Chapter 7 - Luluruca Arde

Zagrus's stomach rumbled. "Apparently I'll use up this favour quicker than I thought" smiled the prince. "I would rather not move from here until I know what her condition is" he directed his gaze towards the door.

"Of course, I would do that myself if I were you" smiled Riveria "I think it would be no problem to arrange something"

Luluruca Arde did not have it easy in life. She believed that she only attracted misfortune. It could be said that she didn't join the Familia she was currently in of her own free accord.

As her parents died during the dungeon exploration, she was taken in by the Soma Familia. To this day, she wonders if it wouldn't be better to live on the streets, since she belonged there only in name. The law in Orario allows people over the age of 14 to receive a blessing. However, it is rare that the inhabitants decide to do so, and even rarer that the gods allow it.

Then everything changed. If before it seemed to her that there could be nothing worse than living penniless, after trying soma it was even worse. She still remembers that blissful moment. Sweetness beyond description. All her sorrows and worries were forgotten. She felt that she could accomplish anything... she felt all-powerful.

Unfortunately, when the effect of the decoction stopped working, all hell broke loose. All the problems came back with redoubled force, the whole world started to surround her and the only thing she thought about and could stop it, was soma. All this happened almost 4 years ago and to this day she is not sure if she would be able to refuse this nectar.

Lili opened her eyes and looked at the ceiling. The only thing she could think about now was that it was not a dungeon.

"So I'm still alive," Lili began to cry.

In the dungeon she said that maybe she deserved it. Maybe she should just die, but in her soul she begged for someone to save her, in her last moments she realised she wanted to live

"Thank god" Tears streamed down her cheeks. "I was so afraid that I would be left there alone in the dark to die"

"Damn monsters, is my life worth less than a couple of Valis" despair overwhelmed her. "I hate them, I hate this world. Why don't they just let me go"

"I hate them, I hate this world, I hate this fate."

"Does this still make any sense?" she stared blankly at the ceiling.

Lili lay motionless, tears blurring her view and streaming down her cheeks. Her body was covered in bandages and she couldn't move either her arms or legs. She was probably now in crushing debt. All the time she had spent putting away money to escape this cursed family was gone.

When a person is left alone with their thoughts seconds can become minutes and minutes can become hours. After an unknown amount of time, Lili heard the door open.

She put on her smile, her mask, so that others could not take advantage of her weaknesses.

"Are you awake?" she heard a voice

"Yes," she stuttered

"Okay" a pink haired receptionist passed in front of her eyes

"If you have no feeling in your extremities, you have nothing to fear, we have given you an anaesthetic concoction. Its effects should slowly subside"

"What happened" asked Lili

"I should rather be asking you" she sighed. 'He burst in here through the door holding you in his arms like a princess all covered in blood'

'Who? What? How' Lili was lost in thought. The last thing she remembered was being left at the mercy of killer ants by ex comrades.

"Is that your brother or maybe your boyfriend?" she asked accusingly.

"What!" exclaimed Lili

"Oh don't look at me like that" smiled Misha "I find him a bit scary in appearance, but it has its benefits" she winked

"He burst into the guild" staged Misha "Help, help, help her"

she crouched down pretending to be an elderly elf "Unfortunately but even if we heal her we won't be sure if she can pay..." she straightened her posture "Money doesn't play a role..."

"But..."

"Did I not make myself clear!"

And so she acted out the scene she heard through the door, where some fragments she made a little more interesting.

Lili looked at the receptionist in disbelief. Why would some stranger help her? From the story one could indeed deduce that they were close to each other. The problem was that she knew neither his name nor his appearance

'Maybe he wants something from me? But I don't have anything' wondered Lili

"Even as we speak, she's waiting in the guild hall until you get better," Misha snapped her out of her thoughts

"In the lobby?" asked a puzzled Lili.

"Well of course, after all I wouldn't put bandages on you in front of a man" she winked at her "regardless of your non-existent relationship"

"Do you want me to bring him here?" the pink-haired receptionist

"What, no wait a minute?!" panicked Lili

"Oh I guess I don't have to go get him anymore" Misha looked at the opening door from behind which a voice came from.

"Hello, is anything more known about her condition yet" entered the room Zagreus

This is how Lili met the prince of the underworld. The person who, in her last moments, had heard her prayers and saved her. Looking into his eyes, she immediately forgot the question she wanted to ask. It seemed to her that she heard the prince muttering "Yes it must be my unearthly charm" but she was not sure

"Well then, it's about time I learned your name" Zagreus smiled.

"Luluruca Arde, but you can call me Lili..."

"Nice to meet you Lili, I'm known as Zagreus"