Fortunately, it seemed I could read the words of this world in addition to understanding its language.
They were slightly different from the words of the world I came from, but once I grasped the pattern, it became easy enough to follow.
Looking at the bed-and-drinks symbol on the building's plaque, I pushed open the door, hoping it was an inn, and not something else entirely.
"Excuse me, is this an inn?" I asked the woman standing behind the counter, who was busy counting coins.
She looked up, offering a polite smile. "Yes, this place is an inn."
Introducing herself as Karen Claes, she continued, "Welcome to The Bran's Inn. One night costs 800 Valis, and three nights cost 2,000 Valis, with bath and dinner included. If you want breakfast and lunch, that'll be an extra 300 Valis each."
Looks like I came to the right place, but, damn it… with everything going on, I had completely forgotten that I didn't have this world's money.
"Will this work?" I asked, showing her a magic stone I had obtained from the goblins in the dungeon.
Karen shook her head gently. "Ah, it seems you're new to the city. We don't accept magic stones here. You can exchange them at the Guild, where they'll pay you the equivalent amount in Valis. They'll also explain the basics you need to live in Orario."
"I see. Thank you for the information. I just arrived in Orario this morning, so I'm still unfamiliar with the city. Could you tell me where the Guild is located?"
Karen pointed me in the direction of the Guild headquarters.
"Thank you. I'll exchange the magic stones and come back later."
Memorizing the inn's location, I headed off in the direction she indicated, carefully observing the surrounding buildings and shops along the way.
As I walked, one establishment caught my eye. Two beautiful waitresses stood outside, cheerfully calling out to passersby, while lively laughter spilled out from within.
It was tempting, but thinking about my empty pockets, I decided to come back another time.
After walking for a while and turning a few corners, the Guild headquarters came into view.
"So this is the Pantheon, the Guild headquarters. It'd be hard to miss a completely white building like this anywhere," I muttered. "There really are a lot of people coming and going."
Inside, a massive white hall greeted me. The interior was just as spotless as the exterior.
To the left were benches where people rested or chatted casually. To the right were counters where adventurers exchanged magic stones for Valis. In the center, several orderly queues had formed, each leading to a desk where Guild employees answered questions.
After lining up and waiting my turn, I finally stepped forward. Behind the desk sat a beautiful pink-haired girl who looked about my age.
"Hello, my name is Misha Flott. How may I help you?" she said brightly.
"Hello. My name is Quinn Nightshade. I recently arrived in Orario and was told to come here to learn more about the city."
"Oh? You're not here to register as an adventurer?" Misha blinked, looking slightly surprised. "That's rare. People who usually come here come to register as adventurers. Please, follow me."
She asked another employee to cover her desk and led me deeper into the Guild, stopping in front of a quiet room.
"This is a meeting box," she explained when she noticed me looking around. "It's usually used when adventurers need to discuss private matters with their advisors."
Inside were two sofas facing each other with a table between them. A few desks stacked with documents occupied one corner.
Once we sat down, Misha cleared her throat. "So… would you like me to explain the basics of Orario, or the basics of the basics of Orario?"
"Ahem. Basics of the basics means a complete, detailed explanation of Orario."
Just as I was feeling confused, Misha clarified her question.
"In as much detail as possible, please."
"Alright, let's start with the layout of Orario."
She explained that Orario was divided into eight parts, like a cake cut into eight slices, each division forming a main street, the northern main street, northwest main street, western main street, and so on. Each main street led to a gate at the city's edge, while all of them converged at the Tower of Babel in the center.
"Orario is also known as the City of Adventurers," Misha continued. "People from all over the world come here to become adventurers. They enter the Dungeon, defeat monsters, collect magic stones, and exchange them here at the Guild for Valis."
"If adventuring isn't your thing, there are other professions, blacksmiths, healers, supporters, chefs, merchants…"
She stopped and looked at me. I nodded, indicating I understood.
"And…?" I prompted when she didn't continue.
"And?" Misha tilted her head, then laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha… that's everything I know."
I almost slammed my face into the table.
Even with my experience as an assassin, I had to forcibly control my expression to suppress the twitch forming at the corner of my mouth.
"Could you please tell me how to become an adventurer?" I asked calmly after taking a breath. "And are there any benefits to it?"
"Well, first you need to fill out some forms," Misha said. "You also need to receive a blessing from a god or goddess residing in Orario."
That was the only part I heard clearly, before my thoughts wandered a bit.
'So there really are divine beings here…'
"After that, you can officially register as an adventurer."
"I see," I nodded. "Do you have any books about Orario or its history? Also, is there a list of Familias currently accepting newcomers?"
As I spoke, my mind raced.
I need to see if I can find a library. And check out what a Familia is, and get more information in general, especially about the history of this world.
"The Guild has a library with all types of books," Misha said. "You can borrow books for a small fee. We also have a list of Familias currently active in Orario. Just a moment, I'll go get it for you."
"Wait." As she stood up, I pulled out five magic stones from my pocket and handed them to her. "Could you exchange these and deduct the cost of the books?"
[A/N: Quinn had come across a few more goblins while searching for living beings in the dungeon. The total number of magic stones he had was ten, and he exchanged five for Valis.]
"Of course. Please wait a moment."
She left with a smile and returned shortly after, placing a tray on the table. On it were two books and several coins.
"The magic stones were exchanged for 6,120 Valis. The books cost 70 Valis, so the remaining amount is… um…"
"6,050 Valis," I supplied.
"Hehe… right. 6,050 Valis," she said, scratching the back of her head. "You can rent the books for five days. After that, it's another 35 Valis for an extension."
She then handed me a small booklet. "This is the list of Familias currently in Orario. It also shows whether they're recruiting and how many members they have."
"Thank you. I'll go through these today and come back tomorrow."
"You're welcome. See you tomorrow."
She guided me back to the main hall, and I exited the Guild, already scanning the booklet and books in my hands as I headed back toward The Bran's Inn.
It was already late afternoon by the time I left the Guild.
"The Freya Familia."
"One of the two undisputed leaders of Orario."
That was written on the very first page, and below it was,
"About 150 to 160 members."
"Ahhhh, kami-sama! Kami-sama, please be alright!" The frantic cry startled me.
A boy came running past, panic written all over his face, carrying an unconscious girl in his arms. A brown-haired cat-girl chased after him, her expression equally desperate.
They were heading in the same direction as me.
So that's a Goddess…
I watched them go, my eyes narrowing slightly.
The goddess didn't look much different from a normal human.
My brain came up with an idea immediately upon seeing the boy and the goddess.