TGS - Chapter 24
Chapter 24: A Signal of Parting
Time rewinds to the day before the festival.
After making her arrangements, Alyuin sat at the table feeding fresh meat to the golden eagle sisters. Whenever one of them turned its head toward Lotus, she would offer a slice of meat to its beak, trying to capture their attention with food so they wouldn't crane their necks toward Lotus for a caress.
Lotus was completely absorbed in her own thoughts, entirely unaware of the undercurrents beside her.
After a long while, she finally said to the young princess, "A single miracle is all it would take for the charges forced upon you to collapse. Why didn't you ask me?"
Alyuin turned her head, gazing intently at the goddess's mortal incarnation. "Are you going to perform a miracle for me?"
Lotus: "If you wish it."
The young princess couldn't help but smile. "I'd rather not. It would make me seem arrogant for taking advantage of your favor."
Lotus pressed her lips together slightly. "It wouldn't."
"Just hearing you say that makes me happy," Alyuin said lightly. "Tomorrow is the festival for the Moon Goddess. I'd much rather see a festival dedicated to you. It would surely be even better."
As she spoke, an unconcealed longing appeared in her eyes.
The River Goddess's festival was still more than a year away, and by then, Lotus would likely no longer be by the young princess's side.
She subconsciously avoided Alyuin's bright gaze and said softly, "Tomorrow is the most opportune time."
How could Alyuin not know?
The incident at tomorrow's festival would naturally spark speculation among those present. They wouldn't care about the motives of the two who plotted to disrupt the festival; they would just treat it as another topic of conversation.
In their idle chatter, the two would be called audacious blasphemers, but the talk about Alyuin would be no more friendly. She would still be that "unlucky princess with the blood of a sinner."
At a time like this, a miracle would be enough to set the tone of the rumors.
"What I can do in the mortal realm is rather limited. To call it a miracle would be an overstatement." Lotus traced a point in the air with her fingertip. "I will send a blue heron at the right moment to deliver my token to you."
"Miss Messenger?"
"Yes, Miss Messenger."
Since the goddess herself had said so, there was no reason to refuse. Alyuin accepted with pleasure.
—And so, the scene under the moonlit night came to be.
The blue heron folded its wings and lowered its long neck before the princess. The flower it held in its beak was passed into her hands, where she cradled it preciously.
The snowtu flower only bloomed in spring and summer, yet this one was clearly in full bloom, each petal pure white and captivating, fresh and elegant.
It wasn't just the flower. The blue heron, regarded by the people as the River Goddess's messenger, should not have appeared in Digebia during winter. It should have migrated with its flock to a warmer river basin, not remained on the cold border.
Did the appearance of the messenger and the symbolic flower, defying the laws of the seasons, signify the River Goddess's favor?
The crowd couldn't be sure. They could only see that, at this moment, the black-haired girl's golden eyes shone like stars. Her slender fingers gently stroked the downy feathers on the back of the blue heron's neck as she smiled faintly and whispered something.
The proud bird, which normally never approached humans, had its head bowed, unbelievably docile. The light of the moon and the lamps reflected off its white wings, as if plating them with a faint golden radiance.
Many poets and painters were attending the Moon Goddess's festival. They had originally come to praise the Moon Goddess, but they found themselves irresistibly captivated by the scene before them. Yet no words or brushstrokes seemed capable of capturing even one percent of the mystery, magnificence, and awe of the moment.
Even so, they did their best to record it. Paintings could only be preserved by the powerful and wealthy, but poems spread far and wide with the travels of bards. Perhaps this was the beginning of the countless legends of the queen of destiny—
However, reality is often less beautiful than imagination.
The young princess was indeed smiling faintly and whispering, but the content of her words was a murmur not meant for others to hear:
"Thank you, Miss Messenger. It's been a while; I've missed you. Is your master nearby? I haven't seen Lotus since the festival began..."
