Chapter 80: Ch 80: An Ambush

Tension remained high in the air, and both sides looked uncomfortable and were not ready to give up. The half-phoenix pretended to be defeated but subtly looked around for ways to take Aiden down.

That was why Aiden maintained his distance but also kept him at gunpoint.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Aiden felt the presence of his Goddess heading his way. But she was not the only one.

A small flash rushed past Aiden and toward the fallen half-phoenix, and Aiden finally lowered his gun because his Goddess was here.

"Uncle, are you alright? Aiden, why did you shoot him?"

Sasha questioned as she turned to look at him with a slight glare. But even that eased once she took notice of the situation and saw that Aiden was surrounded by other half-phoenix soldiers.

"I made sure not to injure him permanently. But he is just reaping what he sowed."

Aiden sighed before he turned back and saw that his goddess’s pillow was being carried by Caelion with an uncomfortable look on his face.

This made Aiden quickly reach out for his goddess and her pillow. But as soon as Aiden grabbed the pillow, his goddess decided to rush up his arm and rest on his shoulder.

As for the old man accompanying them...it was likely someone important because the phoenixes were looking at him for direction.

"There is no need to be worried about these outsiders. They came here at the invitation of our youngest chick, Sasha. I have already checked up on their intentions and gotten assurance that they are not here to harm us."

"But Chief, how can you be sure-"

"I have my ways that you don’t need to know about. Now, don’t question my words and put your grievances behind you. Child, go and get yourself healed before anything else."

The chief was polite while speaking, but he also exuded authority, making it impossible for anyone to question him.

The phoenix he called ’child’ hesitated but then sighed and turned to look at the healer.

The healer placed a hand on the injured Phoenix’s leg where the more important wound was and started to pour divine power into it. But the healer hardly seemed to have enough.

Moreover, the person being healed had a sour look on his face, and he showed dislike toward the healer’s divine power.

’It seems like things here are far more complicated than they seem on the surface. That divine power healing that half-phoenix also feels foreign.’

Once a place had a lot of followers of a god, the presence of that god’s divinity could be felt in the air. And since the phoenixes believed in Pyraeth, the air was saturated with a faint presence of his power.

But the power the healer was using seemed to belong to someone else. Aiden could feel the difference, so he was sure the half-phoenixes could also feel it and showed their discomfort.

And yet, there was little they could do because their god had already abandoned them.

"I am sorry, but this is all I can do for now. I will continue once I’ve had some rest..."

The healer looked exhausted just taking out the bullet from the wound and healing the half-phoenix a little bit. But all he got for his efforts were judgmental glances from all around him.

"He said he would follow that foreign god because of that ’friend’ and he wanted to heal us. But he cannot even do it properly."

"Tsk, not only is he a traitor, but he is also trouble. Why would our god ever look at us if we have people like him in our midst?"

Only a handful of people were speaking badly about the healer, but their voices were loud on purpose in order to make the healer feel bad.

Aiden could see the shoulders of the healer going down over time. But he did not interfere since it was not his place to.

The misunderstanding that was happening here was for these half-phoenixes to resolve.

Cough

"Anyway, thank you for your help as always, Seni. You should head back and continue your prayers. We will continue from here."

Seni looked thankful for getting a chance to run away from the situation, and it was easy to see how things had reached this point.

The elder noticed Aiden’s reaction and quickly coughed and changed the topic.

"Anyway, how can I help you today? I have a feeling this is more than just a social visit from your side. I will hear you out at least."

Judgmental eyes looked at Aiden, judging why he was here in the first place. He could see the desire to twist his words around in the half-phoenix’s eyes.

’It seems like the troublemakers are already ready to tear me apart. Not that I care much for them.’

Honestly, this mission was starting to sound like more trouble than it was worth.

Aiden did not want to lose potion makers, but he also did not want potential time bombs in his Goddess’s ranks who would plot to bring her down. He would rather give up on the best potion market.

Instead, he could invest in other species that were known for potion making or even seek additional help using the system...

"Chief! Aiden said that he is here to offer us help. We don’t even need to follow his goddess or faith. As long as we enter into a mutual agreement, Goddess Apophis is willing to help us out."

Sasha seemed to be making promises on his goddess’s behalf, and Aiden almost interfered before he felt his goddess rubbing against his shoulder, indicating that he did not need to speak a word and that Sasha was acting under her command.

It made Aiden instantly calm down and listen to what she had to say as well.

He trusted Goddess Apophis to know what she was doing, even if it meant he had to go against his instincts and keep his mouth shut.

But Sasha’s words and actions made the half-phoenixes around her suspicious as to whether she was being controlled or not.