Danmachi: The Focalors Familia — Chapter 14

Chapter 14: Guild Headquarters

Being embraced by Furina like this, Artemis felt her body visibly stiffen. Her shoulders locked for a brief second, unaccustomed to such casual physical affection, but ultimately, she did not push the energetic Goddess away.

Noah watched the exchange with a faint smile, expressing his sincere gratitude for the kindness Artemis had shown them. However, he still politely declined her lingering invitation to stay at their camp.

“Thank you very much for your hospitality, Artemis,” Noah said, his voice calm and measured. “But before arriving in the city, I had already made the necessary preparations for our lodgings. I would hate to impose on your Familia any further.”

Hearing this polite rejection, Lenti, who was hovering off to the side, looked so anxious she practically wanted to jump up and intervene. She had been desperately trying to make one last effort to create a romantic opportunity between her Goddess and this capable young man. To her utter dismay, this seemingly unromantic guy had actually rejected a active invitation from a divine beauty. If they missed this chance, who knew when they would cross paths in the massive labyrinth city again.

But with Artemis standing right there, Lenti dared not be too blatant with her matchmaking schemes. Feeling utterly depressed, she could only wander off to the side, kicking small pebbles across the dirt path with the tip of her boot.

Noah was, of course, completely aware of Lenti’s little schemes. He simply wasn’t naive enough to act on them.

‘Goddesses can certainly be pursued,’he thought,’but Artemis is an entirely different matter. The difficulty of winning her over is nowhere near a conventional level.’

He knew better than to be fooled by the tales of alternative timelines, where she had practically thrown herself into the arms of a certain white-haired adventurer. That timeline only existed because she had suffered the agonizing tragedy of her Familia being entirely wiped out, her beloved children dying in misery, and her own divine vessel being devoured by a monstrous entity. It was only under the crushing weight of that immense trauma that she had undergone a fundamental shift in her core being, deciding to follow her own heart and the final wishes of her fallen children to experience romance.

None of those tragedies had happened yet.

The Artemis standing before him today, although her strict heart had begun to soften slightly due to the recent conflict with her children and Noah’s gentle guidance, was still a long, long way from the desperate goddess who would sacrifice everything for love. Forcibly approaching her now would only trigger her absolute divine instinct as a Virgin Goddess, pushing her further and further away into an impenetrable shell.

After bidding a final, reluctant farewell to the Artemis Familia, the trio took the detailed map of Orario that Artemis had kindly gifted them and began their journey. They headed toward the latter half of the old street in the Seventh District, commonly known as Adventurer Street.

Their next goal was crystal clear. They needed to reach the Adventurer Guild. Only by completing the official registration process there could the Focalors Familia truly carve out a place of their own in this sprawling Labyrinth City.

The sheer vastness of Orario far exceeded anything Noah had imagined. This colossal circular city, anchored by the towering spire of Babel at its very center, was cleanly divided by eight massive main roads into eight distinct fan-shaped districts. Each sector boasted its own unique architectural appearance and societal function.

Currently, they were walking along the bustling boundary line that separated the Sixth and Seventh Districts. On their left side lay the deafening clamor and vibrant commercial vitality of the trading district, overflowing with merchants hawking their wares. On their right side rested the heavy tranquility and antique charm settled deep within the old city district.

As they ventured deeper into the Seventh District, the surrounding scenery underwent a gradual but striking transformation. The tall, modern commercial buildings were slowly replaced by age-old stone houses that bore the marks of countless generations. The sharp, metallic scent of commerce that permeated the air faded away, replaced by a rich, earthy aroma mixed with historical dust and the quiet breath of daily life.

Finally, a building so incredibly magnificent that it left them momentarily speechless dominated the end of their view.

It was a pure white complex of grand proportions, featuring massive Doric stone columns that effortlessly supported the towering halls above. The overall architectural style was deeply solemn and sacred, radiating an aura of absolute authority. It looked as though it were not the work of any mortal hands, but a divine sanctuary moved directly from the world of myth into the mortal world.

This was the Guild Headquarters, the beating heart and absolute authority for every Adventurer in all of Orario.

The moment Noah pushed open the heavy double doors and stepped into the Guild Headquarters, a unique and overwhelming scent rushed out to greet them. It was a thick, visceral mixture of stale sweat, oiled leather, polished metal, and dungeon dust, immediately followed by a deafening wall of clamor.

