Ethan continued walking toward the great tower, his body covered in blood. As he walked, he began thinking about the things he remembered from the original story. After giving it a great deal of thought, he came to one conclusion...
He simply didn't know enough.
He didn't know all the Familias. He didn't know all the characters. He didn't know about the conflicts of the past or the ones that might happen in the future. He knew almost nothing. If he had been a fan with extensive knowledge, things might have turned out differently.
When he got close to the tower, Ethan stopped walking and looked up.
He calmly examined the tower from its peak all the way down to its base.
The people around him looked at him with suspicion and even a hint of caution. The stench coming from his body was unbearable, and no one dared get too close to him.
With a sigh, he walked toward the dungeon entrance.
He had come to another conclusion.
He needed money.
He needed food and a place to sleep, which meant he needed money.
When he reached the dungeon entrance, Ethan silently stared at the staircase.
"Hey, don't stand in the way."
"You're blocking the path."
"Hey, doesn't he smell like hell? What the fuck is that smell?"
"Is he rotting alive or something? I feel like throwing up."
Ethan ignored their words and entered the dungeon. He quickened his pace more and more until, before he realized it, he was running. Fortunately, no one got in his way.
Ethan reached the first floor of the dungeon and began walking.
His memory was exceptional, so he wasn't afraid of getting lost.
As he navigated the various paths on the first floor, Ethan soon encountered a few monsters. They were nothing more than goblins and kobolds. The first time he saw them, Ethan had only one thought.
*They're ugly.*
That was the only thing that crossed his mind.
No fear.
Only indifference.
He used his sword to kill every monster with ease and collected their magic stones to exchange for money. Ethan didn't have a bag, so there was no way for him to carry many of them.
He stuffed his pockets full before leaving the dungeon.
As soon as he stepped outside, he approached the first person he saw.
It was a rough-looking woman with muscles covering her entire body.
The moment she saw him, her expression twisted with disgust. She was repulsed by both his appearance and the smell coming from him.
"Where's the Guild?" Ethan asked in a flat tone.
The woman looked confused.
*An adventurer who doesn't know where the Guild is?*
Even so, she gave him directions. Ethan briefly thanked her before disappearing only seconds later. As she watched his back, the woman thought,
*His eyes are really beautiful.*
####
Ethan arrived in front of the Guild, and the moment he stepped inside, someone approached him.
It was a woman with red hair and animal-like features.
Ethan looked at her, and their eyes met.
"Can I help you?" the woman asked.
"Rose?" Ethan said without thinking. She was one of the characters he remembered.
"Yes, that's me. Are you injured anywhere?" Rose asked, cautiously eyeing the sword in Ethan's hand. She was prepared to call the guards if necessary.
Ethan gave a faint smile before slipping his hand into his pocket.
He pulled out several magic stones.
He wasn't sure how much each one was worth, but he hoped it would be enough.
"I want to sell these. I need money."
Rose looked at the magic stones before asking,
"Are you registered with the Guild? Or have you been hunting in the dungeon without registering?"
Ethan didn't remember that Guild registration was required. He had thought that belonging to a Familia was enough.
Not knowing whether he was registered or not, he answered,
"No. I haven't registered with the Guild."
Rose let out a sigh after hearing his answer.
"All right. Come with me."
Rose led Ethan, whose body was still covered in blood, to a table where they could complete his registration.
She asked him several questions, but when it came time to state his Familia, Ethan froze.
Should he tell her which Familia he belonged to?
Should he tell Rose the truth?
What would she do with that information?
After thinking for a moment, Ethan spoke quietly enough that only Rose could hear.
"Alecto Familia."
Rose heard his answer and thought,
*Alecto Familia? That Familia?*
She was surprised.
"Are you good at keeping secrets? Can I tell you something?" Ethan asked, looking into Rose's eyes.
Understanding that this was serious, Rose answered,
"I'm here to be your advisor."
Ethan laid his bloodstained sword on the table and met her gaze.
He began telling her about the forge, explaining that he had been forced to work there against his will. He made it clear that, in his eyes, he had had no choice but to kill everyone and escape.
At least, that was the only path he could see.
Kill them all, and you'll finally be free.
Rose listened to his relatively short story in stunned silence. She glanced around to make sure no one had overheard.
*He doesn't seem to be lying,* she thought as she looked at the serious Ethan staring back at her.
Ethan looked exhausted.
He seemed as though he could collapse at any moment.
"I want to get rid of this Falna, but I don't see any way to do it. I don't know where the god Alecto is, and if I find him, I'll be killed. For now, I just want to earn money and live in hiding. Please... help me."
"..."
Rose sighed before answering.
"I'm here to be your advisor. Nothing more."
She made it clear that she would not help him with the matter of his Familia, but she could support him with anything related to the dungeon and monsters.
For Ethan, that was more than enough.
As long as she kept his story to herself and helped him earn some money, he would be satisfied.
With that, his Guild registration was completed without much trouble.
He sold every magic stone he had collected.
However, when he looked at the money in his hands, he realized he had only 2,200 Valis.
'I need more money... but I'm exhausted.'
Ethan then looked at the hands and waists of the adventurers scattered throughout the Guild.
Then he looked at his sword.
'...'