After Grey's huff sent the passerby scurrying away, she explained to Aglaea, "Since the Goddess of Love is the city's primary deity, encounters like that are common. They declare their love to anyone they meet and immediately propose marriage. I knew exactly what he was going to say the moment he opened his mouth!"
The reason was simple: Grey was stunningly beautiful, an exceptionally adorable little Catgirl maid. She had already lost count of how many times she had been approached and confessed to.
However, it would be a mistake to label the Goddess of Love's believers as promiscuous or libertine. Unlike Bards, these individuals are fiercely devoted to their partners, a principle enshrined in the goddess's doctrines.
For example, if one partner in a Goddess-blessed marriage commits infidelity or betrays their bond, the other immediately receives a spiritual "warning", a sudden surge of unease, agitation, or similar intense feelings.
At first glance, the Goddess of Love might seem like a deity with limited combat prowess. But the reality is far more complex. Her priests, for instance, excel in "curse"-based divine magic. If a Believer of the Goddess of Love brings evidence of their partner's infidelity to a priest, the priest might even curse the adulterer to death on the spot.
In summary, Believers of the Goddess of Love were a group of extreme beauty fanatics, each fiercely devoted to a single person and exhibiting a touch of yandere tendencies.
Grey briefly explained the Believers of the Goddess of Love's characteristics, then added, "Honestly, they all seem like lunatics. So annoying."
No sooner had Grey finished speaking, less than three seconds later, than a man approached them and knelt directly before Aglaea. "O beautiful lady..."
Before he could finish his sentence, Grey bristled again, snapping, "Absolutely not! Get lost!"
During their journey, Grey and Aglaea encountered similar situations at least five times. The most absurd part was that after being rejected, these people didn't simply leave; instead, they discreetly followed behind, some regretting their abrupt confessions, others biding their time for another chance.
Some were even more straightforward, content simply to admire Aglaea's beauty. For these extreme beauty fanatics, the mere act of gazing upon her was deeply satisfying.
Truth be told, this group of people was truly bizarre. Aglaea now regretted not wearing her Black Cloak when she left home. Moments later, the two arrived at the city's finest inn. With Grey's identity as a spy now exposed, she could no longer stay at the Councilor's residence and had been expelled.
As they entered the inn, the innkeeper at the entrance caught sight of Aglaea and his eyes lit up. "I've never seen such a beautiful lady!" he exclaimed.
Just as Aglaea was bracing herself for another encounter like those with the street crowds, the innkeeper continued, "Please, come in, come in, guest! I'll immediately arrange the best room for you. You can stay as long as you like, completely free of charge!"
Aglaea blinked, her eyes momentarily bewildered, and turned to Grey beside her. Grey scratched her head. "Wow, I've heard of pretty people getting discounts here, but I never thought they'd get the whole stay for free!"
There's an old saying: "What's the use of being pretty? Can it feed you?"
But here, it seemed that being beautiful really could put food on the table.
Upon hearing Grey's words, the Guild Master replied without hesitation, "This lady's beauty absolutely warrants such treatment."
He then turned to Aglaea and said politely, "If I weren't already married, I would certainly pursue you."
In the end, Aglaea found herself staying in the city's most luxurious hotel, in its most expensive suite, completely free of charge. Grey stood at the doorway, bowed slightly, and said, "Lady Aglaea, I'm right next door. If you need anything at all, please call for me immediately, and I'll be there right away."
Actually, Aglaea's greatest desire at that moment was for Grey to change her clothes. Grey's current maid uniform was both outdated and unflattering, the kind of durable attire worn by servants in ancient times. When Aglaea thought of maid uniforms, her first image was always a classic black-and-white maid dress, paired with white stockings and black leather shoes. If Grey wore such an outfit, she would undoubtedly be many times cuter than she was now.
But after a moment's thought, Aglaea dismissed the idea. It was their first meeting, after all. Would such a request seem too strange?
Returning to her room, Aglaea gazed at the pristine white sheets, meticulously smoothed without a single wrinkle. She sat down with her legs pressed together, assuming an elegant posture. For now, all she needed to do was wait.
Once the Alliance convened and, if all went smoothly, passed the proposal to hunt down Artemis Believers and Priests, Aglaea would have nothing left to do. Her presence here was solely to prevent any unforeseen complications.
Of course, in a sense, if the Alliance held its meeting as scheduled but failed to pass the proposal, that would also qualify as an "unforeseen complication."
As for how to spend the time, a Century Gate materialized beside Aglaea, and sewing needles and thread spilled from it. She immediately began weaving clothes.
Through her recent studies, Aglaea had gained a basic understanding of garment construction. Now that she grasped the fundamentals, her next step was naturally designing beautiful clothes to her liking. Moreover, she was experimenting with weaving strands of her Golden Thread into the fabric as she worked.
She discovered that even a tiny amount of Golden Thread woven into a garment could dramatically enhance its defensive capabilities. A simple dress, reinforced with just a few strands of the thread, could become as resilient as armor, impervious to cuts and punctures, and even boasting significant resistance to magic.
Most remarkably, the garment retained its essence as a dress—soft, comfortable, and astonishingly practical.
The only flaw was its appearance. As Aglaea's first experimental creation, the dress was... well, not exactly ugly, but certainly unremarkable.
To be honest, it was downright hideous. Had this thing been anywhere else, it would have been considered a high-tier Magic Item—the kind a king might wear for personal protection. But its sheer ugliness led Aglaea to destroy it immediately after testing its defensive capabilities.
As time passed, Senior Councilor Perseus dispatched messengers on horseback to summon the other Senior Councilors, invoking his Emergency Authority to convene an immediate session of the Council.
