"Ah, I went out to find a blacksmith and formed a party for the dungeon."
Tiona leaned forward with her hands behind her back, tilting her head curiously:
"Wow, you actually went to team up with someone from another Familia. We have so many people in our Familia—"
Fron leaned back under pressure, explaining with a bitter smile:
"I didn't want to trouble everyone to accompany me into the dungeon. It's just the upper levels after all; I'd only be a bother. Conveniently, I accepted an adventurer commission, and I'm also a bit short on funds—"
--------------------------------------------
Tiona nodded in sudden understanding; this was easy to grasp.
Everyone had gone through that phase, after all. It's perfectly normal for a new adventurer to be strapped for cash, right?
"By the way, Fron. Come over here for a bit!"
This time, it was the royal elf, Riveria, calling him through the window, looking like she had something important to discuss.
"Well then, I'll head up first, Tiona."
"Alright~"
"Ugh, so boring. Ais probably went into the dungeon again. Guess I'll go play with Lefiya instead!"
The Amazoness younger sister had an angelic personality, completely opposite from her sister.
...
Crossing the aerial corridor between towers, Fron arrived at the top of the northernmost tower.
This was the office of the Familia leader, Finn. Usually, the three executives would be here making plans and reviewing documents.
Knock knock knock.
"Come in."
As expected upon opening the door—
All three of the three executives, including the dwarf Gareth, were present.
"Sorry to intrude."
"No worries, I was the one who called you here."
Fron had a very gentle personality, and his words carried the refinement of higher education and etiquette.
That was also part of why, after joining this big family, he quickly got along with nearly everyone.
"As a newcomer, we seniors really shouldn't be making decisions on your behalf. But—"
Riveria paused here, struggling to phrase things delicately.
"Hahaha, what she means is: you've been too unlucky. You nearly lost your life on your first dungeon exploration. Lost all your earnings, and even your weapon."
"This elf's motherly instincts are overflowing; she wants to give you something."
"!"
Riveria's face immediately flushed red.
"Rude dwarf, my instincts are not overflowing."
"Yeah yeah, I get it, stubborn elf."
An old friend of many years, Gareth wasn't fazed at all and casually waved Riveria off.
"This staff—hmm, was forcibly gifted to me by fellow elves visiting the city because of my status. It serves me no use other than as a collectible."
"Your development path should be as a mage, right?"
The rapid turn of events left Fron dumbfounded.
He didn't dare to interrupt the banter between these big shots.
It was both respect for his elders and reverence for the strong.
"Yes, only monkeys wouldn't like magic."
"…"
Finn smiled wryly, "I wonder how monkeys offended you."
"…"
"This staff is made of aquamarine and the secret crystal of gem beasts. It's not some rare treasure, but it's sufficient for you. Give it a name."
Taking the box from Riveria, he opened it to reveal a staff wrapped in black cloth.
The staff was about one meter long, with elven cultural patterns intricately engraved along its shaft.
At its head, a magic crystal was entwined, mysterious light flowing within.
Compared to a weapon, it looked more like a work of art.
"Uh, 'Aquamarine Staff,' I guess. Simple and easy to understand."
"Then make good use of this weapon."
"Th-thank you so much!"
It was his first time receiving such a precious gift. Although the big shots made light of it, Fron, who was well-read in dungeon items, knew very well that both aquamarine and the gem beast's crystal were treasures that only dropped in the lower levels. Even a small piece could sell for hundreds of thousands of valis on the market—far beyond his current means.
For him to be using it, this was considered high-end gear.
"No need to thank us. Familias are supposed to nurture newcomers. This is what we seniors should do."
Riveria explained in a deliberately casual, official tone.
"Do your best, Fron. All of us, including Loki, have high hopes for your future. We look forward to seeing how much you'll grow and change the Familia!"
"…"
Fron nodded, then bowed and quietly excused himself, gently closing the door behind him.
"This kid's a bit too humble; that's not good."
"Excessive humility creates distance between people."
"Well, he'll get used to it after a while. Tione and Bete were the same back when they first joined the Familia—"
"Hahahaha, all part of their dark history."
The seniors chatted nostalgically about the past.
Back then, the Familia was just the three of them when they first came to Orario—
...
...
Holding the box with the staff, Fron returned to his room, his heart pounding with excitement.
"A staff! My first staff ever, I'm a bit thrilled!!!"
"This isn't just some stick, but a staff imbued with magic—"
He couldn't help but feel envious whenever he saw the staffs wielded by the Familia's mages.
What mage wouldn't want to own a powerful staff of their own?
Yet reality was harsh. From magic books to items to equipment, nothing came cheap.
The staff, being the main weapon, was the most expensive of all.
With Fron's current income, it would've taken at least a month or two to obtain something of this quality—assuming he didn't eat or drink.
And dungeon exploration itself came with costs. Calculated carefully, the time would have easily doubled.
And that's with Fron's "cheat-like" advantage—what about ordinary people?
"Heh—"
Chuckling self-mockingly, Fron carefully placed the Aquamarine Staff aside and began packing his gear.
Forget about equipment—he'd worry about that when he had money.
The main thing was a backpack.
Considering his synergy with Welf, as a rear guard mage providing fire support, he didn't need high mobility, which allowed him to also double as a supporter.
"I need a backpack. Better go find Raul."
A name floated into his mind—good-natured Raul.
"You need to borrow a backpack? For dungeon exploration?"
"Yeah, my last one got blown up, as you know. Also… I'm a bit strapped for cash, haven't had time to buy a new one."
"I thought it was something serious. It's just a backpack."
"Here, will this do?"
Don't underestimate Raul just because he always followed Finn around like a tail.
He was a proper Lv.4 adventurer with all his attributes averaging at C rank. Naturally, the backpack he used wasn't small.
The bag was about 1000×500×500 in size, a professional-grade supporter's pack.
Its craftsmanship was exquisite, made of some monster's tough hide that felt smooth to the touch.
"This'll do. I'll treat you to drinks after I return victorious!"
"Hey, don't go raising flags like that!"
"…"
Fron's face darkened, wishing he could smack the girls from the tavern to death.
"Th-that was an accident, cough cough."
Raul grinned mischievously, winking and nudging.
Mental collapse!
All the way back, Fron's face was black as he exuded a dark aura that kept everyone at a distance. It was terrifying.