Goddess's Yuri harem: Chosing the Empress is hard-Chapter 143: What did you do? - Part 2

"You—! What did you do?!"

The elder’s cry seemed to be the trigger for the rest of the elders to explode into chaos.

"You damn goddess! What have you done to our land?"

"Do you have any idea what you’ve just destroyed?"

"Are you trying to bring ruin upon us?"

Several of the older demons looked like they were about to have strokes from sheer fury, their faces turning a dangerous shade of purple.

Some clutched their chests, heaving with ragged breaths. The younger demons, though visibly shaken, remained silent, waiting for their elders to act.

Through all of this, Auriel remained completely unfazed.

The goddess barely even blinked at the accusations thrown her way. She simply planted her staff into the ground and tilted her head slightly, regarding the demons with cool detachment.

"I’m curious. Why is it that a demon village was conspiring with corrupted towers out in the open? What exactly were you hoping to achieve?"

She finally spoke, her voice smooth but carrying the weight of divine authority.

A sudden silence fell over the crowd.

Several of the elders exchanged glances, clearly thrown off by the question. Murmurs spread among the gathered villagers as confusion rippled through them.

Seraphina narrowed her eyes.

’Corrupted towers?’

What was Auriel talking about?

"Don’t act like you don’t know! We don’t care about your false accusations. You have done enough damage! You are no longer welcome in our village!"

One of the elders finally snapped, regaining his composure.

Several other elders nodded in agreement.

"Leave now, Goddess Auriel. We won’t tolerate your presence any longer!"

Auriel exhaled softly, as if she had expected this response.

"I see. So you are in on the plan."

She mused.

That simple sentence made the elders bristle in outrage.

"How dare you?!"

"You dare accuse us—?"

The air grew tense again, but before the argument could escalate further, Seraphina stepped forward, sighing in irritation.

"Enough!"

Her voice rang loud and clear, cutting through the commotion. The elders turned to her with frowns, but Seraphina didn’t give them a chance to speak.

"Everyone needs to calm down. I don’t know what exactly happened here, but panicking and yelling at Auriel isn’t going to fix anything."

She said, her tone firm.

The elders clenched their jaws, clearly struggling to restrain themselves. However, something unspoken passed between them, and Seraphina had a feeling she knew what it was.

Their benefactor.

The elders still remembered the words of the benefactor—Lady Victoria.

They had been instructed to let the goddess be, to keep her distracted but not to antagonize her needlessly. That reminder seemed to temper their rage, at least for now.

"...Hmph,"

One of the elders huffed, crossing his arms.

"Fine. We will not pursue this matter any further."

A few others muttered in reluctant agreement, though their gazes remained wary. The villagers, sensing that the tension had lessened, started to settle down as well.

But Auriel?

Auriel was done playing along.

Her fingers tightened around her staff as her golden eyes flickered with something unreadable.

Slowly, she lifted her weapon and planted it firmly on the ground once more, letting a faint pulse of divine energy ripple outward.

"I have no intention of playing nice."

The quiet declaration sent a wave of unease through the gathered demons.

The energy in the air changed. It was thick, suffocating, pressing down on everyone like an invisible force.

A few of the elders took an involuntary step back, their earlier confidence faltering.

Seraphina felt her throat tighten.

Auriel had always been powerful, but this was something else. This was a goddess standing in her full presence, no longer suppressing her strength.

Several of the elders looked like they were about to collapse right then and there. One even gripped his arm, his breathing ragged.

Seraphina clenched her fists.

"Damn it, Auriel. Do you want to make this worse?"

She hissed.

Auriel ignored her.

Her gaze remained fixed on the elders.

"You expect me to leave? I think not. In fact, I have some questions for you. Questions you will answer."

At that moment, the elders made their decision.

"This goddess...She’s too dangerous. We need to seal her."

One of them swallowed thickly.

A ripple of agreement spread among the council members.

Seraphina tensed.

"Are you serious right now?"

"We have no choice. She’s unstable. If we allow her to continue acting freely, who knows what else she will destroy?"

Another elder muttered.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Seraphina had known that this was inevitable.

Auriel had already been a problem, and now she had made it worse by openly threatening the elders.

This wasn’t going to end peacefully.

"Auriel, If you keep pushing, they’re going to—"

Seraphina said carefully, her voice quieter this time.

"Let them try."

Auriel’s challenge was spoken so calmly, so unshaken, that the demons around her flinched.

The elders’ eyes darkened. They had made up their minds.

As Seraphina watched the tension mount, she could only think one thing.

’This is going to turn into a disaster.’

The air was thick with tension as the elders gathered, their eyes gleaming with determination. The decision had been made.

Auriel, the goddess who had disrupted their village, destroyed the dungeon, and threatened their authority, needed to be sealed.

They formed a circle around her, their hands raised as ancient words began to spill from their lips.

The ground beneath them hummed with energy, dark glyphs etching themselves into the earth as the sealing ritual commenced.

Seraphina watched with clenched fists.

’This is going to backfire.’

The elders were powerful, certainly—some of the strongest demons alive. But Auriel was a goddess. To think that mere demons could restrain her was foolish.

And yet, they chanted.

Auriel, standing in the center of their formation, narrowed her eyes. She did not move to attack, nor did she attempt to flee. She simply watched, almost bored, as the energy around her thickened.

"You really think this will work?"

Seraphina asked, tilting her head.

Updat𝒆d fr𝒐m freew𝒆bnov𝒆l.c(o)m