First Step of Many
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Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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First Step of Many
After a restless sleep plagued by dreams of death – specifically her own – the next morning found Tanya sitting at a small table in the back corner of the Hostess of Fertility. The tables around her were mostly empty apart from the few patrons willing to be up and about this early, which suited her just fine.
A cup of steaming coffee sat in front of her, alongside a stack of books borrowed from the library that had finally reopened its doors. She was endlessly thankful that this world had access to such a drink. Even moreso that the beans in this particular establishment were of exceptionally high quality.
She took a sip from her beverage, turning to the next page in the especially thick tome she was reading. The books she had acquired were a mix of legal codices, history books, current Guild regulations, and a surprisingly comprehensive guide to the Dungeon's known ecosystem. Tanya had been reading since dawn, her blue eyes scanning page after page with the thoroughness of a student cramming for a final exam.
One hundred thousand Valis in thirty days. A breakneck pace by any standard, and one that didn't really leave her many options when it came to the field of employment. Even if one disregarded her age, she very much doubted she'd find a position that both suited her, and paid enough to work through the debt, in any reasonable amount of time as far as her debt was concerned.
Twofold, if her prospective employers learned why she was seeking employment in the first place, that may well throw a rather large wrench into the mix.
No. From what she had gathered so far, her best options didn't lie within the city, but below it.
She turned the page of the guild regulations, her finger tracing the text. The legal framework of Orario was refreshingly straightforward. Adventuring was regulated but not restrictive. Any individual could register with the Guild, provided they were of age or, in the case of orphans, possessed the means to support themselves. No Familia affiliation was legally required for basic Dungeon access, though the text strongly recommended joining one for 'safety and guidance.'
"Guidance," Tanya muttered, flipping to the next section. "Yes, I'm certain the gods have my best interests at heart."
The most important part of the text came a little ways into the third chapter, describing adventuring and the rules involved in undertaking such a task. According to Guild law, there was no prohibition against entering the Dungeon alone. The practice was certainly discouraged, as death rates among solo adventurers were significantly higher than those in parties, but it was not illegal. The Guild simply required registration, a waiver of liability, and a small processing fee.
"I can work with this," Tanya murmured, pulling a blank page from the leather-bound journal she'd scavenged. She began jotting notes, transcribing the text and page number for later reference. "Register with the Guild. Secure hunting grounds in the upper floors. Minimize overhead by avoiding party fees and Familia tithes."
She paused, tapping the pencil against her lips.
The biggest issue, of course, was the admittedly abysmal state of her adventuring capabilities. Her stint in the Dungeon had been harrowing, and though that could be somewhat mitigated by proper preparation, it didn't change the fact that her computation orb was damaged beyond repair, her ammunition was limited, and her prepubescent body was not exactly optimal for sustained combat.
The Falna system the locals spoke of might bridge that gap, but accepting a divine blessing was out of the question. She'd rather die first. Again.
"Excuse me?"
Tanya looked up to find a young woman standing beside her table, a pot of fresh in hand. She was slight of build with gray hair that fell in waves past her shoulders, and large, expressive eyes that regarded Tanya openly. She was dressed in a waitress uniform with a nametag worn plainly on her breast reading 'Syr'
"Your cup is empty," the woman said, gesturing with the pot. "Would you like a refill?"
Tanya glanced at her cup, noting that she had indeed drained it dry sometime in the last hour. "Please."
The woman poured her a fresh cup of rich caffeine, but didn't leave immediately, her gaze drifting to the stack of books on the table.
"You've been reading since the kitchen opened," she observed, her but inquisitive. "Researching something important?"
Tanya saw no reason deflect. The woman was simply making conversation, and information flowed both directions in a tavern.
"My current financial situation," Tanya said, tapping the open time with the erase of her pencil. "I'm in an unfortunate amount of debt, and I'm assessing my options for repayment."
The woman's expression shifted to one of sympathy. "Debt can be difficult. How much is it?"
"One hundred thousand Valis," Tanya said. "To be paid within the month."
The woman's eyes widened, the coffee pot nearly slipping from her fingers. "One hundred? B-but you're so young! How did you manage to accrue that much debt?"
"Well, it certainly wasn't inherited," Tanya explained, her tone clinical. "I collapsed after climbing out of the Dungeon and, being the good samaritans that they are, the Apollo Familia used some of their own supplies and took the time out of their day to make sure I was healed up nice and soundly."
The woman's brow furrowed, "That's nice of them. But it doesn't explain why you're in so much debt."