Normally, the Alliance's Senior Council would convene only once a year. However, each Senior Councilor possessed a one-time emergency power: the authority to call an immediate session. This power was reserved for the most dire crises, demonstrating Councilor Perseus's extreme concern regarding the Artemis Believers.
By the time the other Senior Councilors received the summons, a week had already passed. Another half-month elapsed as they gradually arrived in Councilor Perseus's city.
To put it bluntly, during this waiting period, Aglaea had already finished weaving her second outfit: a classic, black-and-white maid uniform, remarkably adorable.
That very evening, she gifted the uniform to Grey. Having served the Perseus family for a decade, Grey's maid skills were exceptionally refined. She had been tending to Aglaea for the past half-month, and the two had grown quite familiar.
Upon receiving the uniform, Grey's eyes lit up. "Such an adorable outfit!"
Aglaea smiled gently. "I'm glad you like it."
Grey quickly returned to her room, shed her old maid's uniform, and donned the modernly designed maid outfit. When she reappeared before Aglaea, even Aglaea couldn't help but feel a spark of delight at the sight.
At that moment, she finally understood the devotion of the Believers of the Goddess of Love outside. Just standing before such a cute and beautiful girl, a Catgirl maid, was enough to delight both body and soul.
The two women left the inn as usual. As Aglaea stepped out of her room and approached the entrance, she saw a crowd of twenty to thirty people kneeling in worship like pilgrims. These Believers of the Goddess of Love had waited all night just to catch a glimpse of her in the morning, a truly absurd dedication.
Among them were several priests in clerical robes, who had repeatedly extended invitations to Aglaea. "Lady Aglaea," they pressed, "are you truly unwilling to join the Church of the Goddess of Love?"
"Just give your nod, and the position of Archbishop of this city is yours!"
To be immediately promoted to Archbishop upon joining was frankly absurd. Aglaea had initially questioned this, asking, "Don't you suspect I might be evil?" The priests' response was equally absurd:
"How could someone as beautiful as you possibly be evil?"
Aglaea was speechless. Well, okay... However, as a Demigod herself, she had no intention of joining the Church. After politely declining once more, Aglaea was heading out of the inn when one of the Priests of the Goddess of Love suddenly called out:
"Lady, just moments ago, five figures in black robes entered the city. They were skulking around suspiciously, and they reeked of something foul. They clearly aren't the kind to trust. If you would be so kind, please be extra cautious."
As mentioned earlier, how could someone as beautiful as you possibly be evil? Conversely, the probability of someone unattractive being evil must be much higher!
This method of judgment, though ridiculous, wasn't entirely without logic in this city.
In this city, good looks genuinely came with privileges. Discounts on shopping, accommodation, and more were common perks. Naturally, most residents prioritized dressing impeccably and showcasing their beauty to secure these benefits.
As Aglaea strolled down the street, her gaze swept across the crowds. While not everyone was a handsome man or a stunning woman, the average attractiveness here was significantly higher than in other places. Consequently, anyone wrapped head-to-toe in a Black Robe would immediately stand out like a sore thumb.
Black Robes were common elsewhere, but during her extended stay in this city, Aglaea hadn't seen a single one. She even felt grateful she hadn't worn hers when she first arrived.
In short, in a city where everyone flaunted their appearance, the sudden appearance of a group of Black Robe-clad figures could only mean two things: either they harbored ill intentions and were plotting something sinister, or they were so ugly they dared not show their faces. But how could someone so hideous even dare to set foot in this city? No matter how you looked at it, something was seriously wrong!
Upon hearing this, Aglaea paused, slightly startled. "Black Robes?" she asked. "Where did you see them?"
With the Alliance's Senior Councilors nearly all assembled and the council meeting days fast approaching, the sudden appearance of several figures clad in black robes felt deeply unsettling.
The Priest before her, though unaware of Aglaea's reasons for asking, immediately replied, "I know their location. Come with me."
As they walked, the Priest explained that the newcomers' peculiar appearance had prompted several Priests of the Goddess of Love to begin tracking them upon their entry into the city.
They had even used a Third-Level Divine Spell called Bloodlust Pursuit. This spell marked a target, allowing the caster to continuously know the target's location until the caster cancelled the spell or used it on another target. Otherwise, the effect would persist indefinitely.
Thus, the Priests tasked with tracking the Black Robes were certain to maintain their pursuit. The Priest currently leading Aglaea was now on his way to rendezvous with his colleagues.
After hearing about this Bloodlust Pursuit Divine Spell, Aglaea was utterly shocked. Wait, seriously? This spell...with its name and effect...is a Divine Spell of the Goddess of Love? Does that even make sense?!
As if sensing Aglaea's confusion, the priest before her explained, "This Divine Magic is cast when one spouse cheats and attempts to flee. If you can find any personal item connected to them, casting this spell will allow us to track them down, no matter how far they run!"
The Priest smiled gently. "And then, make them pay the price!"
Aglaea: "..."
Grey: "..."
Soon, the Priest found his colleague. After a brief exchange, he resumed leading the way. Moments later, a hunched figure in a black robe, shuffling forward in small, furtive steps, seemingly convinced he was blending in, appeared in Aglaea's line of sight.
In reality, nearly everyone's gaze was fixed on this man, he stood out like a sore thumb!
The instant Aglaea laid eyes on him, she sensed a familiar, corrupted aura emanating from him.
It was identical to the aura she had encountered in Silver Moon City, the same aura radiating from those red-eyed, mind-controlled Artemis Believers and Artemis Priests!