Twilight Manor, Leon's room.
Leon, having returned from Finn's office, was packing the things he needed to take with him.
First, he changed into a set of outdoor clothes—a simplified outfit designed for ease of movement. It was very modest, appearing far too plain to be something one would wear into the Dungeon.
Had it been any other adventurer entering the Dungeon, they would have immediately donned a full set of equipment. Even if they weren't clad in full plate mail, they would at least change into durable, resistant clothing to prevent every minor bump or scrape from ruining their attire.
However, in Orario, a decent set of adventurer equipment was far from cheap. It would cost at least tens of thousands of Valis to get properly outfitted. If one wanted actual armor, the cost could skyrocket to unimaginable amounts. Leon naturally did not possess such resources.
He had been an apprentice member of the Loki Familia for a year, handling nothing but logistics. He hadn't so much as stepped into the Dungeon, let alone taken on odd jobs outside; how could he have earned any money?
Consequently, Leon didn't own a single piece of respectable equipment.
Fortunately, he wasn't heading to particularly dangerous floors. For the first few levels of the Dungeon, it didn't really matter if one lacked proper protective gear. He could wait until he became stronger and needed to delve into deeper, more hazardous floors before getting outfitted.
"The monsters on the first few floors of the Dungeon aren't much stronger than wild beasts outside. As long as I stay alert, I generally shouldn't suffer any serious injuries."
Thinking this, Leon picked up a weapon hanging on the wall.
It was a small straight sword.
The blade was only about forty centimeters long and simple in design, clearly a standard-issue weapon. However, for a novice adventurer entering the Dungeon for the first time, the quality of this weapon was actually quite good.
One had to understand that most rookies entering the Dungeon used cheap mass-produced gear provided by the Guild. Such weapons were worth a thousand or two Valis at most and required maintenance every single day even if used only on the upper floors. That alone spoke to their poor quality.
The small straight sword in Leon's hand was a hand-me-down from a male Familia member he was on good terms with. Although it was a discarded item, the previous owner was a Level 2 upper-class adventurer. A weapon discarded by an upper-class adventurer was inevitably much better than the cheap junk handed out by the Guild.
The man had once claimed that he had spent a full eighty thousand Valis to purchase this blade.
That price was enough to buy some cheaper large-scale weapons. For a small straight sword to be worth that much meant its quality was top-tier among ordinary armaments.
Of course, it was only "top-tier" among common weapons. The truly high-quality weapons in this world were the transcendent "Special Armaments."
Those were special weapons that could only be crafted by high-ranking blacksmiths who had received the Grace of God and learned the developmental ability known as "Blacksmithing."
Some of them possessed special effects akin to magic, while others boasted miraculous traits or attributes. Even those without such features were far sharper and stronger than ordinary steel, easily earning the description of cutting through iron as if it were butter.
The value of such armaments was far beyond anything crafted by mortal hands like the weapon Leon held. Even the poorest piece would be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of Valis. High-end special armaments selling for tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Valis was quite common.
Those who could afford such special armaments were basically all upper-class adventurers. For example, the member who had given Leon this straight sword had saved for over a year just to finally purchase a "Third-Tier Armament."
Third-Tier Armaments were the lowest quality among special weapons, with First-Tier being the highest. The latter were generally only equipped by First-Tier adventurers. For instance, the "Desperate Sword" used by Ais was a First-Tier Armament.
Leon naturally felt a sense of longing for such special weapons, but currently, he was just a novice who had recently received the Grace of God. Not only could he not afford such a weapon, but using one on the first few floors of the Dungeon would be a flagrant waste.
"For me, using a weapon of this level is already considered a bit of a luxury."
Leon hung the eighty-thousand-Valis straight sword at his waist, left his room, and headed down the tower.
As it happened, Leon ran into Raul while walking.
"I've been waiting for you to come out."
Raul seemed to be waiting specifically for him. Upon seeing Leon, he immediately stepped forward.
"Here, take this."
Raul immediately handed something to Leon.
It was a buckler that could be worn on the arm.
The shield was made of wood, wide at the top and narrow at the bottom, shaped like a "V." It wasn't large or heavy, clearly designed so as not to hinder the wearer's movements.
"This is a shield I used to use. It's not a special armament, but it's not cheap junk either," Raul said with a smile. "This shield is good enough to take you down to the 12th floor. As long as you don't enter the Middle Floors, it shouldn't break."
Hearing this, Leon understood immediately that the price of this shield was definitely not low. Protective gear that wouldn't easily break all the way down to the 12th floor had to be worth at least tens of thousands of Valis—it was no worse than the sword at his hip.
"You're really giving this to me? No regrets?" Leon asked with a grin, looking at the well-crafted shield.
"What regrets? I used this back when I was Level 1. After I hit Level 2, I threw it in a corner and forgot about it. If it weren't for you, I might never have remembered it," Raul said dismissively. "I wanted to give you something better, but you are a novice after all. Giving you equipment that is too high-value won't just fail to help; it might actually hold you back."
Leon nodded, acknowledging Raul's point.
Using weapons or armor that are too advanced at a low level is not beneficial to one's growth. After all, the growth of basic abilities depends on proficiency, and to increase that proficiency, one needs to utilize that specific ability as much as possible.
If Leon were to use top-tier gear now, the growth rate of his ability values would be affected.
Facing a monster under normal circumstances, Leon would likely need to strike it several times to defeat it, which would allow him to utilize his basic abilities multiple times. However, if he used a weapon that was too advanced and killed the monster in one blow, he would only be using his basic ability once, which would naturally slow down the rate at which his proficiency increased.
Furthermore, relying on high-level weapons to easily dispatch monsters was not a good thing for an adventurer who wanted to hone their combat skills.
Add to that the fact that low-level adventurers carrying high-level gear might be targeted by people with ill intentions, and giving Leon top-tier equipment right now would be a case of all harm and no benefit.
This was why the Familia members hadn't given Leon too much help. Otherwise, given the Loki Familia's massive assets, they certainly wouldn't be unable to equip a member with at least one special armament.
"Then I'll accept it."
Leon didn't stand on ceremony with Raul and hooked the shield onto the back of his belt. For a Level 4 like Raul, this shield really was nothing, so there was no need for politeness.
"Yeah, take it," Raul smiled, then pulled out a small pouch and stuffed it into Leon's arms. "And these. The other companions in the Familia prepared them for you. Take them along."
Hearing this, Leon opened the pouch and saw bottles of potions arranged neatly inside.
Leon was instantly stunned.
"Are these elixirs?"
So-called "elixirs" were magical potions crafted by pharmacists with the "Mixing" developmental ability, possessing special restorative effects.
"These should be useful to you, right?" Raul said, scratching his head. "Everyone figured you'd inevitably get hurt since it's your first time in the Dungeon, so they all chipped in some of the elixirs they had on hand. Consider it a gift."
"But isn't this too many?" Leon checked them over and clicked his tongue in amazement. "Setting aside the standard stamina potions, there are actually two High Potions and one Magic Potion. Good grief, the value of just these three bottles must be close to a hundred thousand Valis, right?"
There were several types of elixirs. Standard potions mainly restored stamina. Potions that could regrow shaved flesh, stop bleeding, and mend broken bones were the domain of High Potions or Panaceas. As for Magic Potions, they were used to restore Mind—mental energy.
In this world, every use of magic consumed Mind, which was why these spirit-restoring elixirs were called Magic Potions.
Generally, a bottle of stamina-restoring potion cost about a thousand Valis. A Magic Potion cost around ten thousand Valis. High Potions were much more expensive, usually costing tens of thousands of Valis.
And the Panaceas, said to be able to instantly heal any injury, had a minimum price tag of five hundred thousand Valis per bottle.
Two High Potions and one Magic Potion—the combined value of these three really was close to a hundred thousand Valis, to say nothing of the numerous stamina potions in the bag.
Leon even spotted two bottles of very strangely colored elixirs. If he wasn't mistaken, those were likely Antidotes specifically used to cure abnormal statuses like poisoning.
The price of Antidotes fluctuated wildly. An Antidote that could cure common toxins might only be worth a few thousand Valis, but if it could neutralize deadly or special poisons, it wouldn't be unreasonable for it to be worth hundreds of thousands or even millions of Valis.
The two bottles in the small pouch probably weren't that high-grade, but judging by the color, they were likely worth around ten thousand Valis each—definitely high-quality Antidotes.
This one small bag of elixirs was likely worth more than the two weapons Leon was carrying.
"Everyone was worried about you, afraid you'd get hurt in the Dungeon," Raul said with a silly grin. "This is a token of everyone's kindness. You wouldn't want to refuse, would you?"
Leon was silent for a moment, then solemnly accepted the pouch.
"Help me thank everyone."
Leon spoke to Raul with great sincerity.
"I will," Raul patted Leon on the shoulder. "Be careful out there. If it really doesn't work out, just come back. At worst, we can act as your sparring partners when we're free—that can increase your proficiency too."
The growth of ability values wasn't achieved solely by slaying monsters; daily training and duels with others could also lead to growth. As long as one still had latent potential to manifest and hadn't reached the limit of their current level, any action that provided exercise and growth would allow one to absorb enough experience points to raise their ability values.
Furthermore, if one experienced a life-and-death struggle or a true "adventure," one could gain high-level experience points known as "Excellia" even without slaying monsters, allowing one's level to increase—the so-called "Level Up" or "Rank Up."
"When I need someone to help me practice my moves, I won't be polite about it."
Leon didn't refuse, accepting the kindness of his Familia seniors in full. They were already partners in the same Familia; in Loki's words, they were family sharing the same ichor of their patron god. There was no need for excessive politeness.
In the future, they would fight side by side, and even entrust their backs to one another in life-and-death situations. In such a context, any formality was unnecessary.
"Alright, off you go then."
Raul, having finished his business, stepped aside.
"Well then, I'm heading out."
Leon waved to Raul and left the tower under the other's gaze.
However, as Leon reached the courtyard, preparing to leave Twilight Manor, he encountered another person.
"—Are you heading to the Dungeon?"
The blonde-haired, gold-eyed girl had appeared there at some point. Seeing Leon walking down from the tower, she spoke softly.
"Yeah," Leon stopped and said with a smile. "Are you here to see me off?"
The girl didn't answer the question. She simply stepped forward and met Leon's gaze.
The two of them looked at each other in silence for a long time.
"—For you."
After a long while, the girl handed a small pouch to Leon.
"Be careful."
With that, the golden-eyed girl turned, her long hair swaying as she drifted away.
Leon looked at the two bottles of elixir in the small pouch and fell into a long silence.
They were in stylishly shaped bottles, and their color was far deeper and more mysterious than ordinary elixirs.
Leon recognized them. These were two bottles of Panacea.
The highest grade of elixir. Retail price: five hundred thousand Valis.
Two bottles meant one million Valis.
"If I just sold the elixirs I'm carrying, I'd be rich instantly, wouldn't I?"
Leon chuckled to himself and solemnly put away the pouch containing the Panaceas. Then, he stepped out of the courtyard and left Twilight Manor.
Standing outside the gates of the Familia headquarters, Leon looked back at the sprawling manor that resembled a burning flame.
"I'll be back soon."
Leaving these words for no one in particular, Leon stepped onto the road and departed.
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