Chapter 695

In the evening, Hestia, who had returned home, told Broly about the Takemikazuchi Familia matter: "My Divine Friend Takemikazuchi requested of me tonight, hoping you could guide his kids, Broly. I don't know if you're willing. Of course, if you find it troublesome, you can refuse."

"Not troublesome. It just so happens the Loki Familia side isn't planning to continue teaming up with us either. Switching to a different Familia's members to team up with us and go into the Dungeon, and me incidentally guiding their combat skills along the way isn't a problem either."

Broly shook his head and replied.

"That's great. I'll go tell Takemikazuchi this good news tomorrow, have his kids come over to team up with you and go down into the Dungeon, and incidentally accept your guidance."

Hestia embraced her Familia's boy, looking very happy on her face. On one hand, she felt the boy had agreed out of consideration for her face, doing things for her sake. On the other hand, she felt she hadn't let her old friend down regarding the favor requested, proving to outsiders that she was actually a Goddess with quite a bit of say.

"Hestia-sama, tomorrow we're not going down into the Dungeon."

The Pallum girl, seeing her intimately hugging the boy, poured cold water from the side as a reminder.

"Eh?"

The Loli Goddess looked at her with some surprise.

"The Divine Wine Banquet is coming up soon. The medicine to cure Divine Wine addiction has also been developed. I'm preparing to make a trip to the Soma Familia and have a proper talk with Soma-sama."

Liliruca explained.

"I'm worried about Lili, so I'll also accompany her to the Soma Familia side."

Broly added a sentence. The Pallum girl's mouth corner curled up slightly, and she also pressed close from behind.

"However, it shouldn't take a whole day's time.

Hestia-sama, you can have Takemikazuchi Familia's people come over to our side tomorrow afternoon.

I'll first get a look at the actual ability of the trainees who need guidance."

Broly, in his Goddess's embrace, spoke another sentence.

"Mm, good."

Hestia nodded. A night passed without words. Broly was still treated like the jam inside a sandwich, held by the two as they slept until the next day.

The next day, when Bell came looking, he was notified that today they weren't going into the Dungeon, but would begin taking action against the Soma Familia.

"Broly-san, you don't look like you're going to the Dungeon. Where are you headed?"

Arriving at the Benevolent Mistress Tavern to pick up bento, the Quest Board girl, seeing Liliruca dressed in Supporter attire different from the usual Adventurer attire, asked curiously.

Her gaze inadvertently swept over the white-haired boy. Such a pure-souled child — if she had run into him before meeting Broly, she might well have had her heart moved quite a bit.

Pity. Under the circumstances of first come, first served, this boy named Bell's soul was merely a rough gem, not a rare treasure that made her heart move.

"There are some private matters to handle today."

Broly nodded and replied a sentence to the gray-haired girl, then looked at the green-haired elf sweeping the ground with a broom at the tavern entrance.

"Miss Liu, this afternoon, trouble you again to go deliver a meal to Hestia-sama's side."

"You pay, I run errands. There's nothing troublesome or not troublesome about it."

Liu's response was somewhat cold, and her whole person always carried a temperament that kept people a thousand miles away.

It's said she got in touch and got to know them in private, but actually the one she's had the most contact with these days is just Goddess Hestia.

As for the boy before her, every day after picking up bento he'd run off to the Dungeon side. Where was there any chance to get in touch and understand?

So Liu's impression of Broly right now is just that his eating expression is a bit cute, like Anya, and the boy that her good friend Xier took a liking to because of that.

After Broly took his leave and departed, Xier turned to the back alley to clean up trash.

"Allen-san, I want to ask you to go help me see what's going on."

The girl said in a small voice.

*Snap—*

Some faint movement came from the tavern rooftop. A figure swiftly flashed out.

Allen Fromel, Freya Familia Level 6 Adventurer. He tailed far behind the three.

Very quickly they saw some cloak-wearing people blocking the three at a small alley entrance.

"Broly-san, you're preparing to take action against the Soma Familia, right?"

"Mm."

"Then please let me come help you guys out too."

"Eh, but you Hermes Familia, aren't you Neutral?"

"Ah, this... I'm coming to help in a private capacity."

"Then these people are..."

Broly looked at the few cloaked people behind the red-haired Pallum.

"We're Lorne's friends. We're here to help a companion.

At the same time, we're also helping our Main God record the whole process of this matter."

The Hermes Familia people explained. Lorne Weike apparently had quite good popularity and connections within his own Familia.

"However, we'll only help with small favors like connecting people and releasing information. We won't deeply participate in your Hestia Familia's actions against the Soma Familia."

A Werewolf youth said.

In other words, they, the Hermes Familia people, would not participate in any combat events.

Of course, the red-haired Pallum Lorne did want to participate. Pity that as a rookie Adventurer who could get in danger in the Dungeon Upper Levels, he really couldn't be counted on to have any combat strength.

However, this doesn't matter either. Anyway, today doesn't require combat. Even if combat might possibly occur, it basically wouldn't need him.

"Just connecting and releasing information is already a huge help."

The Cat Person Allen, on the rooftop, listened to the secret talk of the people in the alley below.

After a group of people split up to act, he continued tailing behind the three.

His presence was hidden quite well. Just his gaze was a bit too fixed.

Broly quickly detected the little tail behind him.

However, coincidentally, because the Hermes Familia had come to help, Broly thought it was their people secretly observing and recording this matter. So he treated the person secretly observing behind him as non-existent, and went all the way to the Soma Familia Headquarters on Southeast Avenue.

Adventurers are active by day and hide by night, and even the Soma Familia, full of drunkards, is no exception. When Broly and the other two arrived here, most of the adventurers inside the Soma Familia headquarters had already run outside to scrounge up money by any means possible, with the Divine Wine Festival fast approaching.

Of course, a small number of people still remained to guard the residence. However, since outsiders rarely visit this place on ordinary days, the only thing they really needed to guard against was the possibility of some rotten drunkards sneaking in to steal a drink.

So, when Liliruca arrived here and stated that the two people behind her were customers she had introduced to the Familia to purchase wine, she was quickly let in by the guards at the front door.

"Eh, Miss Lili, we got in this easily?"

Bell was somewhat surprised; he had thought they would need to infiltrate or something.

"The Soma Familia also frequently entertains customers who come to buy wine. As long as business comes knocking, no one here will stop it."

Liliruca answered.

"But we've already sold off two batches of people."

Bell reminded her in a small voice.

"The Divine Wine Festival is fast approaching. Every drunkard in the Familia is out scrounging money. It's only been a few people missing for a dozen days or so — in a Familia like this, absolutely no one would care."

At this time, it had only been nine days since the day Kanu and that group of Cat People were sold. Even counting the group that deceived Bell out of his money, it had only been a little over half a month.

Additionally, Soma Familia members occasionally die outside. So something like a few people disappearing for a period of time is indeed very inconspicuous. At least, it would only be discovered after the Divine Wine Festival began, if some people didn't show up, and then an investigation might be conducted depending on the situation.

Liliruca led Broly and Bell to her room. The junk room had been unoccupied for over ten days and had accumulated a layer of dust. Looking at the wooden bed that didn't even have a single mattress, Bell asked in disbelief, "Miss Lili, you used to live here?"

"Yeah, but that's all in the past tense now."

Returning to the place where she had lived hard days, the Pallum girl's state of mind was completely different now. She felt neither sadness nor anger, only a sense of "Ah, so this is what my life used to be like."

"Lili, are you okay?"

Liliruca's sudden silence made the Saiyan boy a bit worried about her condition. Broly leaned in close and asked.

"Broly-san, I'm fine. I just suddenly had a feeling like it's been a long time, as if my past life was nothing but a nightmare."

"And now?"

"Now it's naturally a beautiful dream, a beautiful dream I don't want to wake up from."

The Pallum girl turned her head and said seriously while looking at Broly.

"This isn't a dream, it's reality."

As Broly spoke, he reached out and pinched the girl's nose, letting her properly feel the real tactile sensation.

"And I guarantee, no one will let you have a nightmare."

"Mm, I believe you."

Liliruca leaned on the boy's shoulder, and a prompt indicating a rise in Happiness Value appeared on the Crystal Palace Panel.

Bell watched from the side, silently making a mental note.

"Alright, I should go upstairs to find Suma-sama. Broly-san and Bell, you two wait in this room for me to come back."

Today they just came to talk to the god Soma and win over some Soma Familia members who still had a bottom line. Broly came along only to prevent any accidents, but before any accident happened, he and Bell didn't need to do anything — just let Liliruca act alone.

Liliruca put down the Supporter backpack she used for normal disguise, left the room, and went upstairs. Although she encountered two Soma Familia members, those people ignored this Pallum girl who was rather inconspicuous inside the Familia and went straight downstairs.

Liliruca encountered no obstacles along the way and arrived in front of the god's room. The girl looked at the simple wooden door and couldn't help but think of her childhood.

When she was hungry, she would secretly run up here to beg that god with curly hair, whose eyes were often hidden beneath his hair, for food.

Although Suma-sama was taciturn and not good with words, every time she came to beg for food, he would hand her his own food.

When she was afraid of being bullied by others and didn't want to go downstairs, he would also allow her to stay in his room.

Even sometimes when she slept with her head on his lap, Suma-sama would tacitly permit it and gently stroke her head.

Thinking carefully now, just how long had it been since she came up here? It seemed ever since she was fed Divine Wine at age six, she became somewhat crazily obsessed with that liquid. Like the others, she yearned for money to buy wine. One day when she came up here and begged Suma-sama to give her Divine Wine to drink, she saw the incomparably disappointed look in that adult's eyes beneath his hair, and she never came up to find Suma-sama again.

She was like a child who had done wrong, unable to face a parent who felt disappointment in her. Except the old her was struggling on the edge of survival so she didn't think deeply about it, merely subconsciously avoiding facing the Suma-sama who felt disappointment in her.

With many thoughts in her mind, Liliruca recalled many things from the past she had been too busy to attend to. She took a deep breath, then knocked on the wooden door in front of her.

