Chapter 224
But... the permanent population of Boleun City is at least 180,000—this is data from a year ago. Now, with the city's massive industrial expansion, the number is only increasing.
How could she possibly find two girls whose appearances were unclear among so many people?
And in a region where the local cultists had just been completely wiped out?
The difficulty of this task was akin to searching for a uniquely colored shell in a lake—without being spotted by the other fish.
No matter how much she prayed, that mysterious voice and the ethereal projection had not appeared in her mind again.
However, Tara did not sigh in despair. This was merely a test from the Mother Goddess. If she couldn't even pass this small trial, she wouldn't deserve to receive the divine message from the goddess's servant and might as well end her own life to seek forgiveness in the divine realm.
"Hmm?"
Tara suddenly looked up, her gaze directed toward a distant point.
The sound coming from that direction... at first, Tara thought it was just mumbling or some environmental noise, too faint to notice.
But after calming her mind to pray, she became aware of that sound.
It was Him, calling her over.
Tara's figure gradually twisted and faded, leaving behind a white afterimage that soon merged into the ground, gliding toward her destination.
Ten minutes later, Tara stood before a villa.
This place was dangerous... In such a high-end neighborhood, there was a good chance of encountering extraordinary beings or nobles possessing sealed items who were privy to the secrets of the extraordinary.
Yet as she approached the exquisite villa, Tara felt increasingly certain.
This was not a trap. Although the mumbling was low and muddled, the closer she got, the more she felt a sense of familiarity.
This was a sensation only those bearing the Mother Goddess's mark could perceive.
Were there still believers alive? And a noble at that?
To sense something from such a distance meant at least a believer with a bishop's insignia... Whoever managed to survive this great purge must be a highly skilled extraordinary being in hiding.
Now, Tara had no idea about the situation at the Dedun Manor stronghold; she could only wait for other believers to infiltrate and relay information about what was happening inside.
If she could make contact successfully, she might obtain some useful information.
A white shadow darted out from behind Tara, leaping onto the house and landing on a terrace. Then, Tara's figure twisted and vanished, swapping places with that white shadow.
The door to the terrace led into a room... the entire house only had a light source in that room.
However, the curtains obscured Tara's view, preventing her from seeing inside.
Finding the Mother Goddess was the priority.
Tara walked directly to the glass door and gently pulled it open.
Then, she slowly lifted a corner of the curtain to peek inside the room.
Two gas lamps illuminated the space, casting a dim light that was just enough for Tara to discern the shapes of the objects within.
As soon as she glanced inside, her body stiffened slightly.
On a beautifully crafted white wooden stool sat a girl tossing a dagger in her hand, watching Tara as if she had been waiting for her arrival all along.
An ambush?
No... it couldn't be, red hair?!
The girl's red hair gradually matched the figure with suspected red hair from the earlier ethereal image... Tara's eyes widened slightly.
Upon seeing Tara, the red-haired beauty stopped tossing the dagger, raised her hand, and flung the dagger toward the bed.
Buzz—!
In that instant, a terrifying buzzing echoed in Tara's mind. On that large bed, a horrifying white figure almost instantly coalesced, raising its hand to catch the dagger.
At the sight of that white figure, Tara froze for a second, then her entire being surged with excitement, nearly screaming.
Familiar mumbling... a comforting presence...
God... the servant of the goddess?!!
Even though the terrifying mumbling caused her vision to blur and distort, she couldn't tear her gaze away.
In her peripheral vision, the red-haired girl merely beckoned with her finger, and the white, glowing insect wings behind the servant retracted. Holding the dagger, the servant obediently approached the red-haired girl and then... knelt halfway.
"Mother Goddess..."
The servant respectfully extended a hand, offering the dagger to the girl. Then, its figure twisted and vanished, as if it had never existed.
Tara, who had been following the servant, fixed her gaze on the red-haired girl.
Mother... Goddess?
As Tara met the girl's gaze, her body trembled with excitement.
At that moment, she could no longer contain her emotions. Almost crawling, she pushed aside the curtain and entered, kneeling before the red-haired girl, pressing her forehead to the ground.
"Mother Goddess... I’m sorry, your foolish servant has arrived late. I am willing to accept any reprimand or punishment... even if it costs me my life."
Tara was so nervous that her words tumbled out in a rush, losing the calm demeanor she usually maintained. The prayers she had memorized so thoroughly now slipped her mind entirely.
This was partly due to the disorientation caused by directly facing the servant.
Seeing the servant described in the scriptures had made Tara lose herself, and the servant's actions left her in shock.
It was real... the Mother Goddess was truly here...
Was this girl the earthly vessel of the Mother Goddess? The embodiment of Her will walking among mortals?
After a long wait, finally, a calm and cool voice came from above Tara's head.
"Let's talk somewhere else."
"Yes! Mother Goddess!"
...
Boleun City, Gem District, 71 Gem Avenue.
"Yes... Lord Shaer."
Shaer sat at his desk, watching Tara kneeling beside him, her eyes fixed intently on him, and he sighed inwardly.
Just moments ago, she had gone to great lengths to finally change how she addressed him, no longer calling him "Mother Goddess," but simply "Shaer."
Yet Tara stubbornly refused to drop the honorific "Lord," as if omitting it would be a grave disrespect. Even if he were to kill her on the spot, she felt compelled to add "Lord" after "Shaer."
Her fervor was unmatched...
But then again, she was the most loyal believer chosen by the servant of the goddess, so her loyalty was certainly unquestionable.
Shaer had initially thought it was an exaggeration when he imagined Tara running up to him on the street, clinging to his leg and calling him "Mother Goddess." But now, it seemed entirely plausible.
Fortunately, he had waited for her instead of letting Tara find him piece by piece through clues.
At least for now, Tara seemed to have completely ignored Amy, focusing all her attention on him, which aligned with Shaer's expectations.
The next steps were simple.
As a "missionary," Tara inherently possessed the ability to discern lies, but Shaer didn't need to lie; he just had to speak the truth to earn her complete trust.
"Do you know why I’ve been waiting for you?"
Shaer looked at Tara and spoke.
"The servant is ignorant and foolish; please enlighten me, Lord Shaer."
Tara raised her head, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she gazed at Shaer.
That fervent gaze made Shaer feel a bit uneasy. He looked at Tara and said, "My power is incomplete. This time, finding my 'uniqueness' requires your assistance."
Uniqueness?
Upon hearing this, Tara instantly perked up, puffing out her meager chest and asking, "What do you need me to do to assist you? Should I sacrifice myself to restore your power?"
Shaer: "..."
Do I look like someone who enjoys sacrificing cultists from the Holy Ascendance sect?
Though he had indeed sacrificed about a hundred of them.
"No, you just need to bring your confidant, Gema, here. Remember, do not use your own identity."
Shaer shook his head and continued, "I will give you further instructions afterward."
"Yes, Lord Shaer, I will take care of it right away."
Tara nodded vigorously.
She had no doubt about how Shaer knew there was a noble named Gema among her confidants; in Tara's mind, the Mother Goddess being all-knowing was perfectly normal.
Retrieving part of the "uniqueness"... this would undoubtedly be a significant restoration of the Mother Goddess's power and another major milestone for the Holy Ascendance sect.
This not only disproved the teachings of the Savior Goddess cult but also affirmed the legitimacy of the Holy Ascendance sect.
Table of Contents
