In Danmachi with My System

I was barely able to hear her due to my high Perception, but I still struggled mentally to put the pieces together and fit them in a way that made sense. She was grateful to me? Why should she be? As far as I could remember, I had never done anything for her. If anything, it was always the other way around.

She was the one who helped me the most. When she appeared out of nowhere just as I was about to enter the dungeon illegally... wait... Wasn't it the Ganesha Familia who was in charge of security, not the guild members?

Why was she at the entrance of the dungeon at that very moment? She even asked me for proof that I belonged to a Familia, ignoring all the other adventurers. I never thought much about it, but now that I did... it seemed like she was aiming right at me.

'Oi, doesn't it sound like she's been waiting for me all along?'

Just as I was about to probe further, she continued, "By the way, do you know about the Tower of Babel?"

I glared at her. And since I had a strong suspicion that she wouldn't answer my questions even if I tickled her, I let her go.

"A little. All I know is that it's owned by the Guild and that it serves as a cover for the dungeon."

Rose shot me a look that said, "Really, that's all you know?" Honestly, I knew, but it's not like I remembered all the information accurately either. I wasn't particularly good at retaining information.

"Anyway, I'm going to give you a special class."

A special class, huh? My mind quickly wandered, and in a moment, I saw a Rose dressed like a strict teacher, with a whip in her hand and glasses on her face. And those short skirts that revealed her thighs marked by black stockings. Oh, and of course, a tight blouse that accentuated the size of her breasts.

Just as the fantasy was getting interesting, I felt a sharp pain.

"Ouch! Why are you pulling my cheeks?! Oh!"

"Why do you think? That face of yours face gives you away. You must have thought something stupid." Rose looked at me with her golden eyes, still not letting up her grip.

"No, not at all, I was just thinking about-!"

I almost gave myself away, but luckily I managed to cover my mouth with my hand.

"Hah~ Like I said..." Rose let go of my cheeks and made a tired gesture, "The Tower of Babel isn't just a building that covers the entrance to the dungeon. It is the fortress that watches over and regulates the chaos it creates. Without it, monsters would roam the surface as they did when the gods had not yet descended, wreaking havoc throughout the city."

Oh, right. I vaguely remember that. Or something along those lines.

"The lower levels of the tower are also one of the most important trading areas in Orario. Stores of all levels, armor, weapons... even potions, if you're interested. It's where adventurers buy everything they need before entering the dungeon."

"Oh, oh, it's basically the biggest shopping mall in the world."

"Shopping mall, to put it that way... Well, you're not far off. Hephaestus Familia, for example, has their stores on floors four through eight. If you're looking for quality weapons or armor, that's where you should go... provided you're willing to pay the price."

The Tower of Babel has always been a simple landmark for me. Something to look at when I was lost in the city. But now it seemed to be much more than that.

"So even some gods live in the tower?"

I'd seen in the anime that Freya at least lived there.

"Some. Though most prefer to have their homes in other districts of Orario, certain gods enjoy the proximity to the dungeon... or trade, or simply because they enjoy watching those who live down here like ants."

For a god to look down on us mortals with a scornful face... hey, that's creepy.

According to Rose, the Tower is a gold mine for those who know how to tap into it.

"I see. Should I open a shop there?"

"... I doubt you could afford a decent place up there with your current budget."

Rose gave me a sideways glance and I saw a playful smile appear in her eyes.

"That hurts, Rosy. It hurts deeply."

"It should."

Only a smile of victory seemed appropriate.

Barely approaching the great Tower of Babel, I could personally see the height it possessed. Almost as if it wanted to reach for the sky with one hand.

"Enough about the Tower of Babel. The point of telling you this is to let you know that we will be buying your stuff on floors 4 through 8."

A lower floor would be best, she finished with that sentence.

Apparently, the price in Hephaestus' shop increased the higher when you went up to its floor.

"What an interesting feature... No! How tragic!"

The only thing I picked up on was 'quality + price', because if you break it down, they were saying, Be careful. Only the rich are welcome here.

"Hephaestus. The goddess of one of the blacksmith-type Familias, and one of the ones with the most money...". Rose continued as we entered the second floor.

This place was already familiar to me, because every time I wanted to enter the dungeon, I had to pass through here first, just like all the other adventurers. It was impossible to enter from anywhere else.

Wait... Or is there another way? I almost forgot about the spoilers I had read. My half-witted mind didn't help either.

"Members of a blacksmith Familia always gain blacksmithing skills and special skills related to metalworking. Therefore, such familias are usually full of blacksmiths. And among all of them, the Hephaestus Familia is the one that has always provided the most professional service."

Thanks to Rose constantly throwing new knowledge into my brain, I also learned a thing or two about skills.

According to, skills could be acquired during a level-up or through certain experiences. Repeating certain activities, such as blacksmithing, was another method of acquiring one.

'Em. Can I use that to gain skills in my System? Since I recently acquired one just by swinging a weapon... maybe it's possible? Well, I'll try it later.'

In fact, members of the same race tend to gain similar skills. Elves tend to develop skills that increase the effects of their magic, while dwarves tend to develop skills that increase their physical strength.

And one thing I also learned from Rose was that she and every other member of the werewolf race possessed a beastification skill.

For a second the stupid idea of asking Rose if she could do that crossed my mind, but I quickly regretted it when I noticed that she looked at me with a blank expression.

'Wait... could beastification just refer to wolf tails and wolf ears?'

A feature she already had. Such an adorable appearance was perfect for Rose. Even the aura of danger emanating from her seemed attractive.

A bit weary from the information I was getting, I tried to cut her off with a random question.

"By the way, Rose, have you ever thought about leaving the guild?"

She stopped speaking and looked at me with a questioning expression.

"Why?"

"Well... You don't seem to be very happy here, and you have the right to leave."

She sighed at my words. "It's hard to leave the guild, you know? It's not like I have any official papers that decide whether I can leave or not. And even if I could, I probably wouldn't be able to find something better."

Her answer was rather discouraging. For a moment, I had an image of her leaving the city to go somewhere else. But the loneliness of that vision left me with a bad feeling.

"Besides, I'm here because of a promise I made to one person."

Rose spoke again, but this time in a lower tone. She looked a bit melancholy.

"Promises, huh?"

I've made promises too, and so far I haven't kept them. The things I wanted to do in my life: bring Isis and my sister back and take them home with me... that was all I needed to be happy.

Deep down, though, I knew it was impossible to make all my dreams come true. But I would keep trying.

"Would you like to know the promise I made?" She shot me a look and I nodded. "I promised him that I would be here until the day of his return, and that on that day I would escape with him. We would travel the world..."

As soon as he said this, I noticed that Rose no longer had her usual cold face. Instead, she had a warm, nostalgic expression.

I won't lie. My possessive heart emitted jealous gleams. Huh? Do I like Rose? I don't know, and I didn't have time to dig too deep into these new uncomfortable feelings, because I noticed that Rose's warm gaze was not lost in the distance, but on my face.

Hey, why are you looking at me?

"This special person... Is it someone you like? You know, a boyfriend or something."

"NO! It's someone who came from outside Orario... He's special, but not in the way you think."

Her answer confused me a bit. That Rose would reject him so harshly without a second's hesitation... I am so sorry, special person. I offered a silent prayer for that poor boy who had just been mercilessly discarded.

Even though my curiosity was not satisfied, I did not want to force a topic she clearly did not want to touch.

"Well, I hope you get it. Whatever it is you're looking for, I hope you get it soon."

She looked at me and smiled gently.

"Thank you, Eithan. Although... I can't keep that promise anymore, because that special person is already..."

Rose didn't finish the sentence, but I could already get the point. He's already stretched his legs, hasn't he?

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