The wooden door was knocked, making a thump-thump-thump sound. After a while, the god's somewhat soft inquiring voice rang out from inside: "Who is it?"

"Suma-sama, it's me, Liliruca Arde. I have something I want to request an audience with you about."

Liliruca Arde. Hearing this name, Soma, who was inside the room attempting to blend a better new wine, stopped his mixing motions.

She was a Familia child he had once raised. Even now he could still recall the girl shrinking beside his legs, looking like a pitiful little kitten.

However, once she tasted the Divine Wine, she became like the other children, addicted to the taste of the Divine Wine, fallen because of the Divine Wine, without a shred of self-control.

Things having come to this, with him having left Familia trivial matters to Chanisi to handle, what could this child want coming to find him now?

Soma recalled the fragments he had heard before concerning the Pallum girl, and ultimately did not refuse the girl's request for an audience.

Yes, he was a god who didn't manage Familia affairs. But if a child he had once raised suffered severe bullying from other children and sought him out, he would still say a word or two.

However, if the girl spoke of wanting to cheaply purchase Divine Wine from him, this god, then he would absolutely be even more disappointed and make her leave to discuss such things with Chanisi.

"What business?"

The god Soma continued mixing his wine, asking without even turning his head.

"I'm sorry, Suma-sama. The past me, who craved the Divine Wine, let you feel disappointment."

Liliruca stepped forward and directly bowed in apology.

These words once again interrupted Soma's mixing motions, causing this god to look with some astonishment at the Pallum girl bowing toward him.

"Things having come to this, what use is saying this?"

Coming back to his senses, Soma replied.

The various words drunkard children would say to beg for Divine Wine — he had already heard plenty in the past.

This is also one of the main reasons Chanisi was able to be promoted to Regiment Commander.

Because the other party could filter out a lot of the other children's words that made Soma feel irritated and disappointed.

"Of course it's useful. I want to change this."

Liliruca raised her head.

"Change what?"

Soma, on the other hand, was somewhat confused.

"Change the situation where our Familia members treat alcohol as life itself, change the situation where our Familia members treat alcohol as faith, and resort to any means to drink better alcohol."

The Pallum girl's words caused the God of Wine Soma to fall silent for a moment; he did not know why Liliruca had suddenly come to him to say this, but he evidently did not believe the words of the Pallum girl who, in his eyes, was also a slave to Divine Wine.

"So, what do you intend to do, and what do you want me to do?"

Soma asked; his introverted nature made him not deny Liliruca's words.

"I would like to ask Suma-sama to help me update my Status, and hope that Suma-sama will support me in becoming the Captain of the Soma Familia after that, as well as support some reform management measures for the Familia after I become Captain."

Liliruca stated frankly.

"Updating your Status is no problem, but support you becoming Captain — on what grounds?"

"The terrible atmosphere in our Familia today stems in part from Chanisi's management model of using Divine Wine to plunder the Familia members' wealth."

"I believe his management method is wrong, so I am prepared to suppress him; I want to control our Familia members' craving for Divine Wine."

"Drinking is fine, but they cannot stop at nothing, have no bottom line, and no morals just for the sake of drinking."

Liliruca said seriously.

Soma: "..."

【Was the old Ed like this?!】

The God of Wine fell into confusion, but he had to admit that the Pallum girl's words did give him some feeling.

It was just that, in the past, he had believed many times that the Familia could change for the better, only for the children to be deceiving him to drink Divine Wine, and this accumulation of too much disappointment had led to the present, where this god only cared about brewing better alcohol and ignored everything else.

"Anyone can say this kind of thing, but what use is just saying it? If things could be changed just by speaking, the Soma Familia would not be in its current state."

Soma held no hope for this.

"Yes, it is indeed hard to persuade others to change relying on words alone, so I do not intend to rely only on powerless words to change anything."

"Hmm, Suma-sama, please update my Status now, and witness the cultivation and effort I have undertaken for this matter."

Liliruca took off her Supporter's gray overcoat, revealing her back to her god; Soma was also somewhat curious about the meaning of the girl's words, so he put down what he was doing, pricked his finger, and went to update the Pallum girl's Status Board.

"Eh, this is?"

Liliruca's Status Board, compared to the previous situation where her Basic Abilities average did not exceed 300, now reached an average of 700.

Strength and Durability were still not high as always, only at the 400 level, but Dexterity and Agility had both broken through the Lv. 1 rank s900 value threshold, and even Magic Power was only two proficiency points short of breaking through the s900 value.

If evaluated by the standard of Lv. 1 Adventurers within the Soma Familia, this kind of Production Familia, Liliruca's current Status Board values were already at the top level among them; it can be said she is the number one person below Lv. 2 in the Soma Familia.

"You want a military coup, just like what Chanisi did in the past?"

After reading Liliruca's Board values, Soma asked directly.

"If Captain Chanisi is willing to cooperate voluntarily and abdicate in my favor, I am also willing to accept a peaceful reform."

Liliruca replied.

(Chapter End)