"So..."
Eina spoke with visible difficulty.
"The fact that you survived the Dungeon... was also part of this 'trial'?"
"Naturally." Lynn nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Starting with nothing and surviving using only the most basic means—this is the introductory test my God bestows upon new believers. It's a classic, isn't it?"
Classic, my foot! Eina quickly scanned through the divine registry. As expected, she found no record of a "Hidetaka Miyazaki."
"Mr. Lynn, the Guild's registry does not contain any record of the deity you mentioned," Eina said seriously. "By the book, I shouldn't be allowed to register you."
"Oh?" Lynn's reaction was flat.
"However..." Eina paused, looking at Lynn before making a bold decision. "Given your unique circumstances and the undeniable fact that you survived the Dungeon, I can process a temporary adventurer registration for you. Your affiliated deity will be marked as 'Pending Verification.'"
"That works," Lynn replied, offering no objection.
"Then, please follow me."
Eina stood up and led Lynn to a side booth to begin the newcomer orientation.
Over the next hour, Eina provided a detailed explanation regarding adventurer ranks, status values, the structure of the Dungeon, types of monsters, the value of magic stones, and the basic rules of Orario.
Throughout the process, Lynn displayed an astonishing capacity for learning.
He rarely asked questions, choosing instead to listen in silence. Yet, every time Eina finished a section, he was able to summarize the core points with surgical precision. He even managed to extrapolate and ask detailed questions about things that even veteran adventurers might overlook.
"So, the growth of status values mainly relies on 'Excellia'—the accumulation of experience through high-difficulty feats—which is then updated by a God?"
"Yes."
"And Runes... excuse me, I mean Valis... are primarily obtained by selling magic stones and monster materials?"
"Correct."
"The awakening of Skills and Magic is unpredictable, representing the manifestation of an individual's traits through the 'Falna'?"
"You could put it that way."
"That concludes all the basic knowledge a novice adventurer needs to know." Eina closed her manual. Her gaze toward Lynn had shifted from initial suspicion to a deep sense of wonder.
"Did you really memorize all of that?"
"Yeah, it wasn't hard." Lynn nodded, then asked his final question. "Miss Eina, where can I buy the cheapest and most durable weapons and armor?"
He didn't have a single cent in his pockets—only a few small stones he had looted from the monsters earlier. These, he assumed, were the magic stones.
Eina looked at him and remained silent for a moment. Eventually, she sighed, pulled a map from her drawer, and circled a few locations.
"These shops cater to beginners; their prices are fair. Also..." She hesitated briefly before pulling a few hundred Valis from her own purse and handing it over. "This is a personal loan from me. You don't need to pay it back. At least buy a decent weapon. You won't get far with just a rock."
Lynn looked at the money she offered. He didn't refuse, but he looked her straight in the eyes with sincerity.
"Thank you, Miss Eina. I'll remember this favor."
With that, he took the map and the money, gave a slight nod, and turned to leave.
Eina sat in her chair, watching his retreating figure disappear into the crowd, silent for a long time.
Holding the map and the heavy coins, Lynn didn't waste a second. He cut straight through the bustling West Main Street and turned into the weapon district, often called the "Starting Point" for adventurers.
Unlike the glitzy shops on the main road, the blacksmith shops here were mostly cramped stalls. The air was thick with the scent of cheap coal and metallic dust.
Lynn's goal was clear.
He walked into a shop circled on the map named "Old Ironhead's." The owner was a burly dwarf with thick arms, currently shirtless and drenched in sweat as he hammered a glowing iron ingot.
"Buying something?" The dwarf didn't look up, his voice as heavy and rhythmic as his hammer.
"The cheapest straight sword and the cheapest cloth armor," Lynn said, getting straight to the point.
"Hah?" The dwarf finally stopped his work. He wiped his face with a towel and squinted at the weirdo wrapped in a tattered cloak. "Kid, I don't sell trash. My cheapest stuff is still enough to kill a goblin."
As he spoke, he took down an ordinary-looking iron longsword from the wall and dug out a set of simple garments made of coarse linen from a crate in the corner.
"The sword is eight hundred Valis. The clothes are three hundred. One thousand one hundred total. No haggling."
Lynn weighed the money in his hand. Eina had given him five hundred, and combined with the two hundred-plus he had received for the goblin magic stones, he had a little over seven hundred Valis.
He was still short.
Silently, he reached out from under his cloak and placed the chipped shortsword dropped by the goblin onto the counter.
"How much for this?"
The dwarf glanced at the crude weapon and snorted. "Ten Valis. Not a coin more. That's the price for scrap metal."
Lynn nodded, then began to unwrap the cloak from his shoulders.
"This cloak," he said, folding the linen cloak gifted by the novice adventurer and placing it on the counter. "It should be worth more than that sword."
The dwarf's movements stiffened. He looked at the cloak—worn but intact—and then at Lynn. He finally realized that the guy in front of him was truly, desperately poor.
"...Fine, fine!" The dwarf waved his hand irritably. "Take the sword. Give me the money. I'll throw in the clothes for free! Just don't end up pawning your underwear in here!"
He snatched the money and the broken shortsword from Lynn's hand, then shoved the longsword and the cloth armor toward him.
So, haggling actually works? Lynn looked at him, his expression unreadable beneath the hood.
"Thanks, boss." Eschewing further pleasantries, he quickly changed into the simple cloth garments and belted the longsword to his waist.
The new gear fit well. Though the defensive value was effectively zero, at least he no longer looked like a pervert.
His business concluded, he turned to leave.
"Hey! Kid!" the dwarf suddenly called out. "You're heading into the Dungeon with just that? Do you have a death wish?"
Lynn stopped and looked back.
"Death is a common occurrence," he said calmly. "You get used to it."
With that, he didn't linger. His figure was soon swallowed by the flow of people at the street corner.
The dwarf stood there stunned for a moment before muttering, "Madman..."
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (25 Chapters, Ongoing)
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