Nothing happened.
Huh?
The reaction her body gave her was completely different from what she had expected, leaving Ryu bewildered.
But after examining her feelings more carefully, Ryu realized that something had happened after all.
For one thing, her heart, which had been beating so fast it felt ready to burst, was gradually settling down.
The countless tangled thoughts—anxiety, pain, irritation, and more, all threatening to overwhelm her mind—had vanished without a trace. Only a sense of comfort and ease flowed through her, making Ryu feel a little drowsy.
It was like a midsummer afternoon in the woods, lying on a straw mat on a wooden bed beneath the eaves as wind chimes rang sweetly, with the sound of running water, cicadas, and birds farther away.
She wanted to just fall asleep...
No, no, no! Here, now, with this person—how could she just go to sleep?!
The moment she noticed that hint of drowsiness, Ryu hurriedly bit down hard on the tip of her tongue.
The pain brought tears to her eyes, but at least she came to her senses and regained control of her body.
Then she felt the touch of hands at her waist and back again.
But this time, Ryu found that her mind was quite clear and calm.
"Um, sir, could you please stop touching me? I'm not hurt."
As soon as the words left her mouth, Ryu was surprised by how calm she sounded.
Noah stopped moving his hands, hesitantly released the elf's waist, and stepped back twice, allowing them to meet each other's eyes again.
Her clear, moist, sky-blue eyes were a similar shade to his own, and Noah could see his reflection in them.
But when Noah realized the elf was staring at him, his heart suddenly skipped a beat.
He also realized what he had just overlooked.
Most elves had a powerful aversion to letting others touch their skin.
Many bloody conflicts involving elves had begun because outsiders failed to respect this custom.
Like that time Noah had taken an Alf Iron Fist to the face...
It might have been the most unforgettable injury he had suffered since coming to this world.
And now, compared with that, this seemed to be just as bad—or worse?
Noah lowered his head and looked at his palms, then at the elf girl's waist.
When he looked up again, his expression had gone stiff.
Silence wrapped around them. Ryu wondered whether she should speak again, and just as she opened her mouth—
"Stay calm!"
Noah abruptly retreated, backed away, crouched into a defensive stance, and covered his head. The sudden four-part maneuver left Ryu wide-eyed and at a loss.
Fortunately, she had recovered some strength, so she didn't fall over.
Once she had steadied herself, she looked at the silver-haired swordsman crouching in front of her with his head covered. The words she had been about to say reached her lips, only to be swallowed again.
"Sir, what are you doing?"
The expected elf's blow never came, and only then did Noah slowly raise his head.
"Y-you're not going to hit me?"
The valiant swordsman who had taken on Goliath alone was now peeking up at her like a little boy who had done something wrong.
The stark contrast washed away every strange thought in Ryu's mind, and she almost laughed.
But she pressed her lips together and forced herself to maintain a stern expression.
"Why would I hit you? You saved my life, didn't you?"
After confirming that she truly had no intention of attacking him, Noah let out a sigh of relief, shook his head, and stood up.
"That's good. I thought elves hit people whenever they get touched. It hurts."
—I nearly did hit you, though.
Feeling as if he had seen right through her, Ryu guiltily looked away, her face growing a little hot.
Clenching her weak, aching hand and feeling the faint touch still lingering on her skin, Ryu was torn inside as well.
I-I actually found it kind of comfortable. Does that mean I'm an elf with no shame?
Once the soothing fragrance faded, Ryu fell back into intense self-reproach and disgust. Her mind and cheeks grew hot again, and her vision turned hazy and heavy.
N-no, without that soothing fragrance, I can't calm down...
Just as Ryu was about to collapse under the weight of her useless nature—
...Hm?
Suddenly, an instinct made Ryu notice something she normally wouldn't have.
She calmed down again and quietly looked at Noah.
"Why are you so practiced at this?"
"Hm?"
"Have you touched a lot of elves before?"
Noah watched as the elf's clear sky-blue eyes suddenly lost their focus, as if they had turned into deep, dark holes.
45. This elf seems to have been blown silly. Why don't we just...
"Why are you so practiced at this?"
The blonde elf suddenly fixed her gaze on him and asked that question. For a moment, Noah didn't know how to answer.
