Approaching the massive gates ahead of him, a boy with white hair and ruby eyes looked upon them with an expression of enlightenment. He had a slim body and no equipment whatsoever, except for a knife that was attached to a scabbard at the side of his hips. His clothes were all black and were a bit baggy, allowing the boy freedom in his movements.

Without faltering his excited expression, the boy passed through the gates, where the sun hit him for a few seconds. It was only afterward, amidst the crowded streets of the city and the chatter all around him, that he noticed the scenery in front of him. His hands were trembling from the sheer happiness he felt, as his feet set foot on the city's ground.

People barely paid any attention to the boy as he was being pushed around by someone in clad armor, who held a two-handed axe in their hands. Most of the people walking the streets were wearing armor and carrying weapons, so this wasn't anything new for the white-haired boy either.

After all, this was the city of adventures, Orario.

Bell POV

I finally arrived in Orario! It's been so long since I've been waiting for this moment. But seeing it for myself is really something else! There are so many people, and I feel a bit out of place...

Walking through the main streets, I could see many shops that were selling diverse objects that had their own utility. So many of them I didn't know what bit even was, this is awesome! But I'm not here to buy things today, I have to find a familia as soon as possible…

I'm new here and I have no equipment nor do I have the Valis to sustain myself, this is really not starting well. I sighed knowing that I went to Orario in haste, not thinking over things like these. But that doesn't mean I'll give up either, even if I have to go through every familia in the city!

It was no use to sulk around and do nothing, so, I went to talk to people around looking for clues about gods that might recruit new adventurers. Going from the shopkeepers to the passersby on the street, I wanted to know if any god would accept someone like me.

I spent a few days trying to get into a familia, but nothing seemed to work. Most of my invitations were declined and some people told me not to waste their time! This was becoming very frustrating, but I refused to give up hope; I knew that someone would eventually accept me into their familia.

This had been going on for a few days, and my clothes were starting to accumulate dust and look ragged. I couldn't afford much food, but by helping others, I was able to get at least one meal per day. It may have been miserable, but it was better than nothing.

Today was another day that I was denied by many familias, even if I couldn't get the chance to meet their God. I was walking near the tower of Babel, the main place for adventurers, since it was at this place that the dungeon took place.

No one knew how many floors there were in this tower; some said it went on forever, piercing the sky above the entire city. Standing at its base, I couldn't help but marvel at its height or the fact that it served as a beacon for those unfamiliar with the city, including myself.

People kept entering and exiting the tower, more injured than most as I was admiring it from afar. Since I'm not in a familia, I can't enter the dungeon; it would be complete suicide for a rookie like me. As the sun was setting, I looked at what little valuables I had left after the past few days and it wasn't even close to being enough to satisfy my hunger.

Slouching against the wall, I was about to sit down when I sensed a pair of eyes staring at me. It was unsettling, so I looked to see who it was. As I raised my head to see the person in question, I saw a pair of golden eyes gazing at me, a curious look in them, while their face remained stoic, showing no emotion.

"Are you an adventurer too?" she asked me with a tone of voice that was just as stoic as her facial expression. I was taken aback because this was the first person who had engaged in a conversation with me! My eyes remained fixed on hers.

She was beautiful, with her golden hair flowing in the wind, and her piercing golden eyes gazing down at me. Her body was rather slender, clad in some sort of lightweight armor that didn't hinder her movements. After several moments of staring at her, I finally regained my composure and managed to utter incoherent words.

She seemed to be more confused than anything, and after a while, I took a deep breath, concentrated, and tried to avoid getting embarrassed by my flushed cheeks turning even deeper red.

"I, erm… want to be one, but I haven't found a familia that would accept me…" Saying that I was sure that she would leave me, but I was surprised when I felt movement next to me, now the girl sitting next to me.

"Wh-what are you doing…?"

"You seemed lonely." She said it in a short tone, but I couldn't help but sheepishly smiled at this. It made me feel good that someone was being kind to me like this. I could have cried right then and there, but her presence was rather soothing for me; feeling warm besides her and making the atmosphere more comfortable to talk between us.

I'm new to the city, so I don't know many people. Even though it felt easier to talk to her, I couldn't help feeling shy around a girl; this is technically my first time talking to one!

"So you don't have a familia?" She tilted her head to the side slightly, looking at me. It was honestly cute seeing her acting like this. Although I know she was right, I didn't want to be avoided when she is the first person that stayed with me.

"I, well umm… yeah," I said. "But I am also awful at lying and keeping secrets. There's no real reason behind it, I just hate keeping things away from people. But as the seconds passed after my answer, the girl didn't move from her position as she maintained eye contact with me.

Hm, I can always offer you a place in the Loki familia." Did she just say Loki…? Like, the Loki familia?! Is she a member of it, that would be incredible!!

To say I was in shock was an understatement; I had no words that could follow this, so I remained silent for a moment. Looking at Ais, I could see that she was looking at me with slight concern in her eyes, despite having no expression on her face.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"N-no, not at all! I was just surprised that you would mention Loki of all the familias. You must be really strong if you are one of its members!!"

"Yes," she replied, "but I want to be stronger." The look in her eyes changed in mere seconds, revealing her determination within them. I could see it clearly, and I admired her resolve. It was something I had never seen before in anyone else, not even among fellow adventurers.

"That's amazing…" She seemed to be surprised by it as she looked away from the scene of the busy streets of Orario, filled with people doing all sorts of business. It was only after a few seconds that she turned to me.

"What's your name?" Her full attention on me, that look of curiosity made me flustered, and I looked down at the concrete. A wide blush spread across my cheeks; even the tips of my ears had a faint reddish color.

"B-Bell Cranel, that's m-my name."

"I am Ais Wallenstein." The moment I heard her name, my head rose up to meet her eyes still staring at me. My heart was beating at an alarming pace just by looking into her golden irises.

Growl*

The moment the sound was heard, a deep red blush went across my cheeks, even redder than before. I was so embarrassed that I just wanted to walk away right then and there. A growl went by as I looked down; I wanted to be gone from that place immediately.

"Are you... hungry?" She asked me in such an innocent voice; I couldn't deny it, and I slowly nodded my head. I then heard movement next to me as I saw Ais stand up, extending her hand to me. Although she wasn't smiling, I could see the kindness in her eyes. It was weird; in the short amount of time that I had met her, I could tell how she expressed herself through those two golden orbs.

"I-I can't accept Ais! You've already done so much to me." But even with those words, she wasn't moving as she kept having her hand within reach of me as she waited there.

"Are you not hungry?" she asked. "Your stomach was making sounds." I was about to argue, but then she said something that left me without a counterargument.

"And if you're new here and aren't in a familia, even if you want to be an adventurer, doesn't that mean that you have no Valis?" She said, although it was hard to digest. I guess I don't have much choice here…

I smiled at Ais as I took her hand; she lifted me up without any effort as I matched her pace of walking. All around us, people were whispering to each other. Some were laughing while others blushed, looking at us. I wondered what they were saying; perhaps Ais was really famous around here?

She said, "We're here." After a while, she stopped walking and we were faced by a building that looked fancier than the others around. There was a lot of chatter inside, but we could only hear muffled noise.

Looking up, he saw a sign dangling in the wind with an inscription on it.

Hostess of fertility.

…I feel somewhat like this could sound wrong.