The Journey Begins in DanMachi

Perhaps due to some form of magic stone technology, the various vibrant flowers planted in the courtyard remained in full bloom despite the winter breeze, a phenomenon that defied the seasons and felt somewhat surreal.

As he walked, Noah suddenly heard a whistling sound in the morning air that was distinctly different from the natural wind.

It was the sound of a blade being swung at high speed, slicing through the air.

Following the source of the sound, Noah arrived near a lawn where magic stone lamps and a small fountain were visible.

In a corner near the perimeter wall, a young and delicate golden-haired figure was swinging a long sword.

Noah's keen eyesight allowed him to confirm at a glance that it was a wooden sword, yet it carved whistling sounds into the void, leaving behind a series of nearly overlapping afterimages.

If there had been a target in front of that wooden sword, it likely would have been slashed, cut, pierced, and shattered into fragments four or five times in the span of a single breath.

The girl, who wielded the wooden sword with such astonishing momentum, stared straight ahead with eyes as clear and sharp as her swordplay.

Despite being a little girl not yet ten years old, her slender arms handled the wooden sword—which was nearly as tall as she was—with effortless grace.

Seeing such swordsmanship again, Noah remained deeply impressed.

He could tell that, unlike the rough, self-taught style he had cobbled together through combat, the swordsmanship Ais used was the result of precise, systematic training.

The way she moved—swinging her arms with minimal effort while keeping her feet planted with exceptional stability—made Ais look like a conductor leading an orchestra, or perhaps someone dancing; it was quite beautiful.

Human intuition is a strange thing; it can often perceive things that many people fail to notice on a conscious level.

Take swordsmanship, for example: while there are exceptions, excellent swordsmanship generally carries a sense of beauty due to its sharpness, lightness, and efficiency.

Ais's swordsmanship was exactly that, to the point where Noah found himself somewhat intoxicated by it.

Although Noah could now beat this little girl with a single finger, he never judged others based on their current strength.

Some people are stronger simply because they have lived longer; Noah himself had surpassed the powerful figures who once looked down on him by taking it one step at a time.

He had no intention of becoming the kind of person he once despised and loathed.

If he were at Ais's age, he would have absolutely been beaten to a pulp.

However, there was still a sense of confusion within her sword.

Although her fierce sword momentum was imbued with intense emotion and killing intent, that was not the true source of what drove Ais to swing her blade.

Swinging a sword for the wrong reasons prevents one from unleashing their true power.

Noah could be so certain of this because he had once been the same...

As Noah pondered, Ais suddenly stopped her movements and slowly turned her gaze toward him.

Golden eyes met deep blue pupils.

Ah, I got lost in watching her.

Blinking, Noah walked toward Ais with a calm expression.

Well, as long as he wasn't embarrassed, the one who would be embarrassed was the other person.

"Good morning, Ais. I accidentally got lost in thought just now; your swordsmanship is truly magnificent."

Much like status sheets, swordsmanship—or rather, one's combat methods—is a personal secret.

Therefore, watching others train was, at the end of the day, somewhat taboo, especially for a newcomer like Noah who wasn't well-acquainted with her.

Hearing Noah's apology and praise, Ais felt a bit strange.

Noah's words sounded as if he had been mesmerized simply because her swordsmanship was so good.

It must just be my imagination.

"Mm, it's nothing."

She shook her head, and then, Ais blinked.

Whatever she was thinking, a blush deepened on the cheeks that were already slightly flushed from the cold wind and training.

She stole a glance at Noah, bit her soft lip, and lowered her head.

"Um, thank you..."

Although the girl's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum and vanished instantly in the morning breeze, Noah caught it keenly, though he almost thought he had misheard.

What's going on? Not only is she not scolding me, but she's thanking me?

"Also, I'm sorry... for what happened in the Dungeon, and before that on North Street as well..."

Hearing the latter part, Noah finally understood what Ais was talking about.

She was thanking him for saving her in the Dungeon and apologizing for not saying so when they met again on North Street.

"It's fine, really. Anyone would be concerned to see a bunch of creepy guys following a little girl."

"But, Riveria said that one should express gratitude when saved by someone."

Noah glanced at the wooden sword in Ais's hand.

"Ais, you and Riveria are very close, aren't you? Is that why you're using a wooden sword?"

Although he didn't know why Ais had rushed into the Dungeon last time, it was clear that this little girl was a battle junkie.

And even though her weapon had been destroyed in their last encounter, the Loki Familia certainly wouldn't be short on weapons.

It seems the reason why Ais can only train with a wooden sword now can be guessed.

Clearly, it is a form of protective punishment.

Ais's eyes widened instantly. "Why, how could you know something like that?"

Noah did not answer directly; instead, he gave a teasing wink before turning to leave.

"Who knows? Perhaps it's just intuition."

Watching Noah's retreating back, it took Ais a while to realize she had been teased, and she couldn't help but puff out her fair, tender cheeks.

"Mean..."

However, once her dissatisfaction dissipated, she couldn't help but press a hand to her chest.

Still, she hadn't said it.

Adventurer Guild

Although Noah wanted to find a place for his morning workout to adapt to the physical strength he had gained after receiving his Falna, the Twilight Manor was mostly occupied by its eight towers, leaving the courtyard pitifully small.

At this hour, most of the members were still asleep, and Noah did not want to disturb their rest.

His gaze swept around the area, and Noah subconsciously looked toward the north, at the white, towering city walls.

Built as a defensive structure to ward off monsters from the Dungeon, the city walls were essentially a massive circular fortress containing various facilities.

Not only did they reach a height second only to the central Babel, but the walkway atop the wall was wide enough that one could estimate several carriages could pass side-by-side.

