[Danmachi × Decaying Winter] Sick Rabbit

Episode 2: The Sick Rabbit Prepares for the Dungeon

After visiting Argonaut's tomb, Bell first registered as an adventurer at the guild.

He was there to register as an adventurer and learn about the dungeon, including stores to purchase consumables and weapons.

Bell took a long walk towards the guild. The rain had already stopped, and the pouring sunlight welcomed him.

His eyes caught the sight of lanterns installed in front of stone buildings surrounding the main street.

"There are more people than I thought..."

Bell looked around. Adventurers and many other races were seen coming and going around the boy.

Many races of people caught his eye, including dwarves with a stubborn appearance, elves with long lifespans and beautiful appearances, and chienthropes with dog tails and ears.

The street he was on was close to the Pantheon, and it was also a street characterized by a line of shops that catered to the Familia.

"Unlike what I saw in books, seeing it with my own eyes is astonishing..."

He thought that Orario, where shadows and light coexisted, was ten million times better than Eden-227, which had the gloom of madness where death coexisted.

"It would have been nice if Reginald, Alex, and Nikolai were here too..."

Bell suddenly remembered the people he had spent his last days with on Eden-227. Although each person's goal was different, the goal was to escape from that planet.

"I wonder what are they doing right now?"

After escaping from that hellish planet, the agents who fulfilled all of their contracts received the promised payment and split off to pursue their paths.

Reginald, who was a mercenary, headed somewhere where he would be needed. Alex, a doctor, left his hometown to open a small hospital, and Nikolai, a former scientist, embarked on a journey with yet another destiny.

"...Will I be able to meet them again?"

Even if it's impossible, will Bell be able to meet one more time on their journey?

He thought calmly but immediately gave up his thoughts. Because no one except the Goddess of Fate knew that.

Who knows, maybe he'll be able to face them again with valuable luck.

Suddenly, someone's words passed through his mind.

"Even a small hope has value, no matter how desperate it is."

There was no particular reason, he just remembered a phrase that passed through his mind and mumbled it, nothing more or less.

"But that little hope will one day be eaten by a big shadow."

Just a self-deprecating smile appeared on his lips.

"Maybe... I might not be able to live long because of that earnest hope."

With the muttering that earnestness might turn into poison dissipating into the air, he passed through the crowd.

*****

After making his way through the crowd, Bell reached the guild.

As an administrative agency that supports and manages the various familia of Orario and an organization that maintains order and balance, the guild's building looked majestic.

It was about three stories tall, and his eyes caught the sight of three pairs of flags representing the guild hanging on either side.

The entrance to the guild in the middle was crowded with adventurers from various familia. It seemed like it would be quite complicated to enter the guild, but registration as an adventurer was necessary.

"Let's go in."

Bell let out a soft sigh and headed inside the guild entrance.

*

As he entered the guild, the lobby came into view. Below that, the guild window and beyond that what appeared to be an office came into view.

It was quite quiet inside, and adventurers trying to enter the guild were heading in the direction of the iron sign on the right with the words "Exchange" engraved on it.

There were only six or seven new adventurers who seemed to have joined for the same reason as Bell.

"Hmm..."

The boy's lifeless red eyes looked into the window. At first glance, it looked like the employees sitting there were engaged in adventurer registration and Familia-related services.

Bell looked around, stopping in the middle. A window where no one was sitting caught his eye.

Bell slowly headed to the window.

"Excuse me."

He reached the empty counter. Beyond that, an elf woman sitting on a leather office chair and organizing documents caught his eye.

Her smile welcomed Bell.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"I came to register as an adventurer."

She looked up at the boy in front of the window. She looked into Bell's murky red eyes for a second as if trying to read her, then opened the drawer beneath her and took out one of her parchments.

"Here it is."

She handed the parchment to Bell. There was information written on it regarding the entry field for new adventurer registration.

The fields he filled out were not that different from when he signed the contract as an agent. 

Name, age, gender, significance, race, place of origin... Among them, the significance section caught his eye.

She handed Bell an inked quill. He filled out the fields on the parchment without saying anything. Regarding the familia, since he is not yet part of the familia, he checked the 'None' box.

Other than that, He just wrote the facts as they were, without any obstructions, including his time as an agent on Eden-227.

"Here it is."