TGS - Chapter 25
Chapter 25: Kingdom of the Gods
In the dream, the waters of the Yilu River rippled gently. The light of the sky and the shadows of the clouds reflected on the surface, along with the figures of the goddess and the young girl sitting opposite each other.
Lotus took the test paper from the little princess’s hands and scanned the Solancian script, which spread out like an eagle’s wings. Unsurprisingly—
“A perfect score,” Lotus said with pleasure. “Congratulations, Nierde’s lessons are now complete. You may graduate.”
Alyuin’s attention, however, was not on the test paper. She gazed at the goddess’s placid, lake-like expression, a subtle unease welling up in her heart.
“After I graduate, you’ll still come, won’t you?”
Lotus hadn’t expected the little princess to be so perceptive. She paused for a moment, not answering, and instead raised a pale hand and pointed forward.
The small mountains of books piled around them slowly faded and disappeared. The river water receded, revealing the dreamscape’s original blank appearance.
Alyuin’s hands, hanging at her sides, clenched unconsciously. Then she heard Lotus say, “This is what I wanted to talk about. I will be leaving for a while.”
All other words blurred at that moment. Only the word “leaving” struck the princess’s consciousness with heavy force.
She nearly blurted out “why,” but managed to maintain a semblance of composure, asking in a low voice, “Is it something I did wrong?”
“No, it’s because of matters in the Kingdom of the Gods,” Lotus said gently. “Alyuin is already outstanding. The border battlefield will sharpen your sword. Even if my incarnation leaves, nothing can harm you.”
“At least wait until next year’s festival…”
“I’m sorry.”
Alyuin bit her lower lip hard, her eyes instantly turning red.
Lotus used a fingertip to wipe away a tear that was about to fall from the corner of her eye and sighed. “You’re a big girl of fourteen. Why do you still bite your lip whenever you cry?”
Seeing that her show of weakness was ineffective, the little princess knew that Lotus’s departure was non-negotiable.
She suddenly grabbed Lotus’s wrist, as if to exert force, then abruptly let go as if she’d been burned.
Lotus paused in surprise, suddenly realizing that the little princess was now not much shorter than her. When Alyuin looked at her, her posture was nearly at eye level, unlike when she was a child and had to tilt her head up.
Alyuin stared directly into those limpid blue eyes, trying to find some obvious emotion about their parting, but there was none. Nothing at all. She only gazed into a pool of clear, still water.
In that instant, an unstoppable sense of grievance washed over her. Figuring the other was leaving anyway, the princess’s tone took on a desperate stubbornness.
“How… exactly do you see me?”
Alyuin had wanted to ask this question for a long time.
From the moment she woke from her feverish stupor and saw the goddess placing a cool, damp cloth on her forehead.
To the moment after the temple exam when she heard that Rhea had also been visited by the goddess in her dreams and received words of trust.
The former was filled with surprise and longing, the latter with possessiveness and caution. This time, she couldn’t say how many complex thoughts were hidden within her, tangled and impossible to sort out like a ball of wool.
She didn’t even know what kind of answer she wanted.
Regarding the princess’s question, Lotus thought seriously for a moment before saying, “You are Alyuin.”
The princess of Solancia, my first believer upon awakening, and the child I have protected for more than four years.
The little princess gave a bitter smile. “What a cunning answer… Since you’re going to abandon me anyway, you could at least praise me a little more.”
The hand she had just released drew near again, resting on top of her head and ruffling her hair helplessly.
Alyuin couldn’t help but nuzzle against that warm, soft palm. When she realized what she was doing, she stiffened slightly, caught in a state of both dependent fascination and frustration.
Even though she didn’t say it, she really just sees me as a child, doesn’t she? Being the only favored child didn’t seem so bad, but there was a subtle feeling of dissatisfaction.
Then she heard Lotus say, “When did I say I was going to abandon you?”
“Didn’t you say you were leaving—”
“I said I was leaving for a while. Once my business in the Kingdom of the Gods is finished, I will come back.”
Alyuin blinked a couple of times, recalling the earlier scene from her memory, and realized she had indeed missed the second half of the sentence after “leaving.”
Alyuin: “…”
The little princess’s attitude changed in a flash. She said obediently and sensibly, “I see. In that case, my merciful and gentle Goddess of the Yilu River, how long will it be before you descend again?”
Lotus changed her ruffling to a tap, lightly knocking the little princess on the forehead. “The date of my return is uncertain. It could be a few months or several years. But no matter what, I will come back.”
Her gentle blue eyes curved into a beautiful arc as the river goddess offered a rare, clear smile. “Even if my incarnation is not by your side, I am still watching you, Alyuin.”
Alyuin was silent for a moment, then the corners of her lips lifted. “Alright.”
“You must come back. If I wait too long, I’m afraid I won’t be able to resist coming to find you.”
She added this last sentence in a joking tone, her brilliant golden eyes fixed on Lotus, as if unwilling to miss a single glance.
All dreams must end.
In the pitch-black tent, the princess awoke with a start.
The night was dark and deep. She fumbled to light a candle, then paused for two seconds before turning to look beside her. As expected, it was empty.
A residual warmth still lingered in the spot. Alyuin lay back down, rolled over, and settled into that faint, fading warmth, staring up at the ceiling of the tent.
A deep gloominess settled over her beautiful, still-childish face. In the flickering candlelight, her expressionless face looked almost grim.
“I am still watching you, Alyuin.”
The gentle voice echoed in her mind.
Alyuin squeezed her eyes shut. When she opened them again, her expression was back to normal.
She picked up the Snowtu flower amulet that hung from her neck and lay by her shoulder. After lightly kissing the blue chalcedony bead among the petals, she placed it squarely over her heart.
Outside the tent, Lotus, in her spirit form, withdrew her gaze.
The two golden eagles perched outside the tent had woken up at some point. Animals were always more sensitive than humans; they couldn’t see the spirit form, but they turned their necks around a few times in confusion before tucking their heads back under their wings and resting against each other.
Lotus looked toward the legendary direction of the Kingdom of the Gods, lost in deep thought.
The little princess was emotionally stable, which was a relief. Now, the problem was on her end.
How does a god return to the Kingdom of the Gods?
The Kingdom of the Gods was the residence of all the deities in the Solancian pantheon. In mythology, it was described as a vast and beautiful floating island above the clouds, drifting where the sun and moon rose. The temples of the gods stood upon it, and its hills, forests, lakes, and marshes were all of divine craftsmanship—a beauty unseen in the mortal world.
Besides the gods, petite sprites and pure birds also lived on the island, singing and dancing all day to please the deities.
Lotus had almost gone there on her own once. Fortunately, the little princess’s unconscious call had awakened her, preventing her divinity from completely taking over her consciousness.
Now, it was as if Lotus held a switch in her hand. The switch was connected to a floodgate that sealed her divinity, and on the other side was a sea of divinity that could swallow her consciousness at any moment. She couldn’t press it lightly.
What if she transcended everything, ascended her divine throne, and could never come down?
Lotus pondered for a moment, then closed her eyes and recalled the feeling from that time.
With a light tap of her translucent toes on the ground, her entire being flew into the air. In the blink of an eye, she was at an altitude that not even the golden eagles could reach.
The higher she flew, the more profound the strange sensation became. Lotus unconsciously adjusted her direction, as if walking a familiar path, knowing how to proceed without having to think about it.
Suddenly, a magnificent light flared up ahead. When the brilliance faded, a scene as grand and spectacular as in the myths appeared before her—
The island floating at the pinnacle of the clouds was bathed in a bright, soft light. Looking up, she couldn't see the sun, only a sky as deep blue as the cosmos. Looking down, there was a thick layer of clouds, as if the clouds themselves were the ground. Between heaven and earth, there was only that one island, solemn and magnificent.
