44-48

"I-I'm about to come. G-Get off me"

Aurora did not slow down or stop even as Rita complained. She kept on going faster and faster. Aurora's tongue jabbed at Rita's soft pussy again and again.

Faced with such a new onslaught of feelings and wetness, Rita was not going to last long. Aurora could not allow the other to come on her tongue.

Aurora had other plans for Rita. So she stopped right before Rita could come.

"W-Why? Why did you stop?"

Rita's tear-filled red eyes did things to Aurora. She had not expected to feel the sudden rush of power and dominance she felt once she saw that tear-filled face.

But Aurora could not ignore the feeling inside her. She needed to see more.

"Calm down. We are just getting started. I want to stretch you out more. And your cock is also weeping for attention, right?"

Rita's dazed look spoke volumes about her current mental level. It was entirely possible that Rita's mind was not even here fully to appreciate what Aurora was doing for her.

That's why Aurora decided to not prolong the torture and change the targets.

Aurora mouthed at the hard cock in front of her as her fingers headed toward Rita's wet pussy.

They soon found her target and the on-slaughter began from both sides.

"S-Slow down. I-I'll burst"

Rita, who had never felt this much sensation before, could not help herself from coming once the release hit her.

Aurora's face for the full-forced effect of Rita's release and the white come filled her face. Rita's load was bigger than Aurora expected and she was not able to swallow it fully. 𝐢𝙣nr𝙚a𝗱. 𝚌૦m

Rita's pussy gushed with released as well, and Aurora's fingers were soaked in her translucent release.

Rita was a mess in all senses of the world but Aurora was far from done yet.

'You did your part. Now take your reward.'

Aurora's inner instincts were not satisfied at all. Rita might have had her fill, but Aurora had not gotten her satisfaction yet.

"Rita, can your body go again?"

Aurora's question was ignored by the pleasure-filled eyes of the younger. Rita's mind must be tired but she also needed to take responsibility for Aurora's current condition now

Aurora stroked the cock in front of her in hope of getting it to harden but it was a slow process.

It was frustrating to feel such dissatisfaction but Rita was only human. Her stamina and her experience, both were limited and Aurora should not feel this frustration.

But since Aurora had let go, her instincts were the thing ruling her rationality. They did not care whether Rita was human or not.

They asked for satisfaction and Aurora had to give it to them now.

"A-Aurora?"

It was nice of Rita to finally start coming around once Aurora had hit her threshold of patience. Rita's cock also started to waken up and harden once her consciousness started to come around.

Aurora's almost purred at the sensation of a hard throbbing thing in her hand.

"Rita, want to do it properly once? You just need to sit back and let me take care of things."

"A-Alright?"

Rita sounded confused when she consented. Under normal circumstances, Aurora would not have taken these actions any further. But Rita's aura was far from panicking and it gave Aurora all the courage she needed to take things a step further.

Aurora's body felt like it was moving on its own. Her thighs were wet from her pussy juice and her body was asking for something hard inside it.

She could wait around no more. Aurora lifted her body over Rita's lap and sank onto her hard cock.

Rita felt bigger inside her than had had in Aurora's hand. It also felt different to have a cock inside her pussy.

This was not Aurora's first time with Rita but it felt like the first proper time they had sex.

Aurora's body took the lead and her jerky moments caused Rita's cock to disappear inside her pussy.

Aurora was only half of Rita's cock inside her properly when she felt the other shake and Aurora stopped immediately.

"W-Why? Why did you stop? I was about to come."

Rita sounded devastated at Aurora's action. Her face was wet with unshed tears and Aurora felt satisfied to have reduced Rita to this begging mess.

It was Rita's own fault to try more than she could chew anyway.

"Not so fast. I still don't have my fill of you."

Aurora was far from being done. Her body was nowhere close but the pleasure sang in her every nerve. It was a sensation that was akin to edging and Aurora could feel her body demanding more.

But Rita did not look like she could take more of this pleasure. Her body was on the verge of coming and Aurora felt pity for her.

So she did not delay and sank all the way on Rita's hard and throbbing cock.

Rita came immediately as soon as she was surrounded by Aurora's wet heat. The release filled Aurora's pussy and even leaked out.

Aurora tried to move around but Rita was already spent. Nothing Aurora could do now would change the matter in any way.

