Chapter 442
The air in Orario carried the crisp, invigorating chill of dawn, but the reopening of the Dungeon quickly warmed the bustling streets.
As the sun crested the horizon, painting the sky in brilliant strokes of cerulean and gold, the city’s central park transformed into a staging ground.
Fully equipped adventurers……clad in clanking plate armor, leather jerkins, and bearing weapons of every description……gathered beneath the vast canopy of leaves in the large, circular plaza.
The atmosphere hummed with the electric tension of anticipation, ambition, and the quiet dread of what lay deep beneath the stone.
Amidst the sea of towering warriors and flashing steel, a young white-haired boy stood out, though not for his imposing presence.
‘Wonder if she’s here yet…’ Bell thought, his crimson eyes scanning the shifting crowd.
He stood near the edge of the central fountain, craning his neck to spot a familiar mop of chestnut hair and the unmistakable twitch of canine ears.
“It’s our meeting point, but I can’t find a dog girl that looks like her,” Bell muttered aloud, his brow furrowing in mild frustration.
Bell, in his persistent innocence, was not yet aware of a fundamental truth about his companion: Lili was not a Chienthrope at all.
In reality, she was a Pallum.
But Lili possessed a unique skill.
Using a the skill and a clever sleight of hand, she routinely cycled through various appearances, ages, and even races to fleece unsuspecting adventurers across the city.
By ensuring that very few people knew her true form, she made herself notoriously difficult to track down, operating as a phantom supporter living in the shadows of Orario.
Just as Bell began to wonder if she had ghosted him entirely, a peculiar sight caught his eye through the gaps in the milling crowd.
Not far away, sheltered beneath the yellowish-orange canopy of a sprawling oak tree, stood Lili. Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting a dappled, shifting mosaic of light and shadow across her face as a soft breeze rustled the leaves.
From a distance, framed by the tranquil morning orange, the spot looked peaceful.
‘It looks very comfortable’ Bell thought, momentarily lulled by the serenity of the scene.
However, as his eyes adjusted and he took in the company she was keeping, his sentiment instantly curdled.
Surrounding the small girl were three massive adventurers.
Their chests were puffed out with arrogant posturing, and they towered over her, their looming shadows completely swallowing her small frame.
They were talking down to her, their mouths moving in harsh barks, while Lili frantically shook her head from side to side in defense.
Not a single person in that little circle looked happy.
‘Could they be members of the Soma Familia?’
The dark thought flashed through Bell’s mind, dragging up unpleasant memories of how Lili’s Familia treated their own.
Without another second of hesitation, his feet moved, carrying him swiftly in their direction.
As he closed the distance, fragments of their heated exchange drifted to his ears on the wind.
“…enough… tell us… connection…. with… Bahamut… monster!”
“Already… told… its not… your business!!”
Bell blinked, his steps slowing slightly as his brain tried to assemble the jagged puzzle pieces.
It sounded like they were arguing about something entirely absurd…..a connection between Lili and the infamous Bahamut Familia, or perhaps a monster associated with them.
The gravity of the names involved sent an uneasy tremor down his spine.
Unwilling to blindly charge into a confrontation with high-ranking factions he knew little about, Bell veered off slightly, taking cover behind the thick trunk of a weeping willow tree that sat in their blind spot.
He pressed his back against the rough bark, straining his ears, fully prepared to leap out and rescue his supporter should the massive men resort to physical violence.
“Hey!”
A deep, gravelly voice rasped from directly behind him, snapping Bell out of his vigil with a violent jolt.
Reflexively, Bell whipped around, his heart hammering against his ribs as he braced for an attack.
Standing there, peering down at him with a critical, hardened expression, was an adventurer.
He was a human male with jet-black hair, a lean and lethal physique, and the heavy hilt of a longsword protruded from over his shoulder.
‘Wait a second, isn’t he…’
Recognition struck Bell.
They had crossed paths once before, in a narrow alley near the eastern district.
It had been a chaotic encounter; the man had been furiously chasing a running Pallum, and Bell, entirely lost in his own thoughts, had clumsily collided with him, inadvertently granting the target enough time to slip away.
“Heh. You are that kid from before,” the man said, his lips curling into a sharp, humorless grin. “Doesn’t matter. I’ve got a question for you: Are you working with that runt over there?”
The man raised a finger, pointing directly toward the oak tree where Lili was still being cornered.
Bell froze.
His mind raced, churning through information.
If this man mistook Lili as a Pallum…….the very one he had chased through the alley then…….
Bell still held onto his stubborn, naive conviction.
To him, Lili was a Chienthrope, albeit a petite and unfortunate one.
She simply couldn't be the criminal this man was hunting.
When Bell didn’t immediately reply, the man’s patience wore thin.
“Oi! I haven’t got all day!” the man barked, stepping closer.
“Did you hire that supporter or not?”
“…That girl is not the pallum you were chasing in the alley that day, she is a Chienthrope” Bell finally spoke up, forcing his voice to remain steady despite the cold sweat beading on the back of his neck.
He was desperately trying to deflect, hoping to protect Lili from whatever vendetta this dangerous-looking swordsman held.
But the man only stared at him for a fraction of a second before letting out a dry, condescending snort.
“Moron… is what I want to call you, but what you think is your own business,” the man muttered, shaking his head.
“You want to play the fool, be my guest.”
The truth was, the man and several other adventurers had been swindled, robbed, and outright humiliated by Lili over the past year.
They had spent months comparing notes, piecing together rumors, and tracking patterns until they finally uncovered her elaborate secret.
The only reason they hadn’t cornered and beaten her into a pulp earlier that morning was due to a rumor that had begun circulating at dawn.
Word had spread around that Draco……one of the strongest and most intimidating adventurers in Orario……had been seen interacting with Lili with surprising familiarity.
Naturally, many dismissed it as gossip or a sick joke.
But if it was true, antagonizing the Pallum meant risking the wrath of the Bahamut Familia, a price no sane adventurer was willing to pay.
Still, greed was a powerful motivator.
Some of the cheated adventurers couldn't shake the thought: what kind of unimaginable wealth might that little supporter be hoarding if she genuinely had ties to a heavyweight Familia?
Yet, acting openly remained a massive gamble.
They needed leverage.
They needed a disposable pawn to test the waters.
They needed a scapegoat.
Bell, entirely unaware of the complex web of underworld politics and personal grudges swirling around him, glared at the black-haired swordsman with deep suspicion.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that this man was dangerous.
“It doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. Remain an idiot for all I care,” the man continued, his tone shifting from mockery to cold business.
“But you are going to help me. We’re going to snatch her.”
It wasn’t a request.
It was delivered with the casual, absolute authority of a superior officer giving a command to an expendable grunt.
“What…?” Bell breathed, genuinely stunned by the audacity of the proposition.
“Not asking you to do it for free,” the man scoffed, waving a hand dismissively.
“I’ll pay you a bit up front, and give you a cut of whatever loot we manage to squeeze out of the runt.”
‘This guy is completely serious’ Bell thought, a chill sweeping through his veins as the reality of the situation set in.
The danger wasn't just hypothetical anymore; it was closing in around them.
“All you have to do is take her into the Dungeon like usual,” the man instructed, leaning in closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
“After that, just find some pathetic excuse to leave her alone for a few minutes. I’ll handle the rest. Piece of cake, ain’t it?”
To punctuate his grand plan, the man let out a booming, arrogant laugh that echoed slightly off the stone pavers of the plaza.
‘I don’t like that laugh at all’ Bell thought, his stomach twisting into knots.
It reeks of pure malice.
A wave of righteous indignation washed away Bell's initial fear.
His fingers curled tightly into his palms, his knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists so hard his nails bit into his skin.
“Why are you saying things like that…?” Bell asked, his voice trembling slightly with suppressed rage.
“Huh? What’s with the backtalk, kid?”
The man’s smile vanished, replaced by a dark, threatening glare.
“This is where you nod ‘yes’ like a good little boy. Think of all the money you’re going to get from this! It’s a hell of a sweet deal.”
To the swordsman, Bell’s hesitation was incomprehensible.
Why would a broke, desperate-looking newbie turn down easy money?
“Ha-ha!”
The man let out another round of ridiculing laughter, shaking his head at the boy's apparent stupidity.
“Use your brain, boy! That’s just a supporter. A pack mule! The runt just carries the bags! You’re no worse off if that useless piece of trash were gone, now are you? Wring her dry while you can, and ditch the rest. It's how Orario works.”
With those final words, Bell’s internal gauge shattered.
He was past his boiling point.
If not for his inherently timid nature and his deeply ingrained aversion to violence, Bell would have already thrown a punch straight into the man's smug, sneering face.
How could anyone speak of another living person……of his companion…..with such callous disregard?
But he forced himself to hold back, his survival instincts screaming at him that starting a public brawl in the middle of the central park would only bring ruin down upon them both.
Instead, Bell locked his crimson eyes onto the man’s face, the flames of anger burning bright in his gaze.
“Not a chance in hell…!” Bell answered, his voice low, firm, and absolute.
He refused the proposal entirely.
The man’s expression twisted instantly.
The playful arrogance vanished, replaced by a visage of ugly malice.
“Friggin’ brat…!” the man cursed under his breath, his face contorting into a mask of venom.
Bell didn't back down.
Every muscle in his body coiled tightly, subconsciously preparing for a sudden physical confrontation.
The air between them grew thick and brittle, charged with a palpable hostility that began to draw the sideways glances of nearby adventurers.
Even the leaves on the branch directly above them seemed to shiver, rustling frantically as if intimidated by the pressure radiating from them.
They stood locked in a vicious staring contest, neither willing to break first, until the man finally clicked his tongue loudly……a sound dripping with disgust……and turned sharply on his heel, marching away into the crowd without a backward glance.
Bell watched him retreat, his chest heaving, his face still flushed with residual fury.
“…Mr. Bell?”
A soft, hesitant voice cut through the hum of the park from behind him.
The abrupt sound acted like a splash of cold water, instantly snapping Bell out of his battle-ready trance.
The intense flames of rage cooling within him, he whipped around, his eyes wide.
Standing right there, looking up at him with a bewildered and suspicious expression, was Lili.
“L-Lili?” Bell stammered, his voice cracking slightly as the adrenaline receded, leaving him breathless.
“How… how long have you been standing there?”
“Lili just got here…” she replied slowly, her eyes narrowing into sharp slits as she scrutinized his tense posture and flushed face.
She tilted her head, a familiar wariness returning to her tone.
“What on earth were you talking about with that honorable-looking adventurer over there?”
“A-Ah… n-nothing much!” Bell stammered, waving his hands frantically in front of him.
“He was just… trying to pick a fight, you know how it is!”
He couldn’t bring himself to elaborate.
How could he possibly explain that a dangerous stranger had just tried to hire him as an accomplice in a plot to kidnap, rob and kill her?
Worse still, Bell was terrified of digging any deeper into the topic because of a nagging, miserable fear in the back of his mind.
What if everything that man said about Lili is actually true?
He didn’t know what he would do if she really was a trickster, a swindler who had been using him all along.
The thought alone made his chest ache.
Lili stared at Bell for a long, agonizingly quiet few seconds.
Her expression remained dark, unreadable, and heavily guarded.
In her line of work, trust was a luxury she couldn't afford. She had pegged Bell as a rare, honest, gullible kid……someone she genuinely didn’t want to hurt, despite her usual cynical outlook on most adventurers.
But right now, standing before her, he looked entirely too suspicious.
He had been whispering with that sinister, black-haired swordsman…..a man Lili knew by sight and deeply feared.
She didn't know what they had talked about, but her intuition screamed that it couldn't possibly be anything good.
To Lili’s hyper-defensive mind, it looked entirely like Bell had been conversing with her hunter, perhaps even negotiating her worth.
And just like that, beneath the dappled sunlight of the great oak tree, a thick, dangerous wall of misunderstanding dropped firmly between them, poisoning the trust they had so fragilely built.
“Oh right! You seemed to be tangled up in something a minute ago. Is everything okay, Lili?” Bell asked, deliberately steering the conversation to clear the heavy air between them.
“So you saw that… Please don’t worry. As you can see, Lili is fine,” she replied.
Holding out her arms, she gave a small, graceful twirl before looking up at him with a wide, radiant smile.
A sudden shiver ran down Bell’s spine at how effortlessly her dark expression had morphed into something so blindingly cheerful.
“Lili, who were those…..” Bell felt an instinctive urge to pry deeper, but she cut him off mid-sentence.
“Just like what happened to Mr. Bell, they were simply picking a fight with Lili. Perhaps both Mr. Bell and Lili just look too weak?” she teased, her voice light and breezy.
Continuing with her usual bright demeanor and firing off rapid jokes, she deftly blocked him from getting another word in.
Recognizing the clear boundary she had drawn, Bell finally bit his tongue and kept quiet.
“All right, let’s go, Bell-sama! Since Lili hasn’t worked by your side all week, she’s counting on your hard work today!” Lili called out cheerfully as she brushed past him.
A few stray strands of her hair peeked out from beneath her hood as she glanced back over her shoulder for a fraction of a second.
Bell caught a fleeting glimpse of her chestnut-colored eyes…..and they were perfectly normal.
It was as if the chilling confrontation from moments ago had never happened at all.
‘I can’t see her face now that she’s walking ahead of me, but I should probably give her some space,’ Bell thought, falling into step as they weaved through the bustling crowd toward the Dungeon.
A/N: Feel free to read ahead on pat3on, donate and read 2 extra chapters as a free member.