Dio had noticed that Demeter wanted him to challenge the One-Eyed Black Dragon.
But he simply had no interest in becoming that hero.
Challenge the Black Dragon?
Even before considering whether he could win, what exactly would Dio gain from doing it?
Nothing.
If he won, the world would be saved—but what reward would he receive?
If he lost, the outcome was even simpler.
He would die so completely that there might not even be anything left of him, and he probably would not have time to open the Dimensional Gate before being trapped in this world forever.
No matter how he calculated it, the whole thing was a terrible deal.
So why would Dio risk his life for something so dangerous when there was nothing in it for him?
That was why he rejected Demeter’s probing suggestion without the slightest hesitation.
Call him selfish if they wanted.
Most ordinary people would make the same choice.
He had no reason to gamble his life for strangers, especially people who had absolutely nothing to do with him.
Dio was merely a traveler who had stumbled into this world by accident.
He was not the reincarnation of some legendary savior, nor did he believe that great power came with an obligation to shoulder everyone else’s problems.
All he wanted was to grow stronger in peace, wait for the Dimensional Gate to finish cooling down, then take everything he had gained with him and enjoy himself in the next world.
Being a hero sounded like someone else’s problem.
…
The next morning, Dio prepared to enter the Dungeon again.
His objective for the day was straightforward.
He would continue hunting goblins to polish his combat instincts, while also searching for slightly stronger monsters so he could test the limits of his new S 999 status.
He had slaughtered his way through the first and second floors the previous day, but those goblins were still nothing more than the weakest creatures in the Dungeon.
They had never forced him to use his true strength.
What Dio needed now was a stronger opponent—not one powerful enough to put his life in genuine danger, but one capable of making him take the fight seriously and placing him under at least some pressure.
Only then could he truly become accustomed to his body and turn the numbers on his status into practical combat ability.
However, the moment he stepped out of his room, he found Demeter standing at the entrance to the Familia’s courtyard.
She wore a pale green dress, her hair had been carefully arranged, and a small white flower rested beside one ear.
She looked completely different from her usual relaxed, carefree self.
Dio stopped and tilted his head.
“Goddess, are you going somewhere?”
“Mhm~”
Demeter clasped both hands behind her back and smiled sweetly—the kind of smile that immediately made Dio suspicious.
“You’re going to walk around Orario with me today.”
Dio blinked, then quickly guessed what she was trying to accomplish.
He already knew this goddess too well.
Demeter rarely asked anyone to accompany her while shopping, and she certainly did not dress this carefully first thing in the morning without a reason.
Something was clearly wrong.
And in this city, the only person Demeter seemed determined to influence was Dio himself.
“Goddess, if this is another attempt to turn me into a hero, you really don’t need to bother.”
Dio had no interest in playing along, so he rejected the idea immediately.
“You know what kind of person I am.
I’m selfish.
I’m not going to risk my life for other people.”
Demeter’s smile did not fade.
If anything, it became even brighter, like a flower blooming beneath the morning sun.
“Who said anything about making you a hero?
I only want you to accompany me while I walk around Orario.”
She tilted her head innocently.
“You’ve been here for several days, yet you still don’t even know what the city center looks like.
As your goddess, isn’t it perfectly reasonable for me to show you around the city under my care?”
“That’s all?”
Dio narrowed his eyes, clearly unconvinced.
“That’s all.”
Demeter blinked at him with all the innocence of a newborn fawn.
Dio stared into her amber eyes for a long time, searching for even the slightest hint of deception.
Unfortunately, Demeter was a far better actress than he had expected, and he could not find a single flaw in her expression.
Eventually, Dio sighed in surrender.
“Fine, fine.
I don’t have anything urgent to do today anyway.
I’ll walk around with you.”
He pulled the door shut behind him and stepped into the courtyard.
Truthfully, he was curious about Orario.
Since arriving in this world, he had spent nearly all his time inside the Demeter Familia’s home.
His daily routine had consisted of going from his room to the Dungeon, then returning to his room again, as repetitive as a machine following a fixed program.
He had never properly seen the city known throughout the world as the Labyrinth City.
And so, Dio followed Demeter out of the Familia home and onto one of Orario’s main streets.
The city was already bustling in the early morning.
Stalls lined both sides of the road, their owners calling out to passing customers.
The scents of freshly baked bread, flowers, and damp earth mingled in the air.
Adventurers in battered leather armor hurried past with weapons slung over their shoulders.
Merchants in elegant robes haggled loudly at the stalls, while uniformed members of various Familias patrolled in orderly groups.
Barefoot children chased one another around the entrances to narrow alleys, laughing as they ran.
The entire street overflowed with life.
As Dio took in the lively scene, a strange feeling stirred inside him.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he truly sensed that people lived here.
Until now, he had thought of himself as nothing more than a temporary visitor, a traveler prepared to leave at any moment.
He had kept the city at a distance and treated everything around him with detached indifference.
But standing in the middle of that crowded street, surrounded by the loud, genuine voices of ordinary people, watching faces filled with joy, frustration, weariness, and hope, he suddenly realized something.
Orario was alive.
“Well?” Demeter asked as she walked beside him, a hint of pride in her smile.
She had clearly noticed the brief flicker of emotion in Dio’s eyes.
“Our Orario isn’t bad, is it?”
Dio looked at her, but his answer remained cold.
“Goddess, you’re wasting your time.
I’m not changing my mind.”