Orario was sometimes described as the capital of the gods and goddesses. And for a very good reason. A good percentage of the population consisted of gods and goddesses, along with members adjoined to a variety of familias.

Crazy to think that this place is over a thousand years old… I knew for a fact that some of the deities present must've been here for centuries. In fact, I just caught word of a certain goddess descending from the heavens from a couple of adventurers. If there were this many familias to join, I shouldn't have much trouble becoming an adventurer and registering with the guild.

But first things first… I need to get some food in my stomach. I hadn't eaten anything in hours, and I could practically sense that I wouldn't be getting anything in a few hours if I didn't go search now.

But what to choose, what to choose…? I had around twenty thousand valis on me at the moment. I could probably afford a moderately sized breakfast if I took care not to splurge. I just needed a place to dine. There were plenty of options. Some food stalls, fancy restaurants that looked like you needed to spend millions of valis just to have a chance at ordering from there, and several taverns, filled to the brim with adventurers.

But to be frank, I wasn't sure if my pockets could survive any of these establishments. Adventurer taverns were famous for bleeding people dry to the sheer income that adventurers made on a daily basis.

A party filled with level one adventurers was said to be capable of making around twenty-five thousand valis a day. So naturally, the taverns would likely take advantage of that. That was a situation I would do my best to avoid at a cost.

I took out a map from my backpack as I gazed across the city streets. Let's see… the cheapest taverns around here would likely be near the residential district, due to the low populace of adventurers. Which is… that way! I smiled triumphantly.

I must've stuck out like a sore thumb, as I sensed several people staring at me from the back of my head. I didn't look like a civilian, considering my attire, but the same could be said for me as an adventurer, even if I technically wasn't registered yet.

Actually, now that I think about it… there were at least several different people who gave me the stink-eye along the way… Was it the clothes, or my red shoes? Either way, it didn't look as if I could ask for directions. The only thing I could rely on was my map.

It didn't take long for me to reach the residential district. A lot of people looked at me strangely on my way here. Even a few kids looked at me as if I was some type of running gag. Although, afterward, their parents proceeded to apologize profusely for their behavior… I guess it wasn't that bad. I just had to get used to this.

I knew that most adventurers which didn't belong to big-name familias such as Loki, or Hermes, didn't exactly get viewed in the best of light by the common folk. I learned from my mother that most adventurers weren't exactly the kindest people out there. Makes sense, considering they risked their lives day in and day out to earn money. High risk, high reward situations would probably make anyone feel on edge and judgemental. Or, so I thought.

Did I really look all that soft…? I mean, aside from my round chin, green hair, and freckles, I had some muscle on me. Although, the average person probably wouldn't be able to tell due to it being hidden under my white t-shirt and vest. I had a small dagger on me as well. It wasn't like I was a joke as far as people without falna went…

Eventually, I managed to gather the courage to ask some of the civilians their recommendations on where to go for food. Specifically, the cheap yet good kind. Most of them pointed toward the Hostess of Fertility, a few blocks away from me. Which apparently had some of the best food in the city. What a score on my part!

After a bit of walking, I gazed at the tavern. Even I could tell from a first glance that a place like this was a place worthy of housing adventurers of any kind. I guess I'd be good for now.

I walked up the old and slightly creaky wooden steps. Each step I took sent shivers down my spine, as I noticed the howling of adventurers grew louder and louder. I stopped on the fourth step, as I realized that there was a big commotion going on in the bar. That doesn't sound good… Something told me that I should get the hell out of dodge, and I did just that.

Boom! Before I even knew what happened, the door flew open and out came the body of what I could only assume was an adventurer, hurling through the air at a pace that made my head spin. He landed on the ground with a thud, unmoving, and with multiple bruises on his body… and a broken nose…? What the hell?

I swiveled my head back up to the tavern and watched as two sky blue orbs glared at me, before relaxing into a calmful gaze. I was too shell-shocked to take notice of the person's long and pointy elf-like ears.

"Sorry. It just gets a little rowdy here from time to time. Have you come here to dine?" It appeared that was the only one that was flabbergasted, as several people paid the small conflict little mind, and went on with their day.

After checking and making sure the adventurer lying on the ground was unconscious, and not dead, I walked back up the stairs and greeted the elven beauty. I blushed as I tried to avert my gaze from the person who I had assumed had beaten that guy to a pulp.

She had green hair, and as mentioned before, sky blue eyes. Her calm yet stern demeanor gave off a feeling of grace that I was sure that only she could pull off. Ahh! What a sight for the eyes!

"Sir, are you okay? You look rather pale, if not slightly feverish…" She smiled, as she pointed out her concern for my well-being.

