Chương 131: Twenty-Three

Everyone just kept staring at me with that unsettling look of unconditional devotion in their eyes. And for what? Was it because I saved them? I'd saved people before. They never looked at me like this. What made this time so special? I wiped at my face, then looked at my ichor-stained hand and groaned. One of the women jumped forward, startling me, then fell to her knees.

"Please, Great Goddess, let me cleanse you from that unholy filth staining your divine form." I glanced at Kasia."Uhh." A man took off his dirty, sweat-stained shirt.

"Please, use my shirt." Another woman bowed.

"Please, Your Divinity, it would honor me if you allowed me to use my cleansing spell. It is upgraded. Anything I cleanse with it cannot become dirty for a whole twenty-four hours after." Wow! She's like The powudnitsa's dress in human form. I cast [Soul Index] on her just to be sure she wasn't secretly going to kill me. [Prime Maid] Status: Enraptured Prime maid? Did that mean she got some kind of super maid class? I should probably take her with me to the cathedral.

Or everywhere I go, actually, if she really had a spell that would keep me clean forever.

"Sold!" I said.

"I mean, yes, that would be lovely. The cleansing spell, not the shirt." She folded her hands into a triangle pointed at me.

"[Ablution]." A soft blue light enveloped me and I could feel it scour away every impurity, every bit of dirt that was on me. The inside of my mouth suddenly tasted fresh and minty. A faint, but very pleasant smell of rose entered my nostrils. I held out my hand and inspected my nails. Clean. Perfect. That made me wonder… I held out a lock of my hair and it was bouncy and soft and shiny. I couldn't stop myself from squealing a little in delight. How had I ever lived without a [Prime Maid]?

Why had no one ever told me about them? This was the best class ever! I wish I could have taken it! I mean, no. Not for me. But for someone on my team, yes, it was great. I pointed at her.

"You, [Prime Maid], what is your name?" The people gasped.

"How did she know?" someone whispered. The [Prime Maid] put her right hand over her heart.

"My name is Aleksandra, but please call me Ola. It would be my honor to serve you."

"It is my honor that it's your honor to serve me." I said. I kind of felt like I fumbled that sentence and I probably should have just said something like the honor is mine, but unfortunately I hadn't, and correcting myself would likely just make me look dumber. None of the people seemed to mind so I was probably fine. Ola looked up at me, her lips slightly parted. She looked like she wanted to ask me something but wasn't sure if she should, or could.

"Yes?" I asked.

"What should we call you?" Vasil hopped between us.

"Ah! She is Hecate, the Flame-Crowned. Hecate, Saint of Fire. She Who Burns the Wicked. Those are but few of her many titles. Listing all of them would be time-consuming, and while my goddess is just, she is not known for her patience." I stared at Vasil. Flame-Crowned? Goddess? What did he mean with she's not known for her patience? I was pretty patient! And why was he talking to them? I thought we were supposed to keep that between us. The people all gasped again.

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"It talks! The frog talks!" the teenage boy said. Vasil inclined his head.

"Why, yes I do. Our magnanimous goddess, Hecate, has bestowed upon me the ability to speak as a reward for my service and absolute devotion. For she truly is as generous as she is powerful." Several people fell to their knees.

"Please, Great Hecate, may we serve you?" they asked in unison.

"Spit in my face," one man said, and was promptly punched in the back of the head by the man next to him. I stood there, unsure how to respond. Did Vasil's talk really convince them I was a goddess? That fast? Didn't sound too convincing to me. Were these people just really gullible or was something else going on? Kasia put her hand on my shoulder and inclined her head.

"You may serve her. But be aware, while she is kind and generous, she will not tolerate betrayal. Neither in thought nor in action. Those who do so will meet a far worse end than the strzygi, for they will burn eternally in her holy fire." She leaned in and whispered in my ear.

"Do a [Flame Breath] for effect." I nodded sagely.

"Yes. Behold! My holy fire!" I breathed a [Flame Breath] into the air above me. Everyone watched in awe. No one dared to utter a single word. I raised my hand.

"Those who stand against me will burn, but those who serve faithfully will be rewarded handsomely. Should you wish to leave, do so now. Otherwise…" I flashed them a big smile.

"Welcome." I'd half-expected them to leave, but none of them did. They looked even more impassioned than before. In fact, they all looked delighted to be here, with me.

"Uh. One thing," I said, casting [Disguise Self] and [Forged Credentials], turning myself back into a [Classless] copy of Kasia.

"When I look like this, please call me Aurelia. Just Aurelia. Can't exactly walk around looking like some kind of goddess out there, you know. I only show my true self to those who are worthy." The crowd nodded in agreement. I thumbed over my shoulder.

"You guys don't happen to know if those strzygi had some kind of treasure, do you?" A man with neatly combed hair and a little mustache got up and pushed up his spectacles. Normally I'd say glasses, but on him the word spectacles seemed more appropriate.

"Ahem," he started.

"If I may introduce myself. My name is Hubert and I am an [Auditor]. If my suspicions are correct—and they usually are—we were not the first to have been captured by the strzygi. If we were not the first to have been captured that means there were others before us. If there were others before us it is very likely that those people had valuables on them that the strzygi may have stored somewhere. They are demons, yes, but intelligent demons.

Due to this it would be logical that they have an area where they store whatever they have collected. Possibly also unholy goods of their own. Seeing as how this group was organized, it would make sense that most, if not all, of the valuables would be stored in a central location." I tapped my chin.

"Astute observation, Hubert. I can already tell we're going to get along just fine." At those words Hubert seemed to swell with pride, standing taller than before, as if held up by an invisible string.

"You… You humble me, Great Hecate," he said with a bow.

"Upupup!" Kasia said.

"When she looks like me you have to call her Aurelia." She nodded at me.

"Right, Auri?" I returned the nod.

"That is right, Venerable Kasia, Carrier of the Flame. In this form, you must address me as Aurelia."

"I—I… Forgive me, Lady Aurelia," Hubert said. I gently touched his forehead.

"You are forgiven, Hubert." He bowed again, eyes cast down. I turned around and started walking down the tunnel. After a couple of steps I stopped and turned around.

"Uh, Hubert?"

"Yes, Lady Aurelia?"

"If you were an evil half-man half-owl looking demon, where exactly would you store your ill-gotten goods?"

"Um, well, I would have to see the layout. Though it might be worth it to check all the tunnels. That is, if you were intending to, uh, exterminate the strzyga infestation completely."

"Ah, Hubuś," I said, playfully jabbing the air.

"You read my mind. I did intend to kill all of them. As punishment for abducting you guys, of course. Not because I need the experience or anything."

"Lady Aurelia is kind!" Vasil yelled. Kasia closed her eyes reverently.

"The kindest."

"Lady Aurelia is kind," The group echoed. Kasia opened one eye and shot me a mischievous grin. She was enjoying this! They were laying it on so thick I was surprised everyone just went along with it. How did I get from the girl that killed the Swamp Devil, to saint, to goddess in like five minutes? All those people couldn't really believe this could they? This felt way too easy. So easy it was making me suspicious. That gave me an idea. I opened my status page and looked at my believers.

[Believers: 23] By Her Pale Grace! They totally bought it! And all I had to do was kill a bunch of monsters that I was going to kill anyway! Should I feel bad? Was this just how this worked? I felt like an imposter, but I guessed to them I might as well have been a goddess. Telling them I wasn't one would only disappoint them, and it would be rude of me to burst their bubble now. I didn't want to take away their hope, especially considering what they'd been through. I also didn't want to lose Ola.

I turned on my heel and clapped my hands together.

"Alright, let's do some exterminating! And valuables getting!" Vasil was in his element. He started barking orders.

"Everyone, please stay behind Lady Aurelia so no harm may come to you. Form a single file line! Maintain proper spacing! Do not step on her holy shadow!"