Danmachi : The Strongest Adventurer

The Adventurers' Guild, usually filled with the lively chatter of adventurers, was suddenly shaken by a loud shout.

"WHAAAT?!"

The voice came from one of the reception desks, where a receptionist with brown hair and round glasses stared at the young man in front of her with a mix of shock and panic. Everyone in the guild immediately turned their heads, curious about what had just happened.

Eina Tulle, a receptionist known for being kind and caring towards rookie adventurers, hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands, realizing she had drawn too much attention.

Her face turned slightly red from embarrassment, and she quickly leaned closer to the young man in front of her, speaking in a quieter voice.

"R-Rein, did you just say that you made it to the 10th floor?!" she asked in a worried tone, her sharp eyes locking onto him.

In front of her, Rein simply nodded casually, as if it wasn't a big deal.

"I'm fine. There's nothing to worry about," he replied with a relaxed tone, flashing a small smile to reassure her.

However, for Eina, this was extremely concerning! A rookie adventurer who had just started his career shouldn't be venturing so deep into the dungeon—let alone reaching the 10th floor! That was far too dangerous!

How long had Rein been an adventurer? Only two weeks! And yet, he had already reached the 10th floor.

Even the Sword Princess, Ais Wallenstein, had taken about one to two months to reach that level after becoming an adventurer.

Eina's expression turned serious. She crossed her arms over her chest and stared at Rein with a strict look. In an instant, she switched to her "worried older sister" mode.

"Rein! You do understand how dangerous the dungeon is, don't you?! The 10th floor isn't somewhere a rookie can just stroll into! The monsters there are far stronger than the ones on the upper floors! What if you got seriously injured? What if you couldn't make it back to the surface?!" She began scolding him, her voice filled with genuine concern.

Rein remained silent, letting Eina lecture him without complaint.

After all, he knew she was only saying all of this for his sake. There was no malice in her words, only worry.

After a few minutes, Eina finally let out a long sigh, trying to calm herself down. She looked at Rein with a slightly softer expression, though there was still concern in her eyes.

"Hahh... I know you're strong, Rein, but please don't be reckless… If something were to happen to you in the dungeon, I don't know how Hestia-sama would react. You understand that, right?" Her voice was calmer now, filled with sincerity.

Rein gave a small smile, raising his eyebrows slightly as if holding back a comment. In the end, he simply nodded.

"I understand, Eina-san. I won't be reckless," he said sincerely.

Eina studied him for a moment, making sure he was being serious, before letting out another sigh.

"Alright... In that case, I won't lecture you anymore. But next time, make sure you're more careful, okay?" She still looked a little worried, but at least she wasn't as shocked as before.

"Yeah, yeah, I get it." Rein chuckled softly, trying to lighten the mood.

Eina could only shake her head, though the corners of her lips curved into a small smile. Even though she was frustrated, she couldn't really stay mad at him.

All she wanted was to ensure the safety of the adventurers under her guidance—and Rein was no exception.

Rein noticed Eina still looking at him with concern, then glanced around.

The adventurers who had been listening to Eina's outburst had gone back to their own business, though some still occasionally stole glances at him.

He let out a quiet sigh before murmuring to himself.

"Two weeks, huh...?"

Unconsciously, his thoughts drifted back to everything that had happened since he first set foot in Orario.

Two weeks since he had joined the Hestia Familia, entered Babel Tower, and challenged the dungeon for the first time. It felt strange how quickly time had passed.

Two weeks might not seem like much, but for Rein, it felt unreal.

In that short time, he hadn't just been fighting monsters in the dungeon—he had also been training his body, especially his stamina. One of his biggest weaknesses was his endurance.

Even though he had decent combat techniques, he got tired quickly if he fought for too long. That was why he had started pushing his body with more intense physical training, such as long-distance running and increasing his combat endurance.

And, of course, there was one other thing that had changed over these past two weeks—his relationship with Hestia.

The once-shy goddess was now much bolder.

They had grown so close that Rein knew, if he wanted to, he could kiss her at any time. But he held himself back. He didn't want to steal that moment just like that. He wanted Hestia to take the initiative herself.

He wanted it to happen not out of impulse, but because of her genuine feelings.

Rein smiled slightly at his own thoughts before shaking them away. This wasn't the time to be thinking about such things. There was something else he wanted to do.

He turned back to Eina, who looked a bit confused by his change in expression. With a casual voice, he finally asked the question that had been on his mind for a while.

"Eina-san, do you know any places that sell ancient artifacts? Or maybe something from hundreds of years ago?"

Hearing that, Eina frowned slightly, clearly not expecting such a question.

"Ancient artifacts...? Are you looking for something specific?" she asked, curiosity evident in her tone.

"Not really. I just want to try my luck. Who knows, maybe I'll find some hidden treasure." Rein gave a small smile.

Eina let out a quiet sigh before thinking for a moment.

There were a few places in Orario that sold antique or ancient items, but not all of them were trustworthy. However, since this was Rein—and she knew he wouldn't act carelessly—she decided to tell him.

"If you're looking for something like that, there are a few shops in the Northern District and also the Black Market around the Western District. But be careful, not everything sold there has a clear origin. Some might even come from… questionable sources," she warned with a serious tone.

Rein nodded, taking mental notes of the information.

"Got it. I'm just planning to look around, so I won't do anything reckless," he reassured her.

Eina still looked a little worried, but in the end, she could only sigh again.

She knew there was no stopping Rein once he had made up his mind.

Because this guy was stubborn—his head was practically made of stone.

"Alright… Just be careful. If you find anything suspicious, don't stay there too long," she gave her final piece of advice.

"Of course. I'm not looking for trouble." Rein smiled before standing up from his seat.

With this new information, he felt even more intrigued about searching for ancient artifacts.

Who knows? Maybe he really would find something valuable.