Chapter 53 – The Angry Elf Advisor!
Inside one of the reception rooms of the Orario Guild, Eina's expression twitched slightly.
Resting on the table in front of her was a large burlap sack—undoubtedly filled to the brim with Magic Stones.
For the past few days, Akira hadn't stopped by to exchange any stones. Word was, he'd recently received a staggering two billion valis from Hephaestus. Since then, Shin Akira had essentially become a sudden millionaire.
And now he had returned, dragging in another giant sack packed with Magic Stones from today's venture. Monsters in the Dungeon seemed to be going berserk lately, pouring out in droves nonstop.
As a result, Akira brought back another massive haul… and naturally, came to cash it in.
"How many floors did you explore this time?" Eina asked, trying her best to maintain composure. Her voice trembled slightly, and though she wore a 'smile,' it clearly looked more like someone gritting their teeth in barely contained fury.
If not for the fact they were still inside the Guild headquarters—and had two staff members sitting right next to her verifying the haul—she probably would've already exploded.
"Not that deep, really. I just went a little further than usual," Akira replied with a casual shrug.
"And by 'a little,' how many floors exactly?" she pressed.
"About Floor 33," he answered, like it was no big deal.
"FLOOR THIRTY-THREE?!"
Eina's voice erupted like a thunderclap, echoing throughout the room. Akira and the two other Guild employees instinctively covered their ears.
Especially the young male clerk helping to tally the stones—his entire body jolted. Eina was practically the pride and beauty of the Guild, admired by many adventurers from afar. And yet, here she was… getting flustered over this guy?
Rumors about Eina and Shin Akira had been swirling around for a while now—thanks in no small part to Misha Flott. While most thought of it as a joke, there were those who took it seriously. This young man happened to be one of them.
"E-Eina-san, p-please calm down… take a deep breath…" he stammered in panic.
"Do you have any idea what you're doing?! Floor 33 isn't somewhere you just waltz into! Are you trying to die?!"
"I mean… it was still within reasonable bounds," Akira replied, scratching his cheek.
"Reasonable?! So now you think you're invincible?!"
"Well… personally, I don't think I'm that weak."
"You—!"
Eina pointed a trembling finger at him, her face turning bright red from frustration. She wanted to scold him even more, but the words just wouldn't come out.
As infuriating as he was being, the fact remained: Shin Akira had reached Floor 33 and come back completely unharmed. That alone was undeniable proof of his capability.
But to Eina, the Dungeon was still an unforgiving deathtrap. Every year, countless adventurers—even those at Level 3 or 4—lost their lives down there.
What worried her most was that Shin Akira had only received his Falna less than two weeks ago. As a rookie with so little experience, reckless behavior like this would only lead to an early grave.
Akira, meanwhile, just offered her an awkward smile. He knew that with his current strength, he could walk confidently through the lower 30s. After all, he was someone with extraordinary advantages.
Even so, he couldn't bring himself to be annoyed by Eina's scolding. He understood that everything she said came from a place of genuine concern.
"Haaah… You do realize the deeper you go, the more dangerous the Dungeon becomes, right? The tunnels become more complex, and if you get lost or run out of stamina… that's basically a death sentence," Eina continued with a worried tone.
"Alright, I understand. I'll be more careful next time," Akira said softly.
"Words are cheap. The moment you leave this building, you'll just forget everything I said, won't you?"
"No way. I wouldn't do that~"
"Really?"
"Really."
Eina gave him a sharp stare. Akira felt a twinge of guilt—because yes, she was absolutely right.
He wasn't angry at her for caring. But the truth was, every time she lectured him, her words entered through one ear and flew right out the other.
Meanwhile, the young man next to them, still counting stones, clenched his teeth so hard he nearly bit the sack.
"…You still haven't bought any proper armor, have you?"
Eina glanced at Akira's outfit—still casual and unprotected—and frowned.
"Nope. I don't think I need it just yet," he answered honestly.
"Why are you so stubborn? No one's safety is guaranteed in the Dungeon! You could die at any moment!"
"Err… calm down, please. I just think it's not really necessary for me."
"Not necessary?! Shin Akira, I know you're talented, but adventurers die all the time just from being overconfident and arrogant!"
"Okay, okay… I get it…"
Akira nodded with a serious face, though deep down, he still felt armor was redundant for him.
Right now, he was practically functioning as a summoner. The ones doing most of the actual fighting were the Shadowkhan—black-clad ninja warriors summoned from the darkness. He only joined the fray to stimulate his Falna growth.
Plus, ever since merging with Dragon Blood, his body had become ridiculously tough—more durable than most high-grade armor.
"Do you have plans tomorrow?" Eina suddenly asked.
"Tomorrow? I was going to hit the Dun— I mean, nope! I'm free!" Akira quickly changed his answer the moment he saw Eina's death glare.
"Good. I'm off tomorrow. Meet me at the central plaza at 9 a.m."
"Hmm? Meet you? What for?"
"You'll find out," she replied bluntly.
"…Alright."
Their conversation wasn't exactly private, and the two Guild staff heard every word loud and clear.
The older clerk didn't react much—he was married and beyond such drama.
But the younger one looked utterly devastated. He had silently admired Eina for years, but she had never paid him any mind. They barely even spoke.
Now she was openly inviting Shin Akira to meet her… in public… in the central plaza… in the morning.
There was no mistaking it.
This was a date.
And even worse—she was the one who asked first.
"Eina… I thought tomorrow wasn't your usual day off?" the young man muttered.
"I swapped shifts with Misha. Why? Do I need your permission now, Dasat-san?"
"N-No, of course not…"
Even though they were both Guild employees, Dasat knew full well he wasn't in her league.
Eina wasn't just a half-elf—she was also a direct student of the Guild's top brass and personally acquainted with Riveria Ljos Alf. She was completely out of his reach.
Watching this unfold, Akira let out a quiet chuckle.
Dasat was such a hopeless case. He liked Eina but never had the guts to say a word. Always skulking around like a cowardly rooster, too afraid to even approach her properly.
A few minutes later, the tallying process was finally complete.
Once all the Magic Stones and monster drop items were accounted for, the staff announced the total.
"For everything combined—the stones and all drop items—the total comes to one million, thirty thousand valis."
"…That's it?" Akira blurted out reflexively.
"How much were you expecting?!"
"No, no… it's actually a lot. I'm happy."
He quickly backtracked.
After handling two billion valis once, a million really didn't feel like much anymore.
But in Orario, a million valis was no small amount. In fact, it was already considered a decent fortune.
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Read ahead and support the story on Patreon:
🔗 patreon.com/FaaanzKun
✅ 130+ chapters ahead of WebNovel
✅ 2 new chapters every day (Monday–Saturday), exclusive on Patreon
✅ Be among the first readers to experience Arc 3 and the new season before anyone else!
📖 The first chapter of Arc 3 is now live!
You can read it right now on Patreon~
🌙 Note: Sunday is a rest day, so there will be no updates tomorrow. Regular uploads resume as usual on Monday.
Thank you all so much for your amazing support 💖
Your encouragement keeps this story alive and growing stronger every single day! 🌟
— — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —