Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 114: Gather the People- Part 3

Lila sat in the abandoned chapel, her fingers gripping the edges of the worn wooden table as frustration boiled inside her.

No one was willing to help her.

No one understood. Lady Victoria dismissed her concerns, Nana White acted as if none of it mattered, and now, she was completely alone in this.

She clenched her jaw, her breath uneven. The voice had returned, whispering in the back of her mind.

"Free us... Lila, you promised."

A shudder ran down her spine, but she did not reject the voice. Unlike the others, it never ignored her. It never mocked her or told her to wait.

"I will. I swear I will."

She whispered, her fingers tightening into fists.

She had prepared for this.

For months, she had been gathering resources, setting up what was needed to perform the ritual that would finally bring Goddess Minerva back.

And now, she was down to the last step—the final sacrificial village.

Lila had carefully chosen the location: a remote place far from the temple’s reach, where no one would intervene. The locals had been easy to manipulate.

She had hired them under false pretenses, promising wealth in exchange for their labor.

They built the sacred altars, arranged the offerings, and set everything in place, unaware of the true purpose behind their work.

Everything was nearly complete.

Soon, Minerva would be freed, and then the world would understand. Then they would all regret ever doubting her.

But in her determination, Lila failed to notice that not all of her workers were as loyal—or as blind—as she had assumed.

One of the villagers, a quiet young man with sharp eyes and a cautious nature, had grown suspicious.

The strange markings on the altars, the eerie symbols carved into the ground, the unsettling aura that seemed to grow thicker by the day—something was terribly wrong.

He had seen enough. He could no longer stay silent.

Slipping away under the cover of night, he mounted his horse and rode as fast as he could toward the nearest temple outpost.

His heart pounded as he clutched the hastily written message in his hand.

The goddess had to know.

The temple had to know.

If they didn’t stop this now, something terrible was going to happen.

______

Priestess Lilith stood in the grand chamber of the temple, her expression sharp as she read over the message that had just arrived.

The ink was smudged from hurried writing, but the words were clear enough.

[Lady Lila is preparing the final sacrificial village to call forth her goddess. The ritual is near completion. If you do not act now, it may be too late.]

Lilith’s grip tightened around the parchment. The spy she had planted among Lila’s workers had done well—better than she had expected. This was their chance to stop the ritual before it was too late.

Without hesitation, she turned on her heel and marched toward the central hall where her warriors had gathered. Her voice rang out with authority.

"We move now. Lila is close to completing the ritual. If we wait any longer, it may be irreversible."

The small hunting unit she had assembled responded instantly, strapping on their weapons and preparing to ride.

Auriel, who had been nearby, overheard the conversation and immediately stepped forward.

"I’m coming with you."

Lilith barely spared her a glance as she continued her preparations.

"No, you’re not."

Auriel’s brows furrowed.

"Excuse me?"

"You’re staying behind. You’re too important to risk on the battlefield."

Lilith said firmly.

Auriel’s frustration bubbled to the surface.

"I’m a goddess, Lilith. This is my duty."

"And if something happens to you, then what?"

Lilith turned to face her, eyes blazing.

"If Lila succeeds, we’ll need someone strong to deal with the aftermath. That someone is you. Not to mention—if they’re summoning a goddess, we don’t know what kind of magic will be involved. You might be their target."

Auriel clenched her fists. Every part of her wanted to argue, but she knew Lilith was speaking from logic, not emotion.

Carol, who had been silent up until now, finally spoke.

"Lilith’s right, Auriel. You need to stay here. Let us handle this."

Auriel exhaled sharply.

"Fine. But I won’t just sit around waiting for you."

She muttered. Human problems were to be resolved by humans, so Auriel had to back down this time. But she vowed to enter the battlefield if she was required to.

Lilith gave a brief nod before turning back to her warriors. Moments later, they were gone, riding toward the sacrificial village at full speed.

Hours passed, and Auriel found herself pacing restlessly in her chambers.

She hated this. She hated waiting.

The silence in the temple was unnatural, heavy with unease. Even though she trusted Lilith, something in her gut told her that she should have gone.

Her gaze flickered toward her temporary guard, Hunter Mary. The woman was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, her sharp eyes watching Auriel with an unimpressed expression.

"You’re going to wear a hole in the floor if you keep pacing like that."

Mary commented dryly.

Auriel stopped and frowned at her.

"You’re just as restless as I am."

Mary scoffed.

"Maybe. But unlike you, I’m not going to do anything stupid about it."

Auriel folded her arms.

"Would it really be stupid to go help?"

Mary narrowed her eyes.

"Lilith gave an order."

"So? You don’t strike me as someone who follows orders blindly."

Auriel countered.

Mary let out a sharp breath, clearly irritated.

"You want to sneak out."

Auriel smiled, tilting her head slightly.

"Are you going to stop me?"

A long pause stretched between them before Mary muttered a curse under her breath.

"You’re lucky I don’t feel like standing around here either," she grumbled.

That was all the permission Auriel needed.

—---

Slipping out of the temple was easier than expected. The guards were spread thin, likely under the assumption that Auriel wouldn’t be reckless enough to leave.

With Mary beside her, they made their way through the darkened forest paths, the damp earth muffling their footsteps. The air felt thick, charged with an unnatural energy.

Auriel was about to comment on it when she suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Something was wrong.

The hairs on the back of her neck rose, and she instinctively turned her head. In the shadows of the trees, something moved.

Mary had noticed too. She grabbed Auriel’s wrist and pulled her back.

"We’re being followed."

Auriel’s heartbeat quickened.

"By who?"

Mary’s grip on her weapon tightened.

"Not who. What."

A low, guttural sound echoed through the trees—a sound that was most definitely not human.

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