“The people of the sacred civilization can only be loyal to the Goddess. If we look at it from another angle, if the Goddess is loyal to us, wouldn't their loyalty naturally shift to us as well? This is assuming the Goddess's loyalty is voluntary.”
As Lin Miao had said, Hestia's existence was filled with uncertainty from the very beginning.
She could not be killed rashly, and utilizing her was also quite troublesome.
However, to everyone's surprise, the plan went incredibly smoothly. Hestia began to show an interest in the colony's power.
While making her submit was difficult, when she connected and fused with the Abyssal Palace and the neural network, partially accessing the hive mind to read that vast wealth of information, Hestia became completely captivated by its charm.
Because Hestia was a Goddess with a higher level and more robust sense of self-awareness, her speed in utilizing and manipulating the hive mind was faster and more precise than that of the Legion Commanders.
The more she knew, the more she could accomplish. Naturally, she found it more enjoyable and felt more magnificent.
【<Goddess of Light> has been integrated as a lower-tier god】
Thus, even without Lin Miao explicitly requesting it, Hestia had naturally integrated into his hierarchy of lower-tier gods.
Of course, Hestia, who was currently unable to use the Divine Net, was unaware of this fact.
“With the Goddess's active assistance, internal unity shouldn't be an issue. As for the newly appointed Legion Commander...”
Celia was highly dissatisfied with the plan Hestia had spearheaded to make Meliodas a Legion Commander, and she displayed clear wariness.
She believed that even though Hestia showed great interest in the colony and was rapidly assimilating, as long as she retained her essence as a Goddess, she posed a danger.
“If it's the faith of the new Legion Commander, then there is nothing we can do about it.”
In contrast, Elise believed that Meliodas's loyalty to the Goddess was a driving force in itself, so it did not matter.
She felt that if the Goddess ordered Meliodas to fight hard, he would never refuse the request and would exert all his strength.
Celia could not deny this either. After all, she herself served as a Legion Commander out of loyalty to the colony, guided by her own beliefs.
“Central Officers do not have command authority.”
Gia pointed out that even if Meliodas fought for Hestia, Hestia did not actually have the authority to command him.
In the end, everyone was merely a tool.
Since the tool could be made useful, there was no reason not to use it.
Conversely, if the tool became useless, they could simply dispose of it.
Elise, Celia, and Gaia.
In fact, out of the trio that was most interested in decision-making and held the greatest influence in the colony, two had already agreed, so Celia, who held the lowest standing among them, could no longer object.
“That is...”
Before they knew it, the Hive Mothership carrying Meliodas had already broken through the atmosphere and flown into space.
Meliodas looked at the colossal monster in the distance, deeply shocked.
The massive, insect-like creature floated in the void, its body coiled. As he drew closer, he realized it was so enormous that it was impossible to take in all at once.
The Hive Mothership inserted its proboscis into the outer wall of the Abyssal Palace, opening a passage.
Meliodas turned back to look at Yuno, who was traveling with him. “Aren't you going?”
“Why should I go see that woman?” Yuno merely scoffed dismissively, turning her head away as she remained in place.
Left with no choice, he walked alone into the depths of the Abyssal Palace to meet the Goddess.
Good heavens.
Then, for the first time, he witnessed what was happening inside the Abyssal Palace.
The walls connecting the ceiling and floor, the towering ceiling, and the vast floor all formed a massive, cylindrical nest.
Countless combat units were preserved in cocoons, kept in a dormant state, while worker ants busily scurried across the walls and ceiling to tend to them.
Squirming blood vessels and tentacles intertwined intricately, supplying the necessary nutrients, while dedicated nests capable of producing all required resources and weapons were fully equipped.
All-weather.
He could not fathom how this monster had been created, but its purpose was clear: it was undoubtedly an all-weather weapon that could be deployed in any future war of aggression.
“Welcome, my knight.”
However, Meliodas's shock did not end there. He discovered that the being truly controlling this massive Abyssal Palace was none other than the Goddess he served, Hestia.
In the deepest depths of the Abyssal Palace.
In a place known as the Sacred Brood Nest, which served as the heart of this colossal monster.
There, viscous fluid glistened over fleshy tissue, and beating blood vessels spiderwebbed in every direction.
Hestia sat waiting for him, her entire body connected to tentacle tubes and the neural network, reclining on a throne made of flesh and bone.
Meliodas hurriedly prepared to perform the formal greeting for an audience with the Goddess, but Hestia clicked her tongue and stopped him. “There is no need for such convoluted etiquette. It is far too inefficient.”
This was a far cry from the image of the noble Goddess whom people had known to strictly adhere to rituals and procedures.
The contrast was as vast as that between the once-glorious Palace of Sacred Radiance and the current Sacred Brood Nest.
“Goddess, what... what on earth is this...?”
How could Meliodas not be bewildered?
If the Goddess had been forced into such a miserable plight, he would not be able to bear it.
“For what it's worth, I am quite satisfied with my current situation. So, there is no need for you to be angry on my behalf.”
Hestia flashed a knowing smile.
Then, she explained to Meliodas why she had ended up like this.
In doing so, she adopted the theory that Celia had once mentioned.
“The theory of a 'new ecosystem' is quite interesting, even to me. Outer Gods have been regarded as elusive disasters since ancient times. If we cannot stop them and are bound to be swept up in the end, it is better to adapt rather than resist until we break.”
“If this is truly your decision, I shall obey.”
Although Meliodas remained confused, the Goddess's firm resolve brought him a measure of comfort.
Hestia nodded in satisfaction. “I knew you would. After all, you are the loyal knight I have observed for countless years.”
Meliodas was a knight devoted to the Goddess. The reason he was able to survive and carry on was precisely because he believed the Goddess had sacrificed herself to save them.
If the Goddess had voluntarily chosen to become a part of the colony and utilize its power, then Meliodas only needed to believe that this was the right path.
The sacred civilization, which centered on blind faith, shared similarities with the Great Devourer driven by the hive mind in this regard.
“This Abyssal Palace will serve as the Great Devourer's space nest, playing a central role in future wars. As a mobile giant nest, a single Abyssal Palace can deploy enough forces to invade and occupy an entire planet.”
“Th-then, Goddess, are you going to participate in the war yourself?”
“Using the defeated as shields is what other deities do anyway. It is far better than heading to the front lines myself.”
Hestia sneered softly, and then shared the subsequent operational plans with Meliodas.
Although Hestia told Meliodas, in reality, this was already the core strategy of the Great Devourer, which had been passed during the internal meetings of the hive mind and approved by Lin Miao.
“We will soon launch an attack on the forces of the Empyrean Council.”
Hestia mentioned the Great Devourer's next target in a flat tone.
The Empyrean Council was an alliance formed by numerous deities.
Although they did not have many high-tier deities, when the small and medium-scale gods united, they became powerful. As a result, they were quite a well-known group within the Divine Net.
At the time, Celia had been slightly surprised when she heard this proposal.
She had naturally assumed they would first attack those who had actively provoked them, but Lin Miao had declared they would strike a completely different enemy.
‘We cannot attack Ionia, or they will withdraw from Earth too early. The deities ranked second and fifth in the Empyrean Council have influence in North America. We must weaken them to maintain a balance.’
This matter involved Earth, making the situation highly complex.
Lin Miao had intended to explain it in detail if necessary.
He did not want his servants to fight without understanding the reasons behind it.
“I only obey orders.”
However, Elise, eager to receive Lin Miao's praise and rewards, had already resolved to complete the task before even hearing the full explanation.
Consequently, the preparations for war were proceeding in an orderly fashion.
‘It is not entirely without reason, either. Among the deities who oppose us, there are those associated with the Empyrean Council.’
Lin Miao believed this battle plan was effective.
Through the captured members of Ionia, the Great Devourer had also gained knowledge about the factions allied with them.
Attacking the Empyrean Council could be considered a form of punishment and retaliation for the preemptive strike launched against them previously, and it was not an inaccurate way to put it.
Hestia fixed her gaze on Meliodas, her tone solemn. “Therefore, I hope you will distinguish yourself in this war.”
Meliodas asked softly, “By fusing with the Great Devourer?”
“You might not know this, but the Legion Commanders come from various origins and races. They are all loyal to the Queens. You will become like that as well, but...”
Hestia's words trailed off, a hint of sadness flickering in her eyes as she spoke of making Meliodas a Legion Commander and having him perform great deeds.
She was not a Queen.
She had no right to possess a Legion Commander, nor did she have the authority to command one.
But this was merely the standard within the hive mind.
Just as Celia saved humans without compromising the colony's objectives, Meliodas could entirely remain loyal to the Goddess in his own way.
“I accept.”
Looking at Hestia, Meliodas did not dare to refuse.
He swore that he would serve Hestia with all his heart and soul, just as he had done in the past.
“I am very proud of you, Meliodas. You will surely become the strongest among the Legion Commanders.”
Hestia muttered to herself after confirming Meliodas's departing figure through the blinking eyeballs embedded like closed-circuit cameras along the fleshy walls of the passage.
Meliodas would undoubtedly put in strenuous effort and training to achieve more military merits and accomplishments.
For as the only Legion Commander loyal to the Goddess, he bore his own responsibility and mission.
“Legion Commanders are not meant to compete with one another.”
Celia appeared silently behind her, furrowing her brow.
She disliked the Goddess's way of openly instigating competition.
It was a minor issue for now, but if the Queens, especially Elise, took an interest in this, it could become a new trend.
“Those who do not compete are eliminated. The history of the colony has already proven this. Do you deny it? Or are you simply lacking confidence in yourself?”
Hestia grinned and turned to look at Celia.
The sharp gazes of the two women clashed in the air.
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