Chapter 696: Assistance and Head Pats

"Chanisi is Level 2; although her stats at Level 1 weren't higher than yours, the power boost from the level sublimation means the gap between you two is still extremely obvious."

Soma gave a reminder — matters involving Familia succession rights could very well result in death.

And as a god, with children of his own Familia on both sides, he basically would not favor either party.

"Suma-sama, I am not alone; I have encountered companions worthy of trust and reliance."

Liliruca said.

"I can see that."

Soma's gaze lingered on the Pallum girl's back, on the 【Invisible Wings】 skill that had newly appeared in her skill slot.

And the Pallum girl's 【Invisible Wings】 skill description was much the same as Ais's and Lefiya's, but the bonus values were completely different.

【Invisible Wings】: You responded to a certain person's yearning emotions, letting them view you as wings of support; when you help the other spread their wings and fly high, you will also be carried along by them, experience gain rate bonus, currently +110%...

"However, Chanisi isn't alone either; she has followers craving divine wine at her side. Or rather, are you asking me to stop supplying her with divine wine?"

After updating the Pallum girl's stats, Soma asked.

"No, Suma-sama, both Chanisi and I are your Familia children; I know making such a request would only put you in a difficult spot.

So I won't ask you to do that; I will rally other members who don't get along with Chanisi to stand on my side.

And you only need to watch from the sidelines, helping neither side; after we decide the winner, support the victor as captain to manage the Soma Familia."

Liliruca shook her head.

"Those kids who don't get along with Chanisi likewise crave divine wine; without divine wine, how do you plan to win their support?"

Soma asked.

【Perhaps she would also demand I supply her with divine wine.】

Soma thought, and that would be the most correct choice to duel Chanisi — using divine wine to counter divine wine; under the same conditions of being able to provide divine wine, those kids of his probably wouldn't care who exactly becomes the Soma Familia captain.

【If that's the case, should I give it to her?】

The thought arose, and Soma quickly had his answer — he would give it.

A Familia that already disappointed him to the core could no longer disappoint him further.

And if Liliruca succeeded, perhaps she could truly bring some change to the Soma Familia, just as she claimed.

Who knows, it might really change some things.

And a changed Soma Familia could hardly be worse than the current Soma Familia.

However, the Pallum girl did not say what he thought she would say.

"This is a special medicine to cure divine wine addiction; I will secretly mix it into the wine during the Divine Wine Banquet, making all members who attend drink it."

Liliruca put on her clothes, took out the divine wine addiction cure Miach had made, displayed it to the god Soma, and said this.

Soma took the medicine, uncorked the bottle, first smelled it, then tried drinking a mouthful; after that one mouthful went down, his complexion changed slightly.

He pondered a while, then told the Pallum girl: "Adding this to the wine would cause a severe change in the wine's taste; you would have a hard time getting anyone to drink it."

"Eh?"

Liliruca froze for a moment.

"However, I can help brew a wine that can accommodate this medicine without altering the flavor."

Soma didn't wait for the Pallum girl to reply, but spoke up on his own.

"Uh, Suma-sama, does this mean you're willing to help me?"

Liliruca blinked at the god.

"It's not help; I merely want to see the Familia possibly change for the better."

Soma shook his head.

"But if you fail, I won't stop Chanisi from dealing with you."

"I won't fail."

On this, Liliruca was very confident; even if she might not be Chanisi's match, Broly-san standing behind her would cover for her, so she felt no pressure of failure — though the cover might not be all that convincing to others, it was no big problem.

"Then when do you plan to move?"

Soma asked.

"Two days from now, at the Divine Wine Banquet, I will challenge Chanisi for the captain position."

Liliruca answered.

"Only two days? Though it's somewhat tight, there shouldn't be a problem. By the way, do you have more of this medicine? If there's only this one bottle, the dosage definitely won't be enough."

Soma asked.

"Uh, there is more."

Liliruca blanked for a second, then hurriedly answered.

"Good. On the day of the Divine Wine Banquet, I'll have the special blend ready; you just add this medicine into it.

As for the rest, whether your idea of seizing the Familia captain position can be realized, I don't care; whoever wins between you and Chanisi becomes the Soma Familia's captain from now on."

Hair somewhat messy, exuding a shut-in vibe, the god spoke in a tone with no discernible fluctuation, yet saying these words.

"Ah, Suma-sama, thank you."

Liliruca reacted, hurriedly giving thanks.

Soma said he'd stay out of it, but in fact he was already leaning toward one side — and not toward Chanisi's side, but toward her own.

"No need for thanks; I just want to see possible change."

Soma shook his head.

He was merely an incompetent god unable to guide his Familia onto the right path; the Familia's good or bad depended entirely on its members themselves.

If a good change truly occurred, it should be him thanking Liliruca — thanking the Pallum girl for turning the degenerate Soma Familia around.

"Suma-sama, please wait and see."

After Liliruca finished speaking, she left the room.

【If Chanisi fails, Liliruca gets promoted, and I might have to face a shortage of bartending ingredients...】

After the Pallum girl left, Soma looked at the various expensive seasoning ingredients in the room and thought to himself.

【But if the Familia could return to the past, before they tasted the Divine Wine and were corrupted by it, brewing would face a funding shortage, but that doesn't seem like a big deal either — just brew a little less, and the progress of attempting to blend better-tasting wine would only be a bit slower...】

Soma's thoughts returned to the past before the Familia fell because of the Divine Wine; back then, the Soma Familia gathered a group of people who genuinely loved alcohol.

Everyone worked together to run the Familia and earn money to buy brewing materials; each member was both a drunkard and a brewer, discussing each other's brewing techniques in their spare time, and happily sharing their results with companions when someone brewed a fine wine.

Back then, the Familia Residence was filled with exchanges of brewing techniques and joyous laughter from drinking each other's creations; that was undoubtedly the happiest time since he came to the Lower World.

The current Soma Wine (Divine Wine) brewing technique was born in that period; immersed in the children's joy, he combined the occasional brewing ideas the children came up with to develop a peerless fine wine, which the gods who drank it at the time jointly called "a wine only gods can endure the deliciousness of," abbreviated as "Divine Wine."

"Lord Soma, we still haven't tasted the Divine Wine you brewed?"

"But, Divine Wine can only be drunk by gods..."

"Ah, at this year's Divine Wine Banquet, everyone brought out their own fine wines; as our Lord God, how can you be stingy?"

"Yeah, if we haven't even tasted the God of Wine's wine, how can we brew something better, something that surpasses your fine wine?"

Under the teasing of the Familia members at the time, Soma didn't dampen the children's spirits, took out the Divine Wine that only gods could drink, and bestowed it on all Familia members.

What followed was that after the children drank the Divine Wine, some suffered a severe blow to their confidence and lost their confidence in brewing, while others turned into pure drunkards obsessed with the Divine Wine.

If he hadn't been too soft-hearted, if he had been able to verbally refuse the children's request to drink the Divine Wine at the time, perhaps the current Soma Familia would still be as it originally was, full of vitality and joyous laughter.

Unfortunately, there are no ifs in this world.

Soma picked up the wine glass beside him, and after mixing some bartending ingredients into Divine Wine, drank it down in one gulp.

But after drinking, this god started retching, as if he had drunk something unpalatable.

And this is the effect of the Divine Wine Addiction Cure; it can make delicious wine become incomparably bitter and unbearable.

But compared to the delicious Divine Wine, the bitter taste he now tasted, Soma felt this was more in line with the true flavor of "Divine Wine."

Because the Divine Wine born of joy was simultaneously the culprit that ruined his former Familia; for the God Soma who developed it, the taste of Divine Wine should originally be the most bitter.

And the reason Soma still researches it is just to turn the so-called Divine Wine into a fine wine that mortals can also drink and enjoy its deliciousness without being affected by its deliciousness.

This is a masterpiece he and his children once brewed together; it shouldn't be like this...

"Bitter, hard to drink..."

The introverted god, hugging his knees, crouched in the corner of the room; the bitter Divine Wine somewhat broke his defenses, and a faint sobbing sound came from the corner.

However, Soma recovered quickly, because he still had to rush out the special wine that could mix with the potion in his hand without changing its flavor within two days.

Of course, the Pallum girl was completely unaware of her own god breaking down crying and then rallying, because she had already found herself in front of the human male, one of the few Lv. 2 members of the Soma Familia with a bottom line, responsible for guarding the Soma Familia dungeon.

"Edo, you want to leave the Familia, what does that have to do with me? You don't think I'll help you, do you?"

The burly human frowned, looked at the Pallum girl, and said.

"Of course I'm not asking for Mr. Chandra's help; I just want to request Mr. Chandra that if I fail in proposing to leave the Familia, and then challenge that guy Chanisi for the Captain position, I hope you won't interfere in this matter."

Liliruca said.

"Eh, you're challenging Chanisi?"

Chandra was stunned.

"Did I hear wrong? Although I don't like that guy Chanisi, I have to admit his strength is real; a Pallum Supporter challenging him? Are you looking to die?"

He asked.

In response, Liliruca didn't speak, but suddenly drew the Short Sword hidden at her waist, and with lightning speed, placed the blade against the neck of the burly human male who was preparing to stand up and resist.

With a Short Sword held at his neck at close range, and without wearing Armor, Chandra, this Lv. 2 burly human male, didn't dare resist either, just looking at the Pallum girl with a somewhat shocked gaze.

Liliruca was actually also a bit startled by her own (post-ability-update) speed, but quickly calmed down and asked in a composed voice: "Now then, Mr. Chandra, do you still think I'm looking to die?"

The burly human shook his head; Liliruca then withdrew the Short Sword; Chandra let out a breath of relief, sat back down, picked up his wine gourd, opened it, poured a mouthful of wine to suppress his shock, and then said: "But, even so, just me agreeing not to interfere doesn't seem very useful, right? After all, I'm not the only person in the Familia, and with that guy Chanisi's personality, once he sees things going badly, he'll definitely get others to gang up on you."

"That's my problem; I only hope you don't intervene, and if possible, I hope you can help me contact these other people."

Liliruca handed over a list, and added: "As long as you all stay out of each other's way, if I successfully leave the Familia, or if I become the new Familia Captain, I'm willing to pay you a sum of compensation; the compensation might not be extremely generous, but it'll cover half a month's wine money for you; and if you're willing to step up and help at that time, I'll remember the favor of your support and help."

Faced with this naked solicitation, if it were the previous Chandra he definitely wouldn't want to participate in this mess, but after witnessing the Pallum girl's swift strike just now, he agreed.

"I can help you pass on the message, but I'm not sure if the others will agree to help you once they know about this; those people might even snitch to that guy Chanisi, so you'd better think it through."

"I can help you pass along the message, but I'm uncertain whether the others will agree to help you once they know about this — they might even inform that guy Chanisi, so think it through."

"It doesn't matter; this matter was never going to be completely secret anyway, and I've already prepared for the leak.

Of course, when Mr. Chandra contacts the others, just say I want to borrow their influence to smoothly withdraw from the Soma Familia."

Liliruca said, and this matter was never going to be hidden anyway.

While the Hermes Familia people were helping spread the rumor to other Soma Familia peripheral members that "this year's Soma Familia Divine Wine Banquet, any Soma Familia member can participate, no entry fee required."

Chanisi would definitely receive the news; if the other party's information gathering speed was fast enough, they could quickly follow the clues they deliberately left, discover that she herself wanted to leave the Soma Familia, and then realize this is a pressure plan.

