'White League… Is that supposed to be the name of a group?' Leonard's interest was piqued as he scrutinized the leader's expression.
Pondering, Leonard decided to act naturally and go with the flow, adopting a domineering demeanor.
"You got it. But lately, I've been feeling tired of our activities, and it's made me distant from them. Now, it seems like you're one of our targets," Leonard said to the leader in a calm, steady tone, sending chills down his spine.
"I-I… Please spare our lives!" The leader stammered as he prostrated himself, pressing his forehead to the ground. The rest of the men followed suit.
Zeus's face showed palpable confusion as he observed how Leonard was playing the men. Normally, he would ask Leonard what he was up to immediately, but he sensed that Leonard was cooking up something.
'A sly man… You never fail to surprise and amuse me with your traits,' Zeus thought, watching the men still bowing in front of Leonard.
"I'll spare you. But first, I need to be satisfied with the information you give me. You see, I've been away for a while, and I want to know what they've been up to. Why are you so afraid of us?" Leonard's prematurely cold voice added to the ominous stare he gave them.
"You'll spare us?" the leader asked.
Leonard nodded.
"We… stole something from the White League. But we've already returned it, I swear," the leader said in an unsteady voice.
Leonard crouched down, glancing at Zeus. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a notification.
[You earned a title: "Sly Man."]
He dismissed it for the moment and called for Zeus, who calmly waited for his summon. As Zeus approached, Leonard stood up straight.
"Can you tell if someone's lying? It feels like this man lied to me."
Zeus didn't reply and stared at Leonard with furrowed brows, confused about what he was doing. What could he possibly gain from this?
***
After letting the remaining men go, as he couldn't justify killing them all, Leonard returned to the makeshift village with Zeus.
"That item they stole—do you have any idea what it could be? Just a box?" Leonard mentioned the stolen item, supposedly from a group of Players called the White League.
"Before you even think about it, you should remember that the world isn't fully clear to you yet. There are still parts of the gaming system you haven't figured out," Zeus commented as they reached the house where the men had reported hiding the box.
Leonard shrugged. "I even earned a
"Or you could just read its description," Zeus suggested, making Leonard pause and narrow his eyes at him.
"You're suspicious. Do you really not know about this world?"
"Don't even bother thinking about it. It's natural for gods to learn things easily. Don't compare me to a mortal like you."
Leonard scoffed and lightly slapped Zeus's exposed back. "As if you're so wise." He recalled a certain story about Zeus's infidelity, where Hera, his wife, had taken drastic actions because of Zeus's behavior.
Zeus paused. "What do you mean by that?" His voice was laced with anticipation and seriousness.
"As if infidelity is wise when you have a jealous goddess for a wife. Do you think that's smart?" Leonard snorted. "We all know what Hera did to that mortal you... you know... impregnated."
Zeus didn't respond, only staring at Leonard with an indescribable expression. He then sighed, shaking his head as if disappointed by Leonard's thoughts and understanding.
"A mortal will always be a mortal. As if Hera is known as a jealous goddess. You don't know her. I am faithful to her."
"I didn't say she's known as that. But at least we all know she can be scary," Leonard replied, his words filled with familiarity as if he knew Zeus and Hera well.
Zeus shook his head, recalling something hidden deep in his memory. He didn't reply further and began searching for the box.
The two of them fell into a moment of silence, their search covering all corners of the room in near silence.
Zeus checked the shelves and floor, while Leonard looked for hidden passages or something similar where the item might be concealed.
"Why do you even want to find this item?" Zeus finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Isn't it familiar to you?" Leonard replied.
"No."
Leonard swiped his hand over a vase covered in dust before peeking inside. He huffed, clearing out the remaining dust to get a better view of what was hidden within.
"It could be an Experience Box, like the one Yulaf gave me. That's what I've been thinking. If it's mine, I might be able to jump a few levels, easing my worries about being a Summoner for too long. Reaching level 10 would let me choose a subclass."
Zeus nodded, noticing something odd about the wooden floor. There was a gap, clearly suspicious. He inserted a finger into the gap and felt it continue onward. With a slight force, he lifted the gap, revealing a hidden space beneath the floor.
"A hidden compartment," Zeus muttered.
Leonard immediately rushed to his side, watching as Zeus opened the space, exposing what was inside.
"Too bad…"
Leonard glanced at his magic points, noting how much they had depleted with Zeus being summoned for so long. [Magic Points: 14/60]
"I don't have much magic left. I need to make sure you can bring me back later."
Zeus sighed, seemingly disappointed by something he had been expecting.
"Then I'll excuse myself. Just call me when you need me."
Leonard nodded, then began to examine the hidden space. He pushed the trapdoor open for a wider passage, leapt inside, and immediately found what he was looking for.
As if struck by luck, Leonard joyfully lifted a large black box, big enough to fit against his chest. It was slightly heavy but manageable. He brought it out of the hidden space and returned to the surface, inspecting the box more closely.
"A black, shining box, huh."
He tilted his head, examining it from all angles before knocking on it. "What could this be?"
Meanwhile, far to the east of the first floor, a tall figure stood amidst the green and purple forest, dumbfounded by the littered chanak carcasses scattered around.