"That's the thing. If you're a Favored Class holder, gods will just contact you whenever they like." ~Maxims, Guild Master of the Gaiamaxims Guild

Shallies found Grace practicing with her new Mana-Edge. The half-orc performed some basic maneuvers with only her right hand, making sure her fundamentals had caught up with the new Equipment. She wasn't practicing the Mana-Edge Wave Skill that came with the weapon yet.

For a while, the Godkiller observed silently from afar. She was tapping into her Focus, utilizing the distance so that she wouldn't bother the half-orc. Only when Grace was done with her routine did she make her move.

Shallies took a pebble and held it in between her fingers. In quick succession, she made her intentions known and quickly flicked the stone straight to Grace's face.

The half-orc didn't disappoint, catching onto the intent and instantly becoming alert.

Her first Mana-Edge, its yellow blade radiating with a loud hum, burst to life from her left hand and disintegrated the pebble. Shallies smiled and approached.

"Mana-Edge Sentinel," she started, making herself known. "Congratulations."

"I thought we were under attack!" Grace complained, sighing and relaxing. "Thank you. The new Mana-Edge gave me the extra push."

"It's a pretty nuanced Class," Shallies started. "Most adventurers don't like the idea of wielding a weapon in each hand. Rather than doubling their effectiveness, doing so halves your potential most of the time."

"Did I make the wrong choice?" Grace asked, her expression slumping.

"No, not really. What I said earlier was an old-fashioned mentality, from when every Class had traditionally allowed for one weapon only. The Mana-Edge Sentinel Class was specifically made for wielding two Mana-Edge weapons. Same was the deal for Berserkers, like your father. Your Off-hand Equipment Slot should now have two parts."

"One for the Armguard, and another for a second Mana-Edge," Grace confirmed.

"That's right. You should still be able to protect yourself with it. Besides, you've never used it, ever since learning Parry."

The half-orc blinked, realizing the truth. "You're right! But… I feel a lot safer with it on my arm. Even if it's just a placebo."

"Well, I'm not taking it back, don't worry. If nothing else, it'll be something that can provide you with some flexible enchantments."

"Like what?"

"Well, since you're not using it defensively, most defensive enchantments aren't going to be useful for you. But only take that as a suggestion. If you're relying on it as a fallback option, investing actual defensive enchantments on it would still be a good idea, even if you don't utilize them all the time."

"I'll think about it. I guess that means I'm done with my requirements for this dungeon, right?"

"Well, you can catch up to Ren and Tayin's objective now, if you want."

"That's Level 30 on the second Base Class, right?"

"Yeah."

"Is it possible to ascend it to Advanced Class in this dungeon?"

Shallies pondered for a moment. She could tell them about the underwater monsters, but decided against it. They weren't equipped enough to fight them in such a disadvantaged situation.

"I doubt it. Even if you kill all the monsters here, it won't be enough experience for another fifty levels, since the amount you need to level up becomes exponentially greater than the previous one."

"But Level 30 is plausible?"

"Well, if Ren and Tayin keep investing in their Advanced Class, they won't have enough to get 30 for their Base Class. You should definitely warn them about that."

"Alright. I guess for me, that means I can't even push my Mana-Edge Sentinel to Level 3, then?"

"You should. Getting Mana Weaver to Level 30 is just a bonus objective for you. I recommend that you match your teammates' Advanced Class Levels before you start investing in your second Class."

"Ah, yes. I got it!"

Shallies nodded. "In the meantime, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Bacon and Egg Fried Rice."

"I can do Spicy Honey-Glazed Bacon, if you want," Shallies suggested. "For the chuchili buff, you know?"

"Oh, I forgot about it! Yes, please!"

"One-hundred percent?"

"One-hundred percent!"

"Coming right up!"

"Oh, Shallies," Grace began, scratching the back of her head. "You're not going to tell us what you did last night, are you?"

The Godkiller simply shook her head. "I can't promise you if I'll ever tell you about it, Grace. But if I ever can, then I will."

With the honey helping to mitigate the kick from the chuchili, Grace, Ren, and Tayin all took their breakfast at a hundred percent spiciness. The half-orc appreciated the milder intensity, but it looked like the halfling was still a little struggling.

"I'm sweating!" Ren said, reaching for his glass of milk. "But it's so worth it! And it's so good!"

"I should probably point out," Shallies started, "I don't think we'll always have something spicy for breakfast. We're in a dungeon so I'm making exceptions. But as far as I know, none of you are accustomed to spicy breakfasts, right?"

"Definitely not!" Tayin said.

"Lady Shallies, can I just have some normal bacon, please?" Valor'el asked. "I don't need the Food Buff."

"You don't want to try the honey spice?"

"Maybe some other time. Please."

"You big baby." Shallies made quick work. "Here you go."

"Can…" Grace started, a thought coming into her mind. She hesitated.

"Hmm?"

"Can we stack more of the chuchili Food Buff?"

"I never checked," Shallies said with a smile. "Do you want to try it? I still have some of the Ground Beef Chuchili from yesterday."

"Can't Stachie just check it?"

"No, I'm pretty sure you have to actually test it out, Grace. Right, Stachie?"

[Yes, yes. Indeed. I'm pretty curious about it myself. Would you mind trying it out, Grace?]

Grace gulped. The thought of eating more spicy food made her salivate in defense, rather than anticipation. She looked at the Food Container with the Ground Beef Chili.

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"She's baiting you, Grace," Tayin said, before rushing to drink her milk. The small relief it provided the halfling made her exhale. "She just wants to see if you're going to subject yourself willingly to more pain."

Grace blinked. "Is that true?"

Shallies made a disappointed smile, like a younger sister who just lost some long-awaited entertainment. She sighed.

"Yeah… When it comes to Food Buffs, you only get the benefit from one ingredient regardless of how many different dishes you eat. Even if they're from different Chefs. But you didn't have to bust me out like that, Tayin."

"Sorry, Shallies. She's part of our party. We protect our own."

"And I'm not!?"

"Technically," Ren said. "Unless you come adventuring with us. But that'd defeat the purpose of our training."

Grace didn't even stop herself, lifting Shallies by the shoulders and proceeding to shake her vigorously.

"Aaaaaahh!" The Godkiller's voice vibrated as she closed her eyes and accepted her fate.

"That's the second time, Shallies! Stop having fun with my suffering!"

"It waaas just a miiiild joooke!"

From her peripheral vision, Grace could see Valor'el rising from his seat. Without even thinking about it, she threw the seraph the meanest glare she could muster. And it seemed to work. He sat back down.

"I'm sorry, Lady Shallies. You brought this upon yourself."

"But what if it worked?" Shallies said. "What if you had actually gotten something out of it? Discoveries and innovations can't be achieved without risks!"

That made the half-orc stop. The Godkiller had a point. Even if it wasn't entirely the same as the chuchili Food Buff, even if it didn't give her the same experience boost, a new Food Buff would still be beneficial. Before she could even think about agreeing to be the experimental subject, however, Shallies started laughing.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Grace. I should stop making these kind of jokes from now on, or you might never trust me again," Shallies said and Sight Stepped out of half-orc's grasp. "I'll go give you your Guiding Star buffs. Then get out of here."

After sending the kids back into the wilderness of the dungeon, Shallies started cleaning up. Valor'el was preparing to leave to meet with Hydrangea about keeping the dungeon open. All the while, she could feel him snatching glances at her.

"It's their second day, Val. They're not going to kill the boss and close the dungeon on their second day."

Shallies knew this wasn't the reason why the seraph was taking concerned looks at her. But she gave him a way out of the conversation regardless. He sighed.

"So she is a reincarnation," he concluded, refusing to drop the topic. "Who's?"

"It doesn't matter who," Shallies began. "They're not going to be the same person anyway."

There was a long pause. Then finally, Valor'el sighed again.

"I shall dare not pry, then. Is there anything you need me to buy from town?"

"You want some fish for dinner?"

"It would be a nice change of pace."

"Then shop around for some fish, and other seafood you want to eat. I want to check if making a chuchili-based sauce would still provide the same Food Buff effect.

"Oh, and take this too," Shallies said, opening her Class Inventory and retrieving a coin in the shape of an apple. "If Hydrangea asks why you didn't show it when you first met, tell her that Godkiller Apple didn't want you using it then, but you got permission now after suggesting the proposal. We'll make it seem that it's your idea, if that's alright with you."

"I don't have a problem with that. This coin serves as her insignia?" Valor'el asked after taking the coin.

"Yep. Since Apple can't write a formal letter, she uses these coins to provide her authority to others. She'll know right away that you have it. And she'll retrieve it when she knows you don't need it anymore. I'll let her know what you're going to do with it later."

"Thank you. This should make things a lot smoother."

"Oh, and you can bring the rest of the Ground Beef Chili, and the Honey-Glazed Spicy Bacon. And take a pack of chuchili as well. You can let Hydrangea analyze it and help convince her of its value."

"This should also help prove to her that they actually can't grow outside of a dungeon."

"Well," Shallies started. "Go under the assumption that other possibilities might exist. It's been a few centuries since I've dabbled with this herb. If they can grow this outside of a dungeon, then we have no reason to keep it open."

"Understood."

"Alright. Do you need anything else?"

"I'm all good to go, Lady Shallies."

"Okay. Take care on the road."

With a bow, Valor'el left the Advanced Dungeon. And just like that, Shallies was alone.

Cleaning was quickly done without any distractions left to take away part of her attention. A small peek at her System Console showed Grace and her party's progress. They had gone past the Delve Gate, and were already beginning their first hunt of the day.

After making sure they were still following her route, Shallies turned her attention to her System Console. She didn't want to bother Stachie, who was probably busy preparing the Adventurer's Beginning for the day. Instead, she manipulated screen after screen, until a single name showed up in front of the screen.

Maxims Ya Yobore.

"I can do my own Acts once in a while, right?" Shallies told herself before pressing the call option.

Maxims Ya Yobore, Guild Master of the Gaiamaxims Guild, was lounging in one of the most notorious taverns of Stoneglow City. The Splashing Lagger.

