Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard
Chapter 133: Fear is a hard thing to concquer- Part 2

Chapter 133: 133: Fear is a hard thing to concquer- Part 2

Auriel reached the ruined village, her golden eyes scanning the broken remnants of what had once been a peaceful home to so many.

The air was thick with the remnants of dark magic, a lingering corruption that clung to the land like a festering wound.

She took a deep breath, steadying herself, before turning to Carol and Priestess Lilith.

"Leave me."

She said.

Carol blinked, clearly caught off guard.

"What?"

"I need to explore this place alone. There are things I need to confirm for myself."

Auriel repeated, her tone firm but calm.

Lilith hesitated, her brows knitting together.

"Goddess, are you sure—"

"I’m sure."

Carol looked ready to argue, but one glance at Auriel’s face told her that it was a lost cause. The goddess was not going to change her mind.

With a frustrated sigh, Carol crossed her arms.

"Fine. But don’t expect me to be happy about it."

Priestess Lilith still seemed uneasy, but she eventually nodded.

"We will wait for you nearby. Please be careful, Goddess Auriel."

Auriel gave them a small nod before turning away and walking deeper into the ruins.

______

The village was silent, save for the soft crunch of her footsteps against the debris-covered ground.

Broken houses stood like the husks of forgotten memories, their walls crumbling, their doors hanging open as if they had given up trying to protect their former inhabitants.

Auriel walked slowly, carefully, her senses heightened.

It didn’t take long for her to find what she had been looking for.

Scattered throughout the ruins were objects of dark magic—twisted talismans, cursed relics, strange symbols burned into the ground.

None of them belonged to the human world.

Auriel knelt down, fingers grazing over an obsidian-colored charm. It pulsed with faint, malevolent energy.

This... this wasn’t something any human could have created.

Her suspicion deepened as she found more—artifacts from the "other side," items that should not exist in the mortal realm.

She exhaled sharply, standing up as she put the pieces together.

This wasn’t just a mistake. This wasn’t just Minerva losing control.

Someone—someone from the other side—had orchestrated this.

And they weren’t done yet.

Auriel clenched her fists. Whoever was behind this wanted chaos. They wanted destruction.

And they had no intention of stopping.

She let out a slow breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Now wasn’t the time for anger. She needed to focus.

Leaving the cursed objects untouched, Auriel turned and began making her way back to where Carol and Priestess Lilith were waiting.

The moment she rejoined them, she could sense that something was wrong.

Carol looked irritated, arms crossed as she leaned against a broken wall, while Priestess Lilith stood stiffly beside her, her expression unreadable.

Before Auriel could ask, Mary arrived, her hurried steps kicking up small clouds of dust as she rushed toward them.

"There you are."

Mary said, slightly out of breath.

"You can’t go back to the temple right now."

Auriel frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Carol straightened up.

"Why not? What’s going on?"

Mary pressed her lips together, as if debating how much she should say. But before she could answer, Priestess Lilith spoke, her voice quiet but heavy.

"...Is it because of the protest?"

Auriel blinked.

"Protest?"

Mary didn’t answer.

But she didn’t have to.

Her silence said everything.

Carol’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"You’re joking, right? A protest? Against Goddess Auriel?"

Mary gave her a pained look.

"I wish I was."

Auriel remained still, processing the information. She had expected distrust. She had expected fear.

But a protest?

Priestess Lilith lowered her gaze, her hands clasped tightly in front of her.

"I... I had a feeling this would happen."

Carol turned to her, her expression incredulous

"And you didn’t think to mention it sooner?"

Lilith flinched slightly but didn’t argue.

Auriel, on the other hand, simply exhaled.

"It’s fine."

Carol whipped around to face her.

"No, it’s not fine! You saved them! You fought for them! And now they’re just turning their backs on you?"

Auriel’s lips curved into a small, bittersweet smile.

"Humans are afraid. And when they are afraid, they seek someone to blame."

Carol looked like she wanted to punch something.

Mary sighed.

"Either way, it’s not safe for you to return to the temple right now. You should go somewhere else—at least for the time being."

Carol scowled.

"And just where is she supposed to go?"

Mary hesitated.

"...Anywhere but here."

Auriel glanced toward the horizon. The world stretched out before her, vast and uncertain.

Auriel’s golden eyes remained calm as she turned toward Lilith, her expression unreadable.

"How long has the protest been going on? Why was I not informed beforehand?"

She asked, her voice even.

Lilith visibly flinched. She hesitated for a moment before finally sighing, her shoulders sagging slightly.

"...There have been concerns about your existence among humans for quite some time, Goddess."

Auriel raised a brow.

"How long, exactly?"

Lilith bit her lip.

"Ever since you arrived on earth for the selection of the next Empress."

Auriel frowned slightly, but she wasn’t entirely surprised. She had sensed the undercurrents of doubt ever since she descended, though she had chosen to ignore them, focusing instead on her divine mission.

Lilith quickly continued, her tone almost desperate.

"But you shouldn’t pay attention to what these silly and uncultured humans are saying. They’re just jealous—jealous that their chance at the crown has been shot down. None of their words matter in the grand scheme of things."

Auriel looked at Lilith for a long moment before offering a small, reassuring smile.

"You’re right. I won’t concern myself with their words."

She wasn’t sure if Lilith noticed the falsehood in her tone, but if she did, she didn’t say anything.

"Then what do you intend to do for now?"

Auriel asked.

Lilith exchanged glances with Mary before sighing again.

"I agree with Mary. It would be better for you to go to another temple branch for the time being until things settle down here."

Auriel hummed in acknowledgment.