'Wait, I'm Supposed to Become a Goddess?! But I'm a Guy!'

The numbers of Raksasas were climbing rapidly.

More than enough to jolt the church into action. The surge in Raksasa sightings wasn’t just a fluke anymore, it was a pattern.

A sign of something brewing beneath the surface.

In response, the five elders serving directly under Harapan gathered in the upper sanctum, a chamber carved from sacred stone and lined with holy scriptures.

The stones were sacred because Mize had once walked over them. The scriptures, they were just made up words under Harapan's thoughts.

The air inside was tense, the heavy silence broken only by the occasional flicker of a candle.

One of the elders, his robes dusted with age and wear, finally leaned forward and exhaled, voice gravelly.

"According to the latest reports, one of our holy knights encountered a Raksasa nearing Tier 3 strength in the main city"

That got their attention.

"That fast?" another muttered, brows furrowing.

"Their growth rate... it's almost catching up to the holy knight’s divine blessing."

"If we let them be any longer," the first elder continued, tapping the table with two fingers, "Tier 4 won’t just be a worry. It’ll be a reality."

A third elder, younger than the rest but with fire in his eyes, growled under his breath. "So what now? Do we start moving personally? But showing our hands will only push them deeper, into back alleys and hidden corners."

"Even if we can kill some of them, once our actions were noticed, they will hide like rats in the city."

"Damn it, Elias..." the fourth snapped suddenly, slamming his palm on the polished table. "I’m starting to think that bastard's in league with them. Have you seen these city layouts? They’re made to hide things!"

"Calm yourself," another said, lifting a hand in restraint. "We can’t just go throwing accusations."

"Calm? It’s obvious, brother. That snake Elias is too damn clean. He’s got something going on, and whatever it is, it's not in our favor."

"I smell blood whenever I encounter him in the castle for official matters, he is not a good person the way he portrayed himself to the world!"

"But we can’t touch him," the eldest reminded quietly. "Not unless we want to pay the price. The Shadow Army, especially now, isn’t something to trifle with. Ever since the last territory upgrade, they're almost on par with the Broken Blade Legion."

"True," another nodded, reluctantly. "They may lack true kings, but with over ten true lords now under the Lord's banner, even the ten Broken Blade true lords can’t match that in raw numbers."

"And they’ve even been granted a seat in the castle cabinet under their new general, Lord Saka" someone else muttered.

"Another sinister person... "

A silence followed.

Then a voice broke it. Low and calm, directly cutting straight through the gloom like a blade.

"Then I propose we initiate an extermination program."

The words hung in the air like the sharp tang of blood.

A few of the elders blinked.

"An extermination program...?"

No one spoke for a beat. Then another elder leaned forward, his expression unreadable.

"You're talking about Master’s invention, aren’t you?"

A few exchanged glances.

"But it’s still in testing," the older one reminded flatly. "Using it this early might backfire. It’s not stable yet."

"We don’t have the luxury of waiting anymore," the proposer replied, firm.

"Their numbers grow by the day. The holy knights alone can’t keep up. We need more hands… more power."

Before the argument could spiral further, a soft pulse of light shimmered at the head of the table.

A figure appeared quietly in the empty seat.

Long white hair, draping like a silken veil over pristine robes.

The presence immediately attracted the elders attentions.

"Master Harapan!" one elder gasped, bowing instinctively.

The others followed suit, nodding in reverence, though none were surprised.

Harapan had a habit of appearing when needed, like a whisper caught in the wind.

"I’ve already spoken with the three True Kings of the Broken Blade Legion, and temporarily, in the name of Mother, they will lend us a helping hand in the territory" Harapan said calmly, folding his fingers over one another.

Relief swept across the room like a breeze through tall grass.

"This is excellent news," one elder said quickly, voice a notch lighter.

Harapan’s eyes, half-lidded and unreadable, drifted from one elder to the next before settling back on the table.

Then, he asked, almost offhandedly, "And what of Lord Titrus? Has there been any word? Any signs the Lord might return to the city soon?"

The mood shifted again, this time darker.

