Danmachi: Is It Wrong to Be the Main Character in Orario?

Liliruca fled the fourth floor in a panic, but she felt no relief.

She knew the Soma Familia was like a guillotine hanging over her head, ready to fall at any moment and take her life.

Maybe before, she could've believed that saving enough money would let her leave the Soma Familia.

But that "dream" had already been crushed. Now she understood—it had always been a fantasy, something that could never come true.

It didn't matter how much money she saved. As long as she was still alive, she would never escape from the Soma Familia.

'Dream... it was nothing but a dream.'

She could still clearly recall being grabbed and tossed into a swarm of man-eating ants as bait by those bastards in the Dungeon.

The stinging pain on her face served as a brutal reminder that it had really happened, confirming once again that her dream had completely shattered.

She silently made her way to the outer wall at the entrance of the Dungeon and slumped down in the corner.

'I survived.'

Yes, she had made it through ten dungeon levels alive.

She had been convinced she was going to die, but someone had let her go.

Liliruca had never looked at that person's face. Maybe that was part of the reason she was still alive.

'But my hopes are completely gone.'

Tears fell without her noticing.

She didn't even know what to do anymore.

Was the money she had saved still useful? She'd been saving it to escape, but now she realized that money wouldn't help her flee this hellish place. So what good was it anymore?

'This is mercy from the strong to the weak. Don't expect a second time.'

That voice echoed in her ears. Liliruca gritted her teeth and wiped her tears away.

She knew she had to get out of the Soma Familia—that den of monsters wasn't a place for humans.

'But... is there anyone I can rely on?'

Go to the Familia God?

What a joke.

If the god really cared, the entire Familia wouldn't be run by the captain instead.

But if even the god wouldn't help, how could she possibly escape the Soma Familia?

Even if she'd already made up her mind to leave, she never had the means to begin with.

'No matter which Familia I want to join, I still need the god's approval.'

'But how do I convince the god to let me leave?'

'No... honestly, I might not even get to meet the god at all.'

Thinking back, she'd barely ever met the god. Even updating her 'Status' took ages, since the god was too obsessed with winemaking to care about the Familia.

If the god had actually paid attention, things never would've gotten this bad.

That harsh reality left Liliruca feeling completely lost.

She wanted to speak with the god, to plead her case, but now she didn't even have the right to do that.

The moment she had found a shred of hope, it was crushed again.

Just like that person said—she had to prove her worth. But there wasn't a single place where she could do that.

Liliruca stared blankly at the key in her palm, then gripped it tightly.

'The strong only give mercy to the weak once... then I have to seize this chance.'

Yes, Liliruca remembered—there was still someone she could turn to.

She didn't know whether that person would really be able to help her, but maybe everything she'd accumulated until now could give her this one shot.

Her only shot.

But she had to be ready to risk it all.

Liliruca, who had always placed great importance on wealth, looked down at the key in her hand. The hesitation in her heart turned into firm resolve.

The path she had walked was completely cut off now.

It had all been an illusion—empty, like a mirage.

Still, she wanted to leave the Soma Familia. To do that, she had to prove her determination and make use of everything she had.

And right now, the situation had already reached a point of no return.

She had no choice but to make a desperate decision.

With that, Liliruca gripped the key tightly and made her way to the vault where she kept all her savings.

If this money couldn't buy her freedom, then she would use it to meet the conditions she needed to escape.

...

At that moment, the Loki Familia was preparing for a banquet.

Just a few hours earlier, they had concluded their War Game against the Apollo Familia. As expected by all the gods, the game had turned out to be a mere formality.

The result didn't change—Loki's victory was certain.

Even so, Apollo walked away with a shred of dignity.

For a single Familia to hold out against the "Sword Princess" and the "Braver," and even maintain an advantage for a short while—that alone had salvaged a bit of Apollo's dignity.

Though in the end, he had to pay the price: two Familia members and all of his property were taken by Loki. At least Loki hadn't gone so far as to seize Apollo Familia's territory. So this time, Apollo only lost his working capital.

Five hundred million Valis.

It didn't fully patch up Loki Familia's budget shortfall, but it was a decent boost to their remaining funds.

In Loki's room, the two girls who had just joined the Familia were being evaluated.

"Hiss."

Loki couldn't help but drool as she stared at the girl in front of her.

"Tsk, tsk... With your clothes on, you didn't look that curvy. Who knew you'd be this stacked underneath?"

Loki had a lot of patience when it came to cute girls with nice bodies.

And the one in front of her? Honestly, she had an even better figure than Riveria.

Her pale back muscles glistened like gemstones under the magic stone lamp.

Cassandra clutched her clothes to her chest, trembling as she felt the voice and that disturbing gaze from behind.

"Thud!"

Riveria, unable to bear it any longer, slammed her fist down on Loki's head.

"Don't act like a horny creep in front of the newcomers!"

"What was the reason you brought them here in the first place?!"

At that, Loki immediately raised her head.

"Of course it's because they're both super cute!"

That blunt answer made the vein on Riveria's forehead twitch. She couldn't hold back—her fist connected again.

"Bang!"

Did this damn Loki really think recruiting Familia members was the same as picking out concubines?