Aurora was frustrated but she could do nothing but pick herself up with disappointment.

All that preparation and crazy talk only to end like this?

Aurora would have to take care of herself. Her hand moved to finger the wet cum-filled pussy but satisfaction did not come.

"Fuck this. I need something hard in me."

Aurora's body had gotten sued to pleasure, things like her hand no longer helped her out. She needed something firm and proper inside her.

"Feeling frustrated? I see the kid left you hanging? Want me to help you out?"

Aurora looked toward the open door, only to see a familiar figure heading her way.

Ava had decided to make herself known finally and Aurora's traitorous mind reminded her of past pleasures they had shared.

It might have only been once or twice, but Aurora's body did not care. It wanted relief and Ava could give it to her.

So Rita jumped the other before Ava could reach her.

Before Ava could react, Aurora had her legs warped around the overlooker and her lips attacking the elder.

"Slow down. I can see how pent-up you are. Let me take care of you master."

Aurora might have recoiled had she heard those words in her normal frame of mind. But her lust-filled thoughts along with her hungry body did not find those words odd at all.

On the contrary, they turned her on even more and caused her pussy to release a fresh wave of wetness.

"Give it to me now."

Aurora's voice did not even sound like her own when she made that command. But Ava seemed to have expected it and her small smile felt reassuring to Aurora.

"Of course, I will give it to you. But only if you ask me nicely."

Ava was teasing Aurora now. But Aurora was far beyond the point of care. She had endured enough and she was not in a mood to indulge the shellfish demands of the others.

That's why she could not stop her hand from moving toward Ava's hair and knocking the overlooker toward her lap.

"Take care of me now."

Ava's eyes looked stunned to see Aurora acting like that but understanding soon settled down in her eyes.

Aurora was sure Ava knew how impatient Aurora was right now. Aurora was not trying to hide her present condition. And the proof of Aurora's desire was in front of her as well.

"Hmmm, I don't know if I should help you or not. You've not exactly asked me nicely. But if you say please, I will help you out for sure."

Aurora wanted to refuse. But her pride was a goddess would not let her speak those pleading words out loud.

"Say please."

Aurora was getting desperate now. Her body was aching and her pussy drooled out fluid in desperation.

"P-Please help me out."

It took Aurora everything she had to utter those words. Her instincts revolted against her saying such submissive words but Aurora forced them out.

Ava's aura bloomed with satisfaction and her eyes held humor when they looked back at Aurora with a taunting light inside them.

"Good girl. You are finally learning your place with me, aren't you?"

Aurora's mind went blank as soon as she felt the wet swipe of a tongue touch her pussy. Pleasure filled her senses as she was being eaten out by Ava's experienced mouth.

The outlooker was more than good and soon her teasing reduced Aurora to beg on her own.

"P-Please help me out. I can't take this itch anymore."

Aurora's voice was just above a whisper but she had a feeling that it was heard clearly by the owner of the glowing eyes that were eating her out.

Ava's eyes held the promise of pleasure and Aurora handed herself over to her care.

Ava was not a rough lover, but she also knew Aurora could take everything she dished out. A goddess's body was tougher than people gave it credit for.

It did not take long for Ava to reduce Aurora to a moaning mess. The drooling pussy in front of Ava's face was wet enough to sink all her fingers in.

"Aurora, you still there?"

"K-Keep on going."

Aurora's confirmation was all it took for Ava to go back to eating Aurora's pussy out.

Aurora's body was shaking at the pleasure she felt and it did not take long before she had her release.

Golden liquid squirted out of Aurora's pussy and drenched Ava's expecting face.

The elder finally pulled her face away from the mess that was Aurora's thighs and wiped her face using her hand.

"That's quite a lot of pent-up frustration you let out. Are you feeling better now?"

Aurora's glaring face met Ava. Her eyes looked far from satisfied. The small act Ava had pulled had been far from enough for Aurora it seems.

"You know I am not satisfied with that at all. Come back here and fuck me properly."

Aurora's voice sounded demanding. It was not like her everyday commanding voice.

Right now, the young goddess was lost in the allure of pleasure and was allowing her inner instincts to come to the surface.

Ava would need to tread carefully if she wanted to not offend Aurora right now.

"You sure you can take me?"

