"Finally, back on the surface. Fresh air at last."
Roland headed to the Adventurer's Guild at the base of Babel. The Guild was founded by Ouranos, the god who first brought the "Divine Grace" to the world and used his divine power to pray and suppress the Dungeon from the underground altar.
Since Ouranos maintained a neutral stance, he no longer bestowed grace upon anyone. Most Guild staff were ordinary humans without Falna. They handled all adventurer affairs and provided consultants to help rookies survive.
Roland washed the blood off in the Guild's showers, exchanged his magic stones for 20,000 Valis, and stepped out into the city. Since it was still early, he decided to explore Orario and soak in the atmosphere.
He walked toward West Street, remembering that The Benevolent Mistress pub was nearby. He saw the sign and a grey-haired waitress greeting customers outside. He didn't go in; without Lyu or the others, it was just a regular pub to him for now.
He visited a place called the "Gnome's Grand Library." After paying a small fee, he flipped through the famous "Argonaut" storybook. Further down, he saw the headquarters of the Ganesha Familia, I am Ganesha. The building was shaped like the god Ganesha sitting cross-legged, over thirty meters tall. The entrance was... right between the statue's legs.
Roland chuckled. 'Thank god the Starry Court is normal. Entering through a god's crotch is just vulgar. If it were a goddess, maybe... but definitely not a male god.'
As he was heading toward Amor Square, he heard voices from a dark alleyway.
"Hey, little Pallum. Why don't you lend us some Valis?" "You're just a Supporter, right? You wouldn't want to get hurt so badly you can't work. Hand over everything valuable."
Roland peered into the alley. Two thugs were cornering a small Pallum girl. One had a weapon held to her while the other, a beastman, rifled through her bag.
"Hahaha! Only 10,000 Valis? Well, consider it a gift to us!"
Roland saw that they weren't famous or high-level adventurers.
"Hmph. Time for the Hero of Justice to clock in. Committing such a crime right in front of me... I'll give you a memory you'll never forget!"
Roland pulled his hood over his face and stepped into the alley.
"Hey, you two! Look over here!"
The beastman turned just in time to see a wind-enhanced fist collide with his face. His vision went black as he collapsed.
"Who's there?! Do you want to die?!" the human adventurer shrieked.
Roland teleported behind him and delivered a kick to the head, slamming him into the wall. To make sure they stayed down, he gave each of them a punch to the gut.
Once he was sure they were unconscious, he turned to the Pallum girl. "Are you hurt?"
The girl stopped crying and looked at him in awe. "N-no. They only took my Valis. Thank you so much for saving me!"
"Ah, it's nothing. Just a passing adventurer," Roland replied, unconsciously mimicking Alise's heroic tone.
He helped her gather her scattered belongings. Then, he searched the two thugs and found 30,000 Valis. He handed 20,000 to the girl.
"But... they only took 10,000 from me. What is this?" she asked, hesitant.
"Hehe. Consider it compensation for the emotional trauma. Now that you've taken the money, we're accomplices. You can't snitch on me, okay?" Roland laughed as he pressed the money into her hand.
"Do you want to head home on your own, or should I walk you back?" Roland asked the stunned girl.
The Pallum girl's face flushed deep red. "Um, well... please, could you walk me for a bit? Thank you so much!!"
Roland waved her off and got to work on the two thugs. First, he stripped them of all their clothes, piling their weapons by his waist but leaving them in their underpants. Looking at the heap of clothing, Roland used a gale to shred them into tatters. He checked the money in his hand.
"Hmph. Since you only stole money and didn't do anything worse, I'll give you back ten thousand Valis. Consider yourselves lucky." He split the money into two portions and stuffed them into the waistbands of their shorts.
"By the way, what's your name?" Roland asked, extending a hand to the girl.
The Pallum girl hurriedly shook it. "I'm Nina. And my savior's name?"
"Roland. Wait a second, I need to finish this." Roland grabbed the two men by the arms, teleported outside, and dumped them onto the main street. Seeing the crowd begin to gather and point—and noticing members of the Ganesha Familia approaching—Roland immediately teleported back.
"Alright, let's go."
"I'm in for it... I'm really in for it! I wasted too much time. I'm going to get chewed out!!" Roland sprinted down the street, panic etched on his face as the sky turned pitch black.
Near a fried potato puff stall stood a blonde girl with a sword at her waist. She was holding a bag of potato puffs, a blissful smile on her face. Just as she was about to take another bite, a hand accidentally bumped her arm. The puff slipped from her fingers and tumbled onto the ground.
