Chapter 25: Interlude 3
"Ouranos! Old buddy, old pal!"
"What do you want, Hermes?" the God of the Sky asked, resisting the urge to sigh as he looked over to the blond god who'd entered his domain. The self-proclaimed Spymaster of Orario was too loud, and he had a headache. He really did not need this right now.
"Well, I was in the neighborhood, and I thought, 'Well, let's ask Ouranos a few questions about why he's favoring a random adventurer!'" Hermes said lightly, but his tone hid a hint of steel.
"I made my decision. I will not change it," Ouranos declared. "Taylor Hebert's Alias is to be Weaver… for now."
"Don't you think you owe me? I mean, the other gods were so upset when they couldn't give little miss Weaver an Alias, and they took it out on me!" Hermes pouted. "Haven't they ever heard the saying, 'don't shoot the messenger?'"
'Maybe if the messenger wasn't so easy to dislike they wouldn't pounce on you for delivering bad news,' Ouranos thought but did not say. Instead, he replied, "I told you, Hermes. The name came to me in a dream."
"I wasn't aware you dreamed. Or slept, really," Hermes said.
"I do not exactly have much else to do down here," Ouranos drawled, making a dismissive gesture to the vast emptiness of his chamber.
"You're a bit cattier than usual, oh Anchor of Orario," the God of Messengers noted, eyeing the Sky God warily.
"Apologies, but things have been hectic," Ouranos apologized. "The… what are they calling it now? The 18th Floor Rumble? It was hard to keep the Dungeon contained. I have not had to strain myself so hard in years. It's taken a toll on me."
"We all felt the shaking," Hermes admitted.
"I'm sure you did," Ouranos retorted, glaring at the smaller deity who flinched.
"Ah… you know?"
"I'm not blind or an idiot," Ouranos stated. "So, yes, I knew you were where you weren't supposed to be. It's only luck that you weren't killed down there. Still, you will make a useful scapegoat for the other gods."
"What?!" Hermes gasped. "B-but it wasn't my fault that that Rare Variant showed up!"
"No, it wasn't, but I would prefer the excuse that you were responsible over revealing the truth," Ouranos declared, and Hermes gawked at him in disbelief.
"Then… what was it?" he asked after a moment. "If I am to be blamed for something, I'd like to know what I'm supposed to be covering for!"
A moment passed as Ouranos stared at Hermes, before eventually a curt nod was given. "I suppose that is fair."
Ouranos steepled his fingers. "Fels? Barrier."
Several magical barriers designed to block sound and scrying sprang up around the two gods, and only when he was satisfied by their strength did Ouranos deign to speak again.
"Taylor Hebert was not alone when she came to Orario," Ouranos said, and even that felt like it was a bit too much information.
Hermes blinked slowly, trying to figure out what he meant by that. "She's a Faller," Hermes said slowly. "We've all suspected as such. But when you say she was not alone… was there another person with her? No… not a person… a passenger?"
Upon uttering that, Hermes felt something SHARP and HEAVY turn its attention his way and he froze, eyes wide and fearful.
"Perhaps it is best you keep your curiosity to yourself," Ouranos said softly. "Here, in this place, where the power of the Sky seals away the one thing the gods cannot truly understand, some connections are stronger than they should be… and the veil thinner than even the gods in Tenkai realize."
Hermes swallowed nervously as he bowed. "Of course. A very good idea," he whispered, before sagging in relief as the metaphysical weight left him.
"Now, if I'm not mistaken, you have a party to attend, and a captain to attend to," Ouranos said, and Hermes's wince this time was due to the thought of what Asfi would do to him if he was late.
As Ouranos watched the other god leave, he leaned back in his throne.
'What are you?' Ouranos wondered. For the first time in ages, he cast his gaze upwards, away from the Dungeon… and beheld a glint of crystal hiding behind a shroud of dimensional energy. It retreated as soon as it felt his attention turn towards it, but this was not due to fear – the Sky God had a feeling it was stronger than him – but due to its own nature.
The entity peering down onto Orario and the rest of the mortal world had OBSERVATION built into its very being. An Authority, or as close to one as it was possible to have for a non-deity. And it was not a god or goddess, this was another thing Ouranos was very certain of.
'It's gotten closer,' he noted warily. 'When Taylor Hebert Leveled Up, the connection between that thingup there and the Lower World grew stronger for a brief moment.'
