"Could it really be that I have such bad luck?"
Shade pondered over his recent encounter with Dr. Schneider. Thankfully, the grumbling of his stomach pulled him back to reality. Right now, the most important thing was the commission.
It had been less than twelve hours since his arrival in this world, and Shade had to learn to endure hunger. If he had landed in a forest, he might have had a chance to hunt for food. If he had arrived in a chaotic era, there might have been opportunities to obtain something to eat.
Unfortunately, in this orderly big city, filling his stomach meant adhering to the rules. Standing at the entrance of the newspaper office, he watched the "upper-class people" entering and exiting the nearby club, hoping the feeling of hunger would subside. Fortunately, he only needed to wait; if he had to chase someone, he would truly be at a loss.
"I've never heard of a time traveler starving," he murmured to himself, wanting to blame his own ineptitude. But thinking it over, he realized there was little he could do for now and could only hope that the lady would appear soon, allowing him to submit his report to the employer.
Lost in his thoughts, a flyer was casually handed to him, and Shade accepted it without thinking. Looking up, he saw a cheerful, round-faced preacher dressed in a white priestly robe, with the church's holy emblem on the left side of his chest. He had a black pendant hanging from his neck and was distributing leaflets to the nearby crowd.
Although this area was not as bustling as Saint Duran Square, where Shade was currently residing, it was still an important avenue in the city center, making it a fitting place for the preachers to distribute their flyers.
As he lowered his gaze, he realized he had been given a promotional flyer from the Church of War and Peace. Shade had researched the religious beliefs of this world while rummaging through belongings in the house and knew that this was one of the recognized churches of the righteous deities.
In the past eras of this world, many stories about gods existed, but in the current age, only five deities were officially recognized by both the authorities and the public. Thus, the mainstream faith consisted of these five righteous gods:
The Father of Peace, also known as the God of War and Peace, with the emblem of a white dove and light gray wings;
Dawn, also known as the God of Light and Shadows, with the emblem of a round ring with a gap at the top in brass color;
The Lantern Elder, also known as the God of the Sun and the Earth, with the emblem of a sun motif in golden yellow;
The Lady of Creation, also known as the God of Creation and Destruction, with the emblem of a wrench in silver color;
The Lord of All Things, also known as the God of Nature and Malice, with the emblem of two overlapping leaves, one in withered yellow and the other in green. The old man who recently transported corpses was a member of the Nature Church.
"Hmm? Why are the divine offices promoted by the righteous gods all based on relative concepts?"
Thinking of this, Shade suddenly found himself contemplating this world in greater depth. However, the vague feelings he experienced were hard to articulate. In that hazy moment, it seemed he touched upon some force, and a whisper echoed in his ear:
[You have sensed a 'Miracle'.]
This time, it was one of the four elements: "Miracle." So far, apart from Desecration, Shade had encountered all the others. According to the information provided by the voice in his mind, it seemed that in order to touch upon the complete four elements, one needed to qualify to delve into the mysteries and push open the doors of the extraordinary.
"It appears to be simpler than I thought; I've encountered three-quarters of it in just half a day."
Again, the woman's laughter echoed in his head, and it was truly enchanting.
The five righteous churches were not hostile towards each other; their relationships were at least much better than those between the kingdoms of humanity.
The strength of the churches varied by region, but in the northern gem of Tobesk, all five churches had their own chapels and engaged in relatively "friendly" competition.
As Shade mulled over these thoughts, he looked at the printed material in his hands and lamented that he didn't need to "invent" a printing press. Although the print quality wasn't very high, at least...
His eyes widened as he suddenly discovered important information. Most of the flyer focused on introducing the teachings of the righteous god The Father of Peace, inviting both believers and non-believers to attend the weekly sermons and preaching activities at the church.
Crucially, the bottom of the paper noted that those holding this flyer could queue outside the church at 5:30 PM on weekends to receive free relief food. Furthermore, in small print, it stated that no matter how long the line was, as long as one arrived before 6:00 PM, they would definitely receive a number and would certainly be able to collect food.
Even if going for this relief food seemed embarrassing, it at least assured Shade that he wouldn't starve today. He touched his nose and noted the address of the Church of War and Peace, then seriously folded the ink-smelling flyer and tucked it into Hamilton's notebook.
Shade silently thanked the deity in his heart. After all, in a world where the extraordinary seemed to exist, it was wise to be cautious. Although the feeling of hunger still lingered, his mood had improved significantly.
"Maybe my luck isn't so bad after all."
He thought to himself, knowing that once the lady he was investigating, Mrs. Laurens, entered the club, she wouldn't be coming out for at least an hour or two. He considered whether he could find the preacher and have a chat with him.
In this world, belief in deities was widespread, with atheists being a rarity. Of course, as long as one didn't openly proclaim disbelief in the gods, it wasn't a problem. However, Shade was intent on learning more about these so-called righteous deities. In a world where faith existed, being ignorant of such matters was even more dangerous.
While he pondered how to strike up a conversation, he noticed that the preacher had already walked far away. He felt a twinge of regret but chose not to chase after him. Instead, he continued to wait, knowing that once he had established himself here, he would have plenty of time to learn about everything.
There were actually quite a few people standing at the entrance of the newspaper office, most of whom were journalists waiting for news, with a few idlers working for the paper. It was Saturday, and despite the foggy weather, Valente Walk, being a main thoroughfare, was bustling with activity, so it wasn't surprising to see so many people standing around.
Although it was called "Valente Walk," it didn't prohibit the passage of carriages. As Shade observed the club, he also scrutinized the pedestrians and carriages passing by, thinking this would help him integrate better into this world.
The air was filled with a burnt smell, undoubtedly due to the haze. However, the scent wasn't too strong; it was just the fog lingering in the air, thickening as the sun moved toward the west.
Worried about his physical condition, Shade was lost in thought when he saw another carriage pull up to the club entrance. He quickly looked up and was surprised to see Mr. Laurens, the employer's husband.
"Well, this is interesting. An unexpected gain."
He whispered to himself, noting the time and writing the information in his notebook.
Mrs. Laurens was generous, and if he managed to catch her husband meeting with his mistress at the club on the day he submitted his report, he might earn a little extra reward.
"Though there's also the possibility that an angry woman might get me involved in her troubles."
Shade mused, hoping to see Mrs. Laurens at the club entrance to greet Mr. Laurens. Unfortunately, Mr. Laurens walked directly into the club.
Even from a street away, Shade could see the smile and excitement on Mr. Laurens's face; he definitely wasn't there for card games or tea.
"Good luck to you," he thought, shaking his head as he meticulously recorded the details of Mr. Laurens's attire for the sake of proving the authenticity of his report.