Thoughts about which Familia to join were wiped out of his mind the moment he took his first look around the streets of Orario after stepping through the main gates.
People of different races and genders were walking all over the streets, some with animal ears, some with ears longer than humans, and some with a beauty so surreal that just looking at them made Bell's face feel hot and dizzy.
The charm and charisma of the gods here was no joke. Just their facial features as he gleamed from a few peeks...were almost uncannily symmetric and perfect, with slight imperfections, making them seem even more beautiful.
As the saying goes 'In imperfection lies perfection'.
.
He snapped out of it after gaping at the bustling streets of Orario for a short while. Looking like a country bumkin to others.
"Boss, how much for this apple?" Bell walked upto a vendor selling fruits at the corner of a street nearby, and asked while inspecting an apple casually.
"That would be 20 valis, boy." The vendor flashed him a greasy smile. Quoting the price with mock sincerity.
"... That's too much, I've only got 5 valis on me." He spoke with a grimace after hearing the price. Even if he didn't know the average prices of things in Orario, the greasy smile on the vendor's face seemed to hint at foul play.
"Boy... This is the dungeon city, Orario. Everything here is way costlier than outside, even fruits. Though you seem like a new guy around here, so I'll give it to you for a measly 10 valis." The vendor looked him up and down, especially focusing on his unrefined build and village clothes. Relenting after a moment.
"You've got it. By the way, do you know a cheap inn around here? Oh!... And can you tell me the directions to the adventurers guild?" He asked after tossing the vendor 10 valis in coins. Taking a bite out of the apple in his hand simultaneously.
"If you want a cheap inn with next to no security, then you can go straight from here and take two lefts onto the old street and go in the Whispering Wanderer Inn there."
"For a decent inn...go straight from this street, take a right then another left and go to the Graceful Swan Inn there,"
"It's run by a Level 2 adventurer. As for Adventurers Guild, just keep going straight from this street and you'd come across it." The vendor spoke while dismissively waving him away after he finished explaining.
After walking straight for some time, he finally came across the adventurers guild infamous among the denizens who had watched *Danmachi*.
'So, this is the adventurers guild?' He mused after reaching the adventurers guild. Looking at all the adventurers coming in and out of the building. Some were weary, some melancholic, others joyful and euphoric.
People were expressing a large range of emotion while coming and going through the adventurers guild, just like when people usually went through a lottery on earth. Some would come out happy and some melancholic.
He observed the atmosphere inside the guild for some time while standing outside and then started to walk away from it after finishing his half eaten apple. His steps moving towards the direction indicated by the earlier vendor.
Now was not the opportune time to set his foot inside the adventurers guild.
First of all... He had no Familia right now and wasn't even blessed by the Falna of a God. So, there was no merit or reason in going there.
Night had already fallen when Bell reached the Graceful Swan Inn after asking around for directions from others along the way.
.
"Hello. I'd like to rent a room for a day." Bell spoke after reaching the Graceful Swan Inn after roaming around like a headless chicken for some extra time. His body leaning against the counter of Graceful Swan.
Behind the countertop stood a women who looked to be in her 30s with black hair tied in a side braid and graceful features, a gentle and harmless smile on her face.
"Sir, that'll be 100 valis, including the breakfast." She spoke with a gentle and patient smile. Her eyes looking at his attire with silent judgement.
"Here, ma'am." He spoke with basic courtesy as he took out 100 valis out of the 200 valis left on him.
Bell could understand where her judgmental gaze was coming from. Since just for staying one night here, his wallet was already about to be bled dry.
"Follow me, sir. I'll show you to your room." She spoke as she took him to a room on the second floor.
After walking into the room, Bell took a quick glance around. It was nothing fancy, just a single wooden bed, a wooden study table and two wooden chairs accompanying a vanity with a full body mirror. The closed windows mounted at the wall facing the streets below.
A moment later, he put the leather sachet strapped to his back on the wooden table and lay his body down on the bed in exhaustion.
While laying down on the bed, his thoughts once again wandered towards the question about whose Familia to join.
... After going through all the things he knew from *Danmachi*, there was one God he had not yet considered.
"Astraea..." Bell murmured the name with a thoughtful sigh.
Goddess Astraea.
Not Goddess Hestia.
His instincts whispered.
That if he chose to go to Goddess Hestia.
And follow the same path as that of the original Bell.
Then he'd lose something irreplaceable.
...
He'd lose his own sense of self.
And just become a...
Hollow Bell Cranel.