That was how Ouranos had known what to call the young girl. The entity watching over her had sent a message to him, and the Anchor of Orario was hesitant to deny its wish. And in the grand scheme of things, letting it pick its 'partner's' Alias was a small price to pay to avoid receiving even more attention from whatever it was.
'Though I dislike how similar to the Dungeon this new existence feels,' Ouranos thought to himself as he returned his gaze to the sealed labyrinth beneath his feet.
Would the Thing Above be able to influence the Genkei if Taylor Hebert Leveled Up again? Could it already manipulate things, and simply chose not to?
The God of the Sky didn't know, and he wasn't afraid to admit he was worried for the future.
111 &&& 111
"They looked good, right?" Lucia asked the others as they relaxed in the basement of the old church.
Lady Hestia and Miss Taylor had just left for the ball Lord Apollo was hosting, and the Familia (plus Lili, the best Supporter!) were hanging out together.
'Though I do feel a bit out of place,' Bell thought to himself, trying not to draw too much attention his way. It felt… odd for a boy to be talking about dresses, even if he was surrounded on all sides by girls.
"Sure did!" Lucia nodded. "I wish I'd been able to make their dresses, but there's always the next ball. Oh! I should get everyone's measurements! Then I'll be able to have dresses for everyone!"
"That sounds lovely," Leo said with a small smile. "I do not have much 'girly' clothing."
"And that's a crying shame!" Silva said. "You'd look great in a dress!"
"Lili wouldn't mind new clothes, either," Lili hummed thoughtfully, a tiny smile on her face.
Not for the first time, Bell wished there were more guys in the Familia. He'd thought Leo had been a boy at first, so learning she wasn't and that he was back to being utterly outnumbered, had been an embarrassing moment.
"M-miss Taylor looked very pretty tonight," Emma spoke up. "Her hair is beautiful!"
"Yes, she carries herself well," Leo commented. "She reminds me of the few times my old mercenary company would interact with nobles. Miss Taylor walks with poise and confidence. She must come from a well-off family."
"She's also really smart," Emma praised, smiling widely. "I've seen her do mental calculations in her head and balance the budget in seconds! It takes me so long to do multiplication. And she reads a lot!"
Bell had noticed that the pink-haired girl strongly admired Miss Taylor, clinging to every word the newly minted captain of the Hestia Familia said, and following her orders with eagerness.
"But she's strong, too. Could she be from a militarily aligned family?" Silva mused.
"Probably," Iris shrugged. "Miss Taylor's a slave-driver, but I can't deny it shows results."
"Indeed," Leo agreed. "My old commander would have adored her. If she wasn't an adventurer, Miss Taylor could easily become a renowned mercenary or an officer in any military in the world."
"Punishing training aside, Miss Taylor's also kinda, intense, right?" Lucia said, looking between everyone. "I mean, she's very nice, but she definitely comes off as… scary."
"Her eyes stare into your soul!" Silva whispered, but it was with a grin.
"Lili has seen many things, but nothing prepares you for Miss Taylor or her swarm," the pallum drawled, and catgirl and cowgirl nodded in agreement.
"I-I think Miss Taylor just doesn't know how to express herself!" Emma protested. "She's very nice!"
"She totally is, but that doesn't mean she isn't 'intense,'" the seamstress commented, and even Bell had to nod at that.
"…So, did you see the way Lady Hestia barely fit into her dress?" Silva asked after a short pause, causing a few of the listeners to blush.
"Did I?!" Iris exclaimed with a disbelieving laugh. "How does such a tiny girl have such a big chest?! She's bigger than me!"
The cowgirl grabbed her own chest for emphasis. "What do they eat up in Tenkai to get 'em so big?"
"Dunno, but it must be good, because I've never seen an ugly god," Silva shrugged.
Bell could feel his face rapidly heating up, and from the smirks Lili and Silva were shooting him, they knew exactly what they were doing.
A knock rang out at the top of the stairs that led outside, and Bell let out a sigh of relief as he called out, "Come in!"
"Hey folks," Welf said a moment later, entering the basement. "Glad to see you're all here."
"Welf!" Bell said happily, glad to finally have another guy around. He also noticed that the tall red-head was carrying a bunch of wrapped bundles with him.
"Oh, you're here," Lili sniffed dismissively.
"Sure am, shorty," Welf said, reaching out and ruffling Lili's hair, causing her to hiss at him like a cat.
