nodded weakly. "Yes... and I also need to complete my registration."
They continued their journey toward the Adventurers Guild at a slow pace.
---
Upon arriving at the Adventurers Guild, they immediately drew attention.
Several adventurers and staff turned to look at the two young men, one of whom was severely injured.
But the most intense attention came from one corner of the counter, where a half-elf was speaking with another adventurer.
Eina Tulle's eyes widened when she caught sight of Bell and Kazuma. Without wasting time, she immediately left her work and rushed over to them.
"Bell-kun! What happened?" she asked frantically, her eyes checking Bell's condition before shifting to Kazuma who looked far worse. "And you! Aren't you the one who came yesterday for registration?"
"H-hello, Eina-san," Bell greeted nervously. "We... we went into the Dungeon and—"
"Private room," Eina cut him off with a firm tone. "Both of you, come with me now."
Without waiting for a response, Eina quickly pulled the two young men to one of the private consultation rooms provided by the Guild.
Several other employees looked on curiously, but Eina ignored them.
Once in the room, Eina immediately helped Kazuma sit in one of the chairs. Her face showed professional concern, though there was clearly an underlying anger.
"So, can you explain what happened?" Eina asked in a tone that tried to remain calm.
Bell looked down, not daring to meet Eina's eyes directly. "We... we entered the Dungeon this morning. At first everything was fine, we hunted on the first floor and..."
"And you kept going down without adequate preparation," Eina continued, guessing the rest of their story.
Bell nodded shamefully. "We... we got too excited and before we knew it, we had reached the fifth floor. Then we encountered... a Minotaur and were saved by a golden-haired girl."
"A MINOTAUR?!" Eina couldn't hold back her shout.
Bell and Kazuma flinched at Eina's sudden outburst. The half-elf woman quickly realized her voice was too loud and quickly composed herself.
"Sorry," she muttered softly, before looking back at Bell and Kazuma with a serious gaze. "You encountered a Minotaur on the fifth floor? That's a level 2 monster that shouldn't be there!"
Bell swallowed nervously. "Y-yes, we... we didn't know. Suddenly it appeared and..."
"I tried to fight it," Kazuma finally spoke, his voice slightly hoarse from enduring the pain. "But as you can see, the result wasn't too good."
Eina turned her full attention to Kazuma, her gaze full of anger.
"And you! You haven't even completed your registration as an official adventurer! What were you thinking entering the Dungeon without proper preparation like that?"
Kazuma remained silent, unable to argue. Indeed, he had insisted on delaying registration and was too confident about entering the Dungeon.
"You don't understand how dangerous the Dungeon is!" Eina began her lecture.
"Especially you, Kazuma! Entering the Dungeon before becoming an official adventurer? In other words, you went in without receiving basic guidance about things that could save your life in there!"
Kazuma could only bow his head and accept the long lecture from the Guild officer. Bell also looked down beside him, although he wasn't the main target of Eina's anger.
"Look at the consequences now! You went down to the fifth floor and encountered a Minotaur! Fortunately, the Sword Princess Aiz Wallenstein happened to be there. If not, you two might not have been able to return to the surface!"
Eina's lecture continued for almost ten full minutes, explaining the dangers of the Dungeon, the importance of preparation, and how reckless their actions were today.
Kazuma just remained silent, realizing that Eina was right. He had relied too much on his knowledge from anime, without considering that the real world—even a fantastical real world—was far more dangerous than mere entertainment.
"The Dungeon is not a playground," Eina finally concluded her lecture.
"Monsters there don't just seek food, but instinctively hate humans and other surface creatures. They will continue to appear, and one small mistake could mean death."
Kazuma nodded slowly. "You're right, Eina-san. I... underestimated the Dungeon." He truly realized his mistake.
Although he was the best hunter in his village, monsters in the forest and monsters in the Dungeon were clearly different.
In anime, everything looked much easier and simpler—reality turned out to be much harsher.
The room fell silent for a moment. Eina let out a long sigh, her anger beginning to subside after seeing the genuine remorse on the faces of the two young men before her.
Suddenly Bell, who had been quiet all this time, looked up with a flushed face. "Um... Eina-san," he called in a soft voice.
"Yes, Bell-kun?"
"The woman who saved us... Aiz Wallenstein... can you tell me about her?"