Roland skidded to a halt, staring at the fallen snack. "Ah, more trouble."
"Ah... my potato puff." The girl's brow furrowed slightly as she stared at the ground, reaching down to pick it up.
"I'm so sorry! I knocked it over. I'll pay you back. But please, don't eat it off the ground," Roland apologized, pulling off his hood and bowing to the crouching girl. "Boss, two orders of potato puffs!"
"...I want red bean cream flavor," she whispered.
"Boss, two red bean cream puffs!" Roland followed her request immediately.
"Here. Take the second one as an apology." Roland handed both orders to the girl. He finally got a clear look at her face: radiant blonde hair like Lyu's, golden eyes, and a peculiar outfit that left her underarms exposed.
"Are you the 'Sword Princess,' Ais Wallenstein of the Loki Familia?"
Ais looked curiously at the black-haired, black-eyed boy who had recognized her. She observed him for a moment before noticing his pointed ears. "Mhm. Are you a half-elf? You feel... strange."
"You guessed right. If that's all, I need to get home. Don't let your elders worry—you should head back soon, too." Roland turned to leave.
Ais caught his sleeve and held out the extra potato puff, saying a soft "Thank you."
"Don't mention it. I'm the one who dropped your food. Well, see you next time!"
Ais watched Roland disappear around the corner in a rush. "See you," she whispered to the empty air.
Roland burst through the gates, catching his breath before stealthily opening the front door. "I'm home..." he whispered.
"Welcome back," a calm voice drifted from the side, making his hair stand on end.
"Whoa! ...Oh, it's just you, Sister Kaguya. You scared me." Roland clutched his chest in relief at the sight of the woman in the black kimono.
"What is that supposed to mean? Do I rank that low in your heart?" Kaguya pressed her slender finger against Roland's forehead.
"How could I? I like you very much, Sister Kaguya!" Roland reached out as if to hug her.
"You're covered in sweat and you want a hug? I've clearly been too soft on you. Tomorrow, you and I are sparring. I'm going to beat you until you can't find your teeth," Kaguya said, blocking his hug with a hand-chop to the chest. "Go on. You must be hungry. The Goddess and Alise have dinner ready. Everyone is waiting."
"Understood."
Roland followed Kaguya into the kitchen. Dinner was spread across a large table, and everyone was helping out—except for Lyu, who was sitting in a corner hugging her knees, muttering dejectedly.
"I'm a useless elf... a useless elf..."
"Good evening, everyone!" Roland greeted them before sitting down next to Lyu. "Lyu, what's wrong? Something on your mind?"
"Roland... am I really a useless elf?" Lyu looked up, eyes brimming with unshed tears. "I can't even do simple things like carry plates or set the table. Am I really what Kaguya says? A good-for-nothing elf? A 'Useless-rin'?"
Roland looked at this woman who usually acted like a cold beauty but was now behaving like a total airhead. It made him want to tease her more, but he remembered he was the "good kid" certified by the Goddess.
"Come on, Lyu. Everyone has things they aren't good at. You're just not suited for chores. Besides, you're a Level 3 adventurer! Doing this kind of stuff is a waste of your talents." Roland tried to comfort her. "If everyone was good at the same things, we'd all be identical. Look at it this way: 'If someone has to be bad at chores, why shouldn't it be me?' Feel better?"
"...Roland, I know I'm clumsy, but I'm not stupid. That's just running away from reality," Lyu said, pouting in annoyance.
"It's fine, Lyu. I can't cook either. From now on, I'll be a useless elf with you. Doesn't it feel better to be useless together?"
'Though I can actually carry plates just fine,' Roland thought.
"Uwah, even Roland thinks I'm a useless elf..."
"You two, stop chatting and come eat!" Lyra shouted at them.
"Alright, alright. Lyu is just bad at manual labor. When it comes to combat, you're the powerful 'Gale,' aren't you?" Roland reached out his hand. "Let's go."
Lyu stared at his palm, nervously took it, and let him pull her up. 'No rejection? It seems Lyu has accepted me,' Roland noted.
"Thank you for comforting me, Roland. I'm sorry for making you worry," Lyu thanked him with a faint, shy smile.
"Oh... uh, it's nothing." Roland was momentarily stunned by her beauty. "The way you smiled just now... it was really pretty."
Lyu's face, already red, now flushed all the way to her ears. "Stop teasing me, Roland..." Even her voice had softened.
Roland chuckled. "Time to eat!"