Chapter 36.
"That's, that's enough!"
"If this continues, I won't be able to bear it!"
Ryuu's voice trembled.
"Hmm, are you done already?"
Eugene looked at Ryuu, whose face was completely red and who had reached her limit, and smiled wickedly:
"Is that all the stamina a Lv. 4 has?"
"You're not even moving!!"
Ryuu roared, wishing she could punch Eugene again and bury him in the ground. But having received such a major lesson, she certainly wouldn't have the desire to actively touch Eugene for a short while. At this moment, she felt she had spent all the time she would ever spend on a man on Eugene.
Ahhh, I want to escape!
The brave Apostle of Justice just wanted to leave quickly now.
"Hmm~ That's enough. It's time to go."
Hearing Eugene's words, Ryuu felt a huge sense of relief.
But the next second.
"Ah, Miss Ryuu, you should stay."
"Why!!" Ryuu demanded angrily.
"Lili is not fully recovered yet. To avoid unnecessary trouble, you should stay here and protect her."
"Anyway, it's fine as long as you're not with me, right?"
Eugene teased her carelessly. Ryuu, being hit by the truth again, could only obediently shut up and lower her head.
"Lord Eugene! Lili doesn't want to be with her!"
"This Elven lady always feels unreliable!"
Eh?
Eugene hadn't expected this development and was momentarily stunned. He looked at Ryuu, who had already turned completely to stone from the blow.
"Ahem, no matter how useless, her combat power is real. Just bear with her, okay?"
He straightened his clothes, and under the complicated gazes of the other three girls, he walked up to Lili and stroked her small head.
"Don't worry. I've got your back. No one will dare to bully you."
His words were simple yet incredibly reassuring, enough to easily bring tears to the Pallum girl's eyes. Even her parents had never given her such a powerful sense of security.
Lili couldn't help but rush into Eugene's arms... well, she couldn't reach.
"Don't worry, I'll be back."
He then turned and walked out. He didn't forget to tease the still-recovering Ryuu one last time as he left.
Eugene flexed his fingers: "That felt good. Thanks, Miss Ryuu."
"You're very skilled~~"
The blush that had just faded from Ryuu's cheeks once again took the high ground.
...
Outside the door.
Escorted by the three exquisite beauties, Eugene got into the carriage.
"So, Boss, are we heading back now?"
"No."
Eugene wagged his finger.
"We need to clean up the mess and finish the job."
He gave a knowing smile.
"We're going to visit the Soma Familia headquarters for a bit!"
"Soma Familia?" The confused Lena wrapped her arm around Eugene's and asked, "Are we going to talk business with those drunks?"
"Heh heh, yes. However, this business deal is strictly one-sided."
Following Eugene's instructions, the carriage changed direction and sped towards the Soma Familia headquarters. During the ride, he specifically told the coachman to take a detour past his mansion gate.
"Damn it! When did that scoundrel leave!"
"Black Fist," the fake Black Cat assassin, who hadn't eaten or slept well for several days, widened his four black-ringed eyes. They couldn't enter the mansion grounds, so they could only stake out the front gate. Who knew that Eugene would have come out of another exit?
Good thing my eyes are sharp! Otherwise, it would have been trouble!
"Follow him!"
The two men, completely unaware that they were being led, exchanged a glance and quickly took off.
And at Chloe's prompt, Eugene also gave a light chuckle at the bait being taken.
There's a common trope in fantasy novels: Using the tiger to swallow the wolf.
Although the Soma Familia members were all weak, they were still a large Familia with over a hundred members. It would be too troublesome for Eugene's small group to deal with them. Moreover, Chloe and the others had special identities and could easily attract unnecessary attention.
The best method was naturally to let the big dog bite the small dog.
For Terry, it was the third day of the seven-day deadline. He was probably tearing his hair out, having yet to find anything useful. This move by Eugene provided him with a direct target delivered right to his doorstep; he wouldn't dare not act.
The Familia's members were a complicated mix, and their strength wasn't overwhelmingly strong, so they weren't unreachable. For "Ajin," they were the most suitable partners.
"I just don't know if Terry's weak subordinates can take down the Soma Familia."
The war between the strong dragon and the local snake. That will be interesting to think about.
A moment later...
At the Soma Familia headquarters.
Eugene and his group deliberately chose a side entrance, sneaking in, intentionally creating the impression of a clandestine meeting. The two assassins, convinced that Eugene was completely unaware of their tail, were thrilled.
This old guy is quite clever. He held back for days and only moved when he was sure he wasn't being followed.
But he still couldn't escape the four eyes of us, the Crouching Dragon and the Phoenix Chick!
Out of caution, the two quietly approached the headquarters building and took up their final staking position in a location with a good view.
Eugene, impeccably dressed, was guided by a servant to the room of the Familia Captain, Zanis Lustra, the "Wine Guardian."
What happened inside remained unknown.
"Should we rush in?" the fake Black Fist asked sidelong.
"How could we? Even if they're all weak, are you confident you can charge through and escape with more than one person?"
"Just do your job. The rest is up to Lord Terry."
Thus, the two found a closer spot and resumed their statue-like stakeout.
Inside the room.
"Please sit."
The slender, seemingly well-mannered man with glasses was the current linchpin of the Soma Familia-Zanis Lustra.
Eugene knew that this man, despite his gentle appearance, was actually a cruel-hearted businessman and slaver. Because their principal god, Soma, was an eccentric god who had no interest in anything other than brewing wine, Zanis had been in complete power for about ten years, single-handedly controlling all of the Soma Familia's wine business. Besides that, some underground, illicit channels were also run by him.
In this circle, which was nominally a Familia but lacked any true familial affection, he was the true god.
You might wonder why a mere Lv. 2 could command the willing submission of all sorts of people. The reason lay in the "wine."
The wine brewed by the Wine God Soma was no ordinary beverage. It was a liquid of extraordinary, sublime beauty. For mortals, it not only offered a godly experience that surpassed the limits of the palate but was also highly addictive!
It is easy to progress from frugality to luxury, but difficult to regress from luxury to frugality. Once tasted, no other flavor would suffice. Soma's Divine Wine was not a drug, but a luxury product that people could no longer refuse after experiencing it.
To regularly savor the Divine Wine, even the most malicious thugs would willingly surrender at Zanis' feet and become his slaves just to gain the opportunity to purchase it. This was why the members of the Soma Familia were always so obsessed with money, as mentioned earlier. They needed money to buy wine; it was that simple.
Because of the wine, the entire Familia gathered together. Also because of the wine, the entire Familia was disorganized.
Soma's Divine Wine was the core of everything. And by grasping this core, one grasped the Soma Familia.
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