Chapter 6 - New Captain!?
After stepping out of the room, Lili confirmed that her legs were still intact.
Even now, she felt as though she were dreaming.
How had she went from being a lowly, bullied member to the captain of Soma Familia?
Moreover, the process had been remarkably smooth.
Soma had handed the position to her without so much as a question.
Lili gazed at the man before her with complicated emotions.
She knew full well that he was the one who had given her all of this.
On her own, she could never have achieved it.
At that moment, her feelings toward Mahiro were equally complex.
Mahiro held a bottle in his hand, shaking it with curiosity.
The bottle was tightly sealed with a stopper, yet faint traces of fragrance still escaped.
The subtle scent was intoxicating.
This was the divine wine Mahiro had requested from Soma.
Item: Divine Wine
Grade: E
Effect: Drinking it brings a soul-shaking thrill, akin to poison.
"Though I can't praise Soma's methods, I must admit his winemaking skills live up to the title of a god of wine," Mahiro remarked.
He gently shook the bottle, listening to the crisp, pleasant sound of the wine sloshing against the walls as its aroma wafted out with each movement.
Mahiro was mildly surprised that this had earned a rating from the system.
After all, the system typically ignored items.
This alone highlighted the extraordinary nature of this wine.
It was aptly named.
"Mahiro-sama, you'd best not meddle with that divine wine," Lili cautioned, noticing his interest in the bottle.
"I've seen too many adventurers lose their senses after drinking it."
"The Soma Familia's current state is largely because of this wine."
Having tasted it herself, Lili knew its terror firsthand.
"Even I was tormented day and night before I finally broke free of its grip."
"Captain Arde, I disagree," Zanis interjected respectfully from the side.
"Those Level 1 adventurers fall prey to the divine wine due to their weak wills."
"For a strong individual like Mahiro-sama, it's merely a drink."
"And he would never become addicted to it—I can guarantee that," he added confidently.
"Besides, it'd be a shame for someone of his caliber not to taste such a peerless wine."
"Hm," Mahiro nodded in response to Zanis's words.
"Indeed, it's just a drink at best."
"Anyone at Level 2 or higher should be able to resist its temptation."
"As expected of Mahiro-sama—you've grasped the crux of it immediately," Zanis said with a smile.
"For Level 2 adventurers, the divine wine may still hold some allure, but it no longer drives them to madness."
"With a bit of resolve, they can stay clear-headed."
Lili opened her mouth to argue but held her tongue.
So, she thought, it's just because I'm weak that I succumbed to the divine wine and drowned in its pleasure?
"If you're afraid of this, then hurry up and reach Level 2," Mahiro said, glancing at Lili with an indifferent tone.
"As the captain of Soma Familia, with access to its resources, if you still can't reach Level 2, I'll wash my hands of you."
"I understand. I'll do my best," Lili replied promptly.
By now, she fully realized she was bound to Mahiro.
The three returned to the hall.
The hall still resembled a frozen wasteland.
Ice sculptures of Soma Familia members stood intact, perfectly preserved.
"Mahiro-sama, are these people still alive?" Zanis asked cautiously.
"They may only be Level 1 adventurers, but they make up three-quarters of the Soma Familia."
"If they all die, the familia's operations will suffer."
"Announce Soma's Order to them," Mahiro instructed.
He took out Hyōrinmaru, and flicked its blade.
With a sharp metallic ring, cracks spiderwebbed across the ice sculptures.
The ice then shattered, falling away piece by piece.
Moments later, the frozen figures regained their vitality.
They stared at Mahiro in abject terror, the memory of being frozen etched deeply into their minds.
None dared to challenge him again.
"I now proclaim Soma-sama's orders," Zanis announced, clearing his throat and raising his voice.
"Everyone here surely knows Miss Liliruca Arde beside me."
"As of moments ago, Soma-sama has appointed her as the new captain of our Soma Familia."
"I will serve as her deputy, assisting Miss Arde."
"Captain? Is this for real?"
"Soma-sama appointed that girl as the captain?"
"Are you serious?"
The Soma Familia members murmured in confusion after hearing Zanis's words.
Liliruca Arde had always been at the bottom of the familia, a frequent target of exploitation.
Yet now, she had transformed—
"Captain? I'm the deputy captain now!" Zanis snapped sternly.
"The captain is Miss Arde beside me—don't get it wrong from now on!"
"As for authenticity, here's Soma-sama's letter. Do you think I'd forge his handwriting?"
As he spoke, Zanis cast an ingratiating glance at Mahiro.
Mahiro nodded faintly, acknowledging Zanis's approach with approval.
Relieved, Zanis continued,
"From now on, Miss Arde will oversee the familia's affairs. Direct all matters to her for instructions."
"Zanis, what in the world are you up to?" a gruff voice suddenly interrupted from outside the hall.
"It's not a rally day—what are you all gathered here for?"
Four figures stumbled in, their faces flushed and their steps unsteady from heavy drinking.
"Canoe, you're finally back!"
Zanis exclaimed, his eyes reddening as he gritted his teeth.
He despised these four with every fiber of his being.
If they hadn't targeted someone they shouldn't have, Zanis wouldn't have faced today's humiliation or lost his position as captain.
Without them, he'd still be the soaring captain of the Soma Familia, not some deputy to a diminutive newcomer.
Among those present, none hated the four—led by Canoe—more than Zanis, not even Lili, who had endured their oppression.
"Boss, look—isn't that the kid standing with the captain?"
one of the four slurred as he staggered forward, his eyes lighting up upon spotting Mahiro.
"It really is him!" Canoe said, excitement cutting through his drunken haze.
"Arde, you little brat, you did well—luring him right into our familia's base camp," Canoe sneered, eyeing Mahiro greedily.
The alcohol clouded his judgment, keeping his thoughts fixated on earlier schemes.
He failed to grasp why Mahiro stood unharmed in the Soma Familia's hall, side by side with Zanis.
"This time, he's ours to toy with!"
"Yeah, he'll spill his Valis-making secrets!"
"And all the valis he's raked in these past days—he's coughing it up!"
The group chattered excitedly, treating Mahiro like a fat sheep ripe for slaughter.
"You fools don't even realize you're already dead," Zanis's face darkened as he said.
"Seize them! If they resist, I don't care if they live or die!"
"They were my targets today. I'll handle them myself," Mahiro said, shaking his head to halt Zanis's order.
"Yes, then please, Mahiro-sama, deal with these traitors to the familia," Zanis replied, branding Canoe and his group as traitors in one breath.
"What the hell are you doing, Zanis?!" Canoe bellowed, his voice cracking with rage.
But in the next instant, his words cut off.
Mahiro's figure flickered, appearing beside him in a blur.
Hyōrinmaru plunged into Canoe's body.
With a chilling crack, Canoe's towering frame turned into an ice sculpture, then shattered, collapsing to the ground in pieces.
The other three, jolted sober by the sight, turned to flee.
But Mahiro was faster.
One by one, they met the same fate as Canoe.
"The cleanup is yours to handle," Mahiro glanced at the scattered ice fragments.
He sheathed Hyōrinmaru and strode out of Soma Familia.