"Sorry for the trouble."
The woman lying on the ground lifted her head and looked at the boy standing before her.
Liber saw the woman sitting on the ground raise her head, revealing the lower half of her face.
Her cheeks were faintly flushed, and her cherry-red lips were as glossy as if beaded with dew. As they parted slightly, they revealed teeth as smooth and lustrous as pearls.
Strands of gray hair slipped onto her shoulders as she moved.
With only half her face showing, Liber found himself staring, momentarily dazed by her delicate features.
She noticed the boy's stunned expression. The corners of her lips curved into an astonishingly beautiful smile, and she gently placed her hand in his palm.
Liber felt a delicate, boneless hand suddenly appear in his palm.
Only then did he come to his senses. He clasped her hand and gave a slight tug, pulling her to her feet.
As the woman stood, her loose robe swayed and clung to her, outlining her astonishing curves.
Once she was standing, the robe completely concealed her alluring figure again.
When Liber saw that she was steady on her feet, he let go of her hand.
Longing for the soft, delicate sensation he had just felt, he suddenly found himself reluctant to let go.
Liber noticed the strange feelings welling up inside him and sharply shook his head, trying to compose himself.
Looking at the boy behaving strangely before her, she asked in a sweet, elegant voice,
"Say, could I trouble you to do something for me?"
Liber had only just composed himself, but the moment he heard her voice, his face flushed again. As if nervous, he edged away from the woman before him and replied,
"Of course. I'll do what I can to help."
As soon as the words left his mouth, his formerly nervous, bashful expression furrowed into a frown.
Why had he made such a promise to a stranger for no reason?
Liber sensed that something was going on.
Seeing the thoughtful look on his face, the woman beneath the robe chuckled. "Hehe, would you mind walking with me for a little while?"
"I can, but..."
Liber began to realize that something seemed off and hesitantly replied.
"Then let's go."
After hearing his agreement, the woman in the robe ignored whatever he was about to say and continued walking ahead.
His gaze followed her as she passed by without stopping, her steps calm and unhurried.
He could faintly smell a fragrance like jasmine coming from her.
Liber stood still, staring at her back. After a moment's hesitation, he hurried after her.
He caught up and walked beside the woman in the robe. He studied the crowd around them, while the corner of his eye kept glancing at her, trying to glimpse the face she was hiding.
He looked around and noticed that the people nearby paid no attention at all to the strangely dressed woman beside him, despite her astonishing charm. It was as if they didn't even notice she was there.
Liber wondered if he had encountered some kind of monster or ghost. After all, souls were real in this fantastical world.
Was he about to find himself in some Western-style ghost romance?
Besides, who ran into a female ghost in the middle of the street?
He let his imagination run wild, trying to ease the tension brought on by this strange encounter.
The woman in the robe seemed to notice the boy's odd musings. With a hint of amusement, she spoke slowly.
"Are you a rookie adventurer?"
"...Yes."
Hearing the woman's voice beside him, Liber remembered how undignified he had acted earlier and grew more cautious. He answered her slowly.
"Oh? And which Familia do you belong to?"
The woman in the robe seemed intrigued and pressed him for an answer.
"The Loki Familia. Why do you ask?"
At her question, Liber discreetly shifted to the side, putting some distance between them as he asked her in return.
"The Loki Familia? How interesting."
She ignored his question and continued speaking to herself. "Still, your radiance is rather dim. You'll need more polishing."
"Radiance? What are you talking about?"
At her strange words, Liber stopped in his tracks. Frowning, he stared at her back and asked.
"Who knows? What could it be?"
The woman noticed that he had stopped, but kept walking.
"You—"
"Look, look!"
His expression was growing serious, and he was about to press her further.
Suddenly, the orderly flow of people turned chaotic. A cacophony of voices rose from the crowd, interrupting him.
Liber looked around in confusion. No one was looking their way; there seemed to be some sort of commotion at the street ahead.
He turned his gaze back to the woman before him, only to find that she was gradually quickening her pace.
Seeing people running ahead, Liber fell behind and began to chase after her. He called out to stop her.
"Wait! What did you mean by that?"
Just as the figure ahead was about to be overtaken, the woman in the robe paused, then turned and headed into the crowd.
Liber followed her into the throng, scanning the densely packed people, but couldn't find the figure he had been chasing.
Suddenly, he caught a whiff of that jasmine-like fragrance, and her captivating voice reached his ear.
"You're not the destiny I'm looking for. Curious child, don't follow me anymore, okay?"
Liber whipped around, but the woman in the robe was nowhere to be seen. It was as if the voice he'd heard had been nothing but his imagination.
He rubbed his chin, lost in thought, his expression serious.
Seeing that the people around him were growing increasingly panicked, he decided to put this strange encounter aside for the moment.
Liber reached out and stopped a passerby who was about to walk past him. "What's happening up ahead? Why is everyone so panicked?"
The passerby tried to push aside the arm blocking his way. After several attempts, he realized the other man wasn't budging at all and began to stammer.
"Someone's blocking the road and not letting anyone through. A large number of fully armed Ganesha Familia members are keeping the peace."
"The Ganesha Familia? Why? Do you know what's going on?"
Liber was even more confused after hearing that. He grabbed the passerby, who was trying to turn and flee, and pressed him for an answer.
"Who knows?! Maybe it's like a few years ago. Let go of me! Whatever's going on, I need to get home!"
The passerby tugged at his clothes, trying to pull them free from Liber's grasp.
Hearing that the passerby didn't know anything either, Liber let go and watched as the man hurried away without looking back.
"The Ganesha Familia, known as the 'police force of Labyrinth City,' has actually mobilized in such large numbers."
"Could it really be like that guy said, and a war's about to break out between Familias?"
"Even if a war breaks out, a skirmish between a few small Familias shouldn't be enough to bring out so many members of the Ganesha Familia, should it?"
Liber couldn't make sense of it. Suddenly, he saw large numbers of people around him hurrying away, moving toward the street behind him.
Gradually, confused shouts rose from the crowd.
"Stop shoving! Those guys from the Freya Familia are confronting the Ganesha Familia up ahead!"
"Get out of the way, you bastard!"
"Move aside! Stop holding me back!"
Panic and confusion spread through the crowd.
Hearing what the people around him were shouting, Liber couldn't help exclaiming in surprise, "So an entire Familia really has mobilized!"
"But the Freya Familia?"
He murmured in confusion, then suddenly seemed to realize something.
Liber's expression changed, and he sprinted toward the Familia's headquarters.
His face was full of worry.
"I hope this isn't what I think it is."
Before you continue