Mother Doreth looked up at Josephine, and her eyes widened in surprise.

  "Sister Josephine? Are you feeling alright?"

  "I-I'm fine, Mother Doreth. I just had a big meal," Josephine replied, and Mother Doreth looked at one of her best disciples with a skeptical eye. However, she didn't have time to worry about it, and the day was still young, and she needed to get Josephine out on the field.

  "Very well. We can't have you scking off. I need you to go to the market and check on our followers. The other Risphina Harvesters haven't been as thorough or as successful as you. I heard that five women have accepted the Sacred Fertility Water and are showing signs of the blessing... How many women have received the offering?" Mother Doreth asked, and Josephine looked away.

  Josephine didn't know why, but her Mother Superior was giving her the creeps. The old woman sounded like she was enjoying having Josephine hunt down these women and forcing them to accept the blessings. It's like Josephine has never noticed this sinister side of Doreth until now. But Josephine was sure that it was all in her head and that the elder was just looking out for the Kingdom.

  'Oh, Goddess. What is wrong with me? Why am I thinking this way? Mother Doreth is only doing the Goddess's bidding. I-I must be tired. Yes, that's it. I just need an easy day with a nap. I'm sure the bloating will pass, and I can forget these strange feelings ever happened.'

  "Well? How many women have you blessed?" Mother Doreth asked again, and Josephine snapped out of her daze.

  "Oh, I believe 107 women have received the offering this past two weeks, Your Excellency."

  Mother Doreth looked at Josephine with a sinister grin, and she was impressed. Josephine was her newest and most dedicated disciple to rise through the ranks this past year. While all her other Harvesters struggled to get through 80 women in the same timeframe, and only 7% of the other disciples managed to get the blessing to take root in a single woman. Mother Josephine was the first to get five women pregnant. It must have been her devotion to the goddess. However, in reality, Josephine was lucky.

  "Excellent work, Sister. How old are you again?" Mother Doreth asked, and Josephine blushed.

  "Y-Your Excellency! I-I'm only 27!"

  Mother Doreth looked at the red-headed priestess with a bit of sadness, "It's a shame that Risphina didn't bless you with children. I could use more faithful servants like you. If only you were two years younger, then I would have given you the Sacred Waters right now."

  Josephine wasn't afraid of anyone in her life. She was always the one whom people revered and feared. But right now, Josephine was scared. Her heart was racing, and she couldn't expin why the old woman in front of her was making her feel this way.

  "U-Um! I-I guess the Goddess had other pns for me, Your Excellency," Josephine replied.

  "You are correct. She has chosen you to save our Kingdom. Even though that annoying Baroness has cimed three of your blessings to remain under her protection... They should be under our watchful eyes within the convent, not in a noble's mansion. Baroness Elizabeth of House Estragon must be trying to impress the Queen, or she wants to undermine the faith. Do you know what their aims are, Sister?"

  Doreth's attention snapped to Josephine, who stiffened up in her chair as the old woman's voice became sharper and colder. The room was filled with tension as the Mother Superior's eyes seemed to glow with an ominous light that was usually reserved for those who went against the Church of the Goddess Risphina.

  "A-Aim, Your Excellency?" Josephine was sweating, and her stomach was quivering. Her maternal instincts are telling her to get away from Doreth.

  "Yes, aim. I believe that it is a noble's goal to have this group of blessed women under their thumb. If they are under a noble's control, then they could cim that they are under the Goddess's guidance. She could demand tribute from the Queen and Nobility, cutting off our influence and income from the royal coffers," Doreth said and looked up at a statue of Risphina that was on the wall behind her desk.

  Josephine didn't know why Mother Doreth was talking like this. Sure, she was frustrated that Baroness Elizabeth and Sister Qiona blocked her from taking those three girls into the convent. However, she didn't sense any malice or scheming on their part. Besides, even if they did have a scheme to undermine the church, there was no way they would succeed. The Church of Life was too powerful, and it had been around since the days of the Forgotten Great Sex War. The church had a stranglehold over the popution of all the surviving Kingdoms.

  "Um, Your Excellency. I think you're reading too much into this. The Baroness seems to be protecting her daughter's friends. I-I think the important thing is that three of those girls are pregnant with Lady Isadora's blessing. Let them hide behind their walls for now. I'm sure after the child is born, they will be praised by the Nobility, but nothing more," Josephine replied, and she tried to calm the old woman.