Had things been different, had Aurora been someone else and not a goddess, Ava might not have thought twice about fucking her.

But since Aurora was a former human and now a goddess, Ava did not want to complicate their relationship by forming bonds.

"Stop asking stupid questions. If you don't hurry then I will take charge of the situation myself. And you won't like the consequences."

Ava just sighed and resigned herself to her fate. There seemed to be no other choice but to comply with Aurora's wishes now.

Besides, Ava was hard as well. And her cock was getting uncomfortable without the much-needed friction it demanded.

Ava's body also remembered the tight and wet heat that was Aurora's body and Ava resigned herself to her fate.

"Alright. Sit back and enjoy the show now."

Aurora decided that she did not like those words. One second Ava was positioning her cock to enter Aurora, the next she was being pulled down into a rough kiss.

It was a sudden thing and caused Ava to freeze in the middle of her actions.

Aurora took the chance to assert her dominance over the situation by tilting her hips up.

It was an awkward first fit and it must be causing Aurora some discomfort to take Ava in at that angle.

But the goddess did not complain.

On the contrary, Aurora's tongue decided to become bold and lick inside Ava's mouth with a vengeance.

Aurora's hips also made small thrusting motions to be able to accommodate Ava's size better.

Suddenly, Ava realized that she had lost control of the situation. The pace of their fucking was being dictated by Aurora now.

This was dangerous for Ava this slow-paced fucking was going to drive her endurance out. And it would also frustrate Aurora.

So Ava decided to take control back.

Once Aurora pulled back from the unexpected kiss, Ava drove back with her own need. Their lips met in a violent clash but Ava was the one in control this time.

Mostly because her cock had finally decided to listen to her and start moving inside Aurora.

Aurora tried to break the kiss and let a moan out but Ava swallowed the noise. The kiss did not break even at the violent pace Ava had set up for the pair.

"S-Slow down. T-Too fast."

Aurora's words contradicted her body's action of trying to pull Ava closer. Aurora's hips were moving along with the violent action of Ava's cock and her body seemed to be enjoying this rough fucking session.

The only thing that was dishonest about Aurora was her mouth.

"You were the one who wanted it hard and fast. I can feel your emotions, remember? I will give you exactly what you need."

Ava had not wanted to be this rough with Aurora but she had to get her point across.

So she fisted Aurora's hair and decided to pull the younger into another kiss. It was a lot of movement after that.

But Ava was not going as fast as she could in this position. Her instincts wanted Aurora in another position.

"H-Hey, why are you pulling back? What are you doing?"

Ava ignored Aurora's complaints as she pulled her cock out of Aurora's pussy. Her cock was wet and throbbing.

It wanted to go back inside that divine heat and finish its job. But Ava held back and helped Aurora to turn her body around.

Her attempt ended with Aurora being on her all fours and looking back at Ava with a confused expression.

"What the hel.."

Ava never gave Aurora a chance to finish that sentence before she plunged inside Aurora's wet and tight heat.

The bed shook with the violent clash of their bodies but Ava felt herself sink much deeper than before.

Her instincts carved such a connection and Ava decided to give in to them this time.

Mainly because Aurora looked too far gone this time to remember this fucking session properly.

"C-Close. I'm close."

Aurora's moans fueled Ava further. But her instincts did not like the words Aurora was sprouting out in her passion.

Clearly, if Aurora could still speak then Ava was not doing a good enough job of fucking her.

So the brutal pace became even harsher and Aurora's body finally gave up holding itself back.

Aurora's pussy clamped Ava's cock tightly when she came. And Ava followed behind not too long.

It was a tiring session that had been unexpected but Ava found herself not so disappointed.

"I think I'm going to pass out now. Wake me up if there is something important."

Aurora's words sounded more like an automatic response than a well-thought-out one. And the goddess passed out before she heard Ava's answer.

Ava decided to finally pull out and start with the pst-cleaning process. It would not be good to let the pair sleep in their release.

It was a wonder how Rita had managed to sleep through all the noise Aurora had made while being fucked by Ava.

"It must be nice to be this young and carefree. I wish I had that luxury as well."

But there were things to be done and Ava had a lot of preparation to do to complete her objective.

The face that the abyss had allowed a chaos beast outside its domain did not sit well with Ava.

