Danmachi: The Focalors Familia — Chapter 101

Chapter 101: Naaza Caught Red-Handed

The heat of the battle still clung to the cavern walls, the scorched earth a lingering reminder of the Flame Axe Mitachurl’s heavy strikes and the Kairagi’s crackling, electro-infused blade. The four of them didn’t linger in the danger zone. Turning on their heels, they retreated swiftly along the winding, crystalline paths they had just carved through.

The monsters prowling the Middle Floors were by no means weak. The brutal pincer attack they had just dismantled would have inflicted heavy casualties on any standard Adventurer party. For Tifa, Robin, and Hyacine—who were still officially Level 1 Adventurers—surviving such a high-intensity clash had drained their physical stamina and mental focus, despite their flawless coordination and devastating magic.

Pushing deeper into the labyrinth wasn’t a calculated risk; it was a foolish gamble. They collectively decided to play it safe, agreeing to wait until everyone’s Falna stats had improved before challenging the deeper floors.

When the party finally stepped out of the towering gates of Babel and returned to the surface, the cool, refreshing evening air of Orario washed over them. The gentle breeze brushed against their flushed cheeks, carrying the distant, lively hum of the city. Leaving behind the oppressive, stifling atmosphere of the Dungeon and breathing in the crisp twilight air brought a collective, quiet sigh of relief to the group.

“We had good luck today. We finished the quest without burning too much time,” Noah said. He stretched his arms overhead, a satisfied, easy smile settling on his face.

Not only had they successfully harvested the rare Blue Magic Butterfly wings to fulfill Naaza’s commission, but they had also cleared out several other Guild bounties along the way. Reaching the fifteenth floor and returning in one piece made the expedition a resounding success.

The team handled the bustling evening streets, heading straight for the Guild. Inside the grand hall, they expertly submitted their completed commission forms and offloaded their surplus monster drop items, exchanging the loot for a heavy, satisfying pouch of valis.

With their pockets lined, they made their way through the winding cobblestone alleys toward District 7, eventually arriving at the headquarters of the Miach Familia—the Blue Pharmacy.

The moment they pushed open the wooden door, the rich, earthy scent of medicinal herbs enveloped them. Behind the polished wooden counter, the Chienthrope girl, Naaza, was resting her chin heavily on her palm. She looked thoroughly bored, but her half-closed amber eyes fluttered open the second she registered their arrival.

“You haven’t already completed the Adventurer quest, have you…?” Naaza asked, her voice laced with genuine surprise.

Even knowing Noah had recently ranked up to Level 2, the Blue Magic Butterfly was a notoriously elusive species. Tracking them down across the vast, sprawling labyrinth of the seventh floor was an exhausting endeavor. She had fully expected the party to take several days, if not a whole week, to track down a single specimen.

“Yeah, we got lucky and found a cluster of them,” Robin replied with a warm smile. She stepped up to the counter and gently unknotted the cloth package she carried, peeling back the fabric so Naaza could inspect the contents.

Resting quietly inside the bundle were several pristine pairs of Blue Magic Butterfly wings, each one emitting a soft, ethereal cyan glow in the dim lighting of the shop.

Seeing the rare synthesis materials she had only dreamed of acquiring, Naaza’s eyes lit up. Her usual lethargy vanished, replaced by undisguised delight.

“Thank you all. I really didn’t expect you to be so capable…” she murmured, her tone carrying a rare thread of absolute sincerity.

Just as the words left her mouth, the heavy wooden door leading to the back room creaked open. A gentle-looking male deity with deep blue hair and matching, compassionate eyes stepped into the storefront.

“Aren’t those the Blue Magic Butterfly wings that Naaza has been wanting?” God Miach asked.

Upon seeing Noah and the girls, a bright, welcoming smile graced the deity’s face. However, as his gaze drifted down to the glowing wings resting in Robin’s hands, his smile froze, then deepened into a look of sudden realization. “So, she commissioned you for this.”

Hearing her patron god’s voice, the joy instantly drained from Naaza’s face, leaving her deathly pale. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and the fluffy brown tail behind her waist began to twitch in erratic, nervous spasms.

“I am so incredibly sorry!”