"Everyone, this is Welf! He's is our contracted blacksmith, and Level 2 member of the Hephaestus Familia!" Bell said, cheerfully introducing the taller man to the newbie trio in the group.
"How have you been?" Iris asked him. "We haven't seen you since the fight down on the 18th Floor!"
"Sorry, been pretty busy," he replied. "Got some commissions from Taylor I've been working on."
"I'm sorry about what Taylor said to you, on the 18th Floor," Bell replied, hoping he could patch things up between them. "And for hitting you… she was out of line."
"Yeah, it wasn't very nice. Or fair," Iris said, folding her arms.
"It saved lives, though," Lucia pointed out. Before anyone could start arguing, Welf held up his hands to cut them off.
"Thanks," Welf said with a faint sigh. "And while I'm… not happy about it, she did already apologize."
"She apologized?" Lili inquired, surprised.
"Is that so weird?" Welf asked.
"When did she do it?" Emma wondered.
"Two days after the fight," Welf replied. "And to be honest… I think I needed it. The talk, the punch, seeing my creations do good instead of… well, regardless, we've patched things up."
He then held up the packages he'd brought with him. "Now, on to less dreary news! I have gear for you guys!"
Welf began to pass out the items to their respective owners. Repaired items for Iris, Lucia, Bell, and Lili, and new equipment for Emma, Leo, and Silva.
All of them eagerly began to see what had been given to them, and they were all quite pleased.
The newbies all got some equipment that was brand-new. Brigandine armor, with the Hestia Familia's emblem boldly placed in red and gold over their hearts. They were made of Minotaur and Bugbear leather, which came from Drop Items acquired from the 18th Floor Rumble.
"I like it!" Silva said as she tried her armor on. "Comfy!"
"It is lighter than I thought it would be," Leo commented as she held her outfit up. "Or perhaps it's just that I'm stronger now."
"The latter," Welf confirmed.
"Yes, Miss Taylor made a good point about how foolish it was to not wear armor, especially when we all have the stats to do so," Lili spoke up. She then looked at the Blacksmith. "Lili is still waiting for her full plate."
"It's coming, it's coming, keep your hood on, shorty," he assured her. "I've had a lot of different orders to deal with. But it should be done soon."
"Good," Lili nodded. "Lili looks forward to it."
"How did you get our measurements?" Emma asked, looking over at Welf with a furrowed brow.
"Taylor," Welf replied.
"…and how did Miss Taylor get those?" the pinkette inquired.
"Do you really want to know?" Lili asked, at the same time Welf said, "She controls bugs. How do you think?"
Awkward silence fell upon the group, and Welf coughed a bit before he handed over the other items he'd brought.
"Here, Iris. I added some Salamander Wool lining to your sword's grip," Welf told Iris. "Not sure if the flames from your Skill will affect your gear, but better safe than sorry, right?"
"Cool!" Iris said cheerfully, before activating Bronze Bull right there. Dark, metallic flames sprang up around her and covered her sword, but they didn't burn her or the surroundings, though they could all tell the room was heating up.
"Not in the basement!" Lucia quickly scolded her, and the cow-girl pouted before nodding and dousing her Skill.
"Lucia, here's some new boots," Welf said. "They should have better support and non-slip soles. I recall you'd mentioned that."
"You remembered!" she said happily as she accepted the combat-rated footwear.
"Lili, new crossbow bolts and a quiver to hold 'em," Welf said. "I was gonna make you a new hooded robe, but…"
"Touch Lili's robe and you'll regret it," she warned him.
"Yeah. That," Welf said dryly. He then turned to Bell. "I made a coat for you. It's Minotaur leather lined with Salamander Wool and rubber threads. It should grant a bit of resistance to electricity and fire, and make your outfit explosion resistant as well."
"That'll work well with my clones!" Bell said happily as he took the coat from Welf, admiring it.
It was white with gold buttons, and long, almost like a trench coat. The Hestia Familia crest was stamped onto the back of it in gold thread, and it included a white belt with a gold buckle, also shaped like the Familia's emblem.
"Don't worry about getting it dirty, it has a cleanliness enchantment on it. Blood, dirt… doesn't matter what, it'll wash right off," Welf informed Bell.
"It's incredible!" Bell praised, awed by the gift. He then frowned. "Uh, how much is it going to cost?"
"Taylor already set up payment," Welf assured him.
"She used her own money for this?" Emma asked, touched by the thoughtfulness.
"Eh, some of her own cash, yes, but also mostly from the Familia fund," Welf replied. "Or so she said. Equipment is paid for out of the latter, according to the boss lady."
"Now I'm glad we set it up so we pay into it," Iris murmured to herself.
Bell nodded. Having a portion of every payout from the Dungeon and sales from silk garments be put aside as a Familia fund had been a good idea.
"Miss Taylor has some good ideas. And odd ones, too. But yes, good ones as well," Lucia commented.
"She's obviously a Faller," Silva said as if that explained everything.
"You mean those legendary heroes who are said to come from another world?" Leo asked, her normally stoic expression shifting to one of excitement.
"M-Miss Taylor isn't from another world!" Bell shouted in a panic, causing the other members of the Hestia Familia to share a look.
"Okay, so, she's definitely a Faller," Iris said in a deadpan.
"Lili agrees with that assessment," Lili concurred.
"Wh-what? N-no! That's-!" Bell exclaimed nervously, only to stop when Welf put a hand on his shoulder.
"Better stop while you're ahead, buddy," the blacksmith suggested. "You're kinda digging the hole even deeper the more you protest."
"You're not a very good liar, Mr. Bell," Emma said apologetically when Bell gained a betrayed expression on his face.
"No… it can't be true!" Bell uttered in horror. When everyone nodded along at Emma's assessment, he slumped in despair.
"I failed to keep her secret…" he mumbled despondently, before looking up teary eyed. "Please don't tell anyone!"
"No way!" Iris promised. "We'll never let anyone know!"
"Indeed, nobody will hear it from us," Leo vowed.
"Yeah, but a lot of people already think so anyways," Silva claimed, and they all turned to look at her. Seeing their intense gazes, she scratched the back of her head. "I have a friend who deals in information, and she said that rumors about Miss Taylor being a Faller are already swirling after her display against the Black Goliath."
"Oh," Bell said, blinking at that. 'I should probably warn her about that when she gets back.'
"Fallers are supposed to be rare, right? Like, once a generation sort of thing?" Welf asked.
"Yeah. Like, every couple of decades weird people who claim to be from other worlds pop up in Orario," Silva explained. "Not sure if it's all true, but they always go on to become famous individuals."
"The gods have never confirmed the claim about coming from another world, but they've never denied it, either, which is telling," Lucia said.
"I wonder who was the last Faller to appear in Orario, anyways?" Emma wondered.
"Well, supposedly, according to the rumors, it was the Vice-Captain of the Zeus Familia," Silva claimed, the Orario native knowing the history of the place and its people better than most.
"Yes, that's right," Lili agreed, Lucia and Iris both nodding in agreement with her words.
"What was his name again? It started with a 'D,'" Lili murmured, wracking her brain, before shaking her head. "Lili can't remember. Was familiar, though, like I've heard it recently..."
"Well, it was fifteen years ago. But I do remember his nickname! They called him 'the Strongest Level 1,'" Iris revealed. "He could defeat anybody despite only being Level 1!"
She mimicked a sword slash. "My dad saw it, you know! He defeated Ottar, once!"
"No way!" Welf scoffed. "A Level 1 beat Ottar? Really? Pull the other one!"
"Ottar wasn't always Level 7," Lucia reminded him. "But yes, I've heard similar stories. Like the time he defeated the captain of the Anubis Familia in a duel! Or when he laid out Lord Zeus with a single punch!"
"I thought Lord Zeus was his god?" Bell asked, confused. "Why would he hit him?"
The other adventurers all shared looks with each other before Lili spoke up.
"Not all of them are like Lady Hestia," the pallum informed him. "Bell was very lucky to be accepted by her."
"Speaking of bad gods! Shortie, don't you have a debt to pay off?" Welf asked, patting Lili's head again, and she huffed and swatted his hand away.
"Lili does!" she replied, a tiny but genuine smile creeping onto her face. She then gained a determined look. "Lili should go now, and get the money ready. Zanis will not be at the base tonight as he's delivering wine to Lord Apollo's party. So Lili will only have to deal with Chandra."
"The vice-captain, right?" Bell inquired.
"Yes. Chandra is not… the worst person," Lili admitted. "He does not go out of his way to hurt, but he doesn't try to help. He is like Lord Soma. Only interested in brewing wine."
She shook her head. "Lili sometimes wonders how he got to Level 2 with how much time he spends in the distillery."
Lili then bounced up to her feet. "Okay! Lili is ready to go."
"You want us to come with you?" Bell offered. "You know, in case Zanis sends somebody after you?"
"Yes, please, Mr. Bell," Lili requested, giving him a grateful smile.
"Yeah, we need to keep you safe from that jerk!" Silva declared, pumping a fist into the air. "Who's with me?!"
"Sure, why not?" Welf shrugged, and Emma, Leo and Lucia nodded.
"Yeah, let's protect Lili!" Iris called out, causing the pallum in question to blush.
"L-let's just go!" she huffed, trying to keep the red from her cheeks, but failed, and hid inside of her hood while everyone smiled at her.
They did eventually leave the church, stepping out into the cool night air. Orario looked different when the sun went down. Thanks to the surplus of Magic Stones it had access to, the city's streets were lit up like it was a festival year round.
'It's so much brighter here compared to the village,' Bell thought to himself, looking around as he walked through the city. It was like night and day, really.
Back where he'd grown up, the village would be pitch black and almost everyone would be inside and asleep by the time the moon was up, their homes lit by candles and cooking fires. Here? The street lights filled Orario with a warm glow, some regions of the city as bright as if it were still the middle of the day.
Lili's destination was not in one of these well-lit areas. In fact, it was almost completely dark, with only a couple of guttering, damaged lamps providing illumination. A few buildings had light spill out from underneath doors and through boarded up windows, but for the most part, the night held sway. Eventually, she stopped in front of a store that looked abandoned.
"Wait here," she requested.
"Okay," Bell said, trusting her.
"Please hurry," Emma whimpered. "This place is creepy."
Lili simply nodded, and knocked on the door. A moment later it creaked open, and she slipped inside, leaving the rest of the party waiting in the dark.
111 &&& 111
The Secret Shop was not really a secret. Pretty much every thief, cutpurse, and ne'er-do-well in Orario knew of it. It was one of the few reputable fences in the city, where any stolen good could be sold for a fair price, while also making sure it didn't get traced back to the person who sold it.
Of course, since it was an open secret, the Guild and Ganesha Familia knew of it. Still, they allowed it to exist. When she'd first learned about that, Lili had been disgusted, but not surprised. Of course the adventurers wouldn't bother to deal with a problem that made them money!
Trying to remove it wasn't exactly easy, though, and part of that was due to the owner: a Gnome. Being a Spirit, they were considerably more dangerous than they might appear, easily on par with a Level 2 adventurer. And, since the Secret Shop existed partially underground, the owner could simply drop the roof down upon any rowdy customers, crushing them.
The other reason was that it was too useful. The Gnome may have dealt in stolen goods, but he never peddled drugs or flesh, and he provided a service to the city by ensuring the petty criminals like herself had a safe place to go, and didn't have to resort to other methods to get what they needed. And the really nasty sorts of criminals, who killed when the stole? They found themselves arrested shortly after pawning their take. The Secret Shop serviced criminals, yes, but never the truly wretched scum.
As she descended the steps into the dimly lit basement, Lili couldn't help but glance around. Officially, the Secret Shop was a pawnbroker, and its décor lived up to that. Shelves and stands cluttered the floor and walls, with a host of items upon them.
Antiques worth millions of valis sat next to pieces of junk found in bargain bins. Rare Drop Items were displayed next to crude forgeries of masterpieces. Anything you could imagine was for sale here… and anything you wanted to get rid of could be sold here as well.
"Ah, little Lili," a Gnome in a red hat said, greeting the pallum as she entered the hidden shop. "I see you brought friends."
"…They're worried about Lili," she admitted, and the thought brought a tiny smile to her face as she approached the counter where the mysterious Spirit worked.
"Hm. Finally found worthwhile companions, did you?" he grunted, tugging at his beard. He then reached under his desk and brought out a bank slip.
"I finished converted the jewels and other, uh, 'miscellaneous items' into valis," he informed Lili. "Combined with the rest of the money you've left with me… it amounts to this much."
Lili took the bank voucher, and grinned when she saw the total written down on it. "Yes!" she whispered in glee.
"Alright, away with you!" the Earth Spirit huffed. "Your friends outside are blocking the way and scaring off my other customers!"
Lili smirked, but nodded, then bowed at him before departing the secret black-market fence.
