His palm pressed a little harder, as if he meant to pass his will to her through that touch.
Feeling the warmth of his hand against her cheek, Ais held her breath. Even her sobbing came to a halt as she stared blankly at Noah.
"Ais, I told you that people are complicated. Why must it always be one thing or the other? Your hatred isn't wrong. You just haven't realized that, without even knowing it, your heart has already filled with things that are more important and precious to you. So don't resist your hatred, and don't fear what you cherish. Carry them both with you and keep moving forward. And, of course—"
Noah slowly crouched, bringing his gaze level with Ais's.
As he did, Ais clearly felt some of the warmth and gentleness in his eyes fade, replaced by something more intense and aggressive.
The "big brother in the Familia who looked after her" was gradually disappearing.
In his place stood "Noah Cipher, born to conquer all and surpass all."
"—if you ever become so lost that you can't find your way, then why not try looking at me?!"
A cold shiver ran through Ais. Her eyes widened.
"Look at you, Noah?"
In Noah's eyes, Ais saw a blazing radiance. She couldn't tell whether it was the scarlet glow of dawn breaking over the horizon or something else entirely.
She only knew that the flames reached into her heart, their scorching heat surging through her body.
"Yes. Look at me, follow me, defeat me... Whatever it is you want to destroy, Ais, I'll surpass it. So isn't it enough for you to just keep your eyes on me?"
As she listened to his voice, laced with temptation, a long, slender hand appeared before her, inviting her to take it.
Those deep, clear blue eyes reflected her heart like a mirror, yet they were also like an abyss that devoured all things. Ais couldn't look away.
Everything else in her field of vision seemed to melt away in the searing heat within her, leaving behind an endless expanse of pure white.
It wasn't only her tears that were hot. Her whole body was scorching, as if her blood were burning, and a pained moan escaped her.
Especially her back. It felt as though a red-hot iron had been pressed against it, leaving Ais breathless and unable to utter a sound.
It was just like when the evil god had tempted her in the Dungeon.
So small, so narrow, so fragile...
Ais understood that the figure she was about to pursue was stronger than black despair and higher than the boundless sky.
But the scorching feeling in her heart, far hotter, purer, and stronger than the black flames of hatred, wouldn't let her refuse.
In that burning heat, not only her confusion but even her hatred, pain, despair, frustration, anticipation, cowardice, and every other impurity seemed on the verge of being devoured, transformed into fuel for that blazing fire!
Transformed into that clear, glittering, dazzling radiance...
As a searing warmth and a cry of expectation rose behind her and in her chest, Ais answered almost instantly—
"Noah, you're a bad person!"
Scales of white cloud drifted across the boundless, crystal-clear sky, which stretched beyond sight.
Bathed in the gentle glow of dawn, the girl took Noah's hand.
Clear, resolute light shone in her eyes. Tears still covered Ais's little face, but her expression had brightened, and all confusion had vanished.
Watching Ais puff out her cheeks, Noah smiled with satisfaction.
Before leaving the city wall, Noah glanced toward Chalk Tower in the city center.
*
"The gloom that was there before has been wiped away. Her golden soul is purer and more radiant... I see. The sword has found its sheath."
Looking down from the highest floor of Chalk Tower, the silver-haired goddess sipped her wine through her gorgeous red lips.
"Such an interesting change in just a few days?"
The boar-faced warrior slowly took in the scene. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke.
"Lady Freya, should we bring him into our Familia? To fulfill your wishes, we could even—"
Freya considered the suggestion, then shook her head.
"That soul is interesting, but he isn't my type... And how should I put it? I sense something like myself in him."
Ever since that boy had appeared in Orario, Freya had been watching his strange soul, filled with unfathomable darkness.
It was only after Noah's trip to the Dungeon yesterday that she began to understand a little.
When Noah killed monsters, he felt no hatred or hostility toward them. He simply enjoyed it.
Then Freya remembered that when he interacted with gods—or, for that matter, anyone—he showed no reverence at all.
It was as if they were all on equal footing, as if there were no difference between them...
Freya immediately realized that this was an extreme form of equality born from his utter contempt for everything.
After all, when someone judged others by the sword alone, every living being in the world became either something that bled or something that didn't, an enemy or not an enemy.
If necessary, Freya suspected that killing a god would be no different to Noah from killing a monster.
But what caught her attention more was the sense of kinship she smelled on him.
What did a pervert hate most?
It certainly wasn't people who were the complete opposite of them—those noble, pure souls.
If anything, perverts adored such people, even when those people utterly despised them.
After all, whether it was teasing the virtuous and watching them struggle in pain, or staining them with their own colors and then claiming them, both brought immeasurable pleasure.
By that logic, the people a pervert hated most were other perverts just like them.
Now, Freya could smell the faintest trace of a kindred spirit in that lower-world boy named Noah.
There was very little of that desire in him, but it was unmistakably similar in nature.
...Why did she have this inexplicable sense of danger?
Skill: This Heart This Intent
The sun rose, and breakfast at Twilight Manor grew noisy once more.
If there was anything out of the ordinary, it was that Loki seemed to have slept in because of a hangover.
After breakfast, Finn announced that the Loki Familia would set out on an expedition in seven days.
As the atmosphere grew lively, Finn assigned tasks to the members one by one. Veterans like Noel and newcomers like Raul all had their own duties.
An expedition was the biggest and most important undertaking for an exploration Familia, and there were many things to prepare in advance.
There was no need to mention the vast quantities of supplies—spare weapons, tents, food, protective gear, potions, magic swords, and more—that would nearly drain the Familia's funds. More important still was information.
First, they needed to share information with the Guild.
As an indispensable fighting force in the city, the Loki Familia's entry into the Dungeon would leave the city short of defenders, so they had to coordinate their defenses in advance.
And if the Loki Familia ran into trouble in the Dungeon and became trapped, the Guild would need to send out investigation and rescue teams promptly.
Next, they had to update their information on the Dungeon. They needed to know whether there were any unusual conditions along their planned route, whether it would conflict with another faction's plans, and whether a floor boss might appear along the way.
Finally, they had to inform the other Familias so they could take on various commissions.
Only after Finn had finished assigning the tasks and dismissed the Familia did Noah realize he hadn't been given one.
Once the members had filed out of the dining hall, Noah stood and walked over to the three executives, who were still discussing matters at the head of the table.
As he went, Noah suddenly frowned and scanned the living room, but, as expected, he couldn't find a certain little blonde girl.
Where had Ais gone?
Noah approached with a puzzled expression. Before he could say anything, the three executives seemed to finish their discussion and began to disperse.
Riveria turned to him and spoke first. "Noah, do you have any plans today?"
Noah noticed that the refined features of the Elf Royalty looked weary, as if she were facing a mountain of paperwork and work.
What was more, Riveria, who was usually so meticulous about her appearance, was resting her cheek in one hand, her head tilted against the table.
Noah knew that look very well. People who wore it were usually in a foul mood; it might take only a spark to set them off.
Why?
Did a teacher need a reason to hit a student? Would walking in with the wrong foot be enough?
He carefully weighed his words and spoke more softly than usual.
"Uh, I was planning to visit Amid this morning and take care of my magic stones and drop items. I haven't decided what to do this afternoon."
The medicine made by the Dian Cecht Familia was the most effective in the city. It was only natural for any adventurer to say they were going to buy medicine at Pure White Hospital.
But Noah had said he was going to Amid, not to the Dian Cecht Familia...
For some reason, Riveria couldn't help noticing the subtle difference.
She stopped rubbing her temples and studied the silver-haired boy through the green strands of hair hanging over her face.
"Why are you going to see that little girl from the Dian Cecht Familia? Did you get hurt fighting Goliath yesterday? I don't remember you drinking many potions."
"No," Noah said, shaking his head.
"It's just that when I bought medicine the day before yesterday, Amid said she'd sell it to me if I came to her for a checkup every time I returned from the Dungeon. She said something about a doctor's duty and how she could never let a patient be treated by someone else."
Riveria's eyes instantly sharpened.
She'd used medicine to get the naive Noah to make that promise, then secretly sold me the information so I'd keep an eye on him?
Having it both ways, was she!?
Riveria didn't know why Amid would do this, and she didn't think it would harm Noah, but it still bothered her.
Well, well, well. That little girl from the Dian Cecht Familia was more calculating than she looked. Such scheming at such a young age.
A strange chill spread through the air. Noah shivered and instinctively looked around, but didn't see anything dangerous.
Riveria lifted her long, booted right leg and lightly nudged Noah, drawing his attention back to her.
"Don't go today. I'll talk to that little girl from the Dian Cecht Familia. Your task for the next few days is to improve your status as much as possible and prepare for the expedition..."
"An expedition?"
At the word, Noah forgot all about the Dian Cecht Familia and Amid. His eyes lit up at once.
"Yes. Finn and the others and I discussed it. You'll serve as the Familia's vanguard during the expedition. We'll also see if we can find that Two-Headed Dragon roaming between the twenty-fifth and twenty-seventh floors. It might be enough to earn you a feat..."
As she spoke, Riveria noticed that Noah's collar was a little rumpled, so she reached out to straighten it without thinking.
"I won't be going with you this time, so be careful on your own, all right?"
The gentle touch against his chest, the faint warmth, and Riveria's light fragrance stirred a ripple in Noah's heart.
"Riveria, have you been having a hard time lately? Want me to help?"
Riveria felt the muscles beneath Noah's clothes as she touched his chest and immediately realized her gesture was a little inappropriate.
But when she heard that this battle-crazed boy was actually concerned about her, her brows rose slightly, and a note of satisfaction appeared in her eyes.
Good. He was much less trouble than Ais.
She smiled at Noah, all weariness gone from her face, and rose from her chair.
"Don't worry. It's just some minor Familia business. I simply lose heart when I think about having to haggle with people over every little detail."
As Riveria explained, Noah learned that her weariness came from the negotiations she'd have to hold with the other Familias over commissions.
Even the Loki Familia often found itself short of funds when gathering the enormous supplies needed for an expedition.
And an expedition's rewards didn't always cover its costs.
If anything, most expeditions ended in a small loss, meaning the Familia had to spend two or three months raising funds for an expedition that lasted at most ten days or half a month.
Under these circumstances, taking on various commissions was a necessary way to earn rewards and repay the favors owed to the Familias they worked with.
Fortunately, as one of the few powerful Familias able to bring valuable resources back from the deep levels, the merchants didn't dare drive as hard a bargain with the Loki Familia as they would with a small Familia.
Of course, that only meant they didn't dare make their advantage too obvious. To secure enough profit, they still had to negotiate with each one individually.
That job fell to Riveria.
Before you continue