Village Head's Debauchery

Another 2,000-word chapter!

....

"I will go and see for her," Aurora said.

"Be careful," Aerialia responded.

Aurora nodded, stood up from the bed, and exited the room.

....

In the distance, away from the sanctuary, three women dressed in form-fitting matte black bodysuits with large floating mechanical rings rotating behind them surveyed their surroundings. Behind them, a wide fissure in space continued to spread into their environment.

"Mirror realm restructuring complete... Realm parameters: unstable... Primary target identified: anomaly... demigod... commencing hun—" the woman with alabaster skin and short snow-white hair said. But just as she was about to finish, a voice reverberated around them.

"You are finally here. I knew for certain that you would show up!"

They all froze in place, unable to move or speak. Within seconds, they vanished into thin air as though they had never been there.

Meanwhile, the fissure in the sky continued to expand slowly.

.....

Zera looked at the churning clouds and darkened sky moving closer from the distance with a deep frown. Moments earlier, she had sensed several formidable opponents breaking into the Mirror Realm and forcefully seizing a portion of authority over it from her.

But then, they had abruptly vanished.

Even their auras were gone as if they had never been present.

"This is starting to get troublesome," Zera said, sighing tiredly, her expression thoughtful.

"Can I ask what exactly is getting troublesome, Demigoddess Zera?" a familiar voice sounded behind her, causing her to turn backwards.

Behind her stood Aurora, staring with narrowed eyes filled with suspicion. "What is going on?" Aurora asked.

Zera hesitated briefly, then exhaled in defeat and swiftly recounted the situation to Aurora.

A look of understanding flashed across Aurora's face. "So, what will you do now?" she asked.

"I don't know. Something like this has never happened before. I'll need to consult the goddess before taking any action," Zera responded, her tone and expression calm.

However, having spent much time with Zera creating something as delicate as the Divine Embryonic Seed, Aurora could easily read her emotions and knew she was anxious.

Zera swiftly summoned the leaders of the Guardian Corps.

In an instant, they appeared before her.

"Send an alarm for every soldier to retreat into the Sanctuary," Zera ordered.

The Guardian Corps leaders' expressions darkened at her words. As the Priestess ordered them to abandon the fortress and retreat into the sanctuary, they realized they were under attack by a formidable enemy.

Yet, having received their orders, they didn't say a word. Instead, they nodded and swiftly left to return to their stations and pass the urgent information to the rest of their respective Corps.

….….

Aurora and Zera returned to the Priestess's Manor. Zera paced around the room; her expression was restless. Aurora sat on the bed and recounted everything to Aerialia.

As Aurora finished speaking, Aerialia wore a solemn expression.

"What do you plan on doing now?" Aurora asked, her gaze focused on Zera. She had been waiting for Zera to make a decision, but seeing her still walking around restlessly, she decided to ask if she had come up with anything.

Zera halted and shook her head at Aurora.

"If that's the case, why don't you and the rest of the sanctuary's inhabitants come to Paradise? You must sense that the Mirror Realm is becoming increasingly unstable due to the mysterious attackers' interference. It will eventually collapse if you don't figure out who they are or do something before they attack the sanctuary."

"Even if they don't attack and choose to hide and plot secretly, you won't be able to repair the barrier alone and will need the goddesses' help, right? However, by doing so, you would risk exposing their presence to the Will of the Divine Mysteries, which could lead to the same, or even greater, catastrophe," Aurora said with a glint in her eyes, determined to follow Orion's plan and bring the entire Sanctuary under Paradise's banner.

Zera bit her lip, realizing the reason in Aurora's explanation. She had already discussed the situation with the goddesses and realized they were at a loss for what to do. It was apparent they hadn't foreseen such an event, fully trusting in the unique Mirror Realm they had created.

Feeling a powerful tug within her soul, dragging her out of her thoughts, Zera's body trembled. She clenched her fists as various emotions surged through her in an instant.

Zera looked at Aurora and shook her head. "Thank you for the offer, goddess Aurora, but I must decline. I must remain here and protect the sanctuary and its residents. If the sanctuary falls, it means I've failed in my purpose and let down the predecessors who fought for this sanctuary to exist in the first place," she said, bowing respectfully.

Aurora was surprised by Zera's sudden refusal. She had expected resistance but not a swift rejection, especially considering that staying in the sanctuary any longer was tantamount to signing a death sentence.

"How aggravating. I might lose all respect if you continue clinging to such stubborn behaviour. You're not doing this for the races you call your children, are you? You're just trying to secure your own lives! This realm is under your control, and with Zera and your supposedly thought-out plan, you're confident the Will of the Divine Mysteries won't discover you."

"But the same can't be said outside. I should have expected no less from two goddesses who went to such lengths to preserve their own lives," Aerialia said, snorting loudly, her stern gaze fixed on Zera.

It was clear, however, that her scorn was directed at the goddesses within Zera.

Under exceptional circumstances, gods could live through countless lifetimes through reincarnation or resurrection. Because of this, they often spoke bluntly with one another unless they harboured malicious or other intentions. What couldn't be said in this lifetime would be mentioned in the next.

So, despite the apparent scorn in Aerialia's words, the two goddesses residing within Zera paid no mind to it.

