Chapter 16

Neither Orsted nor Lili knew much about the situation on the middle floors.

Although Orsted had been adventuring in the Dungeon these days and returned very late every night, he hadn't had much time to ask Eina for information about the middle floors.

Lili, though doing well on the upper floors, was not very familiar with the middle floors and lacked sufficient information.

But Eina was different.

The Guild collected the most comprehensive information about the Dungeon.

After every adventure or expedition, each familia would submit their findings to the Guild.

As a Guild employee and Orsted's advisor, Eina could easily access this information.

Since Eina happened to be Orsted's advisor, it was natural for him to consult her directly if he needed information about the middle floors.

Now, he could ask Eina for advice on upgrading his equipment and preparing supplies for the middle floors, and she would gladly assist.

Orsted invited Eina to join him and Lili at Babel.

"Orsted, you want to go to the middle floors. I won't oppose your decision, but you must be careful and avoid taking unnecessary risks. Understand?" Eina warned, walking ahead of Orsted and Lili with her hands behind her back.

She didn't look back as she spoke, but halfway through her warning, she turned around and smiled at Orsted.

If it were anyone else—a rookie with less than ten days of experience and no veteran to guide them—saying they wanted to venture into the middle floors, Eina would have thought them foolish.

If it were one of the rookies under her care, she would have done everything in her power to stop them.

But this was Orsted, and she wouldn't stop him.

She knew his strength and the number of adventures he had undertaken in the past few days from the exchange of valis.

The magic stones Orsted had collected were increasing daily, and the valis he exchanged was growing as well.

This meant Orsted's strength was sufficient for the upper floors, and staying there would only hinder his growth.

However, while Eina wouldn't stop him, she still felt the need to remind him of the dangers. She had seen too many rookies die in the Dungeon due to recklessness.

Several of the adventurers she had advised had met such fates. She didn't want Orsted to end up like them.

As she spoke, Eina glanced at Lili out of the corner of her eye.

She had been opposed to Orsted recruiting Lili as his supporter, knowing Lili's reputation. She had even warned Orsted about Lili's past, but he had simply smiled and said nothing in response.

Though he didn't explicitly state it, Eina understood that Orsted had no intention of giving up on Lili as his supporter.

This worried her, but it was ultimately Orsted's decision, so she didn't interfere.

Instead, she made a habit of arriving at the Guild early every morning to wait for Orsted and Lili at the entrance, giving Orsted daily reminders to be cautious of Lili.

Lili noticed Eina's gaze but wasn't angry. She knew how bad her reputation was among adventurers.

As Orsted's advisor, it was natural for Eina to be wary of a supporter with such a notorious past.

However, Lili had decided to turn over a new leaf and adventure honestly with Orsted. She believed that, over time, Eina would come to see her in a new light.

"I've said it before—I value my life more than anyone else, and I'll only do what I'm capable of," Orsted replied with a smile, responding to Eina's daily admonitions.

"Good," Eina said, deciding not to press further. She then led Orsted and Lili through Babel to help them prepare supplies. Of course, the cost of the supplies was covered by Orsted and Lili.

On Eina's salary, she couldn't afford to buy much for them.

By the end of the trip, Lili's large backpack was nearly full, and Orsted's earnings for the day were completely spent.

After purchasing the supplies, the three returned to the surface. At the Guild entrance, Orsted waved goodbye to Eina. But before parting, he suddenly thought of something.

"Hey, Eina, have you ever considered becoming an adventurer?" Orsted asked, turning back to her.

"Huh?" Eina was momentarily stunned by the question. After a moment, she shook her head slightly. "I didn't expect you to invite me to become an adventurer, but I'm sorry—I can't give you an answer right now."

"That's fine," Orsted said with a nod, unfazed. He then left with Lili.

As Orsted and Lili walked away, Eina quietly watched their retreating figures, her gaze lingering on Orsted. A faint sparkle appeared in her eyes.

It was the first time someone had invited her to become an adventurer companion.

Such invitations weren't uncommon in the Guild. Guild staff, especially advisors, were highly sought after by adventurers due to their extensive knowledge of the Dungeon.

Having an advisor as a companion provided a significant advantage in terms of intelligence, making it easier to navigate the upper, middle, and even lower floors safely.

However, since becoming an advisor, Eina had never received such an invitation. Orsted was the first to ask her.

Though she couldn't give him an immediate answer, the invitation lingered in her mind.

"Maybe I r-really..." Eina murmured to herself, thinking of Orsted's seemingly slender and unassuming appearance.

She had a soft spot for boys like him—ones who appeared delicate but were strong in their own way.

If she joined the Hestia Familia, perhaps Orsted would rely on her even more, especially for intelligence and logistics.

With this thought, Eina turned and slowly made her way home.

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