~"I do not own DanMachi, nor do I plan to own DanMachi in the near future."~

~Please note, that Bell and his friends will still be included in the story. They're still main characters.~

Note: I've had this in the bag for around a year now… Since then, it's always been in the back of my mind. However, it's only after I dedicated real brainpower to it, that I finally found a plot which would be awesome… Yet, this is still going to be the greatest challenge of my writing career. But still, I look forward to the grand adventure I have planned for all of you.

(Now, I would like to say that, about two years after this was published, the general consensus is that the story is good, but, the first two chapters suck, and are too info-dumpy. This is something I will strive to fix. So too, I have significantly grown as a person since writing the first two chapters - between Chapters 1/2, and Chapter 7, nearly two years have gone by. Because of this, my attitudes in Chapters 1-7 are different from those than they will be in the future. I ask, please, give the story a chance. - DragonManMax (April 27th 2020))

So, welcome readers, new and old, those only beginning with me now, and those who have been with me since the beginning… Welcome to an epic tale, taking place in a world far, far away…

The Empty Thrones

Chapter 1

"Next in line, I can help you over here!"

The teller called over the person in front of me, and they walked towards the counter, happy to finally be getting some service. It made sense that they'd be happy. They had entered the line at the same time I had, and while I hadn't been keeping very good track of time, I would guess that we've been waiting for at least a half-hour.

Which if I may add, would bring my stay in Orario to about two hours long.

I'd arrived two hours ago, seemingly dropped here for no reason. This morning, I had just been thrown in here, left to find my own way around. One moment asleep, curled up under my covers in the cold Canadian night, and the next moment I was here... Thankfully upon my arrival, I remembered that there was a place I knew I could find with no real difficulty.

The Adventurers Guild.

Known as the Pantheon, the outside of the building actually blended in with the surrounding neighbourhood well, and it was only due to the help of some strangers that I'd managed to find the place without getting lost. I could only imagine that getting lost in a foreign world from an anime wouldn't have been a very good experience.

But even with help, finding and walking to the place had taken me about an hour.

Upon entering the building, I briefly looked around. The dark floor tiles were perfectly polished, and the light wooden counter at the front seemed to be well made. It almost reminded me of a Tim Hortons, giving me a cozy feeling which came from the colours, lighting, and furniture. It overall gave a pleasant vibe which didn't make me feel too bad.

Though even then, I wasn't comfortable in the slightest.

How could I be comfortable? I had just been dropped into an anime! An animated show from Japan back in my world was a real world which I was currently inside of somehow! No… It wasn't natural, it didn't make sense, and I didn't feel comfortable in the environment. There was too much different... There was no way I could be fine now, or for the next little while...

But even if I do become accustomed to this environment, it's not Earth. Not at all.

Meaning that there are no toilet seats, there's no two-ply toilet paper, no soap, or shampoo… I was missing my body pillow, my bamboo pillow, and my duvet… The cotton clothing I loved was gone, my shoes changed, the underwear lost. Countless other luxuries from back on Earth wouldn't get even be imagined for a few hundred years! The internet, shoes, video games...

No… Orario was further back in time than my world, and I was without luxuries I used to consider basic.

Sighing, I pushed that thought from my mind as I went over everything once again.

Once I had arrived in the Pantheon, I realized that there were several things I'd need to be able to explain to the inhabitants here, if I was going to survive... One was a reason as to why I didn't know things which should be basic knowledge. Two was a reason as to why I didn't have certain things. Three was a reason as to why I would know what's coming up... Or rather, what hasn't happened yet.

Thankfully, forward planning is one of my few specialties… It's likely that my preparation would pay off, but there was no saying as to how much. After all, with the butterfly effect, there's no possible way to tell just how much my existence altered the universe... But those thoughts were shaken out of my mind as the rather cute girl behind the counter waved me forward.

It was my turn.

"I can help you now sir!" The girl cheerfully called from the reception to the front left of the line, and I walked up to her, putting my hands on top of the counter. "How may the Adventurers Guild help you today?"

The anxiety I was having the entire time in line faded away, replaced with a new feeling. The same one which I felt every time I was talking with someone new… A bit of anxiety at meeting them came up, but for the most part, it was replaced with the desire to be cordial… The desire to get this over with.

"My name's Max, it's a pleasure to meet you… I would like to become officially registered as an Adventurer of Orario, and acquire a license allowing me to go adventuring in the Dungeon." I said plainly, enunciating my words clearly.

It was almost like I was ordering food at a restaurant. Polite, and straight to the point.

"Yes, sir!" The black-haired girl replied, her purple eyes fixing on my blue ones from across the counter. Her angled face, and pointy ears showed she was an elf, and quite a pretty one at that.

Being entirely honest, everyone I've seen so far was good looking. Better looking than me at least.

