Chapter 1

TUTORIAL “Listen, Bell. You should pursue girls.” I heard these words over and over when I was younger. “You can’t be a real man if you don’t find yourself a nice, cute girl. In fact, I’d go so far as to say it’s the whole reason we were put on this earth.” The gentle, rhythmic creaking of the rocking chair enveloped me in a simple warmth. As a young child, I often sat in my grandfather’s lap while he told me my favorite tale in his gentle voice. I loved hearing about the hero who charged into blasted lands and fought a dragon just to save a single girl. “Even I want to get down and dirty with a young hottie.” The words he spoke back then remain etched onto my heart. “Listen, Bell. You must seek out girls. Every man needs a harem.” “…A harem?” I looked up from the pictures in the book and peered at the large, grizzled face that always watched over me. His wrinkles creased as he beamed at me. He wore the most heartwarming smile while spouting some of the dirtiest words imaginable. “Yes. It’s every man’s dream to have a harem. It’s what every hero fights for deep down.” “If I meet girls and make a harem, does that mean I can be a hero, too?” “It does!” That must have been where it all began. “Repeat after me, Bell! Every man needs a harem!” “Every man needs a harem!” “Yes! Again! Every man needs a harem!” “Every man needs a harem!” Even in the faded tapestry of recollection, between the rustic echoes of the rocking chair, we must have seemed like the happiest people in the entire world. “Grandpa?” “Yes, my boy?” “What’s a harem?” “Oh, gods…” I can’t help but stare at the massive temple. The marble walls and pillars of the Pantheon gleam back at me, and I gulp. People are constantly coming and going through the great entryway, and a few brush past me. They’re great heroes I have no business even being seen next to, let alone rubbing shoulders with. This building serves as the headquarters of the Guild, the colossal organization that manages the Labyrinth City. Every adventurer with dreams of exploring the Dungeon must pass through these halls. This is where it all begins. The first step on the road to adventure. And meeting girls. My heart is pounding, so I take a few deep, calming breaths. Then I set my jaw and stride over to the doors. W-wow… Inside is an enormous lobby carved out of white marble. Feeling overwhelmed by the crowds, I follow the signs to reception, where my first challenge awaits me: registering as an adventurer. Despite the many open windows, the line is long, and I queue for quite some time, jostled about by everyone around me, until my turn comes. I walk up to the desk, and before the receptionist can even open her mouth, I make a declaration. “I…I want to be an adventurer!” My overeager shout makes the receptionist flinch, and she blinks a few times in surprise before replying. I catch the reflection of my own burning eyes in her pretty, emerald irises. “…J-just to confirm, you mean you’d like to register as a new adventurer, correct?” the receptionist asks with an awkward smile. “That’s right!” I answer, eyes still burning. She whispers something to the lady next to her, then stands up and smiles, indicating for me to follow her. I notice what a beauty she is for the first time and can feel my cheeks getting redder. She leads me to an empty counter and hands me a blank registration form. “Fill this out, if you please.” I do as requested and enter my details, stressing out over every section—even my name. Once that’s all finished, I hand it back to the receptionist. Her pointed ears make her seem like an elf…or a half-elf. That seems more likely. When her eyes reach the section where I entered my age, she glances over at me, and her pretty eyebrows arch pensively, almost sadly. This only lasts a moment. She quickly puts on her customer-service face again and smiles at me. “Everything seems in order, Mr. Cranell,” she says. “On behalf of the Guild, allow me to officially welcome you to Orario.” I know she probably tells everyone that, but it makes me feel special all the same. A warm feeling wells up in my heart. As of this moment, I’m an adventurer. I have no doubt that right now, in these hallowed halls, surrounded by my new peers and their boisterous voices, my eyes are sparkling. “The Guild is not responsible for any loss or injury suffered while inside the Dungeon,” the receptionist lady explains. “We also cannot guarantee your personal safety. The Dungeon does not give second chances. Please keep that in mind.” “Y-yes, ma’am.” “I would also like to emphasize that if you are found guilty of any serious crimes, you will be given a fitting punishment, up to and including the revocation of your adventurer status. In such an event, you will no longer be able to receive support from the Guild, and any magic stones or drop items in your possession shall be forfeit. Please be mindful of this.” I nod eagerly, remembering all the rules adventurers are required to follow. When the receptionist—whose name I learn is Eina Tulle—finishes giving me the orientation, she asks me one final question. “Are you interested in enlisting the services of an adviser?” “An adviser?” “Yes. It’s an optional service provided by the Guild to assist adventurers.” She tells me that newly formed familias or familias with little experience often don’t know where to begin when it comes to exploring the Dungeon. That’s where the Guild comes in—offering to share its vast institutional knowledge in the form of an adviser. For someone who barely knows up from down in this city, it sounds like exactly what I need, so I immediately accept. “Very well,” says Eina. “In that case, do you have any preferences about the gender of your adviser?” “Gender? Oh, erm…female?” “Understood. Then please pick your preferred race from this list.” At this point, my eyes go wide. The first question was embarrassing enough, but race as well? Is she just going to ask me to describe my ideal girl? Apparently, the point of this question is to avoid compatibility problems. I know elves and dwarves have bad blood due to their history, but is this really necessary? My eyes stop on the word elf, and I blush. I steal a glance at the long, slender ears of the woman standing across from me. For a while, I stand there agonizing over what to do. Finally, Ms. Tulle smirks and draws a circle around the word elf with her quill. “Ah!” I exclaim, but she’s already filing away the paperwork. “Please understand that we may not be able to fulfill everyone’s requests,” she says with a wink, “especially those who choose popular races. Do you happen to have plans to enter the Dungeon later today?” “N-no…” “In that case, please return here tomorrow at this time. I’ll introduce you to your adviser, and after that will be just a few more things to be taken care of.” I stiffly rise from my seat. She takes a few steps, turns, and smiles sweetly while giving me a perfect bow. My face is already on fire, so I stare at my feet and exit as fast as I can. The next morning, Goddess accompanies me partway to the Guild while heading to her part-time job. At some point, she turns toward me. “You’ve been kind of out of it these last couple of days, Bell.” “H-have I?” I reply. “Yeah. You’re spacing out a lot. Are you really that excited about becoming an adventurer?” That could be part of it, but there’s something else on my mind right now. Namely, I’m nervous about what my adviser will be like. Goddess smiles at me, and I scratch my cheek nervously, hoping to change the subject. “You’re the only one I can depend on in our familia right now,” she says. “So try to keep it together, Bell!” “Of course!” Goddess does her best to cheer me up, and I nod enthusiastically. After parting ways, I sprint to the Guild building, the warm feeling in my chest spurring me on. When I arrive and head to reception, I am told to go to a booth and await an interview, so I do. I sit in my seat, growing increasingly tense as time goes by, until the door opens at last. “…Oh!” I practically yell when I see who walks in. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Cranell. My name is Eina Tulle, and I shall be your adviser as of today.” There’s no mistaking it—the brown-haired lady who enters the room is the very same person who took my application yesterday. She looks at me from behind her glasses with warm emerald eyes as she breaks into a sunny smile. I can’t say I didn’t consider the possibility of her being my adviser. But it was more of a wish than an expectation. I try to hide the elation welling up inside me as I hastily stammer, “P-pleased to meet you, too!”