Chapter 56: The Smiling Lady

“Timora?”

Xianan was quite surprised by the halfling's faith.

He couldn't help but recall the various occult knowledge he had been cramming recently.

In his impression, compared to "Tyr," the God of Justice and Loss, who possessed numerous knightly orders dedicated to eradicating all injustice;

Or "Bhaal," the God of Murder, who lurked in the depths of the shadows, whose every appearance was accompanied by bloodshed and the Cult of the Blood Skull;

The Lady of Smiles could be described as extremely low-profile.

She was neither enthusiastic about aggressively spreading her doctrine, nor did she enjoy flaunting so-called "miracles" before the public.

In the Kingdom of Servia, one rarely saw large temples dedicated to Timora; even shrines the size of a birdcage were uncommon.

Only the most devout—those fanatic believers who integrated the Goddess of Luck's teachings into every word and deed of their daily lives—had the chance to undergo trials and become priests in related fields.

On the other hand, due to the unique nature of the authority she held, Timora possessed an exaggeratedly large number of casual followers across the entire continent.

Merchants, sailors, gamblers... even many adventurers were believers of this goddess.

Even if they never mentioned her name, or didn't even know her specific functions or the design of her holy symbol,

It did not stop them from silently reciting Timora's name in their hearts and praying for good luck when facing a suddenly discovered treasure chest or a dice cup about to be overturned.

What was novel was that the Lady of Smiles was never stingy with her power.

Idle gamblers, adventurous merchants... those who dared to place their important matters on the other side of the scales, letting luck decide the future outcome, often managed to catch Timora's gaze.

Thus, one could frequently hear stories of some lucky fellow winning a fortune at a casino, or a small merchant happening upon a massive deal.

—Even if the gold coins won were quickly squandered by a profligate gambler, or if the merchant suffered consecutive losses in subsequent business.

In short, in scenarios unrelated to direct interest, those who could still call themselves followers of Timora were clearly true believers in this naturally detached goddess.

And after explaining his faith, the halfling before him stopped talking, showing no intention of proselytizing, which truly embodied the manner of a follower of the Goddess of Luck.

However...

As Xianan ate the stew in his bowl, his peripheral vision scanned Alton beside him.

He saw the other man occasionally studying the spoon in his hand with great interest, as if curious about its forging process; and occasionally jumping up in a panic because of an owl flying overhead, superstitiously shaking his soft cap three times.

His expression was somewhat peculiar.

He had once heard secrets regarding the halfling race from the mouth of an elderly drunkard in an inn.

Much like the protagonists in poetry or novels who simply cannot die before the story ends.

These curious, cheerful, and enthusiastic little folk seemed to be naturally favored by the Goddess of Luck.

Getting caught by a tree branch by the leg after falling off a cliff, or unexpectedly receiving support from passing adventurers when encountering monsters...

Under normal circumstances, halflings would usually attribute their good luck to their mother goddess, "Yudala,"

Rather than the Lady of Smiles, who sat outside the Hergin pantheon.

Therefore, a halfling who believed in the Goddess of Luck was reasonable, yet rare.

Noticing that the stew in Xianan's bowl was empty, Alton, who had finally quieted down, immediately stood up to serve him two more scoops.

The smile blooming on his face seemed exceptionally satisfied by Xianan's recognition of his cooking.

"Thank you."

Taking the wooden bowl from the halfling, Xianan offered his thanks.

Yet, he couldn't help but ponder.

Working as an adventurer, dealing with all sorts of monsters every day, he was essentially dancing on a wire.

While he wasn't particularly interested in the gods of this continent, as for the Goddess of Luck... perhaps it wouldn't hurt to pay a little respect?

Thus, using the topic as an opening, he raised a related question to the halfling.

Of course, his words were extremely restrained and cautious.

He even turned every casual sentence over in his mind twice before speaking it aloud.

After all, in this world, gods truly existed!

If he accidentally said something offensive and happened to be overheard by Timora,

If she flicked her finger and shaved a few points off his luck, his life would be effectively over.

But the halfling's answer left Xianan somewhat disappointed.

"Of course you can!" Alton waved the spoon in his hand, his face still wearing a thick smile. "No god in this world would refuse an extra believer."

"Then what is specifically required? A ritual, or some kind of sacrificial offering?"

"Hmm..."

Alton scratched his head through his pointed soft cap.

"I suppose... nothing is needed."

"If you consider yourself a follower of the Lady, then you are one."

"Anyway, one night, I suddenly received an oracle from the Lady in a dream."

Seeing Xianan's expression gradually stiffen, the halfling hurriedly added,

"Perhaps, you could try picking a four-leaf clover and placing it under your pillow when you sleep. It might work!"

Xianan shook his head.

He understood clearly in his heart that for a deity with a personality like Timora's, unless one was extremely devout or naturally favored by the goddess like the halfling before him,

It would be impossible to establish a tangible connection with her.

To not believe is to not believe.

Even if he prayed to her three thousand times every night before bed, it might not be as effective as going to a casino and going all-in with his hundred-plus gold coins to increase the chance of catching Timora's eye.

Ceasing his obsession,

Xianan continued to eat the uniquely flavored stew while chatting casually with Alton.

The man was incredibly enthusiastic; chatting with a halfling never resulted in an awkward silence.

Often, Xianan would merely mention something in passing, and Alton would spill information like beans, countless topics pouring out of him.

In just a few dozen minutes, Xianan knew everything from what spices the man's mother used when cooking to what time the old man next door watered his plants every morning.

It was quite exaggerated.

Fortunately, before he could completely lose himself in the halfling's endless stream of topics, like stars in the sky,

The caravan leader, "Jeff," a plain and honest man,

Arrived at the adventurers' temporary camp carrying a large bowl of stewed meat.

He had come to communicate tomorrow's itinerary and subsequent arrangements.

"At the latest by tomorrow morning, we will arrive at Karanfor. If you all are free then, I'll find a tavern and treat everyone to a meal, as a reward for your hard work on this journey."

"Actually, if anyone is in a hurry, we could travel through the night. We are quite close to the town now, so there shouldn't be much danger."

"But to be safe, we should still..."

*Ring—ring—ring!*

A trap was triggered!

The sharp and loud ringing of bells instantly interrupted Jeff's words.