33-38

"Your son died, right? Are you looking for a replacement? How about taking my son in as yours?"

The exhausted goddess asked as she held her children close. Mr. Rose wanted to say something to her but his mouth could not move.

His body was betraying him in the worst way possible and Mr. Rose was terrified of what that meant for him. Was this going to be something permanent?

Whatever this goddess had done, it had affected Mr. Rose on a psychological level.

"I-If I take the boy, then what will happen to your girl? I can't take both of them in since my mother knows that a boy was born. B-Besides, these kids look inhuman. T-Their eyes…"

"You do not need to worry about that. Here, now it is alright, right?"

The goddess placed her hand on the boy's head and Mr. Rose watched in wonder as his features changed to match his own. In a matter of seconds, it was impossible to tell if the child was his or not.

It could only be called a miracle to see such a sight in front of his eyes.

Had Mr. Rose not seen it happen, he would not be able to tell that this child was not his. His wife and his family will surely be tricked by this.

"This child, hand him over once someone comes to this village to help you out. You will understand when the time comes. As for the girl, leave her be. She needs to bear her fate."

The goddess whispered in a monotonous voice. It felt more like an order than a piece of advice.

"B-But it should not be right. What if I make a mistake and the child is found out to be not mine? I will be killed off. And what about equality?"

Mr. Rose was trying to find excuses at this point but the goddess was not going to give him an out.

"You either follow my words or you all die. Do not test my patience human, you won't like it. After all, you humans are such fragile creatures."

For the first time, Mr. Rose thought of the goddess as scary. She was just sitting there, smiling at him and he felt his soul shiver in fear.

Had Mr. Rose been a good man, he would have argued against such a treatment being given to the girl.

But Mr. Rose was a coward and all he could do was agree with the goddess and take care of the boy while leaving the girl once she grew old enough to look after herself.

As for the goddess, one day she walked toward the forest and was never seen again. The village forgot such a woman existed and her memory faded away from the village.

Only Mr. Rose remembered those unique eyes of the female. The star-shaped grey eyes were inherited by her children.

Everyone lived on happily from that date on, unaware of what had happened in the village or the identity of those kids they adored.

==========================

"…And that was all that transpired. Since we never saw that woman again, I did not wonder too much about things. But now that you are here, I cannot help but wonder if you were the one she was talking about."

"So, I would like you to ask for a favor. Take this kid with you as well. Joseph is a good kid and he won't cause you too much problem."

Mr. Rose pleaded with a passion Aurora had not expected from the meek man. Guilt was oozing out of the man in abundance and it was clear to see why he was behaving in this manner.

"I understand what you want me to do. But this kid should stay with you. Despite him being a goddess's kid, he has no magic inside him. He would become a burden to me."

"Even so, you have to take him with you. Please, I beg of you."

The man was adamant about getting Aurora to take the kid away from this village.

Perhaps, he knew of the fate that was about to fall on the village and wanted to do one last good task to ensure someone's survival.

"Alright. I will take both kids and leave in the morning. Be prepared and meet me at the village gate when the sun rises."

Aurora would curse her soft heart for her decisions later. For now, she had a lot of planning to do and a letter to send to the Rocx valley about their new members.

The night was still young when Aurora exited the village leader's house so she decided to do some more groundwork and strengthen the defenses.

She wanted to go and visit Clove but Aurora held herself back.

Now was not the time to visit her former wife. Aurora could not be allowed that luxury as long as she had not taken care of things on her end and made sure she had Clove's soul with her.

When the morning came it felt all too soon and too far away.

"Are we going to leave now? When will we be leaving?"

Emilia's hyper voice called out and the energy in it exhausted Aurora even more. Had it not been for necessity, Aurora would have delayed this encounter.

"We're waiting for one more person to join us. Then we can leave."

Emilia looked confused but she did not question Aurora's decision. And Mr. Rose did not take long in arriving with Joseph either.

"Joseph, this is Miss Aurora. She will be in charge of you starting tomorrow."

The kid looked shy. He could not even look Aurora in the eye and Aurora felt worried for him. Knowing Damian, the kid would eat this shy one alive.

"H-Hello"

The teen bowed to Aurora with some hesitation but she decided to wave her hand and ask him to stand.

The teen followed without delay.

"We shall be going now. Take care of yourself and your family."

With the last bow, the Aurora parted from the village with two kids at her side. It was all quiet till they hit the forest.

And then Emilia started firing questions at the nervous teen.

"Soooooo, why are you here? Can you do magic as well? Are you strong? What can you do?"

The more Emilia questioned, the more withdrawn Jospeh became. Aurora could spot his nervousness from a mile away.

And the glamour his mother had cast on the teen should be getting uncomfortable as well. Aurora decided to help him out by removing that cast.

"Emilia, keep quiet for a minute. The circumstances for Joseph being here are special, just like your case. But he is not like you in the magical department. You will understand in a minute why that is so."

Aurora waved her hand over the magic seal and it disappeared in a single second.

Normal features bent and then disappeared into the unusual look only a divine being could give off.

Emilia's gasp of wonder sounded far too loud in Aurora's ear. But Joseph did not look shocked to see his face in the small pond nearby.

"He looks just like me. How is it possible? Is he a g-ghost?"

It looked like Emilia had a far more vivid imagination than Aurora had first given her credit for. Really, to see this and think about ghosts.

Where did this girl borrow her imagination from?

"F-Father said it was because we share a mother. He also said that I was not his real son."

This was the first time Aurora had heard Josphe's voice and it was far colder than she had expected from such a small kid.

Now that she paid attention to the kid, his body temperature was lower than Aurora expected as well.

Was it a side-effect of the spell being cast on him or something else? Aurora had never heard of such a case before?

"Oh. So you got adopted? Well, I don't care about it. I'm just happy I have a family now. Also, did you know that we have a mother? I mean, an alive mother. Aurora is taking us to see her."

"Is it true?"

"Yeah, she said that she would do it." 𝒾𝒏n𝗿𝒆а𝑑. 𝘤𝘰m

Initially, Aurora had wanted to wait to see the goddess of victory. She had no idea how to approach this subject with two kids with her.

It would have been difficult to defend a single kid had the goddess taken offense, but defending two of them would be a nightmare.

But the choice had been taken out of Aurora's hand by two twelve years old. Their expecting eyes looked at Aurora and she knew she could not say no now.

She could not dash the hopes of two innocent kids in front of her.

Especially not the ones she was hoping to work to the bone later on and convert into her helpers.

"Alright. Buckle tight because it is going to be a long trip from here."

The Horax village was in an uproar the next day. And the main reason for such an uproar was the arrival of a single figure.

"L-Lady Minerva, what are you doing here yourself? There was no need for my lady to take up such a task herself when…."

"I came here because I had business here. Do not flatter yourself by thinking it is for you. Now, where is the couple that was stationed here? Bring me to them."

Meanwhile, Quince was thankful for the support team and their quick response to his inquiry.

It was all thanks to them that Clove was recovering at a rapid rate and her fever had finally broken as well.

As soon as Clove stabilized, Quince handed the healing potion vile over to the doctor who had cured Clove. He was a highly-learned man whom Quince trusted.

And he also wanted to get his doubts cleared as soon as possible.

"M-Master Quince, where did you get this potion vile? The one who gave this to you did not lie at all. It is the highest-quality healing potion one could find."

The doctor looked to be in awe of the vile. But Quince was just relieved to not be ripped off in such a blunt manner.

It looked like Aurora had been telling the truth about her having high connections. And Quince would need to exercise caution with her.

And also keep Aurora and Clove as far away as possible.

"What is all this commotion about? I would like to participate in this talk as well."

Quince had just started to relax but he tensed as soon as he heard that voice. It was such an iconic voice that he could not help but get whiplash as soon as he heard it.

"L-Lady Minerva, it is incredible. This potion is potent and it is undiluted. Here, have a look."

Had Quince known about Lady Minerva's arrival, he would have never dared to hand the healing potion over for inquiry in Horax village.

He would also have prepared an excuse to account for his vile's presence in his inventory.

"Oh, let me have a look. Give that vile here."

Quince wanted to stop the exchange from happening but there was no way for him to do that anymore.

He watched with a heavy heart as Lady Minerva held the vile and opened it to take a sniff.

Her face did not change even a single bit as she observed the contents inside the veil before handing it back to the doctor.

"It is indeed the real deal. The potency of it tells me that a goddess made it. So, Quince, where did you get this potion from? And do try not to lie to me."

Quince cursed his luck but he could no longer lie. He had to tell them what happened in Horax village before they arrived.

But although he could not lie, Quince could omit the truth to suit his needs. And that was what he was counting on doing.

"While out hunting beasts, I met someone who saved me and my companion. They took pity on me and handed me this potion and then left for the village."

"I arrived back with Clove to allow her to recover but by the time I checked for that person, they were gone from this village. This is all I know."

Lady Minerva's eyes did not change at his answer. Quince had no idea if the goddess believed his words or not.

"You did not know this person you speak of? Is it the same one who put up this barrier around Horax village?"

"Yes."

"I see. I suppose I cannot blame you for not being able to look through such a tough illusion. You are far too green right now. Now, rest here while I go and investigate this matter further."

Quince held his breath till Lady Minerva left the room.

He was more than aware that his words had not been believed by the goddess at all but he was happy to have gotten this time.

Now if only Quince never runs into Aurora again, it would be the best-case scenario.

But he had a feeling that he would run into Aurora far sooner than he would have liked to.

==========================

Minerva exited the room with a dark expression on her face. Anyone who saw her quickly escaped out of her way.

It was not just her expression but her magic as well that was lashing out.

"My lady, you are scaring away our people. Kindly calm down a bit."

