In the consultation room, Eina closed the door a little harder than necessary.
She turned around, her hands clenched at her sides, her face showing a mixture of emotions—worry, anger, confusion.
"What is actually happening, Kazuma-san?" she asked, her voice trembling with emotion. "Why have you returned in this condition? Look at y-your clothes!" Her hand pointed to Kazuma's clothes, torn in several places, with dried blood stains.
Kazuma sat casually in the chair, placing his spear beside him. "I just went to the Dungeon."
"Just?!" Eina nearly shouted, but quickly controlled herself. "Look at yourself! You look like you've been fighting an entire army of monsters! And... and that spear!" She pointed to the blood-covered spear beside Kazuma. "As if you just... just..."
"Killed many monsters?" Kazuma finished her sentence calmly. "Yes, indeed. Isn't that the purpose of adventurers entering the Dungeon?"
Eina took a deep breath, trying to calm herself. "Weren't you seriously injured by a Minotaur the day before yesterday? Your ribs were broken, right? How could you already enter the Dungeon again?"
"Just luck," Kazuma replied with a shrug.
"Luck?!" Eina shook her head in disbelief. "This isn't about luck, Kazuma-san! This is about your safety! No adventurer can recover that quickly from broken ribs!"
Kazuma just smiled faintly, not giving any further explanation.
Eina sat in her chair, trying to return to her professional mode. "Alright, which floor did you explore today?"
"Floor nine."
Silence for a moment. Eina stared at Kazuma, her eyes widening in disbelief. She opened her mouth, then closed it again, trying to process the information.
"F-floor nine?" she repeated, her voice almost a whisper. "You... went down to floor nine? Alone?"
Kazuma nodded.
"That's impossible!" Eina slammed the table, making Kazuma slightly surprised by her emotional reaction. "You've only been an adventurer for three days! Even experienced adventurers wouldn't dare go down to floor nine alone!"
"But I did it," Kazuma answered calmly. "And I came back."
"That's not an achievement, that's... that's... madness!" Eina stood up, her hands trembling. "You could have died there! Don't you understand? The monsters on floor nine are no joke! Killer Ants, Needle Rabbits, War Shadows—they could kill you in an instant!"
"Indeed," Kazuma nodded. "They almost succeeded several times."
Eina groaned in frustration. "And y-you still act as if this isn't a big deal?" She pointed at Kazuma's torn clothes. "Look at yourself! If it weren't for... whatever kind of luck you possess, you might not have returned alive!"
"But I did return," repeated Kazuma. "And I became stronger."
"Stronger?" Eina laughed bitterly. "At what cost? Your life?"
"If necessary," Kazuma replied seriously.
Eina fell silent, looking at Kazuma with a disbelieving gaze. Something in Kazuma's tone made her heart ache. There was sincerity there—a dangerous sincerity.
"Why..." Eina sat back down, her voice softening. "Why are you in such a hurry to become strong?"
"Because I must," answered Kazuma. "I want to challenge my limits, see how far I can go."
"By sacrificing your life?" asked Eina, her eyes welling up. "What's the use of becoming strong if you end up d-dying?"
"I won't die easily," Kazuma smiled slightly. "Trust me."
"You—" Eina shook her head, frustrated. "You're just like Bell-kun! Always reckless! Always wanting to advance faster than you should!"
She took a long breath. "Listen, Kazuma-san, my job as an advisor is to ensure adventurers stay alive. I cannot let you continue to be reckless like this."
"I understand your concern," said Kazuma, his tone softening slightly. "But this is my path, Eina-san. I know what I'm doing."
"Really? You knew what you were doing when facing a group of Killer Ants alone? Or War Shadows? Or Needle Rabbits?" Eina shook her head. "You're lucky to still be alive, Kazuma-san. Very, very lucky."
Kazuma didn't answer, just staring at Eina with an expression that was difficult to interpret.
Eina let out a long sigh, giving up. "Fine. It seems there's nothing I can say to change your mind." She took the magic stone pouch that Kazuma had placed on the table. "Let's count your hunting results today."
With professional movements, Eina opened the pouch and began sorting the magic stones. Her eyes widened upon seeing the quantity and quality of magic stones that Kazuma had brought.
"T-this... the number..." Eina stuttered. "You really defeated all these monsters alone?"
"Yes," replied Kazuma.
Eina continued her calculation in silence, occasionally glancing at Kazuma with disbelieving looks. After a few minutes, she finished counting.
"The total is 78,500 valis," she announced. "A very large amount for a new adventurer."
Kazuma nodded with satisfaction. "Good. I need that money."
Eina handed the valis pouch to Kazuma. "Here's your money." She looked at Kazuma seriously. "But please, Kazuma-san, promise me that you won't be this reckless again. At least for a while."
"I can't promise," Kazuma answered honestly.
Eina let out a long sigh. "You know, strength isn't everything. There are other more important things in life."
"Like what?" asked Kazuma.
"Like... life itself?" Eina shook her head. "Friends, family, people who care about you."
"Hm," Kazuma seemed to consider Eina's words. "Maybe you're right. But to protect all of that, I need strength."
"Strength doesn't have to come at the expense of your own safety," replied Eina. "There are safer, more... wise ways."
Kazuma was silent for a moment, appearing to weigh Eina's words. "I'll consider it," he finally said, though he didn't sound too convincing.
Eina sighed, knowing that was the best answer she could get for now. "Alright. You may go. But remember, don't enter the Dungeon again for a few days. Your body needs rest, no matter how quickly you heal."
Kazuma stood up, took his spear, and nodded to Eina. "Thank you for your concern, Eina-san."
As Kazuma turned to leave the room, Eina suddenly called out to him. "Kazuma-san!"
Kazuma stopped, turning to Eina with a questioning look.
"Please, be careful," said Eina, her voice soft and full of genuine concern. "There are people who would be sad if something happened to you."
Something crossed Kazuma's eyes—an emotion difficult to explain, a mixture of surprise and being touched. He nodded briefly, before finally stepping out of the room, leaving Eina staring at the closed door with a worried expression.
Kazuma didn't go straight home. He decided to stop by a renowned clothing store in Orario's shopping district. With tattered and blood-stained clothes, he received strange looks from the store attendant.
"E-excuse me sir, is there anything I can help you with?" asked the attendant nervously, his eyes glancing at the blood-covered spear that Kazuma was still holding.
"I need new clothes and a place to clean up," replied Kazuma, placing a bag of valis on the counter.
Seeing the full contents of the bag, the attendant's attitude immediately changed. "Of course! Please follow me to our special fitting room. There's a bathroom inside."
Kazuma nodded and followed the attendant to a luxurious room at the back. There, he cleaned his body, removing all blood stains and dirt from his battles in the Dungeon.
The water felt refreshing on his skin. Kazuma looked at the reflection of his body in the bathroom mirror—perfectly formed muscles, not a single scar despite his body being covered in wounds and scratches just hours ago. His Kyokushin Stance skill was truly remarkable.
After finishing his bath, Kazuma chose new clothes—a black shirt made from high-quality fabric and black trousers that fit his body perfectly. He combed his black hair back, revealing his sharp facial features and deep dark blue eyes.
When he exited the fitting room, several female attendants were amazed at his drastically changed appearance.
"Isn't that the man who came in earlier?" whispered a female attendant.
"My goodness, he's so handsome," replied another.
A store guard glanced at Kazuma with amazement. "Who is that man? A new nobleman in town?"
"I don't know, but look at the way he walks. Like a trained knight," commented another guard.
Kazuma ignored the whispers and completed his payment. With his cleaned spear and new clothes, he stepped out of the store with a different aura—more dignified, more confident.
The sun was beginning to lean west as he walked home to the church where the Hestia Familia resided.
His steps were light despite his body having gone through an intense battle just hours before.
Arriving at the old church that served as the Hestia Familia headquarters, Kazuma found the place empty. There was no sign of Bell or Hestia.
"Seems like they've gone out," he muttered to himself.
Fatigue suddenly hit him—not physical fatigue, but mental. The battles in the Dungeon, although tense, had given him a strange satisfaction that he hadn't felt for a long time.
Without thinking much, Kazuma walked to Hestia's bed and dropped his body there. The bed smelled fragrant—Hestia's distinctive sweet and calming scent.
"Sorry, Hestia. Just borrowing for a bit," he mumbled before his eyes closed, falling into a deep sleep after a long and tiring day.
In his sleep, Kazuma dreamed about the battles in the Dungeon—not frightening battles, but battles that made him feel alive. And for the first time since arriving in this Orario, he smiled in his sleep.
Bell and Hestia returned as the sun was nearly setting. They were surprised to find Kazuma asleep on Hestia's bed.
"Bell-kun, look!" whispered Hestia, pointing toward Kazuma. "He's back! And... he's sleeping in my bed?!"
Bell observed Kazuma carefully. "He looks exhausted, Kami-sama. Maybe he just returned from the Dungeon?"
Hestia approached Kazuma with slow steps.
From up close, she could see Kazuma's peaceful face, which was usually always tense or smiling arrogantly. In his sleep, Kazuma looked younger and... more fragile.
"Let him rest, Bell-kun," Hestia said softly. "We can ask him tomorrow."
Bell nodded. "Yes, Kami-sama."
Hestia sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Kazuma's sleeping face with curiosity.
"I wonder what kind of adventure you experienced today, Kazuma-kun," she whispered softly while brushing back the hair covering Kazuma's forehead.
For a moment, Hestia felt a strange urge to protect this young man—just like what she felt toward Bell.
Although Kazuma always appeared strong and independent, there was something in him that felt lonely and wounded.
"Rest well, Kazuma-kun," Hestia said softly before rising and joining Bell to prepare a simple dinner.
Outside, Orario's sky turned dark, stars beginning to appear one by one. And under that starry sky, Kazuma slept soundly.