The Blind Swordsman of Orario

"So let me get this straight, sir… You're blind and yet you wish to venture into the Dungeon…? And you thought I'd just say "Sure, go right in!" and go on with my day?!"

Shoulder-length brown hair, emerald green eyes, pointy ears, and round half-rim glasses to boot. The young Half-Elf positioned her slim body over the table separating herself and the boy in front of her as she firmly slammed her black glove garnished hands onto it.

However, the boy in front of her was not one to be smitten by beauty, though that's more so because beauty was something he is unable to appreciate in this life.

"While I'd love to say "Yes!"  and hear your reaction, I'd appreciate it if you listened to my qualifications before outright dismissing me."

Erland spoke with a sigh, honestly, it was his misfortune to get paired up with the sternest member of the Guild.

In the face of her outburst, he withdrew several envelopes from his sash before handing them to the girl in front of him.

"These are…?"

The young Half-Elf, Eina Tulle, looked at the fancy stamps stuck on the 3 envelopes. Each of the envelopes bearing a different emblem.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Aldo Village?"

"Hm? Oh yeah… the small farm populace not far from here… It only takes a day by cart to get here from there…"

"That's correct, missus. Extra points for you~!"

Erland smiled wryly as the Half-Elf's silhouette tinged orange for a second.

"Ehem, the first envelope was written by the chief. You could match it up with the other documents he sent here. At least he told me he's personally requested adventurers a few times."

Eina lifted the white envelope bearing a red stamp before setting it aside, right now the boy in front of her seemed to be telling the truth. But she wasn't going to solely believe him by words.

"The second envelope, yes that green one. I happened to get a recommendation from a passing merchant as thanks for protecting his cargo from some gaggle of goblins. Apparently the adventurers he hired before all abandoned him when he dumbly gave them their payment beforehand. But the fools didn't do their homework, they just scammed and left to die the son of a pretty important noble."

The young Half-Elf's face twitched slightly as she repressed the urge to open the letter on the spot to confirm if he was telling the truth. Sure, monsters born outside the dungeon happened to be weaker, but even then they weren't to be underestimated.

She held the red letter, the last one, tightly as if to brace herself for whatever story came with it.

"Oh yeah, the last one. Maa~ I ran into some goddess on the way here, helped her carry some books, told her how I wanted to be an adventurer, and I guess she gave me a recommendation as thanks…"

Eina slightly deflated that. 'He could have at least started with that one!' To her, the whimsical nature of the gods was something she had gotten used to, so such a story was the most believable in her eyes.

"And… who was that goddess?" She asked plainly, unsealing the letter as if it was something that didn't seem too important.

"Well, if you're asking for a description of her appearance I can't give ya' that." Erland waved his hand in front of his gray eyes. "As for her name, she never said it and I never asked~"

'Though with her silhouette it wasn't too hard to guess…'

Erland dryly thought, as throughout the first and second seasons he watched back on Earth, he never saw anyone that looked remotely similar to her based on her figure alone.

Eina unsealed the letter, skimming all the way to the bottom where the goddess had written her name as a testament.

"Hestia-sama…" Eina muttered aloud, though inwardly she felt as though she heard the name before. She unabashedly pulled out a drawer from her desk filled with news from the high-ups of the Guild.

'I see… so a new goddess, one that just descended today…'

A god descending from the Higher Realm was something noted by the Guild, as they basically operated everything within Orario. A new god meant a new being that could bestow a Falna, and a Falna meant power.

As such it was mandatory for every god in Orario to report to the Guild upon descending so they understand the rules, as a god bestowing a Falna and failing to register as a Familia and therefore disregarding to report the level of their members was one of the highest crimes a god could commit. A crime punishable by banishment back to the Higher Realm.

For gods who craved excitement away from the Higher Realm, the act of returning them was simply murder. Murder to their days of fun.

'Well, even if it's from a new goddess I can't just disregard it.' Eina was taught from an early age to respect all the godly beings that descended to aid the mortals.

"Very well, I'll take everything you said into consideration… Please give me a day to verify the contents of the other two letters." Eina stacked all the envelopes together before placing them into another drawer. She'd look through the Guild's documents later.

"As for setting you up with an appropriate Familia, I can ask a few willing gods or goddesses if they'd like to meet you tomorrow as well so we can kill two birds with one stone. Even if you don't end up becoming an adventurer, there are plenty of mercantile Familias for you to join."

The Half-Elf spoke with a kind smile, her soft voice permeating the room as she looked at him with hope in her eyes.

"Maa~ Mercantile or not, I don't mind too much. In fact, I'd appreciate it if you matched me up with some Familias that are in desperate need of members. I understand there may not be many willing to risk a chance on me, but for the ones that do I'll do whatever it takes to get them out of their dire straits and repay them for their kindness."

Erland grabbed the cane leaned against his seat, walking up to the door before turning his head to face Eina once more.

"Please consider my requests. I know this is selfish of me to ask, but this is the path I've chosen since the day I was born. Everything leading up to it was for this moment. My burdens are mine to bear, that isn't to disavow your feelings but to reaffirm mine. Thank you for sharing your concern for a stranger like me. Have a great evening, Miss Eina."