Of course, the pressure plan is the surface; it might work on guys who care about face, but for shameless, vile guys, huge interests will only make them go back on their word, and this is also part of the plan, or rather, the real plan.

Broly and the others left the Soma Familia, and near noon they met up with Lorne and the others.

"Nighttime is when the drunkards are active; spreading the news of free entry to the Divine Wine Banquet, leave it to us."

Lorne Weike, who had already spread some rumors, said, patting his chest in guarantee.

"Then I'll leave it to you guys; when this is over, I'll treat you to a big meal."

"Broly-san, you're too polite."

Lorne Weike bringing people to help was indeed a great help, at least saving them half a day's time, finishing much earlier than expected.

Professional matters to professionals; with nothing to do after, Broly took the others to Hestia's place.

He felt the afternoon could let Lili continue strengthening her combat technique training, and incidentally call over the Takemikazuchi Familia people he promised Hestia last night he would guide.

He felt that in the afternoon he could have Lili continue strengthening her battle technique training, and magic bring along the people from the Takemikazuchi Familia whom he had promised Hestia to guide last night.

"Eh, wasn't it said to be in the afternoon or evening?"

Hestia, who had been found by the boy, asked with some surprise after learning that the matter on Soma Familia's side had been temporarily settled.

"Lorne brought people over to help us."

Broly explained in one sentence.

"Then I'll go tell Takemikazuchi. Broly, you help me sell fried potato balls here for now."

The Loli Goddess ran off in a flurry, and Broly was thus put into the fried potato ball shop employee's apron, temporarily acting as a little boy selling fried potato balls.

Fortunately, with the experience of setting up a stall on Leka Star, Broly called out quite experiencedly: "Delicious tasty fried potato balls, don't miss out if you're passing by~"

Liliruca and Bell also helped call out together.

And by coincidence, the Loki Familia female group who had come out shopping walked out from the clothing store not far away.

The Sword Princess, who liked eating fried potato balls, subconsciously looked over this way after hearing the somewhat familiar hawking voice.

"Eh, Mr. Broly, what you said about having private matters to handle, is actually helping Hestia-sama, working part-time together in the fried potato ball shop selling fried potato balls?"

After the Loki Familia group of women walked over, Tiona spoke up first, asking with some curiosity.

"Uh, the private matter is actually already settled. We're just helping Hestia-sama cover the shift now."

Bell explained.

"Please give me one large serving of fried potato balls."

And Ais had already come to the counter, ordering from the Saiyan boy.

"Okay, what flavor?"

"What flavors are there?"

"There's original, strawberry, chocolate, cream..."

Broly often ate the fried potato balls Hestia brought back, so he reported the various flavors very familiarly.

"Can they be mixed?"

Ais asked.

"Yes."

"Then give me one mixed serving."

Broly quickly clipped out a mixed-flavor serving of fried potato balls and handed it to the Sword Princess girl before him.

"I heard that after buying a large serving of fried potato balls at this shop, you can pet the clerk's head."

After receiving the fried potato balls, Ais said to the boy.

"Eh?"

Broly looked toward the fried potato ball shop Werebear boss lady.

"This is Hestia-sama's special service for big customers."

The Werebear boss lady nodded, indicating it was indeed true. It had the feeling of entering a temple to burn incense and petting the God of Wealth for fortune. Pet a god's head, and maybe your luck will improve too. Quite a few people would consume for this reason.

"Uh, then..."

Broly poked his head out from the counter side, and the Sword Princess girl, seeing this, reached out and petted it.

The Saiyan's fluffy hair felt extremely good to the touch.

One saw the Sword Princess's originally expressionless face, the corner of her mouth unconsciously hooking up during the process of petting the boy's fluffy head.

【Ais Wallenstein, Happiness Value Rise...】

Broly: "?!"

(Chapter End)