Soma Familia

Watching the adventurers sprawled all over the place, Falan felt a force tugging at him.

"Forget about them. Come with me."

Seeing Soma ignore them almost instinctively, Falan nodded and followed.

After all, from what he had observed, this high god Soma had likely long since grown used to it.

Led by Soma, he quickly came to understand the layout and history of these "ruins."

This had once been an estate, purchased over a hundred years ago when the Soma Familia was at its peak.

But now, the Familia only had this batch of slaves addicted to Divine Wine left.

So over the years, the Familia had saved no money for repairs, leaving behind nothing but these ruins.

That was why Soma was dissatisfied with them, disliked them, and even ignored them.

"This is my room. You can come find me here when you need your Blessing updated or if anything else comes up."

"The room next to mine was once the Captain's Office of the Soma Familia. It will be yours from now on."

As he spoke, Soma tossed a key from his pocket.

"Mm, thank you, Lord Soma. But is there anyone in the Familia who can take me into the Dungeon? I'm only a newcomer, after all. Going into the Dungeon alone doesn't seem quite right."

Soma pushed open the door and entered his room before slowly turning back. "Everyone has a first time. When the Familias of Orario were first established, weren't they all alone as well? The Soma Familia has long since declined. You know that, Falan."

"Those who remain are either drunks, or thugs willing to do anything to scrape together money for wine. Would you dare take people like that into the Dungeon?" As Soma spoke, he tossed several sheets of paper before Falan.

They were newspapers from Orario. They recorded how members of the Soma Familia maliciously lured monsters in the Dungeon, and how they had killed adventuring parties they worked with for valuable drops. Seeing this, Falan could not help agreeing with Soma.

With the Soma Familia as it was now, setting ability aside for the moment, the adventurers' character varied wildly.

Even if Falan wanted companions for safety's sake, he truly would not dare bring members of the Soma Familia along!

"Then is there any equipment? I only just registered as an adventurer."

"There's some in the Captain's Office. If there's nothing else, don't come looking for me. I need to focus on brewing wine."

"..." Staring at the closed door, Falan felt rather awkward. Sure enough, the Soma Familia had not declined without reason.

It was not only the adventurers who had become slaves to Divine Wine. Even this high god had already given up.

"I can only tough it out on my own for now." Using the key Soma had given him, he opened the door to the Captain's Office.

Inside, it was clean yet covered in dust. It had clearly once been glorious, but no one had entered in a long time.

"It's completely out of place compared to outside. Clearly, Lord Soma deliberately preserved this place."

Otherwise, all the things in this room, such as the equipment left behind by previous members, would probably have been sold off for wine money.

He reached out to touch things here and there, looking around as he went. In the very center of the room stood the finest piece of equipment: a greatsword he could not even lift. After failing to pull it free with all his strength, Falan gave up in exhaustion and sighed.

"This must be what they call first-class equipment! What was I thinking, fantasizing about entering the Dungeon in a full set of first-class equipment?"

Falan could not help feeling that he had been far too naive. Even if he only brought a single piece of first-class equipment, he probably would not be able to carry it out of the Soma Familia's gates. Where had he gotten the confidence to think he could walk out wearing a full set of divine gear!?

Falan then tried the equipment on both sides of the Captain's Office and found it extremely heavy. To put it plainly, his stats were insufficient. Though unlike in games, insufficient stats would not prevent him from equipping it at all—these stats were hidden stats plus growth stats.

He could force himself to carry them, but wielding such heavy weapons in battle would likely be useless. They would become burdens instead.

"The ones on the sides are second-class equipment, and the ones by the door are third-class equipment?" After failing twice, Falan picked up a weapon leaning by the door and found it quite easy. Or rather, it depended on what he compared it to.

Compared to the greatsword that was so heavy he could not lift it at all, and the second-class weapons on both sides that were heavy enough to be barely usable, the third-class weapons by the door were clearly far more user-friendly. They were also the best equipment Falan could use at this stage.

After picking through them again and again, Falan finally selected a set of equipment.

A cloak that made his body feel lighter when worn, and a pair of boots that felt as though they would let him run faster.

A set of leather trousers and clothing woven from special materials, along with a longsword and a crossbow.

Falan did not plan to choose any more equipment. Third-class equipment was indeed far lighter than second-class equipment, but carrying too much would still be beyond him. All he could do was select a few lighter pieces of third-class equipment.

For example, the cloak and boots he had chosen could make his body lighter. He did not consider anything else.

After changing into the set, he pushed open the door of the Captain's Office and locked it again.

Falan then headed alone toward the Dungeon entrance. After all, his high god had told him to go to the Dungeon.

In truth, even if Soma had not said so, he would have gone sooner or later. For a transmigrator, the Dungeon and adventure were undoubtedly the most alluring things. Over the past three years, he had still been growing and earning his starting funds, so he had forced himself to hold back.

Now that he had finally become an adventurer, how could he not go to the Dungeon and experience an adventurer's life?