Kon-gobu, everyone.

 

Sorry about last week guys. Wasn’t able to post and write much of anything since there’s no internet at that time. Our internet provider could rot in hell.

 

I’ll try to make it up this week to keep up the 2 chapters per week. So hope you could find it in your heart to be patient with me.

 

***

 

While I was trying to find excuses, I heard Princess Ruri let out a gasp. It was as though she stumbled upon a shocking revelation. Her eyes widened, and her hand instinctively covered her mouth.  "Are you perhaps testing us, Goddess Miyabi? Is that some sort of trial to see if we have truly changed our ways?" she asked, her eyes searching for answers.

 

Like a fish spotting a bait, I latched onto her words, taking advantage of Princess Ruri's misunderstanding. "Indeed," I replied, making sure to sound dignified and mysterious. "That was a test for the two of you, Princess Ruri and Mara Freyr. I want to see if you are capable of growth without my constant guidance." Princess Ruri's eyes widened with a mix of surprise and determination.

 

'Phew, that's one bullet dodged,' I thought to myself, relieved that Princess Ruri had bought into my explanation. However, I knew I couldn't let my guard down just yet. "So, Princess Ruri, Mara Freyr," I continued, maintaining a stern tone.  "What did you both do to show that you had truly changed from your previous ways?"

 

And so, I found out that Princess Ruri had taken it upon herself to ease the tension between humans and demihumans in the frontier city. Apparently, the cause of the tension was the subsequent attacks on demihuman settlements on the southern continent, Aehia.

 

However, it was evident that their efforts were in vain. When we arrived at the frontier city, both sides were on the verge of war, with demihumans and humans armed and ready for battle. Luckily, we showed up and were able to intervene before any bloodshed occurred.

 

"Goddesses," Princess Ruri turned to us twins, grateful for our timely arrival. "I feared the worst when I saw them about to engage in combat. Thank you for preventing this unnecessary violence."

 

I chose not to say anything and just simply smiled in response to Princess Ruri's gratitude. I mean, if I didn't, I'm pretty sure I'd break my holy and divine facade. 

 

Just having a cute princess express her gratitude was enough to stroke my ego. If I'm not careful, I might brag to high heaven about how we saved the day and prevented a potential disaster. But for now, I'll keep my pride in check and continue the conversation.

 

"So, how about you, Mara?" I asked, shifting my gaze towards her. I wanted to hear what actions she had taken to prove her transformation from her past behavior. I thought she'd only be guarding the princess as her knight, and in my book, that would have been enough.

 

So it surprised me when she told this to me: "Well, in addition to protecting the princess, I also took the initiative to train and mentor the newbie knights assigned to our team. I wanted to make sure they were well-prepared and capable of upholding their duties. It's been rewarding to see their growth and development under my guidance."

 

If I recall correctly, Mara Freyr had been bullied at the Knight Academy due to its chauvinistic culture. The experience had left her with a deep hatred for men and a sadistic desire to torture men. Back when they were attacked in the forest, Mara didn't even care while the knights were killed in front of her. Only when the princess'—a woman's—safety was threatened did Mara spring into action.

 

'Ah, why am I surprised?' I thought, berating myself for not remembering the reason why there's such a stark contrast to their past personalities. 'I had Henrietta—P.A., back then—to have their personalities changed!'

 

Well, my plan back then was to take advantage of Princess Ruri's and Mara's past transgressions. My thoughts were that by changing their personalities, I could sell Chuunism's ability to reform even the most notorious individuals.

 

Looking at the results, it seems that my plan was successful. Princess Ruri and Mara have indeed transformed into completely different people, embodying the values of Chuunism. Although their change in personality wasn't actually due to the principles and teachings of Chuunism, I could just wing it and present it as a testament to the power of the religion.

 

'Wahahaha! It looks like the road to becoming a goddess is not as impossible as I once thought,' I thought to myself, proud of the transformation I had orchestrated. As I was wallowing in my own self-congratulation, I noticed that Mara still had something to say.

