Chapter 6 - Misunderstandings
Pulling his sword from the Wyvern's eye, Noah kicked with all his might, striking the dragon's gushing chest.
As he fell through the air, Noah used his momentum to spin and slash the Wyvern's chest again.
The sword strike completely shattered the Wyvern's already broken scales, and blood gushed out like a fountain.
But it wasn't just blood that gushed out—it was also the dragon's breath, which had been brewed to its limit and then forced back down its throat.
A chain of internal explosions ruptured the dragon's muscular torso, causing it to wail as blood and flesh flew everywhere.
By the time Noah landed in front of the blonde girl and lifted her by the scruff of her neck like a kitten, the Wyvern's body had expanded in mid-air before finally exploding completely.
Instantly, it was as if a sun had appeared in the cavern, scattering dazzling light.
A magical storm of light and fire swept over everything, cracking the walls and then melting the rock along those cracks until the entire cavern had been expanded from the inside out.
After the firestorm subsided, a pile of rubble shifted, and Noah poked his head out, looking around with lingering fear.
After confirming the danger was gone, Noah stood up from the rubble, still holding the blonde girl.
He felt for her pulse and, confirming she was still alive, breathed a sigh of relief.
He had just arrived in this world, his own injuries hadn't healed, and yet he'd run into this hellscape and risked his life.
For what? Wasn't it for this unfortunate child? If she died, wouldn't his efforts have been in vain?
"Kids these days are too reckless, aren't they? Seeing a dragon that huge, she didn't even try to run away and just charged right at it?"
That being said, Noah also knew that if the blonde girl hadn't attracted the Wyvern's attention, he wouldn't have been able to launch a successful sneak attack.
Although Noah hated being a kill-stealer, he had to admit that it felt pretty good.
Besides, it couldn't really be called a kill-steal, since the girl wasn't winning at all. He had completely saved her life.
Forget it, now's not the time to worry about this. I have to find a place to treat her injuries and my own.
However, Noah didn't have any healing skills, so his only option was to get back to the surface as quickly as possible.
But when he recalled the winding, forked paths he had taken on his way down, he felt a headache coming on.
Tsk, I didn't leave any markers. How long is it going to take to get back up?
Though it was embarrassing to admit, Noah had a terrible sense of direction. It wasn't a problem if he stayed in a city for a long time, but once he went out into the wilderness, he was basically guaranteed to get lost.
If that was the case in the wild, where he could at least see the sky to get his bearings, it was a hundred times worse in this cave, where he couldn't tell east from west, day from night.
Hopefully, I can get out before I bleed to death.
However, just as Noah took his first step, he felt something strange—the sound of magical power gathering, about to be released.
The source seemed to be just ahead, behind some ruins in the cavern. This explosion of magic didn't feel dangerous, however, so Noah simply watched as the ruins in front of him were blown apart.
"Ais!! Where are you?"
A green-clad figure appeared amidst the thick smoke. She was an elven woman with slender, pointed ears, long hair that shone like emeralds, and a stunning appearance.
She looked like a distraught mother who, after quarreling with her rebellious daughter, suddenly realized the child was lost and had rushed frantically into the dark night to find her.
The next second, her eyes met Noah's, and both of them fell silent.
Until—
"Father..."
The blonde girl in Noah's arms woke up at some point, then threw herself against his chest and burst into tears.
Noah's eyes suddenly widened.
Oh, for crying out loud! You little brat! Don't drag me into this!
When Riveria heard Ais call the silver-haired human "father," her eyes immediately sharpened.
She slowly tightened her grip on her beloved staff, Magna Alfs, ready to strike at any moment.
Although she was a mage, her staff was forged from Mithril and Holydite, making it stronger than the weapons of most first class adventurers.
Anyone who underestimated Riveria's close-combat ability would be in for a rude awakening.
After all, she wasn't that old... at least, still just a young woman by elven standards!
In any case, after years of traveling, Riveria had seen her fair share of darkness in the mortal world.
A simple and cute little girl like Ais was an easy target for scoundrels.
Noah could tell exactly what the green-haired elf was thinking from her glare, and he suddenly felt a wave of depression.
Although Noah had often been called a butcher, a devil, cold-blooded, and ruthless in the past, he had never been considered a pervert.
How should he put it?
Thinking of this, Noah couldn't help but pick the blonde girl off his chest with some exasperation, like she was a puppy, and look into her golden eyes, which were full of confusion.
This troublesome kid! I'm only seventeen years old! I'm still a kid myself! I've never even held a girl's hand, so isn't calling me 'dad' a bit much?
Although he believed a woman would only hinder the speed of his sword draw, Noah wasn't about to argue with a seriously injured, delirious little girl covered in blood.
"Hey, little one, I'm not your father. Wake up..."
After patting the girl's cheek, Noah turned her around to face the green-haired female elf, who only grew more alert and anxious because of his actions.
"Hey, look over here. Do you recognize this elf?"
After being shaken several times by Noah, the blonde girl finally opened her blood-blurred eyes in confusion and met Riveria's gaze.
Seeing Ais's miserable state, covered in blood and wounds, Riveria felt as if her heart was being stabbed by a knife.
Overwhelming regret, self-blame, and guilt washed over her, and her grip on her staff tightened.