009: I Am a Devotee of the Goddess

Having mysteriously transmigrated into a game, Li Cha’s approach was to simply make the best of it.

He was just a penniless newcomer at the start, which was far better than many of his predecessors who had been dropped into world-ending crises. Besides, he was a man with a "cheat," and while Li Cha’s system was a bit peculiar, having one was better than none. As time passed, his situation gradually improved: a place to stay, the status of an adventurer, a source of income, and integration into the city of Saint-Anne.

As an outsider, Li Cha didn’t mind playing it safe. He had even prepared himself to stay in the beginner village until he reached level 10 or even level 20. Yet, somehow, he had still managed to provoke the intelligence agents of this other world? It was no wonder Li Cha felt like cursing out loud.

In an unknown room, a pitch-black gun barrel was pressed against his forehead.

A female voice, distinct from that of the landlady Mary, spoke eerily: "Li Cha, according to the registration records at the Adventurers' Guild, our people went to your hometown, and there is no one there by the name of Li Cha."

Li Cha retorted, "And so? Who says that everything written down must be true? Can you guarantee that every adventurer in this city is like that?"

Freya asked, "Then where are you from?"

"Is it important?"

"If you really want to die here, then it doesn't have to be."

Li Cha let out a long breath. "My hometown isn't in the Redwood Empire. It’s in the north—very far north, where it snows for half the year."

There were only two human kingdoms on the Loren continent. One was the Redwood Empire, where Li Cha was currently located, and the other was Hammer, co-governed by dwarves and humans. In recent years, natural disasters on the continent had been rare, and it was relatively peaceful, but that was all. Border skirmishes between the two countries were the norm, as were small-scale engagements, the details of which were known only to their respective militaries.

Li Cha continued, "Before my old man passed away, the one thing he wanted most was to move to a southern city where the seasons are like spring. I’ve been working toward that goal."

Hearing this, Freya applauded and ordered someone to remove the hood from Li Cha’s head.

With a "whoosh," Li Cha found the light incredibly blinding, and it took several seconds for his eyes to adjust.

It was a spacious room. A rectangular desk, bookshelves, a large chandelier, and the color scheme of the decor was clean and soft—not the typical domain of a man. Across from him stood four figures, three of whom he recognized. They were Mary, the landlady of the Shock Tavern; Harden, the bearded man who had signed his registration form; and Faken, the dwarf.

Finally, standing in the center and just holstering her pistol, was the woman in military uniform. She had long chestnut hair, dark brown eyes, sharp phoenix-like gaze, thin lips, and a cold, expressionless face. She was stunning, from head to toe, especially the long, slender legs encased in tall military boots—even more statuesque than those of the landlady, Mary, standing behind her.

Li Cha glanced at her rank; unsurprisingly, two bars and one star—a Major.

This must be Freya, who had "gifted" Li Cha 20 silver coins.

Freya held a black leather whip in her hand and said indifferently, "Li Cha, a level 3 novice adventurer, I have a curious question: you never left Saint-Anne yesterday, so how did you manage to gather ten Tranquility Flowers and four Glow-weeds to turn into the Adventurers' Guild?"

Li Cha smiled. "It seems my every move hasn't escaped your surveillance."

The dwarf Faken spoke up, "You overestimate yourself, kid. You aren't worth the manpower it takes for us to monitor you."

Li Cha silently summoned his system interface, then silently closed it. The system was unaffected; that was a relief. He said, "What will be the outcome if I refuse to answer?"

Freya replied, "Death."

Li Cha curled his lips. "I am a believer of the Goddess."

Harden, on the other side, laughed. "A believer of the Goddess? My whole family used to be believers of the Goddess, and now, aside from me, they’re all dead. Why don't you pray to the Goddess now and see if she can save your life?"

Li Cha asked, "What constitutes a successful prayer? For instance, what if I sit here and ask the Goddess to send you down to join your parents?"

Li Cha had already realized that Harden was the guy who had punched him twice earlier.

Harden bristled, "You—!"

"Shut up!" Freya interrupted him, then looked back at Li Cha. "You don't look like a believer of the Goddess; you look more like a believer of demons."

Li Cha shrugged. "I am a prisoner. Whatever deity the Major says I believe in, that is who I believe in."

Freya said, "Fine. I can give you one chance: conjure a Tranquility Flower."

Li Cha replied, "I need time."

Freya said, "It is 9:00 AM. If you can conjure a Tranquility Flower out of thin air by 12:00 PM, I might consider letting you off."

Li Cha asked, "Really?"

Freya narrowed her eyes at him, offering no response. She had tested him before, and she still remembered everything that happened when she disguised herself as Mary to enter his room. That man had neutralized her using nothing but his silver tongue. Freya wasn't sure which specific words had fallen into his trap, but her intuition told her never to agree to anything he said easily. It was precisely because of this that she claimed Li Cha seemed more like a demon worshiper. Demons were best at bewitching the heart, leading people to ruin, and achieving their goals through conversation.

Li Cha said, "It won't take until 12:00. One hour is enough."

With that, he closed his eyes and began a one-hour transaction with the system. It was clear that the other party had no intention of letting him off easily.

However, since he was still alive, it meant he had some value to Freya, or to the Intelligence Bureau. What kind of level 3 low-level player would get into a direct conflict with a level 30 boss? Truth be told, if he had known that moving into the Old Shock Tavern would lead to this, Li Cha would have preferred to sleep in a stable for three days!

...

Time flowed slowly. Not far away, a grandfather clock ticked away. Perhaps out of habit, now that Li Cha had sold off his stamina, his eyelids moved with agile speed. The four people across from him stood perfectly still; as Major Freya of the Intelligence Bureau remained silent, her three subordinates stood like wooden stakes, unmoving.

During this time, Li Cha’s gaze flickered toward the landlady, Mary, several times. There was no way he could have been targeted by the Intelligence Bureau for no reason. This was clearly the landlady’s doing. There had been issues with those two transactions, yet she hadn't said a word, instead putting on a performance of being perfectly satisfied. They say women are born actors. Li Cha had thought he could get away with a few more freebies.

Sensing Li Cha’s gaze, Mary glared back decisively. Sergeant Mary of the Intelligence Bureau had always been tough, regardless of whether her opponent was a man or woman. Yet, facing Li Cha, Mary felt a strange, inexplicable sense of guilt.

Suddenly, "Time is almost up, dear believer of the Goddess of Light."

Freya spoke, her military boots clicking as she took two steps forward. Harden and Faken immediately stepped up to search him, top to bottom.

The result, naturally, was nothing.

Harden grabbed Li Cha by the collar and growled viciously, "Kid, didn't you say you were going to send me to see my family? Come on, perform for us!"

Li Cha looked up at him, then shifted his gaze downward to the right.

The pocket that had been empty just moments ago now held five pure white flowers.