With a bow of his head and a knock with his cane, Erland left the room.

"...."

Eina sat there, mulling over his words as she withdrew the two unopened envelopes from her drawer. Her eyes glazed over them before she neatly opened each one. Silently, she began reading the contents.

______________________________________________________________________________

Orario, the city of Legends.

The Hera Familia, the Zeus Familia, Ottar the "King," Ais the "Sword Princess," the Three Great Quests, no matter what it seemed as though the world revolved around the Labyrinth City.

Though that's to be expected, after all, it's the only place in the world to possess a structure that infinitely produced monsters.

And as such it's only natural the talented and brave would venture forth to test their fate. Should they fail, they'd simply die. But if they succeeded, they'd become the heroes of fairy tales.

The glory seemed worth it for most people to take the risks, though it would be most of those people as well to realize the harsh truth of reality. Not everyone was born to be a hero.

If everyone was a legend, no one would be.

Even the strongest of men, wisest of warriors, and bravest of souls, even they happen to meet their end in the Dungeon. A little slip would be all it takes to eliminate those promising individuals.

But that's precisely why Miach was a bit confused when he met a soul who, despite knowing all that, still desired to venture into that hell. Especially so when the one in front of him was born with a flaw as restricting as blindness.

In all honesty, it made him a bit agitated.

Not long ago were his best Familia members wiped out by the very same dungeon, not long ago did he submit to an unpayable loan just to ensure the life of the last survivor wasn't impeded, not long ago did he lose all of his other members because of that loan.

The Dungeon had taken away almost everything from his once prominent Familia, and now a boy, who couldn't even see what was in front of him, just asked to venture in there without a care in the world.

For the first time in a while, Miach felt anger. Not anger toward the boy for wanting to fulfill his ambitions, but anger toward himself for wanting that same boy to succeed despite the odds.

In a way, if the boy were to succeed, it'd be as if he were slapping the Dungeon across its face. It'd be his retribution. That kind of selfish thought made him feel a bit ill.

The boy was going to venture into the Dungeon, it was just a matter of who's Falna he was going in with. At least that's what Miach thought when staring into his defiant gray eyes.

Miach looked toward the last remaining member of his Familia, Naaza Erisuis.

She was to his left, sitting on the same green cushioned couch he was on.  The coffee-colored dog ears that sat atop her head were as floppy as ever. However, her tail which usually showed no emotion was on its end.

The moment she sat down she had been observing the boy in front of them as if to try to guess his motives. Her half-lidden purple eyes carried the appearance of nonchalant, and yet her aura was the exact opposite.

Miach couldn't help but notice she was particularly icy.

Not that he could blame her. Truth be told, the boy in front of them was suspicious.

Never mind his blindness and the fact that he wanted to become an adventurer with it, the fact that he expressed a willingness to join the Miach Familia despite knowing the massive debt it carried was suspicious in itself.

And yet Miach couldn't find a reason to deny the boy. If the boy wanted money, it was no secret in the city that looking toward the Miach Familia was pointless. Despite being a Familia that produced potions, the competition had outclassed them to the point where they received almost no business.

Did the Miach Familia happen to possess anything else worth of value besides their somewhat disappointing potions? The answer was no.

'Well, there is one thing…'

Miach narrowed his dark blue eyes, he then directed his vision to Naaza, or to be specific, her right arm.

He then turned his vision to the mediator of this recruitment process, Eina Tulle.

"Erland Ackerman, right? Is everything the young Guild lady said true?" He asked a simple question. As even he was a bit surprised by the recommendations the boy received for his acts.

Though for a god in this world, finding the truth was easy. All they had to do was ask a mortal a question.

"Yep, yep! It's all true. Especially the last one about helping a goddess carry some books~"

And that was it, Miach determined the mortal was not telling a lie. So with that, he asked another question.

"Do your intentions to join my Familia bear any malcontent toward me or the sole member of my Familia?"

Another simple question, but one filled with more meaning than the last.

"No, Miach-sama. I can assure you I only intend to join your Familia with the prospect of aiding it to repay the kindness you've shown me should you accept me." Erland held one hand up to his heart, the other open in the air as he spoke resolutely.

This moment in particular he knew was no place to play games. In front of Erland was a kind man, no doubt about it. But even the kindest of men can do the evilest of things when it concerns those they care about.

Miach nodded silently, in his heart he was ready to give the boy a chance. The question was whether his sole member decided to do the same.

"Naaza, as captain of the Miach Familia, what do you think?" He looked toward his most trusted aide. He knew better than to disregard her opinion. Though the distrust in her eyes was clear enough for everyone in the room to see.

And yet despite that—

"Sure…" She said languidly. A sigh left her lips as she slightly slumped her head forward. Seeing the slight surprise on her god's face she lightly curled her lips, her half-lidded eyes the same since entering the room.

