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Is It Wrong For The Devil To Fool Around In Orario?
Chapter 12
The Salome
Lucifer downed his glass of brandy in one gulp and let out an uncharacteristic sigh of irritation at the latest actions of his "child".
Two days had passed since the three waitresses visit to the Salome and while he was always happy to see the number of club goers grow, he could do without the headache that the blue haired one had unwittingly (to his knowledge) caused him.
The day had gone as normal with Lucifer talking to a few new hires who were feeling a bit jittery about coming to work at the club and allaying their concerns while Maze took stock of their drinks and placed several orders to restock. Everything was going fine until Bell returned with a new book clutched in his hands, although that in and of itself was not a strange sight since Bell had been slowly filling up the shelves in his room with heroic epics and whatnot since he first arrived. No, the strange thing was that Bell had rushed upstairs as soon as he returned with only a brief wave for he and Mazikeen as he jogged towards the stairs.
Lucifer and Maze had just shrugged it off as the boy being excited to get started on his latest book, so they had continued as usual until it was time for supper and Lucifer went upstairs to fetch Bell. When Bell had failed to answer his knocks, Lucifer had opened the door to find his follower passed out on his couch with the book having fallen to the floor beside him. Amused, Lucifer had shaken Bell awake and the two had gone down to eat. After the three had finished dinner Lucifer had asked Bell if he would like his statues updated as usual, which the boy had agreed to immediately. And as The Devil went about updating Bell's stats, he made a rather surprising discovery. After all Bell didn't exactly know much about magic so a spell suddenly popping up on his falna was a bit of a surprise to both of them.
When asked if he had any idea how this had happened Bell pointed out the book Syr had given him when he visited the Hostess that morning and how she said that she thought he might like to learn a bit about magic. Curious, Lucifer picked the book up from the floor and found that it was completely blank, though he could sense the slight remnants of magical energy on it as he held it. More curious than concerned Lucifer had simply tucked the book under his arm and said that he would ask some of the patrons if they knew anything about it. Lucifer had then turned to leave when he noticed how excited Bell seemed at this development and had let out a light chuckle at the sight of the white-haired boy practically vibrating in anticipation.
"I know you're eager to start blasting monsters but try not to let that keep you up all night." Lucifer had said as he walked towards the door. "And if you find that you're too worked up to sleep then feel free to come join the party. Leyla has a new routine and she's eager to see what everyone thinks of it and if I remember correctly, you were very enthusiastic about her previous dance, remember?"
And then Bell's face had turned red as a tomato and Lucifer had laughed as he left the room, certain that the matter had been resolved.
… In hindsight he probably shouldn't have been surprised when Bell ran through the entrance to the club several hours later looking equal parts mortified and flustered.
After getting the rabbit to calm down enough to explain what had happened Lucifer had been left feeling less than pleased. Not only had Bell run off to go and solo The Dungeon's upper floors again, but he had apparently used his new spell so much that the loss of mental energy had caused him to collapse. From what Bell had said the only reason he had not been torn apart by monsters while he was unconscious was because his beloved Sword Princess happened to come across his unconscious body before the monsters could get to it.
Lucifer had been uncharacteristically irritated by the time Bell had finished his explanation, the story bringing back some very unpleasant memories from when Bell had come home covered in blood after running into The Dungeon in some idiotic attempt to prove Loki Familia's mutt's drunken rambling's wrong.
After Bell had finished his account Lucifer and Maze had torn into him about how utterly foolish he had been and how lucky he had been that someone had been close by enough to save his pale ass during a time when The Dungeon was usually deserted, with Bell seeming to grow smaller and smaller the longer the beratement continued.
Finally, after the two had gotten their anger out of their system Lucifer had informed Bell that he was barred from entering The Dungeon the next day, citing the fact that suffering a mind down could leave the person mentally sluggish for several days after the fact. Bell's mind reserves were insignificant compared to most dedicated casters so it should only take a day for him to be right as rain again but until then he was under house arrest.
At first Bell had tried to convince them to let him go on the grounds that his party would need him, but Lucifer had brooked no argument, stating that he should have thought about his party before he went and knocked himself unconscious by mismanaging his magic. The rebuke by his usually carefree god seemed to take the fight out of Bell and the rabbit had offered a shamefaced apology before retreating to his room to rest.
The next day Maze had gone to tell Bell's party that he would not be joining them that day while Bell slept in and recovered his mental energy. However, when Bell awoke later that day and wandered downstairs to get some food, he found Maze waiting for him with a mop and bucket and scowl. Bell had then been forced to spend the day cleaning as much of the Salome as he could before night fell, all the while watched over by an irate demon.
At first Lucifer had been slightly amused by Maze's usual vindictiveness but his amusement had not lasted long as Bell had been nothing but contrite throughout the entire day, making it very difficult for Lucifer to stay angry at him beyond the first hour. This had resulted in The Devil's current state of irritation as he poured himself another drink.
As Lucifer tried to enjoy his latest glass his eyes wandered around the club and took in the usual sights of debauchery and indulgence that almost always lifted his mood. Unfortunately, the scene did not have the usual effect on him that night as usual, so he quickly drained his glass and was about to turn around when he noticed something odd by the entrance.
Focusing through his light inebriation Lucifer saw a small figure in a tan coat that covered their frame from head to toe. The figure fidgeted as they took in the sight of the club's main room and the revelry going on there before pulling their coat further over their head and making their way into the room.
Seeing this Lucifer hummed lightly and turned around again and reached behind the bar to grab another glass and set it in front of the stool next to his. After a moment of waiting the figure in the coat reached the bar and hopped up onto the stool before leaning back in surprise when Lucifer held the bottle of brandy in front of their covered face.
"Fancy a drink?" Lucifer asked as he refilled his own glass. "From how you were fidgeting by the door you seemed like you could use a shot of liquid courage."
"….. No thank you." Was the figures quiet response, their surprisingly girlish and familiar voice causing Lucifer's lips to curve upwards in a smile as he set the bottle down and took a sip from his own glass.
"Shame, but I suppose you are a bit young for this… it's Lili, right?" Lucifer said as he turned to better look at the girl seated next to him.
Beside him the figure shifted uncomfortably and turned to look up at him with a familiar face, one that Lucifer remembered from his brief meeting with Bell's party at The Guild. There was however one noticeable difference from before as he noticed the top of the girl's head lacked the bestial ears they had before.
"… Lili is honored to be remembered by one as famous as Lord Lucifer." Lili said with a short bow to The Devil, the motion and words failing to hide the clear nervousness she felt.
Lucifer just chuckled at the girl's discomfort and leaned against the bar, grateful for the distraction and curious what had brought the now Prum girl to his home.
"You know I had a feeling I'd find you knocking on my door one of these days." Lucifer said as he waited for the girl to explain her exact reason for coming.
"You did?" Lili said with guarded surprise as she looked up to meet Lucifer's gaze with her own.
"Indeed." Lucifer responded as he took another sip and smiled down at the guarded Prum. "Throughout my rather lengthy existence I've become quite skilled at spotting when people have bottled up desires. Specifically desires they are uncertain they can achieve themselves, and thus also desire someone to lend a helping hand."
Lili was silent for a moment after Lucifer finished, her gaze turning to focus on the glass in front of her. Lucifer simply waited, curious to hear what had brought her here.
"… Lili has heard that Lord Lucifer is fond of granting favors to those who ask for his assistance." Lili finally said, her tone still guarded but her eyes filled with a burning desire for something. "May Lili ask if these favors are limited to certain things related to your club or if Lord Lucifer is willing to help with things entirely unrelated to your club or familia?"
"I'm glad you asked!" Lucifer said with a smile on his face, sensing a challenge worth his time. "Most people who come to me looking for a favor are hoping for an introduction to one of the merchants or gods who visit my club, trying and expand their businesses and make connections and whatnot. Others come to me simply looking for a simple loan or information, assuming because of my business that I have money and information in abundance, and while I'm no spymaster I do hear a fair few interesting tidbits of information once the wine starts to flow."
"And of course, there are those who come to me looking for someone to grant them their wildest dreams." Lucifer said and he leaned forward to better convey his excitement at those particular types of favor, causing Lili to lean back in concern. "Now those happen to be a personal favorite of mine! Almost always rather tricky to pull off but the shock and amazement when I actually come through makes it oh so worth it."
"And what, may Lili ask, does Lord Lucifer gain from granting these favors?" Lili asked as Lucifer leaned back to take another sip of his drink. "Lili has nothing against Lord Lucifer, but she finds it rather hard to believe that he grants all of these favors out of the goodness of his heart. So, what would a favor from Lord Lucifer cost?"
"Hmm, well generally I only really ask for a favor to be given to me in the future when I call on them to repay me." Lucifer responded with a simple shrug of his shoulders before noticing Lili's incredulous expression and continuing. "As you can probably guess I'm not exactly wanting for money at the moment or have really wanted for it in the past. You'd be amazed at the number of little trinkets and curiosities I've collected over the centuries and how much some people are willing to pay for some things simply because they are very old. There's a movie I like that sums it up rather nicely, what was the line again? Ah yes "Look at this, its worthless. Ten dollars from a vendor in the street. But I take it, I bury it in the sand for a thousand years, it becomes priceless!". It's the same thing with me basically, only I can afford to wait the thousand years for the item to go from worthless to priceless."
"As for influence and all that political nonsense, I honestly have no interest in all of that mess." Lucifer continued and made an unpleasant face at the mention of politics. "I used to be in charge of a kingdom before coming to Orario and let me tell you I found ruling to be a vastly overrated experience. Always someone coming to you looking to make their problems your problems and no one being very appreciative of all the bloody work I put into making sure everything runs smoothly. Ugh, no thank you. I've had quite enough of that nonsense to last me an eternity."
"Then why grant favors to begin with?" Lili asked, her confusion breaking through her mask and showing on her face. "If you don't do to for money or influence then why do you do it?"
"Why for the challenge of course!" Lucifer exclaimed before tilting back his glass and draining the rest of it in one go. "Each favor is like its own little puzzle you see. Some are simple and quick while others are incredibly complex and seemingly unachievable no matter how you approach it. Even the same favor can require vastly different approaches depending on the time and place they are asked. As for the seemingly impossible ones, well solving those is always gratifying, even if it can take weeks or months to achieve."
"…. So, you give out these favors…. basically, because you enjoy the challenge?" Lili asked, seemingly not being able to wrap her head around Lucifer's reasons.
"More or less." Lucifer responded with a shrug of his shoulders as he set his glass down. "The main reason I ask for a favor in return is because I don't usually desire much from the asker aside from a challenge. Honestly nine out of ten of those return favors go unrequested because I don't usually stick around long enough to collect on them before the debtor dies. You'll find that a large reason we immortals do any of what we do is simply to keep ourselves from growing bored, so we each tend to pick a few hobbies or habits we enjoy and look to indulge in them in a variety of ways as time goes on. For myself I enjoy granting favors…. and hedonism, let's not forget hedonism."
Lili just looked at Lucifer surprise for another moment, her mortal sensibilities needing a moment to process what the god in front of her had just explained. Because while Lili had spent her entire life living in the city with the highest concentration of Deusdea in the world, there were still times that mortals could be thrown through a loop by the sensibilities of the divine when they clashed with the mortals' own sensibilities. In this case Lili had a hard time processing the thought of someone doing so much for simple strangers with little promise of reward simply because they were bored and enjoyed the challenge the requests posed.
"Granted I don't grant every favor people come to me with." Lucifer continued as he waited for Lili to gather her wits. "I mean I can do a lot but I'm not omniscient or omnipotent so there are some favors I can't grant, like "make me into a god" or nonsense like that. In those cases, I generally try to be strait with the asker and find an alternative that is within abilities so that they can leave at least somewhat satisfied."
"Now then, since I've answered your questions perhaps you would be so kind as to answer mine." Lucifer said and he leaned forward again to stare directly into Lili's brown eyes. "What brings you to my club tonight. What do you desire?"
With those final words Lili immediately sat up straighter even as her expression seemed to slacken and her eyes became momentarily hazy.
"What Lili desires….. what Lili wants." Lili said as The Devil's question reached into her and pulled her desires to the surface. "What Lili wants is to be able to leave the Soma Familia once and for all. To be free of them once and for all!"
Lili's eyes seemed to clear as she almost shouted the second part of her desires, causing her to immediately raise her hands to her lips and cover her mouth in shock at her own outburst.
For his part Lucifer simply quirked and eyebrow at the shocked Palum in front of him and hummed to himself, his mind already trying to come up with plans to grant the girl's request even as she looked up at him in confusion.
"Perhaps we should take this discussion to a more private area." Lucifer said as he stood up from his stool and gestured towards the hallway leading to the stairs. Still recovering from her surprise Lili could only nod and hop down of her own stool and follow The Devil as he led her from the room.
/
"Can I get you something?" Lucifer asked as he shut the door of his suite behind them. "I noticed you didn't touch your brandy so can I offer you something else?"
"No thank you." Lili replied quietly as she took in the lavish space around her, the bar, the bookshelves, and of course the balcony that offered a stunning view of both the Entertainment district and the city beyond.
"Suit yourself." Lucifer and gestured towards the couch and chairs that took up most of the center of the room. Lili moved to take a seat on one of the chairs while Lucifer leaned back on the couch across from her. He then simply sat there and waited for the Palum girl to gather her thoughts and continue.
"Lili has been a member of Soma Familia for as long as she can remember." Lili said after a moment. "She was told that her parents were members as well but they died when Lili was very small so she has no memory of them. Lili thinks that there was someone who took care of her after her parents died, but Lili cannot remember exactly who it was as memories from that time are a bit hazy now. The earliest thing that Lili can remember clearly is looking up at the tables her familia's adventurers were eating at and feeling hungry."
Lili stopped for another moment as her eyes hardened and the hands that had been resting on her lap balled into fists.
"After Lili was old enough to walk and follow instruction her familia members decided to use her as a supporter, to increase the amount of money they could earn in The Dungeon. Different parties from her familia would make her follow after them day after day after day. Because of Lili constantly breaking her back they were able to make more valis and drink more of their god's damned wine! And what did they give Lili for all her hard work, these people who called themselves her familia? Nothing! No matter how much Lili did or how hard she worked no one in her familia gave a damn about her beyond how much use they could get out of her before they threw her aside! And THEN they expect Lili to thank them when they come to her again and TELL her they need a supporter, so they drag her to The Dungeon again and make her carry all of their shit before going back to the surface AND REFUSING TO GIVE LILI MORE THAN A FEW RUSTY COINS JUST BECAUSE SHE IS A LOWLY SUPPORTER!"
Lili then had to stop to catch her breath after her outburst, her chest heaving with all the pent-up emotions inside her. Lucifer simply observed the girl and waited for her to continue, his face unusually stoic with only a small frown to show what he thought of Lili's story. After Lili managed to regain her composure, she continued on with a sullen tone.
"Lili tried to leave the familia before, she was even able to get a job at a flower shop. But Soma Familia didn't like her just walking out without them getting anything, so they made sure that she lost that job and had to go back to working as a supporter. Eventually, Lili was able to get permission to work as a freelance supporter as long as she gave a cut of her earnings to Soma Familia. Unfortunately, most other adventurers Lili has worked with have also viewed her a worthless for being a supporter so she doesn't make much honest valis from her current work either. Things only began to improve recently when Mr. Bell and the others asked Lili to be their supporter."
At the mention of Bell and the others Lili looked up for the first time during her tale and looked at Lucifer with eyes filled with cautious hope.
"You know, Mr. Bell always likes to tell anyone who asks about his god what a nice god you are, Lord Lucifer. He always says how grateful he is you gave him a chance and how friendly you are to everyone you meet."
At Lili's words Lucifer's lips twitched upward and a pleased smile spread on his face before he schooled his expression and regarded Lili with a calm but friendly expression, already seeing where this was going.
"… Lili likes to know what kind of people she acts as a supporter for so she usually does a little digging about each new party who hires her and what their familia's are like. That's how Lili heard about Lord Lucifer's favors and why Lili wanted to speak with him, since Lord Lucifer seems like a generous god."
Lili stopped again and took a few deep breaths, her heart pounding as she felt the moment of truth arrive.
"….. Is there any way…. Would Lord Lucifer be willing to….. help ….. Lili…. With her familia?"
The question hung in the air for a moment and Lili held her breath as Lucifer hummed to himself and interlaced his hands in front of his chest. Lili waited for his next words anxiously, feeling more excited and vulnerable than she had felt in a long time. Eventually Lucifer let out a long breath and nodded his head, a grin appearing on his previously neutral face.
"So, you want my help leaving a familia that has been mistreating you since you were basically born, correct? Heh can't say I was expecting to have someone come to me with a request like this. Sure, why not. If nothing else, it seems like an interesting dilemma to overcome."
Lili let out the breath she had been holding and slouched forward in her seat. She honestly had not been sure what she expected from this meeting, but she was glad she had decided to give it a try. After Canoe had decided to find her to shake her down for some valis earlier that night and rewarded her with a boot to the face after she complied Lili had done some thinking before picking herself back up. And Lili had decided that putting herself in debt to one of Orario's newest deities could not possibly be any worse than having to stay with her current "familia", so she decided to go to the Salome and give it a try. A choice that Lili was feeling an uncharacteristic amount of vindication about after hearing Lucifer's words.
"Right then, now that I've decided to take on the case so to speak, would you mind telling me about Soma Familia and how they actually work?" Lucifer asked as he leaned forward to better look the Palum in the eye. "I am proud of being able to pull off quite a bit with just my natural charm, but I feel that for this particular dilemma I may need some more information to work with."
As requested, Lili divulged all she could think of regarding Soma Familia and their god. She spoke of Soma's wine, both the failures they sold to the public and the true wine they greedily hoarded for themselves. She told him about Soma himself and what she knew from their brief interactions over the years as well as her familia's captain Zanis Lustra. She even told him of her familia's addiction to Soma's wine and the trial that anyone who wanted to leave the familia had to complete under normal circumstances.
"So why did Soma decided to set up shop in the middle of a city if he is so fixated on wine and making it?" Lucifer asked partway through Lili's explanation. "I mean if he came down to the lower world to try and master brewing by mortal means then why Orario and not some vineyard out in the country?"
"Lili is not entirely sure, but she believes she heard that it has something to do with the availability of rare ingredients." Lili explained. "Lord Lucifer may not know this since he is new but Orario makes a good bit of money from selling plants and food harvested from The Dungeon as well as magic stone items and items made from drop items. These plants and food can have some amazing effects and flavors that can't be found anywhere else, and since every attempt to cultivate them outside The Dungeon has failed you can only get this produce fresh in Orario. This along with the fact that Orario is basically the biggest trade center in the world means that you can easily find things in Orario's markets that would be next to impossible to find in most other cities around the world."
"As for why Lord Soma doesn't own a vineyard outside the city, all of the farmland that surrounds Orario is owned by the Demeter Familia and has been for centuries." Lili explained with a shrug, this being a long-accepted fact by the populace of the city by this point. "Lady Demeter is a widely loved goddess in the city and she always sells her familia's produce at affordable prices so almost everyone can afford to buy from her. Because of this there hasn't really been any effort to try and get Lady Demeter to try and share the land with other familia's since everyone agrees she's done a good job providing for the city."
