"Who sent you?"
"It was Chandra! Master Chandra... that son of a bitch made us do it!" Zoru blubbered, tears and snot streaming down his face. He waved his hands frantically, terrified that even a spark of that dark red flame might touch him.
"He said you managed to get your hands on half of the Apollo Familia's assets recently, so you had to be loaded! He said if we lured you here and used the high-purity bait to trigger a monster frenzy, you'd be dead for sure! Then your equipment, your wealth—it would all be ours!"
Lynn raised an eyebrow. Apollo's assets? These pieces of trash certainly had a healthy appetite.
"You seem quite practiced in this particular line of work," Lynn remarked casually, as if they were just chatting about the weather.
"W-we've done it many times..." Zoru nodded frantically, selling out whatever remained of his soul without hesitation. "Those lone, wealthy adventurers—this is how we handle them! I beg of you, Grandfather Lynn! I'll give you all the money I've stolen from the last few jobs! Just spare my pathetic life!"
"Where is Chandra?" Lynn interrupted his sniveling pleas.
Zoru shook violently, his lips quivering as if he had been left out in a blizzard for days.
"He... he didn't come... He's back at the surface, waiting at the Familia headquarters for our good news..."
"Understood," Lynn nodded.
With a flick of his wrist, the profane, dark red fire on the blade of the Blasphemous Blade suddenly roared to life!
"W-wait! You promised—"
Lynn hadn't promised a single thing.
It wasn't that he lacked mercy. But when faced with scum who tried to kill him the moment they met, he only ever had one response: death.
The massive blade swept through the air, carrying a wave of incinerating fire.
Zoru and his lackeys didn't even have time to scream. The moment the magic fire touched them, their bodies disintegrated and melted. In the blink of an eye, they were reduced to piles of ash that scattered in the wind.
Lynn looked down at the residue. Not a single monster stone had dropped. He clicked his tongue in disappointment.
"Pathetic. Not even a single Rune."
With a casual wave, the massive Blasphemous Blade dissolved into countless dark red motes of light and vanished back into his system storage.
Then, he turned and walked back into the purgatory-like passage, his boots crunching over the still-smoking cinders.
The passage was hauntingly quiet. The only sound was the occasional hiss of water droplets falling from the ceiling onto the charred remains of monsters.
Lili was still curled up in that dark corner. She hugged her knees tightly, huddling into a small ball, trembling like a leaf in an autumn gale. Beneath her hooded cloak, her small face was a mess of dust, mud, and tear tracks.
Hearing footsteps, Lili jerked her head up.
Seeing Lynn walk back completely unscathed, her body recoiled even further, as if she wished she could fuse into the rock wall itself.
"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."
She muttered the words repeatedly, her eyes vacant, lost in a spiral of extreme terror and self-loathing.
She knew she had committed an unforgivable sin. Murdering a comrade in the Dungeon was the most heinous taboo in the world of adventurers. Moreover, the person she had tried to kill was Master Lynn—the only person who had treated her like a human being and hadn't laid a finger on her.
Lynn stopped in front of her.
He didn't look down on her from above. Instead, he dropped to one knee, bringing his gaze level with the trembling Pallum girl.
"Are you hurt?"
His tone was flat. No anger, no interrogation, not even a hint of blame. It was as natural as asking what she'd had for breakfast.
Lili froze, her amber pupils shrinking violently. She looked at his young, handsome face—a face that still held a trace of youthful innocence—in utter disbelief.
She shook her head vigorously, her voice so hoarse it sounded painful.
"Lili... Lili led you into a death trap... I almost killed you... Why are you asking if Lili is hurt...?"
"As long as you're not hurt."
Lynn ignored her breakdown. He reached out with his right hand, grabbed her slender wrist, and pulled her up from the cold, damp ground with a firm tug.
Lili's legs had long since turned to jelly. As soon as she was pulled up, she stumbled forward. Lynn caught her by the shoulder, letting her lean against his arm to steady herself.
"Let's go. Time to head back. The smell here is too strong, and I'm done with the monsters anyway."
Lynn brushed the dust off her cloak and turned toward the exit.
Lili looked up, tears blurring her vision once more. She bit her pale lip hard, her voice wavering.
"Master Lynn... you... you don't blame Lili?"
Lynn looked at her and remained silent for a few seconds. A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in his sharp eyes.
"Did you lie to me?" he asked suddenly.
"Eh?" Lili went blank, her tears halting in her eyes.
Lynn pointed to the mountains of charred monster corpses filling the passage.
"This morning, you told me there was a fork in the path here where monster spawns are dense, and we could earn more."
