It is the self-affirmation of the strong.
It is a clear statement of intent.
With this,
The most troublesome part is taken care of.
The rest of the process will be smooth sailing.
When Heimdall led this magnificent procession out of the guild's main gate,
The sun was already high in the sky.
"Let's go!"
"Next up is the live combat exercise!"
Tsubaki stretched lazily, her muscles flexing in a powerful arc, then took the lead.
Heimdall followed closely behind with the group of women.
They passed through the bustling streets.
Soon,
The pure white tower that stood tall in the city center, piercing the clouds—Babel—came into full view.
In the central plaza at the base of the tower,
There was already a sea of people.
This is the heart of Orario, and the daily hub for all Adventurers.
Adventurers of various races and Familias gather here to form parties and trade.
The din of voices rose and fell.
Among them, the most eye-catching were the supporters.
"Um... you people over there!"
"Do you need a supporter?"
"I see you're new faces, I can give you a discount! Only five hundred currency!"
"Pick me! I'm very familiar with the upper-level maps!"
When they saw Tsubaki leading such a peculiar group—dazzling and distinct from ordinary Adventurers, and even accompanied by two bears—
Several keen-eyed supporters immediately approached, their faces filled with ingratiating smiles.
After all,
It was clear to anyone with a discerning eye
That this was a [`treasure babysitting`] squad led by a Level 5 big shot.
Such teams are usually generous with their spending.
Moreover, with a big shot in charge, safety is guaranteed, unlike with wild teams where you might lose your life at any moment.
It's truly a plum job in the eyes of supporters.
However,
"Go away, don't waste your time here."
"We don't need supporters."
Before those supporters could even approach,
Tsubaki refused them outright, almost coldly.
But this is the attitude an experienced Adventurer should have.
Not to mention that they were only operating in the upper levels, where there wouldn't be much loot to carry.
Hiring supporters would just be a waste of money.
"But..."
One supporter was clearly not ready to give up and tried to persuade them further.
"Are you deaf?"
Tsubaki glared with her one eye, and the aura of a First Class Adventurer leaked out slightly.
"We're just going to the upper levels for a stroll. If we need supporters to carry our bags, we might as well go home and drink milk!"
Upon hearing this,
Those supporters immediately scattered.
After all,
Though they regretted the potential commission, no one dared to provoke this Level 5.
"Honestly..."
Seeing the supporters finally leave, Tsubaki pursed her lips, reined in her aura, and turned to Heimdall to explain.
"Lord Heimdall, forgive me for speaking harshly just now.
"At this stage, it's not good to let newcomers develop a habit of relying on supporters.
"Besides...",
"In the Dungeon, you must never easily trust any stranger.
"If newcomers are trained to trust these randomly hired supporters, who knows when they might get stabbed in the back.
"They might not even know how they died.
"Such things are not uncommon in Orario.
"Miss Tsubaki is right.
Tsubaki's words made Heimdall nod in agreement.
After all,
He remembered clearly what happened in the original story.
You never know what's in someone's heart, let alone these supporters who would sell their lives for money...
The group continued on their way.
But,
As they approached the entrance to the Dungeon,
Trouble still found them.
"Halt!"
Several guards in uniform, armed with long spears, blocked their path.
They were members of the Ganesha Familia, responsible for maintaining order in the plaza and at the Dungeon entrance.
One of the leading guards, holding a thick long spear,
Eyed the large Black Bear behind Hanazake Warabi warily.
"Adventurers can bring pets, but this bear is too large and doesn't have a muzzle.
"With so many people around, what if it goes berserk and hurts someone?"
Fierce Person's massive build was like a small mountain, towering even when standing still, and his heavy armor made him look like a heavy tank.
It was no wonder the guard was nervous.
But,
Hanazake Warabi was immediately upset and rushed to defend her bear.
"Fierce Person is not dangerous at all!"
"He's very obedient!"
"Fierce Person, sit!"
To prove her bear's innocence, Hanazake Warabi quickly commanded Fierce Person.
"Woof?"
