I Have No Intention Of Training The Male Leads - Chapter 18 Part 3

Eve locked eyes with Octavia, her gaze devoid of emotion. Despite the overwhelming, bone-chilling aura Eve exuded, Octavia only blinked a couple of times, seemingly unfazed. Then, with a sudden, disarmingly bright smile, she said, “Shall we talk inside?”

She pointed towards the back of the counter, to the workshop that Octavia always kept discreetly hidden.

“Don’t even try anything.”

“I’ll explain everything downstairs.”

Glaring at Octavia, who responded calmly, Eve moved behind her, swiftly gagging and binding her wrists before roughly pushing her forward. Octavia cautiously moved, careful not to lose her balance, as they retreated behind the counter. 

Going down the stairs without using her hands was quite a challenge. When Octavia looked back at her, Eve, instead of holding onto her wrists, wrapped her arm around her waist, kicked the trapdoor open with her foot, and jumped into the hole.

Landing softly at the bottom with Octavia in her arms, Eve noticed that the space below was deeper than she expected and raised an eyebrow.

Octavia’s workshop was surprisingly bright, considering it was located in the basement. As Eve slowly surveyed the brightly lit room – it was almost as if fluorescent lights were illuminating the space – her gaze landed on one particular spot.

Countless books lined the numerous bookshelves placed next to the workbench, their publication dates ranging from relatively recent to unknown. Such a sight was quite ordinary for a magician engrossed in research.

However, an altar set up separately on the left side, appearing to be a place for worshiping a deity, was undoubtedly brimming with religious connotations.

“Don’t magicians not believe in gods?”

Eve questioned, staring at the old, worn-out wooden statue placed at the highest point of the altar. She had never seen a statue of that shape before.

“To be precise, we don’t believe in false gods. The Goddess doesn’t bestow her power upon believers of false gods, you see.”

Octavia’s voice flowed calmly from behind Eve’s hand, which was still muffling her mouth. It sounded familiar. The Goddess, false gods, power…

Eve slowly removed her hand from Octavia’s mouth entirely. However, she immediately reached for the dagger tucked in her shirt and pointed it at Octavia’s throat.

Despite the faint murderous intent emanating from behind her and the chilling sensation of the sharp blade against her skin, Octavia continued speaking calmly.

“Did you know that all existing magic originates from the powers wielded by the priests of the Goddess, whose true name has been lost?”

“…Vaguely.”

“Then, this will be quick. ?We? have been ruthlessly oppressed for far too long. Those in power sought to monopolize even faith. However, reverence and devotion to God are not emotions that disappear just because someone tries to stamp them out. We went lower, lower, to the very bottom. Until no one could find us.”

“So, you’re saying…”

Eve felt a headache building as Octavia bombarded her with information. The secret backstory of an NPC, something she had never encountered in the game, was exploding like fireworks.

“The servants of Manus Regina have persevered, hiding in the slums, secretly passing down the Goddess’ teachings only to their youngest daughters. My mother, her mother, and her mother before her, they were all servants of the Goddess.”

“What did you gain from all that?”

“The Goddess has finally graced us with her presence, along with this miracle. My Lady, who descended to the lowest of places.”

“That’s…”

Eve slowly lowered the dagger she had pointed at Octavia’s throat. Feeling the cold sensation disappear from her skin, Octavia took a few steps away from Eve and turned around to face her. Her eyes were shining brightly.

“The prophecy was revealed to me over a year before you even set foot in this world. That day, I was blessed with inexhaustible knowledge and the prophecy of the Daughter of God. The Goddess told me everything—when, how, what to say. Memorizing the lines was a challenge, but it was a profound encounter where I could feel her divine grace upon us.”

‘Ah, I’m not really into religious fanatics…’

Sensing the familiar scent of a devout believer from Octavia, Eve averted her gaze. She couldn’t bring herself to burst her bubble while Octavia looked at her with those sparkling eyes. Meanwhile, Octavia continued speaking.

“Serving the incarnation of the Goddess has been the greatest honor, the greatest glory, for her servants since ancient times. It wouldn’t have mattered if you hadn’t recognized me, but to think you’d notice and seek me out like this… I had anticipated this happening much later.”

“Well… Ha, alright. Let’s say I’m the Saintess, and you’re the priestess of the Goddess. What does your Goddess want from me?”