"You done?" Lucia asked as Lili emerged from the Secret Shop.
"Yes, Lili is finished," she confirmed. "Let's hurry on to the Soma Familia."
Everyone nodded in agreement at that, and together they hurried out of the dingy alleyway and headed towards… another dingy alleyway.
'Couldn't Lord Soma have picked a better place?' Lili wondered to herself as they headed to the Familia's headquarters.
"So, uh, just out of curiosity, but how much of your debt is left?" Emma wondered as they went. "I mean, if it's not too much to ask?"
"11.4 million valis," Lili stated bluntly, causing Bell to splutter and Leo to trip.
"E-eleven-?!" Silva choked out, the catgirl for once utterly taken aback, and Emma paled.
"And I thought my debts were bad…" Iris muttered under her breath in disbelief.
"How…?" Lucia uttered in horror.
"Lili's parents were reckless. And Zanis is a bastard," the pallum declared bitterly.
"Won't argue with that," Welf grunted, looking furious on her behalf. In fact, they all looked angry, and once more Lili felt a flutter in her chest.
'Lili has friends!' she couldn't help but squeal happily.
Her mood dipped considerably upon reaching their destination, though.
Soma's Kettlewas a dingy, depressing looking compound. It had a couple structures, including the main building that, from the smells they could all detect emanating from it, doubled as a dive bar.
Indeed, as they entered, Lili watched as Bell and the rest took it all in and realized that this place was frequented by people from the shadier parts of town who wanted cheap booze and didn't care about cleanliness.
There were adventurers, but also regular folks from the slums. They were drinking, eating, gambling and smoking. It was a busy place, and Lili and the others had to squeeze through in order to reach the bar.
"Oi! Micah!" Lili called out, her voice raised so the boaz behind the bar could hear here.
"Eh? What'd ya want, Lili?" he shouted back when he turned to her.
"Where's Chandra?!"
"In the distillery, where else?!"
"Thanks!" Lili replied, before leading her companions into the back. A few doors later, and they reached a place with a high ceiling filled with massive brass and copper distilling vats, along with a bunch of other apparatuses that seemingly fit in more with an alchemy lab than a place for brewing alcohol.
After a bit of searching, Lili found her target toiling away amongst the vats, carefully tending to everything as it hissed and burbled.
Chandra, the vice-captain, was an odd dwarf. Oh, not because of his love of wine! That was very orthodox for his species. No, what made Chandra an odd duck among dwarves was his beard. Or rather, lack of one.
Male dwarves tended to keep their beards long and full, with braids and beads woven in. Yet Chandra's beard was a puny thing, barely more than a pair of sideburns that met in the middle as a goatee.
His brown eyes turned towards her as she approached, and he grunted an acknowledgement before turning back to the valve he'd been fiddling with when they'd arrived.
"What do you want, Lili?" he asked curtly.
"Lili is here to pay off Lili's debts," she declared proudly, and he paused before shooting her an incredulous look.
"Seriously?" he asked. He glanced over at the Hestia Familia backing her up and nodded slowly. "Right, you were hanging around with the Record Holders, weren't you?"
Chandra shook his head, before closing the valve and turning to face them. "Do you have it with you?"
Lili responded by shoving the slip of paper she'd received from the Secret Shop into his face.
"Eleven and a half million," Chandra muttered, taking the bank voucher from Lili and giving it a close look.
"11.4 million for the debt, and the remaining hundred thousand valis for the 'processing fees' and to buy an audience with Lord Soma," Lili stated matter-of-factly.
"Well, you've got it all here," he grunted. "And this looks legit… alright, then. As the vice-captain, I declare your debts to the Familia paid in full."
Lili held back the urge to cheer. That didn't stop Bell and the others from doing so for her, immediately rushing her and dragging the shorter girl into a massive group hug.
"You did it, Lili!" Bell cheered, causing her face to flush red as he hugged her tightly.
"Y-yeah, Lili did," she stammered.
"Oi! None of that!" Chandra barked at them. "You wanna hug, go do it elsewhere! But this is a work place full of boiling liquids!"
The group winced at that and quickly vacated the area, but not before Chandra shouted after them, "Head on up to Lord Soma soon, before the four-eyed bastard gets back from his delivery to the Apollo Familia!"
Deciding to take his advice, Lili led the group to the upper levels of the tavern, where the administrative side of the Familia was located, as well as where her god dwelt, hardly leaving his workshop and leaving Zanis to run things.