The very moment her toes touched the edge of the island, the clear and distant sound of a bell rang out. Before the echo of one chime faded, another followed.
After a full nine chimes, the scene before Lotus instantly changed. She found herself on a massive, circular stone platform, surrounded by emptiness.
Lotus looked left and right but found nothing that might be a clue, so she stood still and waited for someone—no, some god—to come.
The Goddess of Performing Arts had once said that after returning to the Kingdom of the Gods, “several majesties” would explain the situation to her. Those majesties must be the other main gods in the Solancian pantheon.
In that case, all she had to do was wait. Someone would have to act as a guide eventually.
Lotus did not wait long. A few breaths later, three figures shimmering with a faint light appeared one after another on the stone platform.
A young man with light golden hair said dashingly, “Nice to meet you. I’m your older brother.”
A goddess with silver eyes and the same hair color said calmly, “I’m your older sister.”
A stunningly beautiful goddess in a long dress covered her mouth and giggled. “What a coincidence, I’m your aunt. Why don’t you call me ‘auntie’?”
Lotus: “…”
Her expression went blank for a few seconds.
What is this, a divine family reunion?
But Lotus quickly regained her composure. She first nodded to the young man. “The Sun God, Suriel.”
Then she turned to the beautiful goddess. “The Goddess of Love and Desire, Adia.”
Finally, she looked at the silver-eyed goddess standing in the middle and smiled faintly. “The Moon Goddess, Anmila. You must have seen me at the festival.”
The Moon Goddess nodded. “Yes. So you sensed it.”
Lotus replied, “It was your festival, after all. I had to be mindful.”
The Sun God only just reacted. “Huh? Huh? Anmila, you’ve seen her before?”
The Moon Goddess: “Did I not tell you?”
The Sun God: “Not at all!”
The Moon Goddess: “Well, now you know.”
The Sun God: “That’s so perfunctory…”
The Goddess of Love drew closer to look at Lotus, the corners of her lips curving into a seductive arc. “How wonderful, another pretty junior. It was worth making the trip.”
Lotus maintained a polite smile and did not reply.
These gods were somewhat beyond her expectations. Lotus had originally thought that the gods of Solancia would be as transcendent and indifferent as her own divinity had been when it first awakened, but she was clearly mistaken.
These three gods had come to greet a new god, and they opened with claims of kinship.
The twin sun and moon gods even bickered… or rather, the Sun God bickered one-sidedly.
Something’s not right. This bunch of gods is very strange.
However, the Goddess of Performing Arts had also spoken and acted like an ordinary person, just with an otherworldly appearance and temperament. Could it be that all gods were like this? If so, why had she been acting so mysterious and godlike in front of the little princess?
While Lotus was secretly pondering, the Moon Goddess, Anmila, broke away from her muttering brother, took a step forward, and said to her, “I am your guide. You can ask me any questions you have here. The other two are just here for the show, pay them no mind.”
The Sun God defended himself, “I came to accompany you!”
The Goddess of Love twirled a lock of her hair and pouted. “How rude. I just came to see the little beauty.”
Looking at these two gods, Lotus was reminded of Motis and Lena—the very definition of unreliable.
So she decisively turned to the only one who seemed reliable, the Moon Goddess, and asked, “I awakened in a temple. Is that how it is for all gods?”
The Moon Goddess replied, “No. My brother and I were born here, on this very stone platform.”
“Awakened” and “born.” Lotus noted the subtle difference between the two words. Before she could ask, the Moon Goddess continued.
“Gods born from faith all appear on this platform, knowing their mission from birth—like myself, my brother, and Adia. Only gods who were once mortals and were deified over long ages awaken in temples built by humans.”
Anmila’s silver eyes, shimmering with a cool light like the moon, gazed calmly at Lotus.
“Lotus, you are the only human-turned-god among the eight main gods.”
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