Lili's stereotype of adventurers ran deep. Seeing Keyaru smile faintly and shake his head, a chill climbed up her back.
He didn't take the job.
Which could only mean this guy's appetite was far bigger than that.
"What did I misunderstand?"
"If you think 5,000 valis isn't enough, then once I'm out safely I can take you somewhere else for more."
A hand crossbow can't rapid-fire.
If a fight drags on, a supporter has no chance against an adventurer.
What's worse…
Keyaru didn't feel like someone the Soma Familia could handle. What newbie hits Floor 5 after just two days?
Get out of the Dungeon.
Stay alive.
As long as she lived, she could keep saving and, one day, leave the Soma Familia.
She kept telling herself that. In the end, swallowing her disgust, she looked up at Keyaru with pleading eyes. "As long as you get me out… I'll do anything."
Watching things veer off the path he'd expected, Keyaru kept his smile easy, but his eyes stayed cool as he studied the tiny girl. "Those guys just now—they're from your Familia too, right?"
"…"
Lili said nothing.
She knew he'd already pegged her as Soma Familia. That likely meant he'd decided she was a long-term blood bag.
Dealing with her own Familia was exhausting enough; now she had to deal with other adventurers?
"Being crushed by your own Familia… that's just sad. Good thing I didn't accept when you tried to hire me yesterday."
He wasn't dealing with a god now.
He could lean on his foreknowledge of the plot and run circles around Lili. When her pupils suddenly tightened, he lifted a hand.
"Relax. I'm not one of the adventurers you've scammed. Strictly speaking, this is our second meeting."
"How do you… know that?"
She'd used Cinder Ella to disguise herself—so how was she still exposed?
She couldn't make sense of it; the blood drained from her face. With the most damning leverage in Keyaru's hands, it meant—
She'd lost every bit of initiative.
If that got out in Orario… how much trouble would it cause?
Just the thought made her shake. "How much do you want to keep my secret?"
"I don't make a habit of sharing other people's business."
With the upper hand, Keyaru didn't plan to smash her psyche to pieces. He took in the delicate, slightly babyish face, the faint tear tracks at her eyes.
"I'm curious," he said lightly. "With your own Familia crushing you like that, why not just quit?"
"It's not that simple."
"The gods don't interfere with how a Familia is run. Right now all power sits with Zanis. If I want to leave Soma Familia…"
"I have to pay a hefty fee."
It wasn't exactly sensitive intel, and faced with his question, Lili didn't feel like she could refuse to answer. But telling the truth carried a price: this guy might now be eyeing the money she'd scraped together.
What he said next, though, made the hate-filled girl look up in confusion, surprise breaking through her blank stare.
"Then why do you think…"
"That paying the fee means Zanis will actually let you go?"
"…"
She'd never considered that. Thinking back on Zanis's dictatorial style and the Familia's "status quo" over the years, the brutal reality lay bare.
Even so, she didn't want to believe it. Saving up to leave was the one belief that had kept her going.
"As the head, he wouldn't go that far… would he?"
"That's naïve. If he's willing to let things get this rotten, what wouldn't he do?"
Knowing Lili needed time to digest it, Keyaru didn't press. He stood and clapped softly to draw her eyes.
Pay direct homage to the "legendary hero" and make her seize the future now?
Too forward for him. But this conversation could still plant a seed—
A seed called seize your future.
"Saving up won't get you out of Soma Familia. Think it through. If you really have the resolve to pay any price…"
"You can come find me anytime."
"…"
Lili looked up at him, eyes conflicted.
She had to plan for the worst. Bracing on the wall, she got to her feet and hooked the hand crossbow back onto the big supporter pack.
She hesitated, wondering whether to follow him out, when his offhand reminder drifted over:
"So… how long are you planning to stay down here?"
Her brows stayed knit. After that brief exchange, confusion threatened to swallow her whole—but because Keyaru hadn't taken her money, her feelings were complicated.
In the end, she muttered under her breath:
"What a… strange guy."
—
The fighting had burned through plenty of Keyaru's stamina, but he could still get Lili to the surface without trouble. Even if his mental reserves came back and he could use Transformation to boost his power, he had no intention of showing that—at least not until the "seize your future" business settled.
Technique alone was enough to get out safely.
On the way, she naturally slipped into the role of supporter: magic stones and drops went into a separate pouch she carried.
With her secret in his hands, Lili wanted nothing but a safe exit—and as little contact as possible. Still, his words kept circling in her head:
If you're ready to pay any price, you can come find him anytime.
"Does he really have a way?"
No one could give her a certain answer. But the resolve to pay any price? Lili believed she had that—if it meant leaving Soma Familia's swamp for good.
The withdrawal went smoothly. In the central plaza, the warm sunset spilled over her, and she finally exhaled.
She handed Keyaru the bag and said evenly, "These are the magic stones and materials from the monsters you killed just now. It's all there. Check it if you want."
"No need."
He waved it off.
He was about to leave when she suddenly called after him:
"I think you must know who I am—Liliruca Arde. A bottom-rung supporter oppressed by the Soma Familia. How should I address you?"
"Keyaru."