The question surprised Eina a little. In the midst of this serious situation, Bell was asking about the girl who had saved them.
"Aiz Wallenstein?" Eina repeated, raising her eyebrow. "Why do you want to know about her?"
Bell's face grew redder. "I-I just... she was very strong and... I-I just want to know more about her..."
Kazuma smiled slightly at Bell's behavior. This was exactly like in the original story—Bell falling in love at first sight with the Sword Princess.
Eina also seemed to catch the meaning behind Bell's question. Her expression changed to something a bit softer.
"Aiz Wallenstein, known as the Sword Princess, is one of the strongest adventurers in Orario. She's level 5 and a member of Loki Familia."
"Level 5?" Bell repeated with sparkling eyes of admiration.
"Yes," Eina continued, "she earned the title Sword Princess because of her extraordinary swordsmanship. She began her career as an adventurer at a very young age and developed at an amazing speed."
Bell nodded enthusiastically, absorbing every piece of information about Aiz like dry soil absorbs rainwater.
"Does... does she have a partner?" Bell suddenly asked, making Kazuma nearly choke on his own saliva.
Eina looked surprised by the direct question. "Bell-kun, don't tell me you..."
"N-no! I'm just curious!" Bell quickly denied, his face already like a boiled crab.
Eina sighed. "Bell-kun, I hope you're not thinking about approaching Aiz Wallenstein. The level difference between you is too great. She's a level 5 adventurer from one of the strongest Familias in Orario, while you've just started your career."
Bell looked down, visibly disappointed by that bitter reality.
"And one more thing," Eina added, "Aiz Wallenstein isn't just strong, but also very popular. There are many other adventurers interested in her, including those stronger than you."
"So... it's impossible for me to..." Bell didn't finish his sentence.
Eina looked at Bell with a bit of pity. "I'm not saying it's impossible, Bell-kun. But the path to get there is very long and rocky."
Kazuma observed their interaction in silence.
He knew that in the original story, Bell's attraction to Aiz was one of the main drivers of his development as an adventurer. The Liaris Freese skill—which gave him rapid growth due to his feelings for Aiz—was proof of this.
"By the way," Eina changed the topic, "we should first complete your registration, Kazuma-san. After that, you can sell the crystals you obtained to get valis."
Kazuma nodded in agreement. Despite being injured, he had to complete that important procedure.
---
After completing Kazuma's registration—which took longer due to his injured condition—they finally headed to the crystal exchange counter. Bell carefully placed all the crystals they had collected, and the Guild clerk began counting them.
"Hmm, mostly from floors one through four, some Goblin, Kobold, and Killer Ant crystals..." the clerk muttered while counting. "And... oh! This is a Minotaur crystal!"
Kazuma and Bell exchanged glances. They hadn't taken the Minotaur crystal after Aiz defeated it. Perhaps the girl had intentionally left it for them.
"Total of everything... 25,450 valis," the clerk announced, handing over a bag containing gold and silver coins to them.
"Wow, that's quite a lot!" exclaimed Bell, his eyes shining at the not insignificant amount. For novice adventurers, 25,450 valis was a very good sum.
"Mostly because of the Minotaur crystal," the Guild clerk explained. "Level 2 monster crystals are far more valuable than upper floor monsters."
Kazuma and Bell divided their earnings equally. Although Kazuma was the one who fought the Minotaur, he felt Bell also deserved an equal share. After all, they were a team.
Once their business at the Guild was finished, Eina escorted them to the exit.
"Be careful," Eina advised, especially to Bell. "And remember, don't rush too much. Practice patiently on the upper floors first before trying to go deeper."
Bell nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you, Eina-san, for all your advice."
As they were about to leave, Eina held Bell back for a moment. "And Bell-kun," she whispered softly, "if you really want to approach Aiz Wallenstein, you must become much stronger. Perhaps if you keep training and level up, someday... she might notice you."
Those words made Bell's face flush red again, but also ignited a fire of determination in his eyes. "I'll try my best, Eina-san! I'll become stronger!"
Kazuma smiled seeing Bell's enthusiasm. He didn't know if Bell had already obtained the Liaris Freese skill or not, but the motivation to become stronger to pursue Aiz was clearly formed.
---
With money in their pockets and valuable lessons from today's experience, Bell and Kazuma walked back to their "home"—the basement of the old church where Goddess Hestia lived.
"Kazuma-san, we should use some of the valis to buy healing potions," Bell suggested as they walked. "Your injuries are quite serious."
Kazuma nodded in agreement. "Good idea. We also need to buy new equipment. My spear broke while fighting the Minotaur."
They stopped at one of the medicine shops and bought several bottles of healing potions at a rather expensive price—almost using up a third of the valis they had earned. However, health was more important than money, especially for adventurers.
Finally, after a journey that felt long due to Kazuma's condition, they arrived at the old church where Hestia lived. Carefully, they descended the stairs to the basement.
"Goddess, we're home," Bell called out as they reached the basement room that had become their home.
"Bell-kun!" A delighted cry was heard before Hestia's small figure darted from inside the room, immediately throwing herself toward Bell. "You're back! I was so worried!"
The black-haired goddess hugged Bell tightly, even checking his entire body to make sure there were no injuries.
"You're not hurt? Nothing painful? All body parts still intact?"
"I-I'm fine, Goddess," Bell replied, his face slightly reddening from Hestia's intense attention. "Just a few scrapes, nothing serious."
"Thank goodness!" Hestia sighed in relief, before finally noticing Kazuma's presence standing not far from them.
Her expression changed to worry when she saw Kazuma's clearly severely injured condition. "Kazuma-kun! What happened to you?"
"Just a small accident in the Dungeon," Kazuma answered lightly, trying not to make their goddess more worried.
"Nothing to worry about."
Kazuma's mouth twitched slightly seeing the difference in Hestia's attitude toward him and Bell.
He had already suspected that goddess Hestia had a special affection for Bell as the first member of her familia. Although he and Bell joined the Familia on the same day, it was clear that Bell held a special place in the goddess's heart.
"You must tell me everything," Hestia demanded, helping Kazuma sit in one of the chairs. "But first, we need to treat your wounds, Kazuma-kun."
Bell immediately took the healing potion they had bought earlier and handed it to Hestia.
"Wait, you bought potions?" Hestia asked in surprise. "This must have been very expensive! Did you get a lot of crystals in the Dungeon?"
"Yes, we sold some magic stones," answered Kazuma, slowly drinking the potion given to him.
A bitter taste immediately spread in his mouth, but he quickly felt its effect—the pain began to decrease gradually. "We got quite a lot of valis."
"Oh!" exclaimed Hestia, suddenly remembering something. She ran to the table in the corner of the room and returned with a proud expression. "Ta-da! Look what I got!"
In her hand, Hestia held a familiar food package—jagamarukun, a popular snack shaped like balls made of corn and fried in special oil.
"Wow, jagamarukun!" Bell exclaimed happily. "Where did the Goddess get them?"
"Hehe," Hestia smiled widely, clearly proud of her achievement. "I recently started working at an eatery. Because it was busy with customers, the owner gave me this as a gift!"
"Goddess has started working?" Bell asked, surprised and impressed.
"Of course! I can't keep depending on you, my precious adventurers," Hestia answered with a proud tone.
But then her expression changed to sadness as she saw Kazuma who was still wincing in pain despite having drunk the potion. "But I'm still a useless goddess, can't even buy potions to heal you..."
"Don't say that, Goddess," Kazuma spoke up, his voice more serious than usual. "You've given us Falna, a home to return to, and invaluable support. That's more than enough."
Kazuma's words moved Hestia. Tears began to gather at the corners of her eyes. "Kazuma-kun... thank you. I'm really lucky to have both of you."
Bell smiled seeing the interaction. Though newly joined to this Familia, Kazuma had already shown his loyalty to the goddess—an attitude that Bell greatly appreciated.
"Well," Hestia wiped her eyes, becoming enthusiastic again.
"After you eat and rest a bit, how about we update your status? I'm sure you've experienced many things today that will increase your abilities!"
"That's a great idea, Goddess!" Bell agreed enthusiastically.
They enjoyed the jagamarukun together while Bell recounted their experience in the Dungeon—of course with some parts softened so as not to make Hestia too worried.
However, he couldn't hide the fact that they had encountered a Minotaur and been saved by Aiz Wallenstein.
