Orario, the Labyrinth City.
In a pitch-black alleyway, a flash of white light erupted, and a young boy suddenly appeared out of thin air.
With a heavy thud, the boy hit the ground, the sound startling the rats scavenging through the nearby trash heaps.
"Ugh... that hurts."
Roland opened his eyes, propping up his heavy body with his hands. He sat huddled on the ground, his fingers gently rubbing his forehead.
"Where am I? I remember I was just at home playing games..." Roland looked around, his eyes wide with confusion. He was surrounded by unfamiliar, yellowish earthen walls, and a faint, foul stench hung in the air.
Looking down at his palms, he saw a pair of clean, tender hands. He quickly checked his body and realized his height had shrunk significantly—he was now only about 1.5 meters tall, appearing like a thirteen-year-old boy.
The sudden transformation filled him with dread. Roland braced his hand against the wall to push himself up and staggered out of the dim alley.
The brilliant sunlight stung his eyes, forcing him to blink rapidly. As his vision cleared, he took in his surroundings. The streets were teeming with people, but there wasn't a single modern building in sight. Instead, it was a scene straight out of the Middle Ages, with people dressed in outfits found only in fantasy novels.
The crowd consisted of individuals clad in armor made of leather and metal, equipped with all manner of weaponry. Animal-eared girls and elven maidens with long, pointed ears walked side-by-side, carrying bamboo baskets to shop at various stalls.
In the distance stood a colossal tower that pierced the heavens. Its peak disappeared into the clouds, leaving one to wonder just how high it truly went. It reminded Roland of the Tower of Babel from the Bible—the tower built by a united humanity in hopes of reaching paradise.
"So... what is this place? Did I actually transmigrate? I'm just an ordinary guy... please don't mess with me," Roland muttered to himself.
He gave his thigh a hard pinch, using the sharp pain to force himself to calm down. Though his body shook uncontrollably from fear, he managed to pull himself back into the alley and sit down.
Calm down. I need to figure out the situation. Where am I? What happened?
He forced his mind to work. First, I've definitely transmigrated. Those beast-eared girls and elves didn't look like they were wearing headbands or props; they were real.
Roland processed the information he had gathered. Next, these people carry weapons and armor—even staves. That means this is a world of swords and magic.
The bustling sounds of the street drifted into the alley.
"Wow! It's Captain Alise Lovell, the 'Scarlet Flower' of the Astrea Familia!"
"And the Vice-Captain, Gojouno Kaguya, known as 'Yamato Rindou'! Plus 'Gale' Ryu Lion and 'Sly Cat' Lyra!"
A sudden commotion broke out. Though Roland didn't know why he could understand their language, he didn't have time to dwell on it. He poked his head out to look.
A girl with vibrant red hair and a short sword at her waist waved enthusiastically to the crowd. Behind her followed three other girls: a black-haired woman with squinted eyes wearing a Japanese kimono; a golden-haired elven girl in hot pants and a mask; and a petite girl with short pink hair.
They look familiar... and 'Familia'... I've heard that somewhere before. And I can actually understand them, Roland thought.
Ryu Lion... Familia... and that tower... Wait, is this Danmachi?
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?—simply known as Danmachi. This was a world where various races lived in harmony. Humans weren't the only intelligent species; there were Elves, Beastmen, Dwarves, and even "Gods."
In this world, the Labyrinth City, Orario, was the center of the world, housing the largest underground labyrinth in existence.
Because the Gods were nearly immortal, their lives were far longer than those of any other species. Endless ages had left them bored and hollow. Consequently, they descended to the mortal realm, sealing their divine powers to live among humans.
They bestowed "Divine Grace" upon mortals, giving them the potential to grow stronger and survive in a world infested with monsters. These groups were known as "Familias." To gain power, one had to join a Familia led by a deity.
As a city created by both gods and mortals, countless beings yearned to come here, join a Familia, and become adventurers to realize their dreams.
However, achieving those dreams was no easy feat. Receiving Grace didn't mean one would instantly become a god-like warrior. Only through rigorous training, tempering the mind and body, and achieving "Great Feats" by defeating monsters stronger than oneself could one level up. Every step was incredibly difficult, and many lost their lives in the process.
So, how am I supposed to join a Familia? Looking like this, I'm clearly a weakling who couldn't even beat a chicken. I might be even worse off than Bell was at the start of the series, Roland thought bitterly.
Just then, a familiar melody echoed in his ears, and a character selection panel suddenly appeared before his eyes, displaying a countdown.
[3...][2...][1...]
Before Roland could react, the screen had already made a choice.
[Dungeon & Fighter Character: Magician (Male). Commencing body reconstruction.]
