Chapter 122: Connections
"You weren't able to enter any of the Dungeons...?" asked Vahn, seated nearly opposite Riko in one of the lounge's booths.
"Not for lack of trying..." groaned Riko, closing her eyes and exhaling an exasperated before meeting Vahn's gaze and revealing, "But everyone I asked told me pretty much the same thing, that it wasn't safe and that I should come back once I'm older."
"Well, they're not wrong..." appended Vahn, causing Riko to puff out her cheeks before he added, "But circumstance doesn't always permit people the opportunity to take their time and develop slowly. Depending on the world they're born into, children even younger than you can be fighting on the battlefield of full-scale wars."
Though the image of Tanya was the first to appear in his mind, Vahn was principally referring to the setting of Naruto. The Kakashi that had come to the Tower alongside Minato was only twelve, the same as Riko, but he was already on the cusp of becoming a Jonin. Had Riko been born in the world of Naruto, specifically within one of the hidden villages, she would already have 2-3 years of combat experience under her belt...
Adopting a broad and hopeful smile, Riko brought her hands together and asked, "Then, if it's not too much trouble, do you think I could accompany your Party into a Dungeon? I...I'm not much of a fighter...but I'm confident in my cooking, drawing, and cataloging new things..."
Seeing Riko go from hopeful to timid, hanging her head and pressing the tips of her fingers together anxiously, Vahn exhaled faintly from his nose and responded, "Of course, you can."
Not expecting Vahn to agree, Riko flushed in embarrassment and said, "I can also squeeze into tight places and—"
Ostensibly processing what Vahn had said, Riko blinked in surprise and raised her gaze to find him smiling at her, her expression confused as she tilted her head to the side and asked, "What did you say...?"
"I said, of course, you can accompany us," responded Vahn, offering an affirming nod as he reasoned, "You wouldn't even be here if I hadn't had a hand in the Tower's creation. And I can't just ignore such an earnest plea. It would bother me to no end."
Inhaling a deep breath, Riko appeared to inflate with happiness before she abruptly slapped her hands on the table, stood up, and bowed deep enough to smack her forehead on its wooden surface, her pigtails flipping forward to smack it as she exclaimed, "Thank you for the opportunity! I'll be sure to give it my all!"
"I'm sure you will..." responded Vahn, his smile cramping as he asked, "Is your forehead okay...?"