Chapter 8

The restaurant "Silver Spoon Inn" is located in a quiet corner of the labyrinth city, yet it is always bustling with people.

The restaurant's motto is to serve delicious, hearty meals at reasonable prices, and it faithfully adheres to this principle, thus capturing the hearts of the common folk.

When I brought the silver-haired girl with animal ears there, she immediately came back to life. The moment we arrived at the restaurant, she perked up her ears and wagged her tail. It seemed that the smell alone was already exciting her.

However, she appeared to be the type with a rather high sense of self-esteem.

"Hmph, a place where commoners come, there's nothing special here," she boasted.

A few minutes later, when the food was served, she began to devour it, wagging her tail. "You eat like a champ," Ex said, and indeed, that was exactly the case. She stuffed her mouth with food like a starving orphan, chewing with a muffled sound.

After finishing the meal, she clasped her hands together and said, "Thank you for the meal," offering a silent prayer.

I followed suit, and when I finished, she asked, "Thank you for saving me. What is your name, young man?"

"My name is Chrome," I replied. She nodded importantly and said, "A good name, and one that exudes a sense of righteousness. It's quite admirable to save a person in such a state these days."

She laughed and added, "Oh, I'm sorry. I haven't even introduced myself yet. My name is Lil. Just Lil."

"Are you a commoner?"

"Not exactly, but I am definitely not a noble," she said, laughing heartily. She continued, "No, since you saved my life, I won't keep anything from you."

She placed her hands on her hips and puffed out her modest chest, striking a pose that seemed to fit the sound "hehe." "My nickname is the Pure-Wolf Lil, a divine beast."

"Really, Lil is a divine beast?"

"Indeed," she said, puffing out her chest. Divine beasts are a type of deity in this world. There are various divine beasts such as Ouroboros, divine dragons, qilins, and phoenixes, and they can materialize in human form and descend to the earth.

In exchange for being venerated at temples, they often serve as leaders of organizations like the Adventurer's Guild. It is said that a few hundred years ago, divine beasts came to the earth, organized guilds, and laid the foundation for the guild system, contributing significantly to the development of human society.

This tradition has continued, and it is still the rule in this country that guild leaders are divine beasts.

However, I never imagined such a coincidence would happen. I was looking for a guild to work for, and to meet someone like this was beyond my wildest dreams. It was truly a blessing from the heavens.

That said, there was no guarantee that this Lil would be the master of an adventurer's guild. After all, the labyrinth city has various guilds of different sizes, each with its own master. It was unlikely that I would meet the master of an adventurer's guild so easily.

"By the way, I am the leader of a certain adventurer's guild. It's an A-rank guild."

...I met her so easily, and she was the master of an A-rank guild.

I felt Ex pulling on my sleeve. It seemed she was using magic to do so. She whispered, "Isn't this a chance? Chrome is your savior, and this divine beast is a guild master. Why not ask to join the guild?"

I whispered back, "Yeah, I know. This is a rare opportunity."

I took a deep breath and bowed to her. "I'm sorry to ask so suddenly, but I came to this labyrinth city from the countryside to work for a top-tier guild. Could you please let me join your guild, Lil? I'll do anything, from cleaning to laundry."

"Hmm, so you aspire to be an adventurer?"

"Yes."

"May I see your stats?"

"...Sure."

I didn't want her to see my current low stats, but I couldn't hide anything from the leader of the guild I was trying to join. I disclosed my stats, and Lil carefully examined them.

Chrome Melville, Level 3, Unemployed Adventurer

Strength: D

Endurance: D

Vitality: C

Agility: D+

Magic Power: D

Magic Defense: D

Intelligence: D

Faith: D

Overall Combat Power: 773

Weapon: Holy Sword Excalibur

Armor: Traveler's Clothing

Unique Skill: Can Equip Anything

Combat Skills: Swordsmanship D, Fire Magic F

Lil placed her hand on her small chin and murmured, "Hmm." She seemed to have found something interesting. She explained, "Your stats are average. They're not low for a low level, but they're not particularly high either. What stands out is your unique skill and weapon."

She paused for a moment. "Can Equip Anything."

She touched the words in the air and read the details. "Can Equip Anything: As the name suggests, you can equip anything. That's quite straightforward. However, it's a very convenient skill. Even at level 1, you can equip a holy sword."

Next, she looked at the holy sword. "Is this the holy sword?"

"Yes, it is. It's a rare talking holy sword."

"Hello, I'm Ex. Nice to meet you."

Ex said cheerfully, but her words didn't reach Lil.

"It seems only you can hear me," I said.

"I see, only the master can hear it. By the way, what abilities does this holy sword have?"

"It boosts my overall combat power by five times."

"Is that all? Usually, a holy sword would have a plethora of additional skills."

She tilted her head in confusion. I glared at Ex accusingly.

"Well, what can I do? I've been sleeping in that old-fashioned armory for decades. I forgot how to activate the skill effects. Plus, I lost my original sheath."

But don't worry, I'll eventually maximize my potential, Ex said proudly. I relayed her words to Lil.

"I see, so there's a reason for that. Then it's perfect. I was just about to go into the labyrinth for a warm-up. Would you like to come with me, young man?"

"Wait, does that mean I can enter the labyrinth in this labyrinth city?"

"There are no other labyrinths in this city."

"I would love to join you!!"

I barely managed to suppress the urge to jump for joy.

The labyrinth in the labyrinth city is strictly managed by the city council, and only those with a pass can enter. So, I had been practicing in the underground sewers and the outskirts of the labyrinth city, which was not what I wanted.

As an adventurer, how could I not explore a labyrinth? I had been harboring such a feeling of frustration. Overjoyed, I shook Lil's hand and settled the bill.

I wanted to split the bill, but since she would be my future mentor, I thought it was fine to treat her to a meal.

When I told her this, she clasped her hands together and said, "Thank you very much." She was a rather old-fashioned person, despite her young appearance. She might be older than she looked, I thought.

††

Thus, I had been saved by Lil, who had collapsed on the street.

The reason for my collapse was that I had skipped breakfast, but I couldn't admit that now. It would affect her dignity and reputation as a divine beast.

However, fainting from hunger might have been fortunate in its own way. I had been treated to a meal by a kind young man, and more importantly, I had made a significant discovery.

"That low-status boy who can wield a holy sword is not just anyone."

The holy sword itself is one of the strongest swords said to have been possessed by the legendary king Arthur from another world. Just having it indicates the boy's extraordinary nature.

Even though his current stats are low, he will surely stand out as an adventurer in the near future.

He modestly attributes his ability to the "Can Equip Anything" skill and "luck" in winning the lottery, but that's just modesty.

A holy sword has a will, a sense of pride, and a destiny.

Being chosen by a holy sword means that the boy must have something special. I wanted to confirm this. I looked at him again. He had a youthful and determined gaze.

"...The cream stew bowl I was treated to earlier was exquisite."

If the boy turns out to be a promising adventurer as I imagine, I might have the chance to eat with him again. If his skills are genuine, I intended to invite him to the adventurer's guild and make him a part of my team.

If he becomes a guild member, I will come back to this restaurant. Next time, I'll add a shrimp fry on top of the cream stew bowl.

With that thought, I headed towards the entrance of the labyrinth.