Chapter 85 – Temple Hopping

*** Isda ***

Elora had asked me to visit the temple a while ago, but I always had something needing my attention, such as setting up our manor. There was just an endless supply of requests.

I mean, I ran out on a princess to go to a temple when she first mentioned it and ended up running around the manor instead of the temples.

I did take a hard look at my classes, and well, it is strange that I made it so far without running a household. I barely even helped do anything, yet I kept up with my older sister, who was always out slaying some terrible beast.

If I had only helped around the house, what would my levels be now?

The move finally settled down, though I did have one of my maids, a cute bunny girl, go looking for the nearest temple for the Goddess of Sex. I think long, vivid dreams about getting ravaged by Alzi that end with me wetting the bed have to be from the Goddess of Sex. Yet there isn't a temple for her anywhere.

Anywhere may be a bit too far, but there sure isn't one close by. I would be looking at a month's travel at least to find one, maybe going to a different Queendom entirely. I would rather not travel that far from my wife while pregnant with way too many kids. So I decide to visit the Goddess of the Hearth. I do have a household affinity. Hopefully she can at least answer if I'm an Angel and point me to where I can go to speak to my Goddess if I am.

I have to travel back to the Capital to find a temple for her. Her temple is likely just a room or two big. Most people give her a small shrine somewhere in their house rather than going to a temple for her. I tried the little shrine we set up but didn't get an answer.

If I still don't get an answer in her temple, I think the next best is the Goddess of Fertility. There are some rumors that she's gotten more active lately, and well, with five kids in me, I should catch her attention, and Alzi seems to have a connection with her. Breeders are well-documented, and none have had her level of success.

"My Lady, are you sure you don't want to stop by and visit your parents? I'm sure your Mother would be happy to see you back," a maid calls out, the walls of the city towering over us.

"I don't know if I'm going to have time to visit them. I need to head back to the manor tomorrow, and I don't know how many temples I'm going to have to visit. If the first two don't work out, I may have to do a strange temple crawl to find out if I truly am an angel. If we finish early, I can drop by and surprise them," I say.

The enchanted emblem on the side of the carriage gets us through the gate without the normal wait or inspection. Inside, the carriage takes us directly to the temple. The busy morning crowd splits to let through the royal carriage and its guards.

People get out of the way of nobles as well, but unless you're a Duchess, they take their time. Most nobles don't actually have a right to pass them. People just do it so we don't yell at them. Merchants are the worst; they know you can't touch them, so they don't like getting out of the way. But this carriage has everyone running to let us through.

...

"Is this really it?" I ask the driver.

In front of me is a building that looks like it was shoved between the two buildings. It does not have a single statue, precious metal, or gem—just a simple wooden wall and door.

"Yes, the Goddess doesn't care much about the appearance, just that the home is warm. At least that is what the priestesses always say," she says back.

"Okay, it doesn't look like they have much room, so I'll go in alone. Nobody would dare hurt me in the temple of a Goddess, so I'll be fine," I say, looking at the guards who were already trying to voice their displeasure about my idea. Not giving them a chance to act, I open the light door. No mana is required, which is a nice feature.

Inside is cozy—more like a normal living room than a temple to a Goddess. The main decoration is the fireplace, centered in the room, and all chairs face it. A small fire dancing around in it gives the room a pleasant warmth.

"Welcome, miss. Is there something you need? Nobles don't come here often. Prefer their little shrines over this humble temple," A priestess asks from a couch. She does not even bother to look at me; she just keeps working on patching a dress. Not that I blame the old human.

"I don't need anything special. I just came to give a prayer, and then I'll be out of your hair. I did bring a donation, but I don't see where I should offer it?" I say, pulling out a few coins.

"Just throw it in the fire. Be careful with your prayers; the Goddesses aren't always kind," she says, still refusing to look at her visitor.

I throw the coins in as she says, and the fire engulfs the coins as they fall inside. I pick the closest chair and start my prayer. I start with asking for a simple blessing for my new home, might as well while I'm inside her domain, before asking about being an angel. As soon as I think of the word angel, I find myself in a new room.

This one has a much larger fire roaring in the fireplace. Blue flames lick the walls, yet the room is comfortable—almost too comfortable—as my head starts to feel heavy. Forcing my eyes open, I take a look at the rest of the room.

Wooden walls, long worn couches, a bookshelf filled with ancient books. The spines carry letters I've never seen before.

A single window lets me see outside to the forest the building must be in.

"A daring girl coming up to the wrong Goddess asking strange questions," comes from a faceless woman.

"Goddess," I stutter out.

"Yes, yes. Who else would pull you up here? Now, you're lucky I'm a nice one or you would be in a world of trouble. Your plan of temple hopping was a terrible one. You would be a lot more likely to get captured than find out who your patron Goddess is. You must've gotten a hint over which of us it is, right?" she says, lying down on one of the worn couches. A small plate of cookies appears on a coffee table before me.

I pick one up and bite in. The warmth fills me with love.

"A trusting girl you are. Though I suppose you have little to lose being in my domain already. So little angel. Tell me, what signs have you had so far?" The faceless Goddess asks.

"I had a vivid and recurring dream of a woman having rough sex with me," I answer bluntly.

"Rough sex? That is how you describe that dream. Would hate to see what you call torture. But yes, that is the sign you were given. So what makes you think I would send that sign to you?"

"I don't really think you did. I just don't have a temple near me for the Goddess of sex, and she didn't answer my normal prayers. My classes seem to come from you, so I picked you. The plan was the Goddess of Fertility next."

