Chapter 624: Corruption

"How unpleasant..."

An armoured beauty with blonde hair and striking azure eyes raised a hand to her nose, pinching it shut as her brows furrowed in visible disgust.

"I can smell the stench of corruption in this place."

The woman stood near the bow of the flying vessel, a sheathed sabre secured neatly at her side.

A few steps away stood another beauty. She was an even greater feast for the eyes than her companion.

Both women looked down over the sprawling city as the vessel continued its approach toward the vast waters surrounding Haven.

"Try not to let it show on your face too much, Althea," the second woman said calmly. "We are not here to make enemies."

Althea reluctantly lowered her hand from her nose before turning slightly and bowing with respect.

"Yes, Holy Daughter."

The faint look of disgust on her face, however, remained.

A visibly nervous man approached them from behind, sweat already gathering along his brow.

The moment he drew close, he immediately dropped to one knee. He didn’t even dare raise his head high enough to look at the women’s feet.

"My lady Paladin Althea. Holy Daughter."

His voice carried a careful respect.

"The captain asked me to inform you that we should be touching down shortly. He intends to land the vessel near the docks."

The Holy Daughter gave a small nod.

"Very well."

The man bowed his head even lower.

Perhaps he had been hoping that the pair of women would take his words as their sign to head inside if need be, lest they be blamed if something accidentally happened to them during the landing.

Eventually, he took the prolonged silence as a sign that they had no intention to move from the position.

"I will relay your acknowledgement." He said eventually.

With that, he quickly rose and retreated the way he had come, clearly relieved to have completed his task without drawing either woman’s displeasure.

Althea watched him leave before turning her attention back toward Haven.

The flying vessel had already begun descending.

From this height, the city stretched out beneath them in sprawling layers of pale stone, red rooftops, narrow streets, grand towers, and crowded districts that gradually descended toward the southern docks.

The closer they came, the more obvious it became just how many people had stopped whatever they were doing simply to watch.

Thousands of faces were turned toward the sky.

Althea’s frown deepened.

"They’re staring."

Solara glanced toward her.

"We are arriving in a flying ship marked with the Goddess’ crest. What exactly did you expect?"

"I expected a little dignity."

A faint smile touched the Holy Daughter’s lips.

"From civilians?"

Althea let out an uncertain groan, but she didn’t say anything in response.

The vessel continued dropping lower.

Now the flags lining the bow could be clearly seen from below, each bearing the golden sigil of the Goddess’ Empire, fluttering violently beneath the pressure of the wind.

The sight caused another wave of noise to travel through the docks. Even from above, Althea could make out people beginning to gather along the waterfront.

Soldiers were moving into organised lines, and officials hurried about.

It seemed Haven had been prepared for them, or at least, had been prepared for someone important.

"The Human Kingdom moves quickly," Althea admitted reluctantly.

Solara rested one hand lightly against the railing, her gaze travelling over the city. Unlike Althea, there was no visible disgust in her expression.

Her golden gaze remained completely deadpan, but she could see that Haven was different from the cities of the Goddess’ Empire.

It was visibly less orderly and less clean, with more noise, more colour, and more movement.

More life, perhaps.

"The corruption here is quite thick, though," Althea commented again, as her hand drifted toward her saber.

Solara remained quiet for a moment.

"That is not unusual."

"In a human capital?"

"In any city this large."

Althea looked unconvinced.

"Corruption should not be tolerated merely because it is common."

"No." The Holy Daughter’s tone remained gentle. "But neither should a sword be drawn every time one sees something unpleasant."

Althea reluctantly lowered her hand from the weapon.

"Yes, Holy Daughter."

The ship suddenly trembled lightly beneath their feet.

A deep mechanical hum travelled through the hull as several large formations along the vessel’s underside activated.

The descent slowed considerably.

Below them, the sea around the docks rippled outward in wide circles as the pressure from the vessel disturbed the water.

People began backing away from the shoreline.

Several guards raised their arms to shield their faces from the powerful gusts sweeping across the harbour.

The Holy Daughter’s pale robes fluttered lightly around her ankles, though she herself didn’t move in the slightest.

Althea stood just as firmly beside her.

"Looks like we’re here."

The vessel moved slowly over an enormous open docking platform near the harbour, one that had clearly been emptied in preparation for their arrival.

Boom.

The ship settled into the gap.

The landing wasn’t harsh, but its sheer weight sent a low vibration through the waters and the surrounding docks.

The formations beneath the vessel dimmed one by one, and the great sails followed, folding inward.

Solara turned away from the bow.

"Come."

Althea followed immediately.

By the time they reached the main deck, several dozen members of the Empire’s entourage had already assembled.

Mostly Priests and young hopefuls who would be entering the Legacy World with Solara and Althea.

The moment Solara appeared, conversations stopped, and everyone straightened, all of them bowing deeply without exception, their expressions and gaits reverent.

She walked through them without slowing, and Althea followed half a step behind. The captain stood near the lowered gangway, visibly tense.

"Holy Daughter."

She gave him a small nod.

"You’ve done well."

The man looked as though he had just been handed a treasure, and perhaps he had. That simple praise from Solar seemed to make him look a few years younger.

And maybe, just maybe, he had really become younger.

A glowing green light washed over his body, drawing a shuddering gasp from his lips as tears began to flow from his eyes.

"Thank you!"

Althea glanced at the sobbing man before looking toward the crowd gathered below. Solara’s words having such an effect on someone so weak was nothing unusual.

But her azure eyes narrowed again when she saw what could only be Haven’s welcoming party approaching their ship.

...

Much like everyone else in Haven, Elion had been watching the massive ship glide over the city from the window of a large building near the heart of the capital.

"The Goddess’ Empire, huh...?"

He murmured the words to himself.

It was one of the many places he had never visited, but also one of the few powers he knew enough about to take seriously without ever having seen it for himself.

By most accounts, the Goddess’ Empire was the strongest collective power on the entire continent.

And unlike every other major faction, its devotees were backed by an actual divine being.

No other power could claim the same.

Dragons might have been terrifying individually, and ancient races like the Vampires possessed strength built over countless generations, but the power of faith was something else entirely.

That, too, could be frightening.

A part of Elion wondered what people from the Empire were actually like.

Considering everything the succubi had told him about their history with the church’s people, he already knew that getting along with the Empire’s higher-ups would probably be difficult.

Perhaps even impossible, but he wasn’t going to write them off before meeting them himself.

Elion let the thought go for now and stepped away from the window.

The spectacle outside could wait.

He turned his attention back toward the mostly empty interior of the building the succubi had managed to secure for their new business.

It was quite large.