DanMachi: Cheat? What's a Cheat?

Chapter 8: Valis, My Stomach, and a Consultant

The second I stepped out of the Dungeon, light hit me like a truck—bright, blinding, and almost cruel.

I reflexively threw my hand up to shield my face from the sunlight that was basically attacking my retinas like some vengeful fireball. After spending hours in the damp darkness of the Dungeon, the sun felt like high-level magic trying to turn my skin into barbecue.

"Ugh... Orario... too bright," I mumbled.

I stood there for a moment in front of the Tower of Babel entrance, where the Dungeon lurked underneath. The building shot up like a giant nail piercing the blue sky—fancy and massive, a total contrast to the stone corridors below that were packed with goblins, kobolds, and... the smell of sweat.

My stomach rumbled like a hungry little monster throwing a tantrum.

Oh, right. I hadn't eaten.

First, exchange magic stones. Second, eat. Third... if I had time, maybe invite the goddess to eat too. Fourth, survive. The priority list of a broke adventurer.

That was basically my life plan for the rest of the day. Pretty simple, but honestly, it felt like high-level military strategy.

I started walking away from the tower. The streets were already busy even though it wasn't quite noon yet. Newbie and veteran adventurers were everywhere—some running, others strolling casually while chatting loudly.

"...I'm telling you, don't go to the second floor before buying potions first!"

"But the kobolds are tiny. Like dogs."

"Those are dogs that can slit your throat, idiot!"

"HAHAHAHA!"

I didn't look back, just walked past them. Their conversation was just background noise. What mattered now: valis. With valis, I could eat. With eating, I could live. And with living, I could... well, keep living.

Finally, I reached the Guild building—tall, clean, with an official symbol above the entrance and activity inside like a stock market during an economic crisis.

My target was clear: the exchange. The place where all this hard work turned into valis.

Where magic stones became money. The core of newbie adventurer existence. I made my way through the guild corridors and almost reached the exchange counter when—

"Kaen-kun!"

My steps stopped.

I turned around.

A woman with pointed ears I recognized was walking toward me. Her brown hair, and her hands were clutching a stack of documents. Her guild uniform looked a bit wrinkled, probably from working since morning. But her face was still calm, professional... and, well... reassuring.

"Eina-san?" I called out.

She walked quickly and stopped in front of me. "I didn't expect to run into you here. Shouldn't you be in the Dungeon right now?"

I smiled a little, then held up the small bag of magic stones. "I already went down earlier. Now I'm gonna exchange these... then maybe find food before..."

Grrrrrroookkkk—

Right as I finished that sentence, my stomach screamed.

Loud. Clear. Dramatic.

A moment of silence.

Eina froze.

Several adventurers nearby immediately turned, looking for the source of the sound that just thundered like a small dragon complaining about being hungry.

"Yo, did you hear that just now?"

"Where'd that come from? A monster?"

"I thought that was a Minotaur earlier..."

"Wait, isn't that the brown-haired kid?"

I looked down slightly, pretending to focus on the floor tiles. Stay calm. Don't panic. Don't turn red. You're not some unstable kid. Just smile... Smile like usual...

"Ugh... I just... want... peace on the surface," I mumbled quietly, trying to sound wise even though I was clearly embarrassed.

Eina covered her mouth with one hand, holding back a smile. "Kaen-kun... you haven't eaten since this morning, have you?"

"Just... since morning," I said, trying to sound tough. When the reality was... yeah, embarrassing.

She finally laughed softly, then said in a gentle tone, "Well then... I happen to want a lunch break too. How about we eat together?"

I looked up quickly. "Huh?"

Her face stayed calm, her eyes friendly. "I know a good place not far from here. And you need to eat. So... let's go?"

I thought fast. Free? Maybe. Food? Definitely. Company? Why not.

"I... won't say no," I said with a small smile. "But I need to exchange my magic stones first."

"Oh, of course. I also need to put these documents away upstairs. I'll come down later and we can walk together, okay?"

I nodded. "Sounds good, Eina-san."

She smiled back, then walked away. And I continued to the exchange counter.

The exchange was always busy.

Adventurers lined up, from newbies with fresh wounds to veterans with big backpacks full of sacks of magic stones. I waited in line for a bit, then handed over my small bag.

The clerk behind the glass—a woman with glasses and an expression like eternally overcast skies—took it and started counting the stones with some kind of automatic magical scale.

"One thousand seven hundred valis," she said flatly, like that amount wasn't even worth mentioning.

I nodded and took the money. The silver coins and some copper felt like pure gold in my hands. I'd never felt this rich.

"Finally... valis. My ticket to staying alive one more day."

I stored my valis in the inner pocket of my shirt, then moved aside near a pillar and waited.

A few minutes later, Eina appeared from the stairs. She was document-free now, and her face looked more relaxed.

"Done?" she asked.

I nodded.

She laughed a little. "Then let's go."

We started walking out together.

Our steps were casual. Behind us, some male adventurers started whispering.

"Hey, look at that... Eina-san with who's that?"

"Looks like some new kid. How'd he manage that, bro?"

"I asked Eina-san for consultations twice, she just gave me pamphlets! How's that kid getting invited to eat?!"

"Damn, I'm spiritually jealous."

I could hear all of that.

And I pretended not to hear it.

But somehow... I was smiling a little.

Those stares pierced like needles—angry, confused, envious. I kept walking. But it was hard to hold back the smile.

Somehow, I felt cool. Like a guy showing off his girlfriend in public... even though this wasn't a girlfriend. And I still hadn't eaten.

I glanced at Eina. Honestly, as a half-elf, she really was beautiful. Just sitting at the same table as her would be enough to make a whole city jealous.

But eating with Eina made me think of Hestia.

That tiny goddess was too good to me. If I didn't repay her as well as I could... I wouldn't be human.

At least... invite her to eat too. That's a start.