Eve, giving up on arguing, let out a deep sigh and massaged her temples. Octavia, her eyes sparkling, answered her question as if she had been waiting for it.

“Existence.”

“What kind of nonsense is that…?”

“The Daughter of God is the link between the Goddess and this world. Through your existence, the Goddess can exert her influence on this world.”

‘Oh, the plot thickens… Suddenly, it’s a messianic story? Is this for real? Is this why Eve ‘died and was resurrected’ in the form of a game? But a Jesus ending is a bit much.’

“Anyway… haa… What I’m trying to ask is… Do you perhaps know a way to meet the Goddess?” 

“You were trying to find the crystal, weren’t you?”

“What? How…? I don’t think I mentioned the necklace.”

“The one in the church was a fake. I switched it out beforehand after I received the prophecy. The real one is here.”

Eve stared at the palm-sized, transparent crystal Octavia pulled out of her pocket, her eyes wide with disbelief. Although it wasn’t strung on a cord, Eve instinctively knew this was what she had been looking for. 

“Wait a minute. You… You’ve had this all along?”

“I was going to find an opportunity to discreetly hand it over to you. You caught on and came to me sooner than I expected.”

“Uh… haha… hahaha. What have I been doing all this time? Then why did you go through with that whole charade?”

Eve burst into laughter, her face a mixture of bewilderment and exhaustion. She recalled the time she went through so much trouble, even enduring physical punishment, just to meet Edward and find out the whereabouts of the crystal. The thought that she had been played made her feel utterly drained. 

Octavia, still wearing the devout smile of a true believer, replied to Eve’s question.

“The crystal is merely an amplifier, a tool to magnify your voice.nIt’s your blood, the blood of the incarnation, that is the true key to invoking the Goddess.”

“Blood? Seriously. Of course, a religious group would resort to all sorts of cult-like rituals.”

Unfazed by the blasphemous words Eve muttered, Octavia continued speaking as if she hadn’t heard anything.

“A few drops of your blood on the crystal will complete the ritual. The Goddess will hear your call and respond.” 

“Well, anyway. I really don’t know what to say. You dropped this huge secret on me right at the end… but thanks, I guess?”

“Go. To the place you know. You have a story to finish, don’t you?”

Accepting the crystal from Octavia, Eve made a fist, feeling the sharp edges of the cut crystal prick her skin. 

“Do you know what awaits at the end of this story?”

“Well, my role, as ordained by the Goddess, ends here.”

“You make it sound like you’re going to disappear.”

“When the ?ending? arrives, there will be no need for a ?secret shop? or an ?NPC?.”

‘Yikes. She really went full meta all of a sudden.’

As Eve struggled to find her words, stunned by the unexpected statement, Octavia bowed deeply, a gentle smile on her face. Her posture screamed reverence. Eve, almost instinctively, straightened her posture and acknowledged her bow.

“I eagerly await the day we meet again. It has been my life’s honor to serve you.”

“Uh… This sudden farewell is a bit much, don’t you think?”

“It’s only a temporary parting. We shall meet again when you are in need, my Lady.”

Right before Eve departed, Octavia exclaimed, “Ah!” and handed her a necklace with a pink gem dangling from it. Explaining that it was an item she had been developing, one that could conceal the user from Callisto’s tracking magic, she bid farewell to Eve with a bright smile.

Eve, still dumbfounded, said her goodbyes to Octavia and left the shop. Even after a series of unexpected farewells, she was left speechless.

‘Dropping all these meta bombshells at the last minute… If this were a game, it would’ve been trashed for its poor plot and last-minute lore dumps.’

Eve scratched the back of her now-short hair and put on the necklace, hiding it beneath her clothes. The gem was small enough not to be noticeable, but she hadn’t heard how it worked, how it could shield her from magic. All she could do was trust Octavia’s abilities, just like she always had.

“Alright, let’s do this. It’s not like I haven’t seen this ending dozens of times. What’s there to be nervous about?”

If Octavia meant the ?place you know?, then it could only be the ruined temple of the old god, located somewhere within the Great Forest of Proika territory in the North, the only place where she could reach the ending.

‘At least I get to ride the train to my heart’s content for a while.’ 

Eve thought as she headed towards the central station in Central City to catch a train.