"Well, they expect repayment of course," Tanya smiled thinly, "Both for services rendered and opportunities lost. It seems they had planned an expedition that my injuries waylaid for the time being."
Tanya turned back to her book, "They extended an offer to join their Familia and work off the debt through service. A classic arrangement, I'm told. Practically charitable, if one doesn't examine the particulars too closely."
Syr set the coffee pot down on the table, sliding into the seat across from Tanya without asking permission, her expression shifting from sympathy to something closer to indignation. "That's not charity. That's coercing people into joining them."
"Is it?" Tanya tilted her head, gesturing with her pencil. "From their perspective, they provided life-saving medical intervention to an unknown individual with no collateral and no established credit. Assuming the risk of non-payment is hardly unreasonable. The opportunity to convert that debt into loyal labor is simply good business."
Syr's cheeks puffed out slightly, her brow knitting together. It was an oddly expressive face, Tanya noted. Every emotion seemed to play across her features without a filter. "It's still wrong. They're taking advantage of people when they're at their most vulnerable."
"Most business models rely on leverage," Tanya said simply. "This one is simply more direct than most."
She turned back to her notes, scratching a figure onto the page. "Regardless, I have no intention of accepting their terms. For one, indentured servitude lacks the stability of traditional employment, and I prefer to maintain control over my own career trajectory."
The less said about who she would be serving, the better. Tanya's research hadn't just delved into the economics of this new world. She had also taken the time to familiarize herself with its religious landscape, and what she had found was deeply troubling.
The gods of Orario were not distant, abstract entities requiring faith to believe in. They were tangible, walking among mortals in the flesh, living in extravagant compounds, and personally selecting followers to bless with supernatural abilities. They held festivals, conducted business, and – on rare occasions – even engaged in romantic trysts with their own Familia members.
It was a theocracy disguised as a meritocracy. Every meaningful institution in Orario bore the fingerprints of some deity or another. The Hephaestus Familia controlled the majority of high-quality weapon production. The Loki Familia counted among the most powerful exploration forces in the city. Even the Guild itself, ostensibly neutral, had been founded by a god.
And the common people? They prayed openly, attended festivals without irony, and spoke of their patron deities with genuine reverence rather than the performative piety Tanya had observed in her previous world.
Atheism and agnosticism were virtually nonexistent here. Why wouldn't they be? The gods answered prayers with measurable results. They bestowed blessings that could be quantified in statistics and combat performance. Faith wasn't required when evidence was abundant.
Tanya had to admit, it was a brilliant trap.
Being X had crafted a world where his existence, and that of entities like him, was irrefutable. Where the very concept of disbelief in gods was akin to denying the existence of the sun. There was no room for skepticism when the supernatural sat at the table beside you and ordered lunch.
Which meant that Tanya's particular brand of theological dissent would be viewed as madness at best, or blasphemy at worst.
She had read enough to know that the gods of Orario were not universally benevolent. A mortal who openly rejected their existence or denounced them as frauds would quickly find themselves a target. Not for something as rash as execution, perhaps, but definitely for attention.
Tanya had long since learned that the attention of any being who touted themselves as above the mortals around them was never a blessing.
Syr studied her for a moment, her large eyes searching Tanya's face. Whatever she found there seemed to trouble her, though Tanya couldn't imagine why.
"Well," Syr said finally, standing and retrieving the coffee pot. "If you need anything, just let us know. Mama Mia likes to take care of her guests, and I hope you find a way to pay off your debt."
She departed with a gentle smile, leaving Tanya alone with her books and her thoughts.
The girl turned back to her research, flipping to a section on the Dungeon's upper floors. If she was going to hunt monsters for profit, she needed to know what she was facing.
One month. One hundred thousand Valis. All she had to do was maintain a low profile, avoid antagonizing any major Familia unnecessarily, and keep her theological opinions firmly to herself.
She could manage that much.
~~~
After a few more hours of study, Tanya decided she had done enough cramming for one evening and placed the books in her room. She ate lunch in her room, did another equipment check, then slipped out of the front doors of the Hostess of Fertility just as the beginning of the lunch crowd began to roll in..
The midmorning streets were crowded, the foot traffic thick enough that Tanya had to weave between bodies sideways. It shouldn't be difficult to register with the Guild, provided they didn't entertain some fee due to her previous excursion technically being unsanctioned. With luck, she would be able to descend today.
