Zongman, the journey begins from the wrong place

Because combat, ultimately, comes down to a balance between attack, speed, and defense.

On the contrary, it is the ideas of using various magic that are more worthy of Noah's study, such as artificial familiars, sorcerer's barriers, and magic seals.

Before a magician dies, he or she passes on the magic circuits he or she has researched and practiced for many years to his or her descendants, allowing them to reproduce the magic formula without the need for complex chanting, simply by inputting magic power. This is a magic seal.

Should we say that this is a magic sword engraved into the human body?

Hey! An idea came to Noah's mind.

If a magic circle could be engraved on the human body, would it be possible for everyone to cast magic instantly?

But human experiments seem to be forbidden by the gods in Orario.

So after hesitating for a few seconds, Noah gave up this dangerous idea... He'd try it on himself when he had time!

After all, if I don’t do something magical, how can I be worthy of the two major development abilities of mystery and magic that I have learned?

As I flipped through the pages, the sky outside the window gradually turned whiter, until the bright morning light shone into the study.

But this did not attract Noah's attention, because he gradually walked closer to the inside of the large bookshelf and turned to a notebook with the name 'Maqili Zolgen' written on it.

The sunlight only shone on Sakura Matou, who was sleeping quietly on the sofa under Noah's cloak.

where am I?

The full and heavy rice ears and the wild grasses among them swayed in the evening breeze, and together with the golden sunset that was about to shine across the valley, they formed a glorious scene like that of heaven.

Bathed in the warm glow as thick as honey, Matou Sakura asked herself.

I am dreaming.

Sakura Matou realized when she heard footsteps coming from behind her.

Turning around, Sakura Matou saw a child... Although she was not that old, she wanted to call him that.

Judging from his height, he might be about the same age as Matou Sakura, but his arms and neck exposed from his tattered clothes were almost bony, with only a thin layer of skin covering his bones.

The child's situation seemed to be apparent from the footprints on his ragged clothes, the tattered straw sandals that left most of his toes exposed, and his dusty face.

However, the first thing Matou Sakura noticed was the child's soft silver hair fluttering in the wind and a pair of deep blue eyes reflecting the glow of the sunset.

He carried a bundle of firewood as thick as his arm and walked slowly across the field to exchange it with a farmer for some bread and a slice of bacon.

The farmer seemed to be in a good mood because of the harvest and gave him a piece of amber soft glue.

Although the shape was different from any honey she had ever seen, Sakura Matou recognized it as honey at the first sight.

But the child seemed to have never encountered honey before. He looked at it confusedly for several times before hesitantly putting it into his mouth.

Then, his pupils widened slightly, shining with joy.

Looking at the lonely figure walking towards a dilapidated old house in the corner of the mountain village with somewhat excited steps, Sakura Matou suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.

She subconsciously chased after him, but the moment she stepped into the intersection of light and darkness in the shadow of the valley, she felt dizzy again and was plunged into darkness.

When he looked around again, he found that the originally quiet and peaceful mountain village had become a mess of blood and smoke, with all kinds of broken limbs visible in the darkness.

In front of a slope covered with crosses, Sakura Matou saw the child again.

No, at this time, Tongying recognized that he was the silver-haired big brother who saved her from the most dangerous moment.

At this time, he was probably only eleven or twelve years old, but he already had the appearance that Matou Sakura remembered.

The only difference is probably the eyes that are still dead in the firelight.

He was sitting in front of the grave, with a long sword stained with blood and flesh at his feet, and a large piece of bloody honey in his hand.

There were several hideous wounds on his body, but he was completely unaware of them.

He just stared at the mountain village while stuffing the blood-stained honey into his mouth. After eating it, he sat there quietly.

It was not until another rising sun pierced the darkness and cast its light into the valley that he slowly stood up, dragging his sword, and slowly walked out of the valley.

Although there were many differences, when she saw him turn around and look towards the valley for the last time as if saying goodbye, her eyes, which seemed to be burning with flames, immediately reminded Sakura Matou of the young heroes in fairy tales.

A certain throbbing in her heart made her take a step forward, wanting to chase, but she immediately fell to the ground.

The pain spread throughout her limbs, making Sakura Matou immediately aware of her body. Her consciousness quickly rose from the deep sea and returned to the real world.

The first thing she sensed was a faint fragrance between her breaths and a warm and heavy feeling covering her entire body.

When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

"Hey, you're awake? How do you feel?"

Sakura Matou looked towards the source of the sound and met a pair of deep blue eyes reflecting the morning light. For a moment, she lost the ability to speak and her mind went blank.

Noah couldn't help but frown as he looked at the girl who was just staring at him.

What's going on? Does every girl I protect have to be treated like this?

77 I'm going to jump from here today! I won't—

Under Noah's surprised gaze, the black-haired girl slowly stood up from the sofa and walked slowly to him.

Even when standing, the little girl, who was not as tall as Noah's chest, was wearing a purple dress.

The hem of the skirt covered the knees, revealing a pair of white and slender calves.

The small feet stepped on the floor, causing the white lace stockings to be stained with a little dust.

The girl's short black hair fell to her ears and was tied with a red ribbon-like hairband.

Her face is fair and her features are regular. Although her blue eyes lack a glow, they instead give her a more delicate doll-like look, making one want to hold her in their arms and hug her tightly.

Although she is still young, it is certain that she will be a beauty when she grows up.

