For the first time, a follower had drunk the Divine Wine and remained conscious. For Soma, who had lived in a state of perpetual disappointment, the impact was monumental. He looked at Roy with a complicated expression; as a primary god, he understood his own children less than an outsider did. It was a failure.
On the surface, Roy remained composed, but he secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Before coming, he had specifically borrowed "Orchid Perfume" from Lady Astraea. He had let Lili smell it beforehand, boosting her mental strength to a higher level. Otherwise, with her current stats, her mind would have been instantly crushed by the wine. Of course, Lili's own willpower could not be ignored; even Roy hadn't expected her to resort to self-harm.
Soma's voice softened significantly. "Are you still willing to stay in the Soma Familia?"
Lili's dazed eyes shifted between Soma and Roy, her face showing hesitation. After a long moment, her eyes darted around, and she said, "Lord Soma, I am willing to stay."
No one was surprised by her choice, Roy included. Did anyone really think he could spirit someone away after knowing them for just one day? No "Boy of Orario" should be that overconfident!
Soma looked delighted. "From this day forward, you are the Captain of the Soma Familia!"
Lili's jaw dropped. At only ten years old, she had become the Captain of a Familia. Since the primary god had made the decision, it was final.
It took Lili a while to accept the fact, but she didn't seem to care much about the title. Her eyes kept stealing glances at Roy. If Soma knew that Lili was staying only to use the Familia's resources to better help Roy, he would probably spit blood in anger. Roy, Ryu, Daphne, and Cassandra exchanged smiles.
Just as everything seemed headed for a happy ending, Zanis—who had been dragged into the room—fell into deep despair. His power, his wealth... all taken by a little Pallum girl? Rage and resentment curdled into murderous intent.
"Yah!"
Zanis let out a shrill, duck-like cry, snatched a dagger from the table, and lunged at Lili. The distance was less than two metres. No matter how pathetic Zanis was, he still had Level 2 stats. The blade's edge reached Lili's head in an instant. Lili's pupils dilated; she had never been so close to death.
A dark shadow flashed from the side, blocking the blade for her. It was Roy's hand. The dagger pierced through his palm, and blood splattered onto Lili's face. The sharp tip stopped less than a centimetre from her.
Bzzzt! Bzzzt!
Golden lightning erupted from Roy's other palm. He clenched his fist and slammed it into Zanis's face, the terrifying force blasting the man out of the room. Ryu reacted almost simultaneously, swinging her wooden sword and striking Zanis in the abdomen.
"Kill him!"
Seeing Zanis dare to launch a sneak attack and wound Roy, Daphne and Cassandra were furious. They rushed out, waving their staff and sword. In an instant, Zanis was cut down, his life force extinguished.
"Noah Heal!"
Ryu chanted quickly. A jade-green light washed over Roy, and the wound in his palm began to stop bleeding. Lili stood nearby, tears welling in her eyes. Roy had been hurt because of her.
"My apologies, Lord Soma," Roy said. "My people were a bit impulsive."
"It wasn't your fault." Soma shook his head. Given Zanis's crimes, even if he had lived, he would have faced life imprisonment.
A smile appeared on Roy's face. Originally, he had planned to find a way to make Zanis disappear quietly after Soma stripped him of his rank. Now, there was no need. It was over. No one would ever know about his purchase of the Divine Wine.
Soma opened the window and tossed a jar of wine down into the plaza below. The sound of the jar shattering drew everyone's attention. As the fragrance wafted out, the members of the Soma Familia turned feral. Some even crawled on the ground to lick the spilled liquid—a pathetic sight that brought shame to their house. But the drunks didn't care.
"Everyone, drop your weapons!" Soma commanded. "I have stripped Zanis of his position and dealt with him. From today on, I will personally handle all Familia affairs, regardless of size!"
In a Familia, the god's command is absolute. Disobedience meant the removal of the "Falna," turning them back into ordinary people. Soma's previous apathy had allowed Zanis to seize power, but now that the god was serious, who dared to defy him?
The Soma Familia members, who had been secretly plotting a counterattack after Roy's group entered the mansion, were forced to stand down. Thousands of people knelt on the ground—a spectacular sight.
As the first light of dawn appeared, signaling the end of the night's battle, the Soma Familia had been suppressed, their god had regained his spirit, and a new Captain had been appointed.
Outside the Soma Familia, all of Orario was in an uproar. Thanks to the gods and adventurers who had watched from the sidelines, word spread that the Astraea Familia had suppressed thousands of members of the Soma Familia with only four people. The city was left speechless.
While Ryu had handled the executives at the back, Roy was the star in the eyes of the gods. The forty-metre sweeping magic sword! Taking the enemy general's head from the midst of ten thousand troops! The gods who saw it were too excited to sleep; this was exactly why they had descended to the lower world!
The gods who hadn't gone to watch were green with envy. Just from the descriptions, they could imagine how shocking the scene must have been. Some gods even rushed to the Stardust Garden.
"Astraea, hand over the 'Sprout of Justice' to me! I'll pay ten million Valis!"
"Get lost! Ten million? Go sit at the kids' table! Astraea, I'll give you a hundred million! Let him convert to my Familia!"
"I'll give a hundred million plus a hundred promising new recruits!"
The outside of the Stardust Garden turned into an auction house. Facing the relentless gods, Astraea unceremoniously kicked them out. As for the Soma Familia's plight? Once Roy and the others revealed their misdeeds, the gods and adventurers cheered. They deserved it! Most weren't acting out of a sense of justice, but rather because of the wine. Selling them inferior products? Such unscrupulous businessmen deserved to have their corpses desecrated! How much money had they been scammed out of over the years?
It proved that people only become truly passionate when their own interests are involved. Even the Guild turned a blind eye to the Astraea Familia's large-scale battle, issuing only a token fine of a few tens of thousands of Valis. If they truly punished them, the citizens of Orario wouldn't stand for it.
When the gods and adventurers looked back, they were shocked to realize that in the six months since Roy's debut, three Familias had already been dismantled because of him. He was ruthless. His reputation began to inspire genuine fear.
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