"Good morning, Ais."
The other person acted so casually that Ais wondered if she had overreacted.
"G-good morning."
She replied instinctively. By the time she thought to ask him something, it already felt too late, so she sat down across from Noah.
She no longer felt like getting a head start on her homework. Her mind was full of questions.
In the end, afraid she'd be like last time and only remember to thank him before going to bed, Ais couldn't help opening her mouth.
"Um, Noah."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you here...?"
At that, Noah couldn't help giving her a dead-fish stare.
"Because staying at the hospital was too torturous. I told Riveria I wanted to come to class and take a break."
Amid really was something else. Though she was young, her medical skills were exceptional, and she'd put together a complete treatment plan just for Noah.
Over the past few days, Noah's treatment had included, among other things, breaking and resetting bones that had grown crooked, cutting open and restitching muscles that had healed incorrectly, and being steamed with medicine inside a sealed wooden barrel...
If Noah could still put up with all that, the various medicines—sour, astringent, bitter, spicy, fishy, and foul-smelling—had nearly made him throw up. It felt like his soul was about to leave his body!
If he hadn't genuinely felt his body recovering and growing stronger, he would never have endured such agony!
So, once the treatment itself was mostly finished and all that remained was the recovery period, Noah finally couldn't resist trying to escape. He never managed it, though; Amid intercepted him every time.
After pleading with Riveria over and over, Noah finally got to leave the hospital, having enjoyed a dose of Amid's miraculous healing magic.
It was only learning magic. Could it really be more painful than drinking those soul-juice concoctions? That was what Noah thought.
Someday, I'll definitely improve those medicines until they taste as good as fruit juice!
"R-rest..."
Hearing Noah say that, Ais couldn't help opening her mouth slightly.
Whenever Riveria taught, she wore an incredibly Spartan, stern expression. Ais couldn't understand how a lesson could count as a break.
Noah could treat even this kind of training as a rest?
I really am still far behind!
Noah didn't notice the complicated expression on Ais's little face. He was still relaxed, savoring the strength surging through his body after the treatment.
But that ease vanished when several enormous books, thicker than bricks, landed heavily in front of him.
"R-Riveria? What are these?"
Noah stared at the books stacked on the desk, which towered higher than he did, then looked timidly at Riveria.
"They're just introductory books for magic class. What, do you think that's too many?"
Feeling Riveria's utterly unsympathetic gaze, and remembering the taste of the medicines at the hospital, Noah swallowed and shook his head.
"N-no, it's not too many."
"Good. Because these are only the table of contents and introductions."
As Noah stared blankly, Riveria smiled faintly, exuding the charming yet dangerous allure of a rose.
She pointed to several rows of shelves in one corner of the library, holding at least a few hundred massive books.
"Those are the actual texts."
Seeing Noah freeze completely, Ais beside him could no longer hold back and burst out laughing.
And then—
"You think that's funny?"
With Riveria's gaze fixed on her, Ais lost her smile too.
Noah Grabbed Her Hand in an Instant—
Early in the morning, earlier than usual, Noah quietly woke up.
He glanced at the sky outside, threw off his blanket, climbed down from the upper bunk, and leapt to the floor.
He landed barefoot as lightly as a cat, without making a sound.
After checking that Raul was still fast asleep, Noah changed his clothes and picked up Thunderclap.
He left a note on the desk that read, "I'm going to explore the Dungeon for a few days. Don't worry," then slipped quietly out of the bedroom.
From a corner somewhere in the tower's corridor, Noah retrieved the package he'd left there the night before and went to the washroom.
He opened the package, revealing the pale silver gleam of metal: the protective gear he'd commissioned from the Goibniu Familia for fifty million Valis. It had taken them a week to finish.
After visiting the Dian Cecht Hospital the day before for a follow-up with that little girl Amid, Noah had gone to pick it up from the Goibniu Familia.
The dark-blue combat suit had been made by artisans using their "divine craftsmanship." Its main materials were a tough silk produced in the Dungeon's deeper levels and mithril spun into thread, combined with many rare materials. It offered considerable resistance to punctures without restricting movement, and also had some self-cleaning, corrosion-resistant, poison-resistant, and fire-resistant properties.
The sturdy yet lightweight pale silver armor had a dull, nonreflective finish and mainly protected his chest, shoulders, back, and other vital areas.
At the abdomen, lower back, thighs, and other places that needed to move freely, black scale armor with a texture like fish scales provided coverage. He also had an outer cloak and a waistcloth with powerful resistance to magic.
Noah had originally worried he might not be used to wearing it. But after putting it on and moving around a little, he couldn't help thinking that the fifty million Valis had been well spent.
He couldn't say yet how well it would protect him, but he could hardly feel its weight, and it didn't make a sound.
Looking at himself in the mirror, clad in armor, Noah knew there couldn't possibly be anyone around at this hour, but still glanced around out of habit.
Once he'd confirmed he was alone, he drew his sword and, with a stern expression, struck several poses that he thought looked incredibly cool—though he knew full well he'd die of embarrassment if anyone saw him.
Come on, it was armor!
As the saying went, women couldn't resist new clothes, and men couldn't resist new armor, just as wildcats couldn't resist the smell of fish.