"O-Oh, me? L-Little old me?!" I sputtered out words that I was sure wouldn't even mesh well for the kind of situation I found myself in. "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. J-Just uh…" I looked back at the still unconscious adventurer, as a little crowd started to take place around him. "I-Is that… is what just happened normal here?"

"No, not really. Are you going to dine?" Her lips were curved upwards in a smile, but her eyes were a different story. "You do have the money, right? Our last customer tried to start something over that. Please know that we don't take kindly to that sort of behavior."

"N-No! I have money…" I stuttered out, as I walked into the bar. It had a surprisingly welcoming atmosphere to it, disregarding the earlier encounter. Various aromas floated towards my nostrils, as I took in the heavenly scent of cooking. "It smells… good here?"

"That's because this is the Hostess of Fertility! It has some of the best cooking in Orario at the cheapest price you'll find!" A voice popped up right beside me, and I felt my soul leave my body. "What's wrong, you look a little pale, meow!"

The person next to me looked to be a cat person, as evidenced by the two large cat ears sticking out of her hair and the amused 'meow' which came out of her mouth. She wasn't as pretty as the elf behind me, but she was still up there…

First things first… I needed some space. I found an empty table. It felt that if I remained between these two girls any longer, I would pass out.

Actually, now that I think about it, the entire bar was mostly empty. With only one or two patrons present. Most of the bar was silent, save for the running sink and idol banter between the waitresses.

I sat down at the table and relaxed, as I let my body calm down from its flustered state. It wouldn't do me any good to let my emotions jump several leaps and bounds above my mind. I needed to be calm, cool, and collected, especially in a place like this.

"May I take your order, sir?" The green-haired elven beauty said calmly, as she walked up to mm as handed me a menu to select from.

"I-I'll just have a soup for now…" The cheapest meal on the menu, three hundred and fifty valis. Perfect, considering that I didn't want to bleed my pockets dry.

"Coming right up." She said as she walked up to the bar's counter, mouthing off of my order to what I could only assume is the boss of the restaurant. Standing at a height that was several heads bigger than me, I could only assume that she was a dwarf.

In any case, I had nothing else to do but twiddle my thumbs and watch as my order was prepared. It wouldn't be ready for at least a dozen or so minutes, so all I could do was wait. Which was fine! I had time to kill…

I just hope that adventurer is okay… I definitely wasn't going to ask how he found himself in such a peculiar position. I get the feeling that if I did, I'd probably be eating pavement in the same fashion as him.

I had come to Orario to become an adventurer. Which by all means, was a life ruled by cruelty, violence, and living on the edge. Or so I've heard… Going into this, I knew I was going to be getting into some freaky stuff, but this…? This took the cake.

"So… what brings you to Orario?" I yelped as a new face appeared beside me. A girl with blue-gray hair smiled as my cheeks turned vermillion. "I don't recall seeing you around here. You must be new."

"Y-Yeah, I am… Actually, I just got here today. I wanted to be an adventure, so this was the path I took."

"Really? You don't look the part," the girl's Cheshire-like grin unnerved me, but I remained calm. "All of the adventurers I know have had muscles in places that shouldn't even have muscles. No offense? But you look like a twig." She giggled.

She didn't have to rub it in… But I guess she has a point. Most of the adventurers I took notice of were incredibly muscular, tall, and looked tougher than the average person. In comparison, I, who only stood at a height of one-hundred and sixty-six couch alone… was rather meager.

Of course, in my opinion, I was rather muscular too, as a consequence of working as a farmer for the majority of my life. But all of that was hidden under a thick layer of cotton and leather. Even if they squinted, the average person probably wouldn't notice it.

"Does that mean… do you not have a falna?" A falna was something that every adventurer needed to well… become an adventurer. A blessing made by a god which allowed the wearer to become exceptionally powerful if given enough excelia.

An unblessed person, under normal circumstances, wouldn't really be allowed into the dungeon unless they had specific permission from the guild. It wasn't like I had anything to worry about. I was sure that there were several familias that were willing, if not downright desperate to accept me. Although, this did very little to stop the girl's words from cutting deep…

"No… Not yet at least. I was thinking about grabbing a bite to eat before searching for any familias to join," I scratched my curly and somewhat unkempt green hair, as a question appeared at the back of my mind. "Say… is it hard? To become an adventurer, I mean? Oh, and by the way… I'd like some juice to go with my soup, please."

