Meanwhile, on the northern side of the Starfall Forest.
Not far from the kobold tribe, high up in a large tree.
A petite girl's figure was quietly lurking, a pair of snow-white, holy wings folded behind her back.
The girl was none other than Mikael.
At this moment, she had her eyes closed, praying devoutly.
Suddenly, a familiar voice echoed in her mind, sacred and majestic, yet filled with gentleness.
It was the voice of the Mother Goddess!
Her pale gold eyes instantly lit up, her tense posture relaxed, and an irrepressible joy and reverence flooded her face. She immediately bowed her head and answered:
“Mother Goddess!”
“Yes, Mikael,” Iluvia said softly. “Has something happened?”
Hearing this, Mikael suppressed her joy, her expression turning solemn and serious as she began to report her findings:
“Mother Goddess, I have discovered that those kobolds seem to be planning something big lately. They have been continuously making pre-war preparations.”
She paused before adding: “Furthermore, a merchant caravan arrived today. The kobolds purchased a large amount of equipment and supplies from them. That caravan consisted of both humans and trolls, and they came from the west side of the Starfall Forest.”
After listening, Iluvia's gaze darkened slightly.
The reaction of the kobold tribe was within her expectations.
Since she had eliminated Mosator's God-Favored last time, the other party would definitely take action.
However, launching a war with kobolds? Instead of sending an incarnation?
Hmm... It seemed her previous guidance had worked. Could Mosator really believe she was a newly born deity? Though, in a way, that was actually true.
But starting a war...
Did he want to wipe out her believers to weaken her power?
It seemed Mosator's condition was even worse than she had imagined.
Was he wary because his injuries had worsened after she destroyed his incarnation last time?
Iluvia speculated.
And a merchant caravan composed of humans and trolls...
Furthermore, they came from the west side of the Starfall Forest.
If she recalled correctly, that area should be troll territory, right?
A human merchant caravan mingling with trolls and trading with kobolds was highly suspicious no matter how she looked at it.
Thinking of this, she couldn't help but frown, then asked in a deep voice:
“Mikael, did you hear where they came from specifically?”
Mikael tilted her head, thinking back carefully. “Hmm... They were speaking too quietly, and the distance was a bit far, so I couldn't hear clearly. However—”
Her eyes lit up. “I remember their caravan's logo! There was a ferocious black wolf's head painted on the side of their carriages!”
“A ferocious black wolf's head...”
Iluvia softly repeated.
She wasn't familiar with the logos of local human chambers of commerce, but she suddenly remembered the young girl the players had rescued, Loria. Didn't she come from the Silver Leaf Chamber of Commerce in Tecabelo? She would surely know.
However, she couldn't possibly ask her in person, so she would just hand the task down to Lilith.
With this in mind, Iluvia instructed:
“Mikael, you continue to stay here, keeping a close eye on the kobolds' movements. If there are any further anomalies, let me know immediately.”
“Remember, protect yourself and absolutely do not expose your presence.”
“I shall obey the Mother Goddess's oracle!”
...
Meanwhile, in the player town of Castellan.
After settling the native believers, the players naturally became curious about where they came from. Using the excuse of helping out, they began to ask about new maps.
This casual inquiry immediately dug up a piece of major news.
“There's an ocean to the east of Windhaven Town!”
“For real?”
“I asked the elf lady! There really is an ocean!”
“Holy crap! Doesn't that mean there's a beach?”
“I don't know about a beach, but I know there are definitely mermaids!”
“Mermaids? Who'd you hear that from?”
“The elf lady mentioned it accidentally! She said she has a mermaid friend from the ocean!”
“A mermaid? That means a beautiful mermaid! This game actually has a mermaid race?!”
“I want to see! Nobody stop me! I'm going to see the mermaids!”
The news spread like wildfire among the players, and before long, the entire player base was in an uproar.
Especially those who lived inland in reality and had never seen the ocean in their lives—they were as excited as if it were New Year's.
“I've lived for over twenty years and never seen the ocean with my own eyes! The game should at least let me take a look!”
“Exactly! The ocean in reality is too far, so why can't I go see the one in the game?”
“Let's go, let's go! To the temple to use the teleportation array to Windhaven Town!”
“I'm going too! Party up, party up! Anyone want to go together?”
“To see the ocean and mermaids—and see if we can trigger some hidden quests along the way!”
Thus, very quickly, a large crowd of eager players gathered around the teleportation array in front of the Temple Square.
They were just waiting to use the teleportation array to set off.
Inside the Temple of Light.
Nan Cheng and Bing Lin were reporting the progress of settling the believers to Lilith.
Bruce, Energetic Foxfox, and a few other core guild members were also standing nearby, occasionally adding a few words.
“Miss Lilith, the settlement of the residents is basically complete,” Nan Cheng said. “It's just that housing is a bit tight. We'll need to build another batch later. Right now, it's a bit crowded.”
Hearing this, Bing Lin chimed in: “There is indeed a shortage at the moment. However, I will arrange for people to build new houses as quickly as possible. There are already several construction teams working on the open ground, so the efficiency should be quite high.”
Lilith listened intently and nodded slightly. “Thank you for your hard work. Let me know if you need anything at any time.”
With the official business concluded, she planned to head to the side hall to find Shiruya, who was already waiting for her.
But just as she was about to leave, Bruce suddenly swooped in, rubbing his hands together with his signature cheeky grin.
“Hey, Miss Lilith, wait a second! Can I ask you about something?”
Lilith stopped and looked at him in confusion.
“It's about... Windhaven Town,” Bruce's eyes shone. “I heard that place is near the ocean? Is that true?”
The others nearby also pricked up their ears.
This news had taken the town by storm. Nan Cheng was also very curious, but it hadn't been appropriate to ask earlier.
Now that Bruce was stepping forward, he was happy to listen in.
Lilith was taken aback, then smiled gently.
“Yes, Windhaven Town is at the easternmost edge of the Starfall Forest. Not far past it is the Endless Sea. That is my hometown; I grew up there.”
“Wow, Miss Lilith's hometown,” Energetic Foxfox said in surprise.
Bing Lin also raised an eyebrow. Although she frequently conversed with Lilith, this was the first time she had heard her mention her hometown.
“Yes.” As if recalling something, Lilith showed a tender smile.
Speaking of which, she hadn't seen Belise in a long time. While the magic stones weren't completely depleted and the long-distance teleportation array was still operational, she planned to return today with Shiruya to visit. It was just a pity that she didn't have any delicious pastries to bring to Belise.
Left with no other choice, she decided to bring more forest fruits instead.
Seeing Lilith's easygoing tone, Bruce grew bolder. He leaned closer, his smile becoming even more mischievous.
“So... I also heard that there are mermaids in the sea? Is that true? Are they pretty?”
The moment he finished speaking, the smile on Lilith's face instantly vanished.
She took a step back, staring at Bruce with a vigilant and tense expression, her voice full of defensiveness.
“W-What are you trying to do?”
The air instantly fell silent.
Nan Cheng facepalmed, his mouth twitching violently.
My goodness.
As expected of Bruce. He could accurately step on a landmine in less than three sentences.
She was nicely talking to you about her hometown, and you immediately asked if the mermaids were pretty. Weren't you just asking to be shut down?
Energetic Foxfox held back her laughter so hard her shoulders shook, her eyes filled with amusement.
Bing Lin turned her head, pretending to look at the scenery outside the hall, but her ears twitched slightly, clearly waiting to see what would happen next.
Rate on N.U.