"We currently have several advisers available… One of them will bring you the paperwork, and talk you through the signing up process, before becoming your full-time adviser from the Adventurers Guild." She said continuing, and I hummed a noise of understanding.

That made sense… It was also safe to assume every adviser had multiple adventurers assigned to them at one time. If that hadn't been the case, then they would need far more staff who would just do nothing half the time, as their adventurers go out on expeditions.

"To your left, there is a conference room for conferring with your adviser. Please, take a seat in booth number six." The girl said nicely and I smiled. It wasn't usual for people to be quite so charming when dealing with you back on Earth.

"Thanks."

"Have a nice day sir."

Walking to the left of the counter, I briefly looked back at the line. It had thinned out considerably… I mentally noted that the time I had arrived was apparently rush hour, and everyone would be going to do their business with the guild at that time.

Looking at my feet as I walked, I noted how the leather shoes which were now my own creased with every step. Seemed like they were good quality boots… At least the universe had given me that much when dropping me here.

Other than giving me a pair of brown boots, the universe had swapped my normal all-black wardrobe of sweat pants and a t-shirt, for a long-sleeved white tunic and brown pants. It was annoying, being in a colour other than black, but it was better than being naked. Yes... Dropping into an anime world naked would've been a far more traumatizing experience.

I rolled up my sleeves as I walked, and my skin was exposed to the crystal powered lights above.

Looking upwards, I checked out the room. There were booths seats made out of green cloth spread about, with about two meters in between the back of one bench, and another. Plenty of space for talking, and enough that you could speak in privacy if you moved away from the other people in the massive space.

All these benches, which were soft and comfortable, and still the homeless slept on the street.

Spotting booth six, I sat down leaning back into the fabric glad to finally be getting a break.

I have been moving around for the past few hours, in a place with no sidewalks, and cobblestone roads… They weren't terrible, but for someone from the twenty-first century who was accustomed to asphalt roads and concrete sidewalks, it wore out your soles quickly. Or rather, stressing for your life while at the same time walking to find a guild for magic people tended to drain you...

My mind drifted a bit as I waited, and it eventually returned to that cute girl at the front desk.

Everyone I've seen so far, or at least every adventurer seemed to be pretty… They had almost flawless skin, toned or muscular physiques, impressively sculpted figures, and colourful personalities. It was such a stark contrast to Earth, at first it had been unsettling. Now, it was actually nice, seeing beauty everywhere I looked.

But there was more to it than beauty, which made me gaze on in wonder.

The people here were connected to an actual force of magic of some kind… No, I don't mean in the emo way of wearing makeup and being edgy as fuck. I mean in the sense that there were entire different races I've only read about in fantasy novels.

Elves, half-elves, humans, dwarves, cat people, prum, gnomes, and so much more.

All of them were somehow altered by the magic of the world and had been made enhanced. Let me tell you, I am a science man and I believe in evolution… But things like cat ears are too cute to be chosen by evolution, and so it must have been magic which has changed the people.

But it seemed like they were probably changed for the better.

From their stocky frames, it was safe to assume dwarves were tougher and stronger than humans. Elves were graceful and quick, but probably fairly squishy in a combat sense. Half-elves were probably similar, but with a more balanced mix of durability and grace.

Cat people were adorable, and already I had to restrain myself from freaking out upon seeing one which looked just like Blake from the anime 'RWBY'. However, they were far from the only oddly charming race here. The gnomes were pleasant to talk to, and had pointy hats and impressively maintained white beards.

Everything here was filled with life, vibrant, and just so different.

What was most important though, is that, unlike when I watched the anime, these people seemed alive. They were all talking, and I was sure they had hopes and dreams, broken hearts and feelings. They were all people, the same as all the people back on Earth. This was a world, which was alive.

Here people weren't sucked into their Snapchat, screwing around on their Facebook, or 'tweeting' out random nonsense. Here, they interacted face to face, while leaving the mental games at the door. Anonymity couldn't save you. This world was one far better than the one I'd left behind, at least in a few ways.

Maybe I would like it here.

'At least now I totally understand why Bell would like to pick up girls in the Dungeon...'

The sound of footsteps against the wooden floor of the mostly empty room drew my gaze, and I had a brief moment to register who it was before frantically looking for a name. After a moment of searching, I had found it and began compiling all the data I could remember... It filtered in slowly but was all there by the time she arrived at the booth.

Eina.

I couldn't remember the last name, but I could say that I knew the first name. She was an elf if I recalled correctly, and zeroing in on her long pointy ears, that seemed almost a certainty. Though, as my eyes continued scanning her face, I noticed a pair of glasses sitting high on her well-defined nose. Sitting on the bridge of her nose, the small pair of what appeared to be corrective lenses were over a pair of bright green eyes, and that nearly threw that theory out the window.

Would an elf need corrective lenses if they were born with greater vision than humans?