Part of me knew that making small talk with someone with as busy of a schedule as her was practically moot. It did nothing to ease my nerves, in fact, I was growing increasingly nervous as our conversation continued. I was not very good with women…

The girls back in my village used to treat me very harshly any time I tried to strike up a conversation with them. I was the odd one in the group, even among the odd ones. And as a result, I wasn't very sociable. I mostly kept to my own devices and minded my own business. Only intervening when someone was in danger.

As a side effect, I could barely utter a few syllables before getting tongue-tied. The girl in front of me looked mildly amused as she finished writing down my order. "I see… is that all you'd like?" I nodded while averting my gaze.

I felt that if I stared at her any longer, my head would look like a tomato. As much as I wanted to ignore it, her snow-white skin and blue eyes were making it hard to look her in the face. I couldn't stop the blush from spreading from my cheeks to my ears. "Y-Yes…" I stuttered out.

This was a very strange place… or maybe not. Maybe all of Orario was like this? Unorthodox and incredibly lively. This was a city that didn't sleep, one which inhabited a labyrinth. I wasn't sure if I could really ever get used to such a place.

One moment, I would be minding my own business, and the next, a body goes hurling past me at two hundred kirlos per hour. One day, I'd once again be minding my own business, and the next, several beautiful women would gaze at me from the sidelines… How could anyone get used to that?

It took a while before my soup was prepared, along with my beverage, but the incredibly well-put-together service and maintenance of the tavern left a positive warmth in me that calmed the impatience rising from within me. Either way, with my meal and beverage, finished, I should probably get going.

Taking out a few coins from the pouch I kept in my backpack, I paid the bar owner while giving the green-haired elf a tip. I tried to ignore the smile forming on her lips to the best of my ability, as I exited the bar.

The only thing left to do was find a familia willing to accept me. This wouldn't be an easy task, but with the hundreds of gods and goddesses roaming around, I doubt it'd be particularly hard. But just to be safe… I should probably head towards the guild to check for any gods willing to accept me.

I knew that I didn't look like much. I might've garnered a few looks from the adventurers around me with the hilt of my dagger sticking out of its sheath, complimented by green hair, but that was it. That was the extent of the recognition I'd probably get until I registered with a familia.

Does my green hair really look that strange? Now that I looked around, a lot of people were looking at me. Was my hair color that unordinary? It couldn't be… The several adventurers which just walked past me gave me glared at me.

I wanted to glare back, but for some reason, my face wouldn't budge, as I watched them smirk at me, before heading towards Babel. I mean, one of their members even had green hair! Just what was their deal? I never even did anything to them…

I sighed, before continuing my walk toward the guild. Admittedly, I knew very little about Orario, let alone the dungeon, or most of the top familias. Populated by the best of the best of adventurers. Could I join one of them too? I've heard that Loki's was pretty strong… Freya's too. Two of the strongest groups of adventurers in the city.

Well, that's just a pipe dream… I could spend eons dreaming and looking on in fascination at this top-level familias. But it'd be pointless if I didn't work to apply myself to the goal… I haven't put in any effort yet. I wasn't sure if I could.

Before long, I stood right before the entrance to the guild. Hundreds of adventurers surrounded me. Some getting prepared to head into the dungeon, some to cash in their loot for rewards, and some… well, honestly, I didn't know what purpose the guild served beyond that. I was just a country boy!

I stepped forward, watching as everyone's attention shifted toward me. My legs weren't even through the entrance yet, only being inches away from the wooden gateway. A bead of sweat trickled down my nose as I felt the eyes of many adventurers bore invisible holes into my skull.

Oppressive… way too oppressive…! Even a total amateur like me instantly knew that the looks that were getting sent my way (even the ones I couldn't see) didn't exactly hold righteous intent.

Nevertheless, I gulped back my saliva and pressed on into the building. Instantly, I felt the number of looks being sent my way increase tenfold, as my heart quickened. It's like they could sense the fear… creepy!

I just need to find a guild employee, and be done with it… No need to make this harder for myself. I felt another drop of sweat make its way down the bridge of my nose, as I took a long, and deep breath. I've heard they have a library here too… I guess it wouldn't be bad to familiarize myself with some of the monsters… below.

Reminding myself of the abominations and atrocities which were located below the city somehow calmed my nerves. I knew that adventuring wasn't an easy job, especially with the high mortality rate. That could serve as the explanation behind the glares being sent at me from all angles… Stress. Just stress. Maybe they're just stressed out from visiting the dungeon so frequently…

I chuckled nervously to myself as I marched toward the receptionist's desk. Luckily for me, there was at least one employee available. A female with pink hair and a soft face… this isn't going to be easy, isn't it? I thought to myself, as I felt my face heat up.

