The Journey Begins in DanMachi

If it weren't for the fact that the other party had done Ais a favor previously, and that they had just clashed with the Dark Faction, Riveria would never have brought an unidentified person into the Loki Familia headquarters.

Of course, more importantly, no one can lie in front of a Heavenly God.

As long as Loki asks, "Will you act against the Loki Familia?", any spy would have nowhere to hide.

Therefore, there is no need to worry too much about the other party being a hostile entity.

Well, if the other party could even deceive a Heavenly God, then that is likely not an opponent she should be worrying about how to handle.

Ais, however, was very conflicted.

Having walked this distance, she had barely managed to clear her head.

Although the complex thoughts in her heart were still a jumble, facing a lifesaver, expressing gratitude first is always the right thing to do.

Rather, it would be problematic to say nothing at all, like she had.

But now, the timing to speak seems off.

So annoying. Why didn't I think to thank him earlier?

It was that stifling feeling of having a heated argument during the day and failing to react, only to think of a brilliant comeback in the middle of the night while trying to sleep, but being unable to use it because the moment had passed, almost causing one to stomp the bed to pieces.

This irritation caused Ais to puff out her fair, tender cheeks, and her usually expressionless face displayed a cuteness that made one want to pull out a colorful sack to scoop her up.

With the three of them lost in their own thoughts, they soon reached the end of the short path.

It was a tall tower that could be seen from afar, even while within the streets surrounded by buildings.

A cluster of high-rise buildings, much taller and more massive than the surrounding houses, was stacked from several towers, with a clown flag fluttering in the wind atop the highest central tower.

"Lady Riveria! Miss Ais!"

In front of the main gate stood seven or eight fully armed adventurers, respectfully greeting their vice-captain and the familia's highly promising darling, before turning their gazes toward the only stranger among the three.

"Good work. Has anything unusual happened today?"

"Aside from an attack at the charity meal site a short while ago and some commotion nearby, there has been nothing unusual. Also, the captain and Mr. Gareth seem to have been summoned by the Guild to discuss matters."

"I see. Keep up your vigilance."

Seeing that Riveria had no intention of introducing Noah, the guards did not ask further and turned to report inside.

"Open the gate!!"

In the interval while waiting for the gate to open, Noah felt several curious gazes land on him.

He didn't need to look to know they belonged to the guards.

Walking through the gate, passing a garden with a pond filled with various flowers and plants, and crossing a courtyard paved with red bricks, they entered the mansion that occupied over seventy percent of the area within the walls.

As if the ground space was narrow, the space above had been expanded, making the upper part of the mansion significantly more massive.

As they approached, there was even an illusion that it might topple forward.

Just as the three walked into the mansion, a figure came running down the stairs with a thud, moving at a speed that even Noah, who was deep in thought, barely reacted to, and directly hugged Ais, who was beside him.

"Ais-chan! Are you okay?! I heard those bugs went to attack the charity meal site again, I was scared to death!!"

It was a woman with short red hair reminiscent of the sunset, a refined face, and eyes narrowed into crescent moons.

Although her chest was so flat that one could barely discern any female features, her distinctively beautiful face still allowed one to identify her identity—a Heavenly God.

Of course, if she weren't acting like a pervert, howling and rubbing her face against the little blonde girl, she might have looked more like a Heavenly God.

Well, Noah's desire to join the Loki Familia was now wavering.

Because a main god has almost unilateral control over their familia members, the main god's inclinations, personality, and likes or dislikes determine the development direction and ceiling of a familia.

Every newcomer who comes to Orario is told that choosing a main god is the single most important thing to do before becoming an adventurer, bar none!

So, is a goddess who acts like a perverted uncle really reliable?

Although Riveria, standing nearby, did not know Noah was pondering such questions, perhaps due to her vast experience, she could fully sense the complex meanings in Noah's eyes.

Although it wasn't the first time she had lost face in front of an outsider, Riveria still felt her face heat up.

