Perhaps because of his racial characteristics, the dwarf named Dain noticed at a glance that the content on Noah's plate was not wine, but lemonade.
"Hey, kid, why are you drinking something so bland like an elf? A man should drink wine!"
Noah, who had always remained calm, had a slightly erratic gaze this time. "I believe that as a qualified adventurer, I should always stay sober and alert, so I never touch alcohol."
Although Noah thought his words were flawless, the three people opposite him immediately showed suspicious expressions.
"Hey! Boy, you're not going to..."
"No way? He's a man in his teens!"
"Can't drink alcohol? Hahahaha!"
The three of them immediately laughed even louder than before, and the air was suddenly filled with a joyful atmosphere. Now, Loki and the others couldn't bear it any longer and hurried over to join in the fun.
"What? What's going on?"
"Hey! Loki, this kid can't drink!"
"No way?!"
Looking at Loki, who was laughing like a barbell, Noah couldn't help but purse his lips, and the corner of his eye twitched.
"Hey, kid, life is all about trying everything. Wanna give it a try? This is a fine wine produced by the Dionysus Familia!"
Looking at the shaking red wine in the glass handed to him by the Amazon, Noah took a deep breath and took the glass. "Okay, but after I drink, remember to keep an eye on me."
"Oh?"
The laughter died down, and everyone looked at Noah curiously.
"The last time I drank was two or three years ago. A buddy of mine secretly replaced my drink with wine, and then..."
"Then?"
"Then I lost consciousness. When I regained consciousness, it seemed as if a huge battle had taken place around me. My companions were either lying unconscious on the ground or hanging from trees."
Seeing Noah about to drink the wine after he finished speaking, everyone's expressions changed drastically. Especially Loki, whose face, which was already red from drunkenness, turned pale in an instant.
She snatched the wine glass from Noah's hand with a speed that even the adventurers admired.
"Wait! You'd better stop drinking!"
"Hm?"
While Noah was wondering whether Loki's reaction was too intense, she and the others turned to look to the other side.
There, a little blonde girl was struggling to roll up noodles with a fork, her fair little face covered in sauce. When she caught Loki's gaze, she turned her head with red cheeks and pouted.
"Loki, I hate you..."
...
Although Noah wanted to try it, wondering if his resistance to alcohol would be higher after receiving the Falna, Loki, Riveria, and the others, looking rather fearful, ultimately did not agree to his attempt.
After all, a Level 5 going crazy while drunk is completely different from a little girl going crazy while drunk.
In particular, although the Loki Familia is one of the two major powers, it is actually not wealthy. They earn a lot, but they spend even more. Not to mention the large amount of potions, equipment, and other supplies that need to be purchased for each expedition, the equipment for the several first-class adventurers alone starts at hundreds of millions of Valis.
It could be said that most of the money they earned from their deep-floor adventures was transferred to production Familias like Hephaestus, Dian Cecht, and Goibniu.
Therefore, the Loki Familia had neither plans to renovate the Twilight Manor nor the budget to do so.
Thanks to their adventurer physiques, although most of the members, led by Loki, started drinking heavily, the party didn't last past midnight before the drunkards finally passed out.
In the end, it was Noah and the few members who didn't drink, mainly the elves, who were responsible for cleaning up the mess. Less than ten people, led by Riveria, cleaned the cafeteria, carried the drunk members back to their bedrooms, and assigned the night watch.
Although the girls kept complaining, and some even kicked their teammates out of personal vendetta, they still cleaned up the mess very seriously.
As the head chef of the dinner, Noah, whose cooking skills were recognized by the elves, was not allowed to do more than that. His main task was to help carry the drunk men back to their rooms.
The one responsible for leading him was Riveria. The tall, slender high elf was also carrying a person in each hand, her movements as light as if she were holding apples.
"Noah-kun, after discussing with Finn and the others, I will be teaching you the knowledge you need to become an adventurer for the next period of time."
In the dark corridor, a little moonlight shone in from the window and reflected off the marble floor, outlining the delicate curves of the high elf's exquisite face.
Below her nose bridge were thin, soft lips, and the skin on her neck was extremely pale and tender, so clear that you could vaguely see the blue blood vessels.
Her emerald-green hair swayed gently with her steps, just like her cold voice echoing in the corridor.
"Tomorrow morning, first come with me to the Guild to register. What are your plans after that?"
Noah didn't answer immediately but thought for a moment. He was not thinking about Riveria's question, but about the strange throbbing in his heart when he had just caught a glimpse of the high elf's pale neck.
It's strange. Why does it feel like the urge to bite her neck and... exchange fluids... seems to have increased again?
Could it be that the Falna also has the function of awakening my bloodline? Am I a vampire?
Looking at the moon, Noah found that he was very calm, without any particular excitement. Noah liked the moon, but only because demons often attacked at night, and the bright moonlight helped him spot enemy attacks, so it made him feel safe.