As the text appeared, a heart-wrenching pain exploded through Roland's body. It felt as if his limbs were being peeled away and his organs were being rearranged. It was as if a spike was being driven into his skull. His fingers shook uncontrollably as he collapsed, thrashing on the ground.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Roland's screams echoed through the dark alley. The agony was too much for his consciousness to bear; the thread of his sanity snapped, and he blacked out.
"Hey, what happened?" A clear voice called out just before he lost consciousness.
...
When he opened his eyes again, Roland saw a pristine white ceiling.
"An unfamiliar ceiling... Was I rescued?"
As he pushed himself up, he immediately noticed a change. If his body had felt like a rickety bicycle before—tiring easily—it now felt like an electric vehicle, filled with the boundless energy of childhood.
Though he was still in the body of a child, he felt a surge of power flowing through him, as if he could leap several meters in a single bound.
"Are you awake? Is anything still hurting?" A crisp voice asked.
Standing beside him was a girl with silver hair and violet eyes, wearing a blue-and-white short dress and a white cap.
Roland froze for a moment before quickly replying, "I'm fine. Thank you for helping me. May I ask where I am?"
"This is the infirmary of the Dian Cecht Familia. The members of the Astrea Familia said you had no external injuries but had collapsed in an alley. They thought you might be cursed, so they brought you here," the girl replied.
"I see. And you are...?"
"I am Amid Teassanare of the Dian Cecht Familia. I'm a healer. If you're ever injured or sick, you can come find me."
The Saint of the Battlefield... but looking at her now, it seems I've arrived early. The main story hasn't started yet, Roland thought while looking at her.
"Miss Amid, have the people from the Astrea Familia left yet?"
"No, not yet. Would you like me to call them?"
"If it's not too much trouble. I'd like to thank them."
"Alright. Please wait here; I'll be right back," Amid said before leaving.
A few minutes later.
"Hi hi! Are you awake yet?" Before the person even entered, an enthusiastic voice filled the room.
"Please don't be so loud, Miss Alise."
"Okay~! I'm coming in now!" The energetic voice was infectious.
Knock, knock.
"Please, come in," Roland said, straightening his clothes and bedsheets.
Five girls entered: the four from the Astrea Familia and Amid.
"Wow, I didn't get a good look when we brought him in, but this kid is so cute!" Alise exclaimed in surprise.
"True. And like Ryu, he's an Elf," the Prum girl, Lyra, added.
"Indeed. At least he looks better than this dim-witted, useless Elf here," Kaguya teased with a smile, glancing at the elven girl beside her.
"You... you jerk..." Ryu gritted her teeth.
An Elf? Me? Roland was startled. He quickly felt his ears. Fortunately, they were only slightly pointed and a bit longer than before—not much different from his original ears.
"Is something wrong? Do you still feel unwell?" Alise asked with concern. The others watched him closely.
"No, I'm fine now. I was just thinking about how to thank you all." Being stared at by so many girls made Roland a bit restless.
"Ah! We haven't asked for your name yet. I'm Alise. These are Kaguya, Lyra, and Ryu Lion," Alise said, pointing to her companions.
"I'm Roland. Thank you again for saving me."
"Roland, huh? You don't need to keep thanking us. If you're feeling better, do you need us to take you back to your Familia? Orario is a bit chaotic right now, and you're still recovering." Alise's cheerful voice echoed in the room.
"Um... I haven't joined a Familia. This is actually my first time in Orario."
"Oh dear, collapsing in an alley on your first day? Talk about bad luck. Since you weren't injured, I almost thought you were being bullied."
"Alise! That's rude!" Kaguya scolded, hitting Alise with a light karate chop to the head.
"Classic Idiot Captain, saying something so tactless. Right, Ryu?" Lyra giggled.
"...I suppose?" Ryu answered awkwardly.
The other three laughed together.
"Well, if there's nothing else, I'll take my leave. I have other patients to attend to," Amid interrupted.
"Alright. Thanks for everything, Amid-chan!"
"It was nothing." Amid gently closed the door and left.
"Um... this is a bit hard to say, but I don't have any money on me. Could I... pay for the treatment later?" Roland asked sheepishly. "I'll find a way to pay you back."
"Hmm, well, I don't really mind the money, but seeing how determined you look, I guess I can't just say no."
"I know! Why don't you join our Familia?" Alise suddenly shouted, as if struck by a brilliant idea.
"Eh!?" All four of them were shocked.
"If you join us, you won't have to pay us back, right?"
"Alise! What are you saying? Don't just make decisions on a whim!" Lyra complained.
"Idiot Captain, are you just being impulsive again? Our Familia is all girls!" Kaguya said, a vein popping on her forehead as she glared at Alise.
"Um... shouldn't the decision to join be up to Lady Astrea?" Ryu added seriously.
"I have a feeling that Roland joining us will be a good thing. So, let's go back and ask Lady Astrea if he can stay!" Alise declared proudly.