Chapter 64 - Ais, what kind of person do you think I am?
After thinking, under Ais's expectant gaze, Noah shook his head. "I probably won't go today, at least not this morning. I need to go to the Dian Cecht Familia later, and also deal with the magic stones and drop items. More importantly, Goliath won't respawn for at least half a month. The monsters in the upper floors aren't as good as training on my own. I'll consider choosing a few days to go directly to the lower floors."
Upon hearing lower floors, Ais immediately lowered her head in disappointment. If she had demi-human ears, they would definitely be drooping. Even if she hadn't angered Riveria yesterday, there's no way she would be allowed to enter the lower floors. Riveria wouldn't allow it, nor would Loki, Finn, or Gareth.
"But even if I wanted to find time to exercise, I don't know where to go. Staying in the Twilight Manor would disturb other people..."
Following Noah's gaze, Ais looked up and saw the city wall to the north. "Noah, do you want to go up to the wall?"
"Hmm, right? It looks like it would be a great place for training, but it doesn't seem convenient. What if the Ganesha Familia finds out."
"I know!"
The sudden burst of excitement made Noah instinctively look at Ais, and he found her eyes sparkling with excitement and a hint of pride. "I know how to get up there!"
"Huh?"
Ten minutes later, standing in front of the battlements, Noah surveyed the scene. A fiery red sunrise gradually appeared on the distant horizon, but the shadows of the mountains below appeared even darker, especially the city shrouded by the massive walls.
For Orario, which boasts the world's largest magic stone industry, setting up numerous magic stone lamps to illuminate the city is a piece of cake. Areas like the Guild Headquarters, Daedalus Street, and Entertainment district all started to become popular at night and stayed open. So it wasn't until just before dawn, when the lights went out, that the labyrinth city entered its darkest, quietest moment. The city inside the wall was plunged into darkness, while the world outside gradually came alive.
"Ais, you're amazing! You managed to find the hidden entrance. Even if we're not training, it's very comfortable up here."
"Umm." Faced with Noah's admiring gaze, Ais pouted and unconsciously looked away. She was embarrassed to say she had accidentally discovered the secret entrance during one of her past runaways. However, this is also for the best. Seeing Noah looking so content, Ais didn't understand why, but it allowed her to ask the question on her mind.
"Noah..."
"Um?"
Meeting Noah's gaze as he turned, Ais gripped the wooden sword in her hand, inhaled the cold air, and exhaled white mist. "Why are you so strong?"
Although Loki had locked Noah's magic and skills and not shown them to Ais, she didn't care. Because Ais finally realized what the feeling of excitement and longing hidden in her heart since Noah saved her was.
There were many adventurers in the city stronger than Ais, including many within the Familia, but Ais knew she couldn't learn anything from them. The strength of those people was largely due to age and time spent as adventurers. If she gave herself more time, she'd catch up.
Therefore, what she wanted to learn from Noah was not external things like skills, magic, or techniques. What truly captivated Ais was Noah's unwavering, resolute spirit when facing battle. Despite it being a fight to the death, there was not a trace of hatred or gloom in his eyes; he devoted his entire being to the battle. That murderous intent was chilling, yet it was also so intense, so clear, so pure...
Why can he enjoy fighting so much?
Ais believed that once she understood why Noah was so determined, she would also become stronger.
"Hmm, this is quite a sudden question..."
Noah looked at Ais in surprise and found her staring at him with an incredibly determined gaze, as if she wouldn't let him leave until he spoke.
"Oh, so you were waiting for me here, not just to help me, right?"
"Um, yes, I'm sorry, oh?! But not... that..."
Ignoring Ais's resistant and frustrated expression, Noah ruffled the soft hair on her head until it became frizzy before finally withdrawing his hand with satisfaction. "Having enough talent, hard work, and luck are indispensable, I won't deny that, but there's no way I can teach you those things..."
Noah rubbed the hilt of the sword in his hand, feeling the coolness of the metal, and murmured softly. "If there's anything that can help you, Ais, it's that you need to figure out what kind of person you are as soon as possible."
The cold wind howled past, and it took Ais a long time to comb through her tangled hair. Hearing Noah's clear voice, Ais stopped, tilting her head in confusion, her golden eyes filled with the bewildered look of a kitten.
"Understanding myself?"
"That might be hard to understand. Let's change the question. Ais, what kind of person do you think I am?"
Looking into Noah's eyes, Ais bit her lip, her face slightly flushed. "I think Noah is handsome, a great cook, and a skilled swordsman. Although he doesn't smile much, he's very kind... He's someone who's just as good to me as Riveria and the others..."
Even in the cold wind, Ais felt herself blushing.
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