Bell walked into Orario with the carriage.
The carriage convoy entered Orario without issue, but Bell was stopped.
"Stop."
Just as Bell was about to enter Orario, a soldier standing with a long spear blocked his way.
The soldier wore visibly heavy armor, and the spear in his hand was striking. The soldier's strong presence made the hair on Bell's body stand on end.
Bell could tell this soldier in front of him was strong.
After stopping Bell, the soldier examined him closely.
"You're new here?"
"Yeah."
Bell replied.
Bell nodded obediently. In fact, he was actually a bit socially anxious and had a hard time expressing himself.
Seeing Bell's obvious "newcomer" look, the soldier shook his head slightly in his heart. He thought this kid probably wouldn't survive long in the dangerous city of Orario.
The imposing presence around the soldier also softened.
"Alright, you need to get tested to see if you've got the God's Blessing."
'A test just to enter the city?'
Bell had no idea there was such a procedure.
"This is to prevent lunatics from pretending to be newcomers and sneaking into Orario."
Seeing the confused look on Bell's face, the soldier once again thought that this newbie probably wouldn't last long in Orario.
However, Orario attracted people with wealth, power, and women. Even though many newcomers ended up getting "eaten" in this dangerous city, they still came for the chance to gain everything they wanted.
"Alright."
Bell nodded without resistance. He didn't really understand what kind of "lunatics" the soldier was talking about, but he figured there was no harm in taking the test.
He also noticed a hint of pity in the soldier's eyes, but he wasn't sure why the soldier would pity him. Still, Bell knew he had to be more careful. He couldn't afford to be too careless around the people in Orario.
The test wasn't too complicated. The soldier led Bell to a small stone hut near the entrance. Inside, there was a bright green gem.
This gem seemed to be the key to the test.
"Just place your hand on it. If there's nothing wrong, it'll glow green. If there's a problem, it'll turn red."
Bell said nothing and quietly placed his hand on the gem.
Suddenly, Bell felt a warm flow enter his body through his hand. It circled around inside him and then flowed back out through his palm.
After the warm current receded, the gem glowed green.
"You're clear. You can go in."
After confirming that Bell was fine, the soldier no longer stopped him.
Orario wasn't a city that welcomed troublemakers but was still open to newcomers.
The only problem was that most newcomers might end up dying in this city.
Looking at Bell's completely naive expression, the soldier couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
"Once you enter the city, go straight to the Guild. Don't trust just anyone. This city isn't as beautiful as you might think."
Those words slightly took Bell aback. He looked into the soldier's eyes, which were filled with pity and sympathy.
'He's kind to look like a good man.'
"Thank you."
Bell wasn't the type to ignore kindness. He took the words to heart and quietly thanked them in return.
The soldier watched Bell carefully and couldn't help but smile wryly to himself.
"This kid gets it."
The soldier realized he had misjudged Bell. He shook his head and decided not to think about it anymore.
...
After entering the city of Orario, Bell also started observing his surroundings.
There were many street vendors setting up their stalls on both sides of the main street.
Bell didn't stop as he walked and headed straight for the Guild.
He didn't need to ask for directions because he could just look for the huge Babel Tower that reached up into the clouds.
Along the way, Bell could feel many people staring at him and hear some of the voices of those whose eyes were on him.
"It's another newbie, huh? But it looks like he's the type with no potential."
"Orario tends to attract a lot of people, but not many of these newcomers are capable of doing so."
"That's true, but becoming famous in Orario isn't that easy either."
"There are so many newcomers entering Orario every year. How many of them do you think end up getting eaten by the city?"
"Heh~ A newbie like him isn't even worth the trouble. He's just trash until he proves otherwise."
Bell didn't really care about these words.
...
"Excuse me, do all the gods register with the Guild when they establish a familia?"
The person greeting Bell was a young elf girl wearing oval-shaped glasses.
Her cute face made people instinctively want to approach her. Her voice was very gentle, which might also be one of the requirements for a receptionist.
From their brief conversation, Bell learned that the elf girl in front of him was named Eina Tulle. She was the same receptionist who helped the protagonist in the original story, which is why she seemed familiar.
"Yes. The Guild serves as a bridge for interaction between the gods and adventurers. Every god registers with the Guild when they establish a familia. The Guild also recommends adventurers who have the same goals as Familia. However, it's important to note that the Guild only makes recommendations, not orders."
"I understand. I also know that a new adventurer like me can't easily join with those top familias, and I don't plan on troubling you with that. I'm just looking for a normal familia, preferably one that doesn't yet have any members. As the first member, the god should not be too picky about an adventurer like me who has no experience."
Bell's words were clear enough, and Eina quickly realized she had misunderstood him.
She blushed slightly, surprised that this new adventurer had such a clear understanding of his own situation.
After meeting so many arrogant new adventurers, Eina was a little surprised and shy when she came across one who knew their limits.
"I'm sorry, I mistook you for one of those types of adventurers."
"It's okay, Miss Eina. You've probably seen so many like that. Please don't mind what I said earlier. If you really care, could you help me find a suitable familia?"
"No problem, please wait a moment."
Eina then began searching for a suitable familia.
The level of the familia couldn't be too high, and it was best if the familia didn't already have any members.
These conditions were easy to filter, and the requirements weren't too strict, so it didn't take long for her to find a familia.
"Well... Bell-kun, your requirements aren't too high, but most familias already have members."
"Is that so?"
Bell fell into brief thought.
'I remembered that after Hestia came down to the world, she spent a long time doing nothing. I wondered if this was still during her lazy period. In other words… did I come too early?'
After receiving this answer, Bell went quiet for a moment.
The best familia for him was definitely Hestia's, but that goddess was still being lazy and not doing anything yet.
Bell felt a bit at a loss.
'I don't even have a talent and the other familias wouldn't value my abilities.'
So, Bell quickly arrived at an answer.
'I won't join any family for now.'
He decided not to expose his abilities or force himself into joining any familia.
At this moment, Bell was simply waiting for an opportunity—the opportunity when the goddess Hestia would finally stop slacking off.
Bell first thanked Eina.
"Thank you, Miss Eina. Since that's the case, I'll hold off on joining a familia for now. It's really hard to get into any familia with my situation, and I don't have any money either. So, I'd like to ask if you could keep an eye out for a familia that doesn't yet have any members."
Seeing that Bell had made his decision, Eina didn't feel it was her place to say more. As for keeping an eye out, she would certainly help, as that was part of her job as a receptionist.
"I understand. I'll keep an eye out for you if there really is a familia like that, Bell-kun."
"Thank you so much."