While my knowledge on elves wasn't extremely extensive, I was fairly sure they were born with enhanced grace, as well as other physical differences from humans… No, that woman with perfect cheekbones and a brown bob cut wasn't a full elf. So that only left half-elf, or a race I haven't even heard of yet.

Watching as her nice, if partially obscured figure approached, I filed away what the uniform for an adviser looked like. The black vest and slacks were complemented with a white dress shirt, and the entire outfit seemed to fit her perfectly. Upon slightly closer inspection, I noticed just how well it sat on her frame. A well-made outfit.

"Sorry! I was finishing up with another adventurer." She said, arriving slightly out of breath before sliding into the seat across from me. The only thing between us was a small wooden table. "The life of an adviser isn't easy!"

"No problem, I was only waiting for a few minutes, and I'm not exactly in a rush," I said with a smile. There was just something about her personality which made me happy. "My name's Max. it's a pleasure to meet you…"

I left the end of the sentence hanging so she would give me her name, and then I would officially know it, without seeming like a stalker.

"Eina Tulle, at your service." The half-elf said with a nod, before glancing me over. I noticed her eyes twinkle lightly before she continued talking. "You know, it's quite refreshing to have someone introduce themselves so cordially."

"I take it most adventurers aren't quite so polite?" I asked, smiling a bit as she blushed slightly and nodded. It was an adorable gesture, one that I hadn't seen much of on Earth. Not because people on Earth didn't blush, or weren't cute of course.

But simply because I didn't interact with women much.

"That's sadly the case most of the time. They oftentimes think they're better than us regular guild workers, just because they can slay monsters." Eina said, and I could understand where she was coming from.

No matter what world you were on, there was always obnoxious meatheads.

"Well, don't worry. I can't slay monsters at all so you won't have this problem with me." I said, seeing her eyes widen for a second before she laughed. "Not yet at least."

"Really? I'm sure you'll be very good at it in that case." She said, filling me with a brief stint of confidence, which was reassuring in a way before I remembered that I was almost entirely unskilled when it came to combat.

Yeah... I wasn't that impressive.

Really, the most I have ever done with weapons is a bit of fencing at school once, and a lot of screwing around with Nerf swords when I was younger… But that didn't really qualify as training now did it? Not to mention that even then, the shooting with Nerf guns wouldn't help me here either...

Guns still weren't a thing.

"That's nice of you to say." I continued, before looking at her and folding my hands. "But that's not the point… Really, they have no real reason to be rude to advisers. I mean, what would adventurers do without the Adventurers Guild keeping the entire world working for them?"

It was more than a fair point.

From what I had understood from the anime, all the monster drops and all the crystals which dropped were traded into the Adventurers Guild for money… Sure, they could be traded elsewhere, but here it probably had the best exchange rate.

Going off of that knowledge, it was safe to assume they then made sure they were all used to power things, start fires, pay for equipment, and act as a fund for Dungeon maintenance, city maintenance, and infrastructure.

The Adventurers Guild is one of the most, if not the absolute most important organized group in the city.

"That's certainly a good point." She said, smiling at me slightly, before taking out a small leather-bound binder. Just the way she said that made me warm inside, and I felt my hand twitch slightly. "I like you, Max… Or at least, I like you enough to show you all this wonderful paperwork."

Taking in a deep breath, I let it out a moment later, before looking at her.

My hand shaking wasn't normal. Probably a sign of minor anxiety. Just the fact that I was aware of that was strange, and not normal, but I didn't care. Knowing everything about yourself was more important than knowing anything else. Or at least, that was what I had decided a long time ago.

I looked at my hand once more, and it stopped, but the feeling never left. Though still, even as I thought about it, everything calmed down slightly… I hadn't even realized my heart was beating loud enough for me to hear it.

But with the recognition of it, everything was almost blissfully peaceful again.

"Well, that's a lot." In the past ten seconds of me simply breathing, she had dropped an entire stack of paperwork in front of me. Looking at it, she shrugged before leaning back in the seat and looking at me.

"Sorry, but it's necessary if you want to be an adventurer."

"Ah, all those liability forms in the event I don't make it back alive I assume?" I asked humorously, and she didn't even try to deny that's what they were. Looking at them though, I noticed no fine print.

Odds were good that they simply didn't have someone with small enough handwriting to do it, seeing as the printing press had yet to be created.

"Yup! You will first fill out these forms… " Eina said, before standing and gesturing to me. "Would you like a glass of water?"

Only now noticing how dry my mouth and throat had become, I nodded.

I was unbelievably nervous as I read the papers, and as she left, I found that whatever small comfort I took in her presence was gone… It was strange. I almost never got close to people that quickly… Really, there shouldn't be a reason for me to feel so comfortable with her.

Yet I did.

Taking another deep breath, I skimmed over the forms. No fine print, everything was plain as day. There was an ink bottle left in front of my right hand, with a small ink pen beside it…

Reading over the forms quickly, I got the general gist of them.

If I died, nobody in either my familia or family could sue the Adventurers Guild. Anything I do is of my own choice, and I am never forced into anything… There's a section which specifically notes that I can deny anything a guild worker tells me to do. Perhaps that was an oversight, but already I was thinking of a way to abuse that.

Reading further, I found the part where it clarified that wasn't quite the case.

There were some more minor things, like legal details about what would happen if I were to find a new, unmapped part of the Dungeon, but I figured this wouldn't apply to me ever. If I were to go down, odds are, I'd stay on the beaten path. To me, it seemed as though I would either stay on the beaten path or die-off of it.

Reaching forwards, I grasped the pen and brought it to the page.

Signing 'Max' in pleasant cursive everywhere required, I eventually finished leaving behind a neat stack of papers. Once the ink had dried of course. Looking around, I saw Eina approaching a moment later, a mug in her hand.

"Thank you." Reaching upwards, I took it from her hands, as she let me.

"You're welcome."

Sitting down across from me, her hands went forwards, taking the papers and straightening them before she flicked through them, checking for inaccuracies, or bits I missed.

I took a sip of water, the cool liquid rushing down my throat and treating the parched symptoms I'd developed over the day. It was absolutely refreshing. Looking into the cup, I admired how clear it was… It reminded me of how clear it was at home.

Breathing far more easily now, I looked at Eina as she flicked through the papers.

I was comfortable in her presence… Thanks to her and this simple mug of water, I was feeling much calmer, the previous anxiety was gone for now, and the nervous feeling building in my chest vanished. Hopefully, it wouldn't return…

In all honesty, it seemed like it wouldn't for as long as Eina was in my immediate surroundings.

"Alright! Looks like these are all in order Max."

"Great. Now, I assume there's more?" I said with a wince. While I was feeling better, it still wasn't to the point of which I'd like to do more paperwork with this cute girl.

"Yup. Just a bit more, and then we'll give you a brief rundown of adventuring, and how it works." She said, before glancing at the papers, and her brow furrowed for a second. "Though, I did notice that there's no last name on any of the signatures… Any reason?"

Ah, that was a difficult question to answer.

Was I supposed to say it was something nobody could pronounce? Should I say I never learned how to spell it? There were a huge amount of thoughts in my head, but I looked at her and realized she'd know if I was lying… So, what I would do is simple.

I'd tell her the truth.

"I'd prefer not to put my last name down… The name reminds me of home." I said, before continuing. "I probably won't see my family for a long time… I've left them, or maybe they've left me behind, but I won't be seeing them for a very long time Eina."

That was true. Either I had left their world, and been dropped into this one, or they had never been real, to begin with… Meaning I had existed in this world the entire time, trapped in some sort of fantasy. The second one was far less likely, however... My unconscious mind wouldn't have been able to recreate an entire Earth, and all the mechanics inside it.

But there could be more theorizing about how I got to Orario later.

My eyes flicked back up towards Eina, and I saw her briefly purse her lips. Then, she nodded and a sad look came to Eina's eyes. I wasn't the king of social cues, but I was fairly sure that I was correct with my assumptions.

Now, I didn't know a whole lot about Eina Tulle, other than what the anime showed… I had never gotten a chance to read the light novels, and the manga remains unfinished somewhere on my computer back at home… But, it never seemed like she had a tragic backstory that the current understanding on her face seemed to present.

"I can understand being unable to see your family for a long time… I haven't seen my own in too many years to count." She said, before gathering up the papers and putting down some new ones. "Don't worry about putting the last name down."

There was a brief moment of silence, in which it looked like she was about to share something with me… I should've said something then, but I didn't… Curse my awkward self. We all had those faults, those moments in which we could've and should've done something. This was one of those moments, and I hesitated to act. I could've acted, should've acted... I could've been better.

Or at least, I thought so.

"Now, these forms will have to be rewritten every once and a while for the Adventurers Guild." Eina said, continuing explaining for me, as she explained the forms. "They contain a list of your current stats, skills, and other physical statistics so we know who you are and what you can do."

"Will I be getting an ID with all of this on it?" I asked. It was important to have an ID of some kind, but one with all my skills and statistics on it would be unwise. If I were to lose it, the finder would know everything about me.

Which was a bad thing… Information was power.

"You'll be getting an identification card, with your picture, and name, and that's it." She said, before pushing the form towards me to fill out. "If you don't know anything, leave it blank."

I looked at the sheet, and saw that it seemed fairly standard… In fact, it was nearly familiar… Wait a second. This was a character sheet from a role-playing game! I'm not sure which one, but it was awfully similar to something I've seen before.

There was a spot for skills, abilities, stats, and what gear I had on me.

That… That was something I couldn't quite fill out yet.