Lynn spread his hands as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"There were indeed a lot of monsters here, right? I had a pretty good time farming them just now. I feel like my experience points are about to overflow. If those pieces of trash hadn't jumped out to get in the way, this haul would have been great."
Lili stared at him, dazed.
What kind of nonsense was this man talking? He was actually reframing a life-and-death assassination trap as a "high-efficiency farming spot"?!
But looking at Lynn's clear, untroubled face, Lili's mental defenses finally collapsed.
She finally understood. Lynn didn't care about her betrayal. At the same time, he was using a terrifyingly gentle yet dominant method to wipe away her sins with a single stroke.
"Waaaah... hic... WAAAAAAH!"
Lili's tears burst forth like a dam breaking. She couldn't hold it in any longer. She covered her face, slumped back to the ground, and began to wail without restraint.
The bullying she had endured in the Soma Familia, the humiliation of being used as bait and a meat shield by other adventurers, her agonizing dependency on the Soma wine, and the crushing guilt of nearly sending her benefactor to hell... all the suppressed darkness in her heart poured out with her tears.
Lynn didn't rush her, nor did he offer any hollow words of comfort.
He simply stood by her side with his arms crossed, watching her small back heave with sobs.
In the Lands Between, he had seen too many people go mad in despair or burn in the Flame of Frenzy. The fact that she could cry proved her soul wasn't entirely rotten. She could still be saved.
The cold wind of the fifteenth floor blew in through the melted gap in the iron gate, carrying the scent of blood and ash. But in this little corner, there was a strange sense of peace.
Lili cried for a very long time.
She cried until her voice was completely gone and she had no tears left to shed.
Finally, she sobbed one last time, wiped her messy face with her sleeve, and wobbled to her feet while leaning against the wall.
"Lili... Lili really didn't want to..." she whispered, her head down, offering a final confession. "But they wouldn't give Lili the wine... It's the Soma Master Soma brewed. Once you drink it, you can never quit... If Lili doesn't listen, they cut off the wine and lock Lili up to beat her..."
She shivered at the memory of that bone-deep agony, her eyes filled with terror.
"I know," Lynn interrupted calmly.
He reached into a pile of charred rubble and pulled out Lili's Supporter backpack—a bag that was larger than she was. The surface was scorched in places, but it was mostly intact.
He picked it up and handed it to her.
"Let's go. We'll talk more once we're out." Lynn turned and waved a hand over his shoulder. "As for that Chandra guy and that Familia that sells fake wine... when we get back, I'll go with you to 'reason' with them."
Reason with them? With that giant sword burning with profane fire?
Lili blinked, looking at the massive backpack before her. She reached out and hugged it tightly to her chest. It was heavy, pulling at her shoulders, but the long-lost feeling of being grounded gave her wandering heart a place to rest.
"Yes... Master Lynn."
By the time they emerged from the Dungeon, the sky was already dark. The evening breeze swept through the streets of Orario, carrying away the remnants of the day's bustle.
Lili followed behind Lynn, her steps light and airy, as if she were walking on clouds. Her small face was still streaked with tears and dirt, making her look like a kitten that had rolled in a mud pit. She gripped her backpack tightly, afraid that if she let go, everything that happened today would turn out to be a dream.
When they reached the plaza of the Tower of Babel, Lynn stopped and turned around.
"Don't go back tonight."
Lili blinked, looking up blankly. "...What?"
"If you go back to the Soma Familia, how do you think they'll treat you?" Lynn's tone was calm, but every word hit Lili right where it hurt.
Lili's face turned instantly pale.
Zoru and the others were dead. The mission had failed, and they had lost a batch of high-purity bait. If she stepped even one foot into the Familia's headquarters, Chandra would vent all his fury on her. She might not even come out alive.
"But... Lili..."
"No 'buts'."
Lynn interrupted her, casually snatching the heavy backpack from her arms and hoisting it onto his shoulder as easily as if it were a feather.
"Follow me."
Lili opened her mouth to argue, but nothing came out. She lowered her head, clenched her empty hands, and quickly followed after him.
Lynn pushed open the door to Eina's home, and the rich aroma of creamed meat stew wafted over him. Instinctively, his shoulders relaxed.
"Master Lynn, you're back!"
Light footsteps echoed from the kitchen, and Haruhime peeked out, wearing a white floral apron. The fluffy golden fox ears atop her head twitched happily, and the tail behind her swayed with joy.
When she saw the dirty, red-eyed Pallum girl standing behind Lynn, Haruhime froze.
"Master Lynn... who is this?"
"Liliruca. She's staying here tonight."
Lynn kicked off his boots and slipped into slippers, gesturing toward the soft sofa in the living room. "Sit down. Don't be formal. This is a Site of Grace; it's perfectly safe."
