"Haaam..."
A small yawn suddenly reached my ears. When I turned to look, Ais was blushing, looking completely flustered.
Was she sleepy? Come to think of it, it made perfect sense.
She had been training since early morning, sweating buckets. With her stomach full of Potato Balls, the sun warming her skin and a cool breeze blowing, it was the ideal recipe for a bout of spring drowsiness.
Given that Ais was naturally a sleepyhead, it was inevitable that she would succumb to the atmosphere.
*And she's still just a child, after all.*
Even when seeing it with my own eyes, I still forgot sometimes. This wasn't the Ais I knew, but an immature young girl.
She was stubborn as a mule, but she couldn't help the fact that she was exhausted.
However, if I simply suggested, "If you're tired, why don't you get some sleep?" she wouldn't just agree. What should I do?
"...Ah."
Come to think of it, there was something. A similar situation I'd had with the original Ais.
At the time, I honestly thought she was just making excuses because she was sleepy. But that "training" had proven incredibly useful in the deep levels. As expected, Ais was amazing.
A wave of admiration washed over me, and without thinking, I made a proposal to the young girl in front of me.
"Then, how about some nap training this time?"
"...?"
Ais's eyes narrowed in confusion.
Nap training.
It was a method Ais had taught me back when I was Level 1—training designed to make one capable of sleeping anywhere.
The Dungeon was a relentless chain of dangers. From monsters to the terrain, the Dungeon itself, and even fellow adventurers who could turn into enemies—it was a world of survival of the fittest. In such a place, the only things you could trust were yourself and your comrades.
Consequently, the time spent letting your guard down had to be minimized. Sleep, specifically, had to be reduced to the absolute limit.
The skill to fall asleep in an instant.
The skill to sleep regardless of the environment.
The skill to sleep with maximum efficiency.
The skill to react to danger even while unconscious.
And finally, the skill to wake up at the exact moment required.
Since sleep is when a living being is most vulnerable, one had to be perfectly prepared to survive in a Dungeon where schemes and betrayals were rampant.
This was especially true for those venturing into the deep levels. It might seem useless now, but that was exactly why it was best to prepare early.
Ais really was incredible. How had she even come up with a training method like this?
Wait, why is she looking away?
"I see..."
Though she had looked skeptical at first, Ais seemed convinced by my explanation.
It was funny, considering she was the one who originally suggested this training. I wondered if she had suffered through it herself.
"Of course, this isn't something you can master in a day or two. But that's why it's better to start now, right?"
"...Yeah."
With a determined look on her face, Ais agreed. She immediately lay down on the ground and attempted to drift off.
"..."
"..."
An awkward silence settled between us.
*Ais... she's not sleeping...*
She looked exhausted, so why couldn't she fall asleep?
*Is it because of me?*
The thought made me feel like I should move away, but then I realized that doing so would defeat the purpose of the training.
In the Dungeon, staying close to your allies was fundamental. Learning to sleep beside others was a necessary skill.
But...
"...I can't sleep."
Eventually, Ais gave up.
It was surprising. I expected her to force herself to sleep no matter what.
"Is it because of me?"
She shook her head.
It didn't seem to be my fault.
*Then what is it?*
It wasn't me, and Ais clearly looked tired.
Yet she couldn't sleep. There was a definite problem here.
Insomnia? I couldn't figure it out.
*But... well...*
There is always an answer. And when it came to Ais, the answer was quite simple.
*
Falling asleep was scary.
When had she started feeling this way?
She couldn't remember exactly. It hadn't happened all at once; rather, the thought had naturally seeped into her mind over time.
That day. The day her beloved parents vanished helplessly before the black wind, the night became a source of terror for Ais.
The darkness was frightening. The cold was frightening.
The act of falling asleep was terrifying.
She feared that when she woke up, she would be back in that nightmare. She feared that everything she had now was merely a dream.
The irrational fear that everyone was gone and she was the only one left behind became a monster that haunted her, stealing her peace.
In the end, Ais's only solution was to push her body to its absolute limit. Only then, through sheer exhaustion, could she manage about an hour of sleep a day.
*Right now...*
She was incredibly tired, but unfortunately, sleep still wouldn't come easily—perhaps because she had become such a light sleeper.
It was heartbreaking that she couldn't sleep as much as she wanted, but she found solace in the fact that it allowed her to train longer.
Of course, she knew that living this way was wrong. She just knew it in theory.
Just as Ais was about to give up on the nap training and ask for something else—
"I have a way."
The boy spoke up first.
"A way?"
It was hard to believe. Ais had tried everything to fix her sleep. She hadn't used drugs, but she had tried listening to music, drinking warm milk, and eating foods meant to induce sleep.
The results had always been zero. In such a situation, what could a boy possibly—
"Zzz..."
He had a way.
