Seeing her fuming and anxious, her eyes even rimmed with a slight redness, Linn fell silent.
He knew she was genuinely worried about him. This feeling of being cared for was something he hadn't experienced in a long time—not since Melina and Ranni back in that godforsaken place, the Lands Between.
"I'm sorry," he said, offering a rare, proactive apology. "I made you worry."
Seeing Linn back down, Eina's anger mostly dissipated. She let out a sigh, walked behind her desk to sit down, and rubbed her aching temples.
"I'm not blaming you, Mr. Linn. I just... I don't understand." She looked up, her gaze filled with confusion. "You clearly possess such staggering combat talent that even Miss Ais seeks your guidance, but why is your behavior always so... so reckless? Do you not care about your life at all?"
"I care. Of course I care."
Linn pulled out a chair and sat across from her. He thought for a moment, then explained in a way he felt she might find easier to grasp:
"To me, combat is like... solving a puzzle. The stronger the enemy, the more complex the puzzle, and the greater the sense of achievement when it's solved. As for the danger... well, as long as a Site of Grace isn't far away, it's not a big problem."
"Site of Grace?" Eina heard yet another incomprehensible term.
"It's a... place that allows for infinite resurrection," Linn bullshitted with a straight face. "A blessing from my God, Hidetaka Miyazaki."
Eina: "..."
"I'm not sure if you're joking just to put me at ease," she muttered. She felt her knowledge of theology was being challenged like never before. This god named Miyazaki was way too sinister!
"In any case!" Eina decided to give up on a deep theological discussion with him. She pulled a thick stack of documents from her drawer and slapped them onto the desk.
"I forbid you from having any further conflicts with Mr. Bete! And I also forbid you from heading below the 10th Floor alone! As your advisor, this is my official counsel!"
She pointed at the documents.
"This is a detailed map and monster manual for the Upper Floors. Take it and study it first! As for information on the Middle Floors, come back to me once you have a reliable party!"
Looking at Eina in full "mother hen" mode, Linn didn't talk back. He simply reached out and took the documents.
"Understood, understood," he answered casually, though his mind was already elsewhere.
If I can't fight Bete, then I can't look for clues about the Great Runes from him. It seems I'll have to try my luck in the depths of the Dungeon after all.
Exiting Eina's office, Linn held the thick stack of maps for the Upper Floors.
He understood Eina's good intentions. A Level 1 rookie clamoring to go to the Middle Floors would seem insane to any advisor. Stopping him was the mark of a responsible professional.
But he wasn't an ordinary rookie.
"Sigh, Miss Eina is so responsible."
Linn sighed to himself, tucking the maps into his tunic. It was impossible for him to break his word—after all, he was living in her house and eating her food. If he upset the landlord too much, he might not even be able to get through the front door tonight.
However, rules were rigid, but people were flexible.
Eina's requirements were: "No heading there alone" and "Come back once you have a reliable party."
These conditions sounded like restrictions, but to Linn, they didn't seem that difficult to meet. It was just a matter of forming a party. Simple.
As for "reliable teammates"...
Linn's feet instinctively carried him toward Twilight Manor in the northwest of the city.
When it came to people he knew in this city who were strong enough to be reliable, excluding that irritable werewolf, there was only the blonde Sword Princess.
Just as he was calculating how to get inside the Loki Familia's headquarters, several familiar figures appeared ahead of him.
Speak of the devil.
Ais was still in her light combat gear, her golden hair fluttering slightly in the breeze. Her beautiful eyes seemed lost in thought, making her appear somewhat distracted.
Walking beside her were the chattering Amazon sisters, Tiona and Tione, along with an elf girl, Lefiya, who followed Ais closely while clutching her staff.
"So I'm saying, Ais! Next time we should try that new crepe shop! I heard they're so sweet they'll melt your heart!" Tiona gestured wildly.
"Tiona, watch your posture. Besides, Ais doesn't like things that are too sweet," Tione corrected her helplessly.
"Mm... is that Linn?" Ais suddenly stopped, seemingly ignoring her companions as her gaze fixed straight ahead.
The trio's conversation came to a screeching halt. They all followed Ais's gaze and saw Linn walking toward them.
"Oh! It's Lin!" Tiona's eyes lit up, and she immediately waved enthusiastically.
Lefiya, meanwhile, instantly entered a state of high alert. She leaned forward slightly, standing in front of Ais like a mother hen protecting her chick, and glared at Linn warily as if he were a criminal with ill intentions.
"Hi."
Linn stopped and greeted them. His gaze went directly over the vigilant elf girl to Ais behind her. He got straight to the point.
"Ais, are you going to the Dungeon? The 15th Floor. I want to find a special trial."
This abrupt request left the Amazon sisters and Lefiya dazed.
Trial? What trial?
Ais, however, understood perfectly. Her eyes brightened instantly, and the previous look of aimlessness vanished. She nodded heavily, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
"Yes. Let's go."
"W-wait! Miss Ais!" Lefiya panicked, completely unable to grasp the situation. "Just the two of you? No way! And... and he's a Level 1! What are you two going to do on the 15th Floor?!"
"Yeah, yeah," Tiona chimed in, leaning over and blinking her large eyes curiously. "Lin, are you asking Ais on a date? A date in the Dungeon? How romantic!"
Upon hearing the word "date," Lefiya's hair practically stood on end. She lunged in front of Ais, spreading her arms wide like a hen guarding a chick, and glared suspiciously at Linn.
"You—you person of unknown origin! Stay away from Miss Ais! What are your intentions?!"
"Tiona!" Tione yanked her loose-tongued sister back. She looked at Linn with a slight frown, her gaze scrutinizing. "Mr. Linn, I admit your combat techniques are incredible, but the dangers of the Dungeon cannot be handled by skill alone. The gap in basic abilities caused by levels is not something that can be easily bridged."
However, Linn just smiled and looked at Ais.
"Do you think I'll be a burden?"
Ais shook her head, her tone calm and certain.
"No. You won't."
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Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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