Having defeated the minotaur that dwelled in the middle floors, the magic stone it dropped was nearly the size of a baby's fist, surpassing in value everything collected so far.
As a trophy of his victory, Akihiro didn't even need to activate auto-collect - he simply bent down and picked it up with his own hands.
Looking up, he saw a young woman approaching from the opposite end of the corridor. When her features came into clear focus, he started slightly.
Ais Wallenstein.
A level 5 adventurer from the Loki Familia, dubbed "Sword Princess" by the gods, a girl with exceptional achievements in swordsmanship.
Her serene, crystal-clear lake-like face matched perfectly with the image he had of her.
Akihiro knew encountering Ais at this story point was inevitable, but he hadn't expected her to arrive so soon, which explained his instinctive reaction upon recognizing her.
After all, being one of Orario's most famous adventurers, it was natural to feel somewhat awed when greeting her.
However...
Akihiro didn't need to overthink it. His eyes, free of distracting emotions, observed the approaching figure attentively.
Ais genuinely didn't care about appearances.
But Akihiro's scarlet eyes caused slight ripples in her heart, making her ask softly:
"Are you... alright?"
"I'm fine."
"This minotaur escaped from the middle floors. Our familia didn't act properly. We apologize for the trouble caused."
"Your swordsmanship style is unfamiliar to me. It's something I've never seen before."
The girl parted her thin lips slightly, her cold yet melodious voice carrying a pleasant tone. In the brief battle she'd just witnessed, she'd perceived the intense sword intent emanating from Akihiro.
It wasn't the impulse a novice might possess. It was like a sheathed sword - hard and sharp.
This was Ais's observation.
Akihiro possessed such sword skills, yet his face was completely unfamiliar. Shouldn't such an adventurer be well-known?
It was normal she found it strange - after all, this was the ghostblade technique from the continent of Arad.
Facing a level 5 adventurer, Akihiro sheathed his weapon. He nodded slightly and responded naturally: "I just practiced on my own."
"Does your swordsmanship have a name?"
"I call it 'Inner Ghostblade Style'."
Most of its practitioners were in another dimension. As the first user in Orario, Akihiro was introducing something completely new to this world.
He deemed it necessary to make it known.
"'Inner... Ghostblade Style'?"
Though belonging to different schools, Ais's intuition told her the style created by this adventurer of similar age might shine brightly in Orario someday.
As a swordswoman, she understood that reaching the pinnacle required constant advancement and ceaseless practice. She looked forward to seeing how Akihiro would continue honing his kenjutsu.
"My name is Ais Wallenstein. Your sword skills are fascinating. I hope we can exchange ideas about kenjutsu in the future."
"What's your name?"
"Akihiro."
"I'll look forward to that day."
Akihiro nodded again, not refusing the tacit sparring agreement Ais had proposed, and watched as the girl turned and walked away.
His physical energy was nearly depleted.
Considering the timeline at this story point, it was time to conclude today's adventure. The return trip would take time too.
It was nearly sunset when he exited the dungeon. Akihiro weighed the magic stones in his pouch - today's haul had been particularly good.
He'd exchange them all for valis at the Adventurer's Guild, which would undoubtedly improve their living standards.
Though the dungeon brimmed with dangers, that didn't deter adventurers - not just for fame, but because the money-making speed far surpassed any other profession.
"First to the Adventurer's Guild."
"After seeing where Lady Hestia works, I think we can treat ourselves to a feast tonight."
With this plan in mind, Akihiro headed decisively toward the guild rather than returning directly to the abandoned church for more dull training.
This fulfilling lifestyle deeply satisfied him.
At least he had a clear goal: dungeon diving to gain strength, with rewards that would improve their lives and allow saving for other weapons.
As for his familia's development, Akihiro preferred letting things flow naturally.
Upon returning to the Adventurer's Guild, his gaze soon found a half-elf in uniform holding thick documents in the hallway, speaking with a pink-haired girl beside her.
The paperwork volume was such that exhaustion showed on Eina's brow, and overtime seemed inevitable.
When she saw the young man return unharmed from his expedition, surprise flashed in her tired eyes - as if seeing a savior - and she quickly handed the documents to Misha Flott.
"Misha."
"The new adventurer under my care has returned. Handle these materials first. I'll come back to help when I'm done."
"Eina!!"
Ignoring her best friend's complaints, Eina adjusted her glasses slightly with her gloved fingers and approached Akihiro.
"Congratulations on successfully completing your first adventure, Akihiro."
"Miss Eina."
Akihiro noticed Eina was busy with Misha and didn't want to disturb her, but hadn't expected this responsible guild employee
Would prioritize him over pending work?
He simply greeted her and was about to proceed to exchange magic stones and collected items for valis when the serious-looking girl
Winked at him playfully.
Then, in a tone Misha could definitely hear, formally invited: "We didn't finish discussing precautions for novice adventurers yesterday."
"Shall we continue now?"
Eina looked at Akihiro with her clear emerald eyes, as if asking for help.
Perhaps she just wanted a brief respite from tedious paperwork. After all, while responsible, she was also extremely kind.
Akihiro didn't refuse, smiling as he nodded: "Then I'll trouble you a while longer, Miss Eina."
"Thank you."
"Akihiro."
Walking toward the guild library, Eina's tone regained its usual gentleness. She prepared a cup of hot tea for Akihiro and
Upon sitting on the plush sofas,
She crossed her legs and relaxed, lowering her guard around Akihiro: "Sorry, I used your return as an excuse to take a break."
"The Loki Familia just completed an expedition, which drastically increased our workload."
"—I won't delay your matters, will I?"
Since this was relatively personal work business, Akihiro chose not to comment. He took the cup and sipped the hot tea.
Under Eina's attentive gaze, he responded seriously: "I think the guild's tea is delicious and can relax one's mind."
Eina felt completely relieved. She observed Akihiro, whose clothes still bore bloodstains, sitting across from her - so different from most adventurers.
He seemed to have just finished his dive.
With a warm smile reflecting an older sister's concern, she asked: "Akihiro, you didn't encounter any dangers during today's adventure, did you?"
"No."
"That's good!"
Knowing Akihiro's personality, Eina knew he wouldn't take unnecessary risks. She then shared: "I heard from several adventurers..."
"This afternoon, a monster from the middle floors escaped to the upper zones, causing quite a stir, but it must be resolved by now."
"Fortunately no adventurer casualties occurred." Her tone conveyed genuine relief. Noticing she'd digressed,
Eina looked back at the young man before her, full of curiosity: "Akihiro, why don't you tell me about your dungeon experience?"
"Though I'm not an adventurer, perhaps I can offer some advice."
Akihiro pondered a moment, then smiled and said: "It was a normal dive... until I met the minotaur."
"WHAT?!"