Fortunately, it seemed he could read the words of this world in addition to understanding its language.
They were slightly different from the words of the world he came from, but once he grasped the pattern, it became easy enough to follow.
Looking at the bed and drinks symbol the building's plaque, he pushed open the door of a building, hoping it was an inn, and not something else entirely.
"Excuse me, is this an inn?" he asked the woman standing behind the counter, who was busy counting coins.
The woman looked up, offering a polite smile. "Hello. My name is Karen Claes, and yes, this place is an inn."
"Welcome to The Bran's Inn. One night costs 800 Valis, and three nights cost 2,000 Valis, with bath and dinner included. If you want breakfast and lunch, that'll be an extra 300 Valis each."
Looks like he had come to the right place, but, 'Damn it… with everything going on, I completely forgot I don't have this world's money.'
"Will this work?" he asked, showing her the magic stones he had obtained from the goblins in the dungeon.
Karen shook her head gently. "Ah, it seems you're new to the city. We don't accept magic stones here. You can exchange them at the Guild, where they'll pay you the equivalent amount in Valis. They'll also explain the basics you need to live in Orario."
"I see. Thank you for the information. I just arrived in Orario this morning, so I'm still unfamiliar with the city. Could you tell me where the Guild is located?"
Karen pointed him in the direction of the Guild headquarters.
"Thank you. I'll exchange the magic stones and come back later." Memorizing the inn's location, he headed off in the direction she indicated, carefully observing the surrounding buildings and shops along the way.
As he walked, one establishment caught his eye. Two beautiful waitresses stood outside, cheerfully calling out to passersby, while lively laughter spilled out from within.
It was tempting, but thinking about his empty pockets, he decided to come back another time.
After walking for a while and turning a few corners, the Guild headquarters came into view.
"It'd be hard to miss a completely white building like this anywhere," he muttered. "So this is the Pantheon, the Guild headquarters. There really are a lot of people coming and going."
Inside, a massive white hall greeted him. The interior was just as spotless as the exterior.
To the left were benches where people rested or chatted casually. To the right were counters where adventurers exchanged magic stones for Valis. In the center, several orderly queues had formed, each leading to a desk where Guild employees answered questions.
After lining up and waiting his turn, he finally stepped forward. Behind the desk sat a beautiful pink-haired girl who looked about his age.
"Hello, my name is Misha Flott. How may I help you?" she said brightly.
"Hello. My name is Quinn, Quinn Nightshade. I recently arrived in Orario and was told to come here to learn more about the city."
"Oh? You're not here to register as an adventurer?" Misha blinked, looking slightly surprised. "That's rare. People who usually come here, come to register as adventurers. Please, follow me."
She asked another employee to cover her desk and led Quinn deeper into the Guild, stopping in front of a quiet room.
"This is a meeting box," she explained when she noticed him looking around. "It's usually used when adventurers need to discuss private matters with their advisors."
Inside were two sofas facing each other with a table between them. A few desks stacked with documents occupied one corner.
Once they sat down, Misha cleared her throat. "So… would you like me to explain the basics of Orario, or the basics of the basics of Orario?"
"Ahem, basics of the basics means in complete detail about Orario."
Just as I was feeling confused, Misha clarified her question.
"In as much detail as possible please."
"Alright, let's start with the layout of Orario."
She explained that Orario was divided into eight parts, like a cake divided into eight slices, each division forming a main street, northern main street, northwest main street, western main street, and so on. Each main street led to a gate at the city's edge, while all of them converged at the Tower of Babel in the center.
"Orario is also known as the City of Adventurers," Misha continued. "People from all over the world come here to become adventurers. They enter the Dungeon, defeat monsters, collect magic stones, and exchange them here at the Guild for Valis."
"If adventuring isn't your thing, there are other professions, blacksmiths, healers, supporters, chefs, merchants..."
She stopped and looked at him. Quinn nodded, indicating he understood.
"And…?" he prompted when she didn't continue.
"And?" Misha tilted her head, then laughed awkwardly. "Ahaha… that's everything I know."
He almost slammed his face into the table.
Even an experienced assassin like him had to forcibly control his expression to suppress the twitch forming at the corner of his mouth.
"Could you please tell me how to become an adventurer?" he asked calmly after taking a breath. "And are there any benefits to it?"
"Well, first you need to fill out some forms," Misha said. "You also need to receive a blessing from a god or goddess residing in Orario."
That was the only part he heard clearly.
'So there really are divine beings here…'
"After that, you can officially register as an adventurer."
"I see," he nodded. "Do you have any books about Orario or its history? Also, is there a list of Familias currently accepting newcomers?"
As he spoke, his mind raced.
'I need to see if I can find a library anywhere. And check out what a Familia is and get more information in general and about the history of this world.'
"The Guild has a library with all types of books in it. You can borrow books for a small fee. We also have a list of Familias currently active in Orario," Misha said. "Just a moment, I'll go get it for you."
"Wait."
As she stood up, Quinn pulled out five magic stones and handed them to her. "Could you exchange these and deduct the cost of the books?"
[A/N: He had come across a few more goblins while searching for livings beings in the dungeon.]
"Of course. Please wait a moment." She left with a smile and returned shortly after, placing a tray on the table. On it were two books and several coins.
"The magic stones were exchanged for 6,120 Valis. The books cost 70 Valis, so the remaining amount is… um…"
"6,050 Valis," Quinn supplied.
"Hehe… right. 6,050 Valis," she said, scratching the back of her head. "You can rent the books for five days. After that, it's another 35 Valis for an extension."
She then handed him a small booklet. "This is the list of Familias currently in Orario. It also shows whether they're recruiting and how many members they have."
"Thank you. I'll go through these today and come back tomorrow."
"You're welcome. See you tomorrow."
She guided him back to the main hall, and Quinn exited the Guild, already scanning the booklet and books in his hands as he headed back toward The Bran's Inn.
It was already late afternoon by the time he left the guild.
"The Freya Familia."
"One of the two undisputed leaders of Orario…"
That was written on the very first page, and below it was,
"About 150 to 160 members."
"Ahhhh, kami-sama! Kami-sama, please be alright!"
The frantic cry startled him.
A boy came running past, panic written all over his face, carrying a unconscious girl in his arms. A brown-haired cat-girl chased after him, her expression equally desperate.
They were heading in the same direction as Quinn.
'So that's a Goddess…' He watched them go, eyes narrowing slightly. 'She doesn't look much different from a normal human.'