"That's right."

Facing Roland's question, Teresa nodded frankly.

"So, Mr. Roland... are you willing to complete this commission with me?"

Roland's brow tightened, and thoughts moved quickly through his mind.

The scene of Teresa slaughtering mercenaries and adventurers was still vivid in his memory.

She had claimed that her power was bestowed by a deity, allowing her to see through others' pasts and distinguish good from evil. In the end, though, that was only her side of the story.

The possibility that she had deceived him could not be ruled out.

But after thinking it over, Roland set that suspicion aside.

Since transmigrating, the only people he had formed grudges with were Marco and the mastermind behind the Church of Truth.

Marco was probably still locked in the estate dungeon right now.

As for that important figure from the Church of Truth...

Roland was not belittling himself, but if the other party truly wanted to deal with him, there would be no need to take such a wide detour through a monster subjugation commission.

Then...

Roland looked at the silver-haired woman before him with doubt.

"Is she inviting me to subjugate monsters truly just to repay a favor? Or..."

"Are the monsters there too powerful, and she wants me to act as bait?"

While Roland speculated, Teresa saw that he remained silent. Her delicate brow furrowed, and she seemed to gather great resolve before speaking.

"Mr. Roland, if you are dissatisfied with the reward split, I... I can..."

Her grip tightened around the parchment, and her voice strained.

"I can give all the reward to you. I only hope you can leave me a few copper coins... to pay for lodging at the inn..."

"Huh?"

Roland raised his eyebrows.

Seeing that the embarrassment on her face did not look fake, he blurted out almost the same question Teresa had asked earlier.

"Miss Teresa, are you very short on money?"

Roland did not think the question was rude. He was simply puzzled.

In his view, with Teresa's strength, after taking so many commissions, even if she could not live like a noble, she should at least have no worries about food or clothing.

Not to mention...

His gaze swept over Teresa's outfit, which was almost exactly the same as when they had last met.

Although she had changed to a new cloak, the leather armor underneath had several obvious patches.

No matter how he looked at it, this was not how someone who spent money recklessly would dress.

How could such a person be short on money?

"Cough, cough..."

Seeing Roland's puzzled face and confirming that he was not mocking her, Teresa cleared her throat awkwardly and explained in a low voice.

"Mr. Roland, my financial situation is indeed... somewhat strained."

"But if you truly need this commission, I can..."

"No need."

Before she could finish, Roland waved a hand.

To him, subjugating monsters had never been about money. It was for completing the job change requirement for [Squire].

Besides, he truly was not short on money right now.

Darco's little treasury still had money left. More importantly, there was Colin, that wealthy merchant who seemed ready to "drop gold coins" at any moment.

Roland was certain that as long as the amount was not too excessive, the merchant who wholeheartedly wanted to recruit him would never refuse.

And faced with Teresa repeatedly giving ground, Roland had already decided to complete the commission with her.

This did not mean a few words had made him lower his guard. It was the result of careful consideration.

With his current strength, even if Teresa truly had some scheme, it was nothing to fear.

The same was true even if they encountered mutant monsters.

Back in Pinewood Town, he had still needed to join forces with Teresa and fight with all his might to slay a Winged Kobold.

Now, after taking up [Warrior] and [Juggler] and mastering [Fire Bolt], facing a mutant monster of that level, as long as they did not appear in groups, even three or four at once would be no problem.

Thinking this, Roland said,

"Miss Teresa, I do need this commission, but I don't need the reward. As for other requirements... Right, can I take a look at the commission details first?"

Seeing that Roland had no intention of asking for the reward money, Teresa visibly released a breath.

Although confusion remained on her face, she still handed over the parchment.

Roland accepted it and examined it carefully.

The format of this commission was exactly the same as the one he had accepted in Pinewood Town, and three clear red stamps were affixed to it.

"Go to the monster camp and recover stolen goods. Commission time limit: fifteen days. Reward determined by the number of monsters and the amount of recovered goods. Difficulty: three..."

"The difficulty isn't high. You could even say... it's a little simple."

After confirming that the information on the parchment was complete, Roland nodded.

He returned the parchment, felt the burning hunger in his stomach, looked at the darkening sky, and spoke.

"But Miss Teresa... it's already late today. Why don't we discuss it tomorrow morning before setting out?"

"No problem. But..."

Teresa carefully put the parchment away.

"Mr. Roland, do you truly not need any reward?"

"Of course..."

Seeing her mention the reward again and again, Roland's mouth twitched.

"In that case, I will take my leave first."

After saluting again, Teresa turned to leave.

When Roland noticed that she was walking in the exact opposite direction of Mist Creek Town, he asked,

"Miss Teresa, aren't you returning to town to rest?"

"Uh..."

Teresa stopped. After hesitating for a moment, she said softly,

"The coins I have on me are not enough to pay for an inn, so I plan to find a quiet place to camp."

"Huh?"

Roland frowned.

A person with such outstanding strength could actually be in such straits?