  Josephine was nervous, and she didn't like being in the same room as the Mother Superior anymore. She felt like a mouse being hunted by a cat, and her mind was screaming to her that this old woman wanted to take away something important to her. She was unfamiliar with maternal instincts kicking in, and the urge to protect the twins inside her was overpowering her thoughts. The twins were her children, and no one would take them from her. She didn't even realize the shift in her thoughts. Her body was preparing for motherhood, and her mind was adapting to her new role. She had to protect her children, and she had to make sure that no one knew of her pregnancy once she realized she was pregnant. She couldn't let anyone find out about the twins and the strange dreams about that handsome man who made love to her and pnted his seed inside her. She didn't understand why she was feeling like this, but her body was telling her that she was pregnant.

  "Hmmm, maybe you're right. I just don't want anyone to get in the way of our work. For we are the ones that can give the gift of motherhood to these poor souls..."

  Mother Doreth didn't look quite as menacing as before, and she sat back down in her chair.

  "Well. I'm sorry I went on a rant. I was just thinking about how to deal with these women. They are so ungrateful to the goddess and her blessings. Luckily, that is where you come in, Mother Josephine," the old woman said as she grinned at the redhead once again. This caused her to sink into her chair. "You have a knack for finding the right women to bless. You'll find the ones who will be grateful for the gifts that the goddess will bring to them. And you will be the one to show them the light of our faith. That's why I'm sending you to Lady Vayna's of House Lysandrae Coronation to become the next Crown Princess. You will go to this party and look for suitable noble daughters to receive the blessing. Too many of them are selfish and think that they can wait to receive the goddess's blessings. They need to be reminded of their pce and of the Goddess's love. Do you understand?"

  Josephine didn't know how to respond to that. Mother Superior was asking her to go to Duchess Rene Lysandrae's mansion as the representative of the church. Josephine knew that Queen Myrathis Phyrrane had failed to sire an heir to the throne. And it was a well-known rumor that the Queen had already selected the next Crown Princess to inherit the throne after she turned 42 years old. Luckily, she was one of the rare few who had a sibling, and Lady Vayna, her only niece, was going to be the one to inherit the throne after the Queen retired or passed away. The nobility had a collective sigh of relief when Vayna finally was able to get the Sacred Fertility Water to take root. Although Vayna was having a rough pregnancy, she was reluctant to attend parties and gatherings as of te. This put a damper on Duchess Rene's parade. She wanted to funt her daughter around to show how Superior her family was to the others, and the pregnancy wasn't going as smoothly as Vayna would have hoped. She had morning sickness, and her body was not cooperating with her as she was mostly bedridden for the st three months. Although Vayna was a rare beauty, she was the envy of all the other noble dies. She had the most beautiful blonde hair and skin, and she was in her prime, but she was still a little childish and a bit immature. But right now, she wished she didn't have to go to this party; however, her mother insisted that she attend and show the nobles of the Kingdom that House Lysandrae was the superior house.

  The thing that surprised Mother Josephine about Mother Doreth's request was the fact that Mother Katherine was supposed to go to the Coronation party, not her. Mother Katherine was a bitter old woman, and she had been a priestess for decades. She was the one to inject the Sacred White Waters into the womb, and she was the one to be praised by the church for her hard work. Mother Josephine was a bit jealous of her and didn't know why she was being sent instead.

  "U-Um. I-I don't understand. This is Mother Katherine's duty, and she is the one who would represent the church at the party," Josephine said, and she was trying to hide her nervousness. Katherine was one whom not even Josephine wished to cross, and she was one of Mother Doreth's favorites.

  "Oh. You're going, Mother Josephine. I need a young Priestess to go to the party that has Risphina's favor to bless these noble daughters. Mother Katherine has been in a... Let's say, a rut of te," Doreth said, and Josephine became curious.

  "What do you mean, Mother Superior?" Josephine asked, and she couldn't believe that she was asking about Mother Katherine's failures. She was considered untouchable, and no one dared to ask Mother Doreth, without Katherine knowing about it. However, she was intrigued.

  Doreth sighed, "Mother Katherine hadn't been successful in blessing a noblewoman in over three months, and Lady Vayna was her first success in over ten months, and she was getting frustrated... She wasn't having as much of a hard time with the commoners until the st two months. She's failed to spread the Goddess's Blessings to over 600 women in that timeframe. Risphina must be punishing her for something, but I don't know what she did to get on the goddess's bad side," Mother Doreth replied, and Josephine was shocked.

  '600 women in two months!? And not a single one became pregnant? Goddess! What a waste!'

  She was appalled that Mother Katherine was failing so badly. She couldn't imagine how she could fail to get a single woman to accept the goddess's blessings. And the thought of all those women not being able to give birth to children was a nightmare.

  'She should be removed from the Risphina Harvesters,' Josephine thought, and then realized she was thinking about her fellow Priestess in that manner. But she couldn't stop thinking that it was the truth. Mother Katherine was a liability, and if she didn't change her ways, she would get kicked out of the Church of Life. Mother Doreth was a tolerant person, but she wouldn't tolerate failure for much longer.