Lucifer hummed at Lili's explanation and felt an idea begin to take shape in his head, motioning for Lili to continue with her description of her current familia.
After roughly an hour had passed Lili finished listing off everything she could think of in regards to Soma Familia and she and Lucifer sat there in silence for a few minutes as The Devil processed all the information that had been presented to him.
"… I believe I may have an idea on how to solve your current dilemma, Lili." Lucifer said as he separated his hands and moved to stand from the sofa. "Though I'll need a few days to gather some information of my own. Can you come back to see me in three day's time around early evening? By then I believe that I should have smoothed out the rough edges on my plan and we'll see how it works."
"Lili will be certain to be here, Lord Lucifer." Lili said as she stood from her own seat.
"Just Lucifer is fine, I haven't really cared much for formality since I moved to Orario." Lucifer said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "So, three days after sunset?"
"Lili will be here." Lili said with a short bow to Lucifer.
Lucifer opened the door for Lili as she departed and then moved over to the bar and began to search through it, though not for a bottle to drink. After a moment Lucifer placed a few pieces of paper on the bar and a pen and began to write, putting his idea down in words on the paper before making additional notes as ways to see it fulfilled began to appear in his mind. Lucifer would scribble notes onto these pieces of paper for several more hours as he continued to examine the puzzle Lili had presented him with in his mind, seeking to come up with the optimal solution that would leave all parties satisfied. After he had finished, he looked down at his plan and grinned, feeling pleased with himself and decided to call it a night. Tomorrow he would begin putting in the legwork his plan needed to be completed but for now he just felt like taking a well-deserved rest.
/
Three Days Later
Lili could hear her heart pounding in her chest as she walked towards the Entertainment District. She had done her best to keep herself calm the past three days, but she simply could not stop thinking of all the ways her gamble could go wrong. Thinking about all the horrible things Soma Familia would do to her if they found out about her attempt to break away again or if Lucifer left her out to dry. Because while she had heard good things about Lucifer from Bell and a few others, she was still keenly aware that most gods did what they did purely out of a desire for amusement so if Lucifer decided that it would be funnier to rat her out to Soma Familia there wasn't really much she could do.
These fears continued to run through Lili's head as she walked through the entrance to the Entertainment District and as she approached the entrance to the Salome. And as she approached the entrance to the club, she noticed a familiar figure in a dark suit waiting next to the door of his establishment.
In sharp contrast to Lili Lucifer looked positively giddy as he waited by the door and made small talk with patrons entering the club and passers by on the street. The Devil looked around after finishing greeting some amazon's walking by and saw Lili approaching which prompted him to push off the wall he had been leaning against and move to greet her with his signature charming smile.
"Ah Lili, right on time!" Lucifer said as he approached and looked up at the darkening sky. "It took a good bit of work but I believe I may have found a solution to your problem. So would you like to go now or have a drink in the club first?"
"Go?" Lili asked with a look of confusion, a part of her glad at Lucifer's announcement while another was worried about what he wanted. "Go where, Lord Lucifer?"
"Again, just Lucifer is fine." Lucifer explained with all the patience of an excited adolescent. "And to Soma Familia's home of course! We can't properly resolve this matter without speaking to Soma himself now can we."
Lili felt a jolt run down her spine at the mention of her familia's home as well as her god, her stomach feeling like it was being tied into knots.
"G-go to Soma Familia's home? Right now? Are you sure that is wise Lo- Lucifer? Lili was hoping that you could approach them by yourself in case Lord Soma rejects your offer. I-is it really necessary that Lili be there in person for this?"
"Perhaps not for all of it, however I believe that you being there should help a little with the negotiations." Lucifer said as he looked down at Lili with an apologetic smile. "I won't force you to come of course, however I do believe that the negotiations will go more smoothly if you are there to back me up on a few points and explain a few simple things to Soma. So, Lili, would you mind assisting me in resolving this matter?"
Lili was silent for a moment as she bit her bottom lip and weighed her options. On the one hand she had a better chance of avoiding any fallout if as few members as possible new of her attempt to leave should things go wrong. On the other hand, if things were close and Lucifer was able to shake Soma's usual stoic nature then it would be good to be there so she could change her falna on the spot and never go back to see Soma Familia ever again. In the end the possibility of being able to wash her hands of Soma Familia that very night was too tempting to resist, and she nodded at Lucifer's question, resolving herself for what would follow.
"Excellent, now just let me grab a few things and we will be of." Lucifer said as he quickly walked back to the spot he hand been standing and reached down to grab two things that had been resting on the ground. The first was a dark box with a handle on it that was long and wide but not very tall. The second was a brown cloth bag that most people would use to carry groceries and judging by the sag it was holding something, though Lili could not tell what without peering down into it. "Well then let's be off, wouldn't do to resolve this and get back too late to enjoy the party now would it."
Lucifer and Lili quickly exited the Entertainment District and began to make their way to Soma Familia's home, the two contrasting sharply. Lucifer tall and clothed in black and radiating confidence and excitement while Lili had wrapped herself in her tan coat and kept her head down, clearly not as excited as he companion. The two did not talk as they walked, Lucifer because he was rehearsing his pitch in his head and Lili because she was simply too nervous to really think of any small talk at the moment.
Eventually they reached Soma Familia's home, a squat two story building next to a storehouse and surrounded by a brick wall. The front gate was guarded by two lower ranking members that had drawn the short straw and were stuck outside for the night, a male human in his mid-thirties with short brown hair and a matching beard and a dwarven man with a wrinkled face and grey patches here and there in his black hair and long beard. The pair didn't seem to be doing anything beyond staring off into space before they noticed Lucifer and Lili making their way towards them, prompting the two to stand up straight and try to look threatening.
"Gentlemen, good evening." Lucifer said, unbothered by their threatening posture and purposely letting his divine aura be sensed by those around him. The divine aura caused the two to immediately become more cautious than threatening, both suddenly looking uncertain on how to deal with the deity in front of them.
"Er, good evening your lordship." The dwarf responded cautiously, looking as though he'd rather be elsewhere. "Do you perhaps need direction? I doubt theirs much here that would interest you."
"Oh, on the contrary, I believe there is a good bit here that would interest me." Lucifer said. "This is the home of the Soma Familia, correct? Because if it is then I would say I'm exactly where I need to be."
The dwarf sighed at the god's words and the brown-haired man palmed his face in exasperation.
