"Everyone, let's do 'that'!" Alise exclaimed, reaching out to Roland. "Roland, you probably don't know our 'Vow' yet, right? Before the goddess, lies are impossible. Our words are our hearts."
Some of the girls looked embarrassed. "Do we really have to do that? It's a bit cshameful..."
"Don't worry, I feel the same," Lyra sighed.
"Kaguya, Lyra, do it properly! I-I don't find it shameful at all!" Lyu stammered, her face turning bright red.
Alise urged everyone to stack their hands together. Roland placed his hand on top of Lyu's. He felt her hand tremble slightly, but she didn't pull away—a rare sign of trust from an elf who usually detested being touched.
With faces flushed but voices firm, they began the anthem of the Astraea Familia:
"Fulfill the mission! Rectify the scales! Until the day we fall as stars!""Uphold order! Smite evil! Justice burns forever in our hearts!""Race alongside the sky, and leave a trail of stars across this land!"
It was the "Vow" that the Familia of Justice had etched into their very hearts.
"I swear upon the Sword and Wings of Justice!" "I swear upon the Sword and Wings of Justice!"
Roland's voice joined theirs in a powerful chorus. Under the watchful eyes of the Goddess Astraea, he and the young women carved this sacred oath into their souls.
'I don't necessarily crave justice itself,' Roland thought, 'but for their sake, I wouldn't mind becoming a champion of it.'
Once the oath was concluded, Kaguya turned to him. "Come on. I'll take you to buy your equipment first, and then we'll head out for your first adventure."
As they stepped onto the main thoroughfare, Roland spotted a cluster of buildings adorned with a clown banner across the way. That was the Twilight Manor, the residence of the Loki Familia. Kaguya led him through the back alleys toward the weapon shops.
They arrived at the northwestern district of Orario, an area bustling with shops and high-end residential estates. At the center of the street stood a branch of the Hephaestus Familia's smithy, directly opposite the Blue Pharmacy run by the Miach Familia.
"The Hephaestus Shop. This is where we'll get your gear," Kaguya said, pointing toward a workshop whose architectural style blended seamlessly with the surrounding buildings. Alise had suggested using standard gear for now; they would forge superior equipment from monster drops later. For the time being, they would make do.
Roland and Kaguya selected a set of light armor and a 1.7-meter-long spear, funded entirely by the "allowance" provided by their Captain.
They eventually reached the center of Orario, where a chalk-white tower soared into the clouds, seemingly endless: Babel. While the Labyrinth City of Orario was a thriving metropolis, its core was a military fortress. Babel served a vital purpose—acting as a lid for the Dungeon, suppressing the nest of monsters that had once poured out to plague the world. It looked impressive from afar, but up close, the scale was breathtaking.
They entered the Dungeon.
The Path of Beginnings.
An immense road connected the surface to a massive cavern. The ceiling sat roughly ten meters high, and a wide, spiraling staircase descended along the inner wall of the cylinder toward the first floor. This area was vast enough to hold thousands of people and was a designated safety zone.
The two of them, wearing hoods to mask their identities, reached the true entrance of the Dungeon. Although underground, the walls emitted a faint blue luminescence that lit the way. The natural labyrinth stretched out in all directions, forming a network of tunnels deep beneath the earth.
For a novice like Roland, it would be easy to lose one's way and die in the maze, even with a map.
CRACK—
A sound like stones colliding echoed through the air. Web-like fissures spidered across the walls to their left and right. Four small, weaponless Goblins emerged, their crimson eyes glaring as they lunged forward with a snarl.
"Go on. Try fighting a monster for yourself," Kaguya said calmly.
Without needing further prompting, Roland lunged forward. He drove his spear through the skull of one Goblin. Simultaneously, he compressed a gale in his palm and slammed it into another. The Goblin's head exploded instantly, spraying blood across his arms.
He pivoted to dodge a pounce, swinging the shaft of his spear to knock two Goblins into each other. Before they could scramble up, a Magic Ice Ball detonated against them, finishing the double kill.
"Not bad for a first fight," Kaguya said, handing him a small knife. "Next, you need to learn how to extract Magic Stones."
Roland used the knife to cut into the Goblin's torso. As he rummaged inside, he felt the warmth of the blood on his palms and the sickening sensation of twitching, viscous flesh against his skin. He looked back at Kaguya with a pathetic, pleading expression. "I don't want to dig anymore."
"Stop acting like a baby. This is something every adventurer must go through."
"Fine... ugh, gross."
Roland turned back and kept searching, eventually pulling out a magic stone about the size of a fingernail. The Goblin's corpse immediately lost its color and crumbled into ash, vanishing into the Dungeon. The Labyrinth was alive; monsters crawled out of its walls and dissolved back into it. No matter how many an adventurer killed, they would never run out.
"By the way, Roland, how much do you know about the Astraea Familia?"
"Erm... founded less than five years ago, but strong and united. All members are female, and it's a Familia of Justice."
"Then do you know the price of maintaining order and justice?"
"Making enemies," Roland replied grimly.
"Exactly. Maintaining order means we restrict those who do evil. Executing justice means we fight wickedness head-on. Because of that, the Astraea Familia isn't actually very popular in Orario. We've offended a lot of people for the sake of our ideals. In a place where adventurers can die at any moment, bullying the weak is rampant. Because we are 'noble,' we are seen as outsiders—an eyesore to those who won't play clean."
"They don't dare confront us openly because we are powerful and united, and we are the guardians of Orario. However, while they won't touch the veterans, it's a different story for a rookie like you. During your future adventures, do not trust anyone outside of the Familia, and do not reveal your membership."
