Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
─────
Chapter 65: Prisoner
Three days after the Apollo Familia's attack.
"..."
In a wine cellar located in the southeastern part of the city—a storage facility for the alcohol brewed by Soma—Lili was currently locked inside an underground prison cell.
"How are you feeling, Arde?"
"…The worst."
A human man approached the cell where she was being held. Lili immediately spat out her response, her voice dripping with venom. The man's name was Zanis Lustra. He was the Captain of the Soma Familia. He had seized the position by ruthlessly crushing the other candidates. Taking advantage of Soma's complete apathy toward running the Familia, Zanis had established a corrupt reward system where only the top earners who brought in the most tribute were allowed to drink the Divine Wine. Capitalizing on Soma's singular obsession with brewing, Zanis had completely monopolized the Familia. He was one of the primary reasons Lili's life had been a living hell.
"Did you really not harm Lord Bell and the others?"
During the Apollo Familia's attack three days prior, Zanis had cooperated with Apollo in exchange for a hefty reward. Amidst the chaos of the conflict, Zanis had approached Lili. He manipulated her by threatening to severely punish Bell and the others for 'using' her unless she returned to the Familia. Realizing that Bell, Welf, and the members of the Takemikazuchi and Miach Familias had been dragged into a bloody conflict because of her, Lili had surrendered and agreed to return with Zanis.
"Of course. I swear it on the patron God Soma's name."
Zanis invoked their patron God's name, answering her question with hollow, meaningless words.
"Why… why do you suddenly care about me now?"
"Because I have finally recognized your value."
"I have no such value."
"Oh, you do. You are quite useful. I noticed you had been secretly hoarding wealth. I am well aware of your skills as a thief, and I rate them highly. Furthermore, you possess a rather rare magic, do you not?"
Lili's eyes widened in sheer shock. Aside from Bell and his friends, no one was supposed to know about her magic.
"I coerced the information out of Lord Soma."
Reading the horror on her face, Zanis cheerfully provided the answer. Despite his utter lack of interest in others, Soma was the one who had granted Lili her Falna. And because Soma, entirely lacking any concept of information security, had easily spilled her secrets.
"Just to confirm, Arde. You can transform into monsters, correct?"
"What does it matter if I can?"
Lili gave a dismissive, noncommittal reply. However, hearing her response, a wicked, greedy smile twisted Zanis's face.
"There is something I wish for your cooperation with. Think of it as a small business venture."
"Which is…?"
"Lure out monsters, capture them, and sell them on the black market. Simple, isn't it?"
"There's no way monsters possess any commercial value."
"Hehe… I wonder about that."
While magic stones and drop items were incredibly valuable, living monsters themselves were worthless. Lili mentally dismissed his plan as idiotic, but Zanis's cryptic response unsettled her.
"Is that why you brought me back? Is that why you dragged the Soma Familia… dragged Lord Bell and the others into this mess…!?"
"I resent the accusation. I simply want the Divine Wine Lord Soma brews! I want gold, I want women, I want to eat the finest delicacies! I want to gorge myself on every conceivable pleasure this world has to offer!!"
Zanis's calm facade shattered. Revealing his true, ugly nature, he delivered a vicious kick to the iron bars of the cell, bending the thick metal.
"I love this Familia! No matter how deep I sink my hands into evil, our Lord never punishes us! As long as I don't interfere with that God's pathetic hobby, I can do whatever the hell I want! It is the perfect environment!"
"Your true colors are showing."
"Oops."
Called out by Lili, Zanis forcefully reigned in his temper and pulled his foot back from the bars.
Then, it happened.
"The alarm… An enemy attack?"
Suddenly, a loud bell began to chime frantically. The harsh clatter of metal clashing against metal echoed from above, signaling to Zanis that they were under attack.
"Chandra!! Chandra!! Are you there!? Report the situation at once!!"
Zanis yelled up toward the dwarf standing at the top of the stairs leading to the surface.
"Go look for yourself. Are your legs just for show?"
"Enough of your lip. What happened?"
"Looks like some rats snuck in. They're a ragtag group, and apparently, there's a young Goddess with them."
The dwarf with short hair and a thick beard, Chandra, lazily reported the situation.
"Where are the intruders now?"
"Still fighting in the plaza near the warehouses."
"I see. Then we shall exterminate them. I will take command."
"You broke our promise!? You swore you wouldn't lay a finger on Lady Hestia and the others!!"
"They are the ones who attacked us. I must brush away the sparks that fall upon my own coat."
Realizing that Hestia and the others had come to rescue her, Lili frantically tried to stop Zanis from heading to the battlefield to lead the counterattack. But Zanis ignored her completely.
"Then I will persuade them!! I will convince them to retreat!! So please…"
"Denied. I cannot send a precious comrade into danger. Besides, you are their target, are you not?"
"If you break our promise, I will never cooperate with you!!"
"Well, I suppose it cannot be helped. I will allow you exactly one drop of the Divine Wine I've been skimming."
Lili had tried desperately to hold him back, but the moment Zanis offered her a single drop of the Divine Wine, the words died in her throat.
"Craving the wine, you will become my obedient servant. You will happily grant my every wish."
Lili had tasted the Divine Wine once before. She had become instantly addicted, resorting to working as a supporter just to earn enough money to buy more. However, after enduring endless abuse from adventurers, the intoxication faded, and she gave up on the wine. She escaped the Familia and found peace working at a flower shop run by an elderly couple. But that fragile peace was shattered by Familia members maddened by their addiction. They raided the shop, stole her savings, and destroyed the elderly couple's livelihood.
The couple, who had treated her with such kindness, threw her out, looking at her as if she were filth. Traumatized and disgusted by adventurers, she fell into absolute despair and turned to thievery to survive.
Why…!? Why!? Why am I so weak!? Everyone is fighting so hard for me right now!!
Hestia and the others were risking their lives to save her. Yet, the mere promise of a single drop of Divine Wine had paralyzed her, the dark craving rearing its ugly head in her mind. Lili gripped the iron bars so tightly her palms bled, cursing her own pathetic weakness.
Then, it happened.
"W-What was that!?"
A deafening roar erupted from outside, immediately followed by a massive tremor that shook the entire warehouse, sending dust cascading from the ceiling. The sounds of clashing metal that had been echoing just moments before completely vanished.
"Chandra!! Keep an eye on Arde!!"
Realizing this was no ordinary attack, Zanis ordered Chandra to guard Lili and sprinted up the stairs toward the battlefield.
W-What on earth is happening up there…!?
.....
Zanis burst into the God's Chamber on the top floor of the management tower. Despite the massive earthquake, Soma was still sitting at his desk, meticulously working on his brew. Zanis ignored him and stepped out onto the balcony to assess the battlefield.
"Wha—!?"
Looking down at the courtyard, Zanis was struck entirely speechless. A massive crater had been carved into the center of the plaza, and every single combatant—both friend and foe alike—was collapsed on the ground, paralyzed by shock.
"You're the one who kidnapped Lili, right?"
Standing at the epicenter of the crater, bathed in the fiery glow of his Hyper Dying Will Mode, Tsuna looked up at Zanis on the balcony and delivered his chilling ultimatum.
─────
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations