After parting ways with the Loki Familia, Ryota followed the stream of people onto the wide avenue before him.
The street stretched straight and broad, paved with pristine white stone slabs. Shops lined both sides in neat, orderly rows, and the air was alive with the mingled aromas of grilled meat, spices, and warm sunlight.
He wandered aimlessly, occasionally glancing up at the towering pinnacle of Babel Tower, or turning his head to observe the vendors enthusiastically hawking their wares.
A rare sense of curiosity and freshness shone in his eyes.
"This place is surprisingly lively."
If his somewhat blurry memories were accurate, Orario had eight main streets just like this one.
Viewed from above, these eight main avenues cut through the city like blades slicing a cake, dividing Orario neatly into eight wedge-shaped districts.
Currently, he should be on the busiest of them all—the Northern Mainstreet.
His eyes passed over the street musicians, snack stands, street performers, and couples strolling hand-in-hand beneath the sunshine. Suddenly, a long-forgotten emotion stirred in his chest.
"Guess I stayed in that trial space for way too long."
"Now that I'm suddenly back among people, it feels a little weird."
He found an empty bench and sat down, quietly observing the bustling crowds as he momentarily lost himself in thought.
Sunlight filtered through the clouds, falling gently onto Ryota's shoulders, warm and comforting.
"Humans really are social creatures after all..."
"It's surprising I didn't go crazy after isolating myself for half a year."
The days spent in the trial space were monotonous, oppressive, and lonely.
Each day was nothing but endless training and casting Fire Style jutsu at empty air.
To put it bluntly, Ryota could even recite the sound of the wind by heart.
"Come to think of it, maybe I'm actually a bit scary?"
He grinned lightly to himself, but his eyes showed a rare, genuine relaxation.
Ryota sat there for several minutes, gazing up at the sky and watching people pass by, silently immersing himself in the rhythm of the city.
Only when a passing carriage blocked out the sunlight did he finally rise, stretching his shoulders lightly.
"Alright, guess it's time to get down to business."
"First, find a place to stay... Then figure out exactly which 'time anchor' Orario is currently at."
"Better see if those 'familiar faces' have appeared yet."
He murmured softly,
"Only after understanding the situation can I choose a proper Familia."
"Can't just randomly join one and end up being used as a chess piece by some scheming god. If that happens, all that mental training would've gone to waste."
Having made up his mind, Ryota turned towards a quieter part of the street. Around a corner of Northern Mainstreet, a peaceful side alley came into view.
He walked down the paved path for a few dozen meters. Sure enough, at another corner, he spotted a deep-blue wooden signboard adorned with a delicate silver crescent moon design, accompanied by a modest line of words:
[Moon Pavilion Inn & Restaurant]
"That's a pretty tasteful name."
Without hesitation, Ryota pushed open the wooden door and stepped inside.
Immediately upon entering, a faint, refreshing scent of herbs greeted him.
Behind the counter, a middle-aged man wearing a deep-green cloak slowly opened his eyes, waking from a half-asleep state. To be precise, a middle-aged elf.
Ryota approached and spoke first:
"Boss, I'd like a room."
The elf glanced at him briefly, a faint look of disdain flashing through his green-golden eyes, his lips curling slightly downward. Clearly, this prideful elf wasn't particularly fond of humans.
"One night, 800 Valis. Two nights, 1500."
Ryota nodded, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out three small magic stones glowing faintly blue and placed them on the counter.
"Exactly three stones."
"Can you exchange these?"
The elf innkeeper glanced at the stones, confirming their quality before sweeping them into a compartment beneath the counter.
"Acceptable."
Ryota inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
He hadn't yet had time to exchange magic stones for Valis, but earlier on the street he'd noticed many transactions directly using magic stones, meaning these were essentially universal currency.
This was useful information discovered by chance.
However, the flicker of greed in the elf's eyes told Ryota he'd probably lost out a bit on this deal.
"Looks like exchanging at the Guild would be more cost-effective after all."
The elf tossed him a small key labeled [202], pointing vaguely behind Ryota.
"Second floor, second room on your left."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Ryota took the key, prepared to head upstairs, but paused as he suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, boss, is there a place nearby that's especially busy or popular?"
The elf innkeeper replied with disinterest, his tone flat as if reciting from a report:
"The Fifth District."
"Any excitement you can think of, it's there."
Ryota thanked him again and turned toward the creaky wooden stairs.
Climbing the short staircase and rounding a narrow corner, he quickly found his room.
Inserting the key with a gentle click, the door swung open.
The room wasn't large, but it was surprisingly tidy.
Ryota shut the door, took off his outer garment and draped it casually over a chair, before lying down on the bed.
Hands folded behind his head, he gazed up at the slightly aged yet clean ceiling, gradually relaxing.
After sleeping on nothing but stone slabs in the trial space, lying on a "bed that bounced a little" felt so nostalgic it was almost moving.
His consciousness slowly blurred, waves of sleepiness gently washing over him. Just as his eyelids were about to close—
Tap tap tap—!
Suddenly, hurried footsteps echoed down the hallway outside.
Then came a loud bang!
His door, barely closed for a moment, was violently kicked open, slamming against the wall with a resounding crash.
In an instant, Ryota shot upright, his figure flickering as he entered combat readiness in a heartbeat, the three tomoe in his Sharingan eyes spinning rapidly.
Standing in the doorway was a figure with vivid red hair, lips curled into a playful grin, hands casually tucked into pockets, giving off a lazy, carefree vibe.
Yet the most noticeable feature was undoubtedly her permanently narrowed eyes.
The red-haired woman squinted at Ryota, her lips curving upward slightly:
"Tsk tsk tsk, no Falna, yet able to blast out a massive crater like that... But she never mentioned you had such pretty eyes."
"Hey rookie, wanna join my Loki Familia?!"
Ryota froze in stunned silence for a few seconds.
Holy crap—Loki herself just came knocking at my door?!