Having smoothly joined the Hestia Familia, received a god's blessing, and unlocked the Healer's core spell "Heal," Keyaru now had to figure out… what next?
He hadn't really thought that far. Back before crossing over he'd been a salaryman for years—"enjoying life" wasn't exactly in the job description. Coming to another world blew up all his plans.
In the short term he felt oddly unmoored: this wasn't the grim, oppressive "Redo of Healer" original timeline… but it wasn't exactly rosy either. Still, there was no way he'd come to DanMachi just to start "Redoing" with cute girls for no reason!
"What's my goal after becoming an adventurer?"
He buttoned his white shirt and glanced around the shabby church basement—real problems were already lining up. In this world he didn't even have a place to live. He had no objections to sharing space with Hestia, but would this chaste goddess who'd never dated a man accept a request that pushy?
He looked at Hestia, who had slipped on her slippers and was ready to head out. Admitting they were broke wasn't shameful.
"Lady Hestia."
"What is it?"
She looked up with a gentle smile. "I'm going to the Guild to register your information under our Familia. Want to come take a look around?"
"I wanted to ask… is there a way to make money quickly?"
"Are you really short on cash right now?"
In truth, making money was simple. Hestia just couldn't decide whether to tell him. Treating people with "Heal" would rake in valis, but it would also expose how special his magic was—risky before their Familia had any footing. Dungeon diving? Even the upper floors weren't risk-free; plenty of rookies never came back.
"I'm pretty short, yeah," Keyaru said honestly. "I've only just arrived in Orario and don't even have a place to stay yet."
"Well… you can stay here if you want, but…" Hestia's smile turned impish. After teasing him a beat—and worrying it might bruise his pride—she put her hands on her hips and chirped, "No pressure! Consider your rent paid if you make the Hestia Familia's glory famous across Orario." Even if you can't… She left the rest unsaid.
"Isn't that a bit much?" Before his strength had grown, Keyaru felt it was important to keep "Heal" under wraps. In plain terms: grow steadily, keep a low profile.
Not wanting to stress him out, Hestia slipped her arm through his. "Whatever the future holds, I'll work hard with you." She wanted to add "You can rely on your patron goddess," but given their finances, she kept it to herself.
With lodging settled, the next step was fixing the empty-wallet problem—at least enough for food and clothing.
To earn valis in DanMachi, aside from a day job, the fastest way was to enter the Dungeon beneath Babel: kill monsters, sell magic stones and drops to the Guild. "Adventurer" was less a title than a way of life, at least for Orario's bottom rung.
"Develop 'Heal's' derivative skills ASAP so I'm not stuck as pure support. If I can get some real power under my belt… that'll give me a voice in Orario, right?"
He locked in a short-term plan: explore the Dungeon, get stronger, earn money, and improve his living conditions. As for the rest, he wouldn't think that far yet. Leaving the abandoned church, he went with Hestia to the Guild. If the goal was the Dungeon, then intel mattered.
He took in the hall before him: white columns as frames, ornate carved stone, a solemn, temple-like grandeur. The Guild headquarters—a place he'd be dealing with often once he became an adventurer.
"This is the Adventurers' Guild," Hestia said. "I'll get your adventurer info registered first. Then I have a few errands. If you want to enter the Dungeon, you should talk to a staffer beforehand."
Seeing no one nearby, she slipped some valis into his palm. Recruiting a kid with this much talent had put a weight on her shoulders; if she couldn't provide the right environment herself, she'd find someone who could.
"This is…" The coins were heavy in his hand. Even with her casual tone, given their situation he realized this might be her last savings—and she was just handing them to him. He etched that trust into his heart and didn't refuse; he'd treat it as an advance.
"Thank you, Lady Hestia."
Registering his Familia info and adventurer status went smoothly enough. When it was done, Hestia left first, and Keyaru remained in the Guild. He scanned the room and fixed on the central counter.
Shoulder-length brown hair; dignified, pretty features; round glasses that lent her an elegant air—Eina Tulle. Conscientious, reliable, sweet-faced, and famously popular at the Guild.
He needed a staffer for intel. If he was going to ask anyway, he might as well pick the one who'd left a strong impression in the anime and got things done.
"You'll do."
It wasn't yet the post-Dungeon rush, so things were relatively quiet. Noticing an adventurer approaching, Eina nudged her glasses up with a gloved hand and offered a warm, confident smile.
"How can I help you?"
"I'd like information on the upper-floor monsters," Keyaru said seriously at the counter, looking at the half-elf. Receiving a god's blessing boosted your body overall, but this wasn't a game. You couldn't respawn. If a monster messed you up in reality, there probably wasn't a life remake waiting. Better to spend money on intel than get blindsided.
"I'd like it as detailed as possible," he added.
"That's my job." She remembered him—brown-haired, like her—and that he'd come with Lady Hestia. Thinking back to recent happenings at the Guild, she found herself curious. After confirming what he wanted, her lips curved in a pleasant arc.
"I'm Eina Tulle. And you are?"