Inside the private meeting room of the Guild headquarters.
Judas and his advisor sat across from each other, the faint rustle of pages filling the quiet room.
With a serious expression, Rose Fannett was in the middle of a lecture about the lower floors, while Judas listened intently, like a model student.
"I think that's it for today..."
Rose finally said, closing the book that lay open on the table.
'Three hours have passed since we started.'
Judas thought, glancing at the clock on the wall.
'I have an hour left before I need to head to the central square.'
It was now 9 a.m.—his scheduled meeting with the women of the Astraea Familia was set for 10.
"Now that you know most of the geographical layout of the 19th to 27th floors, as well as the recommended pathways, I'd say you're ready to head deeper into the Dungeon."
Rose's expression softened into a rare, satisfied smile as her eyes fell on Judas.
'He actually managed to go through my lessons without a single complaint.'
From years of experience, Rose knew most adventurers were muscleheads with the scholarly aptitude of a brick.
They'd grumble, fidget, and lose focus within minutes.
To them, sitting still and reading for hours was nothing short of torture... some even came up with the most ridiculous excuses just to escape.
Of course, there were exceptions. Not every adventurer despised learning.
Take Riveria Ljos Alf, for instance... the high-elf royal known for her grace and discipline, an adventurer Rose had once advised herself.
There were also many in Orario who had graduated from the School District, already equipped with the knowledge and skills to survive the Dungeon.
Those adventurers rarely needed an advisor's help.
'Well, it's not like this is the first time I've taught him, but it is nice to have an adventurer who actually listens.'
Rose thought with a hint of satisfaction as her tail swayed slightly.
"Mister Judas."
Rose said, her gaze sweeping over him.
"I see you're not wearing any gear. Did the Loki Familia fail to provide you with one?"
Aside from the black gauntlet on his arm, Judas wore no armor... just a simple shirt, pants, and a pair of leather boots.
If she didn't know better, Rose would've mistaken him for an ordinary city dweller, not an adventurer.
"I did check their armory."
Judas replied calmly.
"But most of it was low-grade equipment. They wouldn't last long in the lower floors."
Even if he wore them, their protection would be negligible for the depth he planned to explore.
"Hmm... then where do you plan to buy proper armor?"
Rose tapped a pen against her lips thoughtfully.
"Ah... well, I'm planning to head to Babel today."
Judas replied.
You might think he could simply conjure some defensive magic to make up for his lack of armor.
But Judas knew that relying on magic for everything, just for the sake of convenience, was a terrible habit to develop.
He was aware of his greatest weakness... the imbalance between his mind and the strength of his spells.
'My mind pool... it's too lacking to keep up with the high mana consumption and overwhelming firepower of my spells.'
His mind wasn't limitless, and his magic couldn't possibly protect him forever.
Even high-ranking or first-class adventurers wore some form of armor.
They might have bodies tough enough to withstand devastating blows, but that didn't make them invincible.
The dungeon never played fair.
And for those who dared to underestimate its horrors... even a Level 7 could end up swallowed whole.
"It's good that you didn't allow yourself to get blinded by your abilities and actually thought about buying protective gear, or else I wouldn't have permitted your descent to the lower floors."
Rose said with a firm and approving tone.
Seeing the look on her face, Judas knew his advisor wasn't lying.
"I'll come with you."
Rose said as she stood up.
"Sorry?"
Judas turned to her, puzzled.
"I said I'm coming with you. Or do you not want me to?"
Rose's sharp eyes met his directly.
"I don't really mind, but... don't you have work to do here at the guild?"
"What are you talking about? Advising you is part of my work."
She replied matter-of-factly, her wolf-like ears twitching.
In truth, even her boss... the guild manager, Royman... had told her to take special care of him.
"Besides, as far as I know, you've never been inside the Tower of Babel before, right?"
Judas nodded.
"Good. With my experience, I can guide you and recommend shops that sell quality equipment at fair prices."
Hearing her reasoning, Judas was convinced.
Rose pulled out a small notebook and a quill, quickly flipping to a blank page before jotting something down.
"Since you mentioned that you dislike wearing robes or tunics like other mages... we can rule those out."
She murmured, her quill gliding across the paper.
"Let's see... you said you're a combat mage... a hybrid battle-caster, a living, moving artillery cannon..."
Her eyes flicked up briefly, then returned to her notes.
"The armor that would suit you best should be lightweight, but without sacrificing too much mobility."
She paused, tapping her quill thoughtfully.
"And if we factor in your current budget..."
After adventuring in the middle floors for a few days before getting ambushed by Freya, Judas had managed to collect a decent amount of valis.
'I wonder if that is enough though.'
Judas simply watched as his advisor muttered to herself, lost in calculation for nearly a full minute.
Finally, she snapped her notebook shut.
"Let's go."
After writing down on a notebook, the two soon left the guild side by side.
"Huh? Are my eyes playing tricks on me... or is Rose walking around with an adventurer—a man, at that?"
Misha exclaimed with wide eyes.
"What did you just say?"
Hearing her friend's words, Eina turned her gaze toward the pair.
Her mouth hung open slightly as she adjusted her glasses in disbelief.
The two receptionists exchanged shocked looks, realizing they were seeing the same thing.
And they weren't the only ones reacting... other guild staff and adventurers nearby began whispering.
"Is that Miss Rose? Walking together with a man?"
"Who is he? How dare he get close to her!?"
"That's Judas Spade... the rising star everyone's been talking about lately."
"Why... oh, why?! My Rose is being stolen away!"
"It should've been me, not him!"
One adventurer with spiky hair dropped to his knees in despair, slamming his forearm against the ground.
'With her looks, I knew Miss Rose was popular... but this reaction is a bit much.'
Judas thought, glancing at Rose, who seemed completely unfazed by the commotion happening around her.
He had visited the guild enough times to know just how popular the receptionists were among adventurers.
Every day, someone would confess their love or attempt to flirt with one of them... only to be swiftly and coldly rejected.
And Rose, easily among the most beautiful and composed of them all, was no exception.
"Just ignore them."
She said flatly.
Judas nodded once, following her advice.
"Agh?! Curse you, Judas Spade!"
He naturally ignored the faint cry of a heartbroken man echoing from behind.
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