Akira tilted his head and curiously asked, "Speaking of which, is it really so hard to leave the Soma Familia?"
Lili bit her lower lip, eyes flickering with distress. "Lili has been in the Familia since she was a child. If I want to withdraw, they'll demand a huge withdrawal fee."
"How much?"
"Lili doesn't know the exact amount but it's probably several million Valis at least."
To Akira, that amount was hardly worth mentioning now. But for Lili, young, a supporter, and trapped in such a miserable Familia, it was an impossible mountain. At her current pace, it could take over ten years. Her entire savings so far weren't even one percent of the amount. The dream of leaving felt like it was at the farthest end of the horizon.
"Akira-sama, please save Lili…"
Her voice cracked. In a sudden, desperate motion, she grabbed the corner of his clothes. Her small body trembled as she pleaded.
"Lili really doesn't want to stay there anymore. Please… please lend me the money. I'll definitely repay it. As long as I can escape… I can offer anything, even my body... uh, my labo.!"
"Don't get worked up. And… body? Pfft!"
Akira couldn't help it, he reached out and gently patted her head to calm her, but his eyes inevitably wandered, scanning her from head to toe.
Lili caught his gaze instantly. Although it lacked the cruel mockery she often saw from others, those who laughed at the short stature and thin frames of Pallums, there was still a certain teasing glint in his eyes. The unspoken meaning of "What exactly could you offer with that little body?" was written all over his face.
Her cheeks flushed crimson in an instant. The dignity of a girl had been provoked. Her normally dull brown pupils seemed to light up with a spark of fiery indignation.
"Don't look down on Lili just because she's small now. Lili will grow up in the future."
She even patted his arm in protest, half like a spoiled child, half like a kitten trying to claw back pride.
Akira chuckled at the sight, her anger and embarrassment only made her look cuter. Still, he quickly erased the teasing from his expression and spoke seriously.
"Alright, alright, I wasn't mocking you. But you're still young, so don't just throw around words like 'body.'"
He gently tapped the back of her hand, urging her to calm down.
"…Yes." Lili nodded hard and scooted back to sit on the bed again, though this time she was noticeably closer to him than before.
Seeing this, Akira reached out on impulse, cupping her small face in both hands and rubbing her cheeks back and forth. Her skin, though often hidden under layers of dirt from daily hardships, was still as soft and delicate as any eight-year-old's.
Lili didn't quite know how to react to the unexpected affection. She wanted to protest but the warmth in his hands was something she had never felt before. It made her voice come out muffled and incoherent.
"Wuuwuuwuu... Akira-sama. "
"Don't worry, Lili." Akira finally stopped, smiling as he spoke in a tone as light as a breeze. "Since you want to leave the Soma Familia, I'll give you a hand."
Lili froze for a moment. Then her eyes immediately filled with tears again, this time, warm and glistening rather than bitter.
"Thank you… Akira-sama… Lili really doesn't know how to repay you…"
"Don't think about repayment. Just focus on leaving that place and starting a new life." Akira said, smiling gently. "Also, stop crying. We can talk about the future later."
Could they really get her out?
Akira's lips curved slightly.
Funny question.
The Soma Familia's top members were a Level 2 captain named Zanis and a single Level 2 dwarf, everyone else was Level 1.
And Astraea Familia? Their lowest ranked member was Level 2, and several were already at the threshold of Level 3.
If they wanted, they could crush Soma's group without effort.
If the withdrawal fee wasn't accepted? Well, there were always other methods.
In Orario, strength was the true voice of reason. At worst, they could simply declare a War Game.
A duel between Familias under the watch of the gods, where the winner could take everything from the loser, wealth, territory, even their members. It was, in essence, a proxy war between deities.
Of course, normally it was done to seize assets but rules were rules.
"Eh?" Lili blinked up at him, startled out of her tears. "W-Wait… what did you just say?"
"I mean, once you leave the Soma Familia, where do you plan to go?" Akira asked.
Lili froze. She had never actually thought about it before. On instinct, she blurted out, "Maybe… Astraea Familia? Akira-sama's Familia?"
Some part of her still wanted to stay near Akira, to repay him, or perhaps simply because his presence made her feel safe.
"Not impossible." Akira thought, rubbing his chin.
'But if I bring her back, will Leila start thinking I have a thing for Pallums?'
Then a thought struck him, and his eyes lit up.
"Actually, why not join the Demeter Familia? Lili's so cute, I'm sure Demeter-sama would agree in an instant."
Not to mention, she still owed Akira a favor.
Lili's gaze darted around, her mind scrambling for an excuse, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing came to her. Her lips trembled, tears welling up in her eyes as she finally blurted out, "Akira-sama, why do you want to send Lili to the Demeter Familia? I… I still want to stay by your side and repay your kindness. Do you dislike Lili?"
"That's not it." Akira quickly denied, scratching his head with a troubled look.
"I see… I didn't expect Akira-sama to be so distressed." Lili sniffled, her voice breaking as she tried to force a smile. "Then… Lili will join the Demeter Familia like you said. That is… that is…"
Her words faltered. The truth was, she simply couldn't think of a good reason to join the Astraea Familia. The thought made her heart ache.
Akira had already done so much for her, asking for more felt shameless.
Seeing her tangled expression, Akira let out a quiet sigh. He reached out, gently patting her head as if trying to smooth away her troubles.
"Alright. I'll go ask Astraea-sama. Having a supporter isn't a bad thing."
Lili froze. Her eyes went wide, a glimmer of hope sparking to life within them. The tears clinging to her lashes hadn't yet fallen, but now they were paired with a smile so bright it could chase away the gloom.
'I don't even know how many times I've cried today. I must look so pitiful.' She thought, feeling a twinge of guilt.
Akira could only smile helplessly at her sudden shift.
He lightly tapped her nose and said, "I only said I'd ask. Astraea-sama is always kind, so she probably won't refuse but joining a familia isn't a casual matter. You'll have to be ready to go on adventures with us and to face all kinds of dangers together."
"I'm not afraid of difficulties." Lili declared with surprising firmness. "As long as I can stay by your side, Akira-sama, no matter what happens, I can overcome it."
"Yeah, I believe you." Akira replied.
But inwardly, he sighed.
Lili's combat talent was... honestly, quite low. If she really joined the Astraea Familia, he'd have to ask Lyra to personally teach her how to fight and maybe, just maybe, find some way to strengthen everyone in the future.
For now, the only skill Lili had that truly stood out was her transformation magic—Cinder Ella. She even demonstrated it for him.
It was admittedly adorable. But it came with a big flaw. She could only transform into someone with a similar physique. And since she was a pallum, barely 120 centimeters tall, that severely limited her options.
Still, Akira could already think of more than a few clever, tactical uses for it.