The hour was growing late.
Alice had finished her shopping and was all set to head home to cook, waiting for Hestia to come by and teach her sacred texts.
But then she ran into Lili.
And ended up with a whole bunch of magic crystals.
So now Alice figured she might as well pick up some more materials—especially since Lili insisted on buying something for her as an offering.
If Alice refused, Lili probably wouldn't feel at ease.
Well, in that case, Alice decided not to stand on ceremony.
"Lili, you know your way around Orario pretty well, right?" Alice and Lili stood between shops inside Babel Tower.
Alice came to a stop.
"Yes," Lili nodded, looking curiously at Alice, waiting for her next words.
"To be honest, I've only been in Orario for two or three months, and most of that time I've been busy at home. There aren't many parts of the city I really know well."
Alice casually swiped a hand through the air. A gap appeared, and she reached inside, rummaged around a bit, then pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen.
She began writing something down.
"Since you know Orario better than I do, there's something I'd like to ask of you. From now on, I might need you to run errands for me fairly often."
"Yes!" Lili's eyes lit up the moment Alice asked for her help. No matter how small the task, having a purpose—having value in someone's eyes—was the best news Lili could hope for.
Soon, Alice finished writing and handed the paper to Lili.
"You've probably heard about those Alice Dolls that became so popular in Orario a while back, right?"
Lili took the paper and scanned the list—it was full of fairly common materials she recognized, all cheap drops from ordinary monsters.
"Yes, Lili knows about the Alice Dolls…" She looked up suddenly, eyes wide with shock. "The Alice Dolls… could it be you, Lady Alice?" she whispered in awe.
"That's right," Alice nodded. "I'm the dollmaker behind them. But the places I know to buy materials are only the obvious shops—they're overpriced and never have enough stock."
"I can't even find rarer ingredients."
"So from now on, could I trouble you to handle purchasing materials for the dolls?"
Hearing this, Lili grew excited.
"Yes! Of course!" She thumped her chest confidently. "Lili knows all the shops in Orario that deal in rare materials! You can leave it to me, Lady Alice!"
Alice smiled faintly and pulled three dolls out from the gap.
They were the upgraded Little Army—one shield doll, now more of a knight doll, one knight doll, and two archer dolls.
"I live in the ruins with the old church on the outskirts of Orario. I drew a map on that paper too—I'm right across from the church. You can come straight over once you've bought everything."
"These three dolls are each about as strong as a Level 2 adventurer. Working together, they can even hold off a Level 3 for a while."
"They have an autonomous combat system and can protect you. But they run on magical energy. Usually, they're powered by my magic, but if they're too far from me, they can't draw from me."
"Right now, each one has a bit of stored magic inside. It's not much—if they fight all out, it'll last about thirty minutes."
"So if you run into trouble, make sure to keep an eye on their magic levels, understand?"
Alice carefully explained how the dolls worked, and Lili listened intently.
She knew this was her chance to prove her worth. This first errand was her first real task for Alice.
If she did well, procuring materials would become her permanent duty. She had to make this first job perfect.
After handing over the three dolls, Alice added, "I promised a certain goddess I'd cook for her around this time. She's probably back by now, so I should get going."
"So I'll leave the materials to you, alright?"
"Yes!" Lili said seriously, tucking the list securely inside her clothes.
"Those three people I let go earlier might still cause trouble for you. Be careful, okay?" Alice patted Lili's head.
"Don't worry, Lady Alice. Lili's had plenty of practice avoiding the Soma Familia. And with these dolls you've given me, nothing will go wrong."
Lili felt confident about her safety. It was just a simple errand, after all.
And she had Alice's dolls with her.
She was a little stunned—and skeptical—about the claim that the dolls were Level 2 strength, but then she remembered how just one Alice Doll could trade for a top-tier Hephaestus Familia weapon.
That alone filled her with confidence.
The Soma Familia had always been a threat to Lili, but to Alice, they were nothing. Even her dolls were Level 2—and Level 2 was top-tier fighting power in Soma.
So once she accepted the three cute dolls, Lili knew exactly what her mission was.
Even if she ran into the Soma Familia, it wouldn't matter. With the dolls protecting her, her safety wasn't a concern.
Therefore—
Lili's mission was clear: buy every material on Alice's list at the lowest possible price, without compromising on quality.
And haggling? That was a skill Lili had honed over many long years.
Understanding her task clearly, Lili felt full of determination.
"Then, Lady Alice, Lili will go get your materials now. Since you have an arrangement with a goddess, please go take care of your own matters."
"You can rest assured—Lili will fulfill your request perfectly."
With that, she hurried off, full of purpose.
Watching her go, Alice sighed softly and murmured under her breath, "I just hope that kid doesn't run into any trouble."
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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.
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