Tanya kept her pace brisk, her eyes forward and head down as her mind ran through the list of tasks she needed to accomplish at the Guild.
Unfortunately, she was far too preoccupied with her thoughts and as she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.
Tanya sidestepped at the last moment, knocking shoulders with the other person instead of sending them sprawling. She opened her mouth to deliver an apology and continue on her way, but the words died in her throat.
The boy standing before her was absolutely drenched in blood, enough that Tanya could do nothing but stare. It soaked him from his hair to the tips of his boots, as if he had stepped into a shower dyed red.
Tanya wasn't the only one staring. The sight drew eyes from every direction. Passersby stopped mid-stride, their conversations dying as they stared at the blood-soaked teenager standing in the middle of the street.
Tanya had seen her fair share of carnage. The trenches of the Rhine had been painted with enough blood to fill a dried up river. She had walked through battlefields where the mud was as red as claw and pieces of both ally and foe hung from barbed wire like macabre decorations.
This sight didn't beat them, but it was certainly a close second.
"Oh, sorry!" the boy said, a bright smile splitting his face despite the gore. His red eyes were clear and alert, with no trace of pain or shock. "I was in a hurry and didn't see you there. Are you okay?"
Tanya stared at him for a long moment, her mind processing the sight. The boy was speaking clearly, moving without hesitation, and showed no signs of the pale, glassy-eyed shock that typically accompanied severe blood loss. The blood wasn't his
"I'm fine," Tanya finally said, taking a step back as a drop of crimson stained the ground in front of her boot. "Though I believe you may have frightened half the street."
The boy blinked, seeming to notice their audience for the first time. His face scrunched in embarrassment, but if he was blushing, Tanya couldn't tell.
"Ah, sorry about that," he said again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just came from the Dungeon so I haven't really had a chance to clean up. I was going to see my Goddess."
Tanya's eye twitched. Here he was, covered in enough viscera to fill a bathtub, and his first priority was to seek out his god. Either his head was empty, or he was simply clueless.
"Your priorities are your own," Tanya said, stepping aside to let him pass. "I suggest you hurry. The crowd is beginning to attract attention."
The boy's eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn't considered that walking through a public street while looking like a walking crime scene might draw notice. He ducked his head in a quick bow, his white hair flopping forward.
"Right! Thanks, um..."
He trailed off, clearly waiting for a name. Tanya simply raised an eyebrow.
"Have a good day," she said instead.
The boy straightened, his smile returning with full force. "Thanks! I hope you have a good day too!"
And with that, he was gone, disappearing down the street at a near-sprint, leaving a wake of disturbed whispers and wide-eyed stares in his wake.
Tanya watched him go, her expression unreadable.
"Moronic," she murmured.
She turned and continued toward her destination, filing the encounter away in the back of her mind.
A few minutes later, she exited the busy streets to step inside similarly crowded halls of the Guild. Men and women lined up in cues in front of attendance kiosks, waiting to attend to their business. Whatever that may be. Tanya found the shortest line and stepped to the back.
The line moved with a speed that Tanya found frankly refreshing. It was a stark contrast to the sluggish, red-tape-ridden bureaucracy she had often dealt with in her previous lives. It took her only minutes to move half a dozen places, and soon enough, she was next up.
When she stepped up to the kiosk however, found herself staring at a woman who was, oddly enough, not looking at her.
The woman was only marginally taller than Tanya herself, possessing a stocky, solid build that suggested she could wrestle a grown man into submission without breaking a sweat. She had tan skin, dark hair cut into a angled bob, and wore the standard Guild attendant uniform that looked ready to burst at the seams due to her musculature.
Tanya tilted her head slightly, analyzing the woman's features even as she waited to be acknowledged. The library texts had mentioned the prevalence of demi-humans and the interbreeding between species. The woman was clearly a byproduct of that.
"If you're here to register, please have the proper forms ready," the woman said boredly, her eyes still scanning a document on her desk. "If you're here to exchange magic stones, you need window four."
"I am here for the former," Tanya stated, "Though I'm afraid I don't have any identification."
The woman sighed, a long, rattling sound of profound boredom, and finally looked up. Her dark eyes locked onto Tanya's face, and she blinked.
"You!" the woman barked, slamming her hand down onto the counter.
Tanya stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're the girl!" the woman exclaimed, once again failing to enlighten Tanya as to what she was talking about. "The one that nearly died out in front of the dungeon!"
Tanya frowned, glancing around as whispers emerged from the people around her. "I didn't realize that the tale had spread so far."