Inside the vast main hall, a space easily capable of accommodating thousands of people, a massive crowd surged like a restless ocean. Adventurers clad in various states of heavy armor and worn leather stood in tight groups of three or five, loudly boasting about their recent bloody experiences down in the Dungeon. Supporters, hunched over beneath the weight of huge backpacks that were often taller than themselves, stumbled through the dense crowd with desperate eyes, searching for generous employers.

Scattered among the hardened veterans were numerous young people just like them, their faces painted with a mixture of deep confusion and burning yearning as they nervously scanned their new surroundings.

This grand hall was the starting point of legendary dreams and the bitter end point of countless untold tragedies. It was a chaotic whirlpool where boundless hope and crushing despair intertwined every single day.

Noah’s sharp gaze quickly swept across the chaotic hall, cutting through the visual noise until he located the reception area indicated by the hanging wooden signs. Behind a long row of incredibly busy counters, his eyes locked onto one specific figure at a glance.

It was a half-elf young woman wearing a crisp, immaculate guild uniform and a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

In the middle of this noisy, chaotic environment, she sat like a tranquil eye of a storm. She was methodically and patiently handling the complex paperwork for the rough Adventurers lined up in front of her, maintaining a kind, highly professional smile on her face at all times. Her sweet appearance and elegant figure made her stand out effortlessly, even among a row of receptionists who were all notably beautiful young women.

Noah gestured for Furina and Robin to follow, leading them straight toward her counter.

Robin walked quietly a half-step behind him, having completely hidden her striking features beneath the heavy folds of a dark hood, appearing incredibly mysterious. Noah had never thought highly of the average moral quality of the Adventurer demographic. This was a brutal profession built on licking blood from the edge of a blade. Outlaws, thugs, and those with exceptionally poor character were everywhere. Before the Focalors Familia possessed sufficient self-protection capabilities, any unnecessary factor that could attract unwanted trouble had to be ruthlessly avoided.

“Hello, is there anything you need help with today?”

When it was finally their turn, the half-elf young woman looked up from her documents and revealed an absolutely impeccable, welcoming smile. Her emerald gaze lingered on the unusual trio for a brief moment, taking in their distinct details.

The leading boy possessed striking white hair and deep blue eyes, carrying a handsome appearance and an unnervingly calm demeanor for someone so young. The girl standing beside him was lively, spirited, and positively radiant, exuding an unmistakable aura of divinity that commanded immediate attention. Meanwhile, the last person remained completely shrouded in shadows, a silent guardian wrapped in mystery.

“Hello, Miss Elf,” Noah said, stepping forward as the captain to take full responsibility for the negotiations without a second of hesitation. “We are a newly formed Familia arriving from outside Orario. We would like to conduct our official registration here.”

Although Robin was vastly superior at this kind of delicate social interaction and intelligence gathering, it was simply not appropriate for her to show her face in such a public, volatile setting right now.

“I understand. Please follow me,” the half-elf young woman replied.

She was not the least bit surprised by this request. She gave a polite nod, stepped out from behind the counter, and led the three of them away from the noisy main hall toward a much quieter, private management department located deeper inside the massive building.

The official in charge of new registrations was a highly serious, stern-faced middle-aged man. However, the very moment his eyes landed on Furina and sensed her absolute aura, he immediately stood up from his heavy oak desk and bowed with deep respect. Regardless of whether he personally recognized her specific pantheon or not, a god was still a god. As a strictly neutral organization, the Guild mandated that the necessary respect could never be lacking.

The actual registration process was highly efficient and quick.

After carefully verifying Furina’s divine identity through a specialized ritual, the Focalors Familia was officially recorded into the grand archives of Orario.

Next came the mandatory Familia Rank assessment.

“Two active members, both currently assessed at Adventurer Rank Lv.1…” The middle-aged man adjusted his glasses, reading the freshly stamped parchment. “According to the Guild’s strict operational standards, the initial classification of the Focalors Familia is… Rank I.”

Hearing this absolute lowest possible rank, Furina immediately puffed out her cheeks and pouted with visible dissatisfaction.

Noah and Robin, however, remained perfectly calm and silent. This was the exact, logical result they had expected. They had anticipated starting from the very bottom long ago.