The concepts behind various Magecraft techniques were worthy of Noah's study, such as artificial familiars, Bounded Fields, and Magic Crests.
Before their death, Magi pass on the Magic Circuits they have researched and honed over many years to their descendants, enabling them to reproduce spells simply by inputting Mana without the need for complex calculations. This is called a Magic Crest.
An idea popped into Noah's head.
If Magic Circles could be inscribed onto the human body, wouldn't that allow most of the people in orario to cast magic?
However, human experimentation seems to be forbidden by the gods in Orario.
So after hesitating for a few seconds, Noah decided to abandon the dangerous idea... I'll try it on myself sometime!
After all, how could I not do something amazing to live up to the Mystery and Mage development abilities that I have learned?
As he flipped through the pages, the sky outside the window gradually turned white until the bright morning light shone into the study.
But this did not attract Noah's attention, as he gradually approached the interior of the large bookshelf and turned to a notebook with the name Makiri Zolgen written on it.
The sunlight only shone on Sakura, who was sleeping quietly on the sofa under Noah's cloak.
Where am I?
The full, heavy ears of rice and the wild grasses interspersed among them swayed and rustled in the evening breeze, creating a magnificent scene together with the golden sunset that was about to fall from the valley.
Bathed in a warm glow, Sakura asked herself a question.
Am I dreaming?
Sakura realized this when she heard footsteps behind her.
Turning around, Sakura saw a child... Although she herself was not very old, she just wanted to call him that.
Judging from his height, he might be about the same age as Sakura, but his arms and neck, exposed from his tattered clothes, were almost thin.
From the footprints on the tattered clothes, the worn out straw sandals revealing most of his toes, and his dusty face, one could almost discern the child's plight.
However, what Sakura noticed first was the child's silver hair swaying in the wind, and a pair of eyes reflecting the glow of the setting sun.
He carried a bundle of firewood almost as thick as his arm, slowly walked across the fields, and traded it with a farmer's family for a few pieces of bread and a slice of meat.
The farmer seemed to be in a good mood because of the harvest, and even gave him something to eat.
Although its shape was different from any honey she had ever seen, Sakura recognized it as honey immediately.
But the child seemed to have never encountered honey before, looking at it in confusion for a few moments before hesitatingly putting it in his mouth.
Then, his eyes widened slightly, radiating joy.
Watching the lonely figure walking with somewhat cheerful steps toward a dilapidated old house in a corner of the mountain village, Sakura suddenly felt a tightness in her chest.
She instinctively chased after him, but the moment she stepped into the shadows of the valley, she was suddenly plunged into darkness again.
Looking around again, she found that the once quiet and peaceful mountain village was now a scene of devastation, bloodshed, and smoke, with various severed limbs visible in the darkness.
Before a hillside covered with crosses, Sakura saw the child again.
No, at this moment, Sakura recognized him as the silver haired person who had 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 Sakura remembered.
The only difference was probably that still gaze in the firelight.
Sitting in front of a grave mound, at his feet lay a sword still stained with blood, and in his hand was a large chunk of honey stained with blood.
He had several gruesome wounds on his body, but he was completely unaware of them.
He just stared intently at the mountain village while stuffing the blood stained honey into his mouth. After finishing it, he sat quietly in place.
Only when another sunrise pierced the darkness and cast its light into the valley did he slowly stand up, dragging his sword, and slowly walk out of the valley.
Despite the many differences, when she saw him turn around and look at the valley one last time as if saying goodbye, his eyes, burning like raging flames, immediately reminded Sakura of the young heroes in fairy tales.
A certain stirring within her heart made her take a step forward, wanting to chase after him, but she immediately stumbled and fell to the ground.
Pain spread through her limbs, making Sakura immediately aware of her body. Her consciousness seemed to rise rapidly from the deep sea, returning to the real world.
The first thing she noticed was a faint fragrance emanating from her breath, and a warm, heavy feeling that enveloped her entire body.
When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by an unfamiliar ceiling.
"Hey, you're awake? How are you feeling?"
Sakura looked toward the source of the sound and met a pair of eyes reflecting the morning light. For a moment, she lost the ability to speak, and her mind went blank.
Looking at the girl who seemed lost in thought and only knew how to stare at him, Noah couldn't help but frown.
What's going on? Does every girl I've protected have to go through this kind of idiocy?
To Noah's astonishment, the girl slowly rose from the sofa and walked slowly toward him.
Even standing, the girl, who was no taller than Noah's chest, was wearing a purple dress.
The skirt hem covered her knees, revealing a pair of fair and delicate calves. The girl's short, hair fell to her ears and was tied back with a red ribbon like hair tie.
Although she was still young, it was already certain that she would grow up to be a beauty.