The woman snorted, waving a hand. "Do you have any idea how boring it gets around here? Your name's gonna be on everyone's lips for the next few months unless something more interesting happens."
She stuck out a hand. "Adris Garsana. I was the attendant scheduled to handle your intake yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, nature called at the exact wrong moment. By the time I got back, you were already up and gone."
Tanya looked at the offered hand for a moment before taking it. Adris's grip was firm, calloused, and professional.
"Tanya Degurechaff," she replied. "And I apologize. If I had known there was someone waiting to gawk at me, I would have laid in bed for a few more hours.."
"That woulda just made me feel right shit," Adris laughed, "Anyway, it's good to see you're back on your feet. What brings you back here? Here to beg the Guild for a loan?"
"No," Tanya said, placing her hands on the counter. "I am here to register as an adventurer."
The silence that followed her statement was pronounced. Adris stared at her, one eyebrow slowly climbing toward her hairline.
"Register," Adris repeated, the word falling flat as if she had spoken in a foreign language. She stared at Tanya, then leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Kid, you just crawled out of the Dungeon looking like you went a few rounds with a silverback. You sure you wanna go back?"
"I do," Tanya nodded. "I have already reviewed the Guild's statutes. Solo adventuring is permitted, provided the adventurers register and sign the necessary waivers."
Adris rubbed her temples with a groan. "Legally? Sure. You can walk right back down there and get yourself eaten by a goblin five minutes later, and I'll be forced to fill out the paperwork."
"I managed to survive well enough last time."
"Well enough, she says," Adris snorted, "Look, kid, unless you got inducted into a Familia in the last twenty-four hours, you don't have a Falna, and that means you're weaker than the freshest level one. I'd suggest you take a little bit to think about this and find a god to–"
"I'd prefer to remain without any blessing," Tanya carefully kept the sneer off of her face, "I'll admit I was unprepared last time, but I've done my due diligence and my research. This is the most effective way to pay off my debt."
Adris looked at her for a long moment, her brown eyes searching Tanya's face. Then, she let out a sharp, cynical laugh.
"You've got a problem with the gods," Adris observed, surprising Tanya. "I've seen it before. Usually from people who got burned by a bad Familia, or religious nuts who think the Dungeon is the entrance to the underworld. You're smarter than that though."
"Let's just say I've had bad experiences with their kind and keep it at that," Tanya countered evenly. "I prefer to be left to my own devices as far as my soul is concerned."
"You're going to get yourself killed is what you're going to do," Adris muttered, pulling a thick stack of parchment from beneath the counter. She uncorked an inkwell and grabbed a quill, the feather looking absurdly small in her calloused hand. "Still, I can't stop you. The paperwork says you're of sound mind and body, and you're not a criminal."
Adris tapped the parchment on the counter to straighten it, the sound sharp against the ambient noise of the hall. "Fill this out. Name, age, race. The usual."
Tanya picked up the quill and printed her information with neat, blocky handwriting, the kind born from two lifetimes filling out official documents in triplicate. She was pleased to find that she could answer most of the questions truthfully; it seemed to only cover the bare essentials to the sentience of the one filling it out.
At the bottom of the document was the final field. Familia Affiliation.
Tanya left the space blank.
Adris snatched the parchment, scanned it quickly to ensure the legibility was passable, and then reached for a stamp, slamming it down onto the paper with a heavy thud. Setting it to the side, she then grabbed a small slip of metal from a drawer and slid it across the counter.
"Here," Adris said. "Your adventurer card. Don't lose it. Replacements cost five hundred valis, and I'd rather not add on to that debt of yours."
Tanya took the metal plate between her thumb and forefinger. It was a simple, unadorned piece of metal with her name and age engraved on it, alongside official text denoting its purpose.
"If you're planning on heading down today, you'll want to head to the main entrance," Adris said, jerking a thumb toward the massive tower of stone visible through the high windows. "Babel. I'm sure you've seen it. The entrance is at the base."
"I believe I can find it," Tanya said, slipping the card into her pocket. "Thank you for your help, Adris."
"Yeah, yeah," Adris waved her off, already reaching for the next of forms. "Try not to die in the first five minutes. If my bosses find out I'm the one who gave you that card, they'll get grumpy, and I hate grumpy paperwork."
The more things change… Tanya thought, stepping away from the kiosk and heading for the door.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 9 has just been posted!
