Chapter 39: New Follower

Angora pondered again after he had assigned the two Players with the quest to investigate the Secret Eye Society and saw them off.

First and foremost, the quest itself was definitely unachievable for those two dimwits. It was only by chance that they ran into the scouts they captured, and Angora would definitely be the first to doubt that they could infiltrate the Secret Eye.

If anything, it would be nice if they did not lure the enemy here.

Either way, he must assign the new mission to other Players.

“I have the game coins, but the yield points are going to be an issue.” Angora scratched his head in distress.

After the players had joined, the town’s crop production was a lot more rapid. The additional food could also be exchanged for a considerable sum, which allowed Angora to become rich immediately and actually plan for more higher-level crops.

He could afford paying everyone a hundred game coins like it was a drop in the ocean, but yield points were not so easily obtainable.

The yield point system was connected to the prosperity the town, and the prosperity of the town required more construction of houses and buildings. Now that their population had stabilized and there were actually vacant houses, the prosperity rate had almost stopped rising.

That was why the yield points which should be redeemed to buy new buildings was quite precious and must not be wasted.

Angora was touching his chin in thought. There was some beard stubble on it as he was almost reaching adulthood, and it felt rough to touch.

“Have to get some reliable Players for this quest…”

At the moment, the Players whom Angora thought highly of was—aside from Marni who was about to leave—was Edward and his party. Although Marni himself appeared to be another dimwit occasionally and was frequently killed in the most spectacular manners possible, he was still formerly a leader of a merchant convoy. He checks out whether it was interpersonal relationships, teamwork, and mobility.

As for Edward’s group, they seemed to be the earliest believers of the God of Games and were the top in both levels and combat ability, not to mention that both healers in town were in their group.

Most importantly, even if Edward was a little younger than Angora, he took things seriously as the leader of the party—it was an attribute that most Players seemed to lose after obtaining the system, becoming carefree like how they were now…

“Vela, could you help me to call for Edward and…”

Angora turned to Vela, intending to get her to fetch Edward’s group but spaced out when he looked above her. “On your head…”

Her name was written in white words that hovered above her.

“Hmm. It seems that I have made it and become a True Believer of the God of Games.” She smiled sweetly at his blank look.

Recovering, Angora cheered and gave a silly smile as well.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let’s celebrate!”

“Eh? My lord, don’t you have something else to do?” She asked, tilting her head.

“It can wait. Celebrating with you is more important!” Angora said seriously.

“Is, is that so…” The girl’s face was a little red in embarrassment.

“Yeah! If you can become a Player, it means that there’s nothing stopping the other townsfolk from becoming true believers! All of them can be Players! With this, the town is so much safer and powerful!” Angora exclaimed, not noticing Vela’s expression in his excitement. “Is that not worth celebrating?”

“Oh. So we’re celebrating that…”

“Hmm? What’s up, Vela? Why do you look unhappy?

“It’s nothing, my lord. Are we celebrating in the tavern today?”

“Of course. There’s nowhere else to celebrate in town.”

“Good,” the girl grinned dangerously. “Incidentally, I haven’t tried much of their menu.”

“…”

For some reason, Angora started to worry for his wallet when he saw Vela’s sweet smile.

***

In the end, Marni left the town.

“So, the guild has recently built a subsidiary in Wickidor…” He muttered, reading a map and planning his journey as he sat beside the carriage driver. “Even with a carriage, it’s going to be a two-days round trip… no, if I hurry, I might make it back in just a day.”

Marni sighed as he lowered the map.

Even after all he had been through, Marni still found the God of Games and his own System unreal.

Unlike the believers who were limited in knowledge and unaware of the wonders of the System, Marni who was almost thirty had virtually traveled from north to south and almost all of the empire.

At first, he himself did not understand how horrific it was too, even believing that it was not really useful and that it was a trick that believers of the God of Games used for coercing others into their religion. However, Marni’s perspective changed entirely after experiencing it firsthand.

It was something that instantly instructs anyone in sword skills, magic or divine arts. It was so glorious that he would definitely believe that it was a sacred relic that some god bestowed upon mortals.

If he must put a finger on how the System was different from sacred relics it would be that the latter was usually one and only, whereas the System was so numerous that every player in the Starter had one that was virtually identical (Marni is unaware that Eleena’s Saintess-In-Training System was not the same)!

“Even the Seven Heavenly Fathers did not produce so many relics… I really can’t imagine how powerful the God of Games actually is…” Marni felt pulsating vigor once he remembered his powerful backer. “It seems that I must seriously accomplish the quest that God has given me!”

[Get refugees to join the church of the God of Games.]

That was the hidden quest the God of Games had assigned him.

To tell the truth, Marni did not really take the quest seriously. Refugees all flocked to those who have anything to give them—with a piece of bread, they would never bat a lash to bow before an evil god, much less the God of Games.

“No…” Despite his delight from imagining how he would show off his quest reward when he returned, Marni soon calmed down. “It’s not easy to join the church of the God of Games… all of the townsfolk are believers, but none of them are acknowledged by the God of Games himself. In other words, shallow believers wouldn’t do. So can this quest really be done by having them become true believers?”

“Looks like I won’t be back in town in a day and a half. Instead, I should spend some time away.”