Tsukuyo Inaba lowered her hand, folded both hands in front of her, and returned to looking like a well-behaved doll.
This girl was blind. She couldn't see, and she was weak, helpless, and pitiful.
Chapter 28: A group of pampered rookies here to pad their résumés
This was proof of her strength.
It also made her stance clear.
With that,
the biggest headache was dealt with.
Everything that followed went through without a hitch.
By the time Haimo led the sizable group out through the Guild's doors,
the sun was already high in the sky.
"Let's go!"
"Next up is practical training!"
Tsubaki stretched, the lines of her muscles forming a powerful curve, then took the lead.
Haimo followed close behind with the girls.
They passed through the bustling streets.
Before long,
the immense white tower standing in the city's center, piercing the clouds-the Tower of Babel-filled everyone's view.
The central plaza beneath the tower
was already packed with people.
This was the heart of Orario, and a transit point every adventurer passed through each day.
Adventurers of all races and familias gathered here to form parties and trade.
The clamor rose and fell all around them.
The most conspicuous figures among them
were the Supporters weaving through the crowds and calling out for work, carrying enormous backpacks almost bigger than their own bodies.
"Um... you folks over there!"
"Do you need a Supporter?"
"You look new here, so I can give you a discount! Just five hundred Valis!"
"Pick me! I know the upper-floor maps really well!"
When they saw Tsubaki arrive with such a peculiar group-immaculately dressed people who looked nothing like ordinary adventurers, with two bears in tow-
several sharp-eyed Supporters immediately reacted like sharks scenting blood.
They crowded over, their faces covered in ingratiating smiles.
After all,
anyone with eyes could tell
this was a group of pampered rookies led by a Lv.5 big shot.
Groups like this were usually generous with their money.
And with someone powerful overseeing things, they were extremely safe. There was no need to worry about dying at any moment, as they might with a random party.
To a Supporter, this was practically the perfect gig.
However,
"Go back. Don't waste your time here."
"We don't need Supporters."
Before the Supporters could even get close,
Tsubaki turned them down flatly, even a little coldly.
But that was the attitude a veteran ought to have.
For one thing, they would only be exploring the upper floors, so there wouldn't be much loot to carry.
Hiring a Supporter would be a complete waste of money.
"But..."
One Supporter clearly wasn't ready to give up and tried to persuade her.
"Don't you understand plain language?"
Tsubaki glared with her single eye, letting a trace of her presence as a Level 1 Adventurer spill out.
"We're just taking a look around the upper floors. If you need a Supporter to carry your bags for even that little walk, why bother being an adventurer?"
"Go home and drink your milk!"
After that shout,
the Supporters immediately scattered.
After all,
regrettable as losing that potential commission was, no one dared provoke this Lv.5.
"Honestly..."
Once the Supporters finally left, Tsubaki curled her lip, reined in her presence, and turned to explain to Haimo.
"Lord Haimo, please don't hold my harsh words against me."
"At this stage, getting rookies into the habit of relying on Supporters isn't a good thing."
"Besides..."
"In the Dungeon, you must never trust a stranger lightly."
"If you teach rookies to habitually trust Supporters picked up at random on the street, they might get stabbed in the back one day."
"And they won't even know what killed them."
"That sort of thing isn't rare in Orario."
"You're right, Miss Tsubaki."
Haimo nodded in agreement at Tsubaki's words.
After all,
he clearly remembered what had happened in the original story.
You could never truly know what was in someone's heart, especially Supporters like these, who would risk even their lives for money.
The group continued forward.
But,
as they drew closer to the Dungeon entrance,
trouble came anyway.
"Stop!"
Several guards in matching uniforms, carrying spears, blocked their path.
They were members of the Ganesha Familia responsible for maintaining order in the plaza and at the Dungeon entrance.
The guard leading them held a thick spear.
His wary gaze fixed on the big black bear behind Hanabishi Warabi.
"Adventurers can bring pets, but this bear is too big, and it isn't wearing a muzzle."
"There are so many people passing through here. What if it goes berserk and hurts someone?"
Fierce Man was built like a small mountain, taller than a person when standing upright. Just standing there, he was frightening enough.
With his heavy armor on top of that, he was practically a heavy tank.
The guards could hardly be blamed for being nervous.
However,
Hanabishi Warabi wasn't happy to hear that and immediately sprang forward to defend her darling.
"Fierce Man isn't dangerous!"
"He's very well behaved!"
"Fierce Man, sit!"
To prove her darling's innocence, Hanabishi Warabi immediately gave Fierce Man an order.
"Rawr?"
Seemingly sensing the hostility from the two-legged creatures before him, Fierce Man blinked his rather comical, beady little eyes innocently.
Then he plopped down on the ground.
With a dull thud, even the ground seemed to shake.
And,
the enormous creature scratched his belly with one huge front paw, then rubbed his big backside against the ground.
He looked utterly goofy.
"Uh..."
The contrast between his appearance and that goofy behavior left the guard dumbfounded.
"It's fine. I'll vouch for him."
Seeing this, Tsubaki also hurried forward and showed her identification badge.
"Besides..."
"With a god present, nothing will go wrong."
With that,
Tsubaki stepped aside and pointed to Haimo.
The guard paused.
He looked at Haimo.
Once a god revealed his identity, that distinctive presence couldn't be faked.
In Orario, gods had to be shown respect.
And the Lv.5 "One-Eyed Giant Master" was personally vouching for them as well.
After considering it, the guard withdrew his spear and stepped aside.
"Since Lady Tsubaki and a god are present,"
"please go in."
"But please keep a close eye on him. If he hurts anyone, we'll have trouble explaining it to Lord Ganesha."
"Thanks."
Tsubaki waved to the guard.
And so the group strode boldly into the ground-floor hall of the immense white tower that led straight underground-the Tower of Babel.
This was where the dreams of every adventurer in Orario began.
-the Starting Path.