Thankfully, not everyone in her guards was a coward and quickly established what needed to be done.

"Quince dared to lie to me. He might say that he never met the owner of that vile but his aura gave him away. If not for my fondness for him, I would have ended him there and then."

It was not like Minerva could not understand why Quince had lied to her. It was clear as a day that only a goddess could have produced such a potent healing potion.

But to hide it from Minerva was a grave sin in her eyes.

"My lady, Quince is still a child. He will learn in due time and will understand what needs to be done. Meanwhile, we looked around for the kid you mentioned but it seems as if we were too late."

"What did you say?"

"We looked around and it seems like someone took that girl away…"

Minerva had managed to calm down a bit but the news send her temper flying again. Minerva had never felt such peeved before.

It was like she was playing chess with an invisible enemy and she was always two steps behind her enemy.

She had been feeling the same ever since Astoria had managed to escape the tower with her guest.

"Who dared to do such a thing?"

Had someone discovered who that girl had been? Or had it been a coincidence? Minerva was no longer sure what to think about this situation.

"Let's head to the village elder's house and have a talk. Hopefully, the situation is not beyond our control just yet."

Although Minerva said that, she could not help but feel like she had already lost this hand.

The leader couple looked nervous to see her. The man could not even look Minerva in the eye while the female tried everything to flatter her.

"No more. I just want to know who took the girl away."

"It was someone named Aurora. She said she was from an institute and saw talent in that girl, Emilia, and our son. D-Did we make a mistake? But she could do magic?"

Lady Rose looked a little annoyed at being tricked but Lady Minerva already knew she had lost this gamble.

Now that she knew the name of the one who had taken away her prize, she could not help but remember the one person who had defied the tower and lived to tell the tale.

"Don't worry. The one who took your kids away was not lying. Your kids are in safe hands."

It hurt to say but Lady Minerva did not lie to the couple. She saw no benefit in lying and she also did not want to anger Karan right now.

Whatever beef Lady Minerva had with Astoria and Aurora would have to be settled during the first investigation report. Doing anything before that would cause the tower's reputation to take a downfall.

"By the way, I am interested in one more topic. The main shrine in the village, can I possibly see it?"

With the major topic out of the way, Lady Minerva decided to focus on the one topic that was itching her.

There was weird energy coming out from the center of the village and the seal protecting it felt familiar to her.

Unlike the barrier that covered the village, this one was designed to keep something in and had a goddess's power embedded inside it.

It made Minerva curious to look at the thing Goddess of Victory could have stored in this village.

"O-Of course. My lady, come and follow behind me."

Lady Rose jumped at the chance to show her worth. Minerva had dealt with too many people having the same temperament so she was not surprised to face such an extreme reaction.

"Are you not going to follow us, Mr. Rose?"

The man looked startled at being called out but he shook his head as soon as he realized that he was being called upon.

"Let him be. My husband is such a shy person and he'll hold us back if we take him with us."

Lady Rose left her husband with no face when she criticized him. But it was not Lady Minerva's place to say anything to them.

They had their own pace to follow and their problem to solve. Minerva will not interfere in their mess and leave the village be. i𝘯𝓷𝚛𝐞𝓪𝐝. 𝓬𝐨𝚖

She had far more important things to take care of.

The trip to Rocx valley was not as long as Aurora had thought it to be. Before he knew it, she was standing at the entrance of the famous Rocx valley with her two charges behind her.

"So, this is where our mother is? Are you sure someone can live in such a desert-like area?"

Emilia's question stemmed from her child-like innocence. For someone who had never faced many hardships and lived in a relatively safe village, it was hard to imagine living in such a place.

"Some people don't have a choice about their home. But the condition of this place will get better in the future."

Rocx valley might be an uncultivatable desert right now, but it would soon turn into a lush land where people would be able to live out their lives in peace.

"And what about our mother? Is she here as well? Is she going to meet us here?"

Joseph's question sounded equally innocent but this was a heavier topic than the one Emilia had chosen to take up.

It had taken some time for the children to get used to each other's presence and familial relationship with each other. But once they had gotten used to each other, they got along like oil and fire.

In other words, their innocent actions were making Aurora's life much more painful.

"We'll head toward your mother's location to meet her. I did not tell her I was bringing you two so it will be a surprise for her as well."

Not that it would be that much of a surprise.

Aurora could already feel the familiar magic of a goddess check her out. As soon as she stepped into the Rocx valley, the goddess would know that Aurora was not alone.

Whether the goddess cared enough to investigate this topic or not, that was not something Aurora could say for certain.

"So what are we waiting for? Let's go and meet mother."

Emilia hurried past the boundary line without hesitation. For someone scared of her own shadow, this was a big step to take.

Did the child trust Aurora this much to even take such a big risk?

"Let us go in as well, Joseph. Or we will lose Emilia in this forest."

Aurora had put a tracker on both children so she was unlikely to lose them in such a huge place. But it never hurt anyone to be cautious in such a big place.

The only stroke of luck the trio had once they stepped into the valley was a lack of monster encounters.

Aurora had released a small portion of her power to keep the low-level monsters away from the trio.

She did not want to risk getting one of the children accidentally hurt in the process of taking them to see their mother.

"When will get to our mother? How far away is she? Is she beautiful? Does she look like us?"

Emilia's questions were getting more and more frequent. Aurora did not have an answer for her since she had never seen the goddess of victory.

All she knew about the current goddess of victory was that she did not agree with the tower and she had gone independent a long time ago.

"You will know once we get there. Asking questions will not make our destination arrive early."

Although Aurora said those words, she had no idea how far away the goddess of victory's abode was.

Since the goddess's power was far beyond Aurora's control, her system could not mark down a location for the said goddess.

It would be up to the Goddess of victory to lead the trio to her. And if she did not want to be found, then it would be nearly impossible to find her.

"Uh, excuse me. But is the desert supposed to have birds in it?"

Joseph pulled at Aurora's clothes and pointed toward a small red, white and black bird. It was a Tanager bird which was not a desert bird at all.

In the modern world, normal animals were a novelty not everyone could see. The lack of resources had made the small animals go extinct.

And those who were left were either mutated by the abyss or had developed magical properties of their own in the process of survival.

But this small bird did not seem to possess any magical aura around its small body. It was a normal bird.

"Good observation. We need to follow the bird from this point on."

Since such a unique bird had arrived in front of them, Aurora could only take it as a sign from the goddess of victory.

Whether the goddess wanted to doom them or help them, Aurora could not even begin to guess at this point.

"It's such a pretty bird. Do you think I can touch it? Animals back home are huge and they try to kill you if you touch them."

Emilia's voice was filled with longing as she looked at the bird.

But the bird did not seem to exist to come down and allow a human to pet it. Every time Emilia started to step toward the bird, it seemed like it would fly away.

The only way to know what it wanted for sure was to wait around and allow it to fly away on its own.

-achoo

"Sorry, I could not stop myself."

Emilia apologized but the bird had already taken flight. It stopped a few meters away from the trio and looked back.

This time, the look in its eyes seemed a little intelligent to Aurora. It beckoned the trio to follow after it and the trio did.

They followed the bird as far as they could and ended up in front of a small cave.

"Where did the bird go? I don't see it anywhere."

Emilia's observation was cut short when Aurora pulled her and Jospeh behind her. Something huge was inside the cave and the aura it portrayed was unlike anything Aurora had seen before.

She would have compared it to Lady Mei's had the lady gone all out in her spar against Astoria and Aurora.

That power could have only belonged to a goddess.

"Your mother is inside there. Don't take everything she says to heart."

Aurora reminded the kids before she braced herself and walked inside the cave. The darkness caused the children to cling to her for support.

But Aurora did not push them away. Instead, she cast a small spell on their body to keep them protected against the heavy aura of a goddess.

"And who dared to enter my abode uninvited? I did not want to have company right now. Whosoever you are, kindly go back." 𝓲𝑛𝗻𝗿𝘦𝒶𝐝.＆nbsp;ᴄo𝗺

The voice of the goddess sounded melodic but also a little tired.

Had Aurora not known that her opponent was a goddess, she would have thought of the other as a sick person.

But then again, the goddess of victory was at the end of her life span. She did not have much time to live so it was not far-fetched to think that it was affecting her physical manifestation.

"Are you our mother?"

Aurora had not expected the children to take a stand against such power. But Joseph gulped down his fear and asked that question.

"Mother? Ah, so that's why you feel familiar to me. Did the new goddess bring you two to me?"

Aurora felt a brief touch on her shoulder and she tensed up.

A huge surge of power was gathering behind her but Aurora felt like she could not turn toward it. If she did then she would surely be attacked.

"Come closer. Let me have a look at your face."

Emilia was shaking at Aurora's side but Joseph decided to be brave and take a step ahead. The presence behind Aurora also disappeared and she felt the magic gather in front of her.

The fiery-orange hair of the goddess was the first thing Aurora saw emerge from the magical flame followed by a young body.

Her age seemed to be almost similar to the boy in front of her.

Had Aurora not known just what the goddess power was capable of, she would have never believed Joseph to be the goddess of victory's child.

Not when he looked both taller and older than the goddess.

"You come forward as well girl. I need to see you both to confirm something."

Emilia's shaking got worse. She must be feeling that heavy aura of the goddess press up against her own and it should be making her condition pick up.

As much as Aurora wanted to help her, she knew she could not do that. This was something the kids had to face on their own.

"Hurry up girl. I do not have the whole day to waste with you. Do not make this game any more difficult than it needs to be."

Aurora patted the young girl on her head but she did give Emilia a small push to move forward. The child needed to overcome her fear right here and now.

"So only one of you retained by magic? It is better than I expected. Seems like my gamble paid off after all."

The goddess of victory sounded pleased as she observed the twins in front of her.

She had not touched the kids yet but Aurora knew it was only a matter of time before the elder goddess made a move.

"It's a pity that only one of you will survive and inherit my powers once I die. I wonder which one of you it is going to be."

The goddess's words caused a wave of discomfort to build up inside Aurora. Just what did the goddess mean by those words?

Emilia looked like she was about to faint. The poor girl was white in the face but Jospeh looked determined.

"Ah, you did realize what I am talking about. You are a smart boy, aren't you? A pity you did not inherit my powers as well. You would have been a certain candidate as the next god."

The goddess commented and Aurora finally felt it click what she was saying.

Since the goddess had given birth to twins, her powers had been divided between the pair. Unlike the birth of a natural goddess where all the power was given to a single person, this time it was divided.

So once the current goddess of Victory dies, her power would have a hard time deciding which vessel to choose next.

And if Aurora was correct in her assumption, the tower would try to kill one of the twins to gather up in a single vessel.

"Is there a way to save them both? They are kids and should not be subjected to this treatment."

Aurora felt pity for the kids who were stuck in this kind of fucked up world.

Had she known this would happen, she would have never taken Joseph with her. Then she would not have such a burden on her mind.

Aurora never promised to be a saint but seeing someone she knew die was not something she was comfortable with her either.

She would have preferred not to have known the dead person at all to ease her conscious.

"I'm afraid the play has progressed far too much to stop it now. But you still have time to figure out a solution if you want to. My responsibility is already over."

The goddess of victory did not seem like she cared much about this topic or her children.

Once she was done observing the kids, she turned away and did not pay attention to them again.

Ths kids still looked interested in knowing more about her and Aurora felt uncomfortable to be standing in such a gathering.

"Ask your questions now. I will answer them since I am in a good mood."

The goddess seemed to be in an agreeable mood so she offered to answer the question.

"Why did you abandon us? I thought you were dead or something."

Emilia seemed to finally gather some courage and ask the question that was weighing on everyone's mind. Aurora was curious whether the goddess would answer this question or not.

"Your birth was never my choice. I was just fulfilling my duty as dictated to me. Why do I need to care about you once I was finished?"

Contrary to what Aurora expected, the goddess's answer was cold and detached. But the goddess continued her verbal assault anyway.

"The tower forced me to have a replacement before I die but I did not want to do that. In the end, I was forced to fulfill my job. It was a game which I could not escape so I decided to stop playing."

Surprisingly enough, Aurora found the goddess of Victory to be a little childish. But not childish in a good way.

Her thoughts, and her pattern of behaviors, all pointed toward a child who refused to grow up and take responsibility for her actions.

"And you decided to abandon children to their fate when they couldn't even walk? Did you not feel any attachment to them at all?"

Aurora had decided not to speak anything. She had wanted to stay out of this mess.

But she could no longer stay out of the verbal abuse she was hearing about. No child deserved to hear that they were not needed.

"That's right. I do not feel any sort of emotions for them except fulfillment. Now you can leave if this was all you came here for."

Aurora felt angry at the outcome of her talk but she also felt like something was missing from this whole exchange.

The lack of aura and emotions she was feeling from the goddess was concerning. It made Aurora suspicious about the exchange she was having.

"Emilia, Joseph, can you go and wait in the next hallway while I have a serious talk with your mother?"

The kids nodded without looking up and left the hallway.

Aurora could still feel them typing to listen in on the conversation that was taking place between aura and their mother but Aurora decided not to shield them.

In her opinion, they were old enough to hear the truth.

"Did you mean what you said? About your feelings?"

Aurora spoke with purpose so that her words could not be misunderstood.

"My feelings do not matter. The abyss has a will of its own and I do not want to be a puppet in its schemes. As for my feelings for my children? Who could remain unaffected after carrying around a life inside them for nine months?"

"I care about them as much as I can care about anything. But my will to break free of the abyss's chains is much more solid. So I made my choice."

That made sense to Aurora. Even for her, if things came between her desire to collect Clove's soul and her desire for vengeance, Aurora was sure she would be able to choose Clove above the other. 𝗶𝗻𝙣r𝑒𝑎𝚍. 𝘤𝑜𝘮

Some feelings were just too deep-rooted to allow others to replace them.

And in the end, even goddesses were creatures with desires and emotions.

"So you do love the children in your way, huh."

"I guess so. But I do hope this was not all you wanted to ask from me."

This was the moment of truth. This was where Aurora's plan would make or break.

"No, of course not. I had another request to ask of you. Do you know about the academy I am about to set up in Rocx valley I am thinking about locating Viera in your territory? I hope you do not mind."

"I do not mind. I am in no condition to be making such decisions anyway. I will not live long to see the outcome anyway."

Aurora wanted to pity the goddess in front of her but she could not bring herself to feel the emotions she wanted to.

The goddess might be under the influence of her own emotions, but the decisions she had made were not something Aurora could respect.

"I will take care of your kids. I will make sure they both live to their fullest potential."

Aurora knew she might be making an empty promise to the goddess but she was doing this for herself.

"Do what you want to. You have my support in everything you do since you are helping the outcast people I took under my wing."

That was at least one problem solved. But still, this talk brought forth a new question in Aurora's mind.

"By the way, why did you not leave your kids with the outcasts? Surely it would have been an option for you."

"What makes you think I did not want to? But the tower would not have left the outcasts alone if I did that. I am a bird bound in the abyss's cage."

Aurora decided she could not take any more of this atmosphere.

The goddess of victory was too far-gone in her thoughts and emotions to be making much sense. Aurora was not good at dealing with these kinds of people.

"Then, I shall take my leave now. Hopefully, we won't meet again."

The goddess of victory did not stop Aurora from leaving. Aurora did not look behind herself either.

"Did you both hear everything? I'm sorry that this was not the ideal meeting you expected to have with your mother."

Aurora regretted bringing the kids here the most. This was unnecessary emotional baggage she had saddled the kids with.

"No. I am glad we came here today."

"The meeting might not have been the ideal one we expected but at least we know for certain that our mother loves us in her way. And this is enough for us."

"Thank you for giving us this opportunity."

For the first time, Aurora felt she had underestimated someone. She had expected the kids to feel sorrow or even criticize Aurora for her decision.

But they chose to thank her instead.

Now she needed to find a way to make sure both kids lived their lives to the fullest.

Although Auror felt that the incident with the goddess of victory had been handled safely, she could still feel the burden of her decisions.

The kids might have taken the news gracefully but the aura of hurt around them was still potent.

"Kids, come here. This will be a one-time thing so do not get used to it."

Aurora pulled the kids in a hug as soon as they were near to her. The tight embrace caused the kids to finally let loose their emotions and start crying.

And as if a dam had broken, the tears did not stop once they had started falling down the kid's face. Their soft hiccups and shivers wrecked their small frame, causing Aurora to feel their emotions.

"It's alright. You both are not alone. Soon you will have more people who will love you."

Aurora was certain that these children would be cherished by the outsiders and the Viera clan. They were good kids who knew how to behave.

"I-It hurts."

"I know. But things will be alright."

No matter how strong a child was mental, such things were bound to take their toll on them.

Aurora could feel the elder goddess keep an eye on the trio but the goddess of victory did not come out to confront the crying children.

The message she was trying to send was clear – I am washing my hands off this case. It is your responsibility now.

And since this was the case, Aurora decided to take her responsibility seriously.

The children calmed down around an hour or half, finally allowing Aurora the peace of mind she wanted.

"Do you need to rest some more? Or are you ready to finally head out now?"

Aurora did not mind spending a few more hours consoling the children but they did need to start heading out now.

They might be in the Rocx valley but the academy was still on the opposite side. It would take at least a day for Aurora to reach the settlement and then some to check up on the progress.

"No, we don't need any more time. We are alright now."

As expected, Joseph was the first one to calm down and accept the situation. He was also the one who helped Emilia realize that their situation was not so bad.

It was nice to see such a bond form between siblings.

Aurora had been brought up as an only child but she had her friends who were almost like siblings to her.

Still, this display made her wonder how different blood-related siblings were when compared to sworn siblings.

Maybe if Aurora had stayed behind, she might have gotten a chance to find out. After all, she was not an only child.

But the time of regret had already passed a lifetime ago.

"From here on, be careful and don't wander off on your own. I don't want to see you in trouble with the monsters."

The children agreed without hesitation.

Aurora crossed the valley far slower than her original pace. Since she had kids with her, she had to walk at their pace.

She also took the initiative to teach Emilia some easy magic but she could not do the same for Joseph.

But what he lacked in magic, he more than made up for in intelligence.

"Emilia, practice this spell. I have something to give to Joseph."

The girl agreed without much probing. It was a nice thing to see – the lack of jealousy.

Maybe it was because they had grown up in different households and under different conditions, but the sibling pair did not compete with each other for resources.

"Do you feel left out while Emilia is practicing magic?"

Aurora could see the longing look Joseph cast toward Emilia's magic. There was a yearning in his gaze that Aurora recognized.

"Not really. I have accepted that I will never be able to practice magic. And it's not like I'm the only one."

Joseph was trying to be rational but his voice shook when he spoke. It was tragic to see a child go through this dilemma.

"Your condition is not unique but it's not beyond help either. And there are ways for you to be able to keep up with Emilia without even magic. I know some people who can help you out."

Aurora was talking about outlanders.

Their technology required intense practice and concentration to use but it was universal enough to be used by anyone.

"Help me? Then there must be a catch to it all."

"Of course. You will need to put in much more effort than Emilia and you will also need to condition your body. But you're young enough to adjust. So you should think about it."

"…."

The kid did not answer Aurora at once as she had hoped him to. Joseph proved to be wiser than Aurora had expected him to be.

"You can take your time thinking over your choices. Now let's get up. Someone will be here to pick us up soon."

Aurora had sent a message over her system a long time ago and she could finally see Rita's signal on her map.

The younger was close by.

"AURORA, THIS WAY."

The redhead waved her hand over the small cliff she was standing at. Aurora waved back at her in greeting.

The children at her side looked intrigued but quickly took a step back as they watched a huge shadow approach Rita from behind.

"Look out…"

Emilia did not get to finish the sentence before a small wolf left the huge shadow and electricity filled the background.

The huge monster was charred within seconds with not even a body remaining intact.

"You should not worry about Rita. She's trained for such circumstances."

Aurora pointed but even she was impressed by the advancement Rita had made in such a short time.

The power Rita's summon had shown was much more impressive than Aurora had seen before she left. The result of a week-long training was clear in Aurora's eyes.

"So you did come back. And here I thought you abandoned us here."

Rita was not alone. Damina had decided to tag along with her. The kid had a sour expression on his face but his aura felt satisfied.

"Yo. I am back and I have gifts with me. You both can come out now."

Joseph looked intrigued to see Damian and his armor. Aurora was sure it was his first time seeing someone fight without magic and still be able to keep up with the monsters.

"What the hell? You are younger than us? Who allowed you to go out and fight?"

Emilia did not have a filter and asked a rude question. Damian's sour expression froze at the question and Aurora felt laughter build up inside her chest.

"Emilia, don't be rude. I think he was cool."

Joseph tried to dispel the awkward air that had filled the space but he was too late. Rita had already broken out in laughter at Emilia's words and Damian was red in the face.

"Y-Y-YOU! HOW DARE YOU MOCK ME? FACE ME IN A CHALLENGE."

"You brat got owned."

Rita was not helping the situation with her comments and Aurora tried to hold back her incoming headache.

Why could the children not make an agreeable first impression?

"Emilia, don't be rude. Damian will be your senior once you start. Joseph, you can have a talk with him about the specifics of their tech and then decide if it is something you want to pursue."

Aurora tried to dispel the hostile air around the group but it was going to be a problem. Damian and Emilia were not even looking at each other after that confrontation.

"Will it be alright to leave the kids alone? The air feels tense here."

Rita was not complaining but Aurora could not find it in herself to be worried. Looking at the trio, it did seem familiar to her.

"They'll be alright. They'll be too busy to bother each other once the academy starters and their classes begin for real. For now, I will leave them in the outlander's care. I need to start preparing for the inauguration."

Aurora had a few plans in place to start the academy.

Mainly, she needed to have a talk with the selected board and make things clear to them.

Rex had helped Aurora with this by providing high-ranking people from the resistance to act as the board members. They were puppet leaders that just needed to stand there and look pretty. 𝒊𝓷𝐧𝗿𝚎𝘢𝒅. Com

But if they got any ideas in the future, Aurora would not stand for that. She needed to make this clear as soon as possible.

"I understand. The building is ready and Ava has already started her work. We will have no problem once we began to start running the academy."

Aurora felt a smile itch on her face at the news. Things were finally going according to her plan. Now she only needed to watch out for the sneak attack planned on the academy by releasing the abyssal beasts.

But it should not be that big of a problem for their side.

The tower had fallen into a state of quiet for the past few hours. Ever since Lady Minerva had arrived back from the Horax village, she had been in a strange mood.

The rumor in the tower was that she lost something important in the village she could not talk about.

Everyone was curious about her present state but no one had the guts to be able to ask her what happened openly.

"Maybe it's because she wants to get laid but cannot. No man is good enough for her."

"Maybe she prefers women but is too shy? Should I take my chances with her? Lady Minerva is cold but beautiful, you know."

"I know. She is that kind of beauty."

"Keep your voice down. You never know who might be listening in on you."

"You are right. I don't want to get in trouble but maybe it is worth it if the punisher is as beautiful as Lady Minerva."

"Oh! Is that what you all think of Lady Minerva? I had no idea she was so famous in you young people."

The guards jumped back at the arrival of the tower master. His gentle smile reassured no one.

"A-AH, tower master. We did not see you there."

As soon as the new presence was detected in the hallway, no one dare to open their mouth and make a comment.

It was alright to discuss a fantasy among the people of qual standard and like-mindedness. But as soon as a foreign factor was introduced into the mix, no one dared to even open their mouth.

No one was delusional enough to think that their talk had not been heard and understood by the tower master.

He was far too powerful to be fooled by mere guards.

"W-We should get going now. Otherwise, we will be late for our work."

One by one, the guards dismissed until the hallway was empty of any presence. Only then did the smile fade away from the tower master's face and was replaced by indifference.

His face did not give away any glimpse of his thoughts and any passerby that looked at him could not stop their shiver of fear.

The sheer aura the tower master excluded was enough to put many people to shame.

Only once the tower master reached Lady Minerva's room did he stop. His impassive face was schooled into an easy-going smile and a soft knock greeted the room door.

"Come inside, Charles. I do not have time for your games."

The tower master opened the door and quickly stepped inside the familiar room. He was here often enough to not be surprised by the grand decore of the inside.

Instead of a room, it was more appropriate to call the accommodation a hall with a high ceiling and carved pillars.

"Lady Minerva, I am here as promised. As always, I have a solution to your problems. I heard that you encountered a roadblock even you cannot handle."

Charles gave a small bow in greeting. His straightforward nature was what had compelled him into becoming the tower master.

Or that was what everyone thought. But in reality, this nature was nothing more than a facade he put up in front of everyone.

He only ever said the truth when he knew he could get away with it.

"And where did you get this news from? Are you trying to keep tabs on me?"

"Of course not. But a magician doesn't reveal his hand. But rest assured, because I have taken the first step toward our victory already."

"And how do you know what I am worried about?"

"Is it not about the new academy? Don't worry, I will take care of it. By tomorrow, it will be all but history for us. And if not, rest assured that it will not be tracked back to us. And it will also help us root out the outlanders." i𝓷𝚗𝓻𝒆𝓪𝒅. co𝘮

Charles smiled a small grin as he exposed his plan. His plan was finally bearing fruits.

Not only would the new threat be neutralized, but he would also get the slaves he needed to bribe the other members of the board and keep them under his thumb.

And the best thing about this was that even if most people knew what he was doing, they will not be able to stop him due to the support he had.

"Charles, what did you do?"

"Nothing much. I just send them a goodwill gift. A huge goodwill gift my best hunters managed to capture alive. Nothing that can be traced back to us."

Charles's smile widened just a little bit more and Lady Minerva's face faltered for just a single second. Yup, he had her on his side even after all this.

==========================

Lady Minerva observed the human in front of her with a blank face.

The more he spoke, the more worried Lady Minerva became. In the end, she could not even keep her face straight.

'Nothing much. I just send them a goodwill gift. A huge goodwill gift my best hunters managed to capture alive. Nothing that can be traced back to us.'

The words echoed inside Lady Minerva's mind with a vengeance. They mocked her for her incompetence in being able to keep her subordinate in check.

Had it been anyone else Charles had targeted, Minerva would not have been this nervous.

But he had to go ahead and target the only other person in the world who had divinity backing them.

Not to mention, Aurora had a dragon's ward and a likely future goddess with her. And then the whole matter of the academy being situated in the Rocx valley.

It was the domain of the goddess of victory. And as her domain, she had full power there. Even Minerva was not sure she would be able to defeat the goddess there if a fight did break out.

"Why did you not discuss this with me before proceeding ahead? You might cause serious damage to our reputation."

Lady Minerva already knew that she would not be able to talk Charles out of his foolishness. And the man was also smart enough to come to Lady Minerva this late in his plan.

Even if Lady Minerva wanted to wash her hands off this case, she no longer could.

Nor could she make the tower master disappear in such a short amount of time.

"But I did come to you before the plan went live. Now we are accomplices in this crime. Won't you help me cover my tracks, my lady? I am one of your most devoted followers after all."

The man was taking advantage of Lady Minerva's nature and her coldness.

Contrary to popular belief, the gods and goddesses were not omnipotent. They were limited to what they could and could not do.

Most people did not think that way and were content to follow the will of the divine. But people like Charles were different.

They were ambitious and did not fear anything. Their brain just made them that much more terrifying.

Lady Minerva had not expected to end up in such a position when she had first established the tower. But in the end, she had ended up under a human's control.

Maybe it was inevitable in the end but she had no other choice but to comply.

"I understand. I will help you cover your tracks this time so don't you dare make this mistake again in the future."

Lady Minerva had been foolish enough to develop feelings for the tower master. She had brought the child up and she had seen him grow.

This child was the closest thing to a son she had and she could not help but feel like this feeling was going to be her downfall.

"Of course, I will tell you before I do anything else. After all, Lady Minerva is my mother in all but blood. As a son, I have to look after her."

Lady Minerva was disgusted at being called a mother by Tower master. Her feelings for him were conflicted and it was difficult to say what she felt for him.

Maybe it was because she felt guilty for how she treated Astoria in her past, she had latched on to the young flame she had felt almost half a decade ago.

"If you are done, then leave me here to think. I don't want to see you until the next week."

The man left without any hesitation and lady Minerva felt her emotions calm down.

She needed to get to work and make sure to cover the tower's bases. Whatever Charles had planned must not come to bite the tower back.

It must especially not cause a problem for Quince and his generation. And if the general public never found out about this, the better.

'I have no other choice but to prepare a sacrificial platoon to slow down the 'surprise'. Hopefully, Astoria and her partner will find a way to deal with their problem in time.'

Minerva will help as much as she could afford to but even she had her hands tied up.

It would be up to the people of the Rocx valley to take care of this mess.