As they neared the door to the god's chambers, they ran into somebody who was just coming from there. Literally, in fact, as the person, a pallum with grey hair, ran right into Lili, the two bumping into each other.
"Oh… hello, Coco," Lili said when she realized who she'd run into.
"Eh?" the other pallum uttered, blinking blearily and trying to peer through the haze of alcohol clouding her mind. "Lili?"
"Been awhile," Lili replied, curtly nodding.
"Has it?" Coco murmured. "I guess it has."
She then tilted her head. "Are you here to get a drink from Lord Soma, too?"
"No," Lili said flatly.
"Oh. Okay," Coco replied, seemingly still in a daze, and she just walked off, leaving the group to themselves.
"What…" Bell began, trying to ask question but words failed him. The others looked horrified.
Lili sympathized. But it didn't stop the disgust from bubbling within her at the sight of another soul ensnared by that accursed drink.
"That was Coco. She's… she was, a friend, when I was little," Lili said.
"No, I mean…" Bell stammered.
"What was up with her?" Welf asked bluntly.
"She drank Soma," Lili replied simply. "Recently, too, by the looks of it. She must have just come from Lord Soma's quarters."
"That's what Soma does to you?" Leo asked in disgust.
"It tastes like the greatest drink you've ever had, and fills you with a sense of peace and joy," Lili said darkly. "Soma is a Divine Wine that is nothing more than a drug that makes you want to experience the bliss it brings again and again."
Bell put a hand on her shoulder. "We'll get you out of here," he promised.
Lili just nodded, not trusting herself to speak. Instead, she continued to lead the group to Lord Soma's workshop, which was close to Zanis' office. The four-eyed bastard liked to 'keep an eye' on things, able to see if anyone was coming towards the god's work place. That way, Zanis could prevent anyone from getting an audience with Soma without him knowing about it.
Zanis was a piece of shit, but he was clever. He'd only made his play to take over the Soma Familia when he reached Level 2, as he knew he couldn't possibly lay claim to the captainhood without a way to beat down the other contenders.
Then, when he did claim the seat from Chandra – who hadn't put up much fight, the damned wine-obsessed workaholic! – the four-eyed bastard had established new 'rules.' Namely, anybody who wanted to have their Stats updated had to pay for it, and 'complimentary' cupsful of Soma were given out to all members.
He didn't train much anymore, since he'd made sure nobody would be able to rise up against him by controlling their addiction, and instead of venturing into the Dungeon, Zanis sat around in his office and watched over Lord Soma, keeping his money-cow safe.
'He grabbed the Familia by the throat and poured poison into their mouths, and now they beg him for the privilege,' Lili thought darkly as she reached Lord Soma's door. She didn't bother knocking, as he was usually too engrossed in his work to notice.
Opening the door, she was hit by a potent stench of alcohol, but the pallum forced herself to power through it, ignoring the itch in the back of her throat. She had only ever drank Soma thrice in her life, and the last time had been more then two years ago, yet upon entering the workshop she felt the old thirst spring back to life.
Swallowing heavily, Lili walked towards the god in the room, who was hunched over a massive cauldron, something bubbling within it.
The God of Wine was a lanky god, and though disheveled with greasy hair that covered his eyes and dressed in a stained dark blue robe, he still exuded divinity that demanded attention and respect.
'Though, after experiencing Lady Hestia's aura, Lord Soma's is… lacking,' Lili thought to herself, before clearing her throat.
"Lord Soma!" she called out loudly, grabbing his attention.
"Oh… it's Tilly, right?" Lord Soma asked, swaying drunkenly as he tried to peer at her through his bangs.
"N-no, it's Lili," she replied. "Liliruca Arde."
He just squinted at her before nodding. "Okay… are you here for a drink? I don't hic!have a new batch, but there's still some left over from the last one…"
"A-actually, Lord Soma, I'm here to… to request to leave the Familia," Lili said, her words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush.
"You wanna leave?" Lord Soma inquired, and when she bobbed her head, he shrugged. "Okay. Lemme hic!just get a few things."
Lili watched in confusion as he set up a couple items on a nearby table: a ceramic sake cup and a red gourd-shaped contained. He then poured a silvery liquid out of the gourd into the cup, and stepped back as an all too familiar smell hit her, causing the pallum's leg to quiver.
