The Journey Begins in DanMachi

Perhaps due to his racial traits, the dwarf named Dain noticed at a glance that the liquid in Noah's glass was not alcohol, but lemonade.

"Hey, kid, why are you drinking something as bland as an elf? A real man should be drinking booze!"

Noah, who had remained composed until now, let his gaze drift slightly.

"I believe that as a qualified adventurer, one should remain clear-headed and vigilant at all times, which is why I never touch the stuff."

Although Noah thought his explanation was watertight, the three people opposite him immediately wore suspicious expressions.

"Hey! Kid, don't tell me—"

"No way? You're a teenager!"

"You actually can't drink? Hahahaha!"

The three of them laughed even louder than before, and a cheerful atmosphere instantly permeated the air.

At this, Loki and the others could no longer hold back and rushed over to join the fun.

"What, what? What's so funny?"

"Hey! Loki, this kid actually can't drink!"

"No way?!"

Watching Loki let out a boisterous, bell-like laugh, Noah couldn't help but purse his lips, his eye twitching.

"Hey, kid, life is about trying everything. Want a taste? This is fine liquor produced by the Dionysus Familia!"

Looking at the shimmering, clear red liquid in the glass handed over by the Amazon, Noah took a deep breath and accepted it.

"Fine, but after I drink this, you all better keep an eye on me."

"Oh?"

The laughter died down, and everyone looked at Noah with curiosity.

"The last time I drank was five or six years ago. A companion secretly swapped my drink for alcohol, and then..."

"And then?"

"Then I lost consciousness. All I know is that when I woke up, it felt like a great battle had taken place around me; my companions were either passed out on the ground or hanging from trees."

Seeing Noah prepare to down the drink in one gulp, everyone's expressions shifted drastically as they realized something.

Loki, in particular, saw her flushed, drunken face turn pale in an instant. With a speed that would have impressed any adventurer, she snatched the glass from Noah's hand.

"Wait! You'd better not drink it!"

"Hm?"

Just as Noah was wondering if Loki's reaction was a bit too intense, she and the others turned their heads toward the other side of the room.

There, a young girl with golden hair was struggling to roll noodles onto her fork, her fair little face smeared with sauce.

Noticing Loki's gaze, she turned her head, her cheeks flushing as she pouted.

"Loki, you're annoying..."

23 I will teach you well~

Although Noah had wanted to try a little, thinking that his resistance to alcohol might be higher after receiving a Blessing, Loki, Riveria, and the others seemed to be acting out of lingering fear and ultimately did not agree to his attempt.

After all, a drunkard with the strength of a Level 5 is a completely different concept from a little girl throwing a drunken tantrum.

In particular, although the Loki Familia is one of the two great factions, they are not actually wealthy.

Because while they earn a lot, they spend even more!

Not to mention the vast quantities of potions, equipment, and other supplies required for every expedition, the gear for just a few high-level adventurers starts at hundreds of millions of Valis.

It can be said that the vast majority of the money they earn from deep-level adventuring is immediately funneled back to production-oriented familias like Dian Cecht, Goibniu, and Hephaestus.

Therefore, the Loki Familia currently has neither the intention nor the budget to renovate Twilight Manor!

Thanks to the constitution of adventurers, although most members spent the night drinking under Loki's lead, it wasn't until the moon reached its zenith that the drunks finally passed out.

In the end, it was Noah and a few non-drinking members, primarily the elves, who were left to clean up the aftermath of the banquet.

Under Riveria's guidance, fewer than ten people tidied up the cafeteria, carried the passed-out members back to their bedrooms, and assigned night watch duties.

Although the girls complained incessantly, with some even kicking the members as if settling a private grudge, they still cleaned up the mess quite diligently.

As the head chef of the banquet, whose culinary skills had been recognized by the elves, Noah didn't have—or rather, wasn't allowed to do—much else, mainly focusing on carrying the passed-out men back to their rooms one by one.

Riveria was responsible for showing him the way. This tall, slender female elf carried one person in each hand, moving as lightly as if she were holding an apple.

"Noah, after discussing it with Finn and the others, I will be the one to teach you the various knowledge required to be an adventurer for the time being."

In the pitch-black corridor, a sliver of moonlight shone in from the window, reflecting off the marble floor and tracing the delicate curves of the elven royal's exquisite face.

Beneath her high-bridged nose were thin, tender lips, and the skin on her taut neck was incredibly fair and translucent, with blue veins faintly visible.

Her emerald hair swayed gently with her steps, and as her cold voice echoed through the corridor, it exuded an ethereal quality.

"Tomorrow morning, first come with me to the Guild to register. After that, what are your plans?"

Noah did not answer immediately, instead falling into a brief contemplation.

It was not the question Riveria had posed that occupied his thoughts, but rather the strange, throbbing impulse he had felt when he caught a glimpse of the fair skin on the elf royalty's neck.

How strange; why did that urge to bite her neck and exchange bodily fluids seem to have intensified?

Could it be that the Falna actually possessed the ability to develop one's latent bloodline?

Am I really a vampire or not?

Glancing at the moon, Noah found his inner state calm and perfectly normal, devoid of any manic agitation.

Noah liked the moon, but only because monsters often attacked at night; the bright moonlight helped him anticipate enemy raids, providing him with a sense of security.

As various questions drifted through his mind, Noah pushed them aside.

