It had to be said, the capable, professional air Miss Eina put on at first really made Senji think she was a highly reliable office worker.
That illusion shattered the moment she started rummaging through the mountain of documents behind the counter.
Her expression went from confident to flustered in just a few moments.
"Eh… no, is it this one? That doesn't seem right. I remember senpai saying the exploration Familias were categorized here. Ah… why is this the Dian Cecht Familia and the Demeter Familia? These aren't exploration Familias at all…"
Her clumsy movements and confused muttering made Senji seriously question her professionalism.
This was exactly how he had looked on his first day at his old job in his previous life. I don't know. I can't do this. What now? Yep, definitely a rookie.
Senji didn't rush her. Haruhime, standing beside him, watched quietly with a blank, innocent expression.
Honestly, it was a good thing she was with him. If she had been alone, there was no telling how badly she might have been tricked. With her personality, she would probably thank the person who sold her off, maybe even help count the money.
Thinking about living in Orario for a long time, Haruhime grew curious and asked, "Senji-sama, where will we live later?"
In her mind, she was already imagining how to properly serve Senji as a maid.
Although she was the young lady of the Sanjouno Family, she was born from a political marriage. From a young age, she had been taught how to care for a husband and manage household chores.
She had even tried cooking. The elder women of the family had taught her that if you wanted to capture a man's heart, you first had to capture his stomach. Because of that, she had undergone systematic training in all of it.
Once their residence was settled, she planned to immediately start arranging the house and handling the chores, fulfilling her duties as a maid.
Senji, of course, had no idea what was going through Haruhime's head. If he did, he would probably be too shocked to speak. In his mind, a young lady of the Sanjouno Family lived a life of luxury and would never learn such things.
"Let's buy or rent a two-bedroom place. After we're done asking about Familias, we can ask Miss Eina if she knows any channels for renting or buying."
After thinking for a moment, Senji answered Haruhime's question.
Money wasn't a concern.
The world's currencies weren't fully unified, but they were exchangeable.
When he left home, his family had given him a sizable sum, which he had deposited in the Adventurers Guild's bank in advance.
Besides, if he joined a Familia and Haruhime didn't, he couldn't exactly have her sleep in the same bed as him.
The money wasn't enough for reckless spending, but buying a house wouldn't be a problem. Maintaining a good quality of life afterward would require earning money by exploring the Dungeon.
After a few minutes, Eina returned with more than ten documents in her arms. She offered an apologetic smile and began her explanation.
"Senji, you're interested in an exploration Familia… then how about the Soma Familia? Their overall strength isn't bad, and they're enthusiastic about Dungeon exploration. However… the god Soma seems more absorbed in brewing wine."
Eina's clear eyes flicked to the description behind the entry about the wine god Soma and the Guild's summary. Her voice grew weaker.
No matter how she looked at it… this didn't seem like a good choice.
Ah, did I mess up on my first day of work? Eina… why are you so useless?
A faint blush of embarrassment appeared on her face. She quickly spread out three more documents on the counter.
"Then let's look at some other Familias."
Just as Eina was about to introduce the Ganesha Familia and the Apollo Familia, Senji's gaze landed on the third document.
[Loki Familia]
Note: One of the two strongest Familias in Orario. Exploration-oriented Familia.
Seeing a description like that from the Guild itself made Senji's eyes light up. He immediately picked up the document on the Loki Familia.
If he wanted to become stronger, then naturally he should join the strongest Familia.
"Miss Eina, does the Loki Familia intend to recruit new members?"
Senji asked, his voice carrying a trace of excitement.
"Eh? Ah? Senji, this is your first time in Orario, and you don't have Falna yet, right? A major Familia like Loki Familia… they place a lot of importance on ability."
Eina was clearly caught off guard by his sudden decision.
Still, to avoid discouraging him, she phrased it in a more tactful way.
After all, a top-tier faction like Loki Familia was extremely difficult to enter as a complete newcomer unless you had an internal recommendation or displayed exceptional talent and ability.
"I know. Still… I'll just give it a try. No harm in testing my luck."
Senji understood this perfectly and replied with an optimistic smile.
"Well…"
This time, it was Eina who hesitated.
It wasn't that she looked down on Senji or thought he couldn't make it. Large Familias like that often meant delving deep into the Dungeon, with all the dangers that entailed.
But since he had already said this much, she couldn't persuade him otherwise.
At present, the Loki Familia did indeed have intentions to recruit new members. Otherwise, they wouldn't have posted recruitment notices at the Guild.
"Then… please fill out the forms. Afterward, I'll submit them to the Loki Familia's administrators. As for whether you'll be accepted… well, it depends on you, Senji."
Eina handed a form to Senji and another to Haruhime.
After paying the consultation fees and submitting all required identification documents, Senji and Haruhime began filling out the application forms.
They were fairly standard. The most important section was whether the applicant had previously joined another Familia.
"Senji Uchiha… Sanjouno Haruhime. You're both from the Far East."
Eina blinked in surprise as she read their names.
She had learned about the Far East during her time in the academic district, but she had rarely met anyone from there. Senji and Haruhime were the first she had encountered.
"Yes. Thank you for your help."
Senji nodded with a smile. Haruhime instinctively followed with a polite bow of gratitude.
"So refined and well-mannered…"
While organizing the forms, Eina secretly observed them out of the corner of her eye.
She could sense a certain nobility about the two youths, who were around her age. It felt ingrained from childhood. They must have been nobles back in their homeland.
Haruhime's subtle bowing etiquette alone showed it was a habit cultivated since youth. To meet such interesting people on her first day of work was unexpected.
Mom really was right. Orario was amazing. You could meet all kinds of people and have all kinds of encounters.
After completing the procedures, Eina carefully stored their forms in a cabinet.
"Once you've joined a Familia, just come back to find me. I'll register you as adventurers and record your Familia affiliation."
"You're the first adventurers I've ever been responsible for, so make sure you come back, okay?"
"That would be an honor."
Senji smiled.
Hearing his reply, Eina's youthful, delicate face bloomed into a shy smile. The slight curve of her lips carried a hint of quiet pride.
She had officially made her first deal.
Then Senji remembered the matter of housing. Eina might be able to help with that, so he asked, "Miss Eina, do you know anywhere that offers long-term rentals or… um, houses for sale? I'd appreciate an introduction."
"Eh? A house?"
Eina looked surprised when she heard that Senji and Haruhime were looking for a place to live.
Then she thought about it again and found it perfectly reasonable.
Senji was probably a noble young master from the Far East. Having money made sense.
"Yes. Since we plan to stay in Orario long-term, renting a place seems like the best choice." Senji nodded.
Eina thought for a moment. Light sparkled in her eyes, and a bright smile spread across her face.
"There's an empty apartment across from where I live. The price isn't too high either. If you're interested, how about coming with me to ask the landlord after I get off work?"
She had remembered the vacant unit across from her own apartment and made the suggestion.
"That sounds perfect. Thank you, Miss Eina."
Senji hadn't expected such good timing and agreed without hesitation.
"Then please have a seat over there and wait for a bit. I'll be off work in about thirty minutes."
Eina gestured toward the rest area in the hall, then went to submit Senji and Haruhime's forms.
As for whether the Loki Familia would take an interest in them, Eina didn't know.
All she could do was wish them good luck.