Furthermore, being so close to the Twilight Manor, Noah could hardly think of a better place for a morning workout.

However, as a defensive structure designed for internal security, while the walls were no longer needed to suppress monsters, they remained a potential threat to the city itself—not to mention that the Dark Faction was currently lurking within Orario.

Even Noah could imagine that if the city walls were packed with explosives, one could threaten the entire city from a high vantage point using nothing more than bows and magic swords.

The Ganesha Familia, known as the "City Gendarmerie," and the "Justice Familia," the Astraea Familia, stood guard at the base of the walls year-round, patrolling the ramparts twice daily to ensure they remained unoccupied.

It seems I will have to wait for an opportunity.

The morning passed quickly, and accompanying the still-glaring sunlight, the sound of a great bell ringing from the east side of the city spread throughout the metropolis.

The Twilight Manor soon bustled with life.

Although Noah's culinary skills had been recognized, no one expected him to take on responsibilities for the Familia or a job, and he himself had no desire to do so.

After all, once a hobby becomes a job, one quickly loses interest.

After finishing breakfast, Noah left the Twilight Manor with Riveria, heading toward the Northwest Main Street.

The Northwest Main Street was commonly known as "Adventurer Street," where the majority of adventurers and industries related to them were concentrated.

Including the Guild headquarters—the Pantheon—there were numerous weapon shops, item shops, taverns, pharmacies, and clinics that provided services to adventurers, or rather, industries that only adventurers would patronize, with various mysterious shops hidden in the alleys.

Noah's task for today was to get a basic understanding of Adventurer Street.

In addition to going to the Guild to register, he also had to show his face to some of the Familias that had cooperative relationships with the Loki Familia.

Nine in the morning was the time most adventurers entered the Dungeon, so the main road was packed with a surging crowd.

But whether it was a beastman carrying a greatsword, an elven archer holding a bow, or a supporter carrying a massive backpack, they all cast complex gazes mixed with awe, envy, and curiosity toward the Elven royalty and Noah.

Under the many gazes, Noah and Riveria passed through the forecourt, which was set with exquisite reliefs and monuments, and entered the Pantheon, built with white pillars.

The first thing that caught his eye was the conspicuous front desk area, and not far away were the massive quest bulletin boards and the magic stone exchange windows.

However, to Noah's surprise, despite it being the start of the day, the exchange windows were already crowded with adventurers, packed so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Upon hearing arguments like "Get out of my way!" and "I have to get to the Dungeon soon," Noah understood what was going on.

Specifically, it was: "Hmph, only idiots go to exchange when it's crowded in the afternoon; smart people go the next morning! That way, you can take the money directly to buy supplies and prevent yourself from losing control and wasting it at a tavern or on Pleasure Street."

The result was that, upon arriving, they found there were apparently too many "smart people."

There were also similar situations where quite a few adventurers, instead of exchanging their magic stones at the exchange office on the third floor of Babel after leaving the Dungeon, came specifically to the Guild headquarters to do so.

Arriving at the front desk, Noah noticed that although the attendants were of different races, they were all beautiful young women.

Dressed in the black-and-white Guild uniforms, they appeared to possess an intellectual beauty, blooming like bright flowers amidst a group of rough adventurers.

Riveria raised her hand and greeted a red-haired werewolf woman who was resting her chin on her hand, lost in thought.

"Good morning, Rose."

The werewolf lifted her head lazily, like a house dog sunning itself at the door in winter, and swept a glance at Riveria.

"Welcome, Vice-Captain of the Loki Familia, Lady Riveria Ljos Alf. What brings you here today?"

Noah first felt the wolf-girl's gaze linger on him for a moment, and then he noticed the corner of Riveria's eye seemed to twitch.

"Rose, when will you all stop using such stiff greetings?"

"That depends on when the Guild's work manual stops threatening us with pay cuts if we don't greet large factions this way."

"Haven't you always said you wanted to find love? Being so lifeless, no one would dare approach you, would they?"

The two of them have a pretty good relationship, being able to bicker over such issues—just as Noah thought this, the red-haired wolf-girl raised both hands and stretched.

"Although I can't compare to an Elf royalty like you, whose beauty is enough to make goddesses jealous and stir up trouble, this lady here has her own merits, you know."

The taut black-and-white uniform already accentuated the figures of the staff members, but when Rose stretched, the shirt across her chest bulged so tightly that it felt as if the buttons might pop off at any moment.

Not bad; those were indeed merits.

Compared to Riveria, who radiated a sharp, heroic, and even somewhat divine aura, even the already beautiful red-haired werewolf seemed plain.

However, in the department of the bust, Rose was still superior to Riveria.

Yet, Noah's unblinking gaze seemed to catch the attention of the red-haired wolf-girl.

"Hey, kid over there, do you like staring that much?"

Noah tilted his head, a hint of confusion in his azure eyes.

"If you mind people looking, why would you do such a thing in public?"

Rose narrowed her eyes, her gaze turning somewhat unfriendly.

"That tone of yours is just as annoying as that Doll Princess of yours."

Riveria sighed and bowed her head to Rose. "Ais has caused you trouble; I have already punished her properly, and I offer my apologies here."

"...Hmph, then, is this young man who looks so mature also a newcomer from your place?"

"Yes, please register him."

Although Rose, this guild staff member, seemed a bit difficult to approach, she was surprisingly efficient in her work.

Perhaps her cold demeanor was a requirement for the job of an advisor; after all, in a position that required contact with a large number of people, unnecessary enthusiasm would sometimes only invite a mountain of trouble.

Noah took the form and wrote down his identity information with a quill.