"Miach-sama… business isn't doing too well for us, we're losing customers by the day. I apologize, if only I could venture into the Dungeon, then we could accrue some funds so we could continue our work." Her face slightly scrunched up at the mention of the Dungeon.

She looked toward her god once more.

"We both know the best way of making money for a Familia of our size is by conquering the Dungeon. Here we have someone who has volunteered to do that for us. If his tales are true, he can at least explore the higher levels safely. That could lighten the stress on our wallets by quite a bit, if he managed to find Drop Items that'd be even better. That way we could use them to craft more potions rather than spending money on outsourcing the ingredients."

Naaza spoke coldly as if the boy across from here wasn't even in the room. Even then Erland smiled happily. Miach smiled wryly, a bit embarrassed by his member's display.

Eina on the other hand was feeling a little worried on the inside, a worry that was then dissuaded by what she knew about Miach. In Orario, Miach was known as a benevolent and kind god. She was confident that the very same Miach wouldn't exploit a young blind child for the profit of his Familia. And at the very least, he wouldn't allow his Familia member to do the same either.

"In the end… Miach-sama, it's the boy's life. He'll go into the Dungeon with or without us. We might as well take a gamble on him and hope he's more than just talk. If he isn't, we'll profit. And if he is, well… that's on him…"

Naaza turned to look at the boy, slightly off put by his gray eyes as they were piercing right back at her.

"The little miss is right, Miach-sama~!" Erland rose from his seat to meet the young Chienthrope's gaze. Though of course, he was more focused on the aura of her silhouette, a silhouette that despite her words, didn't contain the color of someone who was thinking maliciously.

"In the end, I'm the one responsible for my decisions. And as I've said earlier, I'll do my best in aiding your Familia. Getting put to work in the Dungeon sounds fine to me that's the reason I'm here. So I ask of you, put your faith in this card of mine, you ain't got nothin' to lose with me~"

Miach smiled lightly at the boy's display. He comprehended the words said to him, he understood them completely. But to ask him to turn a blind eye when someone he's made a part of his Familia suffers was something he was not going to comply with.

In fact, it was that very same reluctance to comply that resulted in his Familia's debt.

Though he knew saying that would just result in a perpetual cycle of the boy giving his life and him refusing, so it was a pledge he made solely to himself.

'He'll be a part of my Familia, whether he wants it or not, he'll receive my protection.'

"So Naaza, what is your final call?" Miach smiled kindly, patiently awaiting the answer of his Familia's captain despite coming to a conclusion of his own.

"I think… it's fine for him to join us…" She said half-hesitating. Truthfully she was kind of hoping her words would agitate the boy and result in him storming out.

Only two things were stopping her from refusing.

One was the affirmation her god had toward the boy, as the boy had answered each question truthfully and made apparent that he had no malcontent toward her Familia.

Secondly, the fact that everything she said was the truth. Having someone collect Monster Crystals and Drop Items would be immensely helpful in funding the Familia.

She gave one more look toward the boy. If the letters were true, which they are going by the words of the Half-Elf Guild member beside them, then the boy could farm the higher floors without trouble.

The problem was how he was going to collect the loot whilst being blind.

'Maa… I suppose that's his problem…'

"Then it's settled!" Miach stood up with a smile plastered across his face. He joyfully extended his hand over the brown wooden table that separated the two couches.

"Welcome to the Miach Familia, Erland Ackerman. May you exert your efforts for my Familia of your own volition."

Erland looked down at the glowing silhouette of a hand, the corners of his mouth arching upward before he met the hand with his own.

"Umu, umu! May this be a fortuitous collaboration between us all. I swear to you I'll do whatever it takes to turn this Familia's situation upside down. You can count on me~!"

Still shaking the god's hand, Erland laughed heartily.

Miach's face twitched slightly upon the pain he received from having his hand gripped by the boy in front of him.

'He doesn't have a Falna, nor does he even look like the muscular type… and yet his strength is so strong already…'

Seeing the expression of pain starting to show on her god's face, Naaza stepped in and firmly separated the two.

Eina smiled wryly seeing the embers of a fight spark right in front of her.

'Well, he should be fine now… right?'

Her worry only deepened when the dog-eared girl lunged at the blinded boy, the boy meanwhile laughing all the way as he smoothly dodged each lunge.

'Guh, I better step in before he gets hurt… I still have to give him a run-down on his acceptance of becoming an adventurer…'

Eina wiped a non-existent tear from her cheek. She shook her head before charging toward the brawl with a stern expression. Her heart set on breaking it up.

---------- 「Author's Corner」 ----------

The reveal has been made! It was Naaza who I wanted to be this novel's cover. But as I said, there ain't that much high-quality art of her at all anywhere. The images I do like of her often have empty backgrounds, or are bloated with this weird card-like frame as if they are from a mobile game (which they probably are).

So here's my call to action once more: If any of you reading this have some cover-worthy art of Naaza you'd like to see as the cover please post it here! This also extends to those of you who have the capability to produce some, that is of course if you're comfortable with me using it.

Now that I think about it... I should have used the AI generation to generate a pic of the MC...