Chương 43: Why Is Mr. Cael Here?

"Are you pawning it?"

"Pawn... No. I do not want to pawn it. Sorry for the trouble." When Lili heard that the watch was worth three million valis, she was stunned. She had never seen that much money in her life. Instinctively, she almost agreed to pawn it. But the gentle face in her mind appeared again, and she gritted her teeth before taking the watch back.

"What a shame. It was my first time seeing a Magic item like that." The white-bearded Prum shook his head regretfully. Lili left the pawnshop and closed the wooden door behind her. She bit her lip, lowered her head, and clutched the object worth several million valis in her hands. All she had to do was pawn it. Then she could get several million valis, fulfill her agreement with Captain Zanis, and ask Lord Soma to release her from the Familia contract. Then she would finally be free. So why?

Why did Lili not want to pawn it? She only had to do what she always did and sell what she had stolen. That gentle smile kept rising in her mind. I wish I could win Lili's affection. I like Lili.

"Mr. Cael..." Lili walked through the alley with her head down, lost and confused. She had no idea what she was doing or what she should do. She did not notice several shadows flickering across the wall. Only when she heard footsteps did Lili snap back to herself. She realized she had been surrounded, and her face went pale.

"M-Mr. Kanu..."

"We finally waited you out, Arde. We have been following you for a while." The middle-aged chienthrope spoke viciously. The shaggy-haired young adventurer walked over with malice twisting his whole face and kicked Lili hard in the stomach without mercy.

"Ah!" Lili slammed into the wall, clutching her stomach in pain. Tears welled from the corners of her eyes.

"How dare you look down on us, you damn Prum." The shaggy-haired young man grabbed Lili by the hair and lifted her. He showed no pity for the girl who was in too much pain to speak and whose eyes were full of tears. Malice twisted his expression.

"You are going to repay us properly for this morning." With that, he threw Lili by the hair. She rolled into a corner, hugged her head, and could not speak through the pain. Only small whimpers escaped her. Blood flowed from her forehead down her cheek. Stolen story; please report.

"Hahaha. We knew you would betray that brat sooner or later. Without him helping you, look how pitiful you are now that we caught you." Lili was grabbed by the hair again. Pain left her able to make only muffled whimpers.

"And who would have thought? You actually had money. A Magic Sword on you, and you even stole this rare treasure from that brat. High-class adventurers really are covered in valuables." The shaggy-haired adventurer picked up what had fallen from Lili. His face was ugly, and his eyes were filled entirely with greed.

"A Magic item worth several million valis. Arde, you really are our lucky star. But this is not nearly enough compensation for what you did to us this morning, right?" The middle-aged chienthrope adventurer walked in front of Lili and stepped on her face.

"A useless Supporter like you keeps playing us adventurers again and again. It would be unreasonable if you paid no price, wouldn't it, Arde?" As he spoke, he drew a short knife from his belt. Moonlight reflected on the blade and fell across Lili's face. Fear shook in her eyes, and only a strained sound came from her mouth.

"Mmph..."

"Heh. Relax, Lili. Killing in Orario gets people blacklisted by the Guild, and if things go badly, we might get banished." The middle-aged chienthrope's eyes turned mocking.

"That brat who teamed up with you pinned my hand to the ground this morning. So I will cut off one of your hands. Fair, right? Hahaha."

"Mmph..." Tears kept falling from Lili's eyes. No matter how she struggled, she could not move the foot crushing her face.

"Of course, you do not have to lose a hand. Hand over all the money you saved. A full one million valis. You are rich, aren't you?"

"Do not look at me like you have seen a ghost. I heard you talking with Captain Zanis back then. Hahaha."

"Choose. Money or your hand. I will count to three."

"One."

"Two." At that moment, a voice filled with fury rang through the alley, shattering the atmosphere.

"Stop." Everyone turned with hostile faces to see who was foolish enough to interfere. The instant they saw him, their expressions changed as if they had seen a ghost. The young high-class adventurer who had teamed up with Liliruca Arde stood at the mouth of the alley, holding a sword glowing with Magic in one hand. His face was furious, and he looked ready to kill.

"What is going on? Why is this guy here?" One of the adventurers from the morning screamed in terror.

"Mr. Cael?" Lili, lying on the ground, struggled to raise her head. She almost could not believe her eyes.

"I will count to three too. Cut off your own right hands, or I will cut them off for you." Cael's eyes were cold, filled with killing intent. He had searched as fast as he could, but he had still been one step late. The sight made anger flare in his chest.

"Why did you find this place? Wait, wait! You do not understand the situation, do you? This brat already betrayed you. You have no reason to help her!" Kanu was covered in sweat, his legs shaking, face pale as he shouted in fear. This boy was a high-class adventurer. Even if all of them attacked together, they would not touch the edge of his clothes. Numbers meant nothing.

"Hmph." Cael did not waste another word on them. He moved before they could react. Lili saw a familiar white flash appear. Then the right arms of everyone who had bullied her separated cleanly from their shoulders, blood spraying through the alley.

"Aaaaaaah!" Shrill screams echoed. Some rolled across the ground in pain. Others clutched the severed wounds and tried desperately to stop the bleeding.

"My hand! Aaaaah!"

"My hand is gone!"

"It hurts! It hurts!"

"I will count to three. If you are still in my sight after that, the next things falling to the ground will be heads." Cael did not even look at them. His voice was cold as he slowly lifted the bloodstained sword.

"Are you insane? Killing in Orario gets you blacklisted and wanted by the Guild!" Kanu's face twisted as he clutched his spraying arm and stared in terror at the young adventurer whose back was turned to them after cutting off all their arms.

"Three."

"Run! He is crazy! This guy is crazy!"

"Help!" Every member of Soma Familia screamed, snot and tears running down their faces, and fled while crawling and stumbling. They did not even care about the arms left on the ground. An adventurer who lost his sword arm would almost certainly never work as an adventurer again. If killing in Orario were allowed, Cael would have cut off the necks of that entire group. He looked at Lili, curled in the corner.

Blood flowed from her forehead, scrapes covered her face, and she clutched her stomach with her face twisted in pain. Yet her eyes stared at him blankly. Cael gave her a gentle smile, crouched down, and asked,"Lili, are you all right?"