(Orario)
Like any ordinary day, the streets of the Dungeon City were filled with people of various races.
Some were seeking wealth, fame, and pleasure, while others had one goal in mind: adventure.
At this time, at the city gate, there were many people entering and exiting the city for various reasons.
"Sir, you need to remove your hood. I can't let you pass without confirming your identity," said the gate guard, looking at a man dressed in a black cloak that hid his face.
"Well, it can't be helped," said the man as he began to remove his hood.
The guard: "....?"
"Now, may I pass?" asked the man, looking at the guard, who seemed surprised by the man's appearance.
"Ah, yes, yes, you may pass, Mr. Garcia," the guard said, still staring at the young man in front of him.
Although he had seen many races and many distinguished individuals in his life, he had to admit that none of them were as remarkable as the man in front of him.
The young man had messy white hair covering part of his face, but it didn't make him appear unkempt; instead, it gave him a different kind of charm.
His skin was pale but smoother than most women's he had seen in his life, though this did not give the man a delicate appearance.
Looking at those piercing, different-colored eyes—one black, the other bright white—gave an air of elegance and distinction.
But most striking were the scars on his face: one over his left eye and another extending from his left cheek to the middle of his face.
If they had been on someone else's face, they would have looked grotesque, but they seemed to complement him.
"Could this really be the face of a person supposed to be 13 years old?" thought the guard, staring at the young man, who stood at 171 cm.
The guard's thoughts were interrupted by the young man's sharp voice.
"May I pass now?"
"Ah, yes, yes, you may pass, Mr. Garcia," the guard said.
After the young man left the checkpoint, the guard couldn't help but watch him.
He noticed that he had covered his head again, and the guard could only think that Orario was about to gain a new star.
"I've finally made it here," said the young man, Gabriel, thinking back on the past events.
In reality, he wasn't from this world—he had been reincarnated.
It all started when he transferred into the body of a 9-year-old boy on a wooden bed.
Apparently, the boy and his family had been killed by a monster attack before being saved by some veteran adventurers, one of whom was his grandfather, Ron Garcia.
The old man had noticed the boy still breathing, so he took him to the doctor, but what he didn't know was that the young boy had already died in his arms, and Gabriel's soul had taken over his body.
"I already miss that old man," Gabriel thought, reminiscing about his grandfather Ron.
After the incident, his grandfather had taken care of him as best he could.
He taught him many things, like fighting, blacksmithing, and survival, after Gabriel insisted on becoming an adventurer.
The old man had been a level-three adventurer in a Familia specialized in blacksmithing and was known as "The Hammerhead."
But that was in the past; the old man passed away half a year ago.
This affected Gabriel greatly, but he remembered his grandfather's last words:
"Go to Orario and show them what it means to be a true adventurer."
These were Ron's last words to his grandson, with a proud smile on his face, confident that Gabriel would become someone special.
After that, Gabriel decided to go to Orario, taking care of everything before leaving.
"Well, I need to go to the guild to register as an adventurer, then find a family and a place to spend the night," Gabriel said to himself as he followed the road to the guild, which the guard had described.
There weren't many people who noticed him because he was keeping himself hidden, but he was always observant of his surroundings.
He saw many people, such as humans, elves, dwarves, and so on, but what caught his attention the most were those who had a distinct aura around them: the gods.
He couldn't help but remember his grandfather's words when he asked him how to identify a god.
"You'll know a god when you see one."
Now, Gabriel understood what he meant.
"Well, it seems I've reached the guild," he said, snapping out of his thoughts as he looked at the towering building in front of him.
Upon entering, he felt many eyes on him, but they quickly turned away.
There were many adventurers at the moment, going about their business.
After approaching the reception desk and waiting for a few moments, a staff member arrived.
The staff member was a werewolf with long red hair, a slim and graceful body, and sharp eyes.
"Please, adventurer, you may proceed with your registration," she said flatly.
"I've come to register as an adventurer. Where do I complete the necessary paperwork?" Gabriel asked, looking at the staff member, whom he recognized.
Rose Vanitt was an enthusiastic employee at first, but she had lost much of her enthusiasm after many of the adventurers under her care died.
She might appear cold, but she was actually a kind and caring person inside.
"You can register here and complete the necessary procedures. Just remove your hood and provide your ID card," she said, noticing the adventurer before her.
She thought he was a seasoned adventurer due to the aura he radiated and the equipment he wore.
"Well, this is easier than I expected," Gabriel said, removing his hood.
At that moment, many hidden gazes returned to examine his face, but this time, they lingered.
Gabriel ignored all the stares as he took out his ID card and handed it to Rose, who seemed a bit surprised but quickly regained her composure.
"Well, Mr. Garcia, you need to pay 10,000 valis to complete the registration," she said, arranging the documents.
After completing the payment and the rest of the procedures...
"From now on, you are officially an adventurer. It's recommended you join a Familia as soon as possible before you are allowed to enter the Dungeon," Rose said, looking at Gabriel.
"Could you give me a list of Familia that are currently accepting members?" Gabriel asked.
"Could you tell me what abilities you possess so I can direct you to a suitable Familia?" Rose inquired.
"Well, I've fought monsters and have some blacksmithing skills," Gabriel said, offering some evidence of his abilities.
"Do you have anything you've made, like a sword or something?" Rose asked.
"I have this dagger," Gabriel replied, handing her the hidden weapon.
"Well, if what you say is true, there are several Familia willing to welcome you," Rose said after inspecting the dagger.
It was of surprisingly high quality for a 13-year-old.
"Here are several excellent options, but I recommend Hephaestus Familia. They're currently recruiting," Rose said, returning the dagger to him.
Gabriel thought to himself that he was lucky—he had arrived at just the right time.
Hephaestus was the goddess he had intended to join from the start, especially since Hestia hadn't descended yet.
He didn't want to join Loki's Familia because it would have limited him in many ways, and Hephaestus was the perfect choice.
"Well, I'll try to join them," Gabriel said, looking at Rose.
"I wish you good luck, Mr. Garcia. I recommend you get a guide from the guild as soon as possible," Rose said, glancing at Gabriel, as if trying to put some distance between them.
"A guide? Can't you, Ms. Rose, be my guide?" Gabriel asked.
Rose was about to refuse, but then she remembered that she needed to recruit adventurers for the guild.
After some internal conflict, she noticed the calm look on Gabriel's face.
He didn't have the usual lustful gaze or anything like that; his eyes were clear, without any desires.
She couldn't help but think about the things he must have gone through to have such a composed expression, and she could imagine some of it from the scars on his face.
"Well, I'll accept. But I hope you're serious about learning, Mr. Garcia," Rose said, putting a tired expression on her face.
"I'll do my best," Gabriel said with a sincere smile, which seemed to have a slight effect on his new guide.
Rose's stern expression broke for a few seconds before she regained control.
She couldn't stop thinking that he seemed more impressive than many of the gods she had seen in her life.
"I think I've gotten myself into some trouble accepting this request," Rose thought as she watched the young adventurer leave the guild.