Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

"Bell-kun, you should be extra cautious when heading into the Dungeon these days."

After helping process the Magic Stones, Eina suddenly remembered something important and gave him a timely warning.

"The preparations for the Monsterphilia have already begun. So be careful not to run into the Ganesha Familia while you're down there."

"Monsterphilia..."

"Ah, that's right—Bell-kun, you only just arrived in Orario, so you probably haven't heard of this festival yet."

Seeing the blank look on Bell's face, Eina realized he'd only been in Orario for less than a month. She immediately began to explain.

"Monsterphilia is a large annual festival hosted by the Ganesha Familia."

"During the event, they tame monsters captured from the Dungeon in front of huge crowds. Because it's not something civilians normally get to witness, it's extremely popular."

Bell gave a small nod. He knew the festival—after all, it played a pretty iconic role at the start of the story.

Since he was listening intently, Eina continued.

"Due to the festival, the Ganesha Familia will be operating much more frequently in the Dungeon. If you want to keep your identity hidden, make sure to steer clear of them."

"I understand, Miss Eina."

Bell took the warning seriously.

He also understood the real reason behind the Monsterphilia. It was nothing more than a joint effort between the Guild and the Ganesha Familia to subtly condition public perception ahead of any potential revelations about the Xenos.

But could Monsterphilia really reduce Orario's fear of monsters?

Unlikely.

If it truly worked, how would the citizens view the monsters that came from the Dungeon?

No matter what, the Xenos—with their monster-like appearances—would always be seen as outsiders in Orario.

It was like trying to erase deep-rooted racial prejudice. It wasn't something that could be resolved easily.

In Bell's eyes, the Xenos issue was fundamentally difficult to fix.

Unless someone could defeat the Black Dragon and then use that legendary feat to shift public opinion and offset the stigma surrounding the Xenos, there would be no path to their acceptance.

So once again, the answer came down to strength.

To resolve the Xenos issue, strength was the key. Only someone who could liberate this era's people—completely—would be qualified to lead the world to accept the Xenos.

That kind of influence could only be earned through a "world-saving" accomplishment.

It was precisely because of this that both the Guild and many gods were aware of the Xenos' existence—but they also knew better than to expose the truth recklessly. Doing so could irreparably damage a god's reputation and their Familia's standing.

Bell gave Miss Eina a quick glance, then simply lowered the brim of his hood.

"Miss Eina, please be careful during this time..."

Those words of concern made Eina genuinely happy.

She had become a receptionist simply because she wasn't suited for the life of an adventurer. And once she took the role, she was trained to keep a professional distance from the adventurers. But through her interactions with them, witnessing their struggles and perseverance, she gradually developed the desire to be a source of support.

Even so, Eina always maintained that boundary. The most she could offer was to carry out her duties with greater care and precision.

"Don't worry."

"The Guild receives intel far faster than any adventurer. If anything does happen, I'll make sure to hide myself well."

'Hiding might not be enough.'

Bell paused, then retrieved a special red gem from his four-dimensional space.

"Miss Eina, if you ever find yourself in danger—use this."

Eina glanced at the gem in his hand. It was inscribed with strange markings. She recognized them immediately—runes. This was one of the Rune Stones, a well-known new resource in Orario. She already knew Bell was the creator behind them.

But she didn't reach out to take it.

"Bell-kun, I'm just a regular receptionist. Even with something like this, I wouldn't have much use for it."

After meeting so many adventurers, Eina was already familiar with what Rune Stones could do—enhancing weapon sharpness, casting small fireballs, temporarily boosting physical attributes... all of which had nothing to do with her work.

Bell shook his head slightly. He reached out, gently took Eina's hand, and made a small cut across her palm with his fingertip. A thin line of blood appeared.

Then he pressed the gem to the wound. The moment it touched the blood, the Rune Stone absorbed it and began to glow faintly red.

The glow quickly faded, and the gem returned to its original appearance.

Once it was done, Bell removed the gem and softly traced a few lines on Eina's hand. The small cut healed in an instant.

"This Rune Stone is different from the ones sold on the market."

"The commercial ones are just basic, single-use types. But this one is reusable."

"After one use, the gem turns gray. Just place a Magic Stone beside it—it'll absorb the energy and recover its original color. Once it does, you can use it again."

"When activated, it completely conceals your presence. As long as you don't make direct contact with others, no one will even notice you're there."

"This Rune Stone is your last safety net."

Originally, Bell had created this kind of Rune Stone for his own goddess and for Hephaestus, to be used in life-threatening situations. From the start, he had no intention of making it available to the public—too many complications would follow if word got out.

"Miss Eina, this is my way of saying thank you."

He had always remembered her help.

Back when she secretly modified his file within the Guild... that alone was enough to warrant this gesture.

"Bell-kun..."

Eina didn't want to accept it—she could tell just how special this Rune Stone was.

But after hearing Bell's words, she couldn't bring herself to turn it down.

"...Then I'll accept it."

"Thank you."

This is how bonds are formed in a society built on trust and mutual support.

"Miss Eina, this Rune Stone works differently than the standard ones. You need to activate it with your own blood."

Bell flipped the gem over, revealing a sharp point at the base—pressing it against the skin would easily draw a drop of blood.

"Also, this Rune Stone is now bound to your blood. No one else can use it. Please keep that in mind."

"I understand."

Eina took a deep breath and clenched the gem tightly in her hand.