"Achoo!"
El suddenly sneezed and thought to himself, could someone be thinking about him?
"Thank you, Mr. El, for walking me home so late."
"It was on the way anyway. I should be the one apologizing for troubling Miss Eina and keeping you out so late."
"It's... it's fine..."
Miss Eina's home was located in the Eighth District on the North Main Street, near the semicircular plaza.
El walked her off the carriage and then bid her farewell under the magic stone streetlamp by the roadside.
"Mr. El should hurry back too."
"Hmm..."
"Hmm?"
Realizing that El's attention seemed to be entirely on the streetlamp next to them, Eina couldn't help but lean in curiously.
"Magic stones can act as a light source? As expected of some kind of energy source. Then couldn't they be used for..."
The boy was completely muttering words she couldn't understand.
"Miss Eina, can I take a magic stone streetlamp back to study?"
"???"
She understood that immediately.
"No! Damaging municipal facilities is strictly prohibited!!"
"Is that so... Will there be a fine? Are there consequences?"
"No matter what the consequences are, it's a no!"
Eina shook her head, wanting to knock on the white-haired boy's head beside her to wake him up!
But she found that she wasn't as tall as him at all; even if she jumped, she probably wouldn't be able to reach.
Damn it!
"Stop always thinking about weird things!"
It was the same earlier in the Hephaestus Familia's shop; Eina was completely dumbfounded.
She completely couldn't understand how El, a "newbie" who had just become an adventurer today, could walk into the shop so grandly.
And then, with those first-tier adventurers from the Loki Familia—including the universally known [Sword Princess].
He just "discussed business" with them there, wearing a completely relaxed expression.
Even if he was from the Demeter Familia, wasn't he being a bit too leisurely?
Eina even saw a certain "social terrorist" potential in El.
You have to know, an ordinary rookie.
Upon meeting an adventurer like Lady Aiz, they would probably be so nervous they couldn't even speak.
But El, on the other hand, seemed to completely ignore her the entire time.
...
Thinking of the boy's nervous tackling action just now, Eina blushed a little—mainly because she only remembered the feel of the boy's solid chest.
Ah, what in the world am I thinking about!!
Especially afterwards.
El nonchalantly said, "I judged that Miss Eina, who lacked self-defense capabilities, needed protection the most at the time."
...Thinking about it, it was actually a bit cool!
"See you tomorrow!"
"Good night, Miss Eina."
Standing by the roadside, he smiled and waved goodbye to the girl who was running away.
At this moment, El was holding a set of full-body leather armor he had just purchased, mainly made from Dungeon Lizard skin, with Killer Ant carapace sewn into crucial areas.
It offered decent defense while maintaining flexibility as protective gear.
El didn't choose that kind of heavy, full-body iron armor because it was indeed too inconvenient to wear daily.
Also.
Miss Eina gave him a grayish-white fluffy scarf.
It was said to be made from the skin of an enhanced species of Needle Rabbit, a rather good item among the third-tier armaments used by novices.
It was very tough; it could be used to protect the neck or wrapped around the arm to act as an armguard.
Of course, since these equipments were made using materials from monsters on the 5th to 9th floors, let alone using them at LV2, they would probably need to be replaced when exploring below the 10th floor...
...
A short while later.
El boarded a carriage heading out of Orario city.
It was already late at night.
The stars and moon were scattered. The bustling North Main Street near the First and Eighth Districts were both prosperous commercial streets, and there were also quite a few high-end residences.
Therefore, one could always see bright lights and bustling crowds along the way.
El bought two Jagamarukuns on the way to try.
They tasted pretty good, even better with cream added!
El discovered that the male clerk selling Jagamarukuns was actually a god—like Demeter, gods in Orario were quite easy to distinguish from others.
They possessed a certain natural aura.
It was a bit outrageous; it turns out gods also need to work part-time. How tough.
El heard the young girl wearing a kimono and a tachi, who was helping out beside him, call him "Lord Takemikazuchi."
Subsequently, he bought a few more Jagamarukuns of different flavors, planning to take them back for Demeter to try as well.
The carriage rumbled along.
It took a long time before they left the massive city and arrived amidst the fields outside.
The surroundings quickly quieted down.
There was only the occasional sound of dogs barking from somewhere far away.
The dim night sky stretched endlessly towards the horizon, as if merging with the heavens and the earth.
Along the crisscrossing dirt roads in the countryside, thatched cottages would pop up from time to time, glowing with warm orange lights, like tiny boats swaying in a dark sea.
The emblem of the Demeter Familia could be seen everywhere here.
The carriage continued on for a long time.
Finally, it stopped in front of a wide dirt road.
There were short hedge fences on both sides, and a wooden sign was planted at the intersection, painted with ears of wheat, assorted fruits, and the smiling face of a beautiful woman.
This was the Demeter Familia's base, or rather, the place where Goddess Demeter lived.
As a production Familia.
The number of members in the Demeter Familia was incredibly massive. If you included those farmers and merchants who hadn't received the Falna, their numbers would far exceed the second-ranked Ganesha Familia.
Therefore.
Most of the Demeter Familia members usually lived in their own homes, in the thatched cottages dotted across the fields, or in the shops and buildings within Orario.
This so-called Familia headquarters.
Looked like a three-story building with a basement, occupying a quite large area.
But usually, Demeter was the only one living there.
Now, including him, there were two, since he didn't have anywhere else to go anyway.
Passing through the courtyard, outside the door under the corridor's eaves.
El had just pushed the door open and entered, and was sitting in the genkan taking off his shoes, when he heard the sound of running coming from the house behind him.
"El-kun!!!"
"..."
His face was suddenly subjected to a rather soft assault.
El only felt a syrupy attack hit him right in the face, and then he was "knocked to the ground" by a certain Goddess.
??!
"El-kun!!"
Demeter chattered loudly, her beautiful, slightly baby-fat face full of excitement and urgency.
"Quick, quick, quick! It's a major emergency!! Hurry up and eliminate that guy!!"
"Huh?"
...
Smack.
Following Demeter's guidance.
El used his slipper to swat the cockroach resting on the kitchen floor to death.
"Phew!"
A certain Goddess, who had been acting as if facing a formidable enemy, finally relaxed.
Subsequently.
As if suddenly remembering something.
She pushed him again, resolutely forcing him outside the house.
"Before El-kun enters the door, what should you say?!"
Standing inside the door.
She spoke righteously, hands on her hips, looking out the door.
This voluptuous and mature beautiful woman somehow gave off a very childish feeling at this moment.
El was a bit confused, but he could roughly understand what Demeter meant.
She wanted that, right?
So...
"I'm back."
"Welcome home!"
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