Liliruca Arde (Seeking Monthly Votes, Seeking Continued Reading~)

As Syr slipped quietly out of the back door of the Soma Familia.

She hugged the wine jar in her arms tightly, her heart full of joy; the warm ceramic surface transmitted a reassuring weight through the thin fabric.

The appearance of Hestia and Hephaestus had disrupted her plans somewhat, but the situation remained under control.

As long as she could get Lord Thor to drink this divine wine later...

Syr's heartbeat quickened slightly, and her cheeks flushed with heat.

Even for someone as great as him, surely there would be a small opening to exploit?

If only then... she could get a little closer, just a little closer...

She could almost imagine Thor's deep eyes clouded with intoxication... The mere thought made her fingertips tingle and her breathing grow quietly ragged.

These beautiful fantasies, light as bubbles, were suddenly punctured as she passed a dark alley by a discordant sound emanating from within.

It was a suppressed groan, as if squeezed from the depths of a throat.

This was followed by the sound of painful retching, intermittently tearing through the silence of the alley entrance.

The irritation of being disturbed instantly overwhelmed her romantic reverie.

Syr furrowed her brows, her footsteps faltering as she cast a cold, indifferent gaze into the alley.

In the gloom, the figures of three male adventurers were huddled together.

Curled up in the center was a petite figure—a Pallum, her light brown curly hair matted with dust.

The girl's cheek was swollen, the fingerprints and bruises standing out starkly in the shadows.

It was clear she had been given a brutal beating.

The groan from earlier had been caused by one of the burly male adventurers driving his knee hard into her abdomen.

The girl arched her body like a shrimp, retching violently on the ground, her small frame convulsing in agony.

A Dwarf adventurer wore a cruel grin as he grabbed the girl by her hair, lifting her head without a shred of pity.

"Hey, Liliruca Arde, don't play dead! Where's this month's money? And whatever else you've got stashed away, spit it all out!"

The Dwarf roared hoarsely, his spittle nearly spraying onto the girl's twisted, pained face.

The other two stood with their arms crossed, letting out malicious sneers, their eyes fixed on her as if she were nothing more than trash to be disposed of.

Another pathetic extortion scene... ugly and boring.

Soma really doesn't care about his Familia at all...

Syr subconsciously glanced at the souls of the four; unsurprisingly, the soul of the Pallum being bullied was also stained with filth.

This wasn't a case of one-sided bullying, but rather dogs biting dogs.

That the Pallum was being treated this way was surely just her getting what she deserved...

A flicker of undisguised disgust crossed Syr's eyes, as if she were looking at vermin in a filthy corner.

She couldn't even be bothered to look a second time.

Lord Thor is still waiting for me... how could I waste precious time in such a foul place?

She clutched the ceramic jar to her chest and prepared to turn away...

Syr had only taken two steps when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

If Lord Thor were here... he would definitely intervene, wouldn't he?

The thought struck her mind without warning.

Before, she wouldn't have spared even a glance for vermin tearing each other apart in such a filthy corner.

But now... she was Syr of the Thor Familia; if she stood by and did nothing, it would surely tarnish Lord Thor's reputation.

Thinking of this, she let out a soft sigh.

She turned around and walked back into the shadows of the alley, which reeked of mold and cheap liquor.

The three adventurers were immersed in the pleasure of their bullying, the Dwarf's hand raised high, just about to land another punch on the girl before them.

"Stop."

Syr spoke to halt them, a flash of purple light flickering deep within her gray eyes.

Charm activated.

The air in the alley seemed to stagnate.

The arrogant expressions on the three men's faces froze instantly, their eyes turning hollow and submissive.

The expected pain did not descend, and Liliruca Arde, her consciousness already fading, looked instinctively toward the alley entrance.

Sunlight spilled in from the mouth of the alley, dispelling some of the chill.

"Leave all your money and equipment." Syr's voice came through her mask, issuing the command calmly.

Like marionettes on strings, the three adventurers began to execute the order without a moment's hesitation.

Money pouches clinked as they were tossed onto the filthy ground, followed by leather armor, bracers, and weapons, all stripped off and piled together.

Then, like shells drained of their souls, they lined up and walked away from the other end of the alley with stiff, mechanical movements.

Lili curled up on the ground, gasping for air; the sharp pain and lingering terror left her mind a complete blank.

She watched in a daze as those men, usually so fierce and menacing, suddenly became so bizarrely obedient and vanished.

It wasn't until her gaze fell upon the person in the white mask approaching her that she snapped back to reality.

"Ugh!"

Lili recoiled violently, instinctively raising her hands to shield her bruised and swollen face, the fear nearly suffocating her.

Syr looked down at the trembling little figure on the ground, her eyes sweeping over the glaring finger marks and bruises on the girl's face.

A trace of pity, one she hadn't expected to feel, flickered in her heart.

Forget it.

...I've already gone this far.

Might as well see this good deed through to the end.

She sighed silently, the imperceptible ripple in her heart fading away just as quickly.

"You," Syr's voice came through the mask, devoid of emotion yet brooks no argument, "come with me."

Follow her?

Lili's instincts flared with caution.

But staying here...

The scattered money pouches and gear on the ground shimmered like bait, or perhaps a warning.

Those adventurers who had bullied her could wake up at any moment...

At the mouth of the alley, the figure stopped. She didn't turn back, just stood there quietly, as if waiting for Lili to make a choice.

The air was heavy enough to choke on.

Lili swallowed hard, her throat aching with dryness.

In the end, though her feet felt like lead, she dragged herself forward step by step.

She didn't dare get close, trailing behind in silence, keeping a wide distance.

Syr didn't head home.

Instead, she carried the wine jar back to the Hostess of Fertility.

Hestia would be moving into the house in two days.

If that sharp-sensed girl discovered the wine I'd hidden at home...

Just the thought of it sent a wave of crisis through Syr.

She certainly didn't want her plans to be interrupted.

Lili felt a surge of confusion as she was led to the tavern, but she took a few quick steps to barely keep pace.

Syr took out a key, inserted it into the lock, and opened the back door of the restaurant.

She navigated the kitchen with practiced ease and reached the main entrance.

The hall was empty in the afternoon; only the sunlight slanted across the polished wooden bar, so quiet that one could almost hear the dust motes falling.

At two or three in the afternoon, everyone was either out shopping or resting, so the first-floor hall was deserted.

Syr walked straight to a round table against the wall and carefully placed the clay jar, engraved with the emblem of the Soma Familia, in the center.

"Sit wherever you like," Syr remarked casually to Lili, who had followed her inside.

Lili snapped back to her senses just as Syr removed her mask.

Time seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.

Sunlight streamed through the window, outlining the contours of her face.

It wasn't the severity or coldness she had expected, but... Lili couldn't find the words to describe it.

Those gray eyes were like tranquil, deep pools, and her features were so exquisite they didn't seem mortal. Soft light played across her cheeks, creating a presence that made one almost afraid to look directly at her—gentle, yet impossibly distant.

Lili felt her cheeks burn for no reason and hurriedly lowered her head. Her heart hammered against her ribs like a drum, and she didn't know where to put her hands or feet.

She stiffly pulled out the nearest chair and sat down, her body rigid.

Syr seemed entirely indifferent to her reaction, turning to walk toward the stairs leading to the second floor, her figure vanishing around the corner.

Lili was left alone in the hall.

The deathly silence closed in around her.

She shifted uneasily, her shoulders hunching inward, her gaze darting across the empty hall like a startled little beast.

Rows of neat tables and chairs, the gleaming floor... and finally, inevitably, her eyes fell back onto the clay jar in the center of the table.

She saw the emblem of the Soma Familia carved into the jar.

Is that the divine wine brewed by the god Soma?

Judging by the packaging, it seems to be a defective product...

But even if it is a defective product, such a large jar—if I stole it... sold it... with that money...

The thought burrowed into her mind like a viper, cold and alluring.

She could almost imagine the heavy weight of the coins in her hand, could almost breathe in the scent of freedom.

No!

Lili shook her head violently, as if to shake out that filthy thought.

Her fingernails dug deep into her palms, bringing a sharp, stinging pain.

What am I thinking?!

She just saved me!

How could I... how could I think of stealing from my benefactor?!

A wave of intense self-loathing instantly overwhelmed her.

To think I would even covet the belongings of the one who saved my life...

She squeezed her eyes shut, not daring to look at the clay jar again, as if one more glance would leave her bewitched.

After waiting for a long time without seeing the other party come down, Lili's confusion deepened...

She opened her eyes and looked toward the stairs leading to the second floor.

She brought me here... what exactly does she want to do?

This woman, who is impossibly beautiful... saved me, and then left me hanging here...