In the late afternoon, most adventurers were still deep within the Dungeon. Consequently, the commercial district in eastern Orario was relatively tranquil, standing in stark contrast to the relentless bustle of the northwestern main street.
According to the rotation schedule, Syuen, Lyra, and Alise were responsible for the routine patrol of this sector today. Usually, this involved checking for signs of suspicious individuals or settling common disputes.
"Come to think of it, doesn't a routine patrol feel like a bit of a waste of talent for someone like you now?" Alise asked with a light step, scanning the shops lining the street while teasing Syuen. "After all, our 'Thousand changes' is a big shot capable of taking down Enhanced Species and Infant Dragons."
Syuen's lips twitched into a helpless smile. "Captain, please stop poking fun at me. Patrolling is fine—at least it's quieter than being interrogated by Lyra back at headquarters about every little detail of the rumors."
He truly needed some time to process his sudden change in environment and status.
Ryu walked slightly ahead in silence, her pointed ears twitching as they caught every surrounding sound. Suddenly, she came to a halt and raised a hand in warning. Alise and Syuen immediately wiped the playful expressions from their faces.
Faint, suppressed sobs and the thud of heavy blows drifted from the depths of a narrow alley cluttered with debris. Several gruff male voices were cursing loudly.
The three exchanged a look and moved swiftly and silently toward the alley's entrance. Looking inside, the scene caused Syuen's brow to furrow instantly.
Several adventurers, dressed in uniform but looking disheveled and filthy, were surrounding a tiny figure curled on the ground. It was a Prum girl who looked no older than five or six. Her face was covered in grime, and her tattered clothes were stained with dirt and footprints. She held her thin arms over her head, her small body trembling violently from fear and pain.
"Cry! You still know how to cry?! Where are our Magic Stones for today?"
"You useless Prum waste! Can't you even handle a low-level Goblin?"
A tall human adventurer cursed as he delivered a heavy kick to the girl's back, drawing another sharp cry of pain from her.
"I'm... I'm sorry... I really don't have them..." the girl—Lili—pleaded between sobs. "Please... just give me a little more time... Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll definitely—"
"Tomorrow? Hah! Lord Zanis said if the quota isn't met today, you can forget about getting any Soma! You can just keep suffering under the withdrawal of the Divine Wine!" another scrawny adventurer spat.
Syuen noticed the girl's body shudder violently at the mention of "Soma." Her eyes filled with despair—and more than just despair, it was a profound craving, coupled with the terror of that craving going unfulfilled.
Ryu's azure eyes turned ice-cold, her hand already resting on the hilt of her wooden sword. The smile had vanished from Alise's face, replaced by simmering fury.
"Members of the Soma Familia," Ryu whispered, her voice carrying a rare chill. "That girl... is their supporter."
These were indeed the members of the Soma Familia from the original story. At this point in time, nine years before the main events, they were a standard mid-sized Familia. However, they were notorious for the special liquor brewed by their god—"Soma." This Divine Wine held an overwhelming allure and caused a powerful dependency, intoxicating even the gods themselves.
The Soma Familia's internal management was a chaotic mess, and their lower-ranked members often resorted to unscrupulous means to obtain the wine. Their reputation was, frankly, abysmal.
Seeing the tall adventurer prepare to kick her again, Syuen didn't wait for Ryu or Alise to move. He stepped forward first.
"Gentlemen."
His voice wasn't loud, but it rang out with piercing clarity in the quiet alley.
"Manhandling a child on the streets of Orario... doesn't that go against Guild regulations?"
The Soma adventurers jumped, spinning around abruptly. When they saw Syuen—and especially Ryu and Alise stepping up behind him—their complexions changed instantly.
The Astraea Familia, particularly "Gale" Ryu and "Scarlet Flower" Alise, commanded significant deterrent power among the lower and middle-tier Familias of Orario.
"A-Astraea Familia..." The man who had been kicking the girl recognized them, his bravado instantly weakening. He still tried to save face, however. "This is internal Familia business! Dealing with a disobedient supporter is none of your concern!"
