Without a doubt, he was the god of the Dian Cecht Familia, Orario's foremost medical Familia.
"Honestly, I knew you'd come back to make medicine when I couldn't find you in your bedroom! You only just suffered from mental exhaustion after overusing your magic to treat the wounded yesterday! Didn't I tell you to rest for a few days?"
Unexpectedly, Dian Cecht, who seemed like he'd be quite rough-spoken, hurried over to Amid's side, anxiously looking her up and down in a panic.
The sight reminded Noah of those burly men who were tough as nails, yet turned into doting fathers the moment their daughters cried.
But what surprised Noah even more was that Amid didn't respond to her god. Instead, she continued staring straight at him, as if she'd fallen under a spell.
"Hmm? Amid?"
After calling out several times without getting a response, Dian Cecht had evidently noticed something was off about Amid, too.
Following her gaze, Dian Cecht looked over and met Noah's eyes. He gave him a sharp glare like a father who'd just seen his daughter being seduced by a womanizer on the street.
Oh, no!
That old geezer!
The next second, Dian Cecht's lips began to tremble. Even the whiskers around his mouth shook like a lion's.
"You brat!! What did you do to my Amid?!!"
Do what?
If I'd done something, that'd be one thing, but I hadn't done anything at all! I hadn't even laid a hand on her!
With a spryness that utterly contradicted his imposing build, Dian Cecht leaped onto the counter, which stood over a meter high. It looked like he might pounce on Noah at any moment.
Noah instinctively backed away.
But that movement snapped Amid out of her daze. She hurriedly called out to Dian Cecht.
"Wait! Lord! What are you doing?!"
With his upper body already pitched forward and his legs still on the counter, Dian Cecht heard her voice and forcibly twisted around in midair with an agility that amazed even Noah. He looked at Amid in delight.
But before he could say anything, a trace of terror appeared on his delighted face, making his expression quite comical.
No matter how he struggled, he still fell forward, face-first—
"Smack!"
"Ah!"
He crumpled into a prostration, head hitting the ground!
"Lord!"
After a brief commotion, they ended up in a reception room.
"Um, so Nine Hell, you'd like me to have Mr. Noah undergo a physical examination and treatment?"
Riveria didn't answer right away. First, she looked at the eleven-year-old girl in a formal white uniform, which somehow made her look even smaller.
Then she glanced at the god of the Dian Cecht Familia sitting nearby in a wheelchair. His upper body and thighs were wrapped in bandages, leaving not even his expression visible, yet he kept glaring furiously at Noah.
After a moment's hesitation, Riveria nodded. "That's right. We'll start with an examination and see how he's doing. Little Amid—miss, will you be the one to do it? Are there any other members of the Dian Cecht Familia here?"
Amid glanced at Noah, then quickly looked away.
"Please don't worry, Nine Hell. I'm already eleven. I can't perform procedures like restoring someone's eyesight or reattaching a severed arm, but I'm more than capable of giving him a checkup with the help of magic-stone tools."
"Grrr!!"
For some reason, Dian Cecht let out a series of unintelligible, but rather unsettling, noises when he heard that Amid would personally examine Noah.
Amid ignored him completely.
She stood up and headed for the other door, opposite the one they'd just entered through.
"All the treatment rooms are occupied, but the lounge over here will do. Mr. Sifir, please come with me."
But halfway there, Amid stopped and looked at Noah.
"Noah?"
Riveria looked at him, too. "What is it?"
What is it?
How dare you ask me what it is?
You didn't ask me before buying protective gear, and now you didn't ask me before arranging a physical examination, either!
If Noah couldn't tell that Riveria meant well, he might've rolled his eyes.
"Um, Riveria, does every new member who joins a Familia have to undergo a physical examination?"
"Not really. I specifically requested one for you."
"Then can I refuse?"
Being touched on the waist and shoulders by a few men was one thing. He didn't even have to take off his clothes; they just needed to measure him with a tape.
But he'd have to take his clothes off for a physical examination, right?
Noah felt strangely guilty at the thought of undressing in front of an eleven-year-old girl.
"Well, it's not like you can't..."
Before Noah could happily respond, Riveria suddenly sighed.
"Still, I spent fifty million Valis on your armor, then went to all the trouble of pleading with their god for ages to get you this opportunity. But if you're so reluctant, then let's just say I went to all that trouble for nothing. Sigh..."
"Grrr!!"
Noah still hadn't managed to say anything when the god of the Dian Cecht Familia let out another strained cry from across the room, this time glaring at Riveria.
You call that pleading with me?
You practically strong-armed me with the deep-floor materials the Dian Cecht Familia desperately needs!
Noah could piece together the truth from the injustice in Dian Cecht's gaze.
But Riveria was putting on an act for his sake. What could Noah say?
He could only get up in silence and follow Amid into the lounge.
After a physical examination that can't be described in detail, Amid came out first, holding a sheet of paper and frowning as she wrote.