After a restless sleep plagued by dreams of death – specifically her own – the next morning found Tanya sitting at a small table in the back corner of the Hostess of Fertility. The tables around her were mostly empty apart from the few patrons willing to be up and about this early, which suited her just fine.
A cup of steaming coffee sat in front of her, alongside a stack of books borrowed from the library that had finally reopened its doors. She was endlessly thankful that this world had access to such a drink. Even moreso that the beans in this particular establishment were of exceptionally high quality.
She took a sip from her beverage, turning to the next page in the especially thick tome she was reading. The books she had acquired were a mix of legal codices, history books, current Guild regulations, and a surprisingly comprehensive guide to the Dungeon's known ecosystem. Tanya had been reading since dawn, her blue eyes scanning page after page with the thoroughness of a student cramming for a final exam.
One hundred thousand Valis in thirty days. A breakneck pace by any standard, and one that didn't really leave her many options when it came to the field of employment. Even if one disregarded her age, she very much doubted she'd find a position that both suited her, and paid enough to work through the debt, in any reasonable amount of time as far as her debt was concerned.
Twofold, if her prospective employers learned why she was seeking employment in the first place, that may well throw a rather large wrench into the mix.
No. From what she had gathered so far, her best options didn't lie within the city, but below it.
She turned the page of the guild regulations, her finger tracing the text. The legal framework of Orario was refreshingly straightforward. Adventuring was regulated but not restrictive. Any individual could register with the Guild, provided they were of age or, in the case of orphans, possessed the means to support themselves. No Familia affiliation was legally required for basic Dungeon access, though the text strongly recommended joining one for 'safety and guidance.'
"Guidance," Tanya muttered, flipping to the next section. "Yes, I'm certain the gods have my best interests at heart."
The most important part of the text came a little ways into the third chapter, describing adventuring and the rules involved in undertaking such a task. According to Guild law, there was no prohibition against entering the Dungeon alone. The practice was certainly discouraged, as death rates among solo adventurers were significantly higher than those in parties, but it was not illegal. The Guild simply required registration, a waiver of liability, and a small processing fee.
"I can work with this," Tanya murmured, pulling a blank page from the leather-bound journal she'd scavenged. She began jotting notes, transcribing the text and page number for later reference. "Register with the Guild. Secure hunting grounds in the upper floors. Minimize overhead by avoiding party fees and Familia tithes."
She paused, tapping the pencil against her lips.
The biggest issue, of course, was the admittedly abysmal state of her adventuring capabilities. Her stint in the Dungeon had been harrowing, and though that could be somewhat mitigated by proper preparation, it didn't change the fact that her computation orb was damaged beyond repair, her ammunition was limited, and her prepubescent body was not exactly optimal for sustained combat.
The Falna system the locals spoke of might bridge that gap, but accepting a divine blessing was out of the question. She'd rather die first. Again.
"Excuse me?"
Tanya looked up to find a young woman standing beside her table, a pot of fresh in hand. She was slight of build with gray hair that fell in waves past her shoulders, and large, expressive eyes that regarded Tanya openly. She was dressed in a waitress uniform with a nametag worn plainly on her breast reading 'Syr'
"Your cup is empty," the woman said, gesturing with the pot. "Would you like a refill?"
Tanya glanced at her cup, noting that she had indeed drained it dry sometime in the last hour. "Please."
The woman poured her a fresh cup of rich caffeine, but didn't leave immediately, her gaze drifting to the stack of books on the table.
"You've been reading since the kitchen opened," she observed, her but inquisitive. "Researching something important?"
Tanya saw no reason deflect. The woman was simply making conversation, and information flowed both directions in a tavern.
"My current financial situation," Tanya said, tapping the open time with the erase of her pencil. "I'm in an unfortunate amount of debt, and I'm assessing my options for repayment."
The woman's expression shifted to one of sympathy. "Debt can be difficult. How much is it?"
"One hundred thousand Valis," Tanya said. "To be paid within the month."
The woman's eyes widened, the coffee pot nearly slipping from her fingers. "One hundred? B-but you're so young! How did you manage to accrue that much debt?"
"Well, it certainly wasn't inherited," Tanya explained, her tone clinical. "I collapsed after climbing out of the Dungeon and, being the good samaritans that they are, the Apollo Familia used some of their own supplies and took the time out of their day to make sure I was healed up nice and soundly."
The woman's brow furrowed, "That's nice of them. But it doesn't explain why you're in so much debt."
