55 Death!

Liliruca Arde.

Altair didn't hold any particular malice or goodwill towards her, for one simple reason; she wasn't a character he liked.

It could be admitted that Lili's past was indeed pitiful. After her parents died, she grew up under the oppression of her Familia... an apathetic god and a Familia full of scum. Growing up in such an environment, it was no surprise she was inclined toward the dark side.

Altair didn't see her as particularly despicable, because the real culprits were the scumbags in her Familia.

But that didn't give Lili the right to try to set him up.

After going to the dungeon with her as agreed, Altair gave her enough valis and treated her fairly. He wasn't like a typical person who was overly kind to everyone, but he certainly didn't mistreat others. He gave her the respect she deserved.

Yet, after giving that respect, what he received in return was a betrayal.

She sent a group of scumbag adventurers after him. She was probably nearby too. Her goal wasn't just to kill him. No, she planned to have these adventurers cause trouble for him, and then swoop in to reap the benefits.

"Originally, I had intended for Bell to save you, allowing you to live out the life according to the established storyline. But I've changed my mind now."

Putting away his lightsaber, Altair quickly scaled the wooden beams of the ruined church, using both his hands and feet. He jumped through the hole blown out by the landmine onto the roof, standing there as he scanned the surroundings.

The church was in a remote area, with little light around. Under the moonlight, Altair could clearly see the surrounding area, though it was harder to make out what lay in the shadows.

Still, in one of those corners, he noticed a small head peeking out.

The little head was looking directly at the church.

"Found you."

Altair jumped down from the roof, landing hard enough to crack the ground beneath him, his legs bending sharply on impact, causing him to kneel.

"..."

Damn it. He'd intended to make a cool landing. How did it end up like this?

He knew Tom's Body was flexible, but not this flexible.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Altair quickly got up and dashed towards the direction of the small head.

The figure realized they had been spotted and quickly ducked into the shadows, trying to flee.

But Altair wasn't giving them a chance to escape. He threw a grenade toward their predicted path.

"!!"

The grenade bounced off a wall, landed on the ground, and stopped right in front of the small shadow.

Seeing the grenade, the figure stopped in terror, quickly running to crouch in another corner.

Boom!

The grenade exploded just as they found cover, the roar and flash of light causing the small figure to shrink even further into a ball.

It wasn't a magical grenade, just one of the regular ones Altair had in stock, an old-fashioned shrapnel grenade. Its power was limited. If it had been a magical high-explosive, there would've been no chance of survival.

The explosion had effectively cornered the figure. Altair quickly caught up, blocking the exit with his gun drawn and aimed directly at their head.

"There's no escape now."

"Don't kill me! I didn't do anything! I was just passing by!"

A childish voice came from the shadows, but Altair felt no pity. Holding the gun, he was nothing but a cold, emotionless federal officer.

"Stand up, raise your hands, and walk out from the shadows!"

Yes, even his methods mirrored those of a federal officer.

"Don't kill..."

"Shut up! Stop wasting time. Stand up, walk out, and raise your hands, or I'll shoot immediately!"

The other person clearly understood Altair's intent, though they had likely never used a gun before. Without saying another word, they obediently raised their hands and stepped out from the shadows.

As they emerged under the moonlight, Altair could finally see them clearly. A child, cloaked and hooded, with drooping ears on top of their head... a Chienthrope girl.

But Altair knew better. This wasn't really a Chienthrope girl. This was Liliruca Arde in disguise. In reality, she was a Pallum, not a Chienthrope.

"So, you're the one who sent those guys after me?"

"No, no, it wasn't me! I was just passing by, Adventurer-sama! I happened to see those men storming into the church, so I stayed here to watch..."

Zap!

A magical bullet shot out as a beam of light, piercing the Chienthrope girl's forehead.

The once pleading eyes of the Chienthrope girl immediately dulled, and blood began to pour from the wound. Their expression was one of shock and terror.

They never expected that halfway through their explanation, the other party would simply shoot without giving any chance!

Altair wasn't one to waste time with unnecessary talk. He had already confirmed who it was. That was enough. All the talking was meaningless. He knew what they had done, probably better than they did themselves.

Lili's body fell backward, hitting the ground. It slowly transformed back into her original Pallum form.

This was the same form that Altair had encountered when he first saw Lili at the entrance of the dungeon.

"So, this is her true form."

After disposing of Lili with a single shot, Altair picked up her body and then used his lightsaber to burn away the bloodstains. He returned to the church, tossed her body alongside the four others, and began dismantling the wooden beams.

Unlike with the four adventurers, killing Lili didn't stir any emotion within him. It wasn't because he found it normal, but because her actions had made him furious.

The damaged floorboards were torn apart by Altair and doused with oil. With a flick of his lightsaber, he ignited them.

Altair kept adding fuel to the fire, using his lightsaber to chop the bodies into ash. Once all five were reduced to a pile of ash, he carefully swept them up, collected them into a jar, and stored them in his 4D Pocket... intending to scatter the ashes the next time he entered the dungeon.