Chapter 36: I want nothing to do with the Eldritch Godness

The day Elizabeth and the others arrived.

When I returned home, the maids approached me.

"Young mistress. The master is waiting for you in the study."

"Understood."

Told that Father was waiting, I headed to the study.

"Father. What is the matter?"

When I knocked lightly on the door, it suddenly swung open, revealing Father's face—twisted in his usual fanatical expression. So scary!

"Hehehehe, Iris, or should I say, Iriress... Come in..."

"Y-yes..."

Urged inside, I entered the study.

As always, the room was filled with blasphemous grimoires and heretical idols. There were even dried black stains—maybe from some sacrificial offering? So creepy~!

"Iris, or should I say, Iriress... The time has come for you to bear a child. Just as you once guided us toward greater blasphemy... Hehehehehe!"

"……………………Huh?"

My mind went completely blank at Father's words.

"A-a-a-a child?!"

Huh?! Why out of the blue?!

"A child born between you and a human will carry your blood—the blood of the Great One. And when that child in turn begets offspring with you, your bloodline will grow ever purer. Thus, we lowly, ignorant beasts called humans may ascend closer to the Great Ones! Yes, just as you once elevated humanity from apes over 5,000 years ago, your blood shall cleanse and guide the weak blood of man! Khehehehehehehe!"

Eww! Not only do I have to have kids, but now it's incest too?!

No way~! Absolutely not~! That's disgusting~!

"We have already gathered countless candidates worthy of offering their seed to you... Let them join with you and spawn abominable children of blasphemy. Your blood shall engulf this planet, and you shall reign supreme over it! Praise! Praise and seek! O Iris, or should I say, Iriress! Ahh, ahhh!"

"F-Father, more importantly! Those people from the Rosenkreuz Society came to the academy today! They seem to be investigating me—"

If I didn't change the subject, this deranged cultist might actually have his followers gang up on me. No thank you~! Please spare me~.

"Rosenkreuz Society? Khehehe! Those wretched concealers. Still skulking about like insects, hiding the truth from us? Fools. Do they not realize Iris—no, Iriress, the Queen of Carrion—already walks this earth? Stupid, stupid. What dull-witted creatures. Hehehehehe!"

"B-but if they discover my true identity, it'll be trouble, right? We have to do something!"

"Why fear them? Pay them no mind. Once they learn the truth, madness will be their only recourse. What could those fools possibly do to you? What choice will they have but to wail, tremble, and lose their minds? None! Khehehehe!"

My devout follower—who happens to be an Evil God—isn't listening to a word I say.

"Tonight, the stars align. The celestial bodies are in confluence. This is the night you must conceive. Not one hundred, not one thousand, but ten thousand and more—until your offspring outnumber the vermin crawling upon this earth, we shall celebrate... Khehehehehehe!"

"I-I see. Well then, I'll be taking my leave now..."

I hurriedly left Father's study.

This is bad. Really bad. If things keep going like this, I might actually get forced into some insane cult's group "meow-meow" session. That's something I want to avoid at all costs, whether as a man or a woman! Absolutely not!

"G-gotta run!"

Staying at home is a one-way ticket to a bad ending. Time to escape!

But... where to? Where can I even go? Do I have anywhere to run to in my current state?

The only acquaintance I can think of is Frieda's place... but no, Frieda lives in the dorm. Her family home isn't in the imperial capital. Leaving the capital would require a carriage, and if I use one, the cultists at the mansion would track my destination.

Emilia-san also lives in the dorm. Then there's... Klaus, but he'd probably refuse. Something about avoiding female-related scandals.

Huh? Who else... who else is there?

Felix...? Putting aside how awkward it'd be if I suddenly barged into his place, he's the only person I can flee to right now.

Ugh! Better awkward than humiliated! I'm running!

I stealthily slipped out of the house and headed toward the Starkburg ducal mansion where Felix lived. Fortunately, I knew the location—Frieda had told me before.

I hurried through the darkening streets of the imperial capital toward the ducal residence.

"My, my. Where might you be going, young lady?"

As I made my way through the dim streets, a group of suspicious men in black suits and coats appeared, spreading out to block my path.

"Would you mind stepping aside?"

"Afraid not. Return to the mansion. Tonight is when the stars align—the perfect night for you to conceive a child. Come, bear us a child and bestow upon us true wisdom, Iris... or should I say, Ililith? Hee hee hee, hahaha!"

Oh no! These guys are part of the cult too!

Killing them would be easy, but I don't want to resort to eldritch moves so carelessly. Why? Because leaving corpses around would just lead Elizabeth and the others straight to me. Driving them insane would be just as bad.

What do I do?! Just as I was panicking, I remembered something.

"The magic tool I borrowed from Felix...!"

The gadget was still in my pocket. If I recall, it makes a loud noise. Maybe if I set it off, the cultists would freak out and run. Worth a try!

"Take this!"

I yanked the chain on the magic tool like a security alarm.

The next instant, a shrill alarm blared, making the black-suited cultists flinch slightly.

But...

"Kehehehe! What are you doing, O Great One? You shouldn't need such trivial things. Come, discard that toy and join us. Hee hee hee!"

No effect at all. Not that I expected much.

Fine. If that's how it is, I'll just scramble their brains and knock them out. Don't underestimate me, cultists! I'm the eldritch deity here!

Just as I reached to remove my glove, the sound of horse hooves echoed through the street.

"Lady Iris!"

"Lord Felix!?"

The man galloping toward me on a black warhorse was none other than Felix himself. And following close behind him were several soldiers in black military uniforms—members of the National Gendarmerie, also riding hard in our direction.

"You wretched, ignorant fools." Felix's voice was icy. "Allow me to enlighten you."

The cultists swiftly traced pentagrams in the air with their fingers, summoning flames that shot toward Felix and the soldiers.

"Whoa—!"

"We're under attack! Permission to return fire!"

Felix dodged the assault, but one of the gendarmes was hit. In an instant, the soldiers raised their carbines—the standard-issue firearms of the mounted gendarmerie—and unleashed a volley of gunfire. The sharp cracks of gunshots echoed through the streets as lead bullets tore into the cultists.

The battle between the cult and the National Gendarmerie lasted about five minutes, ending only when the last of the black-suited fanatics fell.

"Are you unharmed, Lady Iris?" Felix asked, dismounting.

"Y-yes, Lord Felix. But… why are you here?"

"I heard the alarm. My residence is just around the corner."

Ah. So I was already that close?

"Come to the mansion for now," he said firmly. "We'll talk there."

……………………