"Look your lordship, I know you're probably hoping for some wine, but we don't sell directly from our home." The dwarf said with clear annoyance, this likely not being the first time some god had come by and tried to get some wine from them. "I can tell you about a few of the local stores we sell to, but if their out then I'm afraid that you'll just have to wait until Lord Soma feels like making some more."
"Oh, no need for that my good dwarf, as luck would have it, I already happen to have a jug of your familia's wine right here."
And to the surprise of the three members of Soma Familia Lucifer put down his briefcase and reached into the cloth bag to produce a clay jug that clearly bore the mark of their familia on the front. He then uncorked the top and let the three get a whiff of the contents and sure enough all three could smell the familiar scent of Soma's wine. And not the failures that their god would allow them to sell on occasion but the actual perfected wine that Zanis was supposed to keep under lock and key. Lili shuddered as feelings of revulsion and unwanted desire swept over her while the other two simply stared at the jug in shock, their mouths suddenly feeling dry and their pulses quickening as they stared hard at the jug in Lucifer's hand.
"As you can see I already have a nice helping of your familia's wine right here." Lucifer said with a grin at the two guards barely restrained desire. "No, the reason I am here is to discuss a business opportunity with your god and I was hoping to discuss it with him sooner rather than later. So, if the two of would be so kind as to let my compatriot and I through I would be grateful. So grateful in fact that I was thinking of leaving this lovely vintage up here to keep you company for the rest of your shift. So, what do you say?"
"Y-you're trying to bribe us!" The dwarf said in an incredulous tone, but his words lacking any real bite as his eyes remained glued on the jug, his companion not even trying to answer and instead staring at the wine while licking his parched lips.
"Well yes, I am." Lucifer said without a hint of shame. "But if it makes you feel any better you can call it an "unexpected bonus" instead or maybe something like "right place right time bonus". Oh, I rather like that one."
The three just stared incredulously at The Devil in front of them.
"Or I could leave and come back later to ask the next shift if their interested in my offer."
The two guards looked at each other and considered their options. On the one hand simply standing aside and letting the two into their familia's base would almost certainly elicit a severe punishment if they were found out. On the other hand… the wine. The wine that they like almost every other member of their familia was addicted to was right in front of them. And both of them knew that the next watch was unlikely to be able to resist the siren call of the wine.
So, if someone was going to get the wine and let the strange god and his companion in anyway… why not them?
"Alright fine. Just leave the jug and we'll forget we ever saw ya." The dwarf said after a moment of consideration. "Just be sure not to cause a ruckus inside."
"Wouldn't dream of it." Lucifer replied and handed the dwarf the jug, which the dwarf clutched to his chest immediately. The Devil then walked past the two and opened the gate, gesturing for Lili to follow him through. As the two entered the Soma Familia's home they could already hear the two guards bickering over how they were going to split the wine.
"…. Lili has several questions but the most immediate one is how the hell did you manage to get some of Lord Soma's actual wine?"
"Hm, oh well it appears that your familia's captain is running a little side business." Lucifer explained and when Lili looked at him in confusion he elaborated. "It seems that your captain has been selling small amounts of Soma's perfected wine to several very wealthy merchants and nobles, of which several just so happen to be patrons of my establishment. So, when I learned that one of them happened to have a jug they were saving for a special occasion I decided to procure it to help our endeavor go more smoothly. It was not easy to get him to agree to sell me the wine but he became more pliable after I introduced him to some very flexible amazon triplets who work at an establishment just down the road from mine. Now this is your home so would you be so kind as to lead the way?"
Lili just nodded in surprise and started to lead the way, her mind honestly having a hard time comprehending the fact that Zanis was selling wine to people outside the familia. Lili knew that Zanis had better control over himself than most other members of the familia, it was why Soma let him be the captain, but to find out he was selling their most precious commodity to outsiders when most of the familia was hopelessly addicted to the stuff…. Zanis was far more greedy than even Lili had thought, which was saying something given her already low opinion of her captain.
And thinking of her captain, Lili did a quick scan of the area, feeling a surge of trepidation at the thought of running into him.
"Worried about your captain?" Lucifer asked from behind her when he saw her glancing around. "Don't worry. I asked my acquaintance who I purchased the wine from to see if he could arrange a meeting with Lustra to discuss buying some more wine for himself and some of his acquaintances. He should be busy with the meeting and the celebration afterwords so he hopefully won't be back for a few hours."
Lili let out a sigh of relief, honestly surprised by the amount of thought Lucifer had shown up to this point.
The two continued on into the main building and made their way to Soma's quarters on the second floor, thankfully not running into anyone on the way, most members of the familia being out at a bar or tavern or having withdrawn for the night to enjoy what little of the true wine they had been able to buy for the night.
After a short walk the two arrived outside a set of dark wood double doors and Lili hesitantly stepped forward to knock. After a moment and no response Lili gingerly opened one of the doors and peeked inside. Sitting behind a large desk strewn with various papers and bags of ingredients was Soma, his dark hair loose and clad in his usual cream-colored robes. The wine god was currently working on grinding something with a mortar and pestle, not even bothering to glance up as he heard the door open. Uncertain on how to proceed Lili simply stood there for a few seconds before she felt Lucifer lean over and peek through the crack as well. Before Lili could say much Lucifer reached out with his hand and opened the door fully, revealing both himself and Lili to Soma, who did glance up as the light from the hallway entered into the otherwise dark space.
"Good evening." Lucifer said blithely as he wandered into the office, looking about at all the brewing equipment and ingredients with clear interest. "This is quite the setup you have here. Do you brew all the wine yourself or do some of your familia members help with it?"
Soma simply gave Lucifer a deadpan stare as he saw the other divinity wander into his workspace and let out a tired sigh.
"We do not offer free samples or sell directly from my familia's home." Soma said in the tired tone of someone who had been forced to say a line several dozen times prior to then. "The wine is sold first come first serve so we do not accept orders. Please see one of my children on your way out to learn where they sell the wine so you can check there. Now please leave."
And with that Soma went back to working with his mortar and pestle, waiting for the intruding god to get bored and leave. Unfortunately for Soma, Lucifer was a bit different than his previous intruders and instead of leaving he walked forward and leaned sat on the front of Soma's desk, looking at the wine god with a friendly grin on his face.
"No need to be so dismissive, Soma. As it happens, I already had the chance to sample some of your wine and I must say I was quite impressed with the quality of your work."
"However, I did not come here looking to buy from you, rather I came here hoping to discuss a business opportunity with you." Lucifer said and brought his briefcase up and placed it down on the desk with a light thud.
Those words did cause Soma to stop focusing on his current work, but the look he sent Lucifer was singularly unimpressed.
"I do not need any help with business matters. Zanis runs all that so if you want to speak to someone about that find him."
"I am aware that Mr. Lustra runs your familia's business and day to day matters, however part of what I was hoping to discuss can only be agreed to by the god of a familia.
At those words Lucifer beckoned towards Lili, who had remained by the doors and shut them behind Lucifer so that no one else could hear this discussion. Seeing Lucifer gesture towards her Lili hesitantly stepped forward and finished a little as she felt both Lucifer's and Soma's eyes on her.
"This is Lili, a member of your familia who came to me several days ago and explained that she would like to leave but has had some difficulty in being allowed to."
Soma regarded Lili dispassionately and reached into a drawer on his desk to pull out a jug and a simple bronze chalice.
"If she wants to leave then she knows what she needs to do."
Lili shuddered at the sight of the jug and averted her eyes. Soma reached up to uncork the top but was stopped by Lucifer gently grabbing his hand before he could open it.
"Come now Soma, I'm sure we can come to an arrangement to spare Lili this unpleasantness."
Soma looked up at The Devil and for the first time his expression showed a hint of annoyance, clearly not liking an outsider coming in and interfering with something that he and most others would consider an internal familia affair.
"I doubt you can offer me anything I want." Soma said in an uncharacteristically clipped tone. "Now please leave."
"Oh, are you so sure of that?" Lucifer asked as his grin widened. "you're perfectly content to remain as you are, sitting here in the city forced to rely on others to produce the ingredients for your wine? Now I may not be a brewer myself but I've been to plenty of breweries and wineries in my time, so I now how picky most are about the ingredients they use and how they like to watch them from seed to harvest just to make sure their creation is just the way they want them to be."
"I'm not leaving the city." Soma said simply in rebuttal. "There are too many rare ingredients that can only be found here for me to leave. So, if you're about to try and sell me some plot of land in some neighboring kingdom you can stop now."
"What about a plot of land just outside the city's west wall?"
Both Soma and Lili blinked in surprise at Lucifer's words.
"Not possible." Soma denied with a shake of his head. "Demeter Familia owns all the farmland outside the city. She's never shown any desire to share with another familia."
"Indeed." Lucifer agreed. "Demeter was rather firm when I spoke to her about the matter yesterday."
"Then why eve-." Soma began before Lucifer cut him off.
"Because I have found that there are usually exceptions to every rule."
And with that Lucifer laid his briefcase down flat on the desk and opened the lid.
"Tell me, what do the two of you remember from the Great Feud seven years ago?" Lucifer asked simply as he began to rummage inside his briefcase.
Soma and Lili again blinked in surprise at the question, thrown off by the sudden change in topic.
"I remember that much of the civilian populace was killed and that many familia's were destroyed when their gods were sent back to Tenkai." Soma said in clear confusion, not seeing the point in bringing Orario's darkest hour into the current conversation.
"And do you remember how the city was encircled and anyone trying to enter or escape was cut down?" Lucifer asked, his tone losing its usual jovial tone and becoming more serious.
Soma simply nodded, confused as to where this was going.
"Well during the encirclement, the group sieging the western wall apparently moved a little more quickly than the others and took the Demeter Familia members who lived on a vineyard to the west of the city by surprise. Unfortunately, the Demeter Familia members there were caught by surprise and weren't able to make it to the city before The Evils caught them, and since they didn't want to bother with prisoners, they simply ran them down and killed them there."
Lili shuddered at the memory of the Great Feud, that time being one that had often appeared in her nightmares even to this day, along with many other inhabitants of Orario. Soma merely frowned at the unpleasant memories that the conversation had brought up.
"Since then, the vineyard has been left alone by the Demeter Familia." Lucifer continued to explain after not receiving any questions. "At first this was due to the familia needing to scale back to more important crops because of the loss in manpower. But the vineyard was left alone even after the familia had mostly recovered due to the sad memories it elicits in Demeter and many of the other members who survived the feud. So, its just been sitting there for the past seven years growing weeds and gathering dust."
"And you managed to convince Demeter to sell you the property because she doesn't want to work it?" Soma asked, seeing where this was going but still wanting verbal confirmation.
In response Lucifer pulled out a sheet of paper and slid it across the desk so that Soma could take a good look at it. When he did Soma saw that the paper was the deed authorizing the transfer of the land the vineyard rested on from Demeter Familia to Soma Familia with Demeter's signature already present on the paper. Soma examined the paper for several minutes before looking up at Lucifer with cautious surprise.
"Even if I gain ownership of the land itself, there is still the matter of getting The Guild itself to approve the change in location." Soma said. "It could take some time for them to approve the change and allow my familia members to go to and from the city like they do the Demeter Familia members."
In response to that statement Lucifer again reached into his briefcase and pulled out several more sheets of paper and slid them across the table to be examined. As Soma did exactly that he saw to his surprise that these papers authorized the Soma Familia to move their base from their current home out to the vineyard in question and authorized their members to exit and leave the city so that they might work or live on the vineyard and still work as adventurers in The Dungeon, the papers already bearing the signature of The Guild's head. Soma went through all the papers Lucifer had presented him with and took a short while to examine each and every one in detail, looking for any sign of deception, with Lucifer simply leaning on the desk as he waited and Lili fidgeting as she waited to see how the discussion would end. Eventually Soma finished examining the last piece of paper and looked up at Lucifer with uncertainty.
"… I'm sure that many members of my familia will not want this change to take place." Soma said slowly, clasping his hands in front of his face as he pondered how to proceed. "Almost all of them are more interested in drinking my wine than helping me create it. So even if you did help me obtain the vineyard, I'm not sure how much use we would actually get out of it."
"And are you happy with this state of affairs?" Lucifer asked simply.
"What?" Was all Soma could think to say in response.
Lucifer leaned forward to better look Soma in the eye and the wine god leaned back at the intensity of The Devil's stare.
"From what I've heard you came down here in an effort to experience what it was like to create wine and drinks as the mortals do, correct? And yet, here you are. Sitting in a dark room working on a drink that only a few will ever taste for children you seem to hold little else but contempt for. So, I'll ask again, are you happy with this state of affairs? Is this what you desired when you descended to this world. Tell me Soma… What is it you desire?"
At The Devil's words Soma's eyes drooped slightly and he nodded his head as though he was suddenly very tired.
"What I desire? What I desired when I descended to this world was to… to make fine drinks as the mortals do and to have a familia that could appreciate my craft and join me in making wine."
After speaking Soma's head suddenly snapped up and he looked up at Lucifer in clear confusion, uncertain what had just happened.
"So, you wanted compatriots as well as the challenge of making wine as mortals do." Lucifer said and leaned back to get out of Soma's personal space. "Forgive me for being blunt, but it appears to me that you have somewhat strayed off course from your original desire."
"It couldn't be helped." Soma responded with a bit of heat entering his voice for the first time during this exchange. "My wine was too strong for the children to properly handle. Instead of offering me advice and new perspectives all they could do was simply get drunk on my wine. They did not care about the techniques I used to create the wine or the methods of distillation and aging I used, they would simply gulp it down whenever I put it in front of them and not be able to tell me anything besides the fact that they wanted more! How was I supposed to make a familia like the one I wanted when its members care nothing for the creation process? When they only care about consuming my wine as fast as I can make it?"
Soma shook his head and let the frustration he had been feeling with his children be seen on his face for just a moment, the sadness and disappointment that came with realizing that he had failed in his desire and had to make due with nothing but a mockery to keep himself occupied.
"Well then perhaps its time to make some changes?" Lucifer said simply.
"What?" Soma asked incredulously.
"I said now might be the time to try something new." Lucifer explained as he stood from the desk and faced Soma. "It seems to me that providing your children with the wine as a reward for money contributed towards producing it was a poor method of getting them to appreciate it and you. So how about you try a new system? Say for example one where your children have to earn the wine by producing wine of their own that lives up to your own standards. This way they would appreciate all the work you put into producing your wine as well as being better able to offer critiques on how to improve it. Hell, who knows, maybe even some of them will decide to try and produce wine of their own that can rival yours so that they wont need to keep coming to you to get their fix."
"You realize you are telling me to change my familia on a fundamental level, correct?" Soma asked looking annoyed again. "You do realize how much work that would entail, right? How many of my children will likely leave because they do not have the patience for this kind of work. How I would basically need to rebuild my familia from the ground up?"
"Yes, I do." Was Lucifer's simple response. "And let me ask you, is that really worse than keeping things the way they are? With you remaining up here producing wine for those who don't really appreciate it, stuck in a familia you've come to hate? With your children constantly locked in the throes of addiction, constantly trying to earn more money than the others so they can get their next fix? You've already made it clear that you hate the current state of things, so why continue to cling onto it so tightly? Why not try something new, especially when that something might actually leave you and your familia better off than they were before?"
Soma opened his mouth to respond but stopped before he could say anything. He then leaned back and stared up at the ceiling for several minutes, seeming to contemplate Lucifer's words. He remained Like that for several minutes, seemingly having an internal debate on what he wanted before lowering his gaze to regard Lucifer and Lili again.
"… You said you would be willing to help me make these changes in exchange for allowing one of my children to leave the familia, correct?"
Lucifer nodded and gestured of to Lili, who had remained silent throughout their discussion. Soma looked at his child and for the first time since the conversation began addressed Lili directly.
"You wish to leave the familia of your own free will? You are in no way being coerced?"
Lili was surprised by the questions her god decided to ask but nodded her head.
"Lili has been unhappy with how her familia has treated her for a long time." Lili said softly but resolutely. "Lili does not believe she will be able to be happy if she remains in Soma Familia, so she asks Lord Soma to please let her leave, so that she can try and find a place she can be happy."
Soma looked at Lili and nodded, sensing the truth in her words. He then turned to Lucifer with a cautious expression.
"Is the permission for this child to leave truly all you want out of this? I find it rather difficult to believe that you would go this far for someone you barley know."
"What can I say, I enjoy a good challenge." Lucifer said as he shot a grin at Soma, seeing the negotiation unfold exactly as he had hoped. "That being said, once your new home is up and running, I hope you might consider selling some of your product to my club? I'm rather proud of our collection and adding wine brewed by a wine god and his familia would certainly be a fine addition."
"… We'll see." Was all Soma said as he opened another drawer in his desk and took out a pen.
The next few minutes were filled with Lucifer and Soma quickly going over and finalizing the transfer of the vineyard to Soma Familia. Lucifer pointed out where Soma's signature was required and then it was done, with Lucifer telling all Soma would need to do was file the paperwork with The Guild and it should all be set. Soma simply nodded and then turned his attention to Lili and gestured towards a stool that stood in a corner of the room. Lili nodded and went over to the stool and removed her cloak and top while Soma took out a small needle and moved to stand behind her. And with a single drop of blood it was done, Soma unlocking Lili's falna so that she was free to convert to any familia of her choosing and memorized her name so as to list her departure from his familia with The Guild.
Lili quickly redressed herself and offered a short bow to Soma, feeling grateful towards him for the first time in years. She then walked over to stand beside Lucifer as he closed and locked his briefcase and extended his hand towards Soma, who looked at the hand quizzically for a moment before realizing the point and shaking Lucifer's hand.
"I don't believe I ever caught your name." Soma asked awkwardly, his usual introverted self-reasserting itself now that the matter was concluded.
"Lucifer Morningstar, the proud owner of the Salome and patron of the Lucifer Familia."
"Hm, I'll be sure to remember that."
And with that the two broke their handshake, Soma going to sit behind his desk again as Lucifer and Lili departed from his office and then the building.
Lili walked beside Lucifer in a daze as they exited her former familia's home and passed the two guards who had apparently emptied the jug Lucifer had bribed them with while they were gone and had passed out on either side of the gate.
In sharp contrast to Lili's contemplative silence Lucifer was ecstatic, humming to himself as he walked and pleased to have successfully pulled of another difficult favor.
The two walked together in silence for a while before Lucifer turned to regard his withdrawn companion.
"So, are you pleased with how things turned out?" Lucifer asked as the two slowly made their way back to his club. "Any plans now that you're a free woman?"
"Lili… honestly does not know." Was the palum's simple response. "Lili spent all of her time thinking about how to avoid Soma Familia and now that Lili is free… Lili honestly doesn't know what to do next."
"Any thoughts as to whether or not you want to continue to be a supporter? I know Bell and the others have become rather fond of you since you all teamed up."
Lili was silent for a few moments, unsure how to answer the question. Her long-ingrained hatred of adventurers battling with the memory of Bell, Emma, and Primo's kindness.
"Lili honestly does not know if she wants to continue to be an adventurer in the long term, but she believes that she would be willing to work with Mr. Bell and the others at least a while longer. To save up some money for future plans if nothing else."