He thought anyone would remember Riveria's punch for the rest of their life.
But Noah didn't think he could explain that.
The Elf Royalty were respected by most elves, as was clear from the Loki Familia.
If they learned what had really happened, they would definitely consider him a suspect who had molested Riveria... Though, to be fair, that was basically what he had done.
"W-well, you see..."
As Noah struggled to come up with an answer, other sounds rang out in the hall.
From the moment Noah had rescued the elf to the moment the blast's shockwaves died down, less than a minute had passed.
"Noah!"
"Ryu!"
"Useless Elf!"
Several figures burst through the dust and ash still hanging in the air and came to stand before them.
Seeing the green-haired elf and little Ais beside her, Noah instinctively raised a hand to greet them.
"Riveria! Over here! I'm fine!"
When she saw Noah, Riveria's face lit up with joy.
But she had taken no more than two or three steps before the smile on her lovely face turned cold and stern.
As Riveria came over, Noah almost thought she was about to bring down Magna Aivis on his head...
"Honestly!"
Fortunately, Riveria only looked him over and let out a quiet sigh.
"Do you understand what the Dungeon is like now?"
Noah shot Ais a look that said, "I'm fine," then nodded obediently.
"I understand now."
What a scheming bastard!
That was all Noah could think.
Setting traps when you couldn't win was one thing, but going straight after passersby was a bit much, wasn't it?
Noah despised that sort of behavior... because he couldn't allow anything with a dirtier mind than his own to exist!
Meanwhile, after confirming that Ryu was safe and unharmed, the members of the Astraea Familia began scolding her.
"You idiot, Ryu! Were you trying to get yourself killed just now?"
"Useless Elf really is useless! Have you lost your mind?"
"If you keep this up, I-I won't talk to Ryu for three months—no, three days!"
Faced with the storm of scolding, concern, and blame, Ryu stood perfectly still like a tree. She didn't react as strongly as she usually did, only staring blankly ahead.
The members of the Astraea Familia soon noticed, and their voices gradually fell silent.
Kaguya, Alise, and Laila were more perceptive. They followed Ryu's gaze and spotted the silver-haired swordsman talking with Riveria and apologizing.
"Is that person from the Loki Familia?"
"I don't think I've seen him in the Loki Familia before. Hmm, I don't think I've seen him in Orario, either. Could he be a newcomer?"
"Noin, how can you be so sure?"
"Hehe, I'd never forget a handsome guy like him after seeing him once!"
"Hopeless Noin! What are you talking about? That guy just took down Goliath all by himself!"
"Maybe he just transferred from another Familia. Why are you so worked up?"
Among all the discussion, only the three of them wore peculiar expressions.
The eastern beauty was the first to sidle up to Ryu, grinning mischievously like the pink-haired Hobbit had earlier.
"Oh, Useless Elf, did you fall in love at first sight because a hero rescued you?"
Laila and Alise were a little displeased with Kaguya's behavior. Teasing Useless Elf like this was likely to start another argument.
Especially since it touched on such a sensitive topic for Ryu. Surely they'd be at it for half an hour.
But when they realized the situation was already beyond saving, both of them lit up with excitement, curiosity, and anticipation—in short, gossip.
If an argument was inevitable, why not salvage something by enjoying the show?
However, what happened next disappointed them.
Ryu clutched her cloak and brushed it over her slightly flushed cheek as if wiping it clean. Her eyes were moist, yet she calmly glanced at Kaguya.
"What are you talking about? I'm just a little dizzy from the blast."
The three of them immediately turned into blank-eyed cartoon faces.
The eastern girl stared wide-eyed at the blonde elf, looking her up and down in search of the slightest sign that she was hiding something.
"Y-you're serious? You're not lying?"
Though she asked that, Kaguya already believed her for the most part.
As the person in the Familia who argued and bickered with Ryu most often, she considered herself the one who knew Useless Elf best.
If she really had hit on a romantic subject, there was no way Ryu would be this calm.
She would have blushed bright red, shouted, taken two steps, fallen flat on her face, and rolled around on the ground. That was the reaction she should have had.
She might even have gotten dizzy just from seeing the guy.
"Moron!"
Her voice was muffled through the cloak, but it still conveyed the elf's disdain perfectly clearly.
Before you continue