"So you mean... I have to adventure alone?" Roland understood her point.
"Yes. Our members are all famous faces. You're the only new one. If you're seen partying with us, it will bring unnecessary trouble your way."
"Regardless, you are one of us now. I don't want to hear news of you getting hurt."
Seeing the concern behind Kaguya's stoic expression, the pressure in Roland's heart dissipated. He gave her a bright smile.
"Understood... Momma Kaguya."
"Huh!? What did you call me? You idiot! Brat! Moron! You get one nice word from me and you dare call me 'Mom'? I clearly treated you too well!!" Kaguya's face flushed as she lunged at him, pinching and pulling his cheeks.
"Ow! Ow! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Big Sister Kaguya!!"
As they reached the second floor, they encountered four grotesque Imps and a lizard-like monster crawling on the walls.
"Let's try a move I just thought of."
Roland condensed a gale at the tip of his spear, shaping it into a rotating drill. The wind whipped his black hair.
"Wind Lance—Charge!" he shouted, thrusting the spear three times in rapid succession. The three Imps died instantly. He then sidestepped a lashing tongue from the lizard.
"Gáe Bolg!" (Spear of Piercing Death!) He planted his left foot, twisted his hips, and hurled the spear, pinning the lizard to the wall.
Seeing its companions dead, the final Imp let out a terrified shriek and turned to run.
"Hmph, you think you can escape? Not that easy!" Roland struck a pose, pointing his fingers like a pistol at the retreating monster. An ice shard formed at his fingertips, wrapped in a swirling gale and powered by his mana.
Bang!
The ice shard caught up to the Imp in a flash. Upon impact, the compressed gale exploded outward, shattering the monster and leaving only a magic stone behind.
"Whew..." Roland blew on his finger like a smoking gun and "holstered" it at his waist.
Kaguya stared at Roland's theatrical display, dumbfounded. "You really are an idiot! Where did this personality shift come from? And go get your weapon back!"
"Ahahaha, sorry. I just felt like doing that," Roland laughed sheepishly.
"The first five floors won't be a problem for you, but don't get careless. And remember: never exhaust your stamina completely. Always keep some in reserve for 'surprises.' That surprise could be the Dungeon itself, or it could be other adventurers. There are no prisons in Orario; if someone is murdered, it's usually settled with a fine. Only your Familia will avenge you. Especially in the Dungeon—with no witnesses, who's to say what happened?"
Kaguya continued her lecture as they headed toward the sixth floor. "Since the monsters on the upper floors are no challenge, let's try a Shadow from the sixth."
Along the way, Roland cleared out Goblins and Kobolds. To make his training more effective, he began fighting hand-to-hand and even intentionally took a few hits to toughen up. Kaguya acted as his temporary supporter, gathering stones and materials. By the time they reached the fifth floor, Roland's system level had reached Level 4.
"Alright, let's eat," Kaguya said, pulling out the lunch she had prepared.
"Mmm! Delicious! You really are a good person, Sister Kaguya."
"If you can't give a proper compliment, just don't speak. Honestly... I thought you were a smart kid at first, but you're just as airheaded as the Captain and Lyu," Kaguya sighed.
"Hehe, I can't help it. Since I can't go back, I just tell myself 'I'm here now, so might as well enjoy it,'" Roland smiled. "If the Familia hadn't been so kind as to let me join... I probably would have had to beg for a job at The Benevolent Mistress until I starved. If that failed, I'd just hope Mia-mama would give me some scraps."
'If I hadn't been modified into this Mage body, I really might have been a beggar. Though as a half-elf, maybe someone would have scouted me?' he mused.
"I see... you've had it rough," Kaguya's expression softened. She pulled the dazed Roland into a hug.
Feeling the warmth and security of Kaguya's embrace, Roland's resolve hardened: 'I will definitely protect all of you.'
After a moment of comfort, Roland patted her hand and smiled. "Thanks, Sister Kaguya. That was warm."
"Hmph. I wasn't comforting you; I just couldn't stand your stupid face. Let's go. Challenge a Shadow, and then we're heading home."
The Shadow was a humanoid silhouette with no skin or fur, looking as though it had been soaked in pitch-black ink. Its head was cross-shaped with a circular, mirror-like part for a face. It had long limbs tipped with three razor-sharp hooks.
Its attack pattern was simple—mostly clawing—but its physical stats far exceeded anything on the first five floors. Its claws could slice through human flesh as easily as a cleaver. To newcomers used to Goblins, these were "Rookie Killers." If five or more gathered, even a veteran Level 1 could die.
"Two Shadows. Want me to take one?" Kaguya asked.
"No, Sister Kaguya. I want to see what I can do," Roland said seriously.
"Understood. I'll step in if it gets dangerous."
Roland charged. With his level-ups, his control over basic elemental magic was becoming effortless. With a thought, a gale wrapped around his spear.
The two Shadows flanked him, their claws whistling through the air. Roland parried the first attack with the head of his spear and sidestepped the second. He whipped the spear around like a lash, striking the Shadow's leg. As the claws came again, he ducked and drove the spear through the head of the Shadow on the ground.
Using the wind to boost his jump, Roland leapt into the air, pulled his spear free, and kicked off the wall. Before the second Shadow could react, the rotating wind-spear impaled its chest, pinning it to the floor.
"It's over!"
The two Shadows dissolved like ice into water, leaving behind magic stones and claw fragments.
[Personal Info]
Name: Roland
Age: 13
Level: LV8 (System Level)
Status: Fatigued