"This set of weapons and equipment—just take it as a little meeting gift from me, your goddess."
"However, tonight we'll probably have to think about where we're going to stay. But Ron, you can rest assured—I'll definitely take care of it."
The girl's face was always brimming with a smile.
She did not want the Familia's current dire situation to become a burden on Ron. After all, his future dungeon exploration would only be more difficult than he imagined.
Hestia felt that she ought to do something.
At the very least, in life outside of dungeon exploration, she should be able to provide Ron with some security.
"Thank you, Lady Hestia."
Ron spoke sincerely as he looked at the short sword suited for fighting in cave environments, the breastplate that protected vital areas of the body, and the leather bracers.
The entire set fit extremely well, offering protection while still preserving mobility.
On the surface of the weapons and equipment was the emblem unique to the "Hephaestus" Familia, indicating that they were products from Orario's largest equipment supplier.
The overall price was certainly not cheap.
Given Hestia's financial means, she definitely could not have purchased them. Ron could guess the source without even opening his eyes.
He did not say this aloud, merely engraving Hephaestus's help firmly in his heart.
As for the lodging issue he would need to face, Ron did not find it particularly troublesome.
If worst came to worst, he could go to the abandoned church on West Street. After tidying up the basement a little, wouldn't that, in a sense, also count as a kind of holy-site pilgrimage?
"Then next—are we going to settle the place to stay first?"
"No."
"I'll take you to the Adventurers Guild to register your identity information first, then ask the guild staff about the dungeon situation. Leave the lodging issue to me."
The girl's tone was decisive and firm.
However, thinking of the negative effects of the "Hatred of the Dungeon," she added, "Even if we run into mutated monsters, knowing more is never a bad thing!"
"Compared to conquering the dungeon, I'd rather come back alive and safe."
Thinking of the difficulty of clearing the dungeon ahead—comparable to a Soulslike game—Ron felt that…
At times like this, he had to be steady.
After all, strictly speaking, being a Soulslike expert was limited to games—being more familiar with 'cruel' mechanics—while in real combat he was a complete novice!
Even if he obtained a "Character Card," the situation would absolutely not become optimistic.
As everyone knows, a Soulslike protagonist who spends a long time allocating stats only to get kicked to death by a roadside wild dog—this counts as standard operation in games.
"Very reasonable."
Hestia thought that her child not only had good talent but also a very steady personality; the girl felt that Ron possessed an unlimited future.
After following Hestia out of the weapon branch shop, what entered Ron's view was a bustling street with a medieval style, with shops of all kinds lining the surroundings.
Most of them, however, were industries related to adventurers.
Weapon repair shops, apothecaries, goblin general stores, pure-white sanatoriums, and so on…
All the way to the end of the adventurer street.
Ron raised his head and looked at the grand and magnificent Adventurers Guild headquarters, built with white marble pillars as its framework and paired with ornate relief stone bricks.
This was the place he would frequently have dealings with after becoming an adventurer.
And under the warm reception of the guild staff, they completed the familia registration and registered Ron's adventurer status. The entire process went very smoothly.
Looking around the slightly quiet guild hall, Hestia took advantage of the lack of people nearby and slipped the valis she had prepared in advance into Ron's palm. "I'll go take care of the familia residence."
They couldn't really end up sleeping on the streets, could they?
Not only the next place to stay, but also Ron's extremely dangerous dungeon exploration—if she was to be a qualified goddess, she had to make an effort.
"Consulting dungeon information requires a fee. Once you're done, go meet up at the weapon shop."
Ron felt the heavy weight of the coins in his palm. Even though Hestia's attitude seemed nonchalant, when he thought of her straitened financial situation, he quickly realized—this might be Hestia's last savings, and yet she was handing it over to him so readily?
Watching the girl's cheerful footsteps as she left, Ron only felt that his mood at this moment was actually somewhat subtle. "Thank you, Lady Hestia."
The girl stopped.
When Hestia turned around, a smile called "gentleness" flowed across her youthful face. "I think with our relationship right now…"
"you shouldn't have to say thank you!"
...
Only after her figure gradually receded into the distance did Ron sweep his gaze across the guild hall, until his eyes finally locked onto the counter in the central area.
The girl behind the counter had shoulder-length short brown hair. Her neat and pretty features, paired with round-framed glasses, added a touch of elegance to her lovely face.
Her slender elven ears were an even clearer symbol of her uncommon identity.
Eina Tulle.
Relying on her serious and dependable way of doing things, as well as her sweet looks and attractive figure, among the many staff members of the Adventurers Guild, she was the most popular poster girl.
Since he had to consult a guild staff member anyway, Ron felt he might as well look for the reliable half-elf beauty who had left a deep impression on him in the anime in his previous life.
It was not yet peak time for adventurers leaving the dungeon, so the workload was relatively light. Noticing an adventurer approaching, the girl raised her head.
Seeing Ron's unfamiliar, handsome face, she guessed he was probably a newcomer who had just come to Orario to develop?
Eina raised a hand and pushed up the frame of her glasses. The smile naturally flowing on her face was filled with gentleness. "How may I help you?"
"I want to inquire about information on upper-level monsters, and also learn about intelligence regarding the dungeon's abnormal changes." Ron stood before the counter and looked at Eina as he asked.
After receiving a god's blessing and becoming an adventurer, one's physical abilities would be comprehensively enhanced.
But after all, this was not a game.
Soulslike protagonists could revive without limit, yet his own "Revival" uses were quite limited. If some sneaky monster were camping the respawn point—there was no need to think; even with his eyes closed, he could guess the outcome.
Ron believed that he should grasp as much information about the dungeon as possible to avoid unexpected incidents. He added, "I hope it can be as detailed as possible."
"That's what I should be doing."
However, when the girl reflected on the latter half of his words, she clearly noticed the issue—namely, the matter of information regarding dungeon anomalies—and raised her head.
The look in her eyes as she gazed at Ron was filled with curiosity.
Eina patiently explained, "As for what you asked about dungeon anomalies, Adventurer, there's no need for you to worry."
"Our Adventurers Guild has regulations that forbid gods from entering the dungeon."
"As long as the dungeon does not detect the presence of a god, situations like that basically won't occur. You can carry out your daily exploration activities with peace of mind."
After all, Ron couldn't exactly go around talking about something like being "hated by the dungeon," could he?
Ron smiled and nodded, deciding to adjust his wording slightly. "Then if a sudden situation occurs in the dungeon, how should a novice adventurer handle it?"
"Oh."
"I'll tell you the precautions for dungeon exploration as well."
Most novice adventurers in the past were full of confidence in their own strength; someone as cautious as Ron was truly rare.
He not only asked about the distribution of dungeon monsters, but even took dungeon anomalies and sudden situations into consideration.
The girl did not feel impatient. On the contrary, she grew interested in the refined-looking Ron. "My name is Eina Tulle. How should I address you?"
"Because if nothing unexpected happens, novice adventurers are usually assigned to me."
"You can think of me as a rookie guide."