Besides, what was the point of wearing new armor if you didn't strike a few poses?
Only after finishing his poses did Noah feel satisfied and settle down.
He checked the few bottles of medicine in his travel bag—he probably wouldn't need them, but he'd brought them just in case—then quietly left the washroom.
As he walked toward the entrance, Noah unconsciously held his head high, his cloak fluttering as if stirred by a wind.
Today, nearly half a month after joining the Loki Familia and becoming an adventurer, Noah had decided to embark on his very first adventure!
As if! A man born between heaven and earth couldn't let two women stand in his way!
Today, even if a Heavenly God showed up, Noah absolutely wasn't going to study all that mind-numbing material!
He was going to—
He pushed open the door. Before him stretched the cool, pale light of dawn, and a biting wind blew in his face.
Small white waves of cloud rose against the faintly bright western sky. Birdsong drifted down like a fine rain, promising a beautiful, clear day.
Even more captivating than the lovely morning scenery was the elven beauty leaning against a pillar beneath the eaves.
Her lustrous green hair billowed in the breeze, framing a delicate, lovely face.
Her long lashes rested over closed eyes, and her soft, pale lips were gently pursed. In repose, she had the serene, pure beauty of a flower blooming briefly beneath the moon.
When she opened her green eyes, the same color as her hair, and looked toward Noah, it was as if countless flowers had burst into bloom beneath the moon.
But if anyone asked whether Noah dared move, the answer was that he really didn't. He even wished time could turn back—or, failing that, stop right then and there...
No matter how fervently Noah prayed, though, time wouldn't turn back or stop.
And while he didn't move, Riveria did. She even walked toward him, wearing a beautiful, bone-chilling smile.
"What's wrong? Not leaving?"
Noah pressed his lips together and unconsciously looked away, carefully examining the pattern on the doorpost as though it hid some earth-shattering secret.
What could he do? He'd tried to sneak out and gotten caught red-handed.
Seeing Noah, who was usually completely unflappable, looking so guilty for once, Riveria grew interested. The corners of her eyes curved like a crescent moon.
She propped her left hand beneath her right elbow and lightly pointed a pale finger.
"Noah, Noah. I remember someone once begged to take my magic lessons and told me, 'It's only magic class. Once I finish, I'll go to the Dungeon.' Do you know who that was?"
Who knew you meant a thousand books thicker than bricks when you said "lessons"?!
I've read fewer books in the past ten years than I have in the last few days!
Feeling that Riveria was about to lecture him again, Noah suddenly struck before she could say another word!
His gauntleted hands closed around the hand in front of him, with its slender, pale fingers raised. Noah opened his eyes wide and stared straight at the Elf Royalty.
"Riveria!"
After nearly half a month of "friendly" and "strict" instruction, Riveria had grown accustomed to sitting close to Noah.
Even so, she hadn't expected him to suddenly pull a stunt like this.
The first thought that flashed through Riveria's mind was—
So big!
So hot!
...She meant Noah's palm.
Are boys' hands all this broad and strong?
His fingers had always looked slender when he held a pen to write. She'd thought they were about the same as a girl's.
But with her hand completely enveloped, and that warmth seeming to travel up her arm until her body went a little weak, Riveria finally understood the difference between men and women!
"W-what are you doing?!"
The moment she spoke, Riveria heard the tremble in her voice and immediately worried that Noah might notice.
But Noah's expression didn't change. He only stared at her with sky-reflecting blue eyes, exerting an invisible pressure.
"Do you know what it feels like to encounter a new enemy and not be able to defeat him, to put on new armor and not be able to use it, or to learn new magic and not be able to cast it?"
His firm voice brimmed with an intensity she'd never heard before. Along with the warmth of his hand, it passed into Riveria's heart and left her somewhat dazed.
Ever since the first time she'd met Noah, the boy had never joked or smiled.
Whether he was speaking to her, an Elf Royalty, or to Loki, the goddess of his Familia, he was always so calm... At most, he'd grit his teeth while drinking medicine or frown while reading.
But that calm wasn't indifference. It was clear that Noah wasn't suppressing himself; he genuinely didn't have much emotional fluctuation.
Until today...
"I need to fight! But ever since I joined the Loki Familia and became an adventurer, I haven't had a single fight in half a month! I can't even remember the last time I went more than ten days without fighting... So today, I'm definitely going to the Dungeon!"
It was the first time Riveria had ever felt Noah unleash such intense emotion.
Noah wanted to use the new magic he'd learned!
Noah wanted to go on an adventure!
Noah wanted to fight!
The boy, so close to her, conveyed his will through the warmth of his hand and the light in his eyes, leaving Riveria at a loss.
Still somewhat dazed, she couldn't help taking in Noah's face.
She looked him over as if seeing him for the first time.
Noah's silver hair wasn't ordinary white or silver-gray. It shone like molten silver, each thick strand clearly defined.
Even in the dim light, it glimmered faintly.
Yet even that couldn't compare with his fair skin, so pale it was almost translucent.
His handsome features were those of a perfect young man. The most striking and unforgettable part of his face was undoubtedly his blue eyes, which brought a crystal-clear glacial river to mind.
Before you continue