The beautiful blue heron, as Lotus's messenger, was indeed bowing its head docilely, but its inner thoughts were:
I often pat the little princess's head, so being petted on the neck feathers in return feels a bit strange. Speaking of which, has this highlight moment lasted long enough? Can I fly away now?
After lingering for a dozen or so seconds, Lotus felt she had created enough of a spectacle. She flapped her wings and flew away, transforming into her disguised human form in a deserted, quiet spot outside the square and calmly blending into the crowd watching the festival.
After the blue heron left, the scene remained quiet for a moment until Lord Hephit gave Alyuin a deep look and signaled to the chief priest, "Continue with the Moon Goddess's festival for now."
The chief priest cleared his throat and announced, "The festival will now continue. Radiant Goddess Anmila, your loyal servants will present you with bountiful offerings..."
Alyuin's attention had completely shifted from the festival. Her gaze scanned the crowd, finally finding Lotus's figure in a relatively dim area.
It was easy. Lotus had a naturally cool and detached aura, even in a sea of people, as if she existed in a different world from everyone else and might turn and vanish at any moment.
The young princess winked at her.
Lotus couldn't help but smile, and that sense of detachment lessened slightly.
Alyuin was very satisfied with the effect she had produced.
After a long series of tedious rituals, the Moon Goddess's festival finally concluded. The chief priest was old, and after presiding over the entire ceremony, he was somewhat exhausted.
He turned to Lord Hephit, his voice hoarse. "Lord Hephit, I leave those two who disrespected the Moon Goddess to you. Please be sure to deal with them strictly according to the law."
Hephit said curtly, "I will."
The chief priest bowed. "May the benevolent Goddess Anmila bless you."
Leaning on his staff, he moved to the side to supervise the younger, stronger priests as they arranged the fragrant wood on the floats.
Hephit, on the other hand, walked to the other side and stopped in front of the young princess.
"I have agreed to the request you made. In a few days, I will send someone to escort you to the military barracks," he said.
"Thank you, Lord Hephit."
"No need to thank me. This is a right you've earned for yourself." Hephit sighed, his thoughts drifting to something unknown, and his gaze toward the young princess softened. "If the former king were still alive, he would be proud of you."
Alyuin: "However, before I depart, there is one more matter I wish to discuss with you."
Hephit was taken aback. "What is it?"
But Alyuin said nothing, her eyes scanning the surroundings.
Hephit understood. "This is indeed not the place to talk. Please, follow me."
Alyuin handed Hephit the evidence of the Lord of Kadera City's various law violations and insatiable greed over the years.
This included proof of the Lord of Kadera's collusion with several traveling merchants. They had conspired to earn more money through illegal means, using their power to suppress competitors and even driving people to their deaths.
Coincidentally, on the long list of collaborators, the name of the Kara Caravan was prominently featured—yes, the very merchant who had tried to disrupt the festival.
Hephit took the evidence. His expression was calm at first, but it grew darker the more he read. As an upright lord himself, he could not tolerate the existence of such a pest in the region under his jurisdiction.
"Did you collect all of this yourself?" Hephit asked, taking a deep breath.
To be precise, Lotus had given it to her, but she certainly couldn't say that. Alyuin said with a straight face, "I tried, but unfortunately, I don't yet have the ability. The evidence was given to me by a noble from Kadera. This noble has a grudge against the Lord of Kadera and wants to bring him down at any cost."
Hephit: "I see."
He went through the evidence again, noticing more details than the first time, and became furious. "Rest assured, Your Highness, I will punish him as soon as possible."
"How do you plan to punish him?"
"A man like that is unfit to be the lord of a city." Hephit paused and asked the advisor at his side, "What does the law say?"
The advisor replied, "Article Five of the Military and Political Code: An official who colludes with merchants, engages in corruption and bribery, and whose crimes are severe shall be stripped of his position and noble status and reduced to a commoner."
Hephit waited for a while, but there was no second sentence. "Is that the only charge?"
The advisor said helplessly, "The man is very cautious. Although he acts tyrannically, most of his victims are the poor and slaves. Even when he drove people to their deaths, he didn't do it with his own hands, at most giving a push from behind. According to the law, it cannot be pinned on him."
Hephit: "...Never mind. This one charge is enough."
Alyuin listened quietly for a moment, then suddenly interjected, "What if we add assassination of a royal family member?"
"He tried to assassinate you?!"
"Yes, but he didn't succeed," Alyuin said cheerfully.
Hephit and his advisor exchanged a look and said in unison, "A capital offense."
In the era of ancient Solancia, the concept of centralized power did not yet exist.
The lordship of a major city was passed down through generations within collateral branches of the royal family or families related by marriage. The king's only role was to choose which descendant would inherit. Unless a lord was caught in a major wrongdoing, the position would not be taken from his family.
Within the jurisdiction of a major city, the lord held considerable power, including the appointment and dismissal of officials in the secondary cities.
Once Hephit's order was issued, it caused a stir in Digebia and all its secondary cities. His methods were swift and decisive. The factions colluding with the Lord of Kadera were all dragged into the light and dealt with one by one.
The lords of the other secondary cities were all on edge. As nobles, they were born into a world of power and wealth. How many of them had never engaged in bribery? The only difference was the degree.
Some considered pleading for the Lord of Kadera, lest no one speak up for them when their turn came. However, when the man's list of crimes was laid before all the nobles, they could only remain silent.
There were too many, and he was too greedy.
This man had always appeared magnanimous, portly, and good-tempered. Who could have imagined he had committed so many "great feats" in private?
They felt ashamed of their own inferiority.
In the temple of Kadera, the priestess was reciting hymns before the statue as usual. She was not alone in the sacrificial chamber; her daughter, Rhea, was with her.
Just a moment ago, the mother and daughter had received a letter from Digebia, written by the princess's own hand.
In the letter, she wrote: I have been granted permission to join the army. All is well. Lord Hephit will clean out the vermin in Kadera, and from now on, Kadera, under the protection of the Goddess Lotus, will return to harmony.
The messenger also brought back news of Alyuin at the Moon Goddess's festival—how she had exposed the merchant and priest who intended to disrupt the festival, and how the River Goddess's messenger had descended upon the scene to present the princess with a blooming snowtu flower.
The priestess said with relief, "Her Highness would never be content to stay in the temple forever. I knew that from our first meeting."
But she hadn't expected the child to grow up so quickly. The small temple could no longer offer her shelter; all she could do was pray that she would go far and successfully achieve her goals.
Rhea looked up, her voice soft. "Mother, what else can we do?"
The priestess's stern face showed a rare warmth. "My life is destined to remain in the temple of Kadera. This is my beginning and my end. But Rhea, you are different."
"Huh? But I..."
"The Goddess Lotus has chosen you. You are destined to be her priestess. Kadera is too small. If you wish to follow the goddess's will, you must go further."
Rhea unconsciously bit her lip, apprehension filling her eyes.
Although she was no longer the little girl who used to stammer, at a time like this, she couldn't help but lack confidence.
The priestess raised her head, gazing at the blue chalcedony eyes of the statue, and said slowly, "Our family has guarded Kadera since the birth of Solancia. Our faith has remained unchanged for generations. We were unwilling to move with the royal family, unwilling to ascend to the higher-ranking temples of the major cities or even the royal city... None of this was ever in accordance with the goddess's will, but rather our own stubborn adherence."
"And now, it is time to take that step. Can you do it, Rhea?"
The young priestess's timidity gradually dissipated with her mother's words, replaced by a look of determination. Perhaps there was still uncertainty about the path ahead, but in the face of absolute piety, it was nothing.
She said solemnly, "I will do it."
Rhea was born in the temple and grew up in the temple. The first word she learned to speak was not "Mama," but the name of the River Goddess, Lotus. Faith in the goddess was already rooted in her very bones.