'Soma!' she realized, recognizing the drink in front of her.
"Okay, go ahead," he said, waving a hand in the direction of the table.
"Lili doesn't understand!" Lili exclaimed. "Lili paid off Lili's debt so Lili could leave! Lili didn't come here to drink anything!"
"Didn't they tell you?" Lord Soma asked, sounding surprised. "In order to leave, you must pass my test."
"Test?" Bell asked sharply while Lili was struck dumb.
"Yes. To leave my Familia, the child in question must drink a cup of Soma, but then refuse to drink anymore after that," the god explained, and several gasps rang out.
"B-but… then, the money-!" Lili stammered.
"That was my captain's doing. I never said anything about debts or paying to leave," Lord Soma replied, shrugging nonchalantly as if it didn't matter. "All someone must do is pass this simple hic!test."
"I- no! No, Lili refuses!" she exclaimed in horror, even as she took an unconscious step towards the accursed brew.
"Really? Because that's all there is to it," Lord Soma said. "Prove your strength as an adventurer by refusing a second sip, and you may go free."
"Lili can't! Lili won't!" she blubbered, falling to her knees. "Soma took my parents! Lili won't let it take her!"
"Then it seems you won't be leaving the Familia at all," a new voice spoke up, smarmy and cruel, and one that Lili recognized all too well.
"Zanis!" she spat out as she and everyone else spun to the doorway where Zanis stood, facing the Hestia Familia who'd intruded on the divine workshop.
"And, since you aren't here to take the test, I have to ask you all to leave," Zanis requested, pushing up his glasses.
"Fine. Come on, everyone," Bell said, leveling a glare at the Level 2.
"No, not everyone. Lili is not part of your Familia. She's staying right here," Zanis said, moving to stand in between Bell and Lili, and the pallum began to tremble in fear.
Bell stepped in front of Zanis, however, preventing him from getting any closer. "No. She's coming with us. Lili's not safe here."
"Move," Zanis ordered. "This doesn't concern you."
The Lucky Rabbit merely shook his head and then punched Zanis in the face, shattering his glasses and knocking him to the ground.
"Argh!" Zanis shouted furiously. "You little bastard!"
"You're weak," Bell said. "If you try anything, then you will regret it."
"Are you threatening me?!" Zanis snarled.
"Yes," Bell said darkly, and the white-haired captain recoiled in shock, not used to be spoken down to like that.
Zanis scowled, but when he stood up he simply gestured angrily towards the exit. "Leave! Or I will call the guards!"
The threat was an empty one, as everyone knew the Ganesha Familia was on friendly terms with Miss Taylor, and everyone knew it, but a fight between Familias was not a good thing, as the Guild would step in, and that could cause problems for everyone.
"Fine. Let's go, Lili," Bell said, helping her stand up.
When she was back on her feet, albeit a bit shaky, Bell shot another warning look towards Zanis, daring him to act. For a moment Zanis glared at Bell, but eventually he just growled and stood there, doing nothing.
Seeing the older adventurer back down, Bell huffed and put a hand around Lili's shoulder. Welf stepped up protectively beside her as well, guarding her other side. With a pair of Level 2s protecting her, and the rest of the Hestia Familia glaring daggers at everyone else, they managed to walk out of the Soma Familia's base and make it back to the church.
Only once they were all safely back inside did Lili break down in tears and cling desperately to Bell's shirt.
"That… that utter bastard!" Emma shouted, the normally quiet and kind pinkette revealing she too could be a potty-mouth if the moment called for it.
"Who? Zanis or Lord Soma?" Leo asked.
"Both!" Emma seethed.
"We have to do something!" Iris said angrily.
"Should we go to the Guild?" Lucia asked, unsure about what they could do.
"The Guild won't help," Welf huffed. "They might try and solve disputes between Familias, but it's always in an advisory role, they can't actually do anything or demand action."
"But then… what can we do?" the seamstress asked as Lili continued to cry, and Bell's expression only grew darker.
Nobody had any ideas, and for a few uncomfortable minutes the only sound was Lili as she sobbed.
All that changed when a cheerful, "We're home!" was called out, and the adventurers in the basement looked towards the stairs, surprised to have the goddess and captain return from the party so early.
'Miss Taylor will know what to do!' Lili suddenly thought through her tears, a sentiment echoed by the rest of the Hestia Familia.
Yes, everything would be fine if their captain took charge!