Noah exerted a slight force in his palm, as if trying to transmit his will through this power. Feeling the warmth of the hand pressed against her face, Ais instinctively held her breath, even stopping her crying, and stared blankly at Noah.
"Ais, I've said before that people are complex. Why must it always be one or the other? Your hatred isn't wrong; it's just that without you realizing it, there are already things in your heart that are more important and precious. So don't resist hatred, and don't be afraid of this preciousness. Carry them all with you and keep moving forward. Of course..."
Noah slowly crouched down, bringing himself to Ais's eye level. During this process, Ais clearly sensed that some of the gentle warmth in Noah's eyes disappeared, and a new, more aggressive heat was born. The "older brother who takes care of you in the Familia" was gradually disappearing. Noah, born to conquer and transcend all, appeared before her eyes.
"If sometimes you feel truly lost and can't find your way, then why not look to me?!"
A cold current surged through her body, and Ais's eyes widened. "Look at Noah?"
In Noah's eyes, Ais saw a blazing glow...she couldn't tell if it was the fiery red dawn or something else entirely. She felt the flames pierce her heart, and the scalding heat surged through her entire body.
"Yes, watch me, chase me, defeat me… Whatever Ais wants to destroy, I will surpass it. So, Ais, isn't it enough to just watch me?"
Hearing that slightly cold voice, Ais saw a slender hand appear before her eyes, extending an invitation. Those deep, clear eyes, reflecting her own soul, were like an abyss that swallowed everything, making Ais unable to look away. Besides, everything in the world before her eyes seemed to be melted away by the scalding heat within her body, turning into boundless pure white.
It was no longer just the tears that were burning; her whole body felt as if her blood was on fire, causing her to let out a low, distressed groan. Especially her back, it felt like there was a branding iron on it, making Ais breathe rapidly, unable to utter a single syllable. This feeling was just like when she was tempted by that god in the Dungeon.
Too insignificant, too narrow minded, too fragile... Ais understood that what she was about to pursue was a figure stronger than the Black Dragon and higher than the boundless sky. But the burning passion in her heart, far more intense, purer, and stronger than her hatred, wouldn't allow her to refuse. In this scorching heat, not only confusion, but even hatred, pain, despair, anxiety, and cowardice would be devoured and transformed into fuel for this fire.
Transformed into that clear, sparkling, dazzling radiance... Accompanied by the burning heat appearing on her back, Ais answered almost instantly...
Hmpf
Scale-like white clouds drifted by, the clear sky stretching endlessly. Bathed in the warm morning glow, the girl took Noah's hand. A clear and firm light shone in her eyes, and Ais's tear streaked face became bright, no longer filled with confusion. Looking at Ais pouting, Noah smiled with satisfaction. Before leaving the city walls, Noah cast a glance toward Babel in the city center.
"The gloom was wiped away, leaving no more confusion, and the golden soul became even purer and more dazzling... So that's how it is, did the sword find its own sheath?"
Looking down from the top floor of Babel, the silver-haired goddess sipped wine with her luscious red lips. "Such interesting changes have occurred in just a few days?"
Ottar slowly took in this scene, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke. "Lady Freya, should we add him to our Familia? To fulfill your wish..."
Freya pondered the suggestion, then shook her head. "That soul was interesting, but not my type... and how should I put it? I sensed a kindred spirit in him."
From the moment that boy appeared in Orario, Freya had been observing his strange soul, filled with deep darkness. It wasn't until yesterday, during Noah's trip to the Dungeon, that she noticed something amiss. That is, when Noah was killing monsters, he felt no hatred or hostility, but only pure enjoyment.
Then Freya realized that he had no reverence in his heart when he came into contact with gods, or rather, with all people. It was as if they were equal, and to him there was no difference... Freya immediately realized that it was an extreme form of equality that could only be achieved through extreme contempt for everything. After all, when a person distinguishes others solely by their sword, all living beings are reduced to the distinction between those who bleed and those who don't, between enemies and non enemies. If necessary, killing a god would probably be no different from killing a monster for Noah.
However, what concerned Freya even more was that she sensed a similar aura from Noah. What do villains hate the most? It is definitely not those noble and upright people who are on the opposite extreme. Rather, they love them, even if the other party dislikes it vehemently. After all, whether it's teasing those righteous people, watching them struggle, or staining them with one's own colors and possessing them, it all brings immense pleasure. Therefore, the people that villans hate the most are definitely villains of the same kind.
Now, Freya sensed a trace of her own kind in that child named Noah.
Why do I always have this inexplicable sense of crisis?
..
As the sun rose, the noisy breakfast began again inside the Twilight Manor. If there's anything unusual, it's that Loki seemed to be too drunk to get out of bed.
After breakfast, Finn announced that the Loki Familia would be embarking on an expedition in seven days. In the lively atmosphere, Finn assigned tasks to each member, whether they were veterans or rookies like Raul.