Effort or not, the fact that the overlooker did not stop this mess was a cause of concern for Ava. It meant that the other overlookers were starting to pay attention to Aurora and her circumstances.

It would not be good for Ava if her lie was caught. She had to keep Aurora in the dark till she was able to achieve her objective.

The door to the room opened just as Ava finished the task of cleaning up Rita and Aurora. It was perfectly timed, almost as if the person on the other side knew it was safe to come in.

"Hey, can I talk with you? There are a few things I need to clear out with you."

Much to Ava's surprise, it was Astoria that graced her face on the other side of the door. The half-goddess did not attempt to enter the room or even take a glance inside it.

"Yeah, sure? Say what you want to say."

Ava had not expected someone to seek her out this early but it was also better for Ava to clear the air out with people.

The more people she had on her side, the more secure her position would be in the group. 𝐢𝓷n𝗿e𝙖𝑑. 𝘤oｍ

"Not here. I would prefer if we head out to a place more secluded. Come with me to my room. I've warded it against surveillance."

"Oh, you're inviting me to your room? You sure are a bold lady, aren't you?"

The offer was an unexpected one. But Ava did not show how much it triggered her instincts.

Instead, Ava tried to make Astoria feel uncomfortable by leaning close to the half-goddess. Ava's hand almost touched Astoria's face before the goddess turned her head away.

"Don't think unnecessary thoughts in your head. I just want to make a few things clear."

But Astoria's ear was red and her aura seemed embarrassed. It was an amusing combination that finally made Ava drop her guard down in front of the half-goddess.

"Sure, let's head to your room and have this talk. I am interested in you as well."

Ava's words made Astoria's blush worse but the half-goddess did not make a fuss. What a shame.

Ava wanted to see more of her expressions.

Blue clashed with amber when the two goddesses kept staring at each other. One had an impassive face while the other was all smiles and giggles.

"What is wrong? I thought you wanted to talk with me? All you've been doing for the past few minutes is stare at me."

Unexpectedly, Ava broke the unspoken vow of silence between the pair. Her amused eyes stared right into Astoria's when she asked this question.

"I-Huh? Did I stare at you for that long? My apologies. I was a little lost in my thoughts. I did not know how I wanted to start this conversation." 𝙞𝘯𝘯𝙧𝒆𝘢𝐝. C𝑜ｍ

Astoria tried not to show embarrassment, but it was tough to do so.

Her timid nature made it too easy for things to show on her face even when she tried to hide her emotions.

"No. I don't dislike your attention at all. I think you're cute as well. Cute enough to gulp you down in a single bite."

Astoria felt a shiver of fear run down her spine at the creature's words.

Astoria was not sure why, but her instincts screamed at her to run away and hide. They told her that the creature in front of her was not safe.

"I'm just kidding. You're my contractor's precious partner. There is no way I will eat you up if you do not want me to. And I kind of like you as well. You're so cute."

And just like that, the atmosphere was back from the weird space it had become. Astoria also found it easier to breathe now.

It was like the tension from earlier no longer existed.

"M-Miss Ava was it? Who, no, What exactly are you? You're not a goddess or a beast. But you are not human as well. You also have the aura of the abyss all over you. You feel almost like Aurora but a little different."

"What do you think I am?"

Astoria's question rewarded her with a raised eyebrow and another question.

It was more than likely that this was a test to find out how much Astoria knew about this situation.

"That's the problem. The only answer that comes to my mind is something that is not possible."

"Is that so? Still, why don't you take a wild guess anyway? The worst that can happen is that you will guess it wrong. I promise not to react to your answer "

Astoria knew that she should not answer the other. She should keep her answer close until she was certain about all the facts.

But her curiosity had always been something she had been unable to control. And this was another point where Astoria was not able to control her mouth.

"What do I think? I think you are an overlooker but why would you come out of the abyss? See, it doesn't make any sense, right?"

Her words caused Ava to break down into laughter. Astoria felt shame creep up her face at the obvious jester move she had made.

Why did she think it was a good idea to speak her ridiculous thoughts out in the open.

"I-I see. It is a ridiculous thought for sure. I was not aware that you were such a dangerous person to keep around. Maybe I should kill you to keep my secret after all."

One second Astoria was lamenting her embarrassment, the next she felt something being pressed against her throat.

The glowing eyes looking back at Astoria were filled with magic and a promise of death.

"I wonder how you found out who I am. But it doesn't matter any longer. You are about to die now. Do you have any last wish you want me to fulfill?"

Astoria did not doubt in her heart that she would die at this moment. There was a reason no normal person had seen an outlooker.

They were too dangerous and unstable to be kept around the normal population.

"I just have a question I want you to answer. Why Aurora? Why did you make a contract with her? What are you trying to gain? And what did you offer her?"

"That is more than one question. But I am in a decent mood so I'll answer some of them. Hmm, let's see."

"I did not choose Astoria. Rather the abyss chose her and I decided to take advantage of that fact to approach her first. Don't worry, my end goal will not hurt Astoria at all."

"As for what I offered her? I just offered her what she wanted at that time. But I do wonder if she would regret it once she reaches her goal."

"Now, why don't you die for me?"

Astoria closed her eyes as she waited for the final blow to come.

She was far from satisfied with the answers she got but there was nothing else Astria could do against an outlooker.

Even if this was not their domain, Astoria was more than aware of the difference in power level she and Ava had.

Something cut across Ava's throat but not deep enough to kill her. Astoria reached out her hand and felt the bleeding cut.

It would likely scar if Astoria did not treat it immediately but nothing life-threatening.

"I decided to spare you today since I find you amusing. You're also really cute so it will be a shame to kill you now. So, I'll leave you with a mark for now. Don't heal it up or you won't like the consequences."

Ava turned around as soon as she was done talking.

Astoria was not able to see her face but she wanted to. She wanted to ask Ava why she spared Astoria's life.

But before she could question the overlooker any further, her room door was opened with a snap.

"What's going on here? I felt Ava's power spike and….."

"….."

"….."

Three pairs of eyes glared at each other in disbelief before a scream echoed inside the hallway.

"What happened to me? Why am I a child again?"

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

The tower master was in a foul mood today. Everyone knew something had happened but no one dared to confront him.

On the other hand, Lady Mei's mood could not be called anything but sparkling. She didn't even snap at anyone the whole time.

This contrast was rare to see and caused a string of gossip vine to start spreading rumors.

That was why everyone secretly looked forward to an encounter between those two. It was a given that something had happened between them to cause this effect.

"Lady Mei, can we talk for a second. I have a few things I need to run through and I want your advice."

Everyone held their breath at the request.

"Yeah, sure. I also need to repay you for what happened earlier. I am thankful you entrusted that job to me."

There was a story behind that statement everyone wanted to know. But no one dared to say anything to the pair.

Eager eyes followed the pair even when they disappeared behind the doors.

"Lady Mei, why did you do it? The Goddess of Victory had the Mobi Dick handled. Don't you think you complicated the situation by stealing her prey? Think of what this will mean for us."

Charles was pissed off but he had to control his temper. He could not afford to anger Lady Mei and lose her support.

He had initially approached Lady Mei with this proposal to gain her approval and then slowly pull her to his side.

But she had complicated things for him unnecessarily.

"What's wrong with me killing my target? I was tasked to kill Mobi Dick so I did. Whether the Goddess of Victory was involved in this or not is none of my business."

"But Lady Mei, you did not think about us. We can't afford to make a goddess our enemy right now. It would just be handing more power to our competition."

The real reason Charles was so pissed off about this action of Lady Mei was because of Aurora and her academy.

The GoV was already favoring those people. Charles did not want to see the goddess join them openly.

But before Charles could open his mouth and speak his thoughts, a huge pressure stopped him in his tracks.

"Let me be clear with you tower master. You are the one who needs me, not the other way around. And you were the one who gave me the freedom to go out and kill that beast."

"Do not test my patience or I will leave this tower. The only reason I am here, for now, is because it is interesting. And I will not lose even if that goddess decided to make us her enemy."

Charles felt the familiar fear creep inside his mind. But he was getting better and better at shaking that fear off.

"I understand. But please, think about your position next time too. People are depending on you."

"Alright. If you keep being this interesting then I will help you out.'

And just like that, the atmosphere returned to normal.

"What happened to me? Why am I a child again?"

Aurora had not taken notice of her present condition before but she could no longer ignore her physical limit.

[The user is informed that this is a result of the 'penalty'. The effect of the 'penalty' will be lifted off in a weak.

The user is asked to train their mental condition if they want to avoid the effect of 'Penalty' in the future.]

Why? Why had Aurora been de-aged like this of all possible scenarios?

"Looks like you lost control of your magic. Do you have any idea when you will be back to normal?"

Ava was the first one to regain her composure. It also made sense why she had come around so quickly.

The abyss was a place full of such tricks. There must be weirder things Ava must have seen in there.

"I knew it was possible for the goddess's to stop aging with the help of their magic but I have never seen a case like you before. Are you sure it is alright?"

Astoria sounded worried and for good reasons. But Aurora knew a lot of people who could manipulate their ages and bodies at will.

That was not the real issue with Aurora here. She was more worried about her lack of magic and defense capabilities.

"It's quite common for people to use their magic for body manipulation. But I will be vulnerable for the next week. Now I am thankful that I convinced Rex to take my place as the headmaster now."

What a stroke of luck that decision had turned out to be.

"Hey, have you seen Aurora anywhere? I want her opinion on something…"

Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Aurora was not sure why Rex chose this place to look for her but his words got stuck in his throat as soon as he saw Aurora.

"I think I had a little too much coffee and healing potions. I am starting to halucinate.."

"Oi, I'm right here. This is an accident and you better keep your mouth shut about it."

"Alright, what happened?"

"Ava, Astoria, can you give us both a second to be alone? I need to discuss some things with Rex alone."

To be honest, there was no reason for Ava and Astoria to leave if Aurora just wanted to talk about her present condition.

But there was one more topic she wanted to cover and it was about Lucy.

Although Aurora had already told Astoria a little about Lucy and Karan's situation, she did not want to air her dirty laundry out in front of an outsider.

As for Ava, they had a business partnership and the less they got involved in each other's matters, the better. i𝒏𝐧𝒓ea𝚍.＆nbsp;𝘤𝗼𝓶

"Alright. I'll take my leave then. I have work to do and this place needs more protection embedded inside its space."

"I should get to work as well. I need to have a look and compile the syllabus I will be teaching to the children."

Ava and Astoria left without much fuss. They must have realized that Aurora had something personal to talk about.

"Is this talk related to what you wanted to tell me before? Well, you know, after you forced me to take the role of the headmaster."

"Yes. you might want to sit before you hear the news."

Aurora felt nervous but she did her best to involve as much detail about Karans' situation as she could.

But the more she spoke, the more she realized that Aurora knew too little to be of any use.

Surprisingly, Rex heard her through without exploding or asking her any questions. He seemed deep in thoughts.

"I see. He told you all this and you believed him just like that?"

"I did believe him but not just like that. How do I explain it? There was something familiar about him and he also helped me. Maybe you'll see for yourself once you meet him."

Rex seemed deep in thoughts but he did not say 'no' out of the gate. That gave Aurora some hope that he would think this topic over.

"I will investigate it on my own. So let's forget about it for now. There is a bigger elephant in the room right now. What should we do with you for now? What age are you even?"

Aurora had not thought about her situation yet but Rex's question finally made her aware that she should take her condition seriously.

"I think I'm almost nine right now. I need to get through this week and I should be back to normal."

"Nine, huh? A year too young for the academy's first batch. We decided on eleven to sixteen years old for our first batch age."

"I don't want to enroll in the academy right now anyway. It would be difficult to explain what happened to me once I return to normal."

Aurora did not have to think over this topic and Rex seemed to agree with her.

"Right. Then, should we introduce you as a relative of mine? No one would question you if we pulled that route."

That did make sense. Since Rex was the headmaster, no one except the school council would question him.

And they would recognize Aurora's magic and put two-on-two together.

"Let's go with this for now. It will also allow us to observe how the academy works for the students and how they get along. Did you screen through the first batch of applications?"

Initially, screening students were supposed to be Aurora's job. But then things happened and the task has been pushed over to Rex.

"Ah, about that. There were some things I wanted to talk with you about. Here, this is something I think you should be interested in."

Aurora took the file being handed over to her. But it was a little too heavy for her nine-yeard old body to handle.

So Rex just put the open book on the table in front of Aurora and pointed toward the page.

"I don't know why she even applied to come here. But we cannot refuse her without making an enemy out of the Northern republic. What should we do now?"

