“A supporter?”
Rather than the prospect of hiring her, Rhodes was more curious about what a “supporter” actually did.
It was probably different from a support class in an MMO.
Especially given…
He glanced at the enormous backpack, so out of proportion to her small frame.
“That’s right!”
“What do you do?”
“…?”
The girl in the gray-brown cloak looked up at him, confusion filling her light-brown eyes.
She studied Rhodes carefully.
His leather armor looked quite well made.
It was certainly nothing like the rubbish the Guild rented out.
And the shortsword at his waist had been produced by Hephaistos Familia.
Any weapon whose scabbard bore that Familia’s emblem was bound to be expensive!
Yet after only a brief exchange, Liliruca Arde felt an odd sense of contradiction.
Why did this guy seem so much like a beginner?
“Well…”
“It means you don’t have to worry about the support work while you’re fighting.
Lili will collect all the magic stones and drop items for you.”
“And?”
Wasn’t picking up the loot after killing a monster something he could just do himself?
Rhodes frowned slightly.
If his finances allowed it, he really would have liked to hire a local guide to show him around the Dungeon.
The bad news?
His finances did not allow it.
“If you’re a new adventurer, Lili can also act as your guide and accompany you through the Dungeon!”
She wasn’t ready to give up.
By now, Lili was almost certain that the person before her was a novice adventurer.
Probably one from a wealthy family.
Otherwise, he would never have purchased such extravagant equipment right at the start.
And that wasn’t all.
She could also guess that he didn’t belong to one of the powerful Familias.
If he did, he wouldn’t be heading in alone.
Taking everything into account…
This was a rare find in Orario.
A fat sheep just waiting to be fleeced.
Lili knew how to make the most of her appearance.
She looked up, softening her voice.
“Hiring Lili is very cheap…”
“But I don’t have any money.”
“?”
Rhodes had to admit that the girl calling herself Lili had made an appealing offer.
Having a guide for the Dungeon would be useful.
But between the state of his wallet and the scam radar he had maxed out in his previous life, he couldn’t shake the feeling that this wasn’t as straightforward as it appeared. This chapter was copied from novelping dot com without permission.
He had spent years navigating the working world.
When someone approached you out of nowhere, either you were outrageously good-looking or you had something they wanted.
More importantly, the law and order in DanMachi’s world were surely nowhere near as dependable as what he had known back home.
Cute or not, he wasn’t going to let her appearance override his judgment.
Ultimately, Rhodes had no desire to gamble on whether his expensive equipment had marked him as someone other adventurers could exploit.
He smiled and nodded.
“Thanks for explaining.
I hope your trip into the Dungeon goes well.”
“…”
Watching Rhodes walk away, the girl’s gaze flickered.
Had she made her intentions too obvious?
But Lili was certain she had never met him before.
And yet…
If he had guessed what she was really after, why had he still wished her a successful expedition?
“What a strange guy…”
Following the bustling stream of adventurers, Rhodes entered Babel.
The interior was far more spacious than he had imagined.
Its center was open.
Spiral stairways followed the walls down into the depths, while flickering candles provided only the bare minimum of light.
“So…”
“This is the Dungeon?!”
Cold air rose steadily from below, keeping his senses on edge.
Ahead lay the dangerous depths of the Dungeon.
Rhodes continued down the spiral staircase.
Soon, he reached a comparatively broad landing, with passages branching off in every direction.
The only illumination came from glowing fruit.
This was his first time in the Dungeon.
Naturally, he needed to remain alert.
But the adventurers around him were still laughing and chatting.
None had even drawn a weapon.
Rhodes frowned.
He couldn’t quite understand what was going on.
“This doesn’t seem right…”
“There’s nothing wrong.
This is the Dungeon’s starting level.
There aren’t any monsters here.
Understand?”
“…”
As Rhodes puzzled over the situation, a somewhat familiar voice came from behind him.
He turned and saw the supporter who called herself Lili.
Unlike before, however, her tone held none of that carefully cultivated sweetness.
If anything, she sounded impatient.
“Otherwise, you could die in the Dungeon one day, and nobody would even notice!”
“…”
Rhodes turned toward her.
But before he could offer a word of thanks, Lili was already walking away with the other adventurers, her enormous backpack bobbing behind her.
Honestly…
Without her explanation, he might have wasted quite a bit of time.
The Guild.
He remembered it.
Hestia had taken him there the day before yesterday, but they had been so occupied with finding him somewhere to live and securing his everyday necessities that he hadn’t considered asking about the Dungeon.
“Once I’m done exploring today, I’ll go and ask for some information.”
Without lingering, Rhodes followed the other adventurers toward the first floor.
After leaving the starting level and descending the stairs into the Dungeon’s actual danger zone, he drew the shortsword at his waist.
His expression grew serious.
The surroundings were rather like a maze.
Walls of yellow clay looked as though they had been carved into passages, with lantern-like fruit providing the light.
Visibility was poor.
“…”
According to Takemikazuchi’s advice at the end of yesterday’s training, the combat fundamentals he had learned should allow him to handle monsters such as goblins and kobolds.
Even so, Rhodes was still nervous.
After all, he was about to fight supernatural monsters in another world.
Just then, light footsteps sounded from around a bend in the tunnel ahead.
A moment later, two monsters came into view.
Goblins.
Dark-green skin.
Long, pointed ears.
Just like the stereotypical creatures from anime, they were short and thoroughly ugly.
Their eyes glowed red as they approached, brandishing wooden clubs.
“Maybe…”
“Exploring the Dungeon isn’t as difficult as I thought?”
Rhodes watched the advancing monsters.
With the shortsword held firmly in his right hand, his mind began to settle.
The techniques Takemikazuchi had taught him during basic combat training seemed to be engraved in his muscle memory, guiding his body into a defensive stance.
But Rhodes distinctly remembered that he hadn’t possessed this kind of clear understanding when he finished training yesterday evening.
He had been pushing himself as hard as he could, and still hadn’t felt anything like this.
So—
Was he actually a pro at adventuring?!
….
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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