TGS - Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Assessment Exam
In her dream, Alyuin drew her bow, aiming at a distant target. Two arrows were already embedded in the bullseye, which was painted a conspicuous red. The fletching on one of them was still trembling slightly.
Lotus's arrival sent ripples through the dream. The young princess paused for a moment before releasing the string with a calm expression. The third feathered arrow pierced the bullseye like a bolt of lightning, embedding itself deeper and more precisely than the first two.
Then she turned, holding the bow in one hand, and bowed respectfully to the goddess. The bow was half her height, making the little princess seem all the more petite.
"You've come, Goddess Lotus."
The young princess spoke with a hint of resentment in her eyes, one that was difficult to notice. However, had she truly wished to conceal it, she could have done so without a trace. This resentment was entirely for show.
The culprit herself, who had left the little princess hanging for a week, remained impassive. She raised a hand and pointed forward. A torrent of water flooded the training ground of the princess's memory, rushing in all directions until the sky was reflected on nothing but the shimmering, azure surface of a river, turning the dreamscape into a water world.
Alyuin was, after all, still a little girl. The sudden disappearance of the ground beneath her feet made her let out a short, subconscious cry.
Soon, however, she realized she could stand on the surface of the water. Her alarm turned to novelty. She tentatively lifted a foot and stomped twice, as if treading on soft, elastic, flowing silk.
The best way to distract a child is to give them a toy. Lotus felt she had achieved her goal and was quite pleased, planning to discuss serious matters after the little princess had had her fun.
Unexpectedly, Alyuin possessed a strong sense of self-management. After stomping on the water a few times, she suppressed the urge to crouch down and poke it with her finger. She continued to gaze up at the goddess, the grievance in her eyes only growing stronger.
Lotus: "..."
She said in her cool, detached voice, "Princess of Solancia, is there something you wish to say?"
Alyuin shook her head, yet her eyes dimmed, giving the impression that she had something to say but dared not say it.
Lotus sighed inwardly. "In my presence, you may speak your mind without reservation."
The little princess said in a low voice, "I have no questions. You are the goddess of the Yilu River, the embodiment of all pure water. Wherever your gaze falls, there must be matters far more important than me that require your attention... Therefore, I feel only gratitude."
"I'm truly not sad, not one bit," she added for emphasis.
So she knows how to feign retreat to advance her position? Lotus chuckled to herself.
She solemnly raised her hand and pointed to the sky. In the direction she indicated, a star suddenly flared with brilliant light.
It was Mercury—the star said to be governed by the Goddess of the Yilu River. Along with the other six major stars, it was used by the ancient Solancians to mark the days of the week. A rotation of the seven stars constituted one week, and four weeks made a month.
"Every Wednesday, I will come here," Lotus said, her voice softening slightly. "This time is yours alone, little princess."
Alyuin's eyes widened slightly.
Despite her young age, she was already adept at using displays of weakness to her advantage, such as wheedling her father the king and mother the queen at the right moments. She normally made no secret of her pride and competitive nature, so whenever she adopted an attitude of wanting something but not wishing to trouble anyone, her parents were more likely to grant her request.
Using this tactic on Lotus was likely a force of habit; she hadn't actually expected a response. After all, the other party was a goddess. To deign to guide her in a dream or appear to help in a time of crisis was already a blessing that past royalty could only dream of.
But this river goddess before her not only didn't ignore her little trick, but she also earnestly set a time to meet. It seemed she wasn't as cold and indifferent as Alyuin had imagined.
Alyuin blinked.
So gods fall for this too.
Of course, Lotus's reason for setting a weekly meeting wasn't just to stand there and stare at the little princess.
After a moment of contemplation, she waved her hand again. The parts of the knowledge she had absorbed in the library that might be useful to Alyuin were all selected and materialized in the form of scrolls, spreading out across the boundless surface of the water.
Alyuin: "These are..."
Lotus: "The knowledge collected in my temple. While it cannot replace a sufficiently wise teacher, it will still benefit you greatly."
The young princess certainly knew what this meant. The library of every temple was sacred, open only to priests. Other students might be able to enter as apprentice priests, but it was impossible for her.
The pretext for her exile established by the new king was that she carried the blood of a sinner. How could someone with impure blood be qualified to become a priestess? Even if the priestess agreed, others watching in the shadows would never allow it.
Alyuin was certain that her education would end with her schