Under the bright sunshine, Orario was as bustling as ever, with a steady stream of people coming and going through the city gates.
Amid the crowds, a black-haired boy who looked about fourteen stood gazing around, a huge pack on his back and curiosity in his eyes.
"There are so many people," Libel Miller exclaimed in surprise.
The boy walked through the city, looking around at the people in the streets.
Among the crowd, beast people with furry ears and tails chatted with young human women, while dark-skinned girls chased after human boys, playing and laughing.
Short men spoke solemnly with others, while handsome elves with pointed ears strolled gracefully through the streets.
Men and women of all kinds, from all sorts of races, appeared throughout the city.
The city streets were lined with vendors, who kept loudly calling out to passing travelers.
Labyrinth City, Orario.
The absolute center of this world, and an important stage where countless characters played their parts, it was an exceptionally unusual city. Far beneath the town lay a deep, monster-filled labyrinth, where many disasters and tragedies unfolded. For this reason, people had named the monstrous labyrinth of calamity the Dungeon.
Labyrinth City had confined it beneath the ground, restraining the monsters that lived within.
As a result, countless people seeking adventure and the unknown had gathered here, making Labyrinth City one of the most prosperous cities in the world. Many stories played out here, and wealth poured in.
It was regarded as the center of the world. Its thriving commerce, thrilling adventures, and wide variety of entertainment were praised and talked about by people everywhere. Those seeking adventure, riches, and excitement flocked here.
The colorful lives of the people in this vast world, and the many different stories they lived, attracted the gods in heaven. The gods sought curiosity and amusement, sealed away their powers, and descended to the mortal realm to enjoy themselves. Most gathered in this city of adventure.
Even with their powers sealed, the gods' experience and knowledge far surpassed those of mortals. Moreover, their presence on earth had brought people a blessing known as Falna.
The power and wealth people yearned for gathered around the gods.
And so, in this city of adventure, people formed groups called familias around the gods.
Those who gathered around the gods in search of power had different views of familias. Some saw them as organizations formed to pursue common interests, while others considered them groups of people who helped one another, a close-knit family. Still others believed that familias were groups competing for a god's affection.
As these familias grew stronger, they maintained order on the surface, but fierce struggles raged behind the scenes. Among them, the Freya Familia and the Loki Familia stood at the top of Orario.
"I've finally made it here, to Orario."
Looking at the passing crowds, Libel felt a surge of indescribable excitement.
"Next, I need to find out where the Loki Familia is. I hope everything goes smoothly."
He thought to himself, instinctively feeling his waist pouch and steadying his nerves. Then he started walking again, gradually disappearing into the crowd.
"Has the Sword Princess been Level 5 for more than a year? Looks like there are about two years left before the story officially begins."
Libel mulled over the information he'd gathered, confirming the current timeline. Following what he'd learned, he gradually made his way toward his destination.
The streets around him were bustling with commerce, and crowded with pedestrians. As he went on, the buildings grew more ornate and stylish. He turned off the busy street and continued forward, looking around.
Suddenly, Libel stopped. He gazed at a huge mansion. It was a sprawling complex, far taller than the surrounding buildings, with several towers and turrets rising above it. The buildings within were packed together in layers, like a cluster of sharp peaks.
A large banner fluttered atop the tallest building, depicting a jester whose smile seemed to carry a hint of mockery. It drew the eyes of passersby.
Libel stared at the banner for a while, then stopped and muttered, "Found it. Is this the Loki Familia?" The jester's banner was the symbol of the Loki Familia, one of Orario's top familias.
Libel shifted the pack on his back and headed toward the mansion's gate. Then he stopped beside it, set down his pack, and leaned against the wall.
"Now I just have to wait," Libel thought. He was a little nervous, but took a few deep breaths and soon settled down.
Time passed quickly, and evening drew near.
The sunset gradually dyed Orario a shimmering gold. Workers and adventurers returning from the Dungeon moved along the evening streets, some weary and others lively. Lights of every color began to shine across the streets of the labyrinth city.
Along the avenue, illuminated by the lights, a red-haired woman wandered aimlessly.
She had a beautiful face, and her narrowed eyes hinted at cunning. Her flat figure did little to emphasize her femininity, and her clothes were casual. Her manner was carefree and rather unserious.
She held two exquisitely wrapped bottles of wine in her arms, wore a pleased expression, and hummed a cheerful tune.
As she walked, she sighed with a smile. "Everyone's growing up so fast. Since I've got some free time, I might as well celebrate while Finn and the others are away on a short expedition. I also found some good wine today, so I'll celebrate again in private. Once I get drunk tonight, I'll go to Ais's room. Hehehe."
As she spoke, she let out a lecherous laugh, making the passersby look at her and quickly give her a wide berth.
She didn't care in the slightest and continued walking, snickering to herself.
The woman left the dazzling streets and arrived at the mountain-like mansion known as the Twilight Tower.
Suddenly, the red-haired woman stopped and stared at the gate, looking puzzled by the crowd gathered there.
She strode forward and saw a large figure standing beside the mansion's gate. Looking more closely, she saw it was a boy leaning against the wall beside the gate, with a huge pack at his feet.
The boy looked about fourteen, with black hair, black eyes, regular features, and fair skin.
Under the enormous pack on his back, his frame seemed rather small.
"A boy? Human?" Her narrowed, cunning eyes opened a little wider, glinting with something extraordinary.
As she approached the mansion and saw him, she caught the boy's attention as well. He hesitated for a moment, then straightened up.
The boy remained by the mansion's gate, staring blankly at her. His expression and posture were firm, which piqued her interest.
"How interesting. So you're waiting here specifically for me." The red-haired goddess saw through his intentions at once and chuckled. Her smile held a hint of cunning, strikingly similar to the jester on the banner.
When people became curious and amused, they felt the urge to act. The gods of this world had never been ones to suppress their desire for amusement.
The red-haired goddess walked toward the human boy.
"Kid, what are you doing here at our place?" Loki, goddess of the house, greeted the human boy in her usual carefree manner.
"I came to join the Loki Familia," the boy replied calmly and confidently.
The goddess grinned. "Our place always welcomes kids who want to join, but joining my familia is really difficult."
"No problem. Bring on whatever test you want," the boy said confidently.
"Great. From today on, you're one of our kids. Work hard, okay?"
The goddess agreed without hesitation, her voice cheerful and full of delight.
The boy paused in surprise. "You're already accepting me? Don't you need to test me or ask me anything? Like checking my abilities or finding out where I'm from?"
"No need. You're interesting, and that's enough. The rest isn't all that important. And there's no need to ask where you're from, either. I'm the strongest familia in Orario, you know."
Loki declared proudly, hugging the bottles of wine, utterly confident.
"Come inside with me. First, I need to put down this good wine I went to so much trouble to buy, before Mama finds out. That would be bad." Muttering to herself, she led the boy toward the gate.
Libel hesitated briefly, then followed Loki, ready to enter the familia.
Just after Loki went through the gate, she turned around and said, "There are lots of cute kids in the familia. Don't go making moves on them, okay? They're my wings."
"Are you some kind of playboy?" the boy asked, at a loss, teasing her.
Whether the red-haired goddess had accepted the boy because she believed his confident words or because she'd been swept up in a whim of amusement—
No one knew. But one thing was certain.
Libel Miller had been acknowledged by a god, and from that moment on, he became a member of the Loki Familia.
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