"Does that mean you might be looking to convert to another familia, so that you can keep getting your falna updated? If so, Hestia is a rather nice goddess so she would be my recommendation."
"Lili has heard nice things about Lady Hestia… but she has also heard things that make her wonder if Hestia Familia is the right choice for her."
"Oh? Like what?" Lucifer asked.
"Did you know that Hestia recently gained a third child? Lili believes her name is Iris and she is supposed to begin adventuring with the party in the next few days, after she buys some equipment and receives some rudimentary training from Ms. Emma. Emma and Primo seem mostly happy to have another familia member… if not for the fact that the four of them all have to share a single room basement as their familia's home. Lili thinks Hestia Familia sounds nice but is not eager to get crammed in there with the other four."
Lucifer nodded at Lili's words, feeling a small spike of pity for his diminutive friend of a goddess. He had heard about Hestia Familia's living arrangements from Bell who had heard about them from Emma and Primo and he could say with absolute honesty that he really hoped they were able to afford a new place soon. He had even considered asking Hestia if she would like some help finding a new place but had decided against it after hearing her talk about how she wanted to make her own way in the city without burdening her friends like she had Hephaestus when she first arrived.
Lucifer then noticed Lili sending him the occasional sideways glance as they walked towards the club. When he turned to look at her questioningly Lili looked away and scratched her head sheepishly.
"Lili was wondering what Lucifer might want in return for his favor. She remembers that you said that you do not always collect on all the favors you are owed, but Lili would like to show her gratitude for all of Lord Lucifer's help."
"Just Lucifer is fine." Lucifer corrected absentmindedly.
The Devil hummed to himself for a moment before turning to regard Lili again.
"You said that you wished to know what I would like of you correct?"
Lili nodded her head.
"Then consider this repayment for your favor. For the next year or so you will work to help Bell and make sure he doesn't do anything foolish like blasting off fireballs in The Dungeon until he literally passes out. You don't need to do it for free so feel free to keep splitting the money between yourselves as you decided. And after that year has passed you are free to go wherever you wish. Even if you decided to leave the city and go live in some out of the way village somewhere that is fine and I'll even help you get the permit to leave, just promise to look after Bell when you can."
Lili looked up at Lucifer in surprise as she nodded her head.
"Lili can do that, but to clarify, is Lord Lucifer asking Lili to become part of his familia?"
"What?" Lucifer said in surprise.
"Ah, Lili does not mean to impose! She just thought that you wanted Lili to be nearby so she could keep an eye on Mr. Bell so Lili thought that the best place to keep an eye on Mr. Bell would be… well."
The two fell into an awkward silence as they approached the gates of the Entertainment District, both feeling uncomfortable. Lili because she feared she had tried to impose on her benefactor and Lucifer because he felt he had overreacted a bit and didn't mean to make it seem as though he wanted to keep Lili away from his familia.
The two reached the gates of the district and turned to face each other feeling uncomfortable and unsure what to say. Eventually it was Lili who ended the silence by offering a deep bow to Lucifer.
"Lili is very grateful for all of Lord Lucifer's help. She promises to do her best return the favor by watching over Mr. Bell. Now if you'll excuse her, Lili is feeling very tired after tonight's events and would like to rest."
And with that Lili began to walk away, leaving a troubled Lucifer to watch her retreating back as she moved to leave.
"Ah, shit." Lucifer muttered to himself before calling out to Lili. "How good are you with numbers?"
The palum girl turned around and looked at The Devil in confusion for the seemingly random question.
"The amount of paperwork we have to do at the club has risen since we had to officially register with The Guild and Maze was talking about getting someone to act as our accountant, to try and cut back on the paperwork we have to do. So… how are you with numbers?"
"Um Lili likes to think she is rather good with numbers?" Lili answered, feeling a bit thrown off. "Lili helps out around a friend's pawnshop and has had to keep track of sales and purchases before. So, Lili probably could keep track of numbers and expenses if she needed to."
"Ah, excellent! Well then Lili how would you like to work for us at the club when you aren't in The Dungeon?"
"… Is Lord Lucifer offering Lili a job?"
"More or less. Soooo, interested?"
"…. Would Lili be able to get one of the nice rooms she heard you have on the third floor of your club?"
"Sure, why not. Just promise to tell either me or Maze if you see Bell sneaking out in the middle of the night."
Lili stared at Lucifer in surprise before a small smile spread on her face and she quickly rushed back to stand before Lucifer with her small hand extended in his direction.
"Lili believes she can do that. Lili would be happy to work for Lord Lucifer if he is willing to have her."
"Well then, welcome aboard Lili. We may have plenty of drink at the club but I promise we're not half as bad as the people in your former familia."
And with that Lucifer reached out and shook Lili's hand, feeling both proud and anxious. Proud because he was pleased with his accomplishments that night and how much Lili had seemingly come to respect him. And anxious because he now had not one but two children in his familia, regardless of how mature Lili acted in comparison to Bell. He just hoped Maze wouldn't be as bothered by the newest addition as she was by the last.
/
Well shit. You know when I started this story a year ago I promised myself that I would finish at least twelve chapters before the one year anniversary of my story passed and now here we are, just a few hours before that deadline passes. Writing this chapter so quickly was a bit of a headache but ultimately feels like it was worth it as I managed to keep my twelve chapters in twelve months goal. And if for some reason this story lists as coming out on the 25th of December please know that on my clock it still reads as the 24th in my time zone.
I was honestly on the fence for a while as to whether I should add Lili to Lucifer Familia or not, but I will admit that she has grown on me over time. I like how out of all the main cast Lili probably has the most common sense and has a few interesting moments such as her transition to Hestia Familia's strategist. Also, just to let you all know Bell's and Lili's relationship will be more on the platonic side in this fic. I feel that Lili is pretty low on the totem pole when it comes having any real shot at Bell and I feel Bell has always viewed her as more of a friend and occasional teacher in the main series. They will still be close in this story, but more comrades from the same familia than anything else.
So what do you all think of my solution to the Soma Familia problem? I wanted to try something different than just having the group get in a fight with them and beat them into submission or Lili performing the required test and overcoming it through the power of love and or friendship. I then remembered Lucifer's whole thing with deals and favors and the above exchange took shape in my mind.
Finally, I have another question for you all. Given the fact that my story has now been up for a year and passed the 100k milestone I was thinking of getting some fan art done so I have something to place in the blank space next to the stories title. Does anyone know any good artist out there who take request for things like fanfiction covers?
Feel free to leave a review as reading them is usually one of the highlights of my day. Hope you are all doing well and having a happy holiday, see you all In 2024!