However, Noah was still a little overwhelmed as the little girl approached him quietly, to the point where he could clearly see his face in her eyes.

You, what do you want to do?

Just when Noah was confused, he saw the little girl suddenly purse her thin lips, then open her short little hands and throw herself directly into his arms.

Noah, who had already taken off his armor, felt the gentle weight of the little girl on his chest, which was only separated by a layer of soft combat clothing.

When the hair brushes against the lower jaw, it causes a slight itch, just like a frightened kitten jumping into your arms and rocking its body.

Then, accompanied by the heartbeat and sobbing, a warm and wet feeling gradually spread across my neck.

After being stunned for a few seconds, Noah subconsciously raised his hands, hesitated for a moment, then lowered them and slowly patted the little girl's back.

"It's okay, it's okay."

Because he is accustomed to pain and death, Noah often lacks empathy, which he himself is very aware of.

However, being thrown into such a disgusting sea of insects would make even myself want to vomit for several days, let alone a five or six-year-old girl.

It's probably a psychological shadow that will stay with you for the rest of your life.

The little girl became even more excited after receiving the response. She hugged Noah's neck tightly with both hands, buried her little face in the base of his neck, and her body trembled with her rapid breathing.

However, no matter how much her tears flowed, she just sobbed silently and did not cry out loud.

This also forced Noah to endure the hot flashes and itchiness coming from his neck. He wondered if Liu felt the same way when he sucked her blood.

He looked up at the sky with a blank expression and continued to pat the little girl's tender back.

Alas, if I had known I would have to take care of a child, I would have brought Livilia here.

Time passed slowly, until the soft sunlight that originally slanted into the house gradually became stronger and slowly withdrew from the study.

I don’t know how much time had passed. Although the little girl was already quiet as if she was asleep, she would occasionally sob once or twice.

Now, Noah finally understood why some people said girls were made of water, because he felt that the front half of his clothes were completely wet with tears.

How many tears are there?

Just when Noah suspected that the little girl in his arms had fainted from crying and was about to pick her up, she suddenly stood up.

Her flushed face was stained with a few strands of hair, her nose and eye sockets were red and swollen, and her misty eyes were filled with a hint of shame...

"Yes, sorry."

She looked at Noah, then at her chest which was completely wet with tears, and lowered her head silently.

Noah couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief when he heard the voice as soft as cake.

It’s okay to be shy. Being shy means you should have recovered.

Even though Noah didn't understand girls very well, after interacting with Ais, Liu, Livilia, and Amide, he knew that the best way to deal with shy girls was to change the subject.

So he reached out and tidied up the little girl's hair that was stuck to her cheek.

"What's your name?"

The subtle feeling of soft fingers touching her cheek reminded Sakura Matou of her mother's hand, and the loneliness of being abandoned by her parents surged into her heart again.

"...Sakura, Matou Sakura."

Even if he didn't see the emotions in Sakura Matou's eyes, Noah could feel that something had changed in the girl's heart from the little hands that suddenly grabbed his clothes.

Alas, girls’ minds are so hard to understand.

Noah couldn't understand Sakura Matou, who was five or six years old.

He couldn't understand what was going on in the minds of eight or nine-year-old Aisi, twelve-year-old Amid, and fourteen-year-old Liu.

And Livilia, that old anxu%＃!＃＃@!

what!

Suddenly, a chill and an inexplicable sense of crisis interrupted Noah's sigh.

Forget it. I’ll ask that Kelp Head about this girl’s background later.

"My name is Noah, Noah Sifel, nice to meet you."

Looking at Noah's broad yet somewhat slender white palm, Sakura Matou was stunned for a moment before hesitantly stretching out her little hand.

It was more like Sakura Matou's small hand was wrapped in Noah's palm than a handshake.

Feeling the warmth spreading from her palms to her arms and wrists, and even throughout her body, Sakura Matou's consciousness became a little hazy.

Sakura Matou suddenly recalled the light in the boy's eyes when he left the valley in the morning light in her dream, and suddenly felt that the name was strange.

Because Noah is the name of the savior.

But Sefir reminded Sakura Matou of Lucifer, the fallen angel who betrayed God in Western legend.

Lucifer is also known as Lucifer.

Until her stomach growled, waking her up.

Touching her empty stomach which had not had a drop of water since yesterday noon, the little girl felt her cheeks getting a little hot.

"Well, let's talk about other things later. Let's find something to eat first."

Holding Sakura Matou in his arms, Noah picked up his sword and left the study.

Because Noah was not familiar with the cooking tools, seasonings and ingredients in this world, his cooking skills could not be fully utilized. He could only simply cook a bowl of vegetable soup with some noodles.

However, when it was served on the table, Sakura Matou still swallowed and twitched her nose.

"Okay, it smells good."

Huh? This smells good?

After thinking about it, Noah had to conclude that the child had been hungry for a long time, so everything tasted good to him.

However, just as he picked up the spoon, Noah suddenly felt that Kelp Head, who had been sleeping like a dead pig in the next room, seemed to be showing signs of waking up.

"You eat first, I'll go out for a while--"

Noah had just stood up when Sakura Matou grabbed his sleeve and shook his head pleadingly.

"No, don't go~"

Seeing the little girl looking at him with her huge misty eyes, as if she would cry if she dared to refuse, Noah's mouth twitched slightly, and finally he sat down.