Lili stood on the entryway mat, not daring to move. She looked at the clean wooden floors, then down at her own cloak stained with Dungeon dust, monster blood, and mud. She wrung her hands nervously, terrified of ruining anything in this home.
Haruhime immediately set down her soup spoon and hurried to the entrance. Without a hint of disgust, she took Lili's grimy hand in hers, her movements as gentle as if she were soothing a frightened rabbit.
"Don't be afraid. Come in," Haruhime said with a tender smile. "It's cold outside, isn't it? I'll pour you a cup of hot tea. The stew is almost ready."
Lili was half-pushed, half-pulled into the living room and onto the soft sofa. Even when a cup of steaming black tea was pressed into her hands, her brain was still buzzing. This kind of unconditional kindness was so foreign to her it was almost frightening.
Lili held the cup with both hands, her fingertips still trembling, causing ripples to dance in the tea.
Haruhime knelt before her, carefully studying the exhausted little face. Her gaze drifted down and landed on Lili's arms, where her rolled-up sleeves revealed a map of bruises. Some were old and faded, while others were a fresh, terrifying shade of purple-red.
Haruhime's smile vanished. Her beautiful brows knit together tightly.
"Who did this?" she asked softly.
Lili flinched, pulling her arms back into her cloak and biting her lip. She didn't dare say a word.
Haruhime turned her gaze to Lynn.
Lynn was leaning against the kitchen doorframe, arms crossed, watching the stew bubbling in the pot. His tone was as casual as if he were discussing the weather. "The Soma Familia. Those guys set a trap today to try and take my gold, and they locked her inside as bait to boot."
The temperature in the living room seemed to drop instantly.
The fox ears on Haruhime's head stood straight up. Her golden tail, which had been resting softly behind her, suddenly puffed out—every hair standing on end until it nearly doubled in volume!
"How could such people exist!"
Haruhime stood up abruptly, her hands clenched into fists. A rare flash of fury appeared on her usually gentle and submissive face. She could not tolerate anyone hurting Lynn, the man who had rescued her from hell—nor could she tolerate a group of grown men laying hands on such a tiny girl.
"Treating a comrade as bait... such behavior is absolutely unforgivable!" Haruhime's chest heaved with anger, and her eyes grew red. She turned and pulled the stunned Lili into a tight hug. "Miss Lili, you've suffered so much! You don't have to go back to that horrible place ever again. You can stay here!"
Lili was buried in a soft, warm embrace, her nose filled with a faint floral scent. She blinked blankly before her tears once again surged out of control. She buried her face in Haruhime's shoulder, letting out the suppressed whimpers of a wounded animal.
Lynn watched the scene and rubbed his chin. A puffed-up fox... that's a new look.
Click.
The front door opened again, and Eina walked in, wearing her Guild uniform and carrying her briefcase.
"I'm home. Lynn, did the Dungeon run go well today—huh?"
Eina stopped mid-sentence. She pushed her glasses up her nose, staring in bewilderment at the two girls crying on the sofa, then at Lynn, who looked perfectly innocent by the kitchen door.
"Lynn! What did you do to them?!"
The half-elf's professional instincts and protective streak flared up simultaneously. She marched over, looking ready to deliver some swift justice to her "younger brother" figure.
"Stop, hold on," Lynn raised a hand in a defensive gesture. "I'm the victim here. I almost got turned into a barbecue on the fifteenth floor today. This is the Supporter I picked up along the way."
He succinctly recounted the "incidents" involving the Soma Familia.
By the time he finished, Eina's face had darkened completely. She took a deep breath, radiating the authority of a Guild official.
"Murdering adventurers in the Dungeon? That is a high crime strictly forbidden by the Guild!" Eina gritted her teeth, pulling out her notebook. "Soma Familia, was it? I'm submitting a report to the Guild leadership tomorrow. This must be investigated thoroughly!"
Seeing Eina's righteous indignation, Lynn couldn't help but chuckle.
"What are you laughing at? You almost lost your life!" Eina glared at him, then hurried to the sofa to join Haruhime in comforting Lili.
Watching the three girls huddled together, Lynn turned back to the kitchen and stirred the stew.
The Guild getting involved would certainly handle some of the legal headaches, but the rule of the Lands Between had always been "blood for blood."
That guy named Chandra... since he dared to make a move, he had better be prepared for the consequences.
Lynn called up his system interface, invisible to everyone else. He raised an eyebrow in satisfaction at the massive jump in his Rune count.
Not bad.
"Master Lynn, the stew is going to burn!" Haruhime's voice called from behind him.
"I know, I know," Lynn turned off the heat. "Let's eat first. You need energy to 'reason' with people properly."
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