After they exchanged the magic stones, Ais suddenly asked Lili. "Liliruca, can we talk?"
Lili blinked. "We're already talking. Unless by 'talk' you mean inviting me somewhere."
Ais' lips curved into a smile. "That's right."
Feeling she would lose nothing, Lili agreed to Ais' proposal and followed her. A quick walk saw her being led to a place called Hostess of Fertility. It looked like a well-established place. Lili hesitated when she saw Ais enter the restaurant.
"What's wrong?" Ais realized that Lili stopped and asked her.
"What's the price range here? I'm saving up my money, so I can't spend much," it was the truth because as long as Zanis was there, she needed money to update her status.
Ais frowned at her admission. "I'll pay this time."
"Okay," Lili said and followed Ais inside. She would treat her new friend later after she ousted Zanis as payment for today.
As it turned out, Ais was somewhat of a regular in the place. Maybe Loki Familia liked the place? Nonetheless, she followed Ais and went to sit at one of the tables after Ais did. Looking over the menu, Lili ordered the cheapest thing possible.
"Liliruca, are you treated well in the Soma Familia?" Ais asked her, concern evident in her eyes.
What a loaded question as an opener. Lili could only sigh. "If I say you don't need to worry, will you accept that?"
Her Familia problem was hers. Bringing an outsider like Ais would just invite trouble. And besides, she was just a seven years old child.
"I can't," Ais shook her head. "When I saw you ate lunch with tears, I knew I couldn't brush this aside. Someone like you going to the Dungeon without supervision was already weird, but I'm a counterexample already, so I didn't say anything. Even so, I can tell you're not in the best mood today. Please tell me, Liliruca."
Lili bit her lips. Could she do this? Should she bother some child with her burden?
"Are you absolutely sure you wanted to know?"
"I'm under no illusion that I can help. Maybe you just need a place to vent. I'm offering my ears," Ais shrugged. "I can tell you're troubled. Your emotions are all over the place."
She did not offer to lend an ear because she knew she could help. She did it because she saw a friend struggle. Ais probably had no illusions that she could help solve her trouble. And yet she still offered anyway.
With a heavy heart, Lili nodded. "Very well. I'll tell you everything."
And so Lili began her tale. About Soma Familia, about her childhood, about how Soma took care of her, about how life was hard, but she coped. And then she talked about Zanis. She couldn't hold back the spike of emotion when she spoke about the situation that brought the change a few days ago. Zanis called everyone and forced them to drink Soma wine, making them addicted to the taste.
Of course, she did not mention how drinking the Soma made her regain memories of a past life; that was a secret that she was very sure Ais wouldn't believe. She continued telling Ais about how she saw everyone's state and her vow to free them of Zanis' tyranny.
Finally, she told Ais about the scene yesterday with Soma. Lili finished the tale by drinking the tea that she had ordered.
Ais did not say anything. She just looked at her with an undecipherable expression. It wasn't pity, nor was it sympathy. For some reason, Lili did not mind being stared at like that by Ais. It felt like Ais was on a pedestal, looking down on her subjects with a gaze of understanding and acceptance.
"I understand. I can't sympathize because I've never been in your place, but I understand," Ais said. "I know I said I'm under no illusion to help. However, after hearing about your situation, there's something I want to do to help you. Will you please accept my meager help?"
Lili shook her head, "I don't need any help."
"Not against your Familia, no. That's a matter best left to you. Instead, I propose a change in our split. I don't really need the money except for weapon and armor maintenance. I think thirty percent is enough for me. You can use the seventy and save some for your own weapon maintenance," Ais offered.
Lili took a glance at her spear, and indeed it was unmaintained. She had no money for maintenance, as all the money from the past week was spent updating her status. That was a great offer, but...
"I think sixty percent is enough. I don't want to deprive you of more money than I need."
Ais frowned before nodding. "Acceptable. In that case, I shall also provide you with a free boxed lunch. It's on me."
Lili wanted to refute but realized that she would get a delicious free lunch. She decided to not say anything and accept the other girl's generosity. This was a matter of stomach, and Lili lived a hard life where decent food was a luxury.
"Thank you."
The food came after that, and they ate them. Lili finished hers with gusto. It was cheap but still delicious. She'd remember the place for after Zanis. After that, Ais paid for their food, and the two left the establishment.
"See you tomorrow," Ais said as they parted ways at their usual intersection. "Good luck with your effort, Liliruca."
"See you tomorrow, Ais. You can just call me Lili since my first name is a mouthful," she replied.
When she entered her room in Soma Familia's home, it was to see her neat bed and cabinet being ransacked. Her good mood after a fruitful meal with Ais evaporated as she let out her spear in anger.
No, calm down. Lili took a deep breath to calm herself. They ransacked her room, but she did not put her money in the bed or cabinet. Lili walked to the corner of her room and took off a wooden plank. She then slid the plank beside it, and there was a hole. Lili looked down at the hole and saw that her money was safe.
Even though her money was safe this time, it wasn't a guarantee for the future. Lili checked the amount of money inside. Only two thousand valis. Tch, she couldn't spend this to get a status update with just this amount, and she did not want to leave it to luck. What should she do?
To be honest, she really really wanted to go to the Soma Familia's lounge and threaten everyone, but if she did that, Zanis would no doubt know. Her strategy was to gather power and keep a low profile. Someone ransacking her room threatened her low profile. Who would do this? She was a nobody in Soma Familia. Who would be desperate enough to rob her of her possession?
Lili's mind came to one conclusion. There was someone who held a grudge against her. Canoe.
However, she would have to teach him a lesson carefully. She did not want Zanis to smell trouble.
Yes. Tomorrow she'd stalk Canoe until he was without any witness.
A/N: Who would've thought that when I decided to write this, a friendship between Fianna!Lily and Ariadne!Ais is born? As someone who had never planned anything in my stories, this is really unexpectedly fun. Makes me wish something like this happened in canon. A young Lili who's sick of the Familia decided to do leeroy jenkins move and went to the Dungeon, met Ais, and struck a friendship. Slowly, Ais' reckless tendencies were curbed by a protective instinct towards the weaker Lili. Of course, the endgame is Lili in Loki Familia because all she wanted to do is run away from Soma Familia.
Anyway, both of them should've realized that the others were more than meets the eye when you take into account how verbose they were in the scene. But Lili didn't realize because she was emotional, and Ais' mind was running full gears compiling information.