The employee in front of me seemed to notice this, as she flashed a bright, yet stern smile at me. Ugh! Why is she so cute?! No, wait! Bad thoughts Midoriya, bad thoughts!

"Why hello there. You seem to be new around here. Looking to be an adventurer?" She quietly asked as I nodded my head. Just the sound of my voice was enough to make my cheats grow hotter. "Sir…?"

"A-Ah, right!" I cleared my throat, as I straightened my posture. "Y-Yes, I'm looking to be one… B-But not right now! I-I haven't really found a familia yet… i-if it's not too much trouble… c-could you help me with that…?" I did my best attempt at a smile and watched her sweet, yet professional expression quickly turns to concern. Maybe concern wasn't the right word. It looked as if she were surprised if anything.

That's strange, why's it so quiet now? I had a bad feeling about this. The barely contained chuckles of adventurers did little to ease that. Unfortunately, I was a little too slow on the uptake to figure out the events which were about to happen.

"Bwahahahahaha! Kid's as red as a cherry!" One adventurer collapsed onto their stomach, as he howled towards another group of adventurers.

"Oh shit! This is too much! The fucking tomato probably hasn't even had his balls drop yet, and he wants to go into the dungeon?! Fuck is this, a circus?" One of them declared as he held onto another adventurer for support.

"Kid must be as green as grass. I mean, just look at him! Losing his shit at the sheer sight of a woman!" Another one claimed as he wiped a tear from his eye.

"Just look at em'! Doesn't get much more pathetic than this!" A few more adventurers laughed at me, joining in on the fun, as they wheezed.

"What a pussy!"

"The hell is he even doing here?! Poor lad probably couldn't even hurt a fly!"

"Oi, oi! Three-thousand valis on whether or not this kid doesn't even make it past floor one!"

"What are you, stupid?! That's being generous! Ten thousand valis on whether or not he gets killed the instant he steps foot in the dungeon!"

"I mean, I can't help but feel sorry for the poor lad! Five thousand valis on whether or not he loses to a goblin!"

I couldn't speak. I couldn't even blink, as it felt as if my soul was being crushed right before my eyes. Was I… did I truly look that pathetic? To the point that many didn't even consider me to be a rookie…?

I felt a few tears threatening to spill over from my tear ducts. I was just one insult away from bawling my eyes out, and humiliating myself further in front of a group of adventurers.

"Sir… is everything alright?" The guild employee asked while I remained at a standstill. "Sir?"

"Y-Yeah! O-Of course. Are there any familias short on members?" I tried to conceal my emotions from earlier to the best of my ability, as I smiled.

The employee looked confused but nodded still. "Is there any you wish to join? There are at least a couple dozen willing to accept new recruits. I've heard Loki's familia is willing to accept a few members, actually."

"I-I see…" I wasn't sure if I really had a chance at joining one of the strongest families in the city or not, but it was worth a shot. "H-How do I join?" The adventurers were still howling in the background, as they must've heard my stutter.

"Familias usually have reception or receptionists standing in front of their bases or homes. It's as simple as asking whoever is tasked with accepting new recruits to join."

"A-Alright understood…" I said, before taking out a map of the city from my backpack. "Twilight Manor, right?" She nodded. "T-Thank you…"

And I was off, just like that. I didn't bother looking at the looks which were sent my way on the way out. I tried to keep my head up. With a smile. Words were… well, words. It's not like they were throwing sticks and stones at me.

Still, I felt as if they were was some truth to what they were saying. I was terrible at dealing with girls or rather, females in general. The girls in my village always used to call me a tomato whenever I was embarrassed, so maybe they had a point. It wouldn't be good for an adventurer to be intimidated by the opposite sex of all things. Not in a profession where you could lose your life in a heartbeat.

But still… It wasn't good to dwell on the negative. So what? A couple of guys called me names, insulted me, and said I was weak. I'd just have to prove them wrong.


It wasn't long before I arrived at Twilight Manor. For housing one of the biggest if not strongest familia's in the city. I was expecting a medium-sized mansion, not a dozen-story tall castle!

Brilliantly carved cobblestone walls, bricks of only the finest quality, and to top it all off, several castle towers which looked like they were ripped right out of the pages of Dungeon Orotaria. I had to rub my eyes in to make sure I wasn't seeing correctly.

I was pretty sure that the tower must've cost a fortune. Just how much money did this familia have? Probably enough money to buy out my entire village…

Although architecture aside, it was pretty quiet. Of course, there were still adventurers present. But for the most part, someone could probably drop a few dozen valis on the ground from halfway across the city and you'd be able to hear it. It didn't help that there were two figures guarding the entrance to the mansion. I assumed that they were the familia members tasked with not only guarding the manor but also the receptionist. It felt almost ominous.