17 Ancient Hero

"Loki!!"

The city's strongest mage clenched her fair, petite palm and brought an Alf-style iron fist down onto her main god's head.

"There are others here! Behave yourself!"

A crisp "clang" seemed to ring out, and Loki let out a miserable "ow," immediately being hammered until her head hit the floor, sprawling on the ground with her limbs splayed.

A wisp of blue smoke seemed to be rising from the top of her short red hair.

Ais, finally freed from the restraint, took a step and hid... behind Noah!

She frantically smoothed out her puffed-up, standing hair, and while puffing her fair cheeks into buns, she glared fiercely at the sprawled-out Loki with her wide, moist golden eyes, her soft, pink lips pouting so much it felt like one could hang a bottle from them.

The feeling was like a kitten, not even the size of a palm, bristling and hissing in anger.

In fact, after a year of getting along, Ais had long been familiar with and immune to Loki's perverted behavior.

It was only because she had been preoccupied with her own worries that she had been caught by Loki this time.

Seeing this scene, both Noah and Riveria froze in place, even forgetting about the goddess still on the floor.

Noah: "Why did you hide behind me?"

Riveria: "Why did you hide behind him???"

The two subconsciously locked eyes, speechless.

For some reason, there was a hint of resentment in Riveria's emerald eyes.

And for an even more inexplicable reason, Noah felt as if he had done something wrong, finding himself suddenly afraid to meet the elf's gaze.

Time slipped away in this bizarre silence. Loki lay on the cold floor, yet the three people in the hallway tacitly refrained from helping their Familia's head deity up.

It wasn't until Loki let out a low moan and slowly sat up, looking around with dazed eyes.

"Hm? What happened? Riveria? When did you two get back? Eh? And who is this kid?"

The elf finally snapped out of it, hurriedly covering her mouth with a cough to hide her embarrassment.

"Er, Loki, this is the gentleman I told you about a few days ago, the one who saved Ais in the Dungeon."

But upon hearing this, Loki looked at Noah with hesitation—though Noah couldn't see her eyes at all.

"You're joking, right? Riveria, this kid doesn't have a shred of a Falna's aura on him!"

Once those words were spoken, the room fell deathly silent.

In the quiet air, Ais stopped smoothing her hair.

She looked at Loki, then at Noah, her small face filled with disbelief.

Even Riveria's pupils contracted, her lips trembling.

She scanned Noah up and down as if seeing him for the first time, then glared at Loki with a stern expression.

"Hey! Loki! Are you sure? Don't joke around!"

As she spoke, Riveria noticed her own voice was trembling.

No, it would be more accurate to say her very mind was trembling.

Someone who had never received a Falna had managed to rescue Ais from a reinforced species of wyvern, which was estimated to have at least Level 3 potential.

And Loki didn't even know that Noah had just fought the Killing Emperor, a Level 5, and had even vaguely held the upper hand...

For a fleeting moment, Riveria couldn't help but recall the fear from back when Orario was dominated and suppressed by the two monster groups, the Hera and Zeus Familia—

Back at that meeting (the Behemoth and Leviathan subjugation conference), when the big shots were arguing (discussing tactics), I was just a little girl (relative to the elven lifespan), clutching my Magna Aivis, standing on the sidelines like a nobody, not daring to say a word!

Loki, who had been a bit muddled before, was now completely clear-headed, realizing the implications of what she had just said.

Leaping up from the floor, Loki pressed herself right in front of Noah. Her eyes, usually narrowed into slits, were now wide open. Her brown irises held an irresistible majesty as she slowly scrutinized him.

"...There's no mistake. While the aura on this kid is somewhat terrifying, there is absolutely no other deity's Falna—it's not that the Falna was sealed or removed, but that he never received one to begin with!"

Although gods have their divinity sealed upon descending to the lower world, they retain many abilities based on their respective domains.