Aurora looked at the page in front of her with a bewildered expression.

Out of everyone who could have applied here, it had to be the princess of the northern republic.

With the exception of the tower, the northern republic had the highest monopoly on the magic users and abyss travelers. They also had the most academies affiliated with the tower.

As such, it was not wrong to say that the northern republic and the tower were close to each other.

"Anyway, we cannot afford to refuse her right now. So invite her here as well. We'll just have to keep a tight eye on her. She's currently 12 right?"

"Yes, she is. Why?"

"I have someone who can keep an eye on her."

Aurora was not sure how good Emilia would be able to act but Joseph was a good actor at least.

He would be able to keep the northern princess occupied and also extract some information she might have.

"I guess we are inviting her now. The council is also in favor of not ignoring the northern republic right now. Our position is not the best in the world."

Aurora sighed at the upcoming mess she would have to clean up.

She had an idea why the northern republic's princess was being sent to their academy and who was behind it.

And it was a good opportunity for Aurora to establish friendly connections with the northern republic.

"I guess that Karan is on our side. This is an opportunity and a half."

Aurora knew that this was an opportunity. She could not afford to mess this up.

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

"Why do I have to go to such a remote place? That academy is so new it doesn't even have a record yet."

No one in the northern republic knew how to handle their princess when she was in such a mood.

"It was Lord Karan who asked this favor from you. Don't you want to help him out?"

The nanny who had been assigned to the princess tried to calm her down. And surprisingly, it did help.

"Lord Karan? I guess I can do this if he was the one who asked."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief as the princess calmed down.

It was just their luck to be stuck with such a brat as their princess. But they had no other choice but to keep her alive for now.

Because even though they were a republic country, they were bound by their royal blood. It was the only thing that could activate their ultimate weapon in case the abyss woke up and tried to devour them all.

"Let's go, my lady. We have your things packed. We shall leave for our destination now. After all, Rocx valley is far away."

The princess did stand up but her dull eyes did not seem interested in anything.

"Out with it. What is wrong with you now?"

Aurora had thought her conversation with Rex was over for now. And she waited for the man to finally leave her alone.

But much to her surprise, she could still feel the aura around her adopted brother flare out in irritation.

He wanted to tell Aurora something but was holding himself back.

Under normal circumstances, Aurora would have let this go. But she found his actions distracting for now and finally decided to snap at him.

"Ah, I really can't hide anything from you. There is another problem we are facing and it's about the northern princess."

"Out with it. Don't beat around the bush now."

"We will need to send someone to go and get her. Some people do not want the northern princess to get to this academy. I'm also afraid that the tower will use this opportunity to kill the princess off."

Aurora paused as soon as she heard Rex's concerns.

They were valid opinions Aurora had not thought about yet. Mainly because she had just been introduced to this possibility.

But assassinating the northers princess on her way to the Rocx valley was a sure way to blame Aurora and the Rocx academy.

It will also weaken the northern front and allow the tower to sink its claws inside the country.

"I agree. I would have gone myself but I won't be respected much in my current form. But we also need to send someone responsible and mature enough to not leak our secrets."

"We don't have a lot of people like that with us right now."

Aurora could name a few people to send but none of them seemed like the right choice.

"I was thinking of sending Rita but I'm worried about sending her alone. She's a little hot-headed and accident prone."

Aurora took note of all the others they could send.

The Academy's most prominent task force was made up of outlanders. And sending them to the northern front was asking for trouble.

Similar was the case with the rebellion people. Their chances of success were too low.

Hiring someone outside of their fraction was unthinkable for them. Even hiring someone as capable as Michell (That witch) was out of order for now.

"We have no other choice but to send Rita. Ava is too busy and Astoria will also need time to make her lesson plans. I will accompany Rita as your representative."

"It would also work out with our backstory with me being your relative. It will present the northern front with a false sense of security."

Truly, it could work. Rita was more likely to listen to her than anyone else in the academy. And it also happened that she was the only one who was free to carry out this task.

Aurora was willing to take the burden of this job for now.

"Alright. It shall only take a few days. Keeping you out will also help us explain your sudden disappearance once your curse is broken."

While there were too many flaws with their current plan, Aurora was sure they would be able to smoothen it over time.

For now, it was the best alternative available to Aurora and Rex. they could not allow anyone to have a handle on their weakness.

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

"Y-You turned into a kid. I can't believe what I am seeing in front of my eyes. Oh wait, did I sleep with a kid? God, what did I do?"

Rita's laughing face broke into a cold sweat as soon as she realized what had happened to Aurora.

The sudden whiplash in emotions caused Aurora to sigh out loud.

"Rita, you did not sleep with a kid. I was still an adult when we spend the night together. You did not do anything wrong."

Aurora tried to console but Rita did not seem like she was listening. It was only after Aurora threw a vase in her direction that Rita decided to pay attention to her.

"Hey, what gives? Can't I even panic in peace?"

"Rita, not now. You need to pay attention to this conversation."

To be honest, Aurora was getting a little tired of Rita's free attitude. She wanted the serious girl she knew in her past life back.

And it did not take long for Rita to realize that her new attitude was not being appreciated by Aurora. So she calmed down.

The papers in the elder's hand were straightened out before Rita put them on the table in front of her.

"The northern princess Natasha Kowalski. She's a cute thing for sure. Silver hair and blue eyes. Very distinct. I'm sure we will have no trouble recognizing her right away."

Rita's confidence was a given. Aurora did not doubt that the girl would be difficult to find even if she happened to get lost.

The norther princess was someone who was bound to stand out from her surroundings. She was the closest person to divinity without actually being a princess.

"She is not the problem, everyone else in the northern front is. We need to make sure we retrieve her without any problem."

Aurora was well aware of the rumors that were often floating around the northern princess. They made her out to be a ruthless ruler who ruled her lands with an iron fist.

She was such an effective ruler that even the tower was wary of her until the end.

But no matter what kind of character she turned out to be, Princess Natasha was still a princess right now.

And this was the right time for Aurora to step forward and start making connections with the future superpower.

"Alright. I got what you are trying to say. We will retrieve that girl and then come back here to celebrate."

"You go and prepare. I need to pay a visit to someone first. I'll meet you outside the Rocx valley in about three hours from now."

Thankfully, Rita did not ask any more questions from Aurora. She accepted her answer with a wide smile and left the place.

As for Aurora? She had someone she wanted to meet first. Aurora needed to extract a promise from the GoV before she left this Rocx valley.

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

Aurora walked through the cave she had visited only once before.

But the strong aura the GoV let out surrounded Aurora without hesitation and probed at in curiosity.

"Why are you back here? I see that you did not bring my kids with you this time."

Aurora did not mind the hostile tone the other goddess used with her. Aurora was used to such behavior. And she had even accepted it before arriving here.

"I am here to ask a favor from you. I want you to look after the academy while I'll be gone."

"And why should I do that? As far as I'm concerned, I do not have anything to do with that academy."

Aurora tried to hold back her flinch but she was not able to. The GoV could be pretty harsh with her words.

But she had not lied to Aurora.

It was true that the GoV did not need to have any contact with the Rocx academy.

But still….

"Your children are in that academy. Are you saying that you want to abandon them to their fate? Will you not help them if they get in trouble?"

This was Aurora's trump card. One she had used before and was willing to use again. She had no shame in her actions.

"I knew. Still, they could not remain dependent on me forever. Sooner or later, they will need to learn to protect themselves."

"Alright, I understand. Thank you for helping me with this small task of mine."

Aurora let out a small smile as soon as she felt the goddess's aura chance in front of her.

What a dishonest person the GoV was. Her words made it sound like she did not care what happened to her children. But her aura was gentle and full of care.

It reassured Aurora that the GoV will help keep the academy safe in the time Aurora was not there to protect it.

"I did not say that I will help you out."

"I know."

"I might let them all die if it becomes too bothersome."

"You might"

"…"

"…"

"Take care of yourself. Your curse might be temporary but it is annoying. It would suck if you died out there without being able to protect yourself."

"I'll take care of myself. Don't worry because I will visit you once I recover from this curse."

Aurora exited the cave with a small smile on her face. She could not help but feel like she had made progress with GoV in her latest visit. 𝒾𝗻𝓃𝐫eα𝚍. 𝒄𝐨m

If things continued like this, then Aurora was sure she would be able to recruit the GoV in her fold and get her to help before the GoV was supposed to die.

And who knows? Maybe Aurora will be able to prevent GoV's death as well.