Before she knew it, Ais had fallen into a deep slumber, her breathing soft and steady.
Perhaps because of the accumulated fatigue, once she finally drifted off, she had no intention of waking up.
*Some things never change...*
Looking at Ais sleeping on his lap, he felt a wave of nostalgia.
He had discovered it by complete accident, but Ais always fell asleep easily when using his lap as a pillow.
He didn't know if it was unique to him or if it worked with anyone, but it had always been the case.
*I was always the one getting the lap pillow, so I thought I'd try it the other way around...*
He recalled a time when Ais had slept for twelve hours straight, as if she had been knocked unconscious. This time would likely be just as long, if not longer.
*I don't really mind, though.*
Back then, curfews had made it problematic, but that wasn't an issue now.
"..."
Feeling a bit melancholy, he used his free arm to gently stroke Ais's hair.
"Mm..."
Ais made a contented sound and shifted slightly. He spent the time in a daze, softly petting her head.
"Hachoo!"
"Ah..."
Ais sneezed. Was she cold?
The sun was warm, but the wind had a chill to it. Had he been too careless?
He immediately took off his coat and draped it over her. Ais wriggled slightly, hugging the coat close to her chest.
Ais didn't wake up until long after the sun had set.
*
"Uuun..."
"You can't walk with your eyes closed."
Even after sleeping for over half a day, Ais still seemed drowsy.
Was it because she was a child? Or was it because she had been so deprived of sleep for so long?
Feeling a pang of sadness, he squeezed her hand. Ais looked at him for a moment, then squeezed back firmly.
As he was escorting her home—
"..."
He felt a gaze. A gaze that was hauntingly familiar, yet one he could never quite get used to.
Moreover, the atmosphere was different from before. Where the gaze had once been restrained, it was now blatant and predatory.
How should he interpret this? More importantly, had they been watching this whole time?
Then again, he had heard they were staying in Orario at the request of the Goddess Hera. Since this was before the Three Great Quests, it made sense that they would be here.
"Tch, I guess we were spotted."
He shielded Ais behind his back and stared toward the source of the gaze. Two figures emerged from the shadows.
He knew both of them—or rather, he would know them in the future.
"I knew it, but seeing him up close... it's certain. This kid is stronger than me."
One was a woman who was small—no, considering her race, she actually had a very imposing build.
A dwarf who had served as the captain of the Freya Familia before Otaru took over.
One of the legendary women known as the "Little Giants" (Demi-Ymir), and the future owner of the restaurant known as the Hostess of Fertility.
Mia Grand.
"...?"
But something was wrong.
"What is it, brat? Got something on my face?"
"I'm not a brat... no, that's not it."
He felt a momentary surge of annoyance, but it was quickly eclipsed by sheer shock.
"You... um... is your name Mia Grand?"
"...What? You know me?"
The woman seemed surprised, but he was far more bewildered.
No, he was absolutely floored. This was too much to process.
The Mia Grand he knew was boisterous, rough, and fierce. Not just in personality, but in appearance. Aside from her size, she was the quintessential image of a sturdy dwarf woman.
Thick and solid. That was the woman he remembered.
But the person before him?
"What? You're staring a hole through me."
"Ah... s-sorry..."
The personality was identical, but the appearance was worlds apart.
A flawless, beautiful face and glossy hair tied up in a high ponytail. A voluptuous chest and a slender, toned figure. She was a beauty in every sense of the word.
A woman who truly looked like a retainer of the Goddess of Beauty stood before him.
He was utterly confused. What on earth happened to turn *that* person into *this* person?!
"You... were you thinking something rude just now?"
"No...?"
Rude? This was the only logical reaction. Anyone—a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand people—would have the exact same thought.
He was so stunned by the sight that his throat tightened. He wanted to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
They say people lose their speech when they're too shocked, and he finally understood why. He could only stare, speechless.
*This is just too much. What happened? This isn't just the passage of time; this is a total transformation!*
"Mia, if you keep blocking the way, I can't get through."
"Ugh, such a pain. Just squeeze past me. It's damn tight in here."
Despite the other woman's grumbling, Mia replied with an air of annoyance.
The sulky woman didn't bother trying to persuade Mia; she simply stepped around her and lowered her hood.
Lustrous silver hair. Alluring eyes. Even with her body covered, she radiated a sensual, mesmerizing aura.
Her looks were exactly as he remembered, but her atmosphere was entirely different from the last time he had seen her.
The Familia that would eventually inherit the legacy of the Zeus and Hera Familias to claim the title of the strongest in Orario.
The Familia that would ultimately walk the path of ruin due to a momentary lapse into madness.
The only Familia in Orario to possess a Level 7.
The Freya Familia.
"Hello, child."
And there was their patron deity.
"Would you care to have a short chat with me?"
The Goddess of Beauty, Freya.
She had appeared before him.