"U-Uh, excuse me!" I called out to them and watched as their heads turned to me. Their gazes were clearly unimpressed with my already lukewarm appearance. "T-This is Loki familia's base, right?"

One of the guards scoffed at me. "Of course it is. What do you want kid?" I could tell, even as I stood several meters away, that his eyes were dressing me down. Seriously, what was wrong with my green hair?!

"I see… thanks for clarifying…" I gulped as I shivered under their gaze. "S-So, how do I j-join?"

They didn't reply, as we all remained silent. The guards looked between each other, and then back at me, before sending me a glare that would forever haunt me in my nightmares. "Get lost scrub. Loki familia doesn't accept weaklings like you."

"H-Huh?! What's so weak about someone who wants to become an adventurer…?"

"Everything." The soldier walked up to me and grabbed me by the hair. I tried to loosen his grip, but it was no good. Crap! Just how powerful can a blessing make you?! "You're weak. You don't even look strong. I bet you wouldn't even make it past floor one of the dungeon."

Funny… that guy at the bar said the same thing… "How w-would you know that when I don't even have a blessing yet?" The guard took a pause. "But D-Doesn't everyone starts out weak from the b-beginning?"

"Did I stutter? Loki Familia doesn't accept pussies. Get lost kid!" With a swing of his arm, he launched me through the air with strength that shouldn't belong to a normal human, tossing me a good distance away from the familia base as I skidded across the cobblestone pavement. That was gonna leave a mark… somewhere.

Ouch! I think he ruptured my spleen… I thought as I dusted myself off. Ah great… now my clothes are all dirty… Of course, this was the least of my worries. I knew beforehand that it would be hard to get into one of the strongest, if not the strongest familia in the city, but not this hard… Sheesh, what was I gonna do now?

First, it was the adventurers looking at me as if they were offended that I even breathed the same air as them. Now it's Loki familia rejecting me and large groups of adventurers mocking me… couldn't get much worse than this. I sighed, before walking away from the manor, my spirit is shattered.

Where to next? I doubt most familia's would accept me if most of the adventurers didn't even bother to give me a modicum of their respect. My idea of joining any big-name familia was completely ruined. I had a fixed amount of money left on me, which would eventually run out after only several nights at most inns. I needed that money.

That was adventuring money. I was not going to waste that simply because I wished to sleep on pillow covers and a roof over me. But it was inevitable. I could limit myself to only a few meals a day, but even that would probably diminish what little money I had saved up after a couple of months.

Let's see… I took out the wallet I kept hidden in my backpack and checked the contents. Accounting for the soup and juice I had earlier, I have around nineteen thousand valis left… Still, a decent amount left.

For some reason, the guard's criticism kept bouncing around in my mind. No matter how many meders I walked, his words still bothered me. They cut deep. Really deep. Deep enough to make me stop in the middle of the cobblestone road and second guess the decisions which led me here.

The guard might've been right… most people who don't have a falna are relatively weak. But even with the very few exceptions to that rule taken into consideration, the guards logic didn't exactly seem very sound to me. Doesn't everyone start out weak? I've heard most of the adventurers in this city don't even make it past level one… Only a few dozen have made it past level five on record. And even less for level six. Honestly, I'd be hardpressed to classify it as 'logic' to begin with.

The people in my village said the same thing. I could remember it clearly as day. Me, standing in my brown, worn-out boots as I ran around in the grassy fields, only to get ostracized by a group of kids around my age. To them, I looked and acted 'weak.' To them, my freckles and green hair looked dumb. And most of all, to them, I wasn't cut out for dungeon crawling.

Good for nothing 'Deku' is what they called me. The clumsiest kid around, the weakest of them all. I nearly tripped after I walked down a few pairs of stairs, so maybe that was correct. I got insulted by an entire group of adventurers so maybe I wasn't cut out for this… But weakness?

Well, that doesn't matter right now. I still bet that a few familias are willing to accept me… even if they're not dungeon prowling ones. The situation isn't that hopeless. Or at least, I hope it is. Part of being a hero is to keep moving forward, even if there isn't a single ray of sunshine at the end of the tunnel.

Give up? That's the last thing I have in mind. I'll sprint out of this damn 'tunnel' if I have to.


A/N: And so, Deku's story begins. Well... technically, it began the moment I decided to officially publish this fic, but as you'll find in the coming chapters, the events which took place here will become the driving force behind some of his aspirations. All I'll say is that it's really important for his character arc. Until next time!