"Five bones healed crooked after being broken, the muscles around over thirty wounds were reconnected incorrectly, and the stitches on your shoulders and knees look like they were done by a girl sewing for the very first time. You're even malnourished?! This is unbelievable. Mr. Sifir, have you never paid any attention to your own body? How were you treated when you got hurt? Honestly, I'm amazed you're still alive!"
Noah followed her out, looking completely dazed.
Amid had just finished scolding him, but more importantly, he hadn't even known his body had so many problems.
Well, I'm still alive. Body, you're amazing!
Riveria's brows knitted together as she took the diagnosis.
Noah could tell another lecture was coming, so he hurriedly changed the subject.
"Um, so how do you treat it?"
"First, you'll have to suspend your Dungeon expeditions and undergo some basic treatment. We'll start with three..."
Amid paused in the middle of her quick explanation. Her gaze flickered for a moment before she continued.
"In short, you'll have to stay in the hospital for seven days."
Under the gaze of this cute eleven-year-old girl, Noah felt a chill run down his spine.
The smile wouldn't disappear; it would only—
"Ding—"
Sunlight slowly spilled over the city, and the bell announcing the start of a new day rang throughout Orario.
In a corner of the Twilight Manor's courtyard, Ais stopped swinging her wooden sword and wiped the sweat from her fair forehead.
She gazed up at the clear blue sky, then finished her wooden sword practice for the day.
She headed toward the dormitory, planning to shower and wash away the sweat before breakfast.
On the way, Ais glanced at the wooden sword in her hand.
It was made from a special wood found in the Dungeon, and was just as hard and heavy as a metal sword, but still...
"I want a sword..."
She wanted a better sword, a sturdier sword, a sharper sword—one that could cut down her enemies...
A sword that wouldn't hurt her, but couldn't hurt her enemies either.
But when she pictured the refined yet heroic face of the Elf Royalty, full of the aura of a demon, Ais—who hadn't even shivered in the cold wind—couldn't help trembling. She forcibly pushed the thought from her mind.
Riveria still hadn't forgiven her for angering her in the Dungeon last time. If she asked for something now, she'd probably be punished with a good Alf Iron Fist.
She'd better train and attend her lessons properly, then ask Riveria once she'd cooled down.
With that in mind, Ais showered and went to the dining hall.
Breakfast was vegetable and meat soup, mille-feuille, toast, and apple pie. Ais ate a lot. She even gritted her teeth and finished all the carrots in her salad.
To grow, she needed to get enough nutrients.
As the familiar sweetness unique to the Demeter Familia filled her mouth, Ais couldn't help thinking of Noah.
She remembered his appearance, his swordsmanship, and his cooking...
Noah's food really was tastier.
But Ais looked around and didn't see that silver-haired figure among the Familia.
Five days had passed since Noah joined the Familia, but she hadn't seen him since the welcome banquet and the morning training session the next day.
Still, Ais had gotten a few updates from Riveria. Apparently, he was receiving treatment at the Dian Cecht Familia.
It wasn't that she'd gone out of her way to ask. Riveria brought it up herself.
Whenever Riveria returned to the Twilight Manor and gave Ais lessons, she always carried a chilling aura that made others wary.
She'd say things like, "A grown man who's afraid of pain," "He even tried to sneak off again," and "He actually said I nag like an old lady." Ais didn't understand the details, but the words somehow sounded familiar.
When Riveria swept her icy, resentful gaze over Ais, Ais would curl up and let out a "Wahhh!" Then she understood why the words had sounded familiar.
Weren't those the same things Riveria used to say when she scolded her?
So Noah had upset Riveria, too?
The thought left Ais feeling a little conflicted.
Noah, who seemed so mature and dependable, could be mischievous too... That was surprising.
Riveria had started taking care of someone else, even though Ais had been first... That made her feel a little down.
The good news: Riveria's attention had been diverted... That was a relief.
The bad news: Riveria's resentment hadn't gone away. It had only grown worse, and now it was all directed at her. But had she done anything wrong these past few days?... That felt unfair.
To Ais, all those tangled feelings were more complicated than the mille-feuille under her fork.
With these thoughts she couldn't even understand herself, Ais finished breakfast and went to the Twilight Manor's library.
The air was filled with the smell of old wood and paper. Rows of towering bookshelves stood packed with all kinds of books.
Alongside valuable works about the Dungeon and world history, used grimoires, and astrologers' manuals, the collection also included old books, Heroic Tales, and newspaper clippings gathered by their god and Familia members out of personal interest.
To help Riveria cool off as quickly as possible so she could get permission to obtain a powerful sword, Ais had been diligently completing her lessons these past few days.
But when she entered the library, she saw someone unexpected by the table and couldn't help crying out in surprise.
"N-Noah?"
Noah yawned at the table, then waved to Ais, looking half-asleep.
Before you continue