"Well, they expect repayment of course," Tanya smiled thinly, "Both for services rendered and opportunities lost. It seems they had planned an expedition that my injuries waylaid for the time being."
Tanya turned back to her book, "They extended an offer to join their Familia and work off the debt through service. A classic arrangement, I'm told. Practically charitable, if one doesn't examine the particulars too closely."
Syr set the coffee pot down on the table, sliding into the seat across from Tanya without asking permission, her expression shifting from sympathy to something closer to indignation. "That's not charity. That's coercing people into joining them."
"Is it?" Tanya tilted her head, gesturing with her pencil. "From their perspective, they provided life-saving medical intervention to an unknown individual with no collateral and no established credit. Assuming the risk of non-payment is hardly unreasonable. The opportunity to convert that debt into loyal labor is simply good business."
Syr's cheeks puffed out slightly, her brow knitting together. It was an oddly expressive face, Tanya noted. Every emotion seemed to play across her features without a filter. "It's still wrong. They're taking advantage of people when they're at their most vulnerable."
"Most business models rely on leverage," Tanya said simply. "This one is simply more direct than most."
She turned back to her notes, scratching a figure onto the page. "Regardless, I have no intention of accepting their terms. For one, indentured servitude lacks the stability of traditional employment, and I prefer to maintain control over my own career trajectory."
The less said about who she would be serving, the better. Tanya's research hadn't just delved into the economics of this new world. She had also taken the time to familiarize herself with its religious landscape, and what she had found was deeply troubling.
The gods of Orario were not distant, abstract entities requiring faith to believe in. They were tangible, walking among mortals in the flesh, living in extravagant compounds, and personally selecting followers to bless with supernatural abilities. They held festivals, conducted business, and – on rare occasions – even engaged in romantic trysts with their own Familia members.
It was a theocracy disguised as a meritocracy. Every meaningful institution in Orario bore the fingerprints of some deity or another. The Hephaestus Familia controlled the majority of high-quality weapon production. The Loki Familia counted among the most powerful exploration forces in the city. Even the Guild itself, ostensibly neutral, had been founded by a god.
And the common people? They prayed openly, attended festivals without irony, and spoke of their patron deities with genuine reverence rather than the performative piety Tanya had observed in her previous world.
Atheism and agnosticism were virtually nonexistent here. Why wouldn't they be? The gods answered prayers with measurable results. They bestowed blessings that could be quantified in statistics and combat performance. Faith wasn't required when evidence was abundant.
Tanya had to admit, it was a brilliant trap.
Being X had crafted a world where his existence, and that of entities like him, was irrefutable. Where the very concept of disbelief in gods was akin to denying the existence of the sun. There was no room for skepticism when the supernatural sat at the table beside you and ordered lunch.
Which meant that Tanya's particular brand of theological dissent would be viewed as madness at best, or blasphemy at worst.
She had read enough to know that the gods of Orario were not universally benevolent. A mortal who openly rejected their existence or denounced them as frauds would quickly find themselves a target. Not for something as rash as execution, perhaps, but definitely for attention.
Tanya had long since learned that the attention of any being who touted themselves as above the mortals around them was never a blessing.
Syr studied her for a moment, her large eyes searching Tanya's face. Whatever she found there seemed to trouble her, though Tanya couldn't imagine why.
"Well," Syr said finally, standing and retrieving the coffee pot. "If you need anything, just let us know. Mama Mia likes to take care of her guests, and I hope you find a way to pay off your debt."
She departed with a gentle smile, leaving Tanya alone with her books and her thoughts.
The girl turned back to her research, flipping to a section on the Dungeon's upper floors. If she was going to hunt monsters for profit, she needed to know what she was facing.
One month. One hundred thousand Valis. All she had to do was maintain a low profile, avoid antagonizing any major Familia unnecessarily, and keep her theological opinions firmly to herself.
She could manage that much.
~~~
After a few more hours of study, Tanya decided she had done enough cramming for one evening and placed the books in her room. She ate lunch in her room, did another equipment check, then slipped out of the front doors of the Hostess of Fertility just as the beginning of the lunch crowd began to roll in..
The midmorning streets were crowded, the foot traffic thick enough that Tanya had to weave between bodies sideways. It shouldn't be difficult to register with the Guild, provided they didn't entertain some fee due to her previous excursion technically being unsanctioned. With luck, she would be able to descend today.
Tanya kept her pace brisk, her eyes forward and head down as her mind ran through the list of tasks she needed to accomplish at the Guild.
