Chapter 382: Returning to the Familia Headquarters, Going to See the God of Wine?
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"Don't worry! Just leave it all to us!" Kitahara Iori grinned widely.
Hearing his words, Finn decided not to ask anything else.
"Miss Lili, let's head out," Hidenori Tabata said with a perfectly blank, serious face as he stepped up to Lili and guided her along.
His stern look only made Lili more terrified. Yet, having no power to fight back, she could only submissively follow Kitahara Iori and the boys out of the floor.
Time flew by, and the sky quickly darkened into night.
Outside the Dungeon Entrance.
Kitahara Iori let out a long stretch, feeling exceptionally refreshed. His great mood was entirely because he had successfully dealt with those annoying Soma Familia adventurers down in the lower layers.
"Let's go, let's go! Lili, follow us back to the mansion. We can swap your monster crystals into gold coins tomorrow morning," Iori grinned cheerfully. He reached over and casually rested his heavy hand on top of the shivering Prum's head.
"O-Okay..."
Lili's heart was pounding with intense panic, but she submissively agreed. With the towering, suited members of Seito's Familia surrounding her on all sides, running away was impossible! She could only drop her head and comply.
However, the moment she imagined having to face a whole army of massive tough guys back at their base, she felt an intense urge to just give up on life. Yet, remembering how hard she had struggled just to survive up until now, she simply lacked the courage to do so!
Iori pulled his hand back and set off toward the estate, with the rest of the guild members falling into step beside him. They tightly encircled Lili, intentionally forming a protective ring to give her a sense of safety.
Unfortunately, their kind intentions completely backfired.
Under Lili's wild, runaway imagination, she saw that she had been completely boxed in, making any escape impossible. For a moment, a wave of deep despair washed over her.
As the minutes steadily ticked by, her mind was completely filled with pure terror. She had no idea what kind of horrible fate awaited her behind closed doors, but she figured that it could never be anything good!
After a brisk thirty-minute walk, the group finally arrived at the front gates of the Familia estate.
"Let's head inside," Iori stated flatly, stepping through the entryway.
Gritting her teeth and bracing herself for the worst, Lili walked in right behind him, with the remaining guild members following closely. The moment they stepped into the front yard, the suited men quickly scattered to handle their own business.
This sudden development left Lili completely stunned.
Why is everyone leaving? Could it be that I completely misunderstood their intentions? She stood there, completely dazed.
Iori didn't notice the strange look on her face, leading her straight into the main house.
He pushed the front door open. The moment Lili stepped inside the living room, her eyes instantly landed on Seito and the others, who were currently sitting around the couch casually dealing a deck of cards.
With just a single glance, she could feel that the figures before her were all genuine divine beings! This deeply shocked Lili, as she couldn't understand why Iori would bring a regular Supporter to stand before a council of gods.
"Lord Seito, Lili has been successfully brought back," Iori said. In front of an outsider, he naturally switched to a formal title instead of calling Seito by his name.
"Good work. You can head down first," Seito nodded smoothly, his eyes sweeping up and down to check Lili's current state. The three resident goddesses simultaneously focused their gazes on the little Prum as well.
Receiving his orders, Iori turned around and left without a second thought. He and his brothers had a massive drinking party scheduled for tonight, so he needed to return to his quarters to get ready.
"Lord... Lord Gods..."
Lili felt incredibly uncomfortable. Being stared down by four powerful deities at the same time naturally caused a wave of intense shyness to wash over her.
"Is this the child you found for my Familia?" Hestia turned her head toward Seito, her eyes wide.
Familia??
Lili froze entirely. She was a candidate Seito had found explicitly for Hestia's Familia? But she was already bound to the Soma Familia!
Could it be...
Recalling the exact conversation between Kitahara Iori and Captain Finn down on the 48th floor, the truth suddenly clicked in her mind. A wave of deep shame washed over her as she realized she had completely misunderstood them from the very beginning.
"Correct," Seito nodded, offering a warm, reassuring smile to Lili. "Lili is an exceptionally good kid. If you train her well, she can absolutely lead the framework of your Familia in the future! Of course, just make sure to help her fix that little pickpocketing habit of hers."
"Leave it entirely to me!"
Hestia proudly rested her hands on her hips, her nose tilting high into the air with absolute confidence. Lili was going to be the very first child registered under her name; she naturally intended to pour a lot of love and care into her growth!
After all, to most deities, the very first child of their Familia held the most sacred, close bond. They would always ensure these prime candidates received the absolute best path possible!
"I... I..."
Lili found herself completely at a loss for words. She finally understood why Seito's group had gone out of their way to find her. It turned out they were setting her up to become the first child of the Hestia Familia!
Looking at Hestia's proud expression, she could faintly guess that she was indeed the only member on the list. But joining the Hestia Familia was a massive upgrade that was a million times better than remaining trapped inside the hellish Soma Familia! She had no reason to refuse.
But... would Lord Soma actually agree to let her leave?
"Don't worry," Maple said, noticing the anxiety written all over Lili's face. She offered a gentle, soothing smile. "We already know all about your tragic experiences.
Next, we are going to personally step in and help you cleanly leave the Soma Familia."
Hearing Maple's comforting words, a deep wave of warmth and safety flooded Lili's heart. How many years had it been? Ever since her parents had abandoned her to the streets, she had never heard anyone make a promise like that to her. Unable to contain her emotions, tears silently overflowed from the corners of her eyes.
Seeing her cry, Seito stepped closer and gently patted her small head, comforting her. A minute later, after wiping the tears from her cheeks, Lili looked up at Hestia.
"My... My Lord Goddess..."
"Hehehe!"
Hearing that title sent a massive surge of pure satisfaction straight through Hestia! The feeling of finally having her very first child was incredibly magical!
Deeply moved, the blue-ribbon goddess leapt out of her seat, stepped right in front of Lili, and pulled the small Prum into a powerful, tight embrace.
"What a wonderful child!!"
"Mmh~~ Lord Goddess, I... I can't breathe!"
With her small face completely buried in Hestia's massive chest, Lili could only marvel at the sheer size of the goddess.
Seito watched the display with a bit of envy, though he quickly hid his expression. "I'm going to take Lili to find Soma right now and finish the Familia transfer tonight."
Leaving this matter unresolved for too long served no purpose. He intended to clean up the entire contract in a single sweep tonight!
"My thoughts exactly," Kirukiru Amou nodded in agreement. The sooner they broke Lili out of that garbage environment, the better.
Hestia reluctantly released her embrace, leading Lili over to stand directly in front of Seito. "Do you need me to go with you?"
"No need," Seito shook his head calmly. It was merely the God of Wine, not Zeus himself; he didn't require any backup.
Turning his gaze toward Lili, Seito extended his right hand. "Take hold of my hand."
Lili didn't waste a single moment, instantly reaching out to secure his grip.
Zip~~!
Using his spatial power, Seito instantly teleported the two of them completely out of the mansion.
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Thank you for reading.