TGS - Chapter 39
Chapter 39: Do Gods Have Love?
Here, the goddess and the princess slept peacefully.
Half a city away, in the God-Concubine's residence on the first floor of the Sky-reaching Tower, luminous pearls cast a cold, faint glow. Fireflies danced aimlessly inside a glass cover, their shadows projected onto the floor and walls—the only moving things in the grand hall.
Naimaer lay on a long couch, her hands folded over her abdomen. As the princess's aunt, she shared a similarly striking and vibrant beauty. Lying so still, in a state of near-dead silence, she looked like a perfectly preserved, beautiful corpse.
Two maids stood on either side, their heads bowed, not making a sound.
After a long while, the God-Concubine spoke. "Has it been several days since I've had a cloud?"
The words were somewhat cryptic, as if hinting at something.
One of the maids hesitated. "But your throat..."
"Enough nonsense. Go get it," Naimaer said, her expression weary.
The maid dared not disobey. "Yes."
She turned and hurried away, returning shortly with an exquisite metal box.
Opening the golden box revealed a long pipe of gold inlaid with agate. Cured tobacco mixed with mint spice powder was held in a glass container; upon lifting the lid, the faint, distinctive scent of tobacco could be smelled.
Smoking tobacco was a favorite pastime at the banquets of the ancient Solancian nobility. The God-Concubine almost never attended banquets, yet she was obsessed with tobacco, even though it easily damaged her fragile throat.
Wisps of white smoke curled and spread through the room.
The maids exchanged worried glances.
This smoke had mild hallucinogenic and sedative effects. It was an amusement for the nobility and was also often used in certain sacrificial rituals. In the eyes of Solancians, the dense white smoke closely resembled the overcast clouds before rain, and could be used to communicate with the Rain God to pray for rain during dry seasons.
The servants who attended the God-Concubine were never sure which purpose she sought; perhaps it was simply an addiction.
Naimaer took a deep drag from the pipe, her eyes vacant and hazy, before she suddenly began to cough violently.
"I'll get your medicine," a maid said urgently.
Naimaer waved her hand. "Don't go. Cough, cough... Wait until I'm finished."
She placed the pipe back to her lips, exhaling more smoke and letting out a hoarse chuckle mixed with low coughs from her throat.
"Such a blatant scheme, not even afraid that I'd see through it. If she can really do it, what's the harm in agreeing? The question is, can she do it? My dear brother, do you think your daughter can do it?"
The white smoke thickened, making the room appear even more dim and strange.
Only after the smoke had dissipated did the God-Concubine erupt into a hysterical, frantic fit of coughing. The two maids anxiously brought her a medicinal soup and watched her drink it.
"This is truly difficult."
Naimaer blinked slowly, her tone drifting.
After their nighttime meeting, there was no further word from the God-Concubine. It was no small matter, so of course she would consider it carefully.
But Lotus and Alyuin both knew that the God-Concubine would inevitably agree to the alliance, because the terms Alyuin had offered were ones she could not possibly refuse.
Based on this, the two were not worried in the slightest.
There was still half a month before the caravan was set to leave Surinia, which was just enough time to continue their leisurely outings.
Although they could feel the God-Concubine's people secretly following them each time, the two remained calm and composed, fully displaying an air of ease and confidence. This was precisely the image Alyuin wanted the God-Concubine to see.
If Naimaer truly hadn't sent people to watch them and trusted them completely, the princess would have had reason to suspect she was planning some unexpected move.
Surinia had no shortage of places for amusement.
The open-air theater, built of white stone, was one such place. The audience seats formed a semicircle that rose in tiers, enclosing the wide stage. Behind the stage stood a tall stone wall covered in bas-reliefs of various animals. The actors performed their divine plays against this backdrop.
The theater's design gave it excellent acoustics; even an audience member in the very last row could clearly hear the actors' voices on stage.
Ancient Solancian drama evolved from earlier ritualistic dance-dramas performed for the gods. It depicted scenes from myths and legends and was once intended solely for praying to the gods and expressing worship. By this era, however, it had gradually taken on the function of educating and entertaining the populace.
At this moment, the play being performed was a mythological story centered on the "mother and son" duo of the Goddess of Love and the God of Wisdom. It told of how Nierde, the God of Wisdom, debated with his mother, demanding that humanity be granted rational love and desire.
The actress playing the Goddess of Love and Desire, draped in a pale crimson robe, moved with elegant dance steps upon the stage, majestically refuting the God of Wisdom:
"My young, reckless son, this is utterly impossible. You should know that love, desire, and death existed long before wisdom was born. Love will not make way for you, just as death will not pause for you."
This myth had been passed down to later generations, and there were even modern theatrical adaptations of it, though they were not widely known. The line the actress was now chanting in a melodic tone was one of the most famous lines from the play.
The Surinian nobles seated nearby whispered and chuckled amongst themselves:
"No matter how many times I see it, I still love that line the most. It makes so much sense."
"The dancing is excellent, and the delivery is powerful!"
"Who is the actress? I don't think I've seen her before."
"I heard she just came to Surinia. She used to tour the small southern cities. She has quite a few fans, they even call her 'Asilu of the Southern Cities'."
Ignoring the discussions of others, Lotus watched with great interest.
Although the actress's dignified portrayal of the Goddess of Love felt a bit out of character, the play itself was still very interesting—as long as she controlled her imagination and didn't picture Adia's smiling face.
Alyuin knew the goddess enjoyed watching these things. Lotus rarely showed obvious emotional fluctuations, but the princess could sense that she was interested.
"I'm actually a little curious," she said, feigning nonchalance.
Lotus's gaze was still on the stage. "About what?"
"Do gods have love?" Alyuin paused, then added, "I mean love like humans have. Is it possible for a god to experience it?"
That was a question.
The gods of mythology undoubtedly had love. Later scholars generally believed that the relationships between mythological figures were reflections of relationships in human life. Some mythological systems would depict them in a more beautiful and idealized way, while others would reflect human nature more truthfully.
Solancian mythology belonged to the former category. Its chapters included love stories of the gods, such as the God of the Sky and the Snow Mountain, or the Moon Goddess and an elf, but these took up very little space and were mostly mentioned in passing.
But from what Lotus had seen in the Kingdom of the Gods, familial ties between deities were merely titles. Terms like brother, sister, father, and mother were all used in jest. Given this, the authenticity of the love stories in the myths was probably questionable as well.
Lotus considered for a moment before answering, "Perhaps."
Alyuin pressed, "What do you mean, 'perhaps'?"
"I mean I've never seen it, but it might exist." Lotus paused. "It's more likely that it exists."
Alyuin seemed lost in thought. "Oh..."
Lotus smiled and turned her gaze back to the stage, though her attention hadn't completely shifted from the princess's question.
First asking about the God-Concubine a few days ago, and now asking about love today. She didn't know if it was because Alyuin had reached that age, or if she had been affected by Naimaer's experience.
So Lotus asked casually, "Has Alyuin met someone she likes?"
Halfway through the question, the princess's muscles had already tensed silently. She quickly wracked her brain, wondering if she had let something slip. Only after confirming that the goddess had just asked offhandedly did she secretly breathe a sigh of relief.
"No, I was just moved by the scene and spoke my mind."
Lotus said, "Mm, I thought so."
After that, her eyes never left the stage, as if she was no longer interested in the topic.
But a subtle melancholy suddenly bloomed in her heart.
Its origin was unknown, its composition unclear. It was as light as a wisp of smoke, vanishing in the blink of an eye. It was so faint that Lotus paid it no mind at all.
Alyuin felt a weight lift from her heart, yet she couldn't help but feel a sense of loss.
She just asked once and then dropped it. Lotus really didn't care about such things at all.
Just then, an official of the God-Concubine appeared at the theater entrance. He walked with clear purpose toward the two of them.
"Your Highness the Princess, this evening again. The God-Concubine requests your presence."
Alyuin nodded. "I will be there on time."
Compared to their last meeting, this official's attitude seemed more respectful. The only person who could influence his attitude was the God-Concubine herself.
It seemed she had made her decision.
The second time was easier than the first. The group once again walked through the corridor decorated with luminous pearls and arrived at Naimaer's audience hall.
The God-Concubine gave a faint, mocking smile. "You've achieved your goal. Are you happy?"
Alyuin replied calmly, "I share in my aunt's joy."
"I am indeed quite happy, cough, cough," the God-Concubine said, suddenly turning her head to give two low coughs. When she turned back, her expression was calm again. "I agree to cooperate with you, but you should also understand that my support is of little use. At the very least, compared to other city lords who have more freedom and are closer to the royal city, Surinia's power is negligible."
Alyuin admitted it frankly. "You are correct."
The God-Concubine faltered. Although she knew it was the truth, hearing the other party agree so readily still gave her a sense of defeat, as if she'd been shot in the knee.
She said irritably, "Even so, you still came. Tell me, what do you need me to do?"
The corners of Alyuin's lips curved up.
"For now, there is only one thing."
"Stop being mysterious. Just say it."
"One day in the future, Horst will send a message to you, saying he is bringing you a new successor," Alyuin said. "If you receive such a message in the future, please inform me immediately."
The God-Concubine asked, "You're worried he'll pressure you into being sent to Surinia?"
Alyuin shrugged. "Not worried. It's a certainty."
The God-Concubine pondered this, then murmured to herself after a moment, "In that case, it seems more convenient for me to wait for you to be sent here than to wait for you to succeed."
The princess smiled. "You're welcome to try."
The smile was faint, but it didn't hide its dangerous undertones.
The God-Concubine felt a vague sense of threat. "...Never mind. I'm not one to go back on my word to a junior."
Alyuin nodded. "I trust in your sincerity."
With their business concluded, the God-Concubine didn't want to look at this accomplished junior for a second longer and found an excuse to see them out.
Alyuin didn't mind.
Now that the cooperation was settled, the God-Concubine's name was temporarily removed from her list of concerns. They just needed to enjoy Surinia for a few more days before they could set off with the caravan on the road to the next major city.
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