The Soma Familia's Infamy! A Supporter with Hidden Circumstances?

Dungeon, First Floor.

In the quiet tunnel, footsteps of varying weight echoed softly.

Kashu and Lily moved forward together. The surroundings were strangely quiet, with no sign of any monsters.

Clearly, since they had entered the Dungeon later than the other adventurers, the nearby kobolds had already been wiped out.

Kashu remained calm and shook his head indifferently. After briefly checking their direction, he turned slightly toward Lily behind him and suggested, "The monsters on the first floor haven't respawned yet. Let's continue deeper."

"No problem. Lily will follow Adventurer-sama's arrangements."

As she replied softly, Lily nimbly hopped over the shallow pits in the ground by the dim phosphorescent light.

She raised her eyes and discreetly studied Kashu walking ahead of her, silently making calculations.

As an old hand who had spent a long time in the business of swindling and extortion, Lily never chose her targets blindly.

Among the many adventurers in the plaza, she had noticed Kashu alone. He had not even brought the weapons or armor essential for combat.

In her judgment, he was either a complete rookie or a mage-type adventurer skilled in long-range combat.

And most likely, he was a poor mage saving up to buy a wand!

Hmph, I just hope this guy's magic is strong enough. Otherwise, I'll have to think of another way to increase my income!

Splat! Splat!

Just as the two continued onward with their own thoughts, an eerie sound of walls breaking suddenly rang through the tunnel.

One after another, green-skinned goblins with hunched backs and bent waists leaped out of the walls.

Kashu stopped walking and calmly examined these monsters, so well-known across countless fantasy works.

Meanwhile, Lily quietly moved into an inconspicuous corner. Her left hand rested casually on her right arm, where a faint, intricate mechanical clicking sounded from within.

"Gah!"

The goblins growled at one another, seemingly confirming the situation with their companions, and did not rush to attack.

Compared to the kobolds that only knew how to screech and howl, they were clearly more intelligent.

A crimson magic bullet tore through the air like lightning, accurately piercing the goblin that had been shouting the loudest.

In an instant, green blood splattered and pale bone fragments flew everywhere.

The sudden bloody scene instantly sent the goblins into a frenzy.

They angrily beat their skinny chests, lowered themselves onto all fours, then kicked off the ground and charged at Kashu like arrows loosed from a bow.

"You may be somewhat famous, but you aren't the stars of today's show. Be good and make your exit."

Kashu's expression remained indifferent as he lightly raised a finger. A spell formation shaped like a revolver's cylinder flashed with dazzling crimson light, and a full chamber of magic bullets poured out in rapid succession like a rainstorm.

He stood firmly in place from beginning to end, while the air-ripping magic bullets seemed to have eyes. Every shot struck a goblin's head with precision, never giving them a chance to approach.

Lily, silently watching from behind, had her pupils contract sharply. Her sense of foreboding grew stronger, and she could not help cursing herself for being so careless.

What she was witnessing was rapid-cast magic that required no chant!

Not only was his magic powerful enough to effortlessly defeat goblins from the third floor, but judging by how freely he fired, it apparently did not consume much mind either.

I miscalculated!

Lily inwardly groaned. She had thought he was an easy mark, only to discover that he was a high-level adventurer stomping through the beginner ranks.

Fortunately, she had not put her earlier plan into action. She immediately changed her attitude and decided to follow behind Kashu for now and reap whatever benefits she could.

After firing several volleys of magic bullets, Kashu cleared the area.

The ground and walls ahead were now riddled with holes and craters.

The claw materials and magic stones left behind by the dead goblins were mixed into the ashes and had to be carefully searched for before they could be retrieved.

Normally, Kashu would have had to handle such things himself, but this time—

Lily jogged forward, carefully cleaned the dropped materials and magic stones, then placed them one by one into her backpack.

Lily lightly shook the ashes from a goblin claw, then turned toward Kashu with a bright smile full of admiration. Her tone was flattering. "Kashu-sama is incredible. This is Lily's first time seeing an adventurer who can use rapid-cast magic. It's truly eye-opening!"

Kashu keenly noticed the subtle change in Lily's attitude, but he did not show it. He merely changed the subject casually. "I was just lucky enough to awaken a useful magic spell. It isn't anything worth praising."

"Let's go. We'll keep moving. I plan to explore down to the seventeenth floor today before heading back. Do you have any objections?"

Lily hurriedly lowered her head, using her hood to hide the shrewd gleam in her eyes as she replied respectfully, "Of course not. Lily has no objection whatsoever to Adventurer-sama's decision. If anything, Lily will earn even more this way."

After another round of verbal probing, Kashu's suspicions gradually became clearer.

He stepped past Lily, who had just finished collecting the spoils, and headed toward the entrance to the lower floors, silently pondering.

It seems this little girl hasn't completely lost her conscience. She's just trapped in a mire she can't escape?

Earlier, Kashu had crammed knowledge in the Familia library. He was no longer a clueless outsider who had just arrived, and he had gained a certain understanding of Orario's various Familias.

The Soma Familia Lily belonged to had a truly atrocious reputation.

It was an odd sort of Familia. Its members were not only active in the Dungeon year-round, but also involved in certain commercial activities.

Why was the Soma Familia's reputation so bad?

Because the adventurers under it gave people the impression that they would do anything for money.

They embezzled their teammates' shares, withheld commissions from business partners, and even deliberately staged accidents on the streets to extort people...

As long as it made money, they dared to try any method.

Even though the Guild had warned them repeatedly, they always went back to their old ways before long.

At that thought, a trace of suspicion and curiosity flashed through Kashu's eyes.

He remembered that Soma had originally been a god of wine in ancient Indian mythology, later becoming a title for the moon god.

He presided over the four protective domains of sacrifice, asceticism, constellations, and herbs. He should have been one of the dutiful good gods.

What reason had created such a group of profit-obsessed adventurers?

Before they knew it, carrying many questions about the Soma Familia, Kashu and the cautious Lily completed an entire day of Dungeon exploration.

By the time they emerged from Babel Tower again, night had completely fallen.

Kashu looked up and estimated the time, deciding that he should still be able to make dinner.

He looked down at Lily, who was following closely behind him, and chuckled. "Thanks to Lily today. A professional supporter really does collect spoils much faster than I can on my own."

"Not at all, not at all. Lily should be thanking Kashu-sama for being willing to party with me. Then, regarding the distribution of the spoils..."

As she spoke, Lily lowered her head. Her hood concealed the disgust on her face as she quietly waited for the final "falling-out."

I know it. Adventurers are all the same! He'll definitely...

Kashu picked up a heavy bag of Valis and tossed it directly into Lily's arms, speaking as though it were nothing. "The total exchange came to about six hundred thousand Valis. This is your half. Hold onto it. Don't lose it."

Lily instinctively hugged the heavy money bag tightly. She could not help raising her head to stare blankly at Kashu, murmuring like she was in a dream, "W-Why? Aren't adventurers all...?"

Kashu looked down at Lily, who had finally revealed a trace of genuine emotion, with an ambiguous smile. His tone was light and teasing. "What about adventurers? You're short on money, aren't you?"

Lily seemed to awaken from a dream. A shadow that would not fade flashed through her eyes, and then she lowered her head and ran wildly out of the plaza.

Kashu first weighed the equally hefty money bag in his left hand, then glanced sideways at Lily's staggering retreating figure and shook his head.

"Sure enough, the problem isn't as simple as money."