Chapter 193: The Chosen and the Mirror Deity

Perhaps the one in the entire kingdom who most wanted to resolve the underground crisis was Princess Daneya.

After all, in law and name, the kingdom's future truly belonged to her.

"Only two years left—can we really make it in time?"

It was hard to imagine a mess worse than the one she inherited: she'd fled to Huicheng to slack off, only to face a crisis of national annihilation. If she mishandled it, the kingdom would become history within a decade.

And if all this truly came to pass, her fate would be horrific—her life would end before she'd even managed to do anything.

As a royal maiden of the former dynasty, she would likely become a plaything of foreign nobles.

The best she could hope for would be to become a political bride for a new landowner, bearing heirs to legitimize his claim.

Perhaps fate, unable to bear it any longer, had granted this ill-fated girl a chance.

It brought Li En to this city at this very moment.

"There's still time. If I can save the kingdom, I'll do anything."

The nightmare that should have been revealed only after it erupted had been foreseen early—Daneya still had time to act.

But did her forces truly suffice to reverse this seemingly inevitable future? That underground ruin's near-infinite malice.

"Even if I must step slightly beyond bounds—if I can seal the demon god and save the kingdom."

Putting down the map, Daneya took a deep breath and walked toward her accompanying "ally."

"Thank you for your assistance—without you, our mission would not have proceeded so smoothly."

"It is my honor, and more so, a personal commission from my mother. She has continually revealed to me that perhaps we may find even greater opportunities for cooperation. She urges you to respond to her invitation soon—divine favor is not so cheap."

The goddess Arikehne lowered her hood, her pupils glowing faintly with divine radiance, revealing her identity as the dark elf goddess before the knights.

Daneya nodded with a smile, though the smile was no longer natural.

Other benevolent churches showed little interest in the "deer" matter, and the kingdom's strength was severely limited.

She never expected that the first to extend aid—and offer sufficient leverage—would be the Shadow and Dark Elf divine lineage: the Silver Vial Mirror Goddess.

"I will give it serious thought, but you know such a decision cannot be made in short order."

"I look forward to becoming true sisters with you."

Arikehne's words had clearly crossed a line, yet Daneya showed no resistance.

Watching the dark elf noblewoman depart, Daneya sighed.

"Chosen one? What have I done to deserve such a title?"

Daneya never imagined the first to offer aid—and provide sufficient leverage—would be this foreign deity.

She had even directly extended an invitation to become a Chosen One.

A Chosen One and a goddess's daughter are not the same: the latter are merely relatives with a trace of bloodline or minor access to power, while a Chosen One is the deity's direct instrument, a true insider.

Each deity's Chosen Ones are exceedingly few—this is not merely an honor, but a grant of authority and power, and simultaneously, an invitation to longevity, even immortality.

Neither Daneya nor Arikehne knew why the Lady of the Mirror favored this dragon-blooded princess so greatly as to bestow this precious Chosen One slot.

Usually, such grace is granted only after a devout believer performs a great deed, manifests the deity's will and glory upon the earth, and becomes a de facto divine spokesperson.

Divine descendants are like distant cousins or second aunts in a company—seemingly close but holding no core authority—while Chosen Ones are the deity's personally appointed senior executives: general managers, CEOs, even chairmen.

If a divine descendant fails or messes up, it doesn't matter—every family has a useless relative. But if a Chosen One fails or betrays, it is a direct slap to the deity's face.

Daneya, who craved power, nearly accepted on the spot—but such a weighty gift often carries a heavy price.

"If the Mirror Goddess merely wished to spread her faith within the kingdom, why make me her Chosen One?"

She still hesitated, for she could not see the cost behind this gift.

In truth, the Mirror Goddess had traced the cause of this event back to its origin, and ultimately found it tied to Daneya—because Li En had participated at her command, but more importantly, because of Li En's single "act."

He raised the throne high and knelt beneath it: All glory belongs to my lord. Though the gesture was not perfectly executed, the ritual was complete.

At that moment, causality was sealed—all fate and cause converged upon the princess.

The scapegoat had been born. Even if other masterminds sought someone to blame, they could only find Daneya.

Clearly, this was deliberate sabotage by some monster.

