“Whew…”
Rhodes looked over the parchment.
There was certainly a sense of accomplishment.
Rather than remain on the bed, he got up and stretched, testing his body after the Status update.
Hmm…
Did he feel a little stronger than before?
The sensation was subtle, difficult to put into words.
But if he encountered the same goblins again, putting them down would definitely be easier than it had been today.
“I finally understand…”
“Why gamers love maxing out every stat.
Even the lewdness meter has to hit the cap.
Watching those numbers climb really is satisfying.”
With his Status updated, Rhodes picked up a clean change of clothes and headed to the communal bath.
He wanted to wash off.
Feeling sticky all over was unpleasant.
But then he remembered that even this change of clothes had been prepared by Hestia.
His feelings grew complicated.
Ever since he arrived in the world of DanMachi, she had provided everything.
Food.
Clothing.
A place to stay.
Adventuring equipment.
The impression that he was being completely bankrolled by a pretty little goddess only grew stronger.
“Still…”
“At least I can earn a little money now.
I just wonder how much today’s haul is worth.”
After washing up, Rhodes left the communal bath and returned to his room.
Hestia was sitting on the edge of his bed.
Blinking her clear blue eyes, she called out to him.
“Rhodes!”
“Shall we go out for dinner?”
“Hmm?”
Noticing his confusion, Hestia planted her hands on her hips.
“You explored the Dungeon for the first time today!
Of course we have to celebrate!”
“…”
Rhodes thought of the magic stones and goblin fangs he had collected.
He still didn’t know how many valis they would fetch.
Provided he could afford it, he really would like to treat her to a meal.
“Then let’s go out.”
…
After leaving the dormitory, they made their way along Adventurers’ Way.
The evening streets were bustling, far busier than they had been during the day.
Most of the establishments lining the street were taverns that opened in the evening.
That made sense.
If there was one thing Orario never lacked, it was adventurers.
Then Rhodes noticed the pure-white palace ahead.
He stopped and looked toward the nearby Guild.
“Lady Hestia, I’d like to stop by the Guild before we eat.”
“What for?”
“I collected some magic stones and drop items in the Dungeon today.”
Rhodes took the cloth bag containing his haul from his waist.
“I’d like to exchange them for valis.
And while I’m there… I want to ask about the Dungeon.”
“After today, I realized I don’t really know much about the different floors.”
Hestia looked up, unsurprised.
“Of course.
Learning more about the Dungeon will help with your future expeditions.”
We can eat back at the dormitory!”
Before Rhodes could object, she was already heading toward a reasonably priced restaurant nearby.
Clearly, Hestia had caught on.
He probably wanted to exchange his loot for valis so he could pay for their meal.
Just knowing that he wanted to do that was enough to make her happy.
“Go on!”
The Guild’s main hall was even livelier than Rhodes had expected.
Plenty of adventurers were waiting to exchange the spoils of their expeditions.
He approached the reception counter.
There he found the half-elf who had helped register his Familia membership and adventurer status.
Eina Tulle.
“Good evening.”
“Ah, Mr.
Rhodes!”
Eina looked up and recognized the novice she had received the day before yesterday.
“Good evening.
Is there anything I can help you with?”
“I’d like to exchange some magic stones and drop items.”
Rhodes set the cloth bag on the counter.
“And… I’d also like to ask a few questions about the Dungeon.”
“Of course!”
Although exchanging loot wasn’t technically part of her duties, Eina accepted the bag.
She expertly counted the magic stones and drop items inside, then calculated their value.
“Twenty-three magic stones and five goblin fangs.
After the standard tax, that comes to… two thousand two hundred valis.”
She sorted out the copper coins and handed them to Rhodes.
“Here you are.
Keep them safe.”
“Thank you.”
All he could say was that adventuring paid better than he had expected.
The room Hestia had rented for him cost twenty thousand valis a month.
Even as a beginner, he could apparently earn enough to cover his expenses.
Rhodes put the coins into his purse.
If he kept working hard, he shouldn’t have to rely on Hestia quite so often.
“Now…”
“What would you like to know about the Dungeon?”
Eina took out a book containing the Guild’s records of monster distribution.
“Mostly which monsters appear where.”
Rhodes didn’t have much more of a plan than that.
“I’m not very familiar with the Dungeon.
I don’t know what kinds of monsters I’ll find on each floor.”
“I see.”
Eina nodded and began explaining.
“The Dungeon is divided into different regions according to depth.
At your current level, Mr.
Rhodes…”
“You should stick to the shallowest floors.”
“That means Floors One through Five.
The main monsters there are goblins, kobolds, and Dungeon Lizards.”
“As for goblins…”
“A novice adventurer with even a little training should be able to handle them.
Dungeon Lizards can be more troublesome, though.
Their size alone makes them harder to deal with.”
“…”
Rhodes listened carefully, committing the information to memory.
“One more thing…”
Eina continued, “Unless you’re absolutely confident in your abilities, I wouldn’t recommend venturing onto the sixth floor.”
“Because there…”
Her tone grew serious.
“You could encounter War Shadows—monsters known as ‘Rookie Killers.'”
“I understand.” The source of this chapter is g.com.
So, for now, the area he could explore was limited to Floors One through Five.
Anything Eina called a “Rookie Killer” was bound to be troublesome.
“Thank you, Miss Eina.”
“It’s my job.”
Eina put the book away.
Remembering that Rhodes had only become an adventurer the day before yesterday, she asked curiously, “By the way, Mr.
Rhodes…”
“Are you preparing to explore the Dungeon?”
“Ah…”
Faced with the half-elf’s concerned gaze, Rhodes felt that lying would be a sin.
“Um… actually, I already went today.”
“I wasn’t very familiar with the environment, so I came here to ask about it.”
“You… what?”
Eina lifted her delicate face and adjusted her glasses.
Looking at the awkward young man before her, the corner of her mouth twitched.
As though seeking confirmation, she asked softly, “Mr.
Rhodes… are you saying you already went into the Dungeon today?”
“That’s right…”
“…”
Eina fell silent for a moment.
When she smiled again, her expression had become rather strained.
“It really is a miracle that you came back safely.”
The thought of what might have happened filled her with belated dread.
A novice exploring the Dungeon alone was already cause for concern.
But someone like Rhodes, who didn’t even know which monsters appeared on which floors, had simply gone straight in.
The fact that he had come back alive really could be called a miracle.
“Still…”
Eina looked at him earnestly and continued with patient concern.
“Now that you’ve returned safely, as your adviser…”
“I hope you’ll make your safety the priority on future expeditions.”
As for why she felt so strongly about that…
It was difficult to say aloud.
Very few of the adventurers previously assigned to her had returned safely from the Dungeon.
Please, let this one break the curse.
“I will.”
Rhodes nodded seriously.
Perhaps this world wasn’t as difficult to get along in as he had imagined.
At the very least, the pretty girls he had met were all remarkably kind.
With an easy smile, he thanked her again.
“Thank you for worrying about me, Miss Eina.”
“You’re welcome.”
Eina stood and added, “Whenever you have questions about the Dungeon, you’re always welcome to come and ask me.”
“All right.”
With his loot exchanged and his questions answered, Rhodes saw no reason to linger.
He said goodbye and turned to leave.
But when he reached the entrance, he found Hestia waiting with their boxed dinners.
She waved at him, her smile radiant.
“Rhodes.”
“Let’s go home!”
….
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I also have many more novels in my collection that you might be interested in I upload ten novels a day, with 3 to 4 chapters per title depending on the length.
If you’re following a particular series, please wait your turn a little If there’s a particular novel you’re enjoying on Patron, please give it a ‘like’ so I know to focus on it