Unfortunately, she was far too preoccupied with her thoughts and as she rounded a corner, she nearly collided with someone coming from the opposite direction.
Tanya sidestepped at the last moment, knocking shoulders with the other person instead of sending them sprawling. She opened her mouth to deliver an apology and continue on her way, but the words died in her throat.
The boy standing before her was absolutely drenched in blood, enough that Tanya could do nothing but stare. It soaked him from his hair to the tips of his boots, as if he had stepped into a shower dyed red.
Tanya wasn't the only one staring. The sight drew eyes from every direction. Passersby stopped mid-stride, their conversations dying as they stared at the blood-soaked teenager standing in the middle of the street.
Tanya had seen her fair share of carnage. The trenches of the Rhine had been painted with enough blood to fill a dried up river. She had walked through battlefields where the mud was as red as claw and pieces of both ally and foe hung from barbed wire like macabre decorations.
This sight didn't beat them, but it was certainly a close second.
"Oh, sorry!" the boy said, a bright smile splitting his face despite the gore. His red eyes were clear and alert, with no trace of pain or shock. "I was in a hurry and didn't see you there. Are you okay?"
Tanya stared at him for a long moment, her mind processing the sight. The boy was speaking clearly, moving without hesitation, and showed no signs of the pale, glassy-eyed shock that typically accompanied severe blood loss. The blood wasn't his
"I'm fine," Tanya finally said, taking a step back as a drop of crimson stained the ground in front of her boot. "Though I believe you may have frightened half the street."
The boy blinked, seeming to notice their audience for the first time. His face scrunched in embarrassment, but if he was blushing, Tanya couldn't tell.
"Ah, sorry about that," he said again, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just came from the Dungeon so I haven't really had a chance to clean up. I was going to see my Goddess."
Tanya's eye twitched. Here he was, covered in enough viscera to fill a bathtub, and his first priority was to seek out his god. Either his head was empty, or he was simply clueless.
"Your priorities are your own," Tanya said, stepping aside to let him pass. "I suggest you hurry. The crowd is beginning to attract attention."
The boy's eyes widened slightly, as if he hadn't considered that walking through a public street while looking like a walking crime scene might draw notice. He ducked his head in a quick bow, his white hair flopping forward.
"Right! Thanks, um..."
He trailed off, clearly waiting for a name. Tanya simply raised an eyebrow.
"Have a good day," she said instead.
The boy straightened, his smile returning with full force. "Thanks! I hope you have a good day too!"
And with that, he was gone, disappearing down the street at a near-sprint, leaving a wake of disturbed whispers and wide-eyed stares in his wake.
Tanya watched him go, her expression unreadable.
"Moronic," she murmured.
She turned and continued toward her destination, filing the encounter away in the back of her mind.
A few minutes later, she exited the busy streets to step inside similarly crowded halls of the Guild. Men and women lined up in cues in front of attendance kiosks, waiting to attend to their business. Whatever that may be. Tanya found the shortest line and stepped to the back.
The line moved with a speed that Tanya found frankly refreshing. It was a stark contrast to the sluggish, red-tape-ridden bureaucracy she had often dealt with in her previous lives. It took her only minutes to move half a dozen places, and soon enough, she was next up.
When she stepped up to the kiosk however, found herself staring at a woman who was, oddly enough, not looking at her.
The woman was only marginally taller than Tanya herself, possessing a stocky, solid build that suggested she could wrestle a grown man into submission without breaking a sweat. She had tan skin, dark hair cut into a angled bob, and wore the standard Guild attendant uniform that looked ready to burst at the seams due to her musculature.
Tanya tilted her head slightly, analyzing the woman's features even as she waited to be acknowledged. The library texts had mentioned the prevalence of demi-humans and the interbreeding between species. The woman was clearly a byproduct of that.
"If you're here to register, please have the proper forms ready," the woman said boredly, her eyes still scanning a document on her desk. "If you're here to exchange magic stones, you need window four."
"I am here for the former," Tanya stated, "Though I'm afraid I don't have any identification."
The woman sighed, a long, rattling sound of profound boredom, and finally looked up. Her dark eyes locked onto Tanya's face, and she blinked.
"You!" the woman barked, slamming her hand down onto the counter.
Tanya stiffened. "I beg your pardon?"
"You're the girl!" the woman exclaimed, once again failing to enlighten Tanya as to what she was talking about. "The one that nearly died out in front of the dungeon!"
Tanya frowned, glancing around as whispers emerged from the people around her. "I didn't realize that the tale had spread so far."
