"Can I join your Familia too?"
That was a simple enough question, though one that was currently close to a taboo in the city, as the gods were all wary of a potential traitor looking to get close enough to a god to cause them to become the second god/goddess to formally die within the city of Orario.
The question didn't affect Neme in that way, if he had a god he'd be more than willing to invite her to join his familia, only… he didn't have a god, nor a familia.
He chose the term mercenary as a way of describing himself as a powerful Falnaless human.
Similar in a sense to the Rakia empire in that every member of the army belonged to the Ares familia but even then were at most level 1, with a scant few reaching level 2 or 3.
But when greeted with this question he wanted to say sorry but no, mostly because he didn't have a falna.
Except even when he was about to reject her and explain the issue being that he had no god to inviter her to join, only just as he was about to do so a popup appeared in his vision.
{Would you like to invite Liliruca Arde to your Familia?}
Uh what…
Though seeing his hesitation Lili interpreted this differently.
She said something before turning to leave.
Except without ever hearing what she'd said after he reached out grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him once more.
Her face had a mix of emotions, most predominantly was Shock.
"Sorry I didn't mean to ignore you like that, I just was shocked, no ones ever asked me that before, and I've been the only member for so long, so I kind of just accepted I would only ever be the only one."
The words spilled from his mouth were a lie mixed with the truth.
He belonged to a godless familia, and only just now learned he could recruit others if he so chose.
Though not knowing the process for joining, he still hesitated, though the urge to discover far outweighed any other worry in his heart.
"Sure. You can join if you want, if you don't mind being the only other member that is…"
His responses left her stunned this time.
Given the news running around the city, and yet even still he was willing to let her an unknown person join his familia?
He really was a good person after all.
Without fighting she joined him on his trek back to his inn.
Getting there Neme spoke to the proprietress and in no short order got a second room booked for Lili to stay in.
With his total valis accumulated getting an additional room rented for a week was nothing to him.
Lili herself didn't even have anything with her so checking into the room was simply confirming that the key given unlocked and locked the door.
Once that was done, Lili followed him into his own room.
In her mind she figured he must be sharing the room with his god, which might explain why he was diving the dungeon regularly.
Though if they were staying in an inn like this even though he was mining such a great number of magic stones from the dungeon it made her worry that his god or goddess was a good for nothing just like her previous god Soma.
One addicted to drinking, or gambling.
Resulting in the majority of the familia's gains being squandered away.
Only when the door unlocked and the pair entered she realized this room was a near identical replica of her own, save for a few bags stacked up in the corner, an accumulation of his drops and spare clothing.
Just from a simple look around it was clear this was not the residence of a God.
Thought that made sense, Neme was likely staying here to save money while his god stayed at a much more lavish place.
Neme meanwhile was comeplely unaware of her misconception.
And after offering her a seat on his bed, he took up the chair at the desk, the only other chair besides opting to sit next to her.
"Lili… I just want to confirm something with you."
"Oh? What is it Neme?"
"Well, you know how I told you I was the only member of my familia?"
"… yeah."
"What I said wasn't exactly true, or rather you could say I belong to something different from a Familia."
"Different from a familia…"
"Yes, while I am powerful enough to reach the middle floors, I don't have a god or goddess of my own, hence why I called myself a mercenary, im just a regular human being."
"no god… and yet…"
"Yeah… see when I first came to Orario, I wanted to join a familia, to become stronger, to one day become a hero capable of great things, only I was rejected. Not one god or goddess would have me, not even the guild was willing to accept me, so I resolved to dive the dungeon without them all. And something happened."
Neme felt a little bad lying to her like this, but it aligned with the information he received from Miss Eina so as far as this world was concerned what he was saying indeed was the truth, from a certain point of view.
"So you're godless?"
"In a manner of speaking yes, though I do possess something similar to a falna just not one bestowed upon me by one of the Gods who have descended from heaven, instead I feel it was given to me by an even more powerful being than the gods."
"More powerful?"
She tilted her head unable to understand the concept of a being stronger than the very gods themselves.
But for Neme it made sense, who else besides a truly supreme being could give him a mortal the power to grace others with Falna like abilities usually reserved for the gods themselves, or beyond that suppress the powers of a god, and in doing so allow those very same gods to be slain like mortals by his hand.
"Knowing this would you really still like to join me?"