[Connection Restored]

As the notification flickered before his eyes, Jamie halted mid-stride, his gaze locking onto the words. His heart quickened. 'Could it be? Have we reestablished contact with the gods?'

"It makes sense," Jay mused aloud, his feline form lounging casually nearby. The cat had observed the entire skirmish from a safe distance, silently rooting for them to avoid being beaten too badly.

Jamie stood near the tavern's doorway. Anticipation mingled with apprehension as he awaited further signs. 'Will they remain silent?' he wondered. 'Or perhaps even after reconnecting, they still could not communicate?'

Suddenly, a series of translucent messages materialized before him.

[God of War grumbles about the issues he went through]

[God of War says it's good to be back]

[God of War mentions he was getting bored]

A hint of a smile tugged at Jamie's lips. 'Good to have them back,' he thought. 'Especially since we need more way more experience.' Relief washed over him.

"No doubt," Jay concurred, sitting upright and curling his tail neatly around his paws. His eyes glinted mischievously as he surveyed the street.

The world around them was gradually returning to its usual rhythm. The chaos of battle had subsided, giving way to the everyday sounds of Hafenstadt. Townsfolk began to reappear, tentatively resuming their routines. The fire that had erupted in a nearby house had been swiftly extinguished; wisps of smoke were dissipating into the sky.

Jamie exhaled softly, turning back toward the tavern's interior. 'Alright, will any of you at least explain why I lost connection?' he pondered, directing his thoughts toward the heavens if that was even possible.

Yet, only silence answered him. Seconds ticked by without any new messages.

"Seriously?" Jamie muttered under his breath, a flicker of frustration crossing his face.

"It seems you're talking to the wind," Jay observed dryly, leaping gracefully onto one of the tavern's wooden tables. He began grooming a paw nonchalantly, casting a sidelong glance at Jamie.

Just then, another notification shimmered into view.

[God of Mystery mentions that it's... a mystery.]

Jamie couldn't help but roll his eyes, a wry chuckle escaping him. 'Perhaps I preferred it when they weren't responding,' he mused, 'shaking his head in mild exasperation.'

The notifications continued.

[Goddess of Magic explains that each message consumes a great amount of Mana]

[Goddess of Magic elaborates that the more sacred the communication, the higher the cost]

[Goddess of Magic notes that only their followers can be informed about what transpired]

Jamie stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'Bishops and Archbishops... Seems it's time to find some of them.'

Jamie crossed the tavern hall toward the stairs, his thoughts returning to the myriad tasks that demanded his attention.

Taking a side glance, Jamie saw that the first floor was crowded. Scattered across the worn floorboards, Thomas, Aldwin, and Holz lay catching their breath, their bodies aching from the combat. Sweat mingled with dust on their brows, and their chests heaved as they stared up at the timbered ceiling.

Nearby, Bertram inspected his shield, which now bore fresh scuffs and dents. Despite the blows he had taken, he seemed less battered than the others, his sturdy frame and steadfast demeanor unshaken.

Before Jamie could place his foot on the first step, a series of new notifications materialized before his eyes.

[The gods have evaluated your performance]

'What performance?' Jamie questioned himself.

[Results have been determined]

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He paused, eyebrows knitting together as he focused on the words shimmering before him.

[For defending the city against the Giants, saving innocent lives, and preventing the destruction of the Lower Quarter]

[All members of the Golden Fiddle will receive 2,000 Experience Points]

"All of them. That's good. The [Cook] finally got a chance to be part of." Jay mentioned.

Another notification appeared.

[For wisely investing your funds in the city, generating wealth, and enhancing its prosperity, the God of Commerce grants Jamie and Eliza 500 Experience Points]

Jamie allowed himself a small smile, proud of Eliza's proactivity.

[For confronting an Inquisitor and defending one of your members—]

Abruptly, the notification flickered and glitched, the text fragmenting before his eyes. It was as though an unseen hand had interrupted the message mid-sentence.

Confusion knotted his brow. Before he could ponder further, additional messages flashed into view.

