Liliruca Arde, just turned fifteen this year, was a pallum girl standing only 1.1 meters tall, with shoulder-length light brown curls.
She had been born during the darkest period in Orario fifteen years ago, spending most of her childhood in a life of begging.
She didn't know what paternal love was, nor maternal love. Her parents—more like strangers—had disappeared forever after a dungeon expedition, leaving no trace in her heart even after their deaths.
The only words she had ever heard from them as a child were: "Go get me more money."
And beyond that…
"So slow, and you want money?"
"Might as well sell her to the brothel."
"No, keep her in the familia; watching her struggle uselessly is far more entertaining."
Ridicule and persecution from adventurers had long become Liliruca's daily life.
When she turned thirteen, perhaps driven by a peculiar yearning for something beautiful, Liliruca awakened a transformation magic called "Cinder Ella".
This ability, even by Orario's standards and the historical records of adventurers, was extremely rare.
With it, Liliruca could transform into any creature, perfectly replicating its racial traits, even temporarily changing her gender.
The closer the form was to her own physique and posture, the less mana it consumed.
So little that even at Lv.1, she could maintain it all day without exhaustion.
Thus, Liliruca embarked on a new path in life.
She began working as a thief, exacting revenge on adventurers who had wronged her.
Unfortunately…
Her targets were too vague.
Not specific individuals, but all adventurers.
As a result, over the past two years, she had repeatedly missed opportunities for genuine kindness.
And even when she realized her mistake later, she would scoff, thinking that those kind-hearted individuals were merely hypocrites acting on a whim.
Until the day before yesterday…
She met a boy who was genuinely kind—so kind that she couldn't find a single reason to malign him.
However…
"Arde, this boy just joined our familia. When you have time, take him under your wing… and don't forget to explain all the 'important points' properly."
The first time Liliruca saw the white-haired, red-eyed boy—innocent like a "rabbit"—he was following closely behind their leader, visibly tense.
Although slightly afraid, the excitement in his eyes still shone brightly.
Naturally, he had no idea what kind of villain was eyeing him.
At that moment, Liliruca could be certain that her leader, Zanis Lustra, had indulged in his usual perverse hobby again.
Years ago, he prevented other members from selling her to the brothel, yet claimed it was more "entertaining" to watch her struggle while staying by his side. And now, just like then, Zanis displayed that same grotesque, sinister grin.
He was not a pretentious good man.
After all, to seize the leader position, he had, upon reaching Lv.2, already suppressed no evil intent and secretly eliminated another candidate who could have become leader.
The corruption of the Soma familia was largely his doing, aside from the negligent main deity.
Unfortunately, none of these ominous clues registered in the white rabbit boy's impatient mind.
"Ah… this guy's hopeless too."
Liliruca muttered that day.
Indeed, she was right.
The very next day…
"To receive Soma-sama's 'Falna,' you need to hand over 100,000 Valis first."
"100,000? …How could I ever get that much money, Canoe?"
"That's none of my concern. Figure it out yourself."
Canoe Belway, a Canine member of the leader's entourage, discarded all pretense of being a "good guy" the moment the rabbit fell into the trap, revealing his usual ugly face.
"Kid, don't think about running. If I catch you sneaking off to another familia, who knows… some important things might just disappear from your body one day, hahaha~"
"And you, Arde, if you can't even handle overseeing people, you know what the consequences will be."
"Yes, Liliruca understands, Canoe."
She answered obediently, yet her heart brimmed with disgust.
Looking at the boy beside her, who seemed to have his dreams shattered, Liliruca felt an unexplainable sense of kinship.
Out of a fleeting sense of goodwill…
"If possible, try not to seek help from strangers."
"Because they may not want to help you, and…"
As she led the dazed boy, she delivered his first lesson:
"You might drag truly kind-hearted people into trouble."
"And later, even the kindness that turns malicious can only result in greater harm to yourself."
These words, this experience, all stemmed from Liliruca's own past.
Once, she naively dreamed of escaping the Soma familia, fleeing Zanis, Canoe, and others.
The result? The kind old couple who had adopted her to run a flower shop were attacked by adventurers.
Their small shop was smashed to pieces, the old man beaten bloody.
When she returned home smiling, unaware of the tragedy, her home was gone.
The elderly couple looked at her with reproach, as if saying silently: If we hadn't taken you in, we wouldn't have suffered this.
From that day, Liliruca accepted her fate.
Even after awakening the Cinder Ella transformation magic, it only shifted her from acceptance to corruption.
Last night, she didn't even know why, but she had told that vacant-eyed boy about these things—her past she never wished to recall, and the darkness of Orario.
Perhaps she hoped the boy wouldn't become like her.
But what use was that?
The boy had already been marked by an unstoppable villain.
He was the new plaything of a demon named Zanis.
Today…
"Without Falna, one cannot register as an adventurer."
"So we can only act as 'supporters,' carrying luggage for those adventurers, picking up magic stones, seeing if they might generously reward us, and slowly accumulating our own wealth."
"And…"
Babel was still under repair.
Liliruca carried a massive backpack, continuing the "lesson" for the rabbit boy.
He was, after all, just an ordinary person. His capacity was limited, and his pack was far smaller than Liliruca's.
It was even an old model she had lent him temporarily.
Liliruca looked at the white-haired boy beside her, knowing no one wanted a poor, incompetent supporter.
100,000… even for her, it was no small sum. For the boy, earning that much was nearly impossible.
Moreover…
"100,000 is just the beginning."
Liliruca gave a sincere warning born of goodwill:
"If a big familia takes interest in you, seize the chance to escape. Never let yourself fall under Soma-sama's 'Falna.'"
"Otherwise, it will all be too late."
=============
100 Power Stones = Bonus Chapter
140+ advance chapters available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria