"Stop, stop right now! This deity does not want to turn into a girl, let alone go do something as filthy, exhausting, and life-threatening as subjugating the Demon King!"
The desperate cries amid the golden light had shifted into a melodious female voice.
"Huh?"
Hearing Kafuni's words, question marks appeared over Linda's head.
So subjugating the Demon King was a filthy, exhausting, and life-threatening job after all?
Didn't he just guarantee earlier that with the help of a god, subjugating the Demon King would be an absolute breeze?
It turned out to be complete nonsense!
The last shred of sympathy Linda held for Kafuni vanished into thin air.
A moment later, his attention shifted to Kafuni's body.
Or rather, this deity's name should be "Kafuni" now.
Kafuni, with the character *fu* for hibiscus.
Kafuni's appearance had been entirely shaped by Linda's preferences: a tear mole at the corner of her eye, stunning looks, and an overwhelming mature-woman aura.
Yet what proved most captivating of all was the sight of Kafuni sitting with her legs tucked to the side, hugging her chest with both eyes brimming with tears, looking utterly humiliated.
She resembled a delicate princess stumbling into a Goblin cave—this "Princess Kafuni" was both terrified and desperately trying to hold onto her dignity, covering her front while putting up a fierce front as she stared down the Monster.
The visual resemblance to a doujinshi was off the charts.
Linda walked over, grinned, appreciated the snowy expanse before her, and nodded. "Not bad."
"You!"
With a face flushed crimson, Kafuni gritted her teeth and lunged at Linda's neck.
Right at that moment, an imposing voice echoed through the pitch-black space.
"Hero registration time has ended, the Divine Space is now closing."
"Chosen Hero, take the power granted to you by the deity and go save another world!"
Swish! Swish!
Two pillars of light descended upon Linda and Kafuni.
Before either could react, their figures reappeared—they had arrived at the entrance of the World Tree Secret Realm in White Dove City.
...
Due to the difference in the flow of time, the outside world had reached the morning of the following day.
The Secret Realm Square in White Dove City was buzzing with noise and excitement.
Adventurers jostled one another, their armor and swords clashing to produce a stern, metallic din as they set off early for another day of secret realm exploration.
This was a gourd-shaped plaza covering several thousand square meters. Deep within the narrow end of the gourd stood a towering tree radiating magical light—the World Tree Secret Realm.
Numerous adventurer parties gathered in the square to purchase raid supplies and recruit temporary members.
Heads bobbed in a dense, swarming sea of people.
Yet one party occupied an empty patch of space entirely to themselves.
The surrounding adventurers preferred to crowd off to the sides rather than dare step into that group's territory.
"Look, it's the Snow Goose Adventurer Party! They must be getting ready to raid the ninth floor!"
"Miss Leia's red hair is as pretty as ever!"
"Wait, their party numbers look off. Are they missing someone?"
White Dove City only had a handful of well-known squads, and their rosters were relatively fixed, so people soon recognized the absence:
"Linda, the Healer from the 'Eye of Wisdom', isn't here!"
Straining their eyes to get a better look, the crowd spotted Leia standing proudly in the open space, carrying a heavy sword with her fiery red hair tied into a ponytail, radiating an air of heroic spirit.
Aiko, the blonde mage.
Clrona, wearing heavy armor with pink twin-tails and carrying a short-handled war axe on her shoulder.
As well as the dark-green-haired elf archer Kenie, and her boyfriend, the heavy hammer wielder Oru.
Only Linda the Healer was nowhere to be seen.
"Tch."
Leia crossed her arms, tapping her fingers impatiently against her arm as she glanced sideways at the tall clock tower in the square, which displayed the time as exactly nine o'clock.
It was the Snow Goose Adventurer Party's convention to gather at half-past eight, and now half an hour had passed without a certain someone showing up.
That Linda certainly knew the Snow Goose Adventurer Party was entering the ninth-floor secret realm today.