An expedition is the biggest and most important event for an exploration type Familia, and there are many things to prepare in advance. Aside from the enormous supplies that nearly drained the Familia's funds, such as spare weapons, tents, food, armor, potions, and magic swords, the most important thing was intelligence.
The first thing was to exchange information with the Guild. As an indispensable fighting force, the Loki Familia's entry into the Dungeon would cause a gap in the city's power, so it was necessary to coordinate defenses in advance. If the Loki Familia encountered an accident in the Dungeon and became trapped, the Guild would need to promptly dispatch a rescue team.
Then came updating Dungeon information: whether there were any abnormal situations on the planned route, conflicts with other Familias itineraries, and whether a Floor Boss would respawn midway. Finally, other allied Familias were notified to accept various requests.
After Finn finished announcing the mission and dismissed the Familia, Noah realized he had not received a mission. After the members of the Familia filed out of the dining hall, Noah got up and walked toward the three executives who were still discussing matters.
As he walked, Noah frowned and searched the room, but he couldn't find the blonde girl. Ais, where did you go?
As Noah approached with a puzzled expression, before he could speak, the three executives seemed to have finished their discussion and began to disperse.
Riveria looked at him and spoke first, "Noah, what are your plans for today?"
Noah noticed that the high elf's delicate face was etched with listlessness, as if she were facing a mountain of work. Moreover, Riveria, who always paid great attention to her appearance, was now resting her chin on her hand, her head leaning against the table.
Noah was familiar with this expression. People like this were often in a bad mood and might explode at the slightest spark. Reason? What reason does a teacher need to hit a student?
This made him consider his words carefully. "Well, I plan to go to Airmid's place this morning to deal with the magic stones and drop items. I'm not sure about the afternoon."
The potions made by the Dian Cecht Familia are the most effective in the city, so it's perfectly reasonable for an adventurer to go to the Dian Cecht Pharmacy to buy them. However, Noah said he was going to Airmid, not the Dian Cecht Familia...
For some reason, Riveria was concerned about this subtle difference. Stopping rubbing her temples, Riveria's gaze passed through her cascading green hair to observe the boy's face.
"What brings you to that girl from the Dian Cecht Familia? Did you get hurt fighting Goliath yesterday? I remember you didn't drink many potions yesterday either?"
"No," Noah shook his head. "When I bought the potions the day before yesterday, Airmid said that if I went to her for a check-up every time I came back from the Dungeon, she would sell them to me. She talked about the ethics of a doctor and that patients should never be treated by other people."
In an instant, Riveria's eyes sharpened. On one hand, she used potions to make the naive Noah make such a promise, and on the other, she secretly sold me information so I could monitor him? So, she's playing both sides? Although she didn't know why Airmid did this, nor did she think it would harm Noah, Riveria was still concerned. Good. I didn't realize Dian Cecht's girl had such a cunning mind.
Feeling a strange chill spreading through the air, Noah shuddered and instinctively looked around, but found no danger. Riveria raised her long, slender right leg, clad in boots, and gently kicked Noah to bring his attention back.
"Don't go today. I'll talk to the girl from the Dian Cecht Familia. Your task for the next few days is to improve your basic abilities as quickly as possible and prepare for the expedition..."
"Expedition?" Upon hearing this word, Noah forgot all about Dian Cecht and Airmid, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"Yes, Finn and I have discussed it. You'll be in charge of the vanguard. Also, let's see if we can encounter that Amphisbaena roaming between the 25th and 27th floors. Maybe that great feat will be enough..."
As she was thinking, Riveria noticed that Noah's collar was a little messy, so she subconsciously reached out to straighten it. "I'm not going to follow you anymore. Be careful on your own, okay?"
The gentle pressure and faint warmth from his chest, along with the subtle fragrance emanating from Riveria, stirred a ripple in Noah's heart. "Riveria, are you having a tough time lately? Do you need my help?"
After touching Noah's chest and feeling the muscles under his clothes, Riveria immediately realized that her actions were inappropriate. But when she heard that Noah, this battle maniac, actually cared about her, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, a hint of relief appearing in her eyes. That's great, much less troublesome than Ais.
She smiled slightly at Noah, her weariness vanishing, and rose from her chair. "Don't worry, it's just some matters within the Familia. It's just that the thought of having to get entangled with others over minor interests makes me feel a bit unmotivated."
As Riveria recounted her story, Noah learned she was weary because she was about to visit various Familias to discuss commissions. Even the Loki Familia often found themselves short of supplies when preparing for their massive expeditions. Furthermore, the profits from each expedition did not always cover the expenses. Rather, it was more accurate to say that most of the time the losses were small, so much so that for an expedition that lasted at most ten days, it took two or three months to accumulate funds.
In this situation, accepting commissions becomes a necessary choice to obtain remuneration and repay favors to cooperative Familias. Fortunately, as one of the few powerful Familias capable of retrieving precious resources from the deep floors, merchants dared not bully the Loki Familia by maliciously undercutting prices. Of course, they just didn't dare to take advantage too obviously. To secure enough benefits, she still had to negotiate with each party. This job fell to Riveria.