The woman snorted, waving a hand. "Do you have any idea how boring it gets around here? Your name's gonna be on everyone's lips for the next few months unless something more interesting happens."
She stuck out a hand. "Adris Garsana. I was the attendant scheduled to handle your intake yesterday, but wouldn't you know it, nature called at the exact wrong moment. By the time I got back, you were already up and gone."
Tanya looked at the offered hand for a moment before taking it. Adris's grip was firm, calloused, and professional.
"Tanya Degurechaff," she replied. "And I apologize. If I had known there was someone waiting to gawk at me, I would have laid in bed for a few more hours.."
"That woulda just made me feel right shit," Adris laughed, "Anyway, it's good to see you're back on your feet. What brings you back here? Here to beg the Guild for a loan?"
"No," Tanya said, placing her hands on the counter. "I am here to register as an adventurer."
The silence that followed her statement was pronounced. Adris stared at her, one eyebrow slowly climbing toward her hairline.
"Register," Adris repeated, the word falling flat as if she had spoken in a foreign language. She stared at Tanya, then leaned in closer, lowering her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. "Kid, you just crawled out of the Dungeon looking like you went a few rounds with a silverback. You sure you wanna go back?"
"I do," Tanya nodded. "I have already reviewed the Guild's statutes. Solo adventuring is permitted, provided the adventurers register and sign the necessary waivers."
Adris rubbed her temples with a groan. "Legally? Sure. You can walk right back down there and get yourself eaten by a goblin five minutes later, and I'll be forced to fill out the paperwork."
"I managed to survive well enough last time."
"Well enough, she says," Adris snorted, "Look, kid, unless you got inducted into a Familia in the last twenty-four hours, you don't have a Falna, and that means you're weaker than the freshest level one. I'd suggest you take a little bit to think about this and find a god to–"
"I'd prefer to remain without any blessing," Tanya carefully kept the sneer off of her face, "I'll admit I was unprepared last time, but I've done my due diligence and my research. This is the most effective way to pay off my debt."
Adris looked at her for a long moment, her brown eyes searching Tanya's face. Then, she let out a sharp, cynical laugh.
"You've got a problem with the gods," Adris observed, surprising Tanya. "I've seen it before. Usually from people who got burned by a bad Familia, or religious nuts who think the Dungeon is the entrance to the underworld. You're smarter than that though."
"Let's just say I've had bad experiences with their kind and keep it at that," Tanya countered evenly. "I prefer to be left to my own devices as far as my soul is concerned."
"You're going to get yourself killed is what you're going to do," Adris muttered, pulling a thick stack of parchment from beneath the counter. She uncorked an inkwell and grabbed a quill, the feather looking absurdly small in her calloused hand. "Still, I can't stop you. The paperwork says you're of sound mind and body, and you're not a criminal."
Adris tapped the parchment on the counter to straighten it, the sound sharp against the ambient noise of the hall. "Fill this out. Name, age, race. The usual."
Tanya picked up the quill and printed her information with neat, blocky handwriting, the kind born from two lifetimes filling out official documents in triplicate. She was pleased to find that she could answer most of the questions truthfully; it seemed to only cover the bare essentials to the sentience of the one filling it out.
At the bottom of the document was the final field. Familia Affiliation.
Tanya left the space blank.
Adris snatched the parchment, scanned it quickly to ensure the legibility was passable, and then reached for a stamp, slamming it down onto the paper with a heavy thud. Setting it to the side, she then grabbed a small slip of metal from a drawer and slid it across the counter.
"Here," Adris said. "Your adventurer card. Don't lose it. Replacements cost five hundred valis, and I'd rather not add on to that debt of yours."
Tanya took the metal plate between her thumb and forefinger. It was a simple, unadorned piece of metal with her name and age engraved on it, alongside official text denoting its purpose.
"If you're planning on heading down today, you'll want to head to the main entrance," Adris said, jerking a thumb toward the massive tower of stone visible through the high windows. "Babel. I'm sure you've seen it. The entrance is at the base."
"I believe I can find it," Tanya said, slipping the card into her pocket. "Thank you for your help, Adris."
"Yeah, yeah," Adris waved her off, already reaching for the next of forms. "Try not to die in the first five minutes. If my bosses find out I'm the one who gave you that card, they'll get grumpy, and I hate grumpy paperwork."
The more things change… Tanya thought, stepping away from the kiosk and heading for the door.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 9 has just been posted!