Mainly, this was due to the fact that I didn't have a 'Blessing'. From what I could vaguely remember from the anime, every adventurer joined a 'Familia' which was run by a certain God, who has come down from Heaven and gained one of these blessings.

With a blessing, their physical attributes, magic affinity, and skills would change.

For example, with a blessing, I would be able to quantify how quick I was, using numbers from one to nine hundred and ninety-nine. Then, I would be able to level up, if I did something even a god would be impressed with, and start the cycle of raising stats all over again.

With the blessing, it's also safe to assume that my body would be far more accepting of magic, and be able to channel it with ease… I couldn't quite recall what they referred to it as, but my body with a blessing would be able to channel more mana, and thus be able to cast more spells and more powerful spells.

Then, there were skills.

So far, the only skill I remembered was Bell's skill: 'Liaris Freese' I think it was called. Due to his feelings for Aiz Wallenstein, the skill manifested and would let him grow stupidly quick. There were probably other more practical skills, which were less overpowered, but you got the idea. In general, they'd make me more powerful in combat.

It was for reasons like the above, that I needed a blessing.

Something I didn't have yet.

Shaking my head, I grabbed the pen. I could still fill out some of the forms. During my thinking earlier, I had prepared for this, and a way to explain why I wasn't able to put down my skills and stats if asked. Not to mention, I had realized which Familia it made the most sense to fake be a part of.

Name: Max

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Height: 5' 8''

Weight: 153 lbs.

Eyes: Blue

Hair: Brown

I… I wasn't a particularly impressive looking person. Of a moderate build and frame, I stood about five foot eight. I wasn't jacked, or rippling with muscle like some superhero, or tone like all those swimmers and dancers everyone likes writing about so much. My face was normal, with no astounding features and none of the terrifying scars most people tended to 'have' when they were inserted into a fantasy world.

I was just average and totally fine with that. (Though if you were to ask me, I'd say I'm slightly more handsome than your average Joe. No offence to any Joes in the audience.)

Even when I was simply thinking about myself, a lock of brown hair slumped into my face, and I blew it out of the way. Here, I would need to save every penny, meaning that there was no real haircut anytime soon for me.

That's simply the way it would be.

As my mind returned to the form, I left the stats, skills, and gear tabs unfilled, before I saw the familia box, and dipped the pen into the small inkpot once more. In a brand new world, and I'm already lying… Why must we humans be so naturally corrupt?

Looking up to Eina, I saw her looking the other way. Hopefully, she'd understand if I changed it later… Or just plain told her later. About everything. Earth, the future... The backstories of those around her... I could say so much, and it would be so easy... But that would change far too many things. No, I would simply have to remain in the moment.

So, I did remain in the moment and wrote my fake Familia.

Familia: Ganesha

There were very few things I remembered about the anime… Thankfully, when I was thinking and remembering earlier, one of the things I did remember came to mind… Monsterphilia. Run by the God of the Masses, Ganesha, it was a massive tournament-style event held every year.

But more importantly, it was run by a large familia, which was boisterous, loud, and probably only kind of organized.

The Ganesha Familia's god was boisterous, and probably bad with paperwork. The odds that something would get lost and I would cease to exist on his side was good, meaning that he'd never know, and the Adventurers Guild would never get confirmation that I was a part of his familia.

Meaning that, until I was properly in a Familia, I would be able to essentially 'hide' in his.

It wasn't a foolproof plan. For all I knew, they could keep extensive records of the calorie count of everyone in the familia… But running the odds, I knew that the odds were best if I simply assumed that yes, things would work out if I chose to put his name down.

"Sorry for not having more to fill in… Just got my blessing a few days ago, and since then I haven't had a chance to get Ganesha to read me my stats." I said, handing her the forms. What a relief that was… I remembered how Hestia straddled Bell to read his stats, and I did not want an elephant god of the 'masses' to straddle my waist!

Not in the slightest.

I could only imagine how uncomfortable it would be, with him pressing down into me like that.

"I could read you your stats if you'd like." She offered, but I shook my head. I had a theory, which I had never confirmed, but it would make sense to someone not in a Familia I think.

'Though, the thought of her doing to me, what Hestia does to Bell is a far more appealing thought.'

"Sorry, but Ganesha locked them, and to my understanding, that means you can't read them right?" I said, phrasing the last bit like a question, as the half-elf across from me appeared to give a nod of understanding. "Sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it then. Gods locking the stats of their adventurers isn't something uncommon." She said quickly, and I nodded. So I was right after all… There had to be some way Hestia was keeping that skill hidden from Bell for so long.

"I can only imagine that Ganesha is very busy, what with Monsterphilia just two months away," Eina said, answering a question for me… "But don't worry. I'm sure he will find a chance to spend some time with his family sometime soon."

I nodded at what she said, but not about him spending time with me. I nodded at her comment about when Monsterphilia was.

