Liliruca woke with a start, her small body tense as she tried to make sense of her surroundings. She had expected pain—agony, even—but instead, she felt... fine. Whole.
Her last memory was of blood, pain, and betrayal. She had taken a job as a porter, only for the so-called adventurers she accompanied to use her as bait when they were overwhelmed by monsters. They abandoned her without hesitation, leaving her to die.
But she hadn't died.
Slowly, she sat up, her hands instinctively going to her stomach. She remembered the War Shadow's claws tearing into her flesh, but now, her skin was smooth, without even a scar. Her wide, disbelieving eyes darted around the unfamiliar space—warm, quiet, and bathed in a soft glow that made it feel surreal.
"Hey, glad to see you're awake."
Lili flinched at the voice and turned toward it. A man sat nearby, watching her with a calm, friendly smile. He was young and strikingly handsome, his presence oddly reassuring.
"Who… are you?" Her voice was hoarse, her throat dry. "Where am I?"
"Here, drink this." He leaned forward, offering her a cool glass of water. "My name's Ryan. I picked you up from the dungeon. Right now, you're in one of my magical artifacts—it helps with healing."
Lili hesitated for only a moment before accepting the drink. The refreshing liquid soothed her parched throat, and she sighed in relief. "Thank you."
Ryan simply nodded. "Can you tell me what happened?"
So she did.
She told him about the adventurers, how they had abandoned her the moment things went wrong, how she had only wanted to earn enough money to pay back the crushing debt imposed on her by her own familia.
"So, because of your parents, you're forced to repay a debt they left behind?" Ryan summarized, his expression darkening slightly.
Lili lowered her gaze and nodded. It was unfair, but fairness had never been a part of her life.
Ryan leaned forward slightly. "Would you like to leave the Soma Familia and join mine? You won't have to worry about that debt anymore."
Her head snapped up, eyes wide with shock. "Huh? Leave the Soma Familia? Can I really do that?"
"Of course," Ryan said easily. "All you have to do is ask, and I'll help you."
Help.
Such a simple word, yet one that held so much weight.
Lili had never truly known kindness. The Soma Familia took everything from her, leaving her barely enough to survive. Weak, malnourished, and stripped of all her equipment, she had nothing left. No weapons, no safety, no future. She had nearly died alone in that dungeon, just another forgotten victim.
Hadn't she struggled enough?
Tears welled in her eyes, her voice breaking. "Please... help me."
Ryan's smile was warm as he reached out, gently placing a hand on her head. "You've got it."
A soft glow filled the space, and for a brief moment, Lili felt something change deep within her. A light pulsed across her back—her falna, the divine blessing from Soma, was erased in an instant. In its place, a status card and an Asauchi materialized beside her.
Lili looked down, eyes darting between the objects and Ryan in confusion. "What… what is this?"
Ryan explained it all—how she was no longer bound by a god's blessing, how she wouldn't need to rely on a divine falna to grow stronger. Now, she was under his protection, his power flowing through her.
She stared at him in awe. "Are you… a god?"
Ryan chuckled. "Not quite. Just someone with a few tricks."
It didn't matter to Lili. To her, he was a god—one that had saved her when no one else would.
"You can stay at my manor," Ryan continued. "You'll have food, a place to sleep, and if you want, proper training. As far as the Soma Familia is concerned, you died in the dungeon. They won't come looking for you."
Lili blinked up at him. A place to stay? Food? Safety? These were things she had only dreamed of. She barely hesitated before nodding.
"Okay."
Ryan smiled and ruffled her hair, making her cheeks heat up slightly.
"Can you tell me how old you are?" he asked, studying her petite form. Lili was a Pallum, a race similar to hobbits in Orario, small in stature. She barely reached his waist, looking more like a child than an adventurer.
"I-I'm twelve," she answered, a bit embarrassed.
"Alright" Ryan said. "We've got some kids at the manor around your age. You'll fit right in."
Lili bit her lip, overwhelmed by everything happening so fast. But for the first time in her life, she felt something warm deep inside her—hope.
And she clung to it with everything she had.
Little did Liliruca know that her true trial had only just begun.
The moment she arrived at the manor, she experienced a horror she never could have anticipated—Medea.
Small, pitiful, and still clinging onto Ryan for support, Lili barely had a chance to take in her surroundings before she was snatched.
"Oh my, how adorable!"
A blur of movement, a soft yet terrifying giggle, and suddenly, she found herself in the firm grasp of a strikingly beautiful woman with violet hair and piercing eyes. Medea radiated an aura of authority, but what truly frightened Lili was the excitement in her gaze.
The woman practically cooed over her, running her fingers through Lili's messy hair. "Such a precious little thing! Tattered clothes, malnourished… don't worry, dear, I will fix this."
Struggle was useless.
No amount of squirming or pleading eyes toward Ryan could save her. He simply patted her head in silent farewell, a knowing smile on his lips as Medea whisked her away.
And so, Lili's fate was sealed.
By the time the ordeal was over, she had been scrubbed clean, her hair washed and brushed to silky perfection, and dressed in several new outfits, each one cuter than the last. Medea fussed over every detail, her satisfaction evident as she admired her handiwork.
Yet, as overwhelming as it all was, Lili couldn't deny the comfort. She had never been this clean before, nor had she ever owned clothes that weren't second-hand scraps.
And that was only the beginning.
A warm bath, a proper meal—hot food, something she had almost forgotten the taste of—followed by potions to restore her malnourished body. Magic scans checked for lingering injuries, and to her shock, there were even people genuinely concerned for her well-being.
Some of the residents were intimidating, but despite their power, they treated her with kindness.
For the first time in as long as she could remember, she wasn't struggling to survive. She wasn't alone.
She was home.