Alise threw an arm around Mizuki’s shoulders, and pulled him close.
“Of course I know him!”
She lifted her chin and announced proudly to everyone in the hall,
“This is the newest member of our Astraea Familia, Mizuki!”
“And this lovely renard, Haruhime!”
Alise’s clear, booming voice echoed throughout the entire Guild hall.
“What? He really belongs to the Astraea Familia?”
“Good gods, that all-female justice faction actually took in a guy?”
“Wait, so that sword technique earlier was…”
“If they are accepting male members now, maybe I have a shot too?”
“A shot at what? Could you swing a blade like that?”
The murmurs of the crowd shifted from skepticism to awe.
Chandra looked mortified.
He felt entirely like a fool, thoroughly humiliated in front of the entire hall.
“As for you…”
Alise shifted her gaze back to Chandra, who stood frozen in panic.
The warmth vanished from her expression, replaced by a cold, sharp glare.
“What were you saying before?”
“An illusion?”
“Ruining our familia’s reputation?”
“You were going to tie them up yourself and drag them to our base?”
With every sentence, Alise took a heavy step forward.
Chandra shrank back under the immense pressure radiating from her.
He realized then that it had not been a trick at all.
That was genuine, terrifying combat prowess capable of cutting him down where he stood.
“I… I…”
Chandra’s lips trembled, but he could not string together a coherent sentence, terrified that Alise might make an example out of him.
“Hmph!”
Alise gave a sharp snort, her voice commanding absolute authority.
“The Astraea Familia handles its own affairs, and it is certainly not the place of the Soma Familia to tell us what to do!”
“Next time, watch who you pick on!”
“Get out!”
Feeling as though he had been granted a pardon from death, Chandra kept his head down and scurried out of the Guild hall without glancing back, running as if a monster were right on his heels.
Once the nuisance was gone, Alise dropped her stern demeanor and returned to her usual boisterous self.
“Alright, show is over! Clear out, everyone!”
She waved off the surrounding adventurers, then turned toward Eina.
“Sorry about the mess, Miss Eina.”
“No, it is quite alright.”
Eina quickly waved her hands, her perception of Mizuki shifting entirely.
Her gaze held a mix of surprise and intrigue.
Collecting herself, she put on her usual professional demeanor.
She placed two identification tags bearing their personal details and familia crest onto the counter before Mizuki and Haruhime.
“Mizuki, Haruhime, welcome to Orario as official adventurers.”
“If you ever need advice regarding the dungeon, please feel free to ask me anytime.”
Mizuki took the tags and turned to Alise.
“Thank you, Captain.”
“Come on, we are familia now, no need to be formal!”
Alise slapped him on the back with a grin.
“I still have to post some quests. Once you are done here, go get some proper gear. Do not hold back on the money, buy reliable equipment, especially good armor. And remember, do not go too deep into the dungeon!”
With that, she gave a jaunty wave and marched off toward the quest boards.
Eina’s gaze lingered on the registration form she had just set aside.
The Astraea Familia had taken in someone truly extraordinary.
Mizuki.
Eina committed the name to memory.
She had a strong feeling this name would soon resonate across Orario.
With the registration complete, Mizuki prepared to leave with Haruhime.
“Excuse me, Mr. Mizuki.”
Eina called out after him.
Mizuki turned to see the half-elf clerk stepping around the counter with a polite smile.
“Are you heading out to purchase equipment now?”
Eina glanced down at the simple clothes Mizuki and Haruhime were wearing.
“Yes. Walking into the dungeon dressed like this is practically asking for trouble,” Mizuki chuckled.
Eina smiled at his remark, then offered, “The upper levels of Babel house the workshops of the Hephaestus Familia, the finest smiths in the city.”
“With the backing of the Astraea Familia, you certainly will not need Guild loans, but if you would like, I can guide you there and make introductions.”
“That would be a great help, thank you,” Mizuki agreed without hesitation.
Having an experienced guide was far better than searching blindly on their own.
Guided by Eina, the group made their way through the busy hall to the adventurer elevators leading up into Babel.
