Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

"..."

Lily was unaware that Soma was upstairs in the main camp, looking down at her with disappointed and disheartened eyes as she turned into a hungry ghost, focused solely on drinking.

It is unknown whether the chief god has completely lost hope in his followers ever since Chanis began to play tricks—attempting to use "divine wine" to rule the faction.

"Bring us money to enrich our faction! This is what our masters demand!!"

Fundraising activities have become more extreme.

The management and operation of the [Family] has become even more stringent than before, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the factions are now acting out of the new leader's personal interests and desires. The believers, who are obsessed with alcohol, are completely unaware of this and surrender to the magic of the words "I will let you drink 'divine wine'" without any regard for anything else.

The various evil deeds committed by the thugs hiding behind the dark factions and other lawless thugs are so numerous that even the governing bodies (guilds) cannot expose them all, seemingly confirming the cunning and treachery of the culprits.

The distorted atmosphere of the Soma Familia quietly spread.

"Haa, haa, haa...!"

As for Lily, a member of the poor and weak Dwarf race, she continues to struggle outside the gears of the organization.

With bloodied hands, she wielded her dagger, slaughtering low-level monsters like goblins and earth spirits in the dungeon. She would never charge head-on, always hiding in the shadows, holding her breath, battling the fear of becoming her own meal, and launching surprise attacks when her prey was alone. This method was weak, despicable, and inefficient, but it was the greatest power young Lily could muster.

However, she soon reached her limit.

The costs of weapon repairs, supplies, and her body becoming increasingly unrecognizable each day. A brutally high-risk, low-reward situation. The deeper she ventured into the dungeons, the worse she lost.

Lily cried and begged the God of God to update her [ability stats], but the result was still the same. Learning alone was futile, and she couldn't rely on herself. Worst of all, Lily's lack of adventurer talent was pathetic.

Lily, who was powerless to fight, was forced to become a supporter.

And then—the life of being exploited began.

"Wait, please wait a minute...!? This isn't what we agreed on!"

"It's all your fault for being clumsy and causing us to earn less! We're already being generous by even paying you!"

Exploring dungeons with members of her own faction only leads to ugly disputes over rewards, so she chooses to work as a porter for other factions, but the adventurers never fail to bully young Lily.

Having her share of the profits deducted was commonplace. She was accused of baseless accusations and forced to work for free; sometimes even her weapons for self-defense or her own elixirs were stolen.

—The clamor of the tavern, the adventurers squandering their dungeon exploration earnings, and myself clinging to their feet begging them to share the spoils.

What she got in return was a beating. When she collapsed to the ground in pain, instead of a reward of gold coins, what was thrown in front of her was a small piece of chicken.

The roar of laughter that filled the tavern, the sound of her being forced to eat on the ground, and the jeers of those adventurers—Lily would probably never forget them.

Humiliation and despair swirled in her heart, and she cried every single day.

A dedicated supporter, an object of contempt.

He's just a porter; there are plenty of replacements available.

At this moment, Lily fully realized how insignificant the resources God had given her were, and how cruel the world was.

(...Why, Lily is like this...)

The magic of the "divine wine" also gradually faded during this period.

When she came to her senses, nothing really happened; instead, an overwhelming sense of emptiness washed over Lily. She even felt fear towards the "divine wine" that had bewitched her and the supreme god (Soma).

However, there was no turning back. Novice adventurers had already set their sights on Lily, seeing her as an easy target for exploitation and a source of income.

In her utterly deformed "Family," it was impossible for anyone to help her or offer her protection. Those men and women constantly engaged in internal strife all saw Lily merely as a tool.

(The person who once helped me is no longer here...)

Lily couldn't recall what the deity (person) who had given her food on a certain day in the past looked like.

Perhaps it was washed away by the intense thirst for "divine wine," or perhaps it was crushed by the hellish years of suffering; the warm memories of the past have long since weathered away like sand and soil.

Having lost even her memories, Lily can only paddle through the mud to survive.

(I just want to die... but...)

It hurts so much, it's so bitter, I'm so lonely, I've had enough.

Driven by the inner screams, she contemplated suicide several times.

But Lily knew. She knew the searing pain of being scratched by monster claws, and the agony of being kicked and shoved by adventurers that made her sob uncontrollably.

She was terrified just imagining something worse than that, and didn't have the courage to commit suicide.

“──!”

Unable to bear the exploitation she was subjected to, Lily finally chose to run away one day.

She shed large tears as she fled from the adventurers and from her [Family].

She relinquished her title as a member of the divine family, disguising herself as an ordinary person without a family, hoping only to obtain a little happiness.

who knows……

Even Lily's simple wish was not granted by the adventurers.

*

She finally realized that she could not escape the Soma Familia.

He finally realized that he would be tormented by adventurers forever.

She understood the situation the moment she saw the elderly couple's flower shop, where they were staying, being brutally vandalized.

"Grandpa, Grandma!?"

The whole incident stemmed from an attack by adventurers belonging to the Soma Familia.

Those who were bewitched by the "divine wine" stole everything, including money, as if to completely destroy the home Lily had finally found, as if to warn her, "You're on our side." With multiple battles erupting in the city, the overburdened "guild" and other factions were unable to spare the attention to crack down on this kind of crime, and they remained unpunished.

Just as the flower shop was vandalized, the elderly human couple was also severely beaten. Seeing this tragedy that occurred while she was out, Lily, who lived in the shop and helped out, ran over to help the two of them.