"Well, I don't have any plans to explore the Dungeon for the time being. I want to adapt to the power I've gained from the Falna first."

Glancing at Noah from the corner of her eye, a trace of appreciation flickered in Riveria's gaze; she felt this would be a relatively low-maintenance junior.

"In that case, how about I start by explaining the Dungeon and the distribution of monsters to you? Oh, I recall you've acquired magic; what is your understanding of it?"

"Hmm, I can only say I know how to use it."

Arriving at a room, Noah tossed the two people in his hands onto the bed inside.

In the room next door, he tossed the two people Riveria was carrying onto the bed as well.

If there was any difference to speak of, it was that Riveria's movements were far rougher than Noah's—it could practically be called 'slamming' them onto the bed.

Clearly, when it came to the drunkards of the Familia, she was not as devoid of grievances as she appeared.

"That works perfectly. Come over here for your lesson."

"A lesson?"

At the mere mention of this, an image involuntarily surfaced in Noah's mind: Riveria wearing gold-rimmed glasses, holding a teaching pointer, looking down at him from a position of superiority with a stern gaze.

Even though this fit Riveria's strict role within the Familia perfectly, Noah couldn't help but feel that her image was somehow collapsing.

"Yes, I am quite curious about that magic and those skills of yours. Wasting talent is a grave sin, you know!"

Though she was an elf, Riveria was not conservative or stubborn, nor did she harbor any notions that the mysteries of the elven race must not be shared.

On the contrary, as the top mage in Orario and the primary source of firepower for the Loki Familia, she had always been looking for someone to pass her knowledge on to.

Ideally, she wanted someone who could explore the mysteries of magic alongside her; otherwise, at the very least, she needed to cultivate a junior who could step in for her at critical moments.

Regrettably, she had not found a suitable candidate until now.

Within the city, the only mage currently comparable to her was the White Elf Wand of the Freya Familia, Hedin Selland.

That elf possessed a total mental capacity, mana control, and magic range that did not lose to—or perhaps even surpassed—Riveria's.

Even Riveria had to admit that, aside from the raw power of her magic, there was nothing else in which she was superior to him.

If they were to duel, she would likely lose quite miserably.

However, setting aside the semi-hostile state between their two Familias, even if they could cooperate, Riveria didn't feel there was anything worth discussing with him—other than the fact that they were both the overworked laborers of their respective Familias.

Furthermore, while there were many promising juniors within her own Familia, their limits were generally visible at a glance.

Her only student, Ais, although possessing powerful magic, was clearly walking the path of a swordswoman.

Now that a talent like Noah had finally arrived, Riveria was certainly not going to let him slip away.

Although Noah was clearly a swordsman as well, the mere facts that his lightning-attribute magic could be 'activated at will and developed autonomously' and that he possessed the rare skill 'Magic Creation' were enough to move her.

Thinking of this, the irritation Riveria felt from being forced by Finn and Loki to take on yet another junior to look after dissipated completely, replaced by a surge of excitement.

She would absolutely teach this child using a method even more comprehensive (and strict) than the one she used for Ais!

Nearby, Noah, who was contemplating taking a bath before resting, suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.

The intense intuition granted to him by the skill Ode to Spring was blaring like a siren, as if something very bad was about to happen.

Could Valetta be here for revenge?

But he looked around, yet discovered no danger.

The moonlight was beautiful, the breeze was gentle, and everything was perfectly fine.

"Then, I will take you to familiarize yourself with the situation inside and outside the Familia tomorrow morning, and we will begin the relevant lessons in the afternoon. Is that acceptable?"

Hearing Riveria's inquiry, Noah, who was lost in his own tangled thoughts, nodded subconsciously.

"Fine, no problem."

It's just a magic lesson, how hard could it be?

That was what Noah thought at the time.

24 Early Morning

Early in the morning, Noah woke up to the sound of snoring. After seeing the unfamiliar ceiling, he was momentarily dazed.

Oh, right, I joined the Loki Familia.

From now on, I have a gang... a team of my own!

Twilight Manor is neither particularly large nor small, but it is certainly spacious enough to provide every one of its forty-plus members with their own room.

However, the Loki Familia enforces a policy where everyone below the rank of executive must share a room in pairs.

Although Noah believes that after receiving his Blessing and bridging the gap in strength to a certain extent, he could easily defeat Valetta should they meet again, he was still assigned to share a room with someone else.

That person is a thirteen-year-old human boy named Raul Nord, who joined the Loki Familia two years ago and remains a Level 1.

Despite being only thirteen, Noah remembers seeing him raising a glass and drinking heavily with Loki just yesterday.

He was a bit reserved at first, but after a few drinks, he let his guard down, slinging his arms around the dwarves and singing at the top of his lungs.

One can only conclude that warriors know no age, and perhaps all adventurers are like this.

Quietly jumping down from the top bunk, Noah changed his clothes, grabbed his weapon, and slipped out of the bedroom.

After a quick wash, he made his way outside Twilight Manor.

At this hour, the sun had yet to rise, and Orario remained wrapped in silence.

It seems to be the turn of late autumn into early winter; the sky is exceptionally clear, yet biting cold as a result.

A frigid morning breeze swept over him, scattering the white mist exhaled from his lips.

Feeling the cold wind through his thin clothing, Noah did not immediately begin his morning training, choosing instead to wander around the courtyard first.

The courtyard seems to encircle the central tower, forming a ring-like shape.