“The Hephaestus Familia operates stores between the fourth and eighth floors of Babel,” Eina explained pleasantly as the elevator began its ascent.
“The lower levels offer equipment tailored for novices at very accessible prices.”
“As you go higher, the quality and cost increase dramatically. The topmost floors even showcase masterpieces crafted by the goddess Hephaestus herself, though those are either display pieces or carry astronomical price tags.”
Mizuki nodded in understanding.
The weapon Hestia commissioned for Bell in the anime, crafted by Hephaestus, had cost a staggering two hundred million valis.
Before long, the elevator came to a halt on the fourth floor.
The doors slid open, letting in a wave of dry heat carrying the scent of hot iron and furnace fires.
Beyond the threshold lay a spacious circular hall, its walls lined with an immense variety of gear.
Rows upon rows of blades, polearms, axes, plate armor, and reinforced leather gear gleamed faintly under the magic stone lamps.
As they stepped inside, the casual chatter of two shop attendants stocking the nearby displays reached their ears.
“Hey, did you hear? The Astraea Familia, that all-female squad of beauties, just recruited a guy!”
“Seriously? That strong? No wonder Captain Alise personally went to the Guild to back him up. My friend told me Alise looked at him like he was worth his weight in gold!”
“Well, naturally. Who would turn down someone capable and good-looking?”
Haruhime’s fox ears twitched slightly with pride as she leaned closer to Mizuki.
“Lord Mizuki, they are talking about you.”
“Word travels absurdly fast in this town,” Mizuki remarked dryly, shaking his head at the escalating rumors.
Eina maintained a polite expression, tactfully ignoring the gossip as she steered the conversation back on track.
“Let us look at armor first. Miss Haruhime serves as a rearguard, while you are a vanguard, Mr. Mizuki. You will both require different types of protection.”
Guild staff could not view falna details directly, so she relied on what Mizuki had told her.
She guided them toward the armor racks, explaining the practical trade-offs between different materials.
Just then, another group of adventurers entered the shop.
It was a trio consisting of two women and a man, led by a tall woman with short, sandy-brown hair.
She walked with a steady, confident stride, exuding a sharp competence well beyond her years.
Following her were a small human girl and a stout dwarf.
“The valis we saved this month should be enough for some decent upgrades,” the small girl said, looking up toward the dwarf with an eager smile.
The dwarf rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled.
“I leave the picking to you, then.”
“Do not get ahead of ourselves,” the sandy-haired leader stated, her voice calm and measured.
“Our priority is simple. We buy defensive gear first. The goal is making sure all three of us walk out of the dungeon alive.”
When Mizuki saw the leader’s face, his eyes narrowed slightly.
Was that not Lunoire Faust, the Black Fist who later worked as a waitress at the Hostess of Fertility?
There was still some youthfulness in her features, but the tough, no-nonsense presence was already unmistakable.
It was definitely her.
Sensing his gaze, Lunoire glanced in his direction, her sharp eyes meeting his across the room.
A brief look of curiosity passed through her gaze.
She did not recognize him, nor the renard at his side.
Maintaining her guard, she looked him over once more before turning her focus back to her companions.
Mizuki shifted his attention away as well.
He saw no reason to initiate an awkward conversation out of nowhere.
“Mr. Mizuki, what do you think of this chainmail?” Eina asked, drawing him back to the matter at hand.
“It is lightweight, yet offers more than enough defense against upper floor monsters.”
Mizuki picked up the mail shirt, testing its balance and weight, then checked the tag, which read twenty thousand valis.
That was surprisingly affordable.
“Is the gear here always this reasonably priced?”
Eina offered a knowing smile and spoke in an explanatory tone.
“While the selection is broad, most of the equipment on the fourth floor is crafted by apprentice smiths.”
“Apprentices?” Haruhime asked, blinking with curiosity.
“Yes,” Eina nodded.
“Those smiths require extensive practice to hone their development abilities, and selling their early work helps them earn funds to purchase higher grade materials.”
“At the same time, new adventurers need cost effective gear that offers reliable baseline protection.”
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