For instance, Freya, the Goddess of Beauty, can exert a certain degree of 'Charm' even without releasing her divinity. More importantly, she possesses eyes that can see through the essence of a soul, allowing her to easily scout out talented adventurers and claim them early, giving them a head start over most other Familias.

Or take Hephaestus, the Goddess of the Forge; relying on her forging techniques that have reached the 'Divine Realm,' even if she doesn't strike the hammer herself, her mere guidance allows her group of blacksmiths to almost monopolize the production of top-tier weaponry.

As the God of Tricks, Loki might not have such powerful abilities, but discerning whether an adventurer possesses a Falna or the aura of another deity is a simple task for her.

However, precisely because of this, Loki's originally flippant and playful gaze turned grave.

"So, kid, was I wrong? Do you have some business coming to our Familia? If you have something to say, speak now."

Noah, who had been silent while being watched by the three, quietly let out a sigh of relief.

He hadn't spoken earlier because he knew it would be useless.

It was like discovering danger while chatting with someone; if you tell them not to look back, there is a ninety percent chance they will look back anyway.

Some things, no matter how earnestly others explain them, will never be believed unless one verifies them personally.

For Noah, this was no different.

"Heavenly God Loki, you are not wrong."

Under the complex, heavy gazes of Riveria and Ais—who were unsure whether they wanted Noah to confirm or deny it, or perhaps both—the silver-haired youth finally nodded.

"I have never received a Heavenly God's Falna. In fact, I came here specifically to join your Familia."

As the expressions of Riveria and Ais turned indescribable, Loki remained composed, merely rubbing her chin.

"Logically speaking, someone as excellent as you—someone who even makes me wonder if you're a descendant of an Ancient Hero—coming to join the Familia should make me quite happy... but, I have to ask: why?"

Heroes refer to the countless champions who, as mere mortals, fought against the tide of monsters before the gods descended.

Even without the Falna bestowed by the gods, they wiped out countless monsters, fought their way through a blood-soaked, dark world, reclaimed the land, and pushed the monsters back into the Dungeon, creating great feats that left the gods in awe.

Even with the help of gods and spirits, one cannot deny their will and courage, which transcended limits and overcame despair.

It could be said that the heroes of old were the embodiment of 'miracles' themselves.

Hearing Loki compare him to an Ancient Hero, Noah felt a complex mix of emotions.

Pushing those thoughts to the back of his mind, Noah looked at Loki without changing his expression.

"I come from outside Orario. I cannot say anything else, nor is there anything worth saying. The only thing I can guarantee is that I harbor no malice toward Orario or the Freya Familia. My desire to join the Loki Familia is also sincere."

Seeing Loki nod slowly, the last shred of doubt in Riveria's heart vanished.

As the saying goes, if an enemy can deceive a god, there is no need for her to overthink it.

As for Noah not clarifying his identity, Riveria did not find it strange at all.

In Orario, almost everyone has their own secrets and pasts.

"Hmm, alright, I accept that answer. Outsider, we are friends now. First of all, thank you for saving my willful little girl."

Making a face at the pouting Ais, Loki's expression as she looked at Noah shifted from viewing a 'mysterious person of unknown identity and allegiance' to looking at 'an interesting mortal who could bring her some amusement.'

It was just that the expression looked somewhat... comical?

"So, are you certain you want to join our familia? Though I hate to admit it, the Freya Familia is likely indeed stronger than us."

Noah accepted the title of Outsider.

After all, outside is outside, even if it meant being outside the world.

"Yes, I want to join the Loki Familia. As for why I didn't choose the Freya Familia: first, I dislike their cutthroat internal atmosphere; second, just because they were the strongest before doesn't mean they will be in the future—"

Noah stared intently at Loki.

"—if I join, won't the Loki Familia become the strongest?"

In the long, silent standoff, Loki suddenly laughed.

814 Jiu Ling San Qi Jiu Bo