CHAPTER 770: 770: DIVINE GAME: CARD SWAP 19

The pub was called Burrowbug Tavern, and it had a striking sense of design. Everything from the furniture and lighting to the tiniest decor and drinkware was carefully crafted and refined.

But it wasn’t a large place, and sharing a table with strangers was the norm.

Lightchaser had picked a small four-seat table. While she was teasing her apprentice earlier, the guests at her table had already started laughing. From there, casual conversation naturally followed.

Rita leaned against the window outside, sipping her juice with puffed cheeks, eavesdropping.

She felt like she was witnessing a completely different side of Lightchaser.

Unlike her usual attitude—like the whole world owed her ten million gold—Lightchaser in social mode was surprisingly charming. She was witty, cheerful, and easy to talk to.

Even when someone overstepped with a nosy question, she redirected the topic smoothly and gracefully. And when a guest behind her accidentally splashed beer on her cloak while gesturing mid-brag, she just smiled and let it go.

Rita remembered the time she and Mistblade and Fat Goose cried in front of her, and the elf had snapped, practically flaying the three of them.

Halfway through the drinks, another table nearby was so drawn in that they asked to push their tables together and join in. They even offered to cover all the drinks.

Lightchaser didn’t mind at all.

Even after they left the tavern, Rita kept glancing at her like she was trying to figure out if this was really the same person.

Lightchaser let her stare. "What? Do you act the same with your friends as you do when you’re alone?"

Rita wasn’t buying it. "I just thought... the difference wouldn’t be that big. And..." She frowned, thinking it through. "You weren’t acting back there. You actually enjoyed it."

Lightchaser didn’t bother responding. The whole topic of how many faces a person could wear was too big for small talk. Better saved for a proper lesson.

She led Rita around the back of the tavern, up a vine-covered ladder to the rooftop. Standing on the last rung, Lightchaser turned and grinned wickedly. "You ask too many questions. I’ve decided to sell you."

Flying just behind her, Rita replied in a flat monotone, "I’m absolutely terrified."

Lightchaser: ...She really wasn’t cute sometimes.

Ten minutes later, they came out of a small building behind the tavern.

From today until July, Rita would be working part-time at the tavern every day from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. One gold per day, lunch included, and any tips were hers to keep.

It was funny—she wasn’t allowed to drink inside, but working there was fine.

Rita didn’t object. A little extra money never hurt. Still, she was curious. "What’s the point of this lesson?"

"To teach you how to read people," said Lightchaser. "That’s the essence of disguise. You need to study how others behave, listen to how they speak. The customers here aren’t average folks—learning how to extract information, and how to lower someone’s guard quickly, are arts people spend years mastering."

Rita nodded earnestly. "What about the afternoons and evenings?"

"You really hate wasting time, don’t you." Lightchaser sighed, then added, "We’re going somewhere else."

They wound their way through several streets until they arrived at a bustling marketplace. Across from it, Lightchaser led her into a narrow alley beside a candy shop—into Asaein’s infamous Garbage Street.

It was right there, in broad daylight.

Despite the name, it wasn’t dirty or disorderly. In fact, it had a weathered, old-city charm. If Lightchaser hadn’t pointed it out, Rita would’ve thought they’d entered a historical district.

But something was off.

Rita couldn’t describe it, exactly—maybe it was like walking into a room with a lit fuse or being in the crosshairs of a drawn bow.

She couldn’t shake the sense that she might just drop dead at any second.

It unsettled her so much she didn’t dare speak.

Lightchaser led her through the area until they reached an old woman. She said a few words, pointed to herself, and handed over a pouch of coins before walking away.

If Rita hadn’t seen the exchange of money, she might’ve seriously thought Lightchaser had just sold her.

Only once they returned to the sunlight did she dare to ask in a whisper, "Why does that place feel... so dangerous?"

"Most people, after their magic awakens, receive a divine gift," Lightchaser replied calmly. "But there’s a rare type—evil gifts. These are inherently corrupt. They make their users stronger, faster—but that power always comes at a cost: theft, lies, killing, looting. The moment it awakens, the world labels them monsters. Most of them are never allowed into an academy."

Rita frowned. "Even if they haven’t done anything yet?"

"Even if they haven’t done anything yet."

Rita bit her lip. "But the world still has theft, lies, and killing even without evil gifts."

That made Lightchaser laugh. Her brows, which had been furrowed the entire time in Garbage Street, finally relaxed. "Exactly! Hahaha. You’re right!"

She gave Rita a firm flick to the forehead, earning a grumble: "Stop that or I’ll never grow tall."

Lightchaser chuckled and dropped a truth Rita wouldn’t understand until she was older. "No living creature can resist that kind of temptation. So yes, it’s prejudice—but also deserved."

Rita looked up at her, confused. She couldn’t yet grasp the deeper layers of adult logic, but she had more questions.

"So what about you? Did you have an evil gift? Did you study at Moonlight Marsh?"

"Of course I did. But we never tell anyone what our evil gifts are." Lightchaser shut the conversation down with a smile. "Anyway, everyone in Garbage Street is like that. The weak and the ’just’ aren’t allowed to live there."

Rita asked, "So what am I supposed to do?"

"Get ready. Starting tomorrow, I’ll bring you into Garbage Street every afternoon. Each day you’ll meet a new temporary teacher. They’ll teach you something."

Rita tensed. "You already paid today’s teacher?"

Lightchaser forced a serious look and nodded. "Yup."

Rita cried out, "What if she teaches me nonsense and scams us both?!"

Lightchaser feigned concern. "Who knows."

"How much did you give her?!"

"Eight hundred gold. You’ll get two hours tomorrow afternoon."

Rita clutched her chest like her heart had been physically wounded. "Is that lady really that valuable or is Moonlight Marsh just underfunded?"

As they passed a moonbear on the street, the creature paused and turned to look back at the little cub who’d asked the question.