However, Noah was still a little at a loss when the girl quietly approached him, to the point that he could see his face in her eyes.
What do you want to do?
Just as Noah was puzzled, he saw the girl suddenly purse her thin lips, then open her small arms and rush into his embrace.
Noah, who had already removed his armor, felt the gentle weight of the girl through his chest, which was only covered by a layer of soft combat clothing.
When her hair brushed against his chin, it created a slight itch, like a startled kitten jumping into his arms and rubbing against him.
Then, accompanied by heartbeats and sobs, a warm, damp sensation gradually spread across his neck.
After a few seconds of stunned silence, Noah instinctively raised his hands, hesitated for a moment, then lowered them and gently patted the girl's back.
"It's alright, it's alright."
Because he had become accustomed to pain and death, Noah often lacked empathy, a fact he was well aware of.
However, being thrown into such a disgusting sea of worms would make even himself want to vomit for days, let alone a five or six year old girl.
It was likely to be a psychological trauma that lasted a lifetime.
Sakura became even more excited upon receiving a response, hugging Noah's neck tightly with both hands, burying her face, her body trembling with rapid breathing.
However, no matter how turbulent her tears were, she only sobbed silently and did not wail loudly.
Noah looked up at the ceiling with a blank expression while continuing to pat the little girl's tender back.
Sigh, if I had known I would be bringing a child, I would have brought Riveria with me.
Time passed slowly, until the soft sunlight that had been streaming into the room gradually intensified and slowly retreated from the study.
He didn't know how much time had passed. Although the girl was quiet as if she were asleep, she would occasionally let out a sob or two.
Now, Noah understood why some people say girls are made of water, because he felt that the front half of his clothes was completely soaked with tears.
How many tears are there?
Just as Noah was wondering if the girl in his arms had fainted from crying and was about to pick her up, she suddenly straightened up.
Her flushed face was streaked with a few strands of hair, her nose and eye sockets were red and swollen, and her misty eyes held a hint of shyness...
"I'm sorry."
She looked at Noah, then at his chest, which was completely soaked with tears, and silently lowered her head.
Noah couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
Being shy is good; it means you've recovered.
Even though Noah didn't really understand girls, after spending time with Ais, Ryu, Riveria, and Amid, he knew that the best way to deal with a girl's shyness was to change the subject.
So he reached out and tidied the girl's hair, which was messy from crying.
"May I have your name?"
The subtle sensation of her cheek being gently touched by soft fingers reminded Sakura of her mother's hands, and the loneliness of being abandoned by her parents welled up in her heart again.
"...Sakura. Matou Sakura."
Even without seeing the emotions in Sakura's eyes, Noah could sense the change in the girl's heart through her small hand suddenly gripping his clothes.
Sigh, girl's minds are so hard to understand.
Noah couldn't understand Sakura, who was five or six years old.
He couldn't understand what nine year old Ais, twelve year old Amid, and fourteen year old Ryu were thinking.
And there was also that old hag Riveria...!
Oh no!
A sudden chill and a strange sense of crisis interrupted Noah's inner musings.
Forget it, let's ask that man about Sakura's background later.
"My name is Noah, Noah Sifel, it's nice to meet you."
Looking at Noah's large yet slender, fair hand, Sakura paused for a moment before hesitantly extending her small hand.
It was less of a handshake and more of a feeling that Noah's palm enveloped Sakura's small hand.
Feeling the warmth spreading from her palms to her arms and wrists, and even her whole body, Sakura's consciousness became somewhat hazy.
Sakura suddenly recalled the sight in the boy's eyes as he left the valley at dawn in her dream.
She was awakened by the gurgling sound coming from her stomach.
Touching her empty stomach, which hadn't had a drop of water since noon yesterday, Sakura felt her cheeks getting hot.
"Well, let's talk about other things later. Let's find something to eat first."
Holding Sakura in his arms, Noah picked up his sword and left the study.
Because he was not familiar with the cooking tools, seasonings, and ingredients of this world, Noah's culinary skills were not fully utilized, and he could only cook a simple bowl and noodles.
However, when it was served, Sakura still complimented.
"It smells so good."
Huh? This smells good?
After thinking about it, Noah could only conclude that children who have been hungry for a long time will find everything delicious.
However, just as Noah picked up the spoon, he suddenly sensed that the man, who had been sleeping like a log in the next room, seemed to be waking up.
"You keep eating, I'm going out for a bit..."
Noah had just stood up when Sakura grabbed his sleeve and shook her head pleadingly.
"No, don't go!"
Looking at the girl staring at him with her large, misty eyes, as if she would burst into tears if he dared to refuse, Noah's lips twitched slightly, but he finally sat down.