"Good, good. Worried you would be like the dragon that gave you your kids. I do have some connection with you, but just a faint one. Your classes are going to be more lewd after this one. I made a little deal with your Goddess for the first class. Help that silly dragon out when she comes to you. She'll need it. Now, since you lack the temple to get to the right spot, you'll need to go to the Goddess of Fertility. Sex has been ignoring me for a while, so I'm not going to help her here when you can still easily get where you're going without it. But please do finish the cookies first. I haven't had someone new to share them with in a while."

"Thank you, Goddess. They taste perfect," I say.

"Thank you. A home should be a place where all can be happy. Where a family comes together. Work for that, dear. Your family has a lot to struggle against. Don't let your home crumble under the stress," she warns.

"Thank you for your guidance, Goddess. I'm sorry for not visiting you earlier," I say with a bow.

The Goddess hasn't moved since lying down on the couch, her dress showing off her perfect figure as the faceless head points to me. Watching me eat the cookies.

"Don't worry. I hear the prayers from your little shrines. I can't pull you up here from them, but I can react to the prayers. I'm not picky about the temples; I'm more than happy to have a spot in happy houses. Now go to the Goddess of Fertility and be careful. She's a little pissed right now, but she'll help you."

I return to the first room. The warmth from the cookies still fills my heart.

"Lucky girl. Do you know where you're going now?" the old Priestess asks, not looking up from her work.

"Yes, Priestess. Thank you for the warning, even if I ignored it."

"Haha, I knew you were safe; otherwise, I would've said more. Congratulations on the family, and thank you for the visit," she says, her hands pulling up a new dress to patch.

"Thank you. I'll be heading out now," I say, moving from the chair.

Outside, the guards were on either side of the door. Their bodies relax as I step into view.

"I was fine. Now, off to the Fertility temple."

...

Now, this is a normal temple. Oversized statues, some gems, and precious metals open to the elements. Needing to use a bit of mana to open the stupid door. Pew after pew, surrounded by paintings of the Goddess and a number of priestesses wandering about. One even came up to greet me.

It's not homely like the previous one, but definitely a temple.

"My Lady, is there something you need? Do you want the count and sexes?" the Priestess asks.

"No, I'll just give a little prayer here and be on my way. Thank you for the offer. I have a good idea of the count and the sex that can be found after the labor. I want a little bit of surprise when they come, you know," I answer back, heading to an empty pew. Most are empty; just a few in the front are filled with families and a few pregnant women.

I hardly start my prayer before I'm in a new hall. Pews all face a stone table with ominous pillars on each corner. A stained glass window covers the back wall, showing the Pregnant Fertility Goddess. The other three walls are filled to the brim of her stories, and not a single door. Shit, the Goddess didn't sell me out, right?

"Tell me, angel. Why do you carry the kids of my champion?" booms through the prison.

"I didn't know she was your champion. My dreams showed me her, and I found her. I asked, and she gave. I meant no offense," I cry out, bowing my head and working into a kneel. "Please don't put me on that slab."

"Do you have her?" The voice continued to shake the room.

"No, she's a slave. I didn't think of getting her. I don't have the money or power to get her."

"Hmph, fine. You aren't to tell your Goddess of the Father or what I told you to here. You don't need to lie or avoid it; just don't offer it up for free. Promise me this, and I'll let you leave," she demands.

"Please, I don't have a temple to reach my Goddess. I won't share what we talked about, but I need to visit her. God..."

"Pleading with a Goddess. Lower angels are always funny in the way they act. You're lucky a friend said I would help you."

This time, I felt my body getting pushed through a tube, spinning around before finding myself in yet another hall. I'm still kneeling. I take a look at the new room and see this one filled with contraptions I would never dare touch with anyone but Alzi. Even now, alone, I feel scared. These feel much worse than that slab I saw last. The positions these force the unlucky girl into are humiliating and likely painful.

"Finally, you make it to me. I've heard your prayers and thought you would be here a while ago. Oh, perfect, you little slut. Five kids the first time around is perfect," comes a sultry voice right into my soul. Soft hand wrapping my shoulder, soft flesh pressing into my back as I kneel. "Keep this up, my little angel, and you may just earn a spot in my temple here."

"My Goddess, I'm really an angel?"

"Yes, dear. You. Are. My. Angel. Made to fuck that dragon over and over. Give me kids, fill a house with them. Pop them out and have her put new ones in the same hour if you can. Just make sure the dragon doesn't get near a Fertility temple."

The command still strikes at my soul, my very being shaping to let her command in. To make her command my desires.

"YYeess, yes, My Goddess," I let out, shaking. Maybe I should've hid from her.

"Oh, don't think that. You'll be rewarded; make that dragon need you, love you, worship you. That is your true mission. See, that didn't change you one bit. I just gave you a little reshaping to help you. I promise I won't do it anymore. You've lived without me for too long to accept more changes. Don't worry, you'll put those brothel whores to shame soon. Oh, your next classes are going to be so much fun."

"Please, My Goddess. I don't want that. I want to help my family. I ii. Please, let me raise these kids," I cry out.

She pushes me onto my back, letting me see the face of a Goddess for the first time.

Pretty. Perfect.

"My angel. I would never take your kids away. They are yours. Raise them. Love them. That is fine. Your classes will keep you helping your family. You'll just be pregnant for a while, dear. But, if you would rather, you can bring the dragon to my temple. I don't know why you would go to the Hearth or Fertility Goddess over my temple. But that is an option."

"There aren't any temples near me." I whimper out. Eyes tracing the perfect face before me. Oh, that golden hair hanging over me. Fu...

"Oh, then find where my temple used to be and pray to me there. I'll fix the whole no temple thing fast. The city may not like it, but they'll figure out they need to be quiet quickly. Now, you need to leave before you lose your mind."

I snap back to the towering prison. A faceless goddess standing over me now. A small bump showing in her dress.

"Now. What should I do with you?"