"So... this Wallenstein was the one who saved you?" asked Hestia, her expression changing slightly upon hearing Aiz's name.
"Yes! She's very strong and beautiful, Goddess!" Bell answered with sparkling eyes, unaware of Hestia's change in expression. "She defeated the Minotaur in just a few seconds!"
"Hmm, I see..." muttered Hestia, her tone of voice changing slightly.
While Bell continued to praise Aiz enthusiastically, Kazuma was busy bandaging his injured abdomen. Although the healing potion had reduced the pain and accelerated healing, his physical wounds still needed to be properly cared for. He did it himself because Bell and Hestia didn't know how to tie bandages correctly.
"She's like a hero from a fairy tale, Goddess!" Bell was still continuing his praise of Aiz. "Do you know Aiz Wallenstein? What is she really like?"
Hestia pursed her lips. "Aiz Wallenstein..." she began with a clearly less enthusiastic tone. "Yes, she is indeed strong. She is one of the strongest level 5 adventurers from Loki Familia."
"Loki Familia?" Bell asked curiously. "Is that a big familia?"
"Very big and wealthy," Hestia answered, somewhat reluctantly.
"And yes, Aiz Wallenstein is indeed popular. Many male adventurers like her and try to approach her." She glanced at Bell with a suspicious look.
"Don't tell me you're interested in her too, Bell-kun?"
Bell immediately became flustered, his face reddening. "I-I just admire her strength, Goddess!"
"Hmph," Hestia folded her arms across her chest. "Besides, a girl like her probably already has many suitors. Maybe there's already a man in her heart."
Kazuma smiled in amusement seeing their interaction.
It was clear that Hestia was jealous of Bell's interest in Aiz. In the anime, the rivalry between Hestia and Aiz (or more precisely, Hestia's one-sided hatred toward Aiz) was one of the consistent sources of humor.
"Anyway, forget about that Wallenstein," said Hestia, clearly wanting to change the topic. "Now, let's update your status. Bell-kun, you first."
Bell obeyed, taking off his shirt and lying face down on the sofa, while Hestia sat beside him and pricked her finger to release a drop of divine blood.
She applied the blood to Bell's back and began reading the status that appeared.
While Hestia was busy with Bell, Kazuma leaned against the wall, letting the comfort of the healing potion continue to work against the pain in his body.
Although the battle with the Minotaur ended in a crushing defeat, he didn't regret it. The experience taught him many things about this world—especially about the vast difference in strength between levels.
"This... impossible..." Hestia suddenly muttered, making both Kazuma and Bell turn to her.
"Bell-kun... your speed and strength status have increased dramatically! And this..." Hestia stopped, staring at something that appeared in Bell's Falna with disbelief.
"What is it, Goddess?" Bell asked curiously.
Hestia quickly completed the ritual, then gave the status paper to Bell. However, when Bell looked at the paper, he noticed there was a section that looked blurry, as if erased or deliberately obscured.
"Goddess, it seems there's a part that's not clear on my status paper," Bell said in confusion.
Hestia laughed nervously. "Ah ha ha, maybe my finger was a bit itchy when I was writing. Nothing to worry about!"
Bell looked at Hestia with a confused gaze, but didn't push it. He then asked, "But Goddess, is it really impossible for me and Aiz-san... I mean, she's from Loki Familia and I..."
"Bell-kun," Hestia cut in with a serious tone. "Aiz Wallenstein is a level 5 adventurer from Loki Familia. She lives in a different world from us. It's impossible for you two to be together."
Seeing the disappointment on Bell's face, Hestia added gently, "But who knows? Your status has increased incredibly fast after meeting the Minotaur. Perhaps someday, if you continue to train and become stronger..."
"Really, Goddess?!" Bell asked hopefully.
Hestia nodded, albeit reluctantly. "But remember, strength isn't everything. And there are many other nice girls in Orario."
Bell smiled widely, new enthusiasm igniting in his eyes. "I'll train harder from now on!"
Kazuma, who had been listening all along, could only smile. He knew exactly that what Hestia was hiding was the "Liaris Freese" skill—an ability that made Bell grow very quickly because of his feelings toward Aiz. How ironic that Bell's love for Aiz, which Hestia tried to hide, would actually become the greatest power that would lead Bell to become a great adventurer.