All kinds of questions flashed through Noah's mind, but he suppressed them.
"Well, I don't have any plans to explore the Dungeon for now. I want to get used to the power I've gained after receiving the Falna first."
Glancing at Noah out of the corner of her eye, Riveria's eyes flashed with admiration. She felt that this would be a child that would be less troublesome.
"In that case, let me first explain the Dungeon and the distribution of monsters. Oh, I remember you awakened magic. What do you know about it?"
"Well, I can only say that it will be useful."
When they arrived at a room, Noah threw both men he was carrying onto the beds inside. Then, in the next room, he threw the two people in Riveria's hands onto their beds.
If there was any difference, it was that Riveria's actions were much rougher than Noah's; it could almost be said she "smashed" them onto the beds. It was obvious she was not as composed as she appeared when facing her alcoholic Familia members.
"That's perfect. Come to class."
"Attend class?"
When this was mentioned, Noah couldn't help but imagine Riveria wearing gold-rimmed glasses, holding a pointer, looking down at him with a stern expression. This was in line with Riveria's strict role within the Familia, but Noah always felt that her image was somewhat damaged.
"Well, I'm very curious about your magic and skills. Wasting talent is a great sin!"
Although she is an elf, Riveria is not conservative and stubborn about elven secrets.
On the contrary, as the number one mage in Orario and the firepower of the Loki Familia, she has always wanted to find someone to pass on her knowledge to.
It would be best to find someone who could explore the mysteries of magic with her. Failing that, she should at least train a child who could replace her at critical moments. Unfortunately, no suitable candidate had been found.
In the city, the only mage who could be compared with her was Hedin Selland of the Freya Familia. That elf possessed mental strength, magic control, and a magic range that was not inferior to, and perhaps even surpassed, Riveria's.
Even Riveria had to admit that apart from the raw power of her magic, she was not stronger than him in any other way. If they fought one-on-one, she would most likely lose badly. However, putting aside the semi hostile state between the two Familias, even if they could cooperate, Riveria didn't think there was anything to discuss with him.
Furthermore, while there were many young people with potential in her own Familia, their limits can basically be seen at a glance.
The only student she had, Ais, although she had strong magic, was obviously a swordsman first.
Now that a talent like Noah has finally arrived, Riveria would certainly not let him go. Although Noah was also clearly a swordsman, the his lightning magic's and the rare skill Song of Truth were enough to make her heart pound.
Thinking of this, Riveria's irritation from being forced by Finn and Loki to take care of another child disappeared, replaced by excitement.
Absolutely! I must teach this child in a more comprehensive (strict) and (harsh) way than I taught Ais!
Next to her, Noah, who was thinking about taking a shower and resting, suddenly felt cold all over.
The strong intuition brought by his Hymn to Spring skill was sounding alarm bells, as if something very bad was about to happen.
Could it be that Valletta is here for revenge?
But he looked around and didn't find any danger. The moonlight was beautiful, the wind was gentle; everything was very peaceful.
"Then, tomorrow morning I'll take you to familiarize yourself with the Familia, and then I'll start teaching relevant courses in the afternoon. Is that okay?"
Hearing Riveria's question, Noah, who was struggling in thought, nodded subconsciously. "Okay, no problem."
It's just a magic class. How difficult can it be?
This is what Noah thought at the time.
...
Early in the morning, Noah woke up to a snoring sound. When he saw the unfamiliar ceiling, he was a little dazed.
Oh, yes, I joined the Loki Familia. From now on, I'm also part of the team.
The Twilight Manor isn't huge, but it's definitely not small. It was more than enough to arrange a room for each of the forty-plus members.
However, within the Loki Familia, normal members were required to share a room with two people.
Noah believed that after receiving the Falna and making up for his power gap, he should be able to easily defeat Valletta if he met her again, he was still just a new member and was arranged to share a room.
His roommate was a 13-year-old human boy, Raul Nord, who had joined the Loki Familia two years ago and was still Level 1. Although he was only 13, Noah still remembered how he and Loki had toasted together yesterday.
He was a little awkward at first, but after a few drinks, he relaxed and started to sing loudly with the dwarves, arm in arm.
All I can say is that warriors come in all ages; adventurers are probably all like this.
Noah quietly jumped down from the upper bunk, changed his clothes, picked up his weapon, and silently left the bedroom.
After a quick wash, he came to the courtyard of the Twilight Manor. At this time, the sun had not yet risen, and Orario was still immersed in silence.
This season seemed to be late autumn, and the sky was particularly clear, but also particularly cold.
A cold morning breeze blew over, dispersing the white mist from his breath. Feeling the cold wind through his thin clothes, Noah did not start his morning exercise immediately but walked around the courtyard first.
The atrium appeared to be in a circular shape surrounding the central tower.