A Mixed-Media Journey Begins with Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? Chapter 18

Then he called toward the room next door. "Olis! Take this lad's measurements and show him your finest work!"

After Noah was led into the adjoining room, Riveria quietly stepped forward.

"Lord Goibniu, that weapon—is it...?"

Goibniu waved a hand, cutting Riveria off to show that he knew what she wanted to ask.

"The sword is a minor issue. He's already mastered that weapon. I just thought... if that little girl of yours hadn't met you and died in the Dungeon, she might've grown up to be something like him—using herself as a sword in every sense..."

In an instant, the scene of Ais entering the Dungeon for the first time rose in Riveria's mind.

The way she'd fought monsters without regard for anything, heedless even of her body breaking down and suffering injuries, was still vivid.

Only this time, the golden-haired girl had become a silver-haired boy...

Had Noah once been like Ais, too...?

No, not the same. He'd made it this far entirely on his own...

Her delicate hand tightened around her staff, veins rising across the back of her fair hand.

"Take him to the hospital for a checkup. Pushing past his limits without a Falna must have left him with plenty of injuries... I can sense that his body is somewhat unstable. I wonder if that's the reason..."

Noah had never been comfortable with physical contact, and now three or four burly men had measured him all over with tape measures. By the time he walked out, he still felt strange all over, as if ants were crawling across his skin.

But when he saw the way Riveria was looking at him—as if he were a stray puppy by the roadside that hadn't eaten in days—he felt even more uncomfortable.

"R-Riveria?"

Riveria stared at Noah for three seconds, then took a deep breath, regained her composure, and slowly looked away.

"Just call me Riveria."

Noah didn't know what had happened, but seeing that Riveria didn't seem to want to talk about it, he could only nod and act as if nothing had happened.

After thanking Lord Goibniu, the two left the Three Hammers Forge.

Next, with Riveria guiding him, Noah went around meeting members of several more Familias.

By the time the sun was high overhead, they arrived at the last stop on their morning tour: Dian Cecht Hospital, across the street from the Adventurers' Guild.

A crest depicting a glowing orb and medicinal herbs hung above the central entrance. The sprawling building was entirely white, earning it the other name, the Pure White Hospital.

Perhaps because it had taken in the people injured during yesterday's charity meal service on North Street, there was no one at the front desk.

"Wait here and look around. Don't touch anything. I'm going to find Lord Dian Cecht. I'll be right back."

Watching Riveria walk away, Noah glanced over the medicines and medicinal herbs displayed on the counter. He strolled slowly, lost in thought.

He had a feeling that Riveria's attitude toward him had changed in some subtle way after they left Lord Goibniu.

For instance, what she'd just said had sounded to Noah a lot like, "Just stay here and don't move. I'm going to buy a couple of..."

"Ouch!"

He seemed to have bumped into something small and soft. The cry pulled Noah out of his thoughts.

But there was no one in front of him—only a few scattered boxes.

Huh? There's nothing here!

Did I see a ghost?

Chapter 28: Amid

"Ow! Who was that?!"

A young girl's voice drifted through the empty reception area, where no one was in sight, leaving Noah even more bewildered.

Was it a little girl ghost?

Fortunately, Noah only froze for a moment before figuring it out. He hurriedly leaned over to look behind the boxes.

A girl in a white robe, with silver hair like Noah's, was bracing herself with one hand and holding her head with the other.

As she raised her mysterious blue-violet eyes to look at him, their gazes met.

This girl—no, she was more of a child.

Her air was a little more mature than Ais's, but even sitting down, Noah could tell she was slightly shorter than Ais.

She couldn't be more than 120 centimeters tall. It wouldn't be surprising if someone mistook her for a Hobbit.

But her delicate face was so beautiful she looked like a finely crafted porcelain doll, and her proportions were quite balanced.

With her proper-looking robe, she made him want to scoop her up in his hands.

"Hey! Who are you? From that look on your face, I can tell you're thinking something rude!"

Under the girl's wary gaze, Noah calmly reached out.

Just as she was about to refuse, Noah turned and picked up the scattered boxes. The girl's mouth, which had just opened, snapped shut.

"I'm Noah Cipher, a new member of the Loki Familia. Riveria brought me here to meet everyone, but she's gone to see Lord Dian Cecht."

For some reason, the girl puffed out her cheeks. She got up, brushed off dust that wasn't there, and gave Noah a polite bow.

"My name is Amid Teasanare. Good afternoon, Mr. Cipher."

When she stood up, Noah confirmed it: she really was a little shorter than Ais!

"Hm?!"

The girl named Amid abruptly looked up, her sharp gaze sweeping over Noah.

