Chapter 90: Gusts of Ominous Wind

Ella’s little heart thumped twice in her chest.

That was too blunt—can’t you be a little more tactful?

What if people get suspicious!

“I think this is a good idea.”

Leah spoke up for the first time here.

“We all know how capable Ella is.”

Celes didn’t say anything, but she nodded as well.

Ella’s little heart finally settled back down.

Good thing she’d worked hard to earn their favor; relying on others is never as reliable as relying on yourself.

If it weren’t for those nights of warm embraces, or the sweet moments when they joined the faith, would there be so many voices supporting her today?

Still, as a gentle and shy good girl, of course she had to.

“Ah, me?”

Ella reached out and covered her little mouth, her beautiful red eyes fluttering like a startled fawn.

“Such a big decision, and you want me to make it? Uhm… I…”

Vina tilted her head.

“Then how about I make the decision for you?”

Ella’s cutesy tone was instantly choked off by that one sentence.

“Don’t mess around, Vina. This isn’t something to joke about.”

Leah turned her head and said, “Ella, enough talk. It’s decided—you’ll do it.”

As she finished, her beautiful eyes even glared at Ella.

Don’t push it! If you love acting so much, next time you join the faith I’ll play along and do some roleplay with you!

“If that’s the case… Fine, you all… sigh.”

Ella saw the warning in Saintess Leah’s eyes and silently swallowed back the words, “You’re all making life so hard for me.”

Why so fierce? Sure, your chest is big, but that doesn’t mean you have to be so fierce.

“Alright, it’s settled then.”

General Yanpo couldn’t help but stand up again.

“From now on, all of our army’s actions in Harbor City will follow Miss Ella’s command.”

Celes frowned slightly, wondering why this man liked to suddenly stand up all the time…

But since they’d reached an agreement, there was no time to waste; everyone should get to work.

They left the teahouse.

Ella lagged a few steps behind, deliberately speaking with Yanpo at the back.

“Lady Ella, was my performance…”

Though his voice was low, the girl still shot him a glare.

“Don’t get so excited. Look at you—can’t you be a little steadier? Don’t make such a fuss.”

Since they were about to go downstairs and face the others, Ella’s previously stern voice instantly softened:

“General, the Sea Demon Tribe’s attack on Harbor City has caused many casualties. A lot of people are terrified. Please help reassure everyone and restore order to the city.”

Yanpo straightened, about to pound his chest and make a loud promise, but recalling his earlier lesson, he cleared his throat first.

“No problem. I’ll go give the orders right away.”

He was still eager, but much steadier than before.

With the help of the Demon Race army, the chaotic city gradually calmed down.

The injured civilians were receiving treatment—most had been hurt by falls or collisions; very few survived after being attacked by a Desecrator.

According to rough estimates—well, there weren’t any real statistics yet, who had time for that?

Harbor City had tens of thousands of people in total; the priority was to settle the living first.

At first, Celes had worried that the Demon Race army would frighten the civilians, but it turned out she was overthinking.

The people of Harbor City were already used to dealing with Sirens and all sorts of strange beings, so their tolerance for unusual appearances was quite high.

The Demon Race soldiers were fully armored, helmets and all, so there was no way to tell their race.

People just thought they looked especially tall and imposing.

“Where did they come from? They’re so strong—bigger than the Governor’s Mansion guards!”

“I heard Miss Ella brought them in as reinforcements.”

“No wonder. I heard Miss Ella is a big shot from the Royal City—she’s got connections everywhere.”

“Damn Sea Demons, so ambitious—they all deserve to die!”

“My son…”

Now that the city was safe, people gathered to discuss things, their conversations punctuated by the occasional curse or the cries of grieving families.

It was chaotic, but compared to the Temple of Yore, this was already pretty good.

When the Desecrators were utterly defeated, most were slain on the shore, the rest fleeing by diving into the sea.

This meant their final struggle to maintain the Pearl Shell Currency System’s dominance had completely failed.

“There’s no more time, and we have no other options.”

The Fish Priest made its judgment.

“Everything is already set.”

The dream of overturning the world had shattered. Decades of scheming and patience had earned them nothing but a consolation prize.

“If that’s the case, then let Harbor City suffer His wrath!”

One hand, seven minutes—that was enough to crush Harbor City to dust.

“And that damned pink-haired girl!”

The Naga Priestess shrieked.

“If not for her, would we have ended up like this?!”

It sounded like an excuse, but none of the dozen priests in the Shrine objected.

The plan had been nearly perfect.

After the battle, Harbor City would be in chaos, the kingdom would lower its guard and manage it loosely—besides appointing a local Governor, there was barely any interference.

The Silent Sanctuary hidden among the people was a nuisance, but they only knew how to kill; they couldn’t see through the core structure of Harbor City.

After decades of preparation, just when the plot was about to succeed, suddenly that pink-haired girl appeared.

She saw through the heart of the scheme at a glance, how many schemes must you have in your own heart to do that? How could someone be so devious!

“That’s right. She, and all of them, must die. Now, to ensure His descent and protect the Shrine, I need your sacrifice.”

As the Fish Priest finished speaking, everyone saw four new Coral Blades appear on the altar behind it.

The God-bestowed Power would make them unimaginably strong.

The only problem was, when He left, He would take the God-bestowed Priests with Him.

Four spots—surely I won’t be one of them…

Wait, am I?

The Naga Priestess realized the Fish Priest was staring at her, and a chill ran down her spine.

With a shriek, she tried to run.

“No! Don’t! I don’t want to… ah!”

The Barbed Priest’s poisonous barb struck her snake tail, instantly paralyzing her.

She could only watch as the Fish Priest plunged the Coral Blade down.

“Ahhhhh—-!”

The God-bestowed Power caused the Priestess’s body to mutate—a rare sight.

All the priests in the Shrine watched in silence, and even the Undead Laborers at the windows outside snuck a peek.

No one noticed that among those peeking Undead, a petite figure quietly slipped away.

***

Reality—Harbor City, inside the city, in the teahouse used as a temporary command post.

Ella sat in a chair, listening to the latest reports.

“According to rough estimates, today’s death toll is about six to eight hundred. Thankfully, reinforcements arrived in time.”

“And thankfully, they ran fast enough themselves.”

“Everyone’s been settled. Harbor City has plenty of stored food, every household has dried salted fish—it’ll last until the next supply run.”

“The civilians are enthusiastically welcoming the reinforcements taking over the city defenses. The original guards and Market Administration Office have no objections, either.”

Hearing these reports, Ella couldn’t help but nod repeatedly.

Good news—all good news! With this, Harbor City was firmly in her hands now.

What a complete victory.

But… it felt like there was still some problem she hadn’t dealt with.

What was it?

Just then, a chill wind brushed her ear, tickling slightly, as if a whisper from the underworld.

Ella, with… me