As much as I hated to admit it, I was completely lost. The surrounding trees were so high that I couldn't search for a column of smoke, which would have indicated a settlement. Justine may have lost all my respect, but I had to accept that she wasn't an entirely useless Goddess. It was painfully hard to swallow those words, but I wasn't a prideful person. That didn't mean it wasn't painless, however.

"As much as I don't want to say this, I want to propose a temporary truce between the two of us," I said reluctantly.

"Was that so hard? I tell you the same thing with a warm smile on my face and you slap my tits! Why would you even do that?" Justine asked.

"Don't worry about the past and live in the present. It's water under the bridge, right?" I happily stated.

"Don't use my words against me! Do you think I'll let you keep slapping them? I'm the Goddess Of Justice!" Justine said.

As I turned around and placed both my hands on Justine's shoulders, I looked her straight in the face. She began blushing.

"Hey...aren't you a little too close? If you have something to say...then say it," Justine said nervously.

"I'll be honest, Justine. My opinion of you is non-existent at the moment. But I'm willing to give you a second chance because I need your help. There's a good chance that I will never accept the quest to kill the Demon Lords. However, I would like to suggest a compromise," I said confidently.

"A compromise, huh? I'm listening," Justine said.

"Instead of actively pursuing the Demon Lord's army, I shall become...A Merchant Hero!" I proudly stated.

"Huh? What the hell is a Merchant Hero? How does this benefit me?" Justine asked.

"Being a Merchant Hero will allow me to focus on being a trader but also perform some heroic duties when I'm not busy! It's a win-win for us both!" I said.

"How much of your time will be spent as a hero?" Justine asked.

"I'll probably spend 20%," I promptly stated.

"80%," Justine argued.

"What?! 25%," I argued.

"I think we can do 70%," Justine said.

"No," I responded.

"What about 60%?" Justine asked.

"No," I responded.

"50%?" Justine asked.

"I'm not doing it 50% of the time!" I said.

"Aren't you the one who started the truce? What about 40% and you give me a cut of your profits?" Justine said.

"Ha! You're insane! Why would I give you a cut of the profits?" I stated.

"Do you know the way around the continent? Do you know the different languages that are spoken? Do you even know which people to avoid? Matter of fact, can you think of anyone who knows as much as a Goddess? If you're not fighting the Demon Lords, that information will cost you...around 30% of your profits," Justine said smugly.

"Tch! Fine! But if I'm giving you 30%, you better help me build up my business!" I said annoyed.

"Of course, Merchant hero!" Justine said happily.

Justine's face beamed with joy, which felt as if she robbed me. As Justine happily offered a handshake to confirm our truce, I sighed. I hesitantly shook her hand, although I could tell she was planning something behind her innocent smile. She might have been a very attractive woman, but I wondered how she qualified to be the Goddess Of Justice.

Before she directed us to the road that would take us to the nearby town, she stated that she would go undercover. As she raised her sword in the air, her entire body emitted a blinding light. Forced to cover my eyes, I could not see the Goddess change into her new attire. However, as the light faded, I opened my eyes to see the Goddess wearing an exceptionally made cleric outfit. While the outfit wasn't overly revealing, she still looked like a sexy cleric despite.

"You like the outfit? I had the angels at my Villa prepare it for me. Fayhelm is a small town, but word travels fast. We'll keep my identity as a Goddess hidden for now," Justine stated.

I gave Justine two thumbs up as she smiled at me. She looked great, but it's to be expected when she's such an important Goddess.

Given her status, maybe she isn't as worthless as I initially thought. Only time will tell, I suppose...

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Eventually, Goddess Justine led me to the main road, which would lead us to Fayhelm. As we walked on the dirt road, she said that Fayhelm was a beginner-friendly town which housed around 1000+ inhabitants. Since she intended for my heroic quest to start there, it wasn't too far from our location. If I had to estimate, I would say it was a brisk, 30-minute walk from us. However, as we began our quest to not be homeless, she remembered her duties as my Goddess.

"While we have this temporary truce, it may be the best time to explain your abilities. It's important to note that being my Champion allowed you to reincarnate as a Demi-God. That's primarily how your body can harness the power of 'Creation'. Your Legendary class, 'Sorcerer Of Light', can only be obtained by being Lady Justice's Champion," Justine stated.

"What are you talking about? Aren't you Lady Justice?" I asked.

"I am but the original Lady Justice is my mother, named Themy. She retired once I turned old enough to take her place. In the last 300 years, most of the Gods in Adrios retired once their children turned old enough," Justine stated.

"Guess that explains why you suck at being Lady Justice," I joked.

As Justine hit me in the arm, she continued her explanation.

"This world does not have the 'XP' or 'Levels' that you are familiar with. This world is primarily based around a ranking system, which goes from 'Unranked' all the way to 'SS+'. There are 7 key attributes that are assigned to each person at birth, but it would be easier to show you. Mortals may be forced to visit an appraiser, but Demi-Gods can pull it up by saying 'Appraisal'! Looking at your stats can give you a better idea of what you're able to do," Justine stated.

As I became shocked at Justine's usefulness, I shouted "Appraisal" to pull up my stats:

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"This is cool! Looks like Luck is my best attribute. Where are my skills though?" I asked.

"What do you mean?" Justine questioned.

"Shouldn't there be a list of skills that I already possess? Like the ability to fly or the ability to breathe underwater?" I asked.

As Justine burst out laughing, she could barely speak.

"Hahaha! I like you, Owen. You're funny. You know it doesn't work that way! Does this look like a game to you?" Justine teased.

However, before I could promptly roast the Goddess, it seemed that the path to Fayhelm would be an interesting one. Halfway to our destination, we encountered our first threat. Next to an overturned Caravan were a group of thugs, groping one of the three hostages that were tied up. Justine's smile quickly faded as she became infuriated.

"I have a favor to ask," Justine said.

"Don't even mention it," I said smiling.

As we walked toward the thugs, one of the scouts announced our arrival.

"Look here, boys! Fresh Meat!" he said sadistically.