[The Goddess of Justice opposes this bonus]

[The God of War and the Goddess of Magic support it]

[Bonus is being recalculated]

Jamie blinked in surprise. 'A dispute among the gods?' He mused. He glanced sideways at Jay, however he met his gaze with a nonchalant shrug, his whiskers twitching with indifference.

Suddenly, a distorted notification materialized.

[For confronting an Inquisitor and defending one of your members, the gods grant all members of the Golden Fiddle: 1.0 █▓▒░FAILURE░▒▓█ 00 Experience █▓▒░FAILURE░▒▓█ Points]

Jamie stared at the garbled text, a perplexed expression crossing his face. Before he could make sense of it, the notification shimmered and resolved itself.

[For confronting an Inquisitor and defending one of your members, the gods grant all members of the Golden Fiddle: 50 Experience Points]

'Fifty?! Only fifty for confronting an Inquisitor and his knights?' Jamie seethed, teetering on the edge of an outburst. The injustice of it gnawed at him, but he suspected the Goddess of Justice was behind this paltry reward.

'Wait… I don't get experience from killing those guys in my world?' Jamie questioned, but no answer was offered.

He was about to summon his Status Page to assess his gains when a sudden weight crashed onto his back, sending him sprawling to the floor.

"BY THE GODS!!!" a voice shrieked directly into his ear.

The exclamation rang painfully loud. Eliza clung to him from behind, her arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders.

"I can't believe it! I'm a Cook! Just a Cook! How on earth did I reach level three?" Eliza's emotions swung wildly between disbelief and joy. As they tumbled to the ground together, her elation gave way to tears. She buried her face in her work-worn hands, hot tears seeping between her fingers and tracing paths over the callouses etched by years of labor.

Dazed, Jamie blinked in confusion. Eliza's sudden outburst caught him off guard. Just then, a translucent notification shimmered before his eyes.

[Eliza increased her trust by 20 Trust Points]

--

| 1# Member: Eliza Oakbarrel | Trust: [50/100] | Class: Cook [Common] | Level: 3 | Experience: [812/5000]

--

"I'm happy for you, Eliza, but... I really need to get up," Jamie said, gently trying to push her to the side.

Eliza scrambled off his back, her cheeks flushed with excitement and embarrassment.

Jamie stood up with difficulty, brushing the dust off his clothes. His companions laughed at the whole situation as they watched the two of them lying on the ground.

Finally, on his feet, Jamie could see that the others also wanted to say something. However, a loud noise coming from outside caught everyone's attention. Raised voices echoed down the street.

"Seriously?" Jamie muttered under his breath. "Another freaking problem? Just what we need."

"Get out of the way!" They could hear a girl scream.

"No, you move!" Someone else answered.

"I can't believe anyone puts up with a dumb brick like you!"

"You're only here because you were following me!"

The heated exchange grew louder as it approached. Everyone inside the tavern exchanged curious glances, murmuring amongst themselves. The wooden door burst open with a forceful thud, rattling the hinges.

Alonzo and Thyra tumbled through the entrance, each vying to push past the other. Alonzo's dark hair was tousled, his eyes flashing with irritation. Thyra's golden braids were slightly askew; her cheeks flushed with indignation.

"Move aside, you clumsy girl!" Alonzo barked, attempting to shoulder past her.

"Clumsy? Clumsy?" Thyra shot back, her eyes narrowing dangerously. A fiery determination burned within them, almost palpable. Gripping her staff tightly, she didn't hesitate. With a swift motion, she brought it down sharply onto Alonzo's foot.

"Ow!" Alonzo yelped, hopping on one foot as pain shot up his leg. He glared at her, trying to regain his balance.

"Silence!" Jamie's voice rang out with authority, cutting through their squabble like a blade. The entire tavern seemed to pause, all eyes turning toward the trio.

Thyra and Alonzo froze mid-motion, their faces flushed, not just from their tussle, but also from embarrassment under the weight of Jamie's stern gaze.

"I assume you've both come here for a reason," Jamie continued, his tone firm yet measured. "So perhaps you'd like to get straight to the point."

They exchanged a brief, begrudging glance before straightening themselves.

Alonzo cleared his throat, attempting to compose himself. "How the hell have we got these experience points?"

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