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

He successfully forged a deeper alliance with Hephaestus's Familia, tightening the bond between their two Familias.

The benefits of this partnership far outweighed anything the Hestia Familia had to offer in return.

The most immediate perk? Hitching a ride into the Dungeon.

While Bell had absolute confidence in his future—believing his current abilities would one day place him among the strongest in Orario—there were still countless trials ahead before he could reach that peak.

And when simpler paths were available, there was no reason to charge in headfirst.

Going solo wouldn't get him far. Bell didn't believe someone like him, a no-name with no backing, could accomplish anything alone. Building quiet, behind-the-scenes connections was essential.

Naturally, Bell had zero interest in attracting Hermes's attention.

For a god like that, the best-case scenario was not being noticed at all.

After setting a time to meet with Hephaestus-sama in the afternoon, Bell prepared to head to the Dungeon alone.

As he descended the stairs, he activated the "Presence Concealment" rune, suppressing his aura and dimming his presence.

He paid close attention to his surroundings but didn't sense anyone's gaze lingering on him.

'These Runes really are effective.'

Pushing open the shop door, Bell stepped out of Hephaestus-sama's store.

Ding!

The bell above the door rang as he exited.

"Welcome... huh?"

The clerk who'd heard the chime and turned to greet the guest froze mid-sentence. She hadn't seen anyone enter—or leave.

"That's weird... I definitely heard the bell, so where's the person?"

Outside, Bell didn't blend into the crowd but instead walked calmly down the side of the road.

He continued monitoring the people around him, yet none of them even glanced his way.

Even as he reached the Dungeon's entrance—where adventurers constantly came and went—not a single one noticed him.

Right then, Bell was sure: not only had his aura been completely masked, but even his presence had been nearly erased.

...

Standing near the entrance, Bell deliberately bumped into an adventurer walking toward the Dungeon.

Bang!

Bell remained rooted in place while the man stumbled back several steps from the impact.

The moment their bodies collided, the "Presence Concealment" rune was disrupted.

Bell's figure suddenly appeared in the adventurer's eyes.

'Where... did this guy come from?'

The man was stunned—but before he could speak, he felt a sharp sting in his shoulder.

And then he met Bell's eyes—cold, piercing eyes that sent a chill down his spine.

"Watch where you're walking."

The hoarse voice left no room for argument.

The adventurer stood frozen, clearly uncomfortable.

Wasn't it you who ran into me?

But the words caught in his throat.

Because those eyes held such quiet menace, it felt like saying even one wrong word would cost him his life.

It was the same fear he'd felt when facing monsters in the Dungeon...

No—worse. This was more dangerous than any monster he'd ever encountered.

"Y-yeah, sorry."

The adventurer who'd been bumped into stammered out an apology.

Even though he was the one who'd been hit, he understood how Orario worked—the strong ruled over the weak. In this city, strength was everything, no matter the circumstances.

"Watch yourself next time."

Bell's voice was low, his eyes cold as they swept over the adventurer in front of him before he turned and walked toward Daedalus Street.

The man who'd been hit looked frustrated but kept it bottled up inside.

After Bell left, his companion finally approached.

"Will, talk about bad luck. You didn't even make it into the Dungeon before running into some big shot just coming out."

Will, the unlucky one, looked helpless.

"I keep telling you to watch where you're going. How does a whole person walk right past you and you don't even notice?"

"I... I really don't know."

"Alright, alright, he didn't actually do anything over the line. Just be careful next time. If you bump into someone a level above us again, it might not end with a simple apology."

The companion's tone shifted to quiet concern.

"Don't go doing anything reckless. Adventurers like us—Level 1s—they don't even bother to acknowledge us."

Will brushed his friend's hand off his shoulder.

"Screw that. Do I look like some idiot trying to get himself killed?"

"...Tch."

Will glanced back reluctantly, hoping to catch another glimpse of that figure—but whoever it was had already vanished.

"That guy... he looked like a Pallum or maybe just a kid. We're already 25, and we can't even see the dust off his heels."

Hearing Will's bitter muttering, the joking tone from earlier disappeared from his companion's face.

"Yeah... that's the reality we're stuck in. We need to face it."

"As Level 1s, we're at the very bottom. There's no real hope of climbing higher."

"Stop dreaming about change. You've got a wife and kid waiting for you to come home."

Will shook his head, forcing himself to let go of the frustration.

The two of them turned and stepped into the Dungeon—completely unaware that the person who'd seemingly vanished was still standing nearby.

Bell watched the two figures disappear into the Dungeon and, for some reason, felt a quiet pang of guilt.

'Orario really is a harsh place.'

'Without enough strength, I'd be just like them.'

'At least now I'm certain—Presence Concealment is broken the moment I come into physical contact with someone.'

Bell had always known how brutal Orario was, but today, hearing it from the mouths of those two adventurers, it hit a little deeper.

Shaking his head lightly, Bell turned and walked into the Dungeon.

Today's goals were clear: put Runes into live combat practice—and raise his own Status.

Compared to his other attributes, Strength and Endurance were still lagging behind.

It was time to fix that.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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