Li Jia returned to Hot Spring Ravine and took out her hourglass necklace. The golden sand dropped straight down, filling almost half the bottle, which delighted her no end. She had never expected that going out to solve people's problems could raise affection so quickly.
"Master, congratulations on reaching one-third of your affection progress. With another two-thirds, the target's affection for you will reach one hundred percent."
"When that happens, no one will be able to shake your relationship or sow discord between you. This will play a crucial role in advancing both your main quest and your side quests."
Did that mean that whenever a Fated Connection Post appeared, it could advance the plot?
Li Jia seemed to have found a bug in the plot.
"You could say that. My current permissions are insufficient to detect the subsequent plot. This time, Master, you went out with the target, and her affection rose after you resolved the keywords, which suggests that this is possible."
Then I get it. As long as I help her solve problems, I can increase her affection. In other words, one tap on the wooden fish: merit +1.
Then what should I do next?
"Your intrusion has caused the plot to begin deviating, Master, but I don't think that matters. As long as the final outcome is good, the process isn't important. Next, you will be sent to Artemis's divine residence to study with her attendants."
"System notification: Linai comes from another world, just like you, and will provide support for your subsequent plot progression. Establishing a friendly relationship is recommended."
With that, it shut down with a "snap," out of power.
This world didn't even have power banks or anything, and it kept crashing. Still, Li Jia was very happy. It turned out she wasn't the only stranger from another world here.
Before she could enjoy even two days of happiness, Li Jia was packed off to Artemis's divine residence. It was located at the easternmost end of the Great Plains of Ephesus, and Winslow accompanied her to school.
Winslow: ...
Automatically promoted to daytime nanny.
Li Jia drew two pale blue, girly kindergarten uniforms, carefully drawing a little moon on the chest of the one for Linai, since Artemis was also the moon goddess. Her own had a little yellow chick, with matching little yellow sunflower hats.
School meant following school rules: wear a uniform, be polite, respect teachers, be kind to friends, and help one another.
On the first day of school, Hera was waiting in the chariot early, like any anxious parent, though she said nothing.
Li Jia appeared before her, skipping along in her kindergarten uniform and little yellow hat, with a backpack on her back. Hera got down and helped her aboard.
Li Jia took milk out of her backpack and gulped it down. Her grand plan to grow taller could not wait. Two bottles every day-whatever else she did, she could not forget this.
Hera remained silent throughout the journey, resting with her eyes closed. She was not a talkative goddess.
Li Jia leaned against the frame at the edge of the chariot to look at the scenery below. Hera held on to the hem of her clothes, keeping her as safe as possible.
Hera would not stop Li Jia from doing anything she wanted. If she wanted to do something, then she could do it. What Hera could do was shelter her and keep her life out of danger.
She did not know whether this made her a qualified divine sovereign.
"Don't be afraid if something happens. Whatever it is, you have me."
With that, she put a gold-wire bracelet on Li Jia's wrist. "This is Listen. No matter how far away you are, you can speak to me simply by taking it off."
Li Jia looked at the gold bracelet on her wrist and immediately perked up. She took it off and bit it. It was actually solid gold. Seeing Li Jia act just as she had expected, Hera held her forehead and chuckled.
Just as she had thought, she had to make Listen out of something valuable. If she made it out of plastic, who knew where this little one would toss it?
Li Jia called into the hollow of the bracelet, "Can you hear me?"
A matching gold bracelet appeared on Hera's wrist, and Li Jia's voice came from it. "Can you hear me?"
Wow, this really was convenient, just like a watch phone.
Hera put the bracelet back on for her and gave her reminders along the lines of not making trouble, not getting hurt, and eating more.
Only when Li Jia finally became thoroughly fed up did Hera pat her little head and let her enter Artemis's residence.
The Great Plains of Ephesus.
Artemis was the mistress of this place. As far as the eye could see, grasslands stretched everywhere, carrying the fresh scent of grass and a breath of distant places across the boundless green.
After Li Jia entered the residence, Artemis stood waiting in the morning light. She was like moonlight dredged from the deep sea and given solid form.
Her silky blue hair was braided and coiled, reaching past her waist, its ends shimmering silver-blue like ripples on water. When she smiled, shallow dimples appeared at the corners of her mouth, forming a curious contrast with her cool blue eyes.
She was a gentle, warm goddess.
A little penguin held her hand, standing respectfully beside Artemis. There were also a multicolored parrot, a white tiger, and a red fox.
Li Jia could not help marveling that, as expected of the goddess of the hunt, she was practically a zoo director.
On seeing Li Jia, Little Penguin let go of Artemis's hand and ran toward her, calling her name. Li Jia recognized who she was. She was Linai.
Artemis gave Li Jia and Winslow a crescent-shaped nameplate each. Every divine sovereign's residence had restrictions placed upon it, with the types of restrictions and the ways to lift them determined by the divine sovereign.
With their crescent nameplates, the two of them could come and go freely across the Great Plains of Ephesus.
The blue-and-white crescent nameplate hanging around Little Penguin's neck bore her name, a favor unique across the entire grassland.
The parrot butler was Dian, the white tiger was called Claire, and the red fox was Luota. These were the residence's main members, and the three of them managed all the animals on the plains.
The Temple of the Goddess of Marriage oversaw the marital bonds of all things in the world, while Artemis's temple was called Water Mirror Palace.
Artemis and Apollo were twin divine sovereigns. One governed the sun, while the other guarded the moon. Perhaps because the night sky was too quiet, she had become the deity of nature and the wilderness.
Water Mirror Palace was responsible for protecting wildlife and was also regarded by the animals as a sanctuary. Closely connected to forests, mountains, rivers, and other wilderness areas, it maintained the natural order.
Li Jia understood it as the bureau of forestry and animal protection. She really was a deity whose work had meaning.
Animals could not speak. Every life deserved to be treated gently, and all were equal beneath the moon.
The moon shone brightest over home, and fellow townsfolk were dearest.
Li Jia and Lili had met on the day of the attendant selection. Li Jia had never expected Linai to have transmigrated from another world just like her.
Linai changed straight from a little penguin back into human form. She was very happy today, so she wanted to take human form during the day and turn back into a little penguin at night.
Li Jia gave Linai the girly kindergarten uniform she had prepared for her. In her memory, Linai was a little shorter than she was, and when Linai changed into it, it fit just right.
Hera had proposed teaching the two of them to read and write, so Artemis had asked Linai's opinion. When Linai learned that Li Jia would be attending the remedial lessons with her, she readily agreed, because she thought Li Jia was a very interesting person.