He rubbed the sword hilt at his waist and thought for a moment, then said,

"My friend's father runs a tavern. If you don't mind, you can come back with me and stay there for the night. That way, we can set out together tomorrow morning and avoid wasting time. What do you think?"

"This... this wouldn't be quite proper..."

Teresa's words carried hesitation, but her eyes clearly brightened with expectation.

"Don't worry."

Roland bundled the long weapons on the ground together and threw them onto Blackwind's back.

"You won't be charged."

Teresa's eyes lit up, and she immediately bowed.

"Then thank you, Mr. Roland."

Thus, the two people and one horse followed the quiet path toward Mist Creek Town.

Roland walked in front, occasionally glancing back at Teresa, who followed silently.

He had extended this invitation not purely out of kindness. He also wanted to observe this mysterious silver-haired woman more closely in case something was wrong with her.

Especially...

Why was she so poor that she could not even afford an inn?

The question lingered in Roland's mind.

Before long, he found the answer.

Late at night, Forest Breath Tavern was already empty of customers. Only Peyton, Roland, and Teresa remained in the main hall.

Despite the sparse number of people, Gary in the kitchen was still working at full tilt.

"Mr. Gary, another steak, please."

Teresa cut the food on her plate into small pieces with elegance, then delivered them into her mouth at an astonishing speed.

Her chewing and swallowing were smooth and fluid.

Although she ate extremely quickly, she still maintained a dignified and proper bearing, with a noble grace in every movement.

If someone unaware of the situation saw her, they would probably think this was the young lady of some household enjoying dinner.

"Good grief..."

Peyton quietly sidled over to Roland.

The amazement he had felt at Teresa's beauty when first seeing her had long since vanished. At this moment, only awe remained toward the silver-haired woman's astonishing appetite.

"Kid, this friend of yours... how many days has she been starving?"

"I... I don't know either..."

Roland sighed, took a silver coin from his pouch, and tucked it into Peyton's hand.

"Uncle Peyton, consider this advance payment for her meals. Please pass it to Uncle Gary later."

"Hey, kid! I can't take this. If Gary finds out, he'll..."

"Just take it, Uncle Peyton... otherwise I..."

As Roland spoke, his gaze turned toward the mountain of dishes piled beside Teresa.

And that was not even all of it. The nearby wooden table had long since been covered with used plates.

Seeing this, not only did Roland's mouth twitch, even the corners of his eyes jumped.

Based on his experience helping at the tavern over the past few days, Roland quietly estimated that this silver-haired woman with the beautiful face had already eaten through three days of the tavern's revenue in a short period of time.

What was even more terrifying was...

She showed no intention of stopping and was still ordering more food.

"No wonder her life is so difficult..."

"With that appetite, the reward from completing one commission probably only lets her keep herself fed for two or three days..."

Following Roland's gaze, Peyton also noticed the messy battlefield of plates.

The old mercenary fell silent. In the end, he still accepted the silver coin from Roland and patted his shoulder meaningfully.

"Kid, getting mixed up with a woman like this... you're on your own from here."

Roland ignored the ambiguous look in Peyton's eyes. Instead, he took some food from his own plate and fed Joe, who was staring eagerly from the table, then narrowed his eyes.

"Uncle Peyton, this is meal money for Uncle Gary. Don't pocket it."

"Hey! Brat! What do you mean by that? Am I that kind of man?"

Peyton immediately jumped up to argue.

While the two bickered, Gary walked out from the kitchen.

The honest middle-aged man wiped the sweat from his forehead and carried the freshly prepared steak to Teresa with a face full of smiles.

"Here, Miss Teresa. The steak you wanted!"

"Thank you, Mr. Gary!"

Teresa cheerfully accepted the plate and continued eating with great relish.

Looking at the way Teresa enjoyed the food, Gary's eyes showed pure satisfaction.

For this man who had changed professions from butcher to tavern owner, meeting a diner like Teresa, who genuinely appreciated his cooking, was truly pleasant.

"Would you like another serving, Miss Teresa? If that isn't enough, I..."

"This is already enough, Mr. Gary. Thank you very much."

"No need to be polite!"

Gary waved a hand brightly and began humming a tuneless little song as he cleaned up plates.

But when the corner of his eye caught sight of his idle younger brother, the burly man who had just been all smiles instantly changed expression.

"Peyton! You bastard, what are you standing there for? Come help clean up!"

"Old bastard! I already said I'm not a hand in your shop!"

Peyton cursed under his breath, but he still honestly walked over and helped clean up the mess.

In that brief moment, Teresa had already finished the newly served steak.

"Ahem..."

She coughed lightly, took a brand-new white silk handkerchief from her chest, and elegantly wiped the corners of her mouth. Then she asked with some embarrassment,

"Mr. Roland, did I... eat a little too much?"

Looking at the unnatural blush appearing on the silver-haired woman's fair face, Roland forced out a smile.

"Not... not too much..."

Only about ten days' worth of my meals.

He silently added that in his heart.

