The adventurers from the Soma Familia were all scum—that's what Lili believed.
And if she was being honest, a lot of adventurers in general weren't much better. That was just the reality Lili had come to know.
As a Pallum—and a cute-looking girl at that—Lili naturally attracted a certain kind of "affection" from some people. The special kind, if you catch my drift.
To those in the Soma Familia, selling Lili off to the Ishtar Familia or even outside of Orario altogether would mean a hefty payday.
And as for punishment from their god?
Yeah, right. Lord Soma was a deity who couldn't care less.
You could say…
Growing up under the name of the Soma Familia, Lili was often looked at differently by other adventurers in Orario—especially compared to supporters from other familias.
The treatment she received was far from fair.
Even though, due to her race, Lili still looked like a child, she was already fifteen years old.
An orphan since early childhood, she'd had to scrape her way through life in Orario all on her own.
That alone was proof of her cleverness.
Lili had a sharp eye for targets. Every adventurer she targeted in the Dungeon was someone she'd observed carefully—arrogant types, full of themselves.
The kind with more pride than skill.
So every time she struck, Lili always got away clean.
Using intel gathered through her magic, she'd learned that the adventurers she'd robbed—of weapons, gear, and money—were banding together to hunt her down.
Too bad for them, though. These low-tier adventurers didn't understand the first thing about magic.
They had no clue how Lili's magic worked. It was thanks to that magic that she'd escaped death more times than she could count and kept herself safe.
Lili chose her marks with extreme caution.
Even with those three jerks in the Dungeon last time, she'd been absolutely sure she could get away.
But plans don't always survive contact with the enemy. Right after she'd succeeded, monsters respawned unexpectedly, putting those idiots on alert—and exposing her in the process.
Still, thanks to her careful selection, even when spotted, she could usually escape.
The reason Lili hadn't become an adventurer herself, but remained a supporter, was because her basic abilities grew painfully slowly.
She simply didn't have the talent for combat.
Though fairly quick on her feet, this time the three adventurers were hot on her heels.
If she could just put some distance between them, Lili could use her magic to transform and shake them off for good.
But her physical stamina was no match for real adventurers.
In the end, she couldn't outrun them.
Just as she was racking her brain for a way to escape, Alice showed up—and in a flash of inspiration, Lili dragged her into the mess.
That was also why Lili had been having nightmares every night since.
Not out of guilt, though.
After all the bad things she'd done, Lili honestly believed her conscience had been eaten by dogs a long time ago.
The reason for the nightmares was simple.
She never heard any news about those three adventurers making it out. Every other adventurer she'd ever scammed would raise hell at the Guild after escaping the Dungeon—without fail.
But this time, there was nothing.
Sure, Soma Familia members caused trouble sometimes, but that had nothing to do with her. Since there was no word on those three, they must have died down there.
But even though Lili despised them, she had to admit they were decently strong.
Even without their gear, getting back from the fifth floor shouldn't have been an issue—as long as they avoided swarms of monsters. Hell, even she could pull that off.
Let alone three somewhat capable adventurers.
The fact that they never came back could only mean one thing: they'd died, and not by the Dungeon's hand, but by that incredibly beautiful girl's.
Lili's nightmares came from the fear that Alice—who'd taken out three adventurers—would come for her next.
And then today…
Lili spotted her, and couldn't resist. She went for it.
Normally, pulling a job in a crowded market meant the thief was almost impossible to track—too many people, too much noise.
But Lili slipped up.
She never imagined Alice could remember her magical signature—or more precisely, the unique fluctuation of spiritual energy when she used magic.
Everyone's spiritual energy was distinct.
Though not something easily perceived in Gensokyo, here in Orario, magic was cast by channeling mana through spiritual power.
So Alice could clearly sense Lili's mana and spiritual signature.
The moment she realized she'd been robbed, Alice pinpointed Lili immediately.
For the first time in her life, Lili—always so cautious, so careful to protect herself—felt truly afraid.
This kind of fear was even more terrifying than staring death in the face in the Dungeon.
She tossed the stuff back to Alice and made a run for it.
Lili knew the streets and alleys of Orario like the back of her hand—after all, her escape routes were a matter of life and death.
She hid in a spot she thought was perfectly safe.
And let out a sigh of relief.
"I just hope that woman didn't follow me. If she did, Lili's probably done for," she muttered to herself, a bitter smile on her face.
'After all these successful jobs, to finally get caught by someone who appeared out of nowhere… Lili really can't accept this.'
'But… maybe dying like this is the right ending for someone like me.'
It wasn't that Lili didn't want to be a good kid.
There was a time she'd even hidden her identity and was taken in by a kind family. She became their child, for a little while.
But…
The people from her Familia wouldn't let her have that peaceful life.
They destroyed the family that had adopted her, and in the end, she was driven away. It was that harsh reality that turned Lili into what she was now.
Fifteen years of her life flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
Terrified, she'd run as fast as she could.
Now she was exhausted, but she forced herself to stand.
'No… Lili's so close to saving up enough. She can't die here. Not now!' Leaning against the wall, she steadied herself and headed deeper into the alley.
Inside was one of Lili's hideouts.
She planned to grab her things and run.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
20+ advanced chaps on my patreon.
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.