Successfully suppressing the Soma Familia, Roy dragged Zanis who was like a dead dog. The group entered the mansion, and under Lili's guidance, came to a certain room.
Even though outside was fighting fiercely, the entire Familia suppressed, this room's door remained tightly shut.
Pushing open the door, a dense wine fragrance assaulted their noses. Roy, Ryuu, and the others' faces changed, even producing a momentary hallucination.
Looking carefully, the room was like a study, but extremely spacious. Various materials were placed on the table, and countless bottles and jars.
A man used a wooden stick to stir the wine liquid in one jar—that was the aroma Roy and the others smelled. The unfinished Divine Wine could already produce hallucinogenic effects.
Lili murmured, "Lord Soma—"
The divine presence emanating from this man proved he was a God, but far from the glamorous and dashing main gods of other Familias. He wore work clothes, his entire body covered in soot, unkempt. Long hair hung down, covering the part of his face above his nose.
Hearing Lili's call, Lord Soma only raised his head, glancing at Roy and the others through his hair strands, then continued brewing Divine Wine.
Roy said, "Lord Soma, your Familia members, in order to drink Divine Wine, swindle and deceive in Orario, bullying the weak to obtain money. Now suppressed by us, could you please come out to preside over the overall situation?"
Soma seemed to not hear at all.
Seeing this, Ryuu, Daphne, and Cassandra didn't know what expressions to show. When Familia children were harmed, any God would have obvious emotional fluctuations—anger, worry, concern. But the Soma before them was completely different.
His own Familia suppressed, he ignored it, tightly shutting the door, continuing to brew wine, as if everything in the world had nothing to do with him—a pure attitude of giving up.
Regarding Soma's disregard, Roy didn't mind, but said, "All Familia members are addicted to Divine Wine's deliciousness. You must be very disappointed."
The wooden stick stirring the wine liquid in Soma's hand showed stagnation.
Ryuu and the others looked at Roy incredulously. A miracle—actually able to make this God shift his attention.
"Lord Roy, what do you mean?" Lili asked with trembling eyes.
Roy spoke with compassion for the world, "Most Gods descend to the lower world because they're interested in humans. Otherwise, they would certainly stay in Heaven as omnipotent Gods.
What can make a God so disappointed, turning a blind eye to everything, can only be something he once placed high hopes upon. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment."
Hearing this, everyone's spirits stirred. Connecting with Roy's previous words, they seemed to understand something—the root of the Soma Familia's chaos to this day.
Soma slowly raised his head, staring at Roy. It was actually an outsider who understood his inner thoughts.
After Soma descended, same as in Heaven, he remained addicted to brewing fine wine. But brewing fine wine cost money. Thus, for his own interest, and for the children following him, he established a Familia.
But the Familia never earned much money. Soma, to make members work harder, decided to give everyone a prize—Divine Wine brewed by himself.
But what he didn't expect was that members who tasted Divine Wine had their minds controlled by the pleasure it brought, becoming crazily addicted to Divine Wine.
This made Soma feel extremely disappointed.
Afterward, Soma was unwilling to interfere with Familia internal affairs, turning a blind eye to the Familia's chaos.
Lili's small face was pale. She originally thought the Familia's chaos was caused by Lord Soma letting things go.
But the root cause was Familia members unable to control themselves. After tasting Divine Wine's deliciousness, they willingly degenerated, using all means to raise money, purchase materials, only to let Soma continuously brew Divine Wine.
What could Soma, seeing all this, do? Kick all members out of the Familia? This was a lose-lose outcome. He could only choose to turn a blind eye.
Roy said, "Lord Soma, want to gamble with me once? If someone can drink your Divine Wine and remain sober, from then on you must seriously manage the Familia."
Because Roy spoke his inner thoughts, Soma developed a trace of interest in Roy, "If it's you, I don't doubt you can remain sober." Level 3 Roy definitely possessed the "Abnormal Resistance" development ability, Divine Wine's side effects would weaken.
"It's not me, but her!" Roy shook his head, moving his gaze to Lili.
"I—I can't do it, Lord Roy." Lili let out a frightened cry.
At age six, when the greedy Zanis Lustra became Familia captain, the Soma Familia's chaotic situation became even worse than before. Lili was also persuaded by Zanis to drink Divine Wine, becoming crazily obsessed with pursuing Divine Wine.
Later, unable to get money, and being bullied by Familia members, she had no choice but to flee the Familia. By chance, she was taken in by the flower shop's old couple.
"Believe in yourself, you can do it." Roy squatted down, meeting eyes with Lili. His calm emotions quickly infected this Pallum girl, letting her calm down.
Roy knew that Soma's "root of illness" lay in his own Familia. As an outsider, even if he poured several dozen jars of Divine Wine into his stomach, he couldn't shake Soma's heart. It must be a member of Soma's Familia.
"Drink it, prove it to me."
Giving face to Roy, Soma, who had long been disappointed in Lili, picked up a jar of fermented Divine Wine and placed it before Lili.
Smelling this smell deeply engraved in her brain, Lili's small face showed a trace of paleness. She only had fear toward Divine Wine, no attachment.
Under Roy's encouraging gaze, Lili extended her two small hands, lifting that jar of Divine Wine, taking a small sip.
Divine Wine's terror had no relation to how much was drunk. Even if only a drop, the effect was the same.
Lili's petite and exquisite body became rigid, her eyes blurred, her face completely red, licking her rosy small lips, as if transforming into a greedy little demon.
Daphne and Cassandra's faces showed worry. Ryuu's hand gripping her wooden sword tensed slightly.
"Seems you lost." Soma mocked, also as if mocking himself. He had absolute confidence in his Divine Wine—even Gods would be charmed by it.
"That may not be so."
Roy shook his head, "Lord Soma, perhaps you should believe in your own Familia member a bit more."
The next moment, Lili drew the shortsword at her waist, stabbing it into her own thigh. Fresh blood splattered.
Intense pain let her recover a trace of clarity.
Lili's tears fell, choking, "Lord Soma, please, seriously manage the Familia from now on!"
Lili's movement was so swift. Everyone present didn't react in time, disbelievingly looking at Lili—she actually had such determination and ruthlessness.
Soma, sitting firmly on the fishing platform, was startled into standing up.
Lili was bathed in tears. Her parents didn't care for her. She could live until she began to remember things because she was cared for by Soma during her infancy.
But since being attracted by Divine Wine, she never went to Soma's room again.
She couldn't indulge in Divine Wine's deliciousness, or else the flower shop would be destroyed, Lord Soma would be completely disappointed in all Familia members, and would also make Roy lose the bet.