She had no ambition. If anything could drive her to climb higher, it would be her unwavering piety.
Kadera City was in turmoil under the investigation from the main city, but the temple alone stood aloof from worldly affairs, serene and unshaken.
Inside the Lord's mansion.
The Lord of Kadera had long lost his former magnanimous demeanor. He frantically clutched the corner of the man's robe before him, begging humbly, "Save me. Please, speak to the master for me. As long as Hephit doesn't kill me..."
The man's face was hidden under a hood. He said coldly, "You were careless in your own affairs, and now you want to drag the master down with you?"
"How can you say that? I was clearly—I was clearly following your orders—"
The man laughed instead, his voice soft. "Following our what?"
The lord shuddered, the words stuck in his throat. He didn't dare to spit them out.
"Listen, if the master gets implicated in the trouble you've caused, I guarantee you'll regret not having gone quietly." The man patted the lord's shoulder. "By the way, if I remember correctly, you have a daughter, don't you?"
The lord's mouth twitched. He was silent for a long time, his expression shifting, before he finally let go of the robe, as if all the fight had gone out of him.
"...Tarsha is still young. She is innocent."
"Don't worry, we will take good care of her."
The man turned and walked out the door without a backward glance.
This far-reaching purge continued until the beginning of the following year. The Lord of Kadera was stripped of his position and noble status, his family and relatives were reduced to commoners, and he himself was escorted to Digebia, where his execution would take place.
Executed on the same day was the master of the Kara Caravan. Punished for both blasphemy and colluding with an official for bribery, not only was he sentenced to death, but all his family's assets were also confiscated by the treasury of Digebia.
The high-ranking priest who had conspired with him had already been secretly executed last year after the incident. As a priest who showed disrespect to the gods, his crime was even greater. The temple authorities didn't want him to live a moment longer.
Let the Yilu River carry his spirit upstream, and see how the God of Death would judge this sinful soul.
This time, the executions of the merchant and the Lord of Kadera were public.
The Lord of Kadera was one thing; few people in Digebia knew him. But the merchant had allowed his son to run rampant, and countless people hated him. Now they stood outside the execution ground, watching with vengeful glee, waiting for the execution to end so they could rush forward and trample the merchant's corpse.
Those who were uninvolved were just there for the spectacle, taking the opportunity to gossip about the rumors they had heard.
"The Kara Caravan was always fearless. How did they fall this time? They must have provoked some noble family."
"Your news is so outdated. The man tried to sabotage last year's Moon Goddess festival and frame someone else, but he was exposed on the spot! If it weren't for his involvement with the Lord of Kadera, he would have been dead last year. He wouldn't have lasted this long."
"Oh, it was the princess who exposed him. I think someone told me that."
"The daughter of the sinner Selina? She's a convict herself. How could she attend the festival?"
After a brief silence.
"What nonsense are you spouting? How could the favored child of the Yilu River Goddess be a sinner—"
"You haven't heard? The Goddess Lotus's messenger publicly gave her a snowtu flower. It was winter! It was a miracle from the goddess!"
"I was right outside the square at the time. Let me tell you..."
In the middle of the crowd, the red-haired boy stared blankly at everything.
He couldn't understand why things had changed so drastically in just two short months.
His father was arrested, not a penny of their wealth remained, and the people who had once fawned over him had vanished overnight. Even the personal servant who had been with him since childhood left without hesitation.
As he left, he didn't forget to curse him: "I've long wanted to get away from you and your hateful ways! If my indenture contract wasn't in your father's hands, who would want to be your punching bag and everyone else's lackey every day? Your retribution is still to come. I'll be waiting to watch you fend for yourself, little master!"
At this thought, the red-haired boy shivered.
Right, those lowlifes would see his family's downfall and wouldn't miss the opportunity.
He had to hide first. When he grew up and built a great caravan like his father, he would come back and kill all these people!
The red-haired boy pulled down his hood and quickly left the noisy crowd. But his red hair was too conspicuous; a few tufts peeked out, making it hard to ignore.
In the crowd of onlookers, a few commoners with hatred in their eyes gestured to each other and silently followed him.
Lotus paid no further attention to the events in Digebia. By this time, she and Alyuin had already entered the military barracks.
Even Alyuin had to start from the bottom when joining the army. However, out of consideration for her status as a princess, she was given the token position of a squad leader.
Under these circumstances, an ordinary scribe could no longer remain by the princess's side. So, Lotus transformed herself once again, becoming a female cavalry soldier in the Royal Guard.
Even mounted on horseback, Lotus's cool and indifferent demeanor remained unchanged. Even her horse seemed to have become more composed, its long tail hanging solemnly behind it without a single swish.
She had never learned to ride before she transmigrated, but the moment she saw a horse, she naturally swung herself onto its back, as if her body had a memory of it.
The first time Lotus mounted a horse, Alyuin watched from the side with curiosity. "So you know how to ride. Are there celestial horses in the Kingdom of the Gods?"
Lotus, who had never actually been to the Kingdom of the Gods, replied without batting an eye, "Yes, but they are not the mounts of the gods."
"Then what are the gods' mounts?" Alyuin recalled the descriptions in the mythological texts and paused suspiciously. "Oh, your mount is the giant fish of the Yilu River."
Lotus: "..."
Lotus maintained her smile. "Yes."
The world's largest freshwater fish lived in the Yilu River. The Solancians called them giant fish. Even before reaching maturity, they were already two meters long, with broad, pale moon-white scales and long, beautiful fins and tails.
These fish rarely surfaced, and no one knew the upper limit of their size.
Outsiders regarded them as water monsters lurking in the depths, but the Solancians believed they were the embodiment of the river's spirit, the mounts of the River Goddess. They even believed the goddess herself could transform into a giant fish and swim in the water.
To this, the River Goddess herself expressed her refusal.
But Alyuin misinterpreted her silence. She imagined the goddess riding a fish, moving leisurely through the mirror-like, clear blue river. The image didn't seem out of place at all; in fact, it added a certain fantastical, sacred beauty.
So the young princess said sincerely, "You would look beautiful riding a giant fish, too."
...Lotus had absolutely no desire to know what this child was imagining.
Lotus dismounted, and the gray horse happily trotted over, trying to lick her hand.
Seeing this, Motis immediately threw his arms around the horse's neck affectionately. Ignoring the gray horse's struggling whinnies, he pulled it away by the reins. As he walked, he said, "Tsk, tsk, horsey, I'm saving you."
"Motis, what are you muttering about over there?"
A cheerful female voice approached from a distance.
A female cavalry soldier in leather armor strode toward them. She had a beautiful face and long chestnut hair coiled at the back of her head, but her figure was tall and dashing. She idly twirled a short sword in her right hand, occasionally adding a flourish with practiced ease.
This female cavalry soldier was Lord Hephit's only daughter, named Lena. She had joined the garrison as soon as she came of age, and in the ten years since, she had risen to become the deputy commander of the Third Army Corps on the border.
Compared to other countries, women in Solancia held a relatively high status. They could join the army, but constrained by the times, promotion was always more difficult for them than for men.
Against this backdrop, for Lena to have come this far step by step without relying on her father's influence, one could imagine how capable she was.
Lena walked over to the group, glanced at Motis hugging the gray horse's neck by himself, then at Alyuin clinging to Lotus's arm. She raised a dashing eyebrow. "Your Highness, are you... practicing your horsemanship?"
Alyuin immediately denied it. "No, Motis is bonding with the horse. My teacher and I were just passing by."
Motis was dumbfounded. "No, this horse and I—let go!"
Before he could finish, the gray horse lowered its head and began to happily chew on his hair.
Lena shook her head pityingly. "A man of your age, still so cheerful. You have a great attitude."
Motis rescued his hair and complained, "I'm only thirty-eight, Deputy Commander Lena. You're only ten years younger than me."
Lena rolled her eyes. "My mistake. From your tone, you sound like you're only eight."
Motis and Lena didn't get along.
It wasn't the kind of bickering between lovers that could spark a flame; they genuinely disliked each other. Motis felt she had usurped his position as a trusted elder to the princess, while Lena thought he was all looks and no substance, utterly unreliable, and should just step aside.
Over time, a feud developed between them. Whenever they met, they had to exchange a few barbs first.
Alyuin watched the battle coolly, then a smile spread across her face as she looked at Lotus. "Let's go, Teacher."
Lotus: "Mm."
The only truly reliable one, the River Goddess, was also used to such scenes and couldn't help but worry.
The adults around the young princess didn't seem very trustworthy. Would she really be alright after she left?
Just then, Lena's thoughts snapped out of the childish, sarcastic exchange, returning to her usual state before Motis had dragged her down to his level. She said calmly, "Your Highness, today's routine corps meeting has concluded."
When it came to business, Alyuin's smile faded, and she asked solemnly, "What was the outcome?"
"They've decided to send a request for reinforcements," Lena said. "The situation is indeed unusual. Although the Sanur people have never been what you'd call peaceful, they're being particularly aggressive this time."
The Sanur were a nomadic people living on the plateau northwest of Solancia. Their power was so decentralized that they couldn't even be called a nation, but at most a tribal confederation.
In stark contrast to their loose structure was the tribe's formidable combat prowess.
The Sanur people were burly, warlike, and cruel. Born on the high, cold, barren plains, they coveted the fertile lands and abundant resources of the Solancians and would frequently raid the border.
When Solancia was prosperous, with wealthy citizens and a strong army, the Sanur would migrate deeper into the wastelands, curbing their raids to avoid direct confrontation with the Solancian army.
But the moment Solancia's power waned slightly, they would swiftly return to plunder wantonly, sometimes even attempting to occupy cities and invade the interior, arriving faster than vultures smelling blood.
But whether Solancia was strong or weak, their raids never completely ceased, especially during the cold winter—
In a way, it was an act of desperation. If they didn't plunder for supplies, a large number of Sanur would die over the winter. When food was extremely scarce, they would even use the lower-status members of their own tribe as a meat reserve.
Such a people, who retained many primitive customs, were the perennial enemy of the border garrison in Digebia.
It was now the transition from winter to spring.
Normally, the Sanur raids should have been decreasing by this time of year, but they hadn't. Their actions were growing more audacious, as if they were testing the reaction of the border garrison.
Lena sighed. "I've been guarding this place for ten years, and this is the first time I've seen something like this. I hear it means the Sanur think we're an easy target right now."
"They will soon realize they've come too early," Alyuin said, not elaborating on her unspoken thoughts.
Horst was indeed not as capable as her father, but he was no fatuous ruler either. Solancia's foundation was still strong. If the Sanur tried to invade now, they would achieve nothing but a fruitless return.
After a brief chat, Lena took her leave. Not long after, Motis also had to go. This was the female warriors' camp, and he might get beaten up if he stayed.
As dusk fell, the soldiers drilling outside returned to their tents. A dim candlelight flickered in each of the simple, practical tents.
In one of the less conspicuous tents, Lotus held a small earthenware jar, meticulously applying medicine to Alyuin.
Alyuin buried her face in a pillow, refusing to look up.
On her exposed, honey-colored skin, purple and blue bruises were visible everywhere. Some places were even cut open. A spot on her back was particularly severe and wrapped in gauze, making the young princess look miserable and pitiful.
The reason Alyuin hadn't spent her time practicing martial arts today was because of these injuries, all sustained from sparring when she first arrived at the barracks.
The atmosphere of the military camp was completely different from a normal training ground. When facing an evenly matched opponent, the young princess already had a strange, frenzied tendency to trade injury for injury, and it became even more pronounced here.