Its purpose was hard to say—perhaps merely for amusement, perhaps to mock the gods, or perhaps simply because it found Daneya pleasing.

Once the Mirror Goddess turned her gaze upon her, she naturally observed Daneya.

She saw her diligence, her ambition, her drive, and her surprisingly good rapport with the dark elves. Moreover, Daneya's identity was uniquely unusual—not merely as a princess, but due to her unpredictable fate line. Under normal circumstances, this meant boundless potential, even the possibility of becoming a demigod or near-divine being.

Thus, the Silver Vial Mirror Goddess, who had already intended to act during this demonic tide and extend her influence to the surface, offered this precious Chosen One slot.

It was both an investment and a test.

"Don't overestimate the gods—they are merely immortal beings bound by their own divine duties and fate. They occasionally peer down through the clouds at the mortal world, and interfere through their believers and churches—that is their limit. They may calculate, but rarely with precision or foresight."

Such blasphemous words came from her own trusted confidant.

"Sariman" silently watched the hesitant princess—every version of Sariman felt gratitude toward the princess she served.

Sariman's current state was strange: her right eye was unfocused, as if half-asleep, while her left eye gleamed like a serpent's pupil, flashing cold, calculating light.

"Uh, Sariman—are you alright?"

"Perfectly, my lady. My condition has never been better."

In truth, it was Sariman who had driven the cooperation with the dark elves.

In her view, both her lady and the kingdom were weak in this age—they must survive at any cost.

As for faith and such ethereal matters, they should be sold for the highest price while still valuable.

After all, royal authority had weakened, and all the churches had already crowded in, fighting over faith—but none had ever done anything truly beneficial for the nation or its people.

In Sariman's opinion, it was better to bring in an outside big fish. Even if this fish couldn't be sold for a high price, the other "fish" in the pond might become more friendly and offer some concessions.

Daneya nodded. If Sariman said she was fine, then she was fine.

Mentalists were usually a bit odd—Sariman's schizophrenic behavior wasn't new. Seeing her actively offer counsel, Daneya felt a touch of delight, as if returning to their days as childhood friends in the new capital.

Sariman paused, then spoke the crux of the matter.

"Ultimately, we need the Mirror Goddess's power—her authority is most useful for our current situation."

"Indeed—it has already been verified."

Both women turned their gaze to a spot surrounded by knights, where a small black demonic creature was cackling.

Its body was primarily composed of shadow, but where its torso should have been was a large silver mirror.

The Little Mirror Imp—a familiar of the Mirror Goddess, a typical half-shadow, half-divine entity.

Their combat power was weak; their main use was to become invisible, pass through walls, and then scare you. But their unique power, derived from the Mirror Goddess, was precisely what the kingdom needed most.

"Can you hear me?"

"Clear as day, my lady."

Instantly, the knights' faces lit up with joy.

On the other side of the mirror was the governor's mansion on Huicheng's surface—people there were watching this scene through another Mirror Imp.

Even within the underground ruin, the link of these divine shadow creatures could not be severed. With their presence, explorers could communicate instantly with the surface.

The current exploration progress was slow precisely because the underground was a series of black boxes.

Information blockages and internal scheming had severely slowed progress.

If the Mirror Goddess's familiars were allowed to join, enabling real-time observation and command from above, the pace of expansion would immediately increase several-fold!

"What about the second test?"

"In progress—and it seems to have succeeded!"

On another side, a giant Mirror Imp, twice a man's height, opened its "belly."

A knight was tossing a crate inside. The next moment, the item appeared on the surface side!

Everyone burst into cheers.

If logistical problems could be solved—even allowing limited troop deployment—the difficulty of conquering the underground labyrinth would be utterly transformed.

No matter how well a merchant boasts, you must test it to believe—by now, deep within the underground ruin, all trials had succeeded.

To intervene in the large-scale exploration of the entire city, and deploy numerous Mirror Imps, a deity-level presence would be required.

And of all deities, only the Silver Vial Mirror Goddess, who held the "Mirror" domain, could accomplish this.

"I" gritted her teeth—and Daneya made her promise.

"Thank you for the benevolent favor of the exalted Mirror Deity. I will give it serious consideration."

(End of Chapter)