But when Noah returned her look with a puzzled expression, she still didn't seem to notice anything amiss.

"Is something wrong?"

"...Nothing."

Giving up on questioning him, Amid was about to carry the boxes again when Noah easily lifted them first.

"Let me help. Where should I take them?"

Amid blinked, her long, slender lashes fluttering like bird feathers.

"Um, then... please put them by the front desk. Thank you."

"I did bump into you, after all. And respecting the old and caring for the young is a virtue."

That didn't sit well with Amid. She furrowed her brow and hurried after Noah with her short legs.

When she realized she needed three steps to keep up with each of his, her pink lips involuntarily pursed.

"I'm already eleven! I'm a proper young lady!"

Compared with seventeen, eleven was still young.

Although she was glaring at him with a stern expression, as if Noah had committed some terrible offense, she was just too adorable. She was like a kitten that still couldn't walk steadily but was already puffing itself up, and he could hardly keep from smiling.

Come on, girls in their early teens were supposed to be this lively.

"All right, then. Is it okay to put these here, my adorable young lady?"

A-Adorable!

At Noah's sudden compliment, Amid's stern expression crumbled, and she looked a little flustered.

Girls always liked being called cute!

Lord Dian Cecht called her cute, but Amid only thought of the white-haired, white-bearded god who was always shouting as something like a grandfather.

Besides, after being complimented all the time, Amid had gradually become immune to it.

As a new member of the Dian Cecht Familia who was highly regarded by its god, Amid found that her peers in the Familia instinctively kept their distance from her.

It wasn't that they disliked or feared her. They simply cared so much about what she thought that they couldn't talk to her casually, let alone call her cute.

And Amid could tell Noah had said it offhandedly. That only made it clear he meant it sincerely.

How should she put it? She was... a little happy?

"What is it?"

"Ah! It's nothing!"

Under Noah's gaze, Amid quickly lowered her slightly warm face and almost ran behind the counter, where she began taking out medicinal herbs for processing.

Whether it was because of her talent or her personal interests, Amid loved making medicine. It helped calm her down.

But today, with someone's gaze fixed on her the whole time, she made several mistakes in a row. At last, she stopped and sighed.

"Um, Mr. Cipher, could you please watch where you're looking?"

"Sorry. Is the medicine-making process a secret?"

"Not exactly. It's just... your gaze is a little distracting."

Seeing the faint flush on the pale ear visible through Amid's silver hair, Noah understood and looked away.

"Sorry. I'm just pretty interested in medicine and healing, but I can only learn the basics myself. I tried a few things before, but most of what I made was useless, so I'm curious about professionals like you."

Amid looked at Noah, surprise in her lovely eyes.

"Why? Most adventurers care more about weapons, don't they?"

Although adventurers were enthusiastic about potions, Amid thought that was just because they loved anything that could save their lives. It wasn't much different from pursuing weapons, armor, or magic swords.

It was like how most people enjoyed good food, but not everyone wanted to become a chef.

Amid didn't have a problem with that. If anything, she thought it was perfectly normal.

After all, if you couldn't defeat your enemies, no number of potions could protect anyone.

For instance, Dian Cecht Hospital had taken in another batch of adventurers and residents injured in the Evilus attack over the past two days, making Amid resent that she had no talent for fighting.

Sometimes, she really wanted to be like the Astraea Familia and pick up a sword to wipe out everyone who hurt others!

That was why she was surprised when she sensed that Noah was genuinely interested in medicine.

If he'd made it into the Loki Familia, he must surely have a great talent for battle.

Weren't people like that supposed to be obsessed with fighting?

"Isn't that perfectly normal? For one thing, fields like medicine and magic, full of the unknown, are fascinating. And even if you're only thinking about battle, learning those things makes sense, doesn't it?"

Noah seemed even more confused by Amid's bewilderment. He tilted his head.

"After all, we fight to protect people. If we killed all our enemies, but everyone we wanted to protect died and everything we were supposed to protect was destroyed, what would be the point of fighting?"

As Amid gazed into his earnest blue eyes, she opened her mouth, only to find her mind blank. She didn't know what to say.

Chapter 29: Miss Amid's Secret Treatment

"Honestly, Amid! Why have you run out here again? Didn't I tell you to get plenty of rest?!"

A loud, hearty shout rang through the room, its volume almost deafening.

The speaker was a middle-aged god with gray-white hair and beard, though his hair was still thick.

His wrinkled face was still handsome, with the air of a dignified butler—the kind of charm possessed by middle-aged and elderly men.

Unfortunately, his gold-and-silver robe and the enormous jeweled rings covering all ten fingers, combined with his habit of opening his mouth wide when he spoke and spraying saliva everywhere, gave him the air of a nouveau riche.