Despite such a wonderful name, the tavern had, due to its history and location, eventually become the gathering spot of rascals and bully personalities. Be they adventurers, foreigners, thugs, or even politicians. The place had a certain allure for such rough people.

Which meant that the prices of food and lodging had gradually dropped from luxurious to chump change. The sort of thing Maxims loved to spend his riches on. Some people, mostly his officers, thought it was an insane thing to do, but he simply thought it was practical.

If it's cheap, I can buy more of it.

Aside from this logical advantage, it also helped him with his desire to act like a commoner. Poor people knew him only by name, so a little change in his introductions was all that he really needed to mingle among them.

"Good morning, Sir Escule," said Bolivelle, the tavernkeeper. An old lady who, in her long experience of managing the place, was eventually respected by the regulars, despite their abrasive behavior.

"Good morning, ma'am," Maxims said, reciprocating the greeting on his alias. "Might I have your recommended meal for today's breakfast?"

"Of course, dear. Seat anywhere you want. I'll be with you in a moment."

With a bow, Maxims took the seat by the corner window and observed the people this morning. Which, if he were to focus on the patrons of the tavern, were nonexistent. Instead, he looked outside.

The Splashing Lagger was at the edge of a rise in Stoneglow City. With its main tavern elevated on the second floor, and its first floor serving as a parking space for mana-engine vehicles, the corner window served as a good place for one to see the main market of the city below.

Of course, one needed to have a generous amount of Focus in order to observe individuals in it up close. Just when Maxims was about to entertain himself by watching a bunch of adventurers settle a squabble with a duel, a System Console Screen appeared in front of him.

[Godkiller Bernadette is calling you. Answer?]

Maxims blinked at his screen. The message stayed the same. He rubbed his eyes next. It still had the message on it. Next he closed and opened the screen with a hand gesture. But the message was still there.

The Guild Master of the Gaiamaxims Guild took a glass of water and gulped it down. He told Bolivelle to hold his breakfast while he checked something in his room, using a halfhearted excuse. Only when he was finally alone, with a veil to soundproof his room, did he answer the call.

"Hello?" he started.

"Three minutes and forty seconds," Godkiller Bernadette started. "Were you in the bathroom or something?"

"Umm… no, ma'am. Sorry, ma'am. I was in a public place." Maxims cleared his throat, doing his best to hide his nervousness. "How can I help you today?"

"I heard you're setting up for Thrush'ven Alir," she began.

The communication was purely audio, but Maxims could hear the sounds of a cackling campfire and the pops of fatty food cooking on it. It was like a call to adventure to him. There was no way he would mistake those sounds for anything else. Thus, he concluded that Godkiller Bernadette was on an adventure.

Of course…

"Yes, ma'am, we are," he replied.

"I need you to do me a favor," Godkiller Bernadette started. "There's an adventurer in Cinterbrim Town, where you'll be going to deal with The Great Storm. Her name's Grace Allturia. She's a Divine Reincarnation and I want you to let her and her teammates join the sub-raid."

There were a lot of questions that quickly formed in Maxims' head. But he asked the most important question first.

"Just the sub-raid?"

"Yes. She's only an Advanced Class holder. It wouldn't be right to give her extra privileges just because she's a Divine Reincarnation. Give them a test of some sort, just to make things more formal."

"I'm assuming she doesn't know, then?"

"Naturally. It would be best for you to keep this information to yourself. I'm sure you already know what happens to anyone who gains this sort of information prematurely."

"Nothing good, yes."

"That's right."

"What will I get in return?" Maxims asked.

It was a favor after all. He knew that the Godkiller knew about his lifestyle and lack of need for anything in a monetary sense. So he was curious to know what he would get in return.

"The Schorcherist Guild is looking for someone to buy a Tower that they've been nurturing for a while now. I'll take it off their hands and give it to you once it's matured into an Abyss Tower. I'll grant you exclusivity rights to it for three years, provided that Grace and her current and future teammates can also access it when they're of the right levels."

"I didn't know that they were selling," Maxims said.

"They've been marketing to gods in particular. Lor and Syfrus have been showing interest, but they're not committing. If you agree with my requests now, then I'll buy it right away. I'll even speed up the maturity so you can have it as soon as you're done with Thrush'ven Alir."

"Please give me a quick moment."

Maxims reviewed the proposal in his head. There was nothing wrong with the deal. In fact, it was so enticing that it took Maxims' entire willpower to hold out on agreeing right away.

There must be something special about this Grace. Aside from her being a Divine Reincarnation.

"Of course, there is," Godkiller Bernadette said. "But that's none of your business."

Maxims blinked. He knew she would be probing his mind. He sighed to himself for having bothered in the first place. There was no saying no to the person who actively kept the balance of Ysvil.

"Yes, ma'am. I shall pry no further," he began. "And yes, thank you for granting my guild this opportunity. As the head representative of the Gaiamaxims Guild, I humbly accept this deal."

"Great. I shall contact you again after Thrush'ven Alir. Remember, you will not mention a thing about Grace to her, or to anyone else. And make sure you don't forget to eat your breakfast downstairs."

Maxims sighed. "Yes, ma'am."

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