Torrential rain now drenched all of Orario. The once-bustling Main Street suddenly fell quiet, with only the occasional pedestrian in a raincoat or umbrella hurrying by.
In an instant, Orario's lively atmosphere turned gloomy, the clamor of chatter and laughter fading, replaced by the relentless roar of the rain. Puddles began forming in the dips of the road, reflecting the dark clouds above.
Of course, not everything was negative. Some children could be seen playing joyfully in the rain, splashing in puddles, their innocent laughter breaking the silence offered by the downpour.
Inside the flower shop, the scent of wet earth mingled with the gentle fragrance of flowers, creating a calming atmosphere.
"Please, have some, Charlie-san." Anna offered, placing a glass of warm tea on the table in front of Charlie.
"Thanks, Anna."
Taking the glass, Charlie sipped it lightly.
Truthfully, he wasn't fond of tea or coffee; he preferred sweet or sour drinks.
Even so, he couldn't bring himself to refuse someone's kindness. So, he reluctantly accepted it.
"The rain doesn't look like it'll stop anytime soon." Anna said, starting a conversation as she sat not far from Charlie, her gaze shifting to the raindrops hitting the window.
"Yeah, nothing we can do about it." Charlie nodded lightly.
He was forced to take shelter in the flower shop to avoid getting soaked.
"Charlie-san, can you tell me about your adventures?" Anna asked, her voice filled with curiosity. "I don't understand why people from all over the world flock to Orario to become adventurers and enter the Dungeon, even though they know it's so dangerous."
As an Orario native, Anna saw adventurers every day and even interacted with them. Some of her adventurer acquaintances never returned, having perished in the Dungeon.
She was just an ordinary woman who had never entered the Dungeon and had only heard tales of its dangers from Low-Class Adventurers. Now, faced with a High-Class Adventurer like Charlie, Anna couldn't contain her curiosity.
"Hmm… That's an interesting question, Anna. Give me a moment to think."
Charlie rubbed his chin, pondering briefly. There was no harm in satisfying the girl's curiosity.
"Why would someone want to be an adventurer, huh? To pick up girls and build a harem."
"Eh?"
Clearly, Anna was stunned by the absurd answer. Her eyes widened, and she blushed slightly.
"Pfft… Don't take it seriously, Anna, I was just kidding." Charlie chuckled at her reaction.
"Charlie-san, you're such a tease!" Anna wasn't angry at all. On the contrary, she was pleased that Charlie joked with her, making the atmosphere feel more familiar.
"Ahem, but what I said isn't entirely wrong." Charlie corrected himself. "There are indeed guys who become adventurers to start a harem. After all, there are plenty of beautiful women in Orario."
"Are you talking about yourself, Charlie-san?" Anna asked, her gaze probing.
"Of course not." Charlie replied firmly. "Though we both have the same hair color, our initial aspirations were different."
The person Charlie referred to was the protagonist of this world, Bell Cranel.
It couldn't be denied that Bell's naive initial aspiration was to form a harem and become a hero like in fairy tales.
But as time passed and girls began showing romantic interest in him, Bell acted like a loyalist of pure love, his feelings fixated on one woman.
On the other hand, Charlie never had such silly aspirations.
"Stop teasing me, Charlie-san, give me a serious answer." Anna pouted, though a small smile lingered on her lips.
"Alright, alright, I'll be serious." Charlie relented. "The answer I can give is that it depends on the person."
Taking a breath, he began explaining more calmly.
"For example, someone might become an adventurer because they lack specialized knowledge or skills to do anything else… and don't have the money or opportunity to further their education. It's a choice for the poor."
"Or, because they might hold a grudge against monsters for killing someone they loved."
"Some become adventurers because they live for battle, born with a fighting instinct, and only in the Dungeon can they feel truly alive."
"And of course." Charlie added with a light chuckle, "Because some women only like strong men, and you want to be popular among them. Strength, wealth, and status are big draws in Orario."
"Whether it's for strength, wealth, or status, all these attractions, combined with the potential for personal growth and the chance to join a powerful Familia, draw individuals from various backgrounds to live the life of an adventurer."
"In short, everyone has different motives for becoming an adventurer."
After speaking at length, Charlie felt a bit thirsty. He lifted his glass and drank the warm tea, soothing his dry throat.
Outside, the rain continued with the same intensity.
"So there are all sorts of motives…" Anna murmured, digesting Charlie's explanation. She then looked at him with deep curiosity. "What about you, Charlie-san? What's your motive for becoming an adventurer?"
That was the answer Anna most wanted to know.
"Me?" Charlie gave a faint smile, his eyes gazing into the distance. "The simple answer is because it's fun!"
Anna was slightly surprised by the response.
"Someone might become an adventurer." Charlie continued, his tone turning slightly philosophical, "Because their life might be too ordinary, and it's a welcome change. Or maybe they dream of being a hero. That's how I see it, at least. When I was given the choice to become an adventurer and live an extraordinary life, I absolutely loved it!"
Compared to a life where money ruled everything, Charlie preferred a world where strength was everything.
In such a world, incompetent and unworthy people wouldn't hold power when more capable individuals existed.
Take the governments of Earth in his previous life, for example—weren't most positions held by incompetent people?
The reason capable individuals weren't in those positions was because they were weak in the face of power and money!
Charlie had personally experienced the dark side of capitalism disguised as democracy in Indonesia. If he had his current strength in his previous life, would those corrupt people have held power?
He would have eradicated them and placed truly worthy individuals in charge. In a world where strength is everything, the opportunity to change things is greater.
"Fufu… Turns out Charlie-san is more childish than I thought."
Covering her mouth with the back of her hand, Anna giggled softly.
"Well, men are just kids no matter their age."
Shrugging, Charlie wasn't bothered by being seen that way. He actually enjoyed the rare relaxed atmosphere.
The two spent time in light conversation, sharing stories, until the heavy rain finally stopped about 20 minutes later.
Drizzles still fell from the rooftops, but the sky began showing hints of blue behind the drifting clouds.
The morning sunlight started to break through, creating a faint rainbow in the distance. The wet streets now reflected the light, and the air felt fresher and cleaner.
Only then, with the bouquet of blue roses in hand, did Charlie bid farewell to Anna and leave the flower shop, continuing his delayed journey.