Chapter 40: The Eldritch Godness and the Heretical Worshippers

"I will acknowledge that you are Y’sth-Lith. But even so, what is it you want from us? You mentioned protection from the cult, but with your power, wouldn’t a cult be no threat at all?"

...Ugh. That’s a fair point, honestly...

"I don’t actually know how large the cult is, or who its members are. So wiping them out completely is difficult. And if I act recklessly, there’s a chance innocent people around them could get hurt."

"That makes sense. You're a being on a far higher plane than humans. You likely don’t find much meaning in distinguishing between cultists and ordinary people. After all, to you, we must seem terribly fragile, simplistic creatures."

"Th-That’s not what I meant..."

"It’s all right. I already knew that."

It’s not like I look down on humans, okay~? If anything, isn’t it more disappointing that the so-called Eldritch Godness performs worse than them~? Saying it myself just makes it sadder~...

"As for the cult worshipping Y’sth-Lith, we’ve been investigating as well. Ever since the mass suicide back in April, we realized the danger was growing."

Elizabeth keeps the conversation moving, ignoring my self-pity.

"There are two cults devoted to Y’sth-Lith: the 'Stellar-less Order of Wisdom' and the 'Witches’ Covenant.' To be precise, these are the ones that remained after the April mass suicide."

"The Stellar-less Order? Witches’ Covenant?"

Felix and the others look puzzled at Elizabeth’s explanation.

"The Stellar-less Order of Wisdom consists of pure, long-time worshippers of Y’sth-Lith. They revere her as their sole deity, believing she grants them intellect—and through that intellect, they strive to explore the unknown. That appears to be their doctrine."

"And the Witches’ Covenant?"

"The Witches’ Covenant is, quite literally, a secret society of witches who also worship Y’sth-Lith. But unlike the Order, they venerate multiple heretical beings, not just her, and they’re known to wield the powers of these heresies."

So that means the Stellar-less Order is probably Father’s cult, and the Witches’ Covenant must be Claudia’s group. Turns out they’re separate organizations. Their level of crazy feels about the same, though~.

"Which of the two is a greater threat to you, Iris?"

"Probably... both of them."

"Hmm. The Stellar-less Order is one thing, but the Witches’ Covenant is particularly troublesome..."

At my answer, Elizabeth places a hand on her chin and lets out a thoughtful hum.

"Elizabeth, can you protect Iris on your end? Tell us plainly."

Felix cuts in with the question.

"If we’re talking about the Stellar-less Order, I believe we could dismantle them. But the Witches’ Covenant is a serious threat. We’ve clashed with them multiple times in the past, and each time, we’ve suffered heavy casualties."

"Those cursed bastards... tch."

Elizabeth replies sternly, while Professor Matthias spits the words out with a cigarette in hand.

"The Rosenkreuz Society is under the Empire’s government, right? Can’t you coordinate with the national gendarmes or the military and launch a full-scale crackdown?"

That suggestion comes from Klaus. He looks shaken, realizing how dangerous these cults in the Empire really are.

"Listen, kid. The gendarmes and the army are used to dealing with enemies who fall within the realm of normal. But this? An Eldritch Godness from beyond the stars? Nightmares and witches? You think soldiers are trained to handle crap like that, huh?"

"You’ve got a point, but still..."

"Mobilizing them would just lead to more pointless deaths."

Professor Matthias declared this firmly to Klaus.

"Matthias. The national gendarmerie and military will be mobilized as necessary. The Rosenkreuz Society alone cannot fully eliminate all members of the Stellar-less Order or the Witches’ Covenant hiding within the Imperial Capital. Our role will be to advise and guide them as specialists."

"It’s not going to end well."

"Even so."

"Then do whatever you want."

With a shrug of his shoulders, Professor Matthias left the student council room.

"Now then, Iris, it seems we should begin your protection immediately. We’ll hide you away in one of our safehouses."

"Wait. I’d like Miss Iris to continue her school life as usual until December."

The one who spoke up then was Felix.

"...Why?"

"Because… there may be things only she can handle in the days to come."

"Hmm."

Felix truly does intend to let me continue my school life until the Golden Festival in December. I still want to spend more time with Frida too, so hearing Felix say that is really comforting. He’s a good guy~

"I’m asking as well, Miss Elizabeth."

I gave a small bow to show my request too.

"...Sigh. All right. We’ll go with that. But if there’s any imminent danger, you’ll move to the safehouse immediately. Understood?"

"Yes, that’s fine."

Yay! That means I can keep living my school life just like before~!

"For now, let’s keep this matter under wraps. We don’t want to cause unnecessary panic. Please keep Miss Iris’s true identity confidential."

"It would be a big help if you did."

Elizabeth said that, and I turned to Klaus and Felix as well.

"Yeah. Of course. I don’t want to stir up chaos at the academy either."

"Naturally."

Klaus agreed with a nod, and Felix followed suit with a short, firm reply.

"Then I’ll report this matter to the association headquarters. Excuse me."

Elizabeth gave a respectful nod and left the student council room.

"...Still, I mean—how do I put this. You really are a Great Old One, huh, Miss Iris. Though you act so humble it feels weird... doesn’t really scream 'eldritch deity.'"

"Should I try acting more like an Eldritch godness in front of the cults?"

"Honestly, yeah. At this rate, they might not take you seriously."

Could that be why the cultists have been ignoring what I say this whole time? Because I haven’t been behaving very... 'Eldritch Gdness '- like?

"Ahem. I am the Eldritch Godness, Iris...! My devoted followers, obey my will…!"

Striking what I imagined to be a fittingly Eldritch-Godness-like pose, I gave it my best shot.

"...Nope. You’re better off just being yourself."

"...Yeah. You’re fine the way you are."

Both Klaus and Felix replied with deadpan expressions. So embarrassing~!

"U-Um… so, what do we do from here?"

I asked, trying to recover. So far, all we’ve decided is to keep my identity hidden and have the Rosenkreuz Society hide me in a safehouse if things get dangerous. But… can I really go on with school life like nothing’s changed?

"Just live as you normally would. If anything comes up, Klaus, Elizabeth, or I will handle it. Enjoy your time at the academy."

"Thank you so much, Lord Felix!"

As long as the student council president and vice president are on my side, I think I’ll be okay.

"Well then, I’ll head back to class."

"Yeah. I’ll go with you."

And so, when we returned to Class 2-A—

"Aaaaaaahhh!!"

A girl's scream rang out.

..................................