The consequence was a body covered in bruises, with a red patch on her back to boot.
During the fight, she hadn't made a sound, as if she couldn't feel pain. But the moment she stepped off the field and saw Lotus, she started whimpering, acting as if she couldn't bear the slightest discomfort. It left Lotus not knowing whether to be angry or amused.
"And you told me you were grown up." Lotus pressed lightly on a swollen bruise, ruthlessly ignoring the young princess's muffled groan. "Is this your idea of being sensible?"
With her face buried in the pillow, the young princess's voice was muffled. "Accidents happen."
"Indeed. The kind of accident that makes the army physician advise you to rest well."
"..." she muttered.
Lotus felt this wouldn't do. She needed to reflect on herself.
She gave her believer a divine oracle, and the believer even talked back. She was being a goddess with far too little authority.
When Lotus didn't speak, Alyuin grew a little flustered, worried that she was truly angry. She immediately corrected her attitude. "I'll be careful next time."
Lotus sighed.
I'll be careful next time was equivalent to I know, but would she actually be careful next time? That was an unknown.
After the medicine was applied, the young princess remained lying face down on the bed, motionless.
When the heat in her face subsided, she sat up, holding her clothes to cover her chest, and secretly glanced at Lotus.
Although she didn't understand why her face would flush, her ears would burn, and her heart would race when the medicine was being applied, she felt it was best not to let the other person know.
After all, she had never heard of anyone blushing and having their heart race out of pious faith.
Once her injuries had fully healed, Alyuin officially began her daily training.
She kept her promise to "be careful next time." She still got injured occasionally during sparring, but never as badly as before.
Life in the military camp was more tempering than she had imagined.
At the temple in Kadera, Alyuin's strict time management had already been close to military discipline, but one month here yielded more than three months of training on her own.
One day, as the young princess's unit was about to set out to attack the Sanur who were raiding nearby villages, and everyone was ready to depart, the corps commander's advisor found her.
"Your Highness, I advise against you participating in the raid," the advisor said politely. "Swords on the battlefield have no eyes. You are of noble birth. If something were to happen to you—"
Alyuin: "Is that an order from the corps commander?"
The advisor paused. "No, it is merely my personal opinion."
Alyuin: "I'm sorry, but as long as it's not a military order, I must go."
The advisor was helpless.
He thought he could just arrange for other soldiers to keep an eye on her to prevent any real accidents. Once the young girl had truly experienced a battlefield filled with the stench of blood and death, she wouldn't be so eager to go again.
That evening, however, the corps commander finished reading the report on military merits submitted from below. After a long silence, he handed the thin sheet of paper to his advisor.
The princess's name was written prominently on the paper, with her achievements listed below.
From a hundred meters away, an arrow pierced the enemy leader's throat.
Although the opponents were just a band of Sanur rabble raiding a nearby village, and although it hardly qualified as a battle, her achievement was still enough to make anyone take notice.
This was only the princess's first time on the battlefield.
The advisor was speechless.
The corps commander shook his head. "It seems we have all underestimated this princess."
"Then what should we do now? Should we still stop her from going to the battlefield?"
The corps commander's attitude did a complete one-eighty. "What are you talking about? When did we ever stop her? With such promising talent, whoever stands in her way must be blind."
The advisor: "..."
I suspect you're talking about me.
At the same time, in a tent at the other end of the camp, Alyuin was also saying to Lotus, "No one will try to stop me anymore."
A light like crushed gold flickered in her eyes. She murmured in a slight daze, "I don't like the battlefield, but I don't hate it either..." —but she enjoyed the moment of killing the enemy.
When the arrowhead pierced the enemy's throat, she found herself wanting to get closer. The light and shadows flickered and split, and the gushing crimson ignited her own blood, yet her mind remained calm and clear.
This wasn't normal, and it wasn't something the eternally pure River Goddess should know.