Miach stepped forward, placed a firm hand on top of Naaza’s head, and forced her into a deep, apologetic bow alongside him, directing the gesture straight at Noah and his party.

Caught red-handed by her own deity, Naaza could no longer hide the shameful truth: she had commissioned a highly dangerous gathering quest at a criminally low price.

Upon deducing the pitiful reward Naaza had offered them, Miach’s expression had shifted from shock to deep anger, and finally settled into deep, agonizing guilt. Even if they were close friends, Miach absolutely refused to accept this kind of behavior. To him, it was nothing short of exploitation.

“It’s fine,” Noah said, his tone perfectly calm and unbothered as he met the god’s apologetic gaze. “Just consider it a favor. It wasn’t anything too difficult for us.”

Besides, it was a transaction between a willing buyer and a willing seller. If Noah had felt cheated, he could have easily refused the request back when she made it. He hadn’t intended to demand a premium reward in the first place. He might let it slide a second time, though there certainly wouldn’t be a third.

Despite Noah’s casual dismissal of the issue, Miach remained visibly distraught, offering apology after apology.

Beside him, Naaza kept her head bowed, staring a hole into the floorboards. She didn’t utter a single word. She knew perfectly well that what she had done was highly unethical, but she felt entirely backed into a corner. Burdened with a patron god whose boundless charity bordered on financial suicide, and carrying the crushing guilt of the Familia’s massive debt—incurred solely to purchase her expensive silver prosthetic arm—she had been driven by sheer desperation to commit such a foolish act.

The air inside the pharmacy hung heavy with the unique, complex fragrance of dozens of crushed herbs, drifting out from the back room where potions were actively brewing. It was a scent that was sharply bitter yet carried a lingering sweetness, an aroma that brought a strange sense of peace to the mind.

“This really won’t do, God Miach. How could we possibly accept your money?” Noah asked, a gentle, reassuring smile on his lips. He reached out and softly pushed back the heavy leather pouch Miach had just tried to press into his hands.

As the pouch shifted across the counter, it let out the heavy, metallic clinking of stacked valis coins.

Miach’s hand froze in mid-air. The deity, who possessed the handsome, refined features of a noble, stared back with eyes full of absolute seriousness and unyielding stubbornness. His simple, clean white robe seemed to radiate a solemn authority, entirely fueled by his rigid moral compass.

“One thing is one thing, Noah. You put your lives on the line and provided the labor, so you deserve an equivalent reward.”

“Lord Miach, please don’t insist,” Hyacine chimed in from the side. Her pink twin-tails swayed gently as she stepped forward to help persuade him. “Just consider the materials as tuition for me learning potion-making techniques here. Being able to gain direct knowledge from the God of Medicine is a reward far more precious than any amount of valis.”

As she spoke, she offered a playful wink, trying to inject some levity into the heavy atmosphere.

Robin and Tifa shared the exact same sentiment. They absolutely refused to accept Miach’s desperately needed funds, especially considering how well the deity had treated Hyacine, and by extension, Furina.

Seeing the unified, resolute front presented by the party, the rigid stubbornness on Miach’s face finally melted into a helpless, bitter smile.

He slowly withdrew his hand, letting the heavy leather pouch land with a soft thud against the polished wood of the counter.

His gaze then shifted to Naaza, who was still standing silently behind him. The gentle warmth that usually defined his features vanished, replaced by a complex blend of deep disappointment and stern authority.

“Naaza,” he said. His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried a heavy, crushing weight. “Why did you do this?”

Naaza’s slender body stiffened almost imperceptibly. She stubbornly turned her head away, her carefully groomed brown princess-cut hair swaying in a rigid arc.

“The Familia’s account books have always been in the red,” she muttered, her voice tight. “I just wanted to save on some expenses.”

Miach’s jaw tightened in quiet frustration. He looked at Naaza’s profile. Her half-lowered eyelids stubbornly refused to meet anyone’s gaze, maintaining the exact same calm, indifferent facade she always wore.

But only those who truly understood her could see through the act. The fluffy dog tail drooping behind her waist was trembling uncontrollably, betraying the intense guilt and nervous anxiety tearing at her heart.