However, the same couldn't be said for Zera, who was central to this confrontation.

"I would prefer it if you didn't speak ill of my goddesses, goddess Aerialia. I respect you, but I would lose my respect for both of you if you chose to continue," Zera said, looking between Aerialia and Aurora.

"The goddesses have done their best to save us from our wretched fate and survive up to this moment. We can never repay all they've done for us, but if we could, by giving our lives, we would gladly do so," she added.

"Listen closely, child; a god does not collect payment from their children. Children can only be punished if they do something wrong or ignored by others if they fail to live up to their expectations. Those goddesses might not have created you, but they saved your predecessors and chose to take you all as their children."

"So, in my view, their actions are unpleasant, and they shouldn't call you their children but rather a disposable herd meant for slaughter'," Aerialia responded, narrowing her eyes at Zera.

The demigoddess withdrew her gaze from the terrifying goddess. She turned her head to the side, her body trembling as Aerialia's words echoed in her mind.

Witnessing this, Aerialia's gaze softened into pity, and she shook her head in disappointment.

A sudden silence descended upon the room.

"The goddesses of Twilight Chorus and Fortune wish to speak with you, goddess Aerialia," Zera said, her voice breaking through the tense atmosphere as she regained her composure.

Aerialia furrowed her brows, pondering what they wanted to discuss with her.

"Very well, I will speak with them," Aerialia nodded. She turned to Aurora. "Go and get the others from the pocket dimension. We'll be ready to leave once I return."

"Okay, mother," Aurora nodded in understanding. With the Mirror Realm currently destabilized, she could freely return to the pocket dimension to check on Brane and the others and swiftly send them to Paradise.

...

"I hope you didn't call me here to waste my time because I plan to leave before this realm is destroyed," Aerialia said, folding her arms under her chest. Her eyes met the goddess of Twilight Chorus and Fortune, who had been silently staring at her for over two minutes.

"If we accept your offer, are you certain that Paradise will be able to care for us and our children?" the goddess of Twilight Chorus and Fortune asked.

Aerialia curled her lips into a smile. "Yes, with our current capabilities, I'm certain we can. And once I'm done reforging my body, the number of divine beings in Paradise will skyrocket, enhancing your overall safety even more," she said.

"However, that's not the right question you should be asking. The deal for me to construct the Divine Embryonic Seed was to bring the residents of the pocket dimension we rescued to this sanctuary. And as residents of Paradise, we pride ourselves on fulfilling our agreements. So it would be difficult if you decided to change the terms of our agreement now."

Before the Twilight Chorus and Fortune goddess could interrupt her, Aerialia continued. "I believe Orion has made this proposal several times to you, even subtly. However, you have failed to grasp the opportunity to negotiate the benefits you would have received if you had initially accepted. But if I choose to accept the change in the proposal on his behalf, it would only be to ensure the safety of the sanctuary's residents and yours."

"This means you would be treated as refugees within Paradise, though slightly special. If you want any other benefits, you'll need to consider any profitable deal we could make or pledge your servitude to Paradise. Your children will be granted similar or even greater privileges based on your contribution as a divine being."

"I'm sure that wouldn't be difficult for either of you. I'm also doing this because of your hospitality to my daughter and Orion. I'm certain you'll realize how easy a decision this is," Aerialia said, then fell silent.

This was also an excellent opportunity for Paradise, considering it was a three-in-one divine package.

Meanwhile, the goddess of Twilight Chorus and Fortune wore a contemplative expression. "Can we settle this matter first and give you our response once everything is over?" she asked.

"You can take your time, but we won't be staying," Aerialia replied.

The goddess of Twilight Chorus and Fortune clenched her teeth. "As long as Paradise can protect my children and me, we will pledge our loyalty."

"Okay. I want to hear the other one say it herself," Aerialia said.

The goddess of Twilight Chorus and Fortune's body distorted momentarily. With a bright light, a taller woman with flowing raven-black hair dressed in a fitted, open-chested, beautiful blue dress appeared.

This was none other than Margona, the goddess of Malevolence and Witches!

"I pledge my loyalty to Paradise as long as they can protect me and my children," Margona said, her tone cold yet genuine. Her voice softened as she added, "If I am to take the risk and move out of this sanctuary, then I'll take the opportunity to search for my children. As such, this vow also extends to them."

"Then I won't accept it," Aerialia said, shaking her head.

"You might have noticed, but just to make it obvious, Orion and I share a unique te—" Margona began.

Nonetheless, before she could continue, Aerialia swiftly interrupted, "That's none of my business. I'm simply doing this for the good of Paradise."

She pondered briefly what kind of relationship Orion had with Margona. After all, he had told her everything that had transpired during their day together, and he hadn't mentioned anything like that. Instead, he had been more cautious and wary around her.

Could it be a one-sided relationship? A thought suddenly crossed Aerialia's mind, but she quickly dismissed it.

Even if Margona, the goddess of Malevolence and Witches, tried to deceive her, it seemed far more likely than her developing feelings for Orion from such a short interaction.

There was almost no chance of something like that happening, no matter how capable Orion was!

.....

Author's Note: As a webnovel writer, I think it's safe to say, 'We are another breed of writers.'