"Internal business?" Alise walked up to Syuen's side, crossing her arms as fire flickered in her eyes. "What I see are several Level 1 or higher adventurers bullying an unarmed, clearly underage child. This has crossed the line of 'internal business.' Do I need to call the Ganesha Familia's peacekeepers to see if they agree with your definition?"
At the mention of Ganesha's peacekeepers, the men's faces grew even paler. While the peacekeepers usually didn't interfere in internal Familia politics, they certainly intervened in street violence, especially when it involved underage supporters.
Ryu said nothing, but she took a small step forward, her hand still on her wooden blade. Her sharp aura caused the Soma members to instinctively recoil.
"You... you guys..." The leader looked at Syuen's indifferent gaze, then at the clearly dangerous Alise and Ryu. Finally, he bit his lip in frustration.
He turned to Lili on the ground and hissed, "Lucky for you today! Liliruca, remember! Tomorrow's quota is doubled! If you don't have it, you're dead!"
Throwing out one last threat, the group hurried out of the alley and disappeared down the street.
Silence returned to the alley, broken only by Lili's suppressed whimpering. She struggled to crawl up, but the pain seemed too great, and she failed after several attempts.
Syuen used a Healing Word, restoring Lili to a stable condition. He then crouched down, softening his voice as much as possible. "Are you alright? Can you stand?"
Lili raised her small face, covered in tears and grime, looking at him and then at the two behind him with terror. Her body curled tighter, as if fearing this was merely the start of a different disaster.
"Th-thank you... I'm fine... really, I'm fine..." she stammered, trying to use her hands to push herself up.
Alise walked over as well and knelt on her other side. She didn't speak, but she reached out with steady, gentle hands to lift Lili up, checking her for serious injuries. Lili flinched at first, but sensing no malice from Alise, she relaxed slightly.
"Do they do this to you often?" Ryu knelt down too, her brow furrowed.
Lili lowered her head, not daring to look at them. Her small hands gripped the hem of her tattered clothes. Her voice was as thin as a mosquito's buzz. "...It's because I'm useless... I can't earn enough Magic Stones... It's all my fault..."
"It is not your fault," Syuen interrupted, his tone serious. "There is no reason that justifies them treating a child like this. Does your primary god, Lord Soma, not care?"
At the mention of her god, Lili's body trembled violently, a deeper sense of despair and numbness flashing in her eyes.
"Lord Soma... only cares about his wine... The Familia's affairs are all left to Lord Zanis... We... as long as we hand over Magic Stones, we get the Divine Wine... If we don't have enough, then..."
Lili didn't finish, but the meaning was clear.
Syuen's heart sank. The situation was worse than he thought. The acting captain—or rather, the true controller—Zanis, was using the "Soma" to control the members and exploit those at the bottom. This little girl was living in a literal hell.
He remembered her future fate from the original story: deception, betrayal, and struggle, crawling through the darkness for a long time before finding redemption. Now, she was right in front of him—weak, helpless, yet with a lingering plea for a "hero" in her eyes, even if that plea was buried under layers of hopelessness.
A strong thought rose in Syuen's mind: Change it. At the very least, change the fate of this girl before she slid further into the abyss.
He looked at Ryu and Alise and saw the same anger and pity in their eyes. The philosophy of the Astraea Familia was "Justice." Faced with this, they would undoubtedly want to help.
"Take her back to the Stardust Garden first," Ryu said, her tone brook no argument. "She needs cleaning, treatment, and food."
Alise nodded, gently patting Lili's thin shoulder. "Don't be afraid. Come with us. No one will hurt you anymore."
Lili looked up in shock, her large eyes filled with disbelief and deep-seated fear. "No, I can't... I mustn't... Lord Zanis will... and I belong to the Soma Familia..."
"For now, you are our guest," Syuen said as he stood up, his voice steady and imbued with strength. "As for the rest, we'll talk once we get back. You need help, and we cannot pretend we didn't see you. Those are the rules of our Familia."
Ultimately, driven by a mix of fear and a tiny, inexplicable spark of hope, Lili allowed Alise to support her as they left the dark alley.
Back at the Stardust Garden, Lili's arrival caused a brief commotion. With the help of Alise and Kaguya, she was taken to be washed and have her injuries examined. Lyra prepared warm food and clean clothes.
When Lili sat in the warm dining room, wearing slightly oversized but clean, soft clothes and sipping small mouthfuls of meat broth, her face still held a look of bewildered anxiety. However, a glimmer of life—the kind a child should have—finally appeared in her eyes.
Syuen recounted everything he had seen in the alley and the current state of the Soma Familia pieced together from Lili's fragmented story: the indifferent god, Zanis's tyranny, the control via "Soma," and the brutal exploitation of the low-level members.
The atmosphere in the dining room became heavy with indignation.
"This is... unbelievable!" Noin said, her cheeks puffed out in anger. "How can they treat their own Familia like this! What is that god Soma even doing?!"
"Obsessing over his own world, treating his followers as tools to obtain magic stones and materials, and letting an ambitious man run wild," Kaguya's voice was exceptionally cold.
Aste furrowed her brow. "The problem is that this is indeed the Soma Familia's internal affair. Orario defaults to a high degree of autonomy for Familias. As long as they don't violate specific prohibitions or threaten the city's overall safety, the Guild and other Familias have no right to forcibly interfere in their management."
"But they were committing violence in the streets! Abusing a child!" Ryu clenched her fist. "Doesn't that count as a violation?"
"It does," Alise sighed. "But gathering evidence is difficult. They can easily dismiss it as internal discipline or a 'training accident.'"
Kaguya wore a look of disgust, following Alise's line of thought. "Lili is an official member. Theoretically, she is bound by the Familia's rules. Unless there is definitive proof of long-term, severe abuse, or if the Soma Familia's actions cause a larger riot, the Guild's intervention will be very limited—at most, a warning."
"Are we just supposed to watch?" Lyra asked, her face full of frustration.
The group fell into silence. Their sense of justice made it impossible to stand by, but the rules of reality tied their hands. Directly sheltering Lili would be a public challenge to the Soma Familia's authority, potentially sparking inter-Familia friction or even a War Game. Forcing the Soma Familia to change was even more problematic—interfering in another Familia's internal affairs lacked legal standing.
Syuen looked at Lili, who was sitting quietly in the corner like a startled animal, and then at his troubled companions. He knew how Bell Cranel would help Lili in the future, but that required specific timing and a long, winding process. Now, with the Astraea Familia as his backing, he could try a more direct approach.
"We don't need to challenge the entire Soma Familia directly," Syuen spoke slowly, drawing everyone's attention. "Our core goal is to get Lili out of that misery, right?"
Everyone nodded.
"Then, is there a way for her to leave the Soma Familia without us and Lady Astraea getting accused of interfering in internal affairs?" Syuen thought out loud. "Like a Conversion? Or having her leave the Familia?"
"Conversion requires the consent of both primary gods," Kaguya pointed out. "Soma doesn't care about anything, and Zanis, the one actually in power, won't easily give up a source of labor—especially an isolated, bottom-tier one like Lili. Leaving the Familia entirely requires the god to personally wipe away the Falna. Lord Soma probably won't even show his face."
"What if we create a situation where they have no choice?" Syuen's ideas were becoming clearer. "For example, making the Soma Familia want to give Lili up, or making them stop caring about her status?"
Ryu looked up. "Explain."
"First, we need to gather information," Syuen said. "Lili's injuries, her long-term malnutrition, and her potential dependency on the Divine Wine—these are all evidence. We can leave a record through official Guild channels. Second, Zanis using the wine to control members is a gray area. If the addictive nature and harm of the wine become more widely known—or even cause alarm among other Familias or the Guild—the Soma Familia will come under pressure. Finally, and most importantly, we need to give Lili a reason she must leave and a guarantee of a safe landing."
Syuen looked toward the direction of Astraea's room.
"This requires Lady Astraea's decision and support. If our Familia is willing to accept her as... well, a temporary resident or a trainee member after she leaves Soma? If we provide protection, her motivation and safety in leaving will increase significantly."
He gave a relaxed smile and added, "We aren't toppling the Soma Familia—that's beyond our current power and position. Our goal is simply to save the child in front of us. That shouldn't count as 'breaking justice,' right? At most, it's an extension of acting as a Good Samaritan."
Hearing Syuen's plan, the eyes of the Familia members brightened again.
Alise slapped the table. "That makes sense! We don't need a frontal war; we can win with wit! We collect evidence, pressure the Guild, and prepare to take Lili in! Lady Astraea will definitely agree!"
Kaguya nodded slightly. "The plan is feasible. The key lies in evidence collection and timing. We can't alert them too early, or Zanis might lock Lili up or move her."
Ryu looked at Syuen. "It's an excellent plan, Syuen."
Aste also showed a gratified smile. "Very thorough thinking. I will start contacting reliable Guild medical personnel through secure channels."
Lyra raised her hand excitedly. "Leave the intel gathering to me! I'll go find out about the Soma Familia's recent movements and Zanis's temperament!"
As the preliminary plan was set, everyone's eyes turned back to Lili in the corner. The little girl seemed to realize they were talking about her and looked over nervously.
Syuen walked over to her, crouched down to eye level, and said seriously, "Lili, are you willing to trust us? We want to help you leave that place, but we'll need your cooperation, and there might be some risk. Are you willing to try?"
Tears instantly welled up in Lili's large eyes as she looked at Syuen and then at the strangers around her—people who radiated a warmth and resolve she had never known. Her tiny heart, long blocked by fear and despair, seemed to crack open just a sliver, letting in a faint but real light.
She nodded vigorously, even though her body was still shaking with fear. The first step toward changing her fate had been taken.
Having received the report, Astraea soon came from her room to the dining hall. Her coffee-colored hair was tied back with a simple ribbon, and she wore a plain white robe. Her expression was, as always, serene and solemn. Her soul-piercing eyes scanned every member of her Familia before finally landing on Lili, who was curled up in a chair, looking infinitesimally small and anxious.
She didn't speak immediately. Instead, she walked slowly to Lili and knelt down, just as Syuen had done, but the goddess's presence gave the gesture a sense of sacred ritual. Lili instinctively tried to shrink back, but Astraea's gaze was gentle and inclusive, like a deep pool that washed away fear.
"Child," the goddess's voice was as clear as a spring, possessing a power that soothed the heart. "You may live in our home. You are welcome here."
Lili's tears burst forth instantly—not from fear, but because of the pure love contained in those simple words, a love she had almost never felt. Her lips trembled, but she couldn't speak.
The goddess stood up and turned to her children. Looking at Syuen and the others, she saw the concern and righteous indignation on every face.
"Aste has informed me of what happened," Astraea's voice echoed in the quiet room. "Syuen witnessed and stopped the violence. You brought this child back and discussed a plan." She paused, walking to the long table and brushing her fingers over the smooth surface as if smoothing her thoughts.
"First." The goddess looked at Syuen. "Syuen, your judgment and actions were correct and timely. Justice is not some unreachable slogan; it exists in every act of protecting the weak and stopping injustice."
"Second, I understand the dilemma you discussed." Astraea's gaze deepened. "The autonomy Orario grants to gods and their Familias is one of the cornerstones of this city's prosperity, but it is by no means a breeding ground for condoning evil and suffering. The indifference of a god, the abuse of power by managers, and the oppression of one's own kind—these are undoubtedly desecrations of the bond of 'Familia' and a slight against the lives of the children of the Lower World."
Her tone was not aggressive, yet it carried weight. Her gaze fell back onto Lili, who was listening with wide eyes, only half-understanding.
"This child, Liliruca Arde, is currently a victim seeking asylum and a witness to the unrighteous acts of the Soma Familia. We protect her based on basic humanity and a sense of justice; it is not a provocation aimed at the Soma Familia. However, if the other party uses this to call us to account or even starts a dispute..."
Astraea's back straightened, her voice gaining an inviolable chill.
"Then the Astraea Familia will not fear clarifying right from wrong before the gods and the Guild to defend our right to protect the innocent."
Those words acted as a definitive reassurance for every member of the Familia. The goddess had not only approved the plan but had declared her unwavering support, even preparing for the worst-case scenario.
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Danmachi: My Magic Style is Different from Yours (43 Chapters – Ongoing)
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