Running through all my memories, if I was remembering correctly, then Monsterphilia was once a year. That meant that if it was this year that Bell got to Orario, I was here about a month before he gets to Orario…

Then, I think he would stay with Hestia for two weeks, going into the Dungeon, where he'd be chased by a minotaur. From there, he should go on a few minor adventures and things, before finally he would end up attending Monsterphilia, and getting the Hestia Knife.

I knew where in the timeline I was.

"Yeah, I'm sure Ganesha will find some time to spend with me… I'm new, but he saw something in me… Hopefully, they give me some kind of training." I said, casually, hoping to lead into this next bit as normally as possible.

'Guide the conversation... Don't push it.'

"Speaking of which, do you know if there's anybody who teaches new adventurers how to fight? Properly I mean?" I asked her, before leaning forwards slightly as Eina fixed her glasses. The green orbs that were her irises seemed to burn brighter when I asked my question.

"Sadly, no. Everyone that can fight, is normally in the Dungeon… They don't make much money outside of the Dungeon, compared to what they'd make inside." She said, and I slumped slightly. That was disappointing in more ways than one.

As someone with no skill, going into this Dungeon would be tough without any training.

"Though, that's a great question to ask. Too often people run in, without thinking about how skilled they actually are." She said, waving her hands slightly. "It's always a shame when that happens."

"Yeah, but I assume they don't make it too far before they have to return to the surface?" I asked, and Eina nodded her head. Ah, that certainly made sense, for multiple reasons.

"On floors one and two, we have small parties of part-time adventurers sweep through every half hour to assist struggling adventurers, and hopefully rescue them from a terrible fate." She said, the half-elf taking a brief break before I looked at her.

"Though, that's not to say you should grow confident! We can't save you every time Max…" Eina said, and I smiled. I wouldn't be overconfident… I was never overconfident. However, I was occasionally self-assured.

"So, it seems I should be an adventurer who isn't too adventurous?" I said, looking Eina directly in the eye, seeing them widen for a second before the green irises rapidly flicked over my face. It appears as though she liked that line.

Something I very well knew.

If I could just remember a few key facts, about a few key characters, I could control this city. I could be loved by everyone, and control them all… I could keep them happy, and safe. Prevent futures which weren't meant to happen... But that would also be too breaking, and then I would lose that control... If there's one thing you should know about me...

It's that I love being in control.

"Max, I think this is the start of a beautiful partnership between us." The cute girl sitting across from me said, before clasping her hands and leaning forward to the table.

"Really?" I responded as best I could, trying not to show that I'd slightly zoned out there for a moment. "Does that mean you're officially my new adviser?"

"Yup!" She said, and I laughed as my cheeks went a bit red at just the cute way she said it. Such a simple statement and I was already turning into mush… It was almost sad how easily I was able to be manipulated.

Thanks, Earth, for not at all preparing me for cute girls.

"I suppose I am… Anyways, can we go over the things I need to know for being a slightly competent adventurer?" I asked hopefully, trying not to keep us in awkward silence, or uncomfortable point at all.

"Yup!" She said, before putting the papers to the side of the table. I could only assume that she would take them with her as she left. "Now, I'm going to give you a quick rundown on how adventuring works, and how you will collaborate with the Adventurers Guild to further enhance your experience okay?"

"Sounds perfect Eina."

"Let us start by breaking down the few types of adventurers… Explorers, Historians, Cleaners, Mercenaries, Enforcers, and Supporters." She listed out, and already my mind was whirling about, trying to decipher the names.

There were only so many things they could mean, and some were self-explanatory.

The only two I couldn't figure out the purpose of from a first hearing of the names were: 'Cleaners' and 'Enforcers'... Though, I was sure that Eina, my official and trusted adviser as of a minute ago would go over it now.

"Explorers, are the most common type of adventurer in the Dungeon."

"Their main job, as explorers, is, naturally, to explore the Dungeon, going as deep as they can, before returning to the surface, to document their findings in our Guild archives," Eina said, and I nodded along with understanding. "Commonly, they will make maps as they continue downwards, and take the stones from the monsters they kill, so that they can trade the magical gems to us, the Adventurers Guild, for Valis."

"I'm going to bet that I end up an 'Explorer' type adventurer?" I asked. That wasn't a bad fate, and certainly better than being a supporter.

Though, especially for me.

While I didn't really have a problem carrying a bag around all day, provided I was given the correct treatment of people, I had some scars on my back from where acne had gotten me pretty bad… They were almost entirely healed now, and not noticeable unless you were looking for them now, but I would still avoid irritating them wherever possible.

"That's correct. You most likely will be an 'Explorer' type Adventurer to begin with, and where you go from there is entirely your decision." Eina said, taking out a form and laying it in front of me.

My eyes went over it, and I saw that it was something I would sign to make myself an official Explorer type Adventurer. I assumed automatically given that this form was a thing, that there would be one individual form for all the other kinds also.

