Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard
Chapter 56: Worth the Sacrifice - Part 1

Chapter 56: 56: Worth the Sacrifice - Part 1

"Everyone looks so busy and happy praying to their chosen god. I wonder how many of these people actually know the true nature of their gods? Then again, it might be better for the people not to know and have their faith shattered."

Auriel sighed as she looked at the praying mass in the temple’s garden.

She had been invited to head out, but she chose not to. She had no intention of stealing another god’s worshippers.

But it was fascinating to see how some gods were more beloved than others. Gods that fulfilled human needs, like food and money, were much more beloved than the ones who were known for their kindness.

It was human nature to be attracted to things that could be beneficial to you, so Auriel did not blame humans either.

"Goddess Auriel, are you having fun? Are you sure you do not want to join the prayers and talk to the worshippers? I am sure those people would be happy to see you," Carol asked in a low but comforting voice.

But no matter how tempting her words were or how much Auriel wanted to follow them and relieve her boredom, she knew she needed to hold herself back.

"No, it’s fine. Let those people pray in peace. I would rather not disturb them. That reminds me, what happened to the followers of Goddess Minerva? Did they reach back to their settlement safely?"

Auriel did not know why, but she felt worried for those people.

Her instincts told her to keep an eye on that mass because something was about to happen. It was not often that Auriel got a feeling like this, so she was especially worried about what it could mean.

Thankfully, Carol’s words were like a soothing balm to her worries.

"Don’t worry, Goddess Auriel. We made sure to keep an eye on those people and ensure that they reached home safely. There is no need for you to feel unnecessarily concerned over what happened."

Carol assured the goddess, and finally, Auriel’s worries subdued a little, and she was able to focus on thinking.

"That’s good. But make sure to keep me updated about that situation. Something about it is still making me pay attention to it."

It would not be a bad thing to keep oneself alert and tackle anything that could happen. Balance was a delicate thing, and it was easy to throw off.

______

"Come on, Lila! You can do this. Don’t be a coward and back out now. Think of how far you have come for Goddess Minerva’s sake."

The young girl shivered as she stood in the middle of the old man’s village. This was her home and also the place that had been chosen as the first sacrifice to bring back Goddess Minerva’s powers.

Lila was sure she would not feel any guilt in sacrificing anything for her goddess’s sake, but now that she was standing in the middle of her village, she was not so sure anymore.

Was it truly right to make all these people into ingredients to bring back her goddess? Would it even help? Didn’t her goddess always preach about honesty and living a good life?

’Oh my! Are you having second thoughts already, my dear? If you are going to be like this, then how are you going to be able to save the goddess? You need to make up your mind.’

Lila almost dropped the bottle she held in her arms when she heard that whispering voice in her head. It sounded like Lady Victoria’s voice, and it beckoned Lila to confront what she had been running away from.

At the same time, it heightened her resolve, and her hold on the bottle tightened a little more.

"Don’t be ridiculous! There is no way I am chickening out. I am just bracing myself for what I need to do. All these old people owe a debt to the Goddess of Wisdom, and I am here to collect it."

Lila spoke with certainty in her voice, and her hold on the bottle tightened. She stepped forward, and the elder instantly recognized her.

"Lila, you are back? Where did you go? Do you know how much work has piled up in the meantime? If you were going to disappear, you should have told me beforehand."

The elder chided Lila with soft and affectionate words. Lila felt guilty about what she was about to do for a second, but then her feelings faded, and she steeled her heart.

"Elder, you always talked about how we need to repay our favor to Goddess Minerva for taking such good care of us, right? Then, isn’t it time we do it? We need to help Goddess Minerva out. Please, consider what I am about to do as something that is unavoidable if we want to help the goddess."

Lila spoke with confidence. Each word that came out of her mouth made her more and more certain that she was in the right.

Lila hesitated for only a second before she uncorked the bottle. The moment the seal broke, a strange mist seeped out, curling through the air like ghostly tendrils.

The villagers, sensing something unnatural, let out startled noises, their eyes darting from Lila to the ominous vapor now weaving through their ranks.

A chilling wind rushed through the village square, and the mist moved with purpose. One by one, the villagers stiffened as an invisible force seized them.

Their eyes widened in horror as their very life-essence was drawn from their bodies, spiraling into the open bottle in Lila’s trembling hands.

Screams filled the night—first of confusion, then of pain. The elder, the first to recognize what was happening, tried to fight it. He stretched out a hand toward Lila, his face twisted in betrayal.

"Lila... what have you done?"

His voice barely reached her ears before his essence, a swirling blue-white light, was ripped from him and funneled into the bottle. His body crumpled to the ground, empty, lifeless.

Lila squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the sight of what she had done. She wanted to believe in Lady Victoria’s words—that this was necessary, that this was a gift for Minerva—but the reality of it was suffocating.

She had not expected the weight of her actions to crash down on her so quickly.