Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

'Her presence has grown far stronger than when she was Lv.5—at a rough estimate, it's three, maybe even four times more powerful.'

Bell gauged the increase in the Sword Princess's power from her aura alone.

'That's only a boost in base stats. Factoring in personal skills, the Sword Princess's overall strength has likely increased by around five times—and that's just at the starting point of Lv.6.'

'That kind of leap is massive.'

Even his initial estimate had left Bell surprised. Thanks to having a more accurate understanding of the Sword Princess's strength, he was able to grasp the scale of her advancement more precisely.

Just reaching a new level could result in such a stark difference—it was no wonder Adventurers in Orario were so focused on leveling up rather than polishing their stats to the limit before advancing.

Unfortunately, those who leveled up without refining themselves were the most foolish.

It wasn't that they lacked potential—it was that they gave up on it by choice.

'The Dungeon's influence really is something.'

The lower-ranked Adventurers had grown lazy. That comfort had made them forget the meaning of "adventure" itself. No wonder reviving the age of heroes was so difficult now.

...

Soon, the mock battle inside the training yard resumed.

Bete and Tiona both came equipped with their First-Class weapons, and Ais did the same.

The moment the match started, the three of them clashed instantly.

Tiona led the charge, swinging her massive double blades horizontally at Ais. Forged from a special ultra-hardened steel, her blades weren't just absurdly heavy—they also carried devastating force, enough to slice through even monsters of the same level in a single swing.

Clang!

Ais raised her "Desperate" and blocked the strike with ease. At the same time, she crouched under Bete's kick, then pivoted swiftly—thrusting at Tiona to force her back, before landing a kick to send Bete flying.

Their fierce assault was broken effortlessly—and not just with greater power, but with superior speed as well.

It wasn't magic—just pure, physical strength.

The difference was overwhelming.

Anyone with battle sense could see that Bete and Tiona stood no chance against Ais.

Of course, "anyone" in this case meant Lv.4s and Lv.5s who could follow the fight. To everyone else, the speed was beyond what the eye could track.

Bell, too, could see everything—and more clearly than anyone else. So his conclusion came easily.

'Two-on-one, yet she's handling them with ease. It's like a Lv.5 facing five Lv.5s at peak condition. They're not even close.'

'And the Sword Princess just hit Lv.6. Her body and reflexes haven't fully adjusted yet. Compared to a seasoned Lv.6, she's still a step behind, probably only performing at about three times the level of a Lv.5.'

'But even so, the gap is still glaring.'

The difference between Lv.5 and Lv.6 was far wider than expected. Right now, the Sword Princess even surpassed the Guardian of the Corrupted Spirit's Fetus by a considerable margin.

'It's likely all that refinement and buildup from before gave her the most tangible improvement post-upgrade. No wonder—she nearly maxed out her limits at Lv.5.'

Bete and Tiona kept pressing the attack. Their coordination wasn't bad—they'd fought side by side countless times, so they naturally had some synergy.

But even with that, it wasn't enough to shift the tide. In fact, the longer it dragged on, the worse things got.

Bell watched quietly, shaking his head.

'Right now, the Sword Princess's reaction speed and strength far surpass a typical Lv.5, and her body and mind are syncing more with each exchange. Her performance is still rising. Meanwhile, Vanargand and Crusher can't even manage a synergy that surpasses the sum of their parts. There's no way they can force the Sword Princess into a corner like this.'

Though Vanargand and Crusher were outmatched by the current Sword Princess, Bell could tell from their performance that they had reached the peak of Lv.5 themselves. What they lacked wasn't skill—but opportunity.

The problem was, the Sword Princess had magic like Ariel—versatile and effective in both offense and defense. Vanargand and Crusher had nothing comparable. That was the root reason they couldn't challenge the Floor Boss like she could.

They lacked the means to reverse the tide of battle.

Compared to the Sword Princess, who possessed that turning point magic, they were more than a step behind.

But her overwhelming dominance only served to prove one thing.

'The higher your level, the more pronounced the gaps become—even among those at the same rank, the difference can feel as vast as crossing levels. That's why Orario's strongest "King" still can't break into Lv.8.'

'The reason the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia stood at the pinnacle of Orario decades ago was because, alongside their talent, they had powerful enemies to match. Without that, they might have ended up just like today's generation.'

Orario now felt stuck in a vicious cycle.

To level up, high-level Adventurers had to face stronger monsters. But those monsters weren't something a single person could take on alone, making it nearly impossible to break the barrier of progression.

If it were possible to challenge enemies two levels higher, maybe they could form a party to face them together.

A monster one person couldn't handle might still fall to a well-coordinated team.

And if they succeeded, they'd earn the Excelia needed to level up.

Then, using that newfound power, they could return to defeat the monsters they'd previously failed against—earning even more Excelia and pushing further ahead.

Maybe that's exactly what the Zeus Familia and Hera Familia had done back then.

By leveraging their specific strengths, they could target monsters that were technically higher level but still vulnerable to their abilities, earning Excelia that way and raising their levels. Then, with their boosted strength, they'd drag along weaker teammates to help them challenge monsters of the same level—bringing everyone up in turn, achieving a kind of group uplift.

It wasn't easy to pull off. But if you had the right people—not dead weight—maybe it was actually possible.

'So that's why heroes always rose in groups during the age of heroes.'

Bell felt like he'd found another piece of the answer he'd been searching for.