It was a decently designed system.

"'Supporter' type adventurers, are different. They too carry a blessing, but focus more on supporting the other types rather than killing things themselves." Eina said, and I thought about Lili… The only named 'Supporter' type adventurer from my memory.

She carried a backpack far too large for her frame.

"They commonly carry extra gear and collect magical stones, so that 'Explorer' types can focus on slaying the monsters and keeping them both safe." The half-elf continued, smiling slightly. "It's a mutually beneficial arrangement. The Supporter gets paid and remains safe, the Explorer makes more money and has some backup."

"Ah, kind of like you and me are mutually beneficial," I said, looking at her as she raised a nicely kept eyebrow. "You know… I get the delight of your presence, and you get my magic stones."

Taken in a slightly more sexual context, that could've been quite the suggestive line.

She laughed slightly at that, and I smiled despite myself. Making people laugh had always been a favourite part of my life… Class clown? Not quite. Witty? Sometimes. But, that was a reason as to why I wrote so much comedy.

Being humorous, and knowing people laugh in joy because of my work makes me feel good.

"While that may not be true, I suppose that could be a model for how it works." She said, humouring me in return before continuing. "Now, 'Mercenary' type adventurers fight for a price, mainly in the overworld, after a career of clearing the Dungeon… Though some go straight into it."

"I assume they're used mainly for raising armies quickly?"

That was a fair enough suggestion, and certainly correct. In fact, the only reason I asked was so that I didn't seem too knowledgeable… After all, the common folk of the kingdom weren't exactly treated to history courses, and wouldn't know half the things I do, about history, and the way politics works.

So, I played dumb.

"That's correct. Whether for defence, or attack, if you have enough money, and the group is fine being rented to you, then anyone could raise an army." Eina said. "Though the amount of people with that much money is far, and few between… Unless you're like the Adventurer's Guild and have large stocks of raw material, it's uncommon for armies like this to be made."

"Okay, so I won't worry about that much for now… Besides selling my body for money is kind of… Well, not my style really." I said, before looking at her eyes, and the way the skin around them crinkled ever so slightly.

She was close to smiling at my comment. Interesting.

"Next up, are Cleaners. Their main purpose is to stop any, and all monsters from breaching out of the Dungeon and out into the city. They also help contain breaches… However, they do not clear anything outside of the city limits, unless it's very close." Eina said, being sure to stress the last part.

Okay… That meant that it was possible for monsters to spawn outside of the city.

Interesting… If that was the case, it would technically possible for someone like me to kill them and gain money through their magical stones. Meaning, I wouldn't even have to enter the Dungeon to make money as an 'adventurer'.

Of course, that would only be a last resort.

"Enforcers are the kind of Adventurer that does jobs for the Adventurers Guild. Things like patrolling the upper floors, and running required expeditions, is done by them, as well as the policing, and enforcing of laws in the Dungeon." She said, and that made me think.

That implied that there were laws in the Dungeon.

What I had previously thought to be a lawless land, in which anything goes as long as you survive, and have a working moral compass, was, in fact, a poorly regulated place meant to be policed… At least, on the upper floors.

The lower you went, the fewer Enforcers, and then, you'd be totally at the mercy of whoever's moral compass owned the blade at your neck.

The more I learned about the Dungeon, the more I was reassured that I'd survive in the upper levels, and in the lower levels probably die… Well, that's probably an overstatement, I wouldn't die in the lower levels.

I'm not skilled... The middle levels is as far as I'm making it.

"Enforcers sound like they're useful, but how far do they really take enforcing the laws? A slap on the wrist, or a dagger to the gut?" I asked my adviser, letting that question sit a second before continuing. "Because while I don't plan on breaking any rules, I can't exactly feel comfortable with tyrants who are murderous psychopaths."

Perhaps my wording could've been improved there…

Eina laughed, as I was brought back to the moment, and my eyes fixed on the green seat she was sitting on. She was in that position for a moment longer before adjusting. "Don't worry Max, they're not about to murder you for not checking in or out."

"Ah… Sorry, guess I'm just a bit paranoid." I said, before realizing something, which she realized also. Ah, this would be a bother… Hopefully, Eina wouldn't bring it up, and would simply assume it has to do with where I came from as a person.

"Don't worry, it's fine… We have all sorts of people who are Adventurers, and a paranoid Adventurer isn't anything new." The half-elf said in a way which should've been reassuring but was instead scary for me. "If they apply, it's very rare we turn them away."

Superpowered people with mental problems… Wasn't that basically the plot of Suicide Squad?

Shaking my head, I thought back to the list, remembering the last kind of adventurer. "You only have to explain the 'Historian' type of adventurer now… I assume they confirm events?"

Eina raised her eyebrow at me but overall nodded.

