The Journey of Mixed Anime Begins in DanMachi

Mid-sentence, Amid fell into an eerie silence as she exchanged a wordless look with the girls of the Astraea Familia standing before her.

55 Loki: So delicious!

Although the sun was shining brightly outside and the streets were bustling with crowds, the reception area of the Pure White Hospital was so deathly quiet that it felt as if a freezing magic had swept through the air.

Amid scanned the girls before her—

The human woman with long, deep blue hair and an impossibly scandalous figure, Maryu Reaz.

The Amazon who, despite her race, possessed the most "girlish" charm in the Astraea Familia, Iska Bra.

The petite Dwarf vanguard, Aster Knox.

And the blonde, masked Elf who had only exchanged a few words with Amid, Ryu Lion.

That's right, the Astraea Familia had come to purchase potions for their expedition half a month ago, right after the incident at the North Street charity meal was resolved.

Calculating the time, it was indeed about right for them to be finishing their expedition and returning to the surface.

However, what might also be finishing along with it was her own life...

Recalling the words that had just slipped out of her mouth, Amid felt all the blood in her body rushing to her face.

Without needing a mirror, Amid was certain that her face must be redder than fresh blood.

At this moment, Amid wished more than anything that she could simply pass out.

Yet, her body refused to obey her will, stubbornly remaining conscious while being completely unable to move—she couldn't even turn around or crouch down.

Instantly sensing Amid's distress, Maryu, who possessed the same big-sister aura as her scandalous figure, smiled slightly and turned to look at her Familia members.

"I need to discuss something with Amid. You all go see if there's anything else you need to buy. The Dian Cecht Familia has more than just potions; there are plenty of good things here. You can all buy something as a reward for finishing such a grueling expedition."

Watching Amid, whose face was flushed crimson and whose eyes were spinning, the girls of the Astraea Familia couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for this girl, who was even younger than the youngest member of their own Familia.

To think she still needs to hug a plushie to sleep at night—no matter how serious she acts, she's still just a little girl, the girls thought as they exchanged glances. Suppressing their smiles, they dispersed to various parts of the shop.

"Amid, it's alright. It's not a strange habit to like hugging something when you sleep."

The voice was slow and leisurely, yet possessed a magical quality that was incredibly soothing—in short, it was the very definition of "maternal."

Even Amid, who felt as though her soul were being scorched and annihilated by shame, couldn't help but be healed by that voice, barely managing to snap back to reality.

Eh? They only think I like hugging a plushie?

"R-really? They won't laugh at me..."

Dazed, Amid followed the source of the voice to her side, only to realize that Maryu had entered the counter area at some point and was now standing right next to her.

However, even as Amid tilted her head up, it was difficult to see Maryu's expression; she could only see the deep blue hair swaying.

Beyond the height difference, the more important reason was likely that this elder, who had been granted the title of "Starry Mother" by the gods for her rare wide-range healing magic, possessed a feature that matched her aura...

No!

It should be said that she possessed a pair of massive peaks that far exceeded standard specifications!

Among all the busts Amid had ever seen, Maryu could definitely rank in the top three!

Especially for Amid, who was looking up from below, that pair of voluptuous mounds—which seemed ready to burst through her clothes and were outlined in heavy, sagging curves by gravity—felt like two mountains about to descend from the sky, crushing her vision!

Staring blankly at that chest, Amid subconsciously looked down, and her gaze landed on her own toes without any obstruction.

Struck by the crushing defeat of being completely outclassed in feminine charm, the embarrassment and shame in Amid's heart vanished in an instant.

Although there was an age gap, Amid had no confidence that she would ever catch up to Maryu even after she grew up.

Well, there's no time to be shy now.

Maryu, however, did not notice the drastic change in her junior's mood over the last few seconds.

She found a chair to sit on, stretched her sore shoulders, and then used both hands to lift her heavy chest, raising it up before letting it drop onto the table with a "thud."

It looked like a bag filled with cheese, squashed into a plump, flat shape on the tabletop.

"Mmm, that's better~~"

Under Amid's gaze, which was rapidly turning into that of a dead fish, Maryu wore an expression of relief, though a hint of contemplation soon flickered in her eyes.

"Ryu and Noin are good girls; why would they laugh at Amid? Besides, I doubt they have the leisure for such things right now. Last night, almost everyone didn't sleep at all..."

In Maryu's mind, the image of the silver-haired swordsman fighting the Goliath alone vaguely surfaced.

We thought he was some senior, but then we were told he was a rookie who had just received his Blessing?

How is that possible? Stop joking!

If someone had told them that a person who had just received a Blessing could solo a Floor Boss, the girls of the Astraea Familia would have dismissed it as a boring tavern rumor.

But perhaps because everyone had been so shocked by that scene yesterday, almost all of them wanted to rush to the Loki Familia to demand an explanation.

If not for the intervention of Lyra, the most level-headed mage in the Familia, and the Goddess Astraea herself, things might have truly spiraled out of control last night.

Even so, Maryu was certain that most of them hadn't slept a wink.

This was evident from the fact that almost everyone was yawning when they woke up this morning... though Ryu seemed unaffected, appearing as energetic as if she'd had a great night's sleep, which was somewhat unexpected for Maryu.

After all, Maryu knew why Noin, who was usually so composed, had suddenly been so enthusiastic toward that swordsman, Sifir, yesterday.

As the "number three" vanguard of the Astraea Familia, Noin lacked the exceptional talents of Kaguya, with her peerless swordsmanship, or Ryuu, who excelled in magic attacks using "Parallel Chanting."

To put it kindly, she was steady; to put it bluntly, she was "plain." Everything about her was average and unremarkable.

Although she served as the essential lubricant connecting the vanguard and rearguard, keeping the team functioning, Noin surely harbored an unconscious longing to gallop across the battlefield and shatter enemies with her blade.

Perhaps it was precisely because she projected the image of what she could not achieve onto that silver-haired swordsman that Noin felt so stirred.

As for Kaguya, Alise, Neesh, and Iska, while they were perhaps a bit better off, Maryu knew they were likely just as restless.

Sure enough, first thing in the morning, they had urged the goddess Astraea to visit the Loki Familia to get to the bottom of things.

This left Maryu to handle the materials obtained from the expedition alone.

The only one who seemed unaffected was Ryuu, the most immature member of the Familia and a fellow vanguard, who even refused to go to the Loki Familia—a development that caught Maryu off guard.

She wondered how their conversation was going.

Maryu's heart drifted northward, unbidden.

Meanwhile, inside the Twilight Manor—

"I don't care, I don't care! I am going to kick this beast who defiled Ais-tan out of the Familia! It doesn't matter who comes! I don't want to conquer Orario! I don't want Freya washing my feet or massaging my legs! I want him gone! Get him out of my sight!!"

Watching Loki roll around on the floor like a Hard-Shelled Rat, shaking the very Divine Chamber, Riveria looked on with a helpless expression before turning to Finn.

"Hey! Think of something!"

Finn licked his right thumb, a calm smile of total control on his face.

"Don't worry, it will be resolved soon."

"Resolved? How?"

No sooner had Riveria finished speaking than the shouts of other members echoed through the corridor.

"Riveria-sama! Captain! The Astraea Familia says they are here to visit Loki!"

The Familia of Justice?

Riveria and Finn exchanged a glance.

Ten minutes later, in the reception room.

"Oh, I had no choice! Who told me, the goddess Loki, to be as elegant and dazzling as a pearl in the night? I was just walking down the street when that kid came over, hugged my leg, and cried that he wouldn't join any Familia but mine, saying if I didn't take him in, he'd jump off the city wall and kill himself!"

56 Riveria: I also want to improve!

"Um, what exactly happened? Can you explain it clearly? Don't just sit there sighing to yourself, okay?"

Watching Maryu rest her chin on her chest, frowning in deep thought one moment and shaking her head with a sigh the next, Amid, with her dead fish eyes, couldn't help but question her.

Although the two belonged to different Familias and the age gap was wide enough to form two generational divides, the relationship between Amid and Maryu was actually quite good.

Compared to adventurers who wielded weapons to kill, the number of healers in the city was quite scarce, to the point where they had formed their own inner circle.

When she first joined her Familia, Amid had been led by her seniors to meet several healers with whom they had good relations, and that was when she first met Maryu.

After spending time together and interacting, their relationship had reached the point where they could roast each other.

For instance, Amid's philosophy of "rather than healing wounds, it's better to beat the person who caused them to death" was an idea she had caught from Maryu.

This "Starry Mother" had grown up in an orphanage and witnessed the tragic scenes of the Dark Faction slaughtering the city.

Therefore, whenever she mentioned the Dark Faction, not only would her smile vanish, but her very pupils would lose their luster.

A profile of her inner darkness was that, as a healer, Maryu chose not to carry a staff, but a mace!

However, after coming back to her senses, Maryu only offered Amid an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, this is a secret of another Familia; it's really not convenient to talk about. However, if the other party doesn't intend to hide it, I suspect Amid will find out soon enough."

Although the news of the Loki Familia subjugating the Goliath would likely be disclosed by the Guild, if the other party wanted to conceal it, there were plenty of details they could manipulate.

They didn't need to lie; they only needed to avoid telling the whole truth.

For example, "a Lv.1 rookie solo-subjugated the Goliath" and "the Nine Hell and a rookie from the Familia subjugated the Goliath together" were both facts, but they would give people completely different impressions.

After all, aside from the Astraea Familia, no one else was on the scene to prove whether what the Loki Familia said was true or false.

Yesterday, the goddess Astraea had said that once the Loki Familia reported the news, they would simply corroborate the story according to the other party's version.

During the chaotic period of the Dark Faction, medium and large Familias had an unspoken understanding regarding the protection of promising rookies.

But, a rookie?

Wasn't he someone who could crush her with a single finger?

The rookies these days were becoming more and more terrifying.

Watching Maryu fall into deep thought again, Amid really wanted to snap at her: If you aren't going to tell me, could you stop thinking about it in front of me?

It leaves people hanging, and it's incredibly frustrating!

Riddle-mongers, get out of Orario!

Because of this, during the subsequent sale of materials, Amid wore a sour face and, exercising her feminine instincts, ruthlessly drove the price down.

Before leaving, Maryu bought some more medicinal herbs from Amid to regulate her health.

Though they are called medicinal herbs, there is actually no difference between them and food ingredients; many residents of Orario use them to stew meat.

After all, so-called medicinal herbs are just unpalatable ingredients, and you could probably find a pile of them in any random farmhouse in the countryside.

It was precisely because she had to find such low-grade goods inside the Pure White Hospital that it actually took Amid some time.

"You all returned from a grueling expedition yesterday, yet you didn't sleep a wink all night. You really don't cherish your bodies at all... If you don't get some proper rest today, don't blame me for what happens next!"

Sensing the dark aura radiating from the healer, the girls of the Astraea Familia all wore expressions of terror, yet they dared not speak.

Only Maryu remained composed, her sky-blue eyes carrying a hint of pride and a smile.

"Maryu, I shouldn't need to, right? I rested properly."

"Mm, Maryu rested well, that's wonderful!"

"Uh, it's not really something that needs to be praised..."

As she watched the girls of the Astraea Familia leave, Amid caught a glimpse of the Blonde Elf habitually picking up her scarf and gently dabbing it against her face.

"...Hm?"

For some reason, that action bothered Amid.

Why did she have such a strong sense of déjà vu?