Seemingly sensing the hostility from the two-legged creatures in front of him, Fierce Person innocently blinked his slightly comical green bean eyes.
Then he sat down on the ground with a thud,
The ground seemed to shake slightly.
And,
This massive creature even scratched his belly with his huge front paw and rubbed his large butt on the ground.
He looked quite silly.
"This..."
This stark contrast stunned the guard.
"It's fine, I'll vouch for him."
At the same time, Tsubaki, seeing this, quickly stepped forward and showed her identification.
"Besides...",
"With a deity present, there won't be any trouble."
With that,
Tsubaki gestured to Heimdall.
The guard paused,
Looking at Heimdall.
The unique presence of a deity is unmistakable.
In Orario, one must respect the deities.
Moreover, with the personal guarantee of the `one-eyed master artisan`, a Level 5,
The guard thought for a moment and then stepped aside, lowering his spear.
"Since Miss Tsubaki and the deity are here,
"Please proceed.
"But make sure to keep an eye on it. If it hurts someone, it will be hard to explain to Lord Ganesha."
"Thanks."
Tsubaki waved at the guard...
The group boldly entered the bottom floor of the pure white tower that led straight to the underground—Babel.
Here begins the dream of every Adventurer in Orario,
—The [Path of the Beginning].
The reason it's called this name is because, in the center of the grand hall, there is an enormous circular void that is astonishing in size.
There is also an incredibly wide spiral ramp that winds downwards towards the Dungeon.
This is the only official entrance to the Dungeon.
Magic stone lamps are embedded in the walls.
Countless Adventurers come and go from here.
However,
because Lord Heimdall, being a deity, cannot enter the true Dungeon area,
he can only escort them to the entrance of the spiral ramp.
Looking at the eager five swords and the empress.
Lord Heimdall nodded.
'Alright.'
'Go ahead.'
'I will wait here for your good news.'
'The rest of the journey is up to you now.'
'Yes! Lord!'
Kirukiru Amou, Inaba Tsukiyo, and the others immediately responded in unison.
Tsubaki Cobrand also grinned, revealing a set of white teeth.
'Leave it to me, Lord Heimdall.'
'With me here, I guarantee I'll bring them all back in one piece.'
Lord Heimdall nodded.
'Then I'm counting on you, Miss Tsubaki.'
'So... see you later.'
With that,
the group waved goodbye to Lord Heimdall and, following the flow of people, disappeared around the bend of the spiral ramp.
...
But,
as the group gradually ventured deeper along the spiral ramp,
the initial excitement began to fade, and the unusual stares from others started to feel more piercing.
It couldn't be helped.
Because this team was too eye-catching.
Along the way, there was a lineup of beautiful young girls, accompanied by two bears, and even a blind person who walked with their eyes closed, as well as a woman who carried no weapons at all.
Even with a First Class Adventurer leading the way, it couldn't stop the whispers of others.
'Hey, look over there.'
Several Adventurers, who were resting and wiping their weapons, huddled together, their gazes involuntarily glancing over.
'That's Tsubaki from the Hephaestus Familia, right? She's got quite the entourage.'
'Who are the people following her?'
'And bears? And there are two of them?'
'This is too much...'
'They even brought a blind person.'
'Maybe these girls are just here to gain some experience?'
The whispers, though hushed, were particularly clear in this environment, reaching everyone's ears.
'These guys...'
Hanazake Warabi was so angry that her cheeks puffed out like a bun, and she glared back fiercely.
But her not-so-intimidating gaze only made the group of people burst into laughter.
Even Black Bear Fierce Person was a bit annoyed and bared his teeth, letting out a low growl.
'Ignore them.'
Tsubaki, walking at the front, didn't even turn her head, her voice lazy.
'In the Dungeon, talking is the most useless thing.'
'If you want to shut someone up, the only way is to use your strength to dislocate their jaw.'
'Besides...'
Tsubaki turned her head slightly.
'You are indeed newcomers, that's a fact.'
'Being underestimated is one of the necessary lessons for newcomers.'
-------------------------------
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