The elderly couple, who had once accepted her and treated her with the kindness of a granddaughter, knocked her little hand away and rejected her.

"────"

Their once kind eyes were now tinged with condemnation and disgust.

The husband's lips were bleeding and his face was bruised. His wife sat helplessly on the ground, supporting him from behind with tears in her eyes. The elderly couple, who had suffered an undeserved misfortune simply for accepting Lily, stared at her as if she were a pile of filth.

Their gazes, which had turned from love to hate, etched a rift in Lily's young heart.

(Wait a minute.)

The old man was about to speak quietly.

Wait, please, don't say that. Lily's entire being seemed to plead this, but she couldn't utter a single word.

(Please call my name.)

Call me Lily.

Please call me (Lily) kindly as usual and pat my head.

Please be as forgiving as you are when I (Lily) don't do my job well, and say it's okay, and smile at me (Lily).

Tell them you need me (Lily).

Help me (Lily).

Don't abandon me (Lily).

If even you all don't want me (Lily) anymore, then—

"I wish I had never met you."

A part of Lily's heart shattered.

The old man's words shattered her heart, and something she shouldn't have lost spilled out like blood.

Lily, who had been kicked out of her home, wandered the streets like a zombie. When she came to her senses, she was soaked to the bone by the rain under the dark night sky.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

In the middle of a deserted back alley, Lily smiled despite the rain. Raindrops streamed down her small cheeks.

The adorable children's clothes the elderly couple gave her, soaked up the increasing rainwater, gradually became as heavy as shackles.

(No one is willing to call on me, no one is willing to ask for my help, no one needs me... no one is willing to save me.)

She was all alone.

No one will lend a helping hand.

A world devoid of warmth, after giving her a beautiful dream, will surely drag her back to cruel reality.

Lily understood this.

She understood perfectly that as long as the cursed "Family" mark etched on her back remained, she would never find peace or freedom.

She burst into laughter.

Behind the laughter, suppressed sobs were hidden.

From that day on, Lily's eyes began to fall into depravity.

*

Later, Lily continued her supporter business.

Needless to say, even other adventurers treated her as a useful porter, but she only played the role of a submissive servant in front of them. Even when used and manipulated, she wore a doll-like smile and an icy expression, patiently waiting for the day she could break free from the faction's curse. She no longer fled elsewhere or tried to rely on others. She didn't want to harm anyone other than herself—to be betrayed by someone else's kindness again. Every day, she simply saved money to raise enough to escape the [Family].

From this period onward, Lily also began down the wrong path, becoming a pickpocket and other criminals. Her spirit severely damaged, she lost all faith in moral principles and resorted to any means necessary. Her thieving skills became more refined each day.

Of course, Lily, who had long been targeted as a cash cow, was still repeatedly exploited, just like before.

"Tsk! That's all the money you have!"

As Lily lay sprawled on the ground after being brutally beaten, the orc man, Ganu, snatched the bag full of gold coins and clicked his tongue. He was a member of the Soma Familia, and exploiting the weak like Lily had become a habit.

As Ganu and his accomplices scornfully watched their exhausted selves collapse, a thin-faced human stood a step away, hands behind his back, a twisted smile on his face.

"You don't even drink Soma's 'divine wine,' yet you're working so hard, Erd? Is there anything you wish for?"

"..."

Lily, her face pressed to the ground, still refused to answer Commander Chanis's question.

Later, Lily didn't touch a single drop of the "divine wine." Unlike the other members who regularly consumed it under Chanis's arrangement, she loathed and feared the divine elixir that had bewitched her.

Seeing that Lily didn't respond to the faction leader's question, the henchman Ganu kicked her, forcing her to answer.

"Captain, I think we should sell this guy to a brothel. Even a little person like her (a short, stocky woman) can fetch a small sum of money in the red-light district."

"What are you doing?"

Just as Ganu was lewdly laughing at Chanis, someone passed by the backyard of Lily's base camp.

Lily heard a rough voice in her hazy consciousness, but only moved her eyes.

"Oh, Chandra, boss. It's like this..."

The silhouette of a dwarf with a round, plump body and bulging muscles came into her blurry vision.

After listening to Ganu's words, the dwarf frowned.

"Let's not get involved with brothels."

"...What's going on, Chandra? Are you planning to protect this brat?"

"Selling women who have received favors from other factions to the red-light district will only make them look like traitors. What if the Ishtar Familia takes notice?"

"Well……"

After listening to the dwarf's words, she sensed that Ganu and his companions seemed somewhat hesitant.

Lily remembered the man named Chandra as a newly joined, rising Lv.2 dwarf. She strained to lift her head, trying to recall the appearance of any dwarf who hadn't yet bullied or harmed her.

Only Chanis remained unchanged, looking down at Lily, who was covered in wounds.

"Well, this..."

Chanis narrowed his eyes, as if he were savoring what Ganu and the others had said.

Lily stared blankly at the man's self-righteous eyes behind his glasses.

Then, the man's lips curved into an arch shape.

"Chandra is right. There's no need to create unnecessary misunderstandings. Let Erd continue to work for our faction as usual. Besides, hehe... it seems more interesting this way."

Chanis seemed to genuinely admire Lily's withered, lifeless eyes, and the look in her eyes that seemed to resent everything in the world.