She had even told Linda that if he didn't show up, she would genuinely find another Healer to replace him!
"Should we postpone the ninth-floor run to another day?" Aiko lowered her voice, eyeing Leia's expression, which was as gloomy as water.
Inwardly, however, she couldn't help sneering. Didn't she say yesterday that no one was allowed to sympathize with Linda?
They were supposed to gather at half-past eight, but Leia had told them to go ahead first while she deliberately delayed herself by half an hour under the pretext of suddenly needing to maintain her weapon.
In truth, she just wanted to make them wait here to see if Linda would show up.
If he did appear, Leia would make a "fashionably late" entrance and casually declare: "They waited here for you and let you, this stray dog, come back, but I haven't agreed to it yet—it'll depend on your performance in the secret realm."
Aiko saw right through a brain-dead captain like Leia.
Now past nine o'clock, Linda still hadn't appeared. Catching sight of Leia's fingers tapping at an increasing speed, Aiko couldn't help feeling a malicious sense of amusement.
Still waiting for Linda? Well, let's see what lame excuse you come up with now.
"Big Sis Leia, why aren't we going in yet? We've already waited half an hour for Linda, and since he's not coming, let's just go in by ourselves."
Clrona had finished all her snacks, licked the oil off her fingers, and said with a dissatisfied expression.
Pressured by others and terrified of exposing her hidden motives, Leia flushed beet red.
Giving someone a chance, and they still refuse to take it, huh?
Fine.
We're going in directly!
Leia sneered. "Oru, go call that Healer named Felix over, and tell him that this young miss agrees—from now on, he is the Healer of the Snow Goose Adventurer Party!"
"Huh? We're not waiting for Linda anymore?"
Oru was a sturdy, tall fellow with an honest appearance who served as the party's heavy hammer wielder.
He usually got along well with Linda, and upon hearing about Linda leaving the party this morning, he had put in a good word for Linda in front of Leia.
"I told you to go, so go. Why so many useless words?"
Leia glanced sideways at the elf girl Kenie, who had dark-green bobbed hair and pointed ears, and said, "Keep your boyfriend in check. I'm the captain, you need to make him listen to me."
Kenie smiled awkwardly and exchanged a glance with Oru.
Looking somewhat glum, Oru went to find a carriage and headed toward Felix's residence.
Another half-hour passed, and Linda still hadn't arrived.
"Let's move out." With a placid expression, Leia gave the order and led the party's new Healer into the World Tree Secret Realm.
...
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, it was noon.
In the Secret Realm Square, the appearance of a man and a woman caught the attention of many adventurers.
They had descended out of thin air onto the platform outside the World Tree, looking rather like adventurers who had successfully cleared a secret realm and returned using a teleportation stone.
The male among them was Linda, a moderately well-known Healer in White Dove City nicknamed the "Eye of Wisdom".
Handsome, tall, and a member of the renowned Snow Goose Adventurer Party, Linda was welcomed by quite a few people.
Yet today, the woman by his side was even more dazzling.
Kafuni wore a pure white long dress with golden hair cascading to her waist, and her proud chest was enough to put 99.9% of women to shame.
Coupled with her alluring face carrying a hint of embarrassment, it sent the temperatures of many men's gazes soaring.
Just moments earlier, a farce had played out right here when a certain adventurer had set his sights on Kafuni, preparing to use some "underhanded tricks" to knock her out.
Linda had discovered it in time, scaring the fellow into fleeing in a panic by invoking the name of the Eye of Wisdom.
"Um..."
Kafuni coughed and said with a fidgety air, "You helped me, sure, but this deity is certainly not going to thank you."
Linda's intervention had eased the tense atmosphere somewhat.
"It's nothing, after all, we can be considered 'partners'."
Linda sighed with emotion.
Ever since emerging from that divine space and dropping straight into the Secret Realm Square, it had already reached noon.
Otherwise, he most likely would have run into a red-faced Leia nearby.