"Historians a type of adventurer who simply follows large parties, to confirm feats and accomplishments, either for personal use or for the Adventurers Guild," Eina said, and I slightly warmed up to the idea of being one.

Just watching? Sounds fine to me.

"They watch every key event that happens in the Dungeon, gives it a timestamp and then reports back to whoever it is they're there collecting information for." My adviser said, taking a breath and a sip of water from her own mug before I remembered I had one and took a sip myself.

"Don't misunderstand though, 'Historian' type adventurers are important." She said, seemingly trying to warm me up to the idea even more, but I shook my head. It wasn't for me.

Clasping her hands, she placed them on the table in front of me before smiling in my direction. It was a small thing and didn't seem uncommon on her features. This was probably her real smile, the one she reserved for people who deserved it.

I hadn't thought that I'd done that well in the interview, but if she disagreed, I was not complaining in the slightest. The smile made her eyes far friendlier, and it was almost as though a previously hidden grace came over her features, making everything sharper, and far more defined.

"So now, Max… We'll choose your gear soon, and the payment will work like this: It will be put onto your tab, and you'll pay it off when you can, by making money in the Dungeon…" Eina said, before taking the cork out of the ink bottle once more and placing it in front of me. "But first, you've got to decide what kind of adventurer you're going to be."

I looked at the bottle, and it was almost like it was looking back at me… My reflection staring at me from the slanted side of the bottle.

There was a certain amount of papers in front of me, each labelling the benefits and cons of becoming each of the adventurer types, as well as the terms I would sign under. Selecting the first one, I briefly shuddered in anticipation.

This was it.

This was a contract, binding me here, and keeping me from going home. There would be no way, that after signing this, my life would be the same… Everything would change, and for the first few months, or even years, it would be an uphill climb.

Everything would hurt, day after day, until it stopped.

But then again, what's wrong with that? Me, I wasn't pampered, but I had never truly toughened up… While my life wasn't all sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows everywhere, and had its fair share of moments I'd like to forget for my own good, my life has been good so far… Worth living that's for sure.

Hardship builds character.

While personally, I don't agree with that too much, there was some truth to the statement. Character is created by the environment, experiences, people you meet, the places you see. The things you learn, the way you think. All of that is what made a character.

Hardship was only a part of the wide, all-encompassing picture of someone's life.

While it was understandable that going through hardship may bring character, it's not black and white like that. People, humans, everybody at the end of the day is fragile, in body and mind. Some can take what others most certainly can't, and under that hardship, they break.

But now… Would I be one of those who break?

Or one of those who come out stronger, like steel from a crucible?

I always classified myself as smart, in the way that I could solve problems, but I had never truly had situations to challenge me… There had been nothing to push me to the absolute limit, and that had constantly caused me to be plagued with boredom. How could I improve without pushing the limits of what I could do, time after time?

That's the thing… You can't improve without pushing yourself. It's a simple fact of life.

Perhaps it's the perfectionist in me or the side of me that needed a happy ending… Perhaps it was the desire to feel good about me, to finally feel alive, but it was resounding in me. The rush ran through my spine, and outwards to my extremities.

This was a simple choice to make.

I looked from where I had been focussing on the paper, and took the ink pen from the table, dipping it into the inkpot before bringing it down onto the paper. The entire time, my mind was unbinding itself from the rigid schedules of Earth, as my face heated up as I thought about every moment I was spending here, with a cute girl looking at me.

"No matter what comes at me in that Dungeon, no matter what comes at me in this city, and no matter what I face against in these next years of my life, you should know something about me Eina."

"And what is that?" She said, her voice coming back to my ears, even as I smiled slightly. The ink made a tiny blot on the paper, but I barely noticed. I had been waiting forever to say something like this.

"Against all odds, I'll end up being the second greatest adventurer you ever advise."

Then with an extravagant flourish, my signature was done, and I had begun my own epic… My own adventure, in this wonderful world.

~o0o~ The Empty Thrones ~o0o~

Note: Here's the first chapter done! Hopefully, you enjoyed what you've read so far. I've also got a second chapter typed in advance, which I'll release a week from today before everything returns to normal.

Now, the explanation behind this fic? Let me give it to you.

This story's general concept came to me about a year ago and has since been sitting in my files for ages before I finally decided to go through with it. Of course, the lack of a plotline got in the way, but I got some help from my fellow writers, Random O' Panda and WarrenDSherman, and the plot essentially wrote itself. Also thanks to Smstanton, who gave invaluable advice for proceeding in a first-person writing format.

But seriously… I'm excited as hell for what I have planned.

So, we'll see what happens. If you've noticed any strange bits with the tenses, spelling errors, or inaccuracies, please feel free to leave it in a review. Odds are, I've either done it entirely wrong, or it was done for a very specific person.

Either way, for now, you should all just have a wonderful evening.

-DragonManMax