  This was Josephine's time to strike and move up the chain of command. However, instead of being thrilled at the opportunity to rise to the top, Josephine was nervous, her stomach was queasy, and she felt the urge to use the bathroom. She was also hungry, and her nipples were hard. She felt like she was a 12-year-old girl who had just hit puberty and was going through the changes of becoming a woman. Plus, Doreth's peasants weren't making her feel any better. The old woman was giving off an aura that was making Josephine feel sick. Her body was trying to warn her about the Mother Superior and how dangerous it would be to get close to her. Her maternal instincts were kicking in, and the twins in her womb were telling her to leave and protect them. But her mind was confused, and she couldn't expin the sudden feelings of danger that she was experiencing.

  "I-If it is the Goddess's guidance and your wish, Your Excellency. I will go to the Coronation Party."

  Mother Doreth's smile widened, and she was looking at the red-haired woman with a predatory look in her eyes.

  "I'm gd to see that you are willing to go. The Goddess will be happy to know that you are doing her work," the Mother Superior replied.

  "Thank you, Mother Superior. I hope I can help the people of the Kingdom and bring the blessing to the nobles," Josephine said, and Mother Doreth nodded.

  "Yes. The Goddess is pleased with your work. You are one of the most faithful servants of the Goddess. I expect you to find suitable noble dies to become mothers. I want you to bless them and spread the Goddess's blessings to the Kingdom. Do you understand?"

  "I understand, Mother Superior. I won't let you down," Josephine said, and she was determined to do her best.

  'Goddess. Please, guide me, and give me the strength to do my duty. I-I'm doing this to help all of the Kingdom, and I will not fail you or the people that I serve. B-But maybe they shouldn't come to the convert. Th-They can get the Goddess's protection anywhere in the Kingdom. A-And they will be happier. And a happy mother means a happy child—Wait, what? Where are these thoughts coming from? I'm a proud member of the Risphina's Harvesters. I-I'm not a traitor. I must stay strong and keep my head on straight.'

  Josephine's thoughts were jumbled, and she didn't know what was wrong with her. But her body was telling her to leave, and her mind was trying to resist. Her body was winning, and she couldn't stop herself. It was like her own agenda was mixing in with her duties, and she was not aware of it.

  If she knew that the convent was more like a dungeon and the only thing it would bring was a life of misery to these women, then she would have abandoned the church decades ago. Mother Doreth and a few select members of the church knew the truth about the convent, and they didn't care. They would do anything to make sure that the church of Risphina was the most powerful and influential in the nd. And they would do whatever it took to make sure that the other churches didn't gain a foothold. Even if that meant using the pregnant women they captured as pawns in their game of control. But Josephine didn't know that. She, like the others, was told that the convent was a holy pce that, in times of need, would help the blessed women to help repopute the Kingdom. And she was a proud follower of the Goddess who never questioned her superiors and would do anything to bring her the Goddess's will. Or that is what she was taught. Her mind was a mess, and her body was telling her to leave, but she was still determined to do her job, no matter how much her body was protesting. She was still a proud Risphina's Harvester, and she wouldn't give in to her urges, or so she thought.

  "Good... If you get a noble or two, then I can see you becoming an Arch Priestess... But until then, go to the market district and lead your team of Harvesters to find the worthy. That will be all, Mother Josephine," Mother Doreth said, and she went back to work on her paperwork. She was busy trying to keep her grip on power and not let the church of the Radiant Goddess Ydolem gain any influence within the Kingdom.

  Josephine nodded eagerly and put the palms of her hands together and spread her fingers back away from each other, making a V shape to create the symbol of the goddess, and then bowed.

  "Thank you, Your Excellency. I won't let you down."

  With that, Josephine left and headed to the temple's main hall to meet with her team of Harvesters to find more women to bless with the goddess's gift of life. However, her body was relieved when she was no longer near Mother Doreth. Her mind was still conflicted, and her body was still trying to protect her and her children from harm. But her mind was still stuck in her old way of thinking, and she was still a proud member of the church of the Goddess Risphina.

  'Goddess. Please, guide me on my quest and give me the strength to spread your blessings to the Kingdom.'

  Josephine was praying to her Goddess. She was determined to do her job, and she would not fail. If only she recognizes that the Waters took root in her womb, and her body was going through many changes, and her robes were struggling to hide her busty figure and expanding hips. Her breasts were becoming more prominent, and her stomach was becoming a bit rounder. She was growing into the ideal image of a mother, and she would start to enjoy her new role as the bearer of life. But her mind was still trying to resist, and she was not ready to embrace her new life as a mother. It was a struggle between her heart and her mind, and she didn't know that she was in conflict in the first pce.