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

Let's go back 15 minutes...

The Loki Familia was in the middle of bustling banquet preparations when Liliruca arrived at their gate, carrying all her belongings.

As she approached, the guard noticed her, and Liliruca pulled back her hood without hesitation, revealing her identity as a Pallum.

"Adventurer-sama, I'm looking for the 'Braver' of the Pallum."

The guard was momentarily taken aback, noticing the injuries on her face and the unwavering determination radiating from her small frame.

"What business do you have with the captain?"

"...I hope the 'Braver' will help me, for the sake of our shared race. I can't go on living like this."

Seeing the Pallum before him—and knowing the captain was also a Pallum and deeply committed to helping others—the guard understood he couldn't simply turn her away.

"Vid, come take a look."

After calling over his companion, the guard turned back to Liliruca.

"Wait here."

He quickly headed inside the Familia.

At that moment, the Loki Familia was actively preparing for the upcoming celebration. As captain, Finn was overseeing and assigning tasks.

While he was in the middle of coordinating things, the gatekeeper came rushing in.

"Captain."

"There's a Pallum at the gate asking to see you. She says she's hoping for your help as a fellow Pallum."

Finn paused slightly. That phrase—"as a fellow Pallum"—carried real weight. If she was saying that, she must truly have nowhere else to turn.

'As a fellow Pallum...'

A sense of helplessness and sorrow welled up inside him. In Orario, the Pallum were still considered the underdogs.

Even so, Finn gently set aside the ribbon he was holding.

"Tione."

"Here, Captain!"

Like a sudden gust, the tanned figure who had just been out of sight appeared in front of Finn, trailing a heady perfume and her usual intense affection.

"You really don't have to be so dramatic."

Finn had long since grown used to Tione's open displays of affection. After a silent complaint to himself, he handed the ribbon to her.

"Tione, I've got something to take care of. Can I leave the rest to you?"

Tione's eyes sparkled. She never refused anything the captain asked. Immediately, she grabbed his hand.

"Leave it to me, Captain~"

That suspiciously drawn-out tone earned a helpless look from Finn. He was more than used to her antics.

After some effort, he finally managed to pull his hand free and turned away with a resigned smile.

"Let's go."

The gatekeeper nodded and led the way.

Soon, Finn saw her—a fellow Pallum standing at the gate with her hood lowered. The fresh scratches on her face were clearly the result of scraping against the ground.

But what caught Finn's attention wasn't her injuries—it was the clarity and determination in her eyes. There was no fear, no despair.

'Looks like she didn't come here just to beg for help.'

That thought sparked Finn's interest. He wanted to know what this fellow Pallum had come to ask.

The curiosity made his steps quicker.

Liliruca finally stood face-to-face with the one known as the 'Braver'—Finn Deimne, the Pallum who stood at the top of their people and still kept moving forward.

She took a deep breath and pulled a bag from her chest, filled with all the possessions she owned.

"This is all the money I've saved over the years. It's not much, just 8 million Valis."

"Braver-sama, I hope you can help me, for the sake of our shared race."

Finn glanced at the young girl before him. He could tell she wasn't an adventurer—she was a supporter.

Eight million Valis. For a supporter to save up that much, she must have done a lot, and not all of it good. Yet she brought all of it here without hesitation.

Finn understood—this fellow Pallum had come prepared.

He didn't reject her. Instead, he simply reached out and took the bag.

Liliruca let out a quiet breath of relief, bowed slightly, and expressed her thanks.

"Thank you."

Seeing her humbled posture, Finn felt a tangle of emotions.

"Come in. We can talk inside."

"...Thank you."

Liliruca lifted her head. She didn't cry. This was her decision—a change she chose to make herself. There was no reason to cry. She followed him through the Familia's inner gate.

...

Finn led her to the courtyard. It was quiet—just the two of them. With the Loki Familia busy preparing for the banquet, the courtyard was the perfect place for a private conversation.

"As a supporter, saving up that much must have been incredibly difficult, huh?"

Liliruca could tell that the Braver had guessed what she'd done. But she didn't care anymore.

"Yeah. I did a lot of things I shouldn't have."

"I stole from Adventurers, even killed some for money, then scavenged their belongings and sold them."

"I did a lot of dirty things. Because of my selfishness, twelve adventurers died—indirectly, but still because of me."

In the past, Liliruca would never have spoken of such a shameful past.

But now, it didn't matter. The road ahead left her with only one option. If this didn't work, then she might as well be dead.

"Lili is filthy. So dirty she doesn't even deserve to live."

"But that's exactly why Lili wants to live."

"I stained my hands with blood, did horrible things... all just to survive."

Her eyes reddened slightly as she spoke.

She looked up at the moon hanging in the night sky. It had been so long since she last looked at it—because she knew she'd never be able to reach its light. She would always be trapped in the dark.

"Supporters really have no place in this world."

"We carry gear for Adventurers, extract magic stones from monsters, do all the grunt work. But no matter how hard we try, we only get ten percent of the earnings. Sometimes, even less."

"And the reason is always the same—because Supporters don't fight."

That was the painful reality she knew all too well.

That was her life as a supporter.

"At first, I didn't complain much. The Adventurers weren't wrong—Supporters don't fight. So even if I only made a little each day, Lili could accept that."

"But sometimes, they'd even extort Lili. Saying things like, 'You should be grateful I'm letting you come to the Dungeon.' Then they'd shamelessly take the results of all my work."

"But Lili had her own goal."

"So, Lili began targeting the Adventurers."