Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 138: Human Stalker - Part 3

Lina, as always, remained eerily silent. She didn’t resist. She didn’t flinch. She just stood there, limp, her arms hanging uselessly at her sides.

Auriel frowned.

Something about the way Lina simply accepted Seraphina’s anger didn’t sit right with her.

Seraphina, however, was nowhere near finished.

"Do you have any idea what you’ve done? "

She continued, shaking Lina roughly.

The entire village was in chaos! We thought something had happened to the goddess! If something had happened, it would’ve been on your head, you worthless—

"Enough."

Auriel’s voice was calm, but it carried enough weight to stop Seraphina mid-sentence.

Seraphina turned, her eyes wide with surprise.

"Goddess?"

Auriel sighed, stepping between the two. She placed a hand on Seraphina’s wrist—the one still gripping Lina’s dress—and gently pried it off.

"Let go of her."

Auriel ordered. freēwēbηovel.c૦m

Seraphina hesitated but ultimately complied, releasing Lina with a frustrated growl.

Auriel turned to face her fully.

"I understand why you’re angry. I understand that you’re worried. But right now, there are far more important things we need to focus on than taking our anger out on someone who isn’t at fault."

Seraphina took a deep breath, then exhaled sharply. She crossed her arms, looking away.

"She still shouldn’t have—"

"Seraphina, control yourself"

Auriel interrupted.

That did it.

The demoness tensed at the words, her sharp nails digging into her arms. For a long moment, she seemed ready to argue again. But finally, she closed her eyes, took another deep breath, and backed off.

"...Fine! Fine. Whatever you say, Goddess."

She muttered.

Auriel nodded, satisfied.

She then turned her gaze toward Lina, expecting some kind of reaction.

Nothing.

Lina didn’t move. She didn’t even seem fazed.

Auriel frowned.

"You alright?"

She asked, lowering her voice slightly.

Lina blinked, then finally looked up at her.

"I am fine. There is no need to concern yourself with me, my lady."

She said, her voice flat as always.

Auriel didn’t believe her.

But now wasn’t the time to push.

She exhaled and shifted her focus to Seraphina once more.

"Now, tell me what’s going on. Why is the village in chaos?"

Auriel said,

Seraphina let out a heavy sigh, rubbing the bridge of her nose.

"Where do I even start?"

She motioned for them to follow her.

______

As they walked through the village, Auriel could see just how much panic had spread among the people.

Demons and humans alike were gathered in small groups, whispering amongst themselves, their faces filled with fear and uncertainty.

"Word spread that the dungeon pulsed with energy last night. And then, when we realized you were missing, people started thinking the worst. Some of the elders started saying the dungeon might be a divine punishment for letting a goddess walk among demons. Others think it’s a bad omen."

Seraphina explained.

Auriel narrowed her eyes.

"Divine punishment? From whom?"

"From the gods of the higher realms. Most of the demons in this village have been living in harmony with humans for decades. But old beliefs don’t just disappear. Many still think that demons and gods should be natural enemies.""

Seraphina muttered.

Auriel scoffed. "That’s ridiculous."

Seraphina gave her a sharp look.

"Is it? Gods do tend to see demons as threats. And demons do tend to see gods as invaders. You might not think of yourself as an enemy, but that doesn’t mean everyone else sees it the same way."

Auriel had no argument for that.

She sighed, running a hand through her hair.

"So, what now?"

She asked.

Seraphina hesitated.

"Some of the more superstitious elders think we should abandon the village and relocate. Others believe we should perform a ritual to calm the dungeon’s energy."

"And what do you think?"

Auriel asked, watching her carefully.

Seraphina was silent for a long moment. Then, she finally said,

"I think we need to get to the bottom of what’s happening in that dungeon before we make any big decisions."

Auriel nodded. That was the most reasonable thing she’d heard all morning.

"If that’s the case, then I’ll investigate further. I don’t believe the dungeon is just some random phenomenon. Something—or someone—is behind this."

Seraphina did not say much. And Auriel could not read her expression after that suggestion.

But in the end, the demon just sighed and nodded.

This was not something you could resolve just because you wanted to.

By the time they returned to Seraphina’s residence, the village had started to settle down—though the tension was still palpable.

As they stepped inside, Seraphina crossed her arms.

"I’ll gather some people to prepare for another trip to the dungeon. Get some rest while you can, Goddess. You’ll need it."

Auriel nodded.

"Understood."

Seraphina shot a final glare at Lina before heading off, leaving the two of them alone.

Auriel turned to Lina.

"You should get some rest too."

She said.

Lina looked up at her, unreadable as always.

"Yes, my lady."

With that, she turned and walked away, leaving Auriel standing alone in the dimly lit room.

Auriel sighed.

Something about this whole situation felt wrong.

And she was going to get to the bottom of it.

No matter what it took.

Auriel sat down on the edge of the simple bed Seraphina had provided her, lost in thought.

The dungeon. The strange energy pulsing from within it. The rising tensions in the village.

And then there was Lina.

That girl was an enigma. Auriel had met many humans in her time, but none quite like Lina.

It wasn’t just her eerie calm or the way she obeyed orders without question—it was the complete absence of anything resembling normal human emotions.

Her responses were too neutral. Too indifferent. Almost as if... she wasn’t fully there.

Auriel sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Something isn’t right..."

She murmured.

Her instincts had never failed her before. There was something deeper at play here, something lurking beneath the surface. And she wasn’t going to rest until she figured out what it was.

Outside, the village was still restless. Auriel could hear muffled voices—people arguing, others whispering in hushed tones. It was clear that her presence here was shaking things up more than she had anticipated.

Whether that was a good thing or a bad thing remained to be seen.

For now, she needed rest.

Tomorrow, she would return to the dungeon. And this time, she would uncover the truth.

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