Time passed, and night fell.
Stars twinkled in the sky, and the bright moonlight bathed the earth, draping Orario in a layer of silver gauze.
On the streets, adventurers ended their day's explorations, heading in groups to taverns to start their nightlife.
Just then, a roar echoed from a small alley beside the street.
"You little brat! Stop right there!"
"Only a fool would stop."
Lily weaved through the alleys, glancing back from time to time at the burly man gradually closing the distance behind her.
The other party was strong, at least stronger than her.
If it came to a contest of speed and stamina, she would be caught within a few minutes at most.
But with the help of the surrounding terrain, that was another matter entirely.
Turning into a nearby alley, Lily darted left and right, quickly disappearing from sight.
"Damn it! Where did she go?!"
The burly man stopped, his face contorted with rage.
He usually operated in the southern district of Orario and the Dungeon, so he was unfamiliar with the terrain in this area.
After looking around, the burly man suddenly caught a whiff of a familiar scent from the left path.
He knew this smell well—the wolf-girl who had just stolen his money had the same scent.
"Tsk! That little brat, she's fast!"
Not daring to waste time, the burly man followed the scent and dashed toward the left passage.
Just a few seconds after the burly man left, Lily emerged from another narrow path.
"He really is an idiot. How could Lily leave such an obvious clue?"
After mocking the burly man, Lily turned and ran back the way she came.
Ten minutes later, Lily reached the other end of the alley and pulled out a pouch from her chest, giving it a shake.
Listening to the crisp jingling sound and feeling the pouch's weight, Lily's mood lifted.
Her luck was good today—she had run into someone wealthy.
With this money in hand, she was one step closer to saving enough to leave the Sumo Familia.
Hah~!
A refreshing night breeze blew, causing the hood on Lily's head to fall back, revealing a pair of fluffy beast ears.
The girl raised her hands to stroke her ears, parted her lips, and softly chanted.
"[Twelve O'Clock Revelation]."
A faint ripple of magical energy rose.
Like a layer of dust settling, a gray membrane of light enveloped Lily's petite frame.
Silently, the ears on Lily's head melted away.
The bangs that had covered her eyes and the tail swaying at her waist vanished completely as well.
In just an instant, Lily transformed from a wolf-girl into a Palum (Dwarf).
"That should do it."
Lily tucked away the money pouch and walked out of the alley.
The transformation magic [Cinder Girl] was the magic Lily possessed and her only trump card.
As a Palum, Lily was inferior to adventurers of other races in strength, speed, and stamina, giving her no advantage in combat.
Within the Sumo Familia, where everyone fought over divine liquor, driven mad by the desire for money, even attacking their own companions to steal their wealth—
The only way for the weak Lily to survive was to rely on her magic to change her appearance and steal money from wealthy adventurers.
Though dangerous, Lily had escaped time and again thanks to the convenience of her magic.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would soon save enough money to leave the Sumo Familia...
"Guess who?"
Her vision was suddenly covered in darkness, and an unfamiliar voice sounded from behind.
Lily remained silent for a moment before forcing a stiff smile.
"Sir, please don't tease Lily."
"Ah, that response is no fun at all."
With a sigh, the hands covering her eyes were withdrawn, and her vision returned.
Not daring to move recklessly, Lily slowly turned to face the black-haired boy who had appeared behind her at some point.
He was handsome.
That was Lily's first impression of him.
The boy was like a celestial being descended to the mortal realm.
Radiant and noble, with an aura of elegance, he seemed like a deity who had stepped out of a painting.
Having lived in Orario for so many years, this was only the second time Lily had seen a human whose looks rivaled those of a god.
The first time was outside The Babel, when the Loki Familia had returned from an expedition. Lily, who happened to be looking for clients from afar, spotted Aiz in the crowd.
Back then, she lamented how the gap between people was greater than that between humans and dogs. Compared to Aiz, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, Lily felt like a sewer rat—dark and insignificant.
"Leo, captain of the Hestia Familia."
The introduction snapped Lily out of her reverie about his appearance, and she took a few steps back to put distance between them.
"Lily's name is Liliruca Arde, a member of the Sumo Familia."
"Lord Leo, may I ask what brings you to Lily?"
"I'm a bit short on money right now."
"Huh?"
Lily was taken aback.
"That magic earlier—I saw it~"
Leo poked the Palum Girl's cheek, a smile spreading across his face.
"Lily, you wouldn't want the Sumo Familia to find out about your transformation ability, would you?"
"..."
Lily's expression darkened. The boy's charming smile now seemed no different from a demon's in her eyes.
Instinctively, Lily's hand slipped into her chest, gripping a deep-red dagger.
"I'd advise you to calm down. Even if you activated that magic sword, with your strength, you wouldn't be able to hit me."
"...Lord Leo, you misunderstand. Lily was just looking for her vault key."
After a moment's hesitation, Lily released the dagger and handed over the key pendant hidden on her person.
"This is the key to the goblin rental vault in the eastern district. It holds all of Lily's savings."
"Huh? What do you mean? You're making it sound like I'm robbing you."
Leo tucked the key into his chest, his smile growing even wider.
"Lord Leo, may Lily leave now?"
Lily lowered her head, silently cursing the boy before her.
This was all the savings she had painstakingly accumulated over so many years.
Now, with Leo taking it, she had been set back to square one.
No, it was even worse than that.
She saw a familiar smile on Leo's face.
It was the smile of someone who had found a cash cow, ready to squeeze every last bit of value out of her.
"Lily, no need to be nervous."
Then let Lily go already!
"I'm a reasonable person. Since you've given me money, I'll offer you some help in return."
Lily doesn't need it. Just get lost!
"You want to leave the Sumo Familia, right? I can help you."
I said I don't need—huh?
Lily's eyes widened suddenly. "L-Lord Leo, what did you just say?"
Leo smiled. "I can help you leave the Sumo Familia, but on one condition—you have to be obedient."
"Lily... has no problem with that."
After a moment's hesitation, Lily replied.
In truth, Leo's tactics were nothing new to her.
It was typical coercion and enticement—something the members of the Sumo Familia often used to take her money.
Under normal circumstances, Lily would only pay lip service and not take such words to heart.
But this time was different.
Her magic was exposed, and Leo had his eyes on her.
This meant she had lost her means of saving money and could no longer rely on savings to leave the Sumo Familia.
Whether Lin Dong's words were true or false, she had no choice but to believe him and seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Lord Leo, what must Lily do to leave the Sumo Familia?"
"For today, come home with me and get some sleep first."
"Huh?"
[ TL/N: Wonder what they will do. ]