After receiving my Falna, I was about to head straight to the dungeon, but...
"...Going without any weapons?"
"I'm a martial artist..."
"Then you should at least have some basic armor."
"No money to buy it..."
"Ha..."
Naza stopped me just as I was about to head to the dungeon without any preparation.
"Give up on going to the dungeon today and register with the Guild first. Also, the Guild sells standard-issue weapons and armor cheaply, so at least buy those."
"Ah... right, there's the Guild."
"...Are you really in Orario to become an adventurer?"
So, carrying the money I had saved up, I walked to the Guild, following the map Naza had given me.
"Is there no child who will join a poor, newborn Familia..."
I spotted a goddess with a short stature and black hair in twin tails—and notably large... specific areas—wandering the streets alone.
"Eh... probably not..."
Praying inwardly that it wasn't her, I continued walking until I noticed a white-haired boy who seemed to stand out conspicuously, and—
"...Is that the protagonist?"
Fortunately, he was coming from the opposite direction, so I took a moment to check his face.
'It is the protagonist. I remember his name was Bell Cranel.'
There stood a boy with androgynous looks and crimson eyes, just as I had seen in the manga.
'But... why is he unarmed?'
I wondered why there was a slight disconnect from the protagonist I knew. Upon closer look, he had neither weapons nor armor... it felt like looking at myself when I first arrived in Orario.
'Damn... so it's before the protagonist joined a Familia...'
Honestly, I had somewhat expected this.
"Ha... no wonder there were no rumors or information about this guy..."
When I was gathering information about the gods, I also collected rumors about various adventurers. Since I couldn't find any information about a white-haired adventurer, I had already speculated that I might have arrived at a time before the story began.
'So, is this when he's looking for a Familia?'
As I watched the protagonist pass by, I could see his expression was filled with disappointment, and—
"...Hey, white-hair."
I ended up calling out to him without thinking.
"...Yes? Me?"
"Over there, behind you, there's a goddess with a short stature and black hair in twin tails looking for someone to join her Familia. You should go check it out."
"Huh? How did you know I was looking for a Familia... Ah?!"
"Well, good luck~"
Ignoring the protagonist's response, I said what I needed to and hurried toward the Guild.
"Well... this much should be fine."
Finally arriving at the Guild, I headed to the counter to register as an adventurer.
"Then, please write your age, name, and the name and level of your current Familia here~"
I filled out the paperwork as instructed by a pink-haired woman who looked like she was definitely a 'Rank E' type.
"Let's see... Name: Kai. Gender: Male. Age: 14. Race: Human. Current Familia: Miach Familia..."
After I completed the paperwork, the woman began examining it.
"Yep! No problems at all~ Passed!"
She announced my registration was complete in less than ten seconds.
"Ah, should I say 'completed' instead of 'passed'?"
"Well... as long as it's properly registered, it doesn't matter."
After finishing the registration, I asked about the Guild's standard-issue weapons that Naza had mentioned.
"Um... I heard the Guild sells standard-issue weapons."
"Ah, for those, right this way."
The employee kindly took me to where the weapons and armor were kept.
"Do you have a preferred weapon?"
"I generally practice martial arts, but... do you have push daggers or karambits?"
"Eh... so you mean daggers?"
"...I'll just look for myself."
After looking around the armory for a while, I couldn't find the type of weapon I wanted.
"No preferred type of weapon?"
"Yes... unfortunately."
"Hmm... can you describe in detail what the weapon looks like?"
"It has a unique shape that's hard to describe... could you lend me some paper and a pen?"
Feeling disappointed, I drew the shape and description of the weapon and handed it to the employee.
"Heh... it certainly has a unique shape. It's difficult during work hours, but when I have time later, I'll look for it. For now, would you like to choose some armor first?"
"Ah, yes, thank you."
"What's your combat style like?"
Since I came to a fantasy world, I'd fantasized about swinging big swords or using magic, but...
"I mainly use kicks and punches."
Even though this is a manga world, it's my reality now, so I figured using the techniques most familiar to my body was the right choice.
"Heh~ a combat style that's completely different from your appearance?"
"Is that so?"
In my past life, my father worked in security, so from kindergarten until 'that incident,' I learned all sorts of martial arts and weapon skills like Taekwondo, Aikido, and Muay Thai. I had quite a bit of confidence in my abilities.
'Even so, I died to a robber with a utility knife...'
"Huh? Your expression turned sour. Are you okay?"
"Ah... just remembering something from the past..."
"Anyway, for a martial artist, light armor would be best. How about this?"
"I think that would work."
As I agreed, she stared at me for a moment, then brought armor that fit my size perfectly.
"Since you mainly use kicks and punches, I brought steel boots, shin guards, and vambraces that protect the backs of your hands, along with a breastplate that only covers the chest for mobility. Is this okay?"
"This isn't just okay, it's excellent!"
I tried on the armor the employee brought.
"The size fits perfectly."
"Heehee! I may look like this, but I have an eye for people!"
'It's not an eye for people, just good observation skills... but I'll keep that to myself.'
It was great to find armor I liked, but the most important matter remained:
"So..."
"Hmm?"
It was the price.
"This... how much is it?"
"...Ah, I forgot."
She quickly checked the paperwork where she had retrieved the armor, and—
"...How much do you have on you?"
"...8,600 valis."
"R-Really? That's fortunate."
I barely managed to afford it.
"A month's worth of wages, gone in an instant..."
"I-It's okay! A beginner adventurer's daily income is around 2,000 valis on average, so you'll be able to save up again in no time!"
"Is that so..."
By the time I left the Guild with my new armor, the sun was already setting, so I hurried home.
"I'll think about weapons later."
The Miach Familia's home doubles as a recovery item shop called the Blue Pharmacy. Unless you use the back door by the warehouse, you have to enter through the shop to get inside.
"I'm back."
Entering the shop, Miach and Naza welcomed me.
"Ah, Kai, welcome back."
"You registered without any issues...?"
I told them that the registration went smoothly.
"So, this is the new armor you bought?"
"I chose what best suits my fighting style."
"It looks good..."
But for some reason, Miach's expression seemed brighter than usual.
"Miach-sama? Did something good happen?"
"Ah, I met an old friend after a long time. She was happily announcing that she got her first 'child' today, and it was nice to see."
"...Is that friend a goddess with a short stature, black hair in twin tails, and... a large chest?"
"Hmm? Do you know Hestia?"
"No, I only saw her briefly on the street earlier. But..."
"But?"
"She was walking alone, saying 'Is there no child who will join a newborn Familia...' so she stood out a bit..."
"Ahaha... Hestia hasn't been in Orario for very long, so don't think too much of it."
"Ah, yes..."
Looking forward to tomorrow's dungeon exploration, I went to my room.
"I wonder which part of my knowledge could be turned into a product to make money..."
Even tonight, I racked my brain for ways to pay off the debt before falling asleep.
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