Shaking off those distracting thoughts, Roland tapped the wooden table with a finger and spoke seriously.

"Miss Teresa, since you've finished eating, why don't we discuss my specific requirements for this commission?"

"Please speak."

When it came to proper business, Teresa immediately returned to her earlier cool, calm manner.

"Regarding the reward, I can take nothing, but I have one condition..."

Roland casually handed the plate in front of Teresa to Peyton, who had come to collect the dishes. Only after Peyton and Gary entered the kitchen together did Roland lower his voice and continue,

"When the time comes, all monsters present must be dealt with by my own hands."

"You only need to observe from the side and prevent accidents."

Hearing this, Teresa froze. Then her gaze turned distant as she looked behind Roland.

Only after a moment did she look back at the young man before her with some suspicion.

"Forgive my rudeness, Mr. Roland, but you wouldn't happen to be... a believer of Shar, would you?"

Shar?

The goddess who governed death and annihilation?

Recalling the contents recorded in ancient texts, Roland shook his head.

He had made this requirement only to satisfy the job change condition for [Squire]. It had nothing to do with faith.

"Of course not."

Seeing him deny it so decisively, Teresa let out a breath of relief, though hesitation remained in her eyes.

"Then... do you believe in any deity?"

This question made Roland pause.

"Why do you ask?"

"Because..."

Teresa's eyes again became distant, and her slender finger pointed behind Roland.

"I saw... some indescribable power entwined around you. In fact, I noticed it when we first met, only..."

She frowned and narrowed her eyes, trying to see more clearly.

"At that time, the aura was far from as dense as it is now. And..."

Teresa's voice lowered.

"This power bears some resemblance to the great power bestowed upon me by Oghma, God of Truth..."

"Oh?"

Roland let out a soft sound of doubt.

He did not think Teresa would fabricate such a thing for no reason, so he carefully recalled everything he had experienced since transmigrating.

Yet after thinking it through several times, he still found nothing unusual.

The only possible connection was the mysterious mastermind behind the Church of Truth.

"Could that be a deity?"

The moment this thought surfaced, Roland shook his head with a soft laugh.

Although he had never personally seen a deity, since they were called gods, they must possess supreme power.

Even an avatar should absolutely not be something that could be defeated by a single [Fire Bolt].

Throwing this absurd guess to the back of his mind, Roland asked a few more questions about the mysterious power.

But Teresa said the great power she had obtained was incomplete, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Since the topic involved deities, Roland took the opportunity to ask a question that had long troubled him.

His fingertip tapped the table, the rhythm as regular as a pendulum. The sound was especially clear in the silent dining room.

"Miss Teresa, you once mentioned that your special ability came from a divine gift. Then..."

He paused, his gaze deep.

"Do deities possess the ability to descend into the present world?"

"Regarding your question..."

Teresa frowned, her slender fingers rubbing the rim of her teacup.

She remained silent for a long time. In the end, she sighed and shook her head.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Roland. I cannot give you a definite answer. In fact..."

The silver-haired woman's gaze drifted, like she had fallen into some distant memory.

"Even this great power that allows me to see into others' pasts descended suddenly one night. It was like... a dream."

"A dream?"

"Yes."

Teresa nodded, and her silver hair swayed slightly with the movement.

"In a single night, I went from a homeless traveler to the saintess of the Church of Truth..."

When she mentioned the "Church of Truth," the corners of her lips tightened, and disgust flashed in her eyes.

"This blessing not only granted me a special ability, but also greatly improved my physical constitution. But..."

Her voice sank, and her fingers touched her flat abdomen.

"When mortals obtain such power, there is always a price."

Roland noticed her fingertips trembling.

"Just as you saw earlier, the Church of Truth calls it... Gluttony."

Gluttony?

This word made Roland think of the seven deadly sins from his previous life.

He asked a few more details, but Teresa's answers remained vague.

Realizing he could not draw out any more information, he changed the topic at the right moment.

"Then, regarding the Church of Truth, how much do you know?"

"Them?"

Teresa gave a cold laugh, disdain almost overflowing from her eyes.

"They are nothing more than a group of parasites using a deity's name to swindle people. After seeing through that, I immediately left that place."

Roland frowned and briefly described his experience in Far Harbor.

However, after hearing his account, Teresa revealed a confused expression.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Roland..."

She pondered for a moment, then shook her head.

"I do not know the mysterious person you described. In fact, I left the Church of Truth several years ago. At least when I left, the person in charge there was a complete fraud..."

"All right..."

Although he had not obtained valuable intelligence from Teresa, Roland's expression remained calm.

He set down the teacup in his hand. The bottom of the cup met the wooden table with a faint dull sound.

"Uncle Gary has already arranged your room."

He rose, and candlelight cast wavering shadows across the sharply defined side of his face.

"Rest well tonight. At dawn tomorrow, we set out to subjugate the monsters."

Teresa raised her face, her silver hair glowing softly in the candlelight.

"Thank you, Mr. Roland."