CH 24

"Lily, let's go back!"

After returning the Sword of Promised Victory (Excalibur) to his system space, Su Hai turned to look at Liliruca Arde, who was still dazed from the earlier battle.

"Ah? Oh… Sir Su Hai, that sword just now… what was it?"

Lily asked subconsciously, still shaken by the overwhelming power she had just witnessed.

"Excalibur—the Sword of Promised Victory."

"It's the most powerful Noble Phantasm I have… one of my trump cards."

"This is a secret between us, Lily. Don't tell anyone else, alright?"

Su Hai replied with a gentle smile, reaching out to pat Lily's head, his hand brushing against her small animal-like ears. Then, without another word, he began walking toward the dungeon exit.

"A secret?"

Liliruca whispered to herself as she watched Su Hai's back. A faint smile tugged at her lips before she quickly followed after him.

Soon, the two left the dungeon and entered the Adventurers' Guild, where they exchanged the collected magic crystals for gold coins.

As was their usual routine, they divided the earnings equally before going their separate ways.

However, this time, Su Hai didn't leave. Instead, he turned around and quietly followed the path Liliruca had taken.

"Master, are you finally going to play the hero and save the damsel in distress?"

Medusa, concealed nearby in her spiritual form, teased playfully.

Su Hai rolled his eyes at her remark but said nothing, continuing to trail Liliruca through the bustling streets of Orario.

Liliruca, clutching her share of the gold coins, hurried down a narrow alleyway with her head lowered, her footsteps quick and anxious.

Waiting for her in the shadows were several burly men—adventurers belonging to the same Familia as her: the Soma Familia.

"Hand it over!"

"The kid really is a goldmine! Just look at all this money!"

"Hah! Keep milking that sucker. Don't let him slip away, you hear? Otherwise… you know what'll happen."

The leader—a rotund man with a scarred face and a large machete—snatched the pouch of gold coins from Liliruca's hands, weighing it with a satisfied grin.

The other adventurers surrounding her laughed cruelly, their greedy eyes reflecting the Familia's twisted obsession.

Among the Soma Familia, such scenes were all too common. Their god, Soma, was a deity of wine whose divine brew could entrance even other gods. The Familia's adventurers would do anything to acquire the funds needed to taste that forbidden nectar, their loyalty twisted into obsession.

Liliruca lowered her gaze, sorrow tightening her chest. She knew she was powerless to resist—the adventurers before her were all at least Level 2, with some even reaching Level 3. Compared to them, she was nothing more than a weak supporter.

"Well, well… So in your eyes, I'm just a walking piggy bank, huh?"

A playful voice echoed from the entrance of the alley.

The adventurers stiffened, their eyes snapping toward the source of the sound. A young man approached with a calm, almost amused smile, a katana resting at his hip.

Su Hai's appearance sent a jolt of fear through them. They had seen him countless times while spying on Liliruca, and they knew he was the one providing her with the gold coins they so greedily took.

"Tch! Kid, you've got some nerve walking into the lion's den."

"But since you're here, we'll just take everything you've got—and maybe break a few bones for good measure!"

Recovering from their initial shock, the adventurers sneered, their hands moving to their weapons as they quickly surrounded Su Hai.

Liliruca's heart clenched in despair—not because she feared for Su Hai's safety, but because she believed he would now discover her deception.

After all, she had been lying to him from the very start.

"Kill him!"

The Level 3 leader raised his massive sword, his eyes gleaming with cruelty as he charged forward.

"Honestly… some people just don't know when to quit."

Su Hai sighed softly, placing his hand on the hilt of his Nichirin Blade—the Sun Blade that had served him countless times before.

In one swift motion, he drew the blade and slashed through the air.

Golden lightning crackled along the sword's edge as streaks of orange-yellow light shot through the alley, striking the seven or eight adventurers who had rushed forward.

Time seemed to freeze. The attackers stood motionless, their weapons raised mid-strike, eyes wide with shock and disbelief.

"H-How…?! Y-You're just a rookie adventurer… There's no way…"

The leader gasped, his breath ragged as blood began to seep from the wounds that had appeared across his body.

As Su Hai calmly walked past them toward Liliruca, the adventurers collapsed one by one, their weapons clattering to the ground as their eyes dimmed.

Hearing the approaching footsteps, Liliruca trembled unconsciously, her mind racing with fear and guilt.

She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself for the punishment she believed was inevitable.

But instead of harsh words or accusations, she felt a warm hand gently patting her head.

"Honestly… I was waiting for you to come to me and ask for help on your own."

"But since that didn't happen, I had no choice but to step in."

Su Hai's voice was soft, his tone carrying neither anger nor judgment.

"And just because I'm a rookie adventurer doesn't mean I don't know what happens in the Soma Familia."

Liliruca's eyes shot open in surprise.

Tears welled up in her eyes, but this time they weren't born of fear or despair—they were tears of relief.

"Come on, let's go home," Su Hai said with a gentle smile, stepping aside to let her pass.

For a moment, Liliruca could only stare at him, unable to find the words to express the emotions swirling within her heart.

Then, with a small nod, she wiped her eyes and stepped forward, following Su Hai out of the alley and toward a future that, for the first time in a long while, didn't seem so hopeless.

From her place in the shadows, Medusa watched the scene unfold with a faint smile.

"Well, Master… I suppose you really are a hero, after all."

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