 

"What is it, Mara?" I asked, urging her to speak up. But what she says next ruins my triumphant mood. "Goddess, I have also been investigating who's behind the subsequent violent assaults on the demihuman settlements in Aehia," Mara said with a serious tone. "It appears that the orchestrated attacks are being carried out under the direction of the esteemed Mayor of Ardonia's Frontier City, Mr. Weiss Gale."

 

'Hm? Why does the mayor have a hand in these attacks?' I thought, my mind racing to make sense of Mara's revelation. 'It's his own city; why would he want to harm the demihumans if it means undermining the harmony and stability of his own city?' 

 

"Was the mayor not a native of Southern Leasaitolia?" I asked Mara, hoping for some clarification on his background. If he's from the north, then it's understandable due to the Church of Purity's influence in that region. 

 

"No, the mayor is actually born and raised in Southern Leasaitolia," Mara replied, shaking her head. "In truth, their family had been serving as mayors for generations. It's puzzling why he would suddenly turn against the demihumans, especially considering their long history of coexistence." But Mara dashed my initial hypothesis that his background might explain his actions. 

 

'If he's a local, then something doesn't add up.' I pondered, trying to make sense of the situation. Perhaps there was an external force influencing the mayor's sudden change in attitude towards demihumans. Could it be that he was being coerced or manipulated by someone with a hidden agenda?  

 

Yet, even that supposition was shattered when I realized that Mara has something she's hesitating to tell me. Her eyes darted around nervously as she struggled to find the right words. "Mara, what are you not telling me?" I asked, my curiosity piqued. Her hesitation only deepened my suspicion that there was more to this situation than meets the eye. I couldn't help but wonder if Mara held a key piece of information that could unravel the mystery behind the mayor's sudden change of heart.

 

But it was Princess Ruri who answered for Mara. "It seems that, from the start, the mayor's family were, in truth, undercover agents from..." She hesitated for a moment, her eyes unsure of how much she should reveal.

 

Finally, Princess Ruri tried to continue, but at the same time, Aidy's dog ears and Harthela's elven ears perked up. Their faces were filled with alarm, and they shouted at the same time. ""There're hostiles!"" The sudden interruption startled everyone in the room. Aidy and Harthela immediately sprang into action, putting us twins behind their backs, their weapons drawn and ready. 

 

Aidy had materialized her White Fire; the gauntlets and greaves were set ablaze with white flames, while Mara did the same herself, unsheathing her daggers instead of the twin swords at her hips.

 

On the other hand, Harthela's had bulky armor and held two inverted pentagon-shaped shields with intricate elven designs. "Behind me!" Harthela shouted, positioning herself in front of us while the others immediately hid behind her. 

 

Not a second later, the windows in the room shattered, and debris from the explosion flew in as an explosive art spell was cast from outside. The force of the spell sent fragments of glass and rubble, and Harthela's shields deflected them with ease. She stood firm, protecting us from the onslaught as we took cover behind her. The room filled with the sound of crashing glass and falling debris, but Harthela remained unwavering in her defense.

 

Hurried footsteps amidst glass crunching caught our attention, and a click of a toungue followed. "Argh, dammit. I thought this would be easy," muttered a sluggish voice. We peered through the chaos to see a figure emerge from the dust and smoke. 

 

It was a man with disheveled hair, his appearance indicating his laziness and lack of care for his own well-being. His eyes were drowsy, and his clothes were wrinkled and stained. He carried himself with a slouched posture, as if he couldn't be bothered to stand up straight.

 

"Ah, so there's a beastkin with them," he said, looking at Aidy with a hint of disdain. "No wonder they reacted so fast." His voice was filled with exhaustion and frustration, as if he had been dragged into this situation against his will. Despite his disheveled appearance, there was a glimmer of intelligence in his eyes, suggesting that there might be more to him than meets the eye.

 

This man and his group's abrupt attack interrupted Princess Ruri when she was about to tell us the country the undercover agents were from. But I didn't need to hear it anymore; the man's uniform, although disheveled, clearly indicated that he was from... the Principality of Thawhanon.

 

I was careless, and now the enemy had already made the first move.