The young princess rested her head on Lotus's lap and took a gentle breath. The fresh scent of the snowtu flower filled her lungs, soothing her restless heart and helping her sort out her chaotic thoughts.
Lotus stroked her hair, accidentally brushing against the ear hidden beneath the strands.
The young princess, who had just been immersed in bloody thoughts and was on the verge of heading in a strange direction, instantly sprang up.
Lotus: "?"
Alyuin covered her ear, frozen in place. After a moment, she gave an awkward cough. "It's nothing. Don't mind me."
Lotus didn't mind. She looked at the young princess with a complicated expression, as if seeing a cat whose ear twitched when touched. Ah, it wasn't just an ear twitch; she had also sprung up suddenly, just like a cat.
It seemed that from childhood to now, the only thing that hadn't changed was how much she was like a cat.
Following this raid, Alyuin participated in several more small-scale battles, once even as reinforcements for another camp, repeatedly earning military honors.
In a sense, she was born for the battlefield.
There was only one thing that didn't sit well with the princess.
No matter how lofty Alyuin's official status was, in the army, she was still just a squad leader, a lower rank than Motis, who was a company commander. If the Sanur were to launch a major offensive now, she could only lead the ten-person squad assigned to her by the corps and follow orders.
The young princess could learn to obey, but she didn't like being ordered around.
So, even if it was just to make herself more comfortable, she had to seize every opportunity to climb higher.
As her military merits accumulated, Alyuin was successfully promoted to company commander, with a hundred soldiers under her command, putting her on the same level as Motis.
Motis: "I have a feeling I'm about to be surpassed."
Lena held a different opinion. "Her Highness is very capable, but it will be some time before her next promotion. It took me a full three years to go from company to battalion commander."
Motis said gravely, "You don't understand. The one thing I've learned during this time is not to measure Her Highness by common standards."
In the early summer of that year, Alyuin led her company of a hundred soldiers, using the terrain and a sudden downpour to encircle and annihilate nearly a thousand Sanur.
A few scattered Sanur managed to escape. One of them looked back as he ran, and through the dense curtain of rain, he saw a figure that was particularly small and slender compared to those around her.
She drew her bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed in his direction.
—This was the last image the Sanur deserter saw before he died.
That winter, the corps commander personally handed the battalion commander's token to Alyuin.
"As far as I know, Your Highness joined the army to accumulate enough military merit to return to Akhet." The corps commander counted on his fingers, then clapped his hands together. "Your merits are already enough to meet the standard for an exile's redemption. So, do you plan to go back?"
Alyuin smiled but said nothing.
Nearly a year of fighting on the battlefield had given her an unconcealable sharpness, but this edge was not enough. It needed more polishing, to be steeped and honed again and again, until it became a more restrained and more dangerous power.
She didn't speak, but the corps commander acted as if he had received an answer. He stroked his upturned mustache and left, satisfied.
After her promotion, she should have received a long leave for soldiers to visit their families, but Alyuin saved her leave for the following year.
"Next spring, when the ice and snow melt and the Yilu River flows again, your festival will be held."
Alyuin twirled her newly acquired token with a practiced motion. Lotus watched her, suspecting she had picked up the habit from watching Lena twirl her dagger.
Looking at the anticipation in the young princess's eyes, Lotus understood that some things had to be said.
To keep putting it off might be irresponsible to the young princess.
"Today is the Day of Water."
She averted her gaze and said lightly.
Alyuin remembered. "Right, tonight is the final exam."
The scrolls piled up in her dreams looked intimidatingly numerous, but the content she actually needed to master wasn't that complex. She had memorized most of it.
Lotus said softly, "Yes. And besides that, there is something I must tell you."
Alyuin keenly sensed that something was wrong. She frowned and asked tentatively, "Can't you say it here?"
Lotus turned her back to her. "Let's talk about it tonight."
The late winter wind howled past, making the wooden bells at the camp gate jingle.
For some reason, a chill suddenly ran through Alyuin's heart.
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