The eldest elder let out a slow breath and shook his head.

"We’ve been unable to push deeper, Master. The corruption there... it’s unlike anything we’ve encountered. The air twists, the light doesn’t obey. We didn’t dare gamble our lives trying to reach him. The holy light shield couldn't resist the corrosion deeper in that place."

The others nodded quietly, the weight of the situation pressing down like a lead shroud.

And though no one said it aloud... they were beginning to wonder if Lord Titrus was still alive.

Sigh...

“It’s strange… After Lord Titrus went to the Broken Blade Legion, he just vanished into the cursed battlefield. No message. No trace. Nothing.”

As for where the cursed battlefield was. It was the place where the final wave had taken place.

A polluted land not because of the horde, but because of something more terrifying.

“Indeed. Not a single word since. Maybe it’s tied to that divine command from Mother’s separate will in the church? She did send him there.”

“Could be…”

Their quiet murmuring lingered in the chamber, each word like a puzzle piece slowly clicking into place.

The more they talked, the clearer the picture became, fuzzy at first, but steadily clearer.

And when it came to the meeting between Harapan and the three true kings? It was, surprisingly, straightforward. Just like them, blunt, direct, and practical.

Their proposal? Send Broken Blade warriors into the alleys of the city… at night.

When the Five Elders heard that, their expressions lit up like lanterns.

“Well, sounds like we can finally let our holy knights breathe a little. Several months of pushing them beyond their limits…”

“We can’t let up just because of that,” one of them cut in, brows furrowed, arms crossed tightly. “The pressure of this territory, the future of the human race here, is still on their backs."

"Even with the Broken Blade Legion helping, we don’t get to be complacent.”

“Understood…”

And with that, the meeting wrapped up.

The elders drifted out of the chamber one by one, robes fluttering with every step, quiet conversations trailing in the halls.

But Harapan stayed behind.

He didn’t walk.

He vanished.

A quiet flicker of divine light, and he reappeared inside the church’s grand library nestled deep in the main city.

The scent of old parchment hung heavy in the still air. He glanced around for a moment, then spotted her.

At the far end of the room, by the towering bookshelf.

Mize’s clone.

She sat draped in that elegant, featherlight silk, black as moonless midnight, clinging to her frame like woven shadow.

A veil covered her face, leaving only her eyes exposed. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

Eyes that held too much knowledge for any one person. She had been here as long as he could remember from the moment she appeared.

Constantly reading, consuming, and never ending knowledge seeking.

She flipped through a thick book, lazily turning each page like she wasn’t reading at all, and yet, clearly was.

Sensing his presence, her hand paused mid-turn.

She gently set the book aside, the faintest smile curling under the veil as her eyes squinted with quiet amusement.

“Child…”

“Mother,” Harapan responded respectfully, bowing his head, almost moving into a full salute, only to hesitate.

Right. She hated that kind of formality.

He straightened a little awkwardly.

His eyes flicked to the book on the table, curiosity creeping in.

“Is Mother… studying the history of this world?”

“Yes,” she said with a slow nod, fingers casually flipping another page. “I think it’s fascinating.”

“I see…”

Harapan’s gaze lingered on her, thoughtful. She caught that in an instant.

With a soft sigh, she closed the book and leaned to the side, elbow propped on the table, chin resting lightly in her palm.

Her posture looked lazy, almost playful, but her presence was anything but.

“Don’t worry, Child. My true body’s fine. I’m just… in a very deep sleep."

“A-ah… I-I wasn’t…”

But Harapan fell silent. He caught the subtle glint in her eyes. That smile. This text is hosted at novel·fıre·net

He swallowed, bowed his head once more. “I understand, Mother.”

Then came her next question, casual in the way she worded it out.

“And the matter I asked you to handle? Did you deliver the order authorization to those three fools yet?”

Her eyes were already drifting back down to the pages in her lap as she asked, like it was just a passing thought.

Harapan straightened, nodding firmly. “Yes. With Mother’s help, I was able to send the request to the Broken Blade Legion. They’ve agreed to assist in hunting down the Raksasas spreading across the territory."1