Chapter 43 - Evening Talk With Eina
Bell emerged from the dungeon, blending into the crowd leaving the entrance.
Given that his harvest from the dungeon wasn't particularly significant, Bell decided to handle it through Eina.
He didn't want to trouble Hephaestus now.
As evening fell, the number of people in the Guild increased, and many receptionists were busy with their adventurers.
Among them was Eina, who was handling several adventurers at once.
Receptionists like Eina weren't assigned to just one adventurer. They often had many to look after.
As the most popular receptionist in the Guild, Eina was sought after by numerous adventurers, all vying to have her as their advisor.
However, the Guild randomly assigns adventurers to receptionists, making it difficult to get someone as popular as Eina.
But this didn't include Bell, who was already Eina's designated adventurer.
When Bell saw the adventurer talking to Eina leave, he approached her.
"Eina."
"Bell."
Before she could even take a breath, Eina looked up at the familiar voice, her eyes settling on the person she had been worried about.
After glancing over him to ensure he was unharmed, she finally relaxed, her concerns easing.
She seemed ready to say something, but then paused.
Eina gave Bell a light smile.
"Bell, after all this time as an adventurer, are you still like this?"
Bell was momentarily confused by her words, but he quickly caught on when he noticed the subtle gesture in her eyes.
He nodded slightly, looking a little sheepish.
"I'm not really good in these situations, Eina."
Eina sighed helplessly, placing both hands on the table to push herself up.
"You should try to get used to it. As an adventurer, you'll have to be serious. It's not great if you're always avoiding these situations."
Looking at Bell, she sighed again, softer this time.
"You've just come back from the dungeon. Let's talk in the lounge."
Bell nodded and followed Eina to one of the rooms used for resting and casual conversations.
This room was often used by receptionists and adventurers for discussions, helping adventurers adjust their mood, or just providing a quiet place for reflection.
Only two people typically entered this room at a time, and a sign reading In Use was hung on the door to ensure privacy.
As long as the sign was up, no one would disturb them.
Once inside, they sat on opposite sofas.
Even though Bell wasn't wearing his previously hood, his voice sounded more relaxed than before.
"Eina, your acting back there was so good, I almost didn't catch on."
Eina smiled brightly.
"Do you think I've improved?"
"Handling all kinds of adventurers in the Guild requires different attitudes. Otherwise, how could I become the Guild's top receptionist?"
"A receptionist's job is all about communication," she continued. "You need to know how to talk to people, and sometimes… how to talk to gods."
Eina had always put her job first, mastering these reception skills to meet the needs of adventurers. Her professionalism was part of why she was the Guild's ace receptionist.
After her light-hearted words, Eina's expression turned serious as she moved on to the real reason for their conversation.
"Bell, were you the one responsible for the monster party in the dungeon yesterday?"
Bell didn't deny it.
"Yes. Because of the unique nature of my skills, I ended up causing the dungeon to erupt into chaos."
"But I tried my best to control it today."
Eina visibly relaxed at his words, but she still needed to remind him.
"Control is important. You should know that the Guild has started investigating the cause.."
"They haven't pinpointed the exact reason yet, but if this keeps happening, they will eventually track you down."
"From what I've heard, it's not just the Guild investigating. Almost every Familia in Orario is looking into it."
"So, please, you need to be extra cautious. At least for a while, you can't let this happen again."
Eina was doing her best to protect Bell from the Guild's scrutiny.
She knew the real reason behind the dungeon's unrest, but she had to keep it a secret, or Bell would become the target of those fun seekers.
"Luckily, I know you're not part of Evilus. Otherwise, I'd have had to report."
Bell felt a little embarrassed.
He was deeply grateful for Eina's help. Without her, the Guild might already know about him.
"Also, Bell, you need to be wary of Evilus. If they find out you have the ability to influence the dungeon, you'll definitely become their target."
Bell nodded.
"I know, Eina."
Eina poured Bell a glass of water, and there was tea ready in the room.
Thanks to the special thermal insulation magic items, the tea in the teapot was always kept at the ideal temperature.
Eina took a sip from the teacup, and the light aroma of the tea helped her relax.
"Bell, next time you run into trouble, tell me right away, so I can prepare in advance."
Even when dealing with the Guild, it's essential to coordinate beforehand.
If she didn't know anything, she couldn't offer any help at all.
Knowing that Eina genuinely wanted to help him, Bell naturally nodded and agreed.
Having someone in the Guild who truly cared about him was a great relief.
"I understand, I'll make sure to tell you what happens in the dungeon, Eina."
"Good, I'm glad to hear that."
Eina was pleased that Bell could say that.
She had gotten to know Bell's character after a few encounters.
From the start, he was someone who understood his position well and would choose the most suitable Familia based on that.
Eina was almost certain something significant had happened in Bell's past, which had caused him to mature quickly.
Of course, such growth had its downsides.
Bell's overly rational mindset made him take a very critical view of adventurers, often assuming the worst about their character.
However, Eina didn't know what Bell had experienced to become like this, so she couldn't comment further.
Moreover, Bell's abilities weren't suited for too much exposure to unfamiliar adventurers.
"Bell, your skills are quite rare. If they get exposed, you'll face many problems."
"But even if you want to hide them, you can't keep it up forever."
"So, I suggest you avoid exposing your magic until you've built up enough strength."
Bell knew this well.
"On that note, I have a question to ask."
"But you don't need to answer directly; just a general response will suffice."
Eina prefaced her question, knowing it was a bit sensitive.
"How much has your true strength grown?"
Bell went silent for a moment.
This question touched on his biggest secret.
However, since Eina had helped him hide things from the Guild and offered useful advice and information, he felt she deserved to know the general situation.
"Eina, how long did it take the fastest adventurer in Orario to reach Level 2?"
"The current record holder for the fastest promotion from Level 1 to Level 2 is Sword Princess of the Loki Familia, Ais Wallenstein. It took her just a year to reach Level 2."
"So, I'm now at two-thirds of that pace."
"...!?"
Two-thirds?
After only a few times to the dungeon, he had already reached two-thirds of Ais Wallenstein's progress toward Level 2?
"Doesn't that mean...?"
Eina quickly stopped herself from speaking further.
Bell gave a slight nod under Eina's astonished gaze.
"If I'm lucky, I might rank up in less than a month."
'This... this would be the fastest record.'
It's important to remember that Ais grew up in Orario, surrounded by adventurers from a young age, and her growth started early.
But Bell?
He was just a teenager from the countryside who had only been an adventurer for less than half a month.
Yet Bell will achieve a miracle that would shock all of Orario.
Reaching Level 2 in less than a month.
After her initial shock, Eina quickly composed herself.
"Bell, you don't have to rush your rank up."
"It took Ais a year to collect enough excelia and reach her limit before she promoted."
"Ranking up too early will only waste your growth potential."
Eina wanted Bell to stay at Level 1 a little longer.
There was no need to chase the title of the fastest rank up.
Instead, he could spend more time building up his strength rather than wasting his potential for the sake of a title.
Bell was glad that Eina was the one in charge of him. Otherwise, he would have been exposed long ago.
"I'll be counting on you, Eina."
"This is part of my job, Bell."
They exchanged smiles and tacitly changed the subject.
[
Affection Levels:
Hestia: 100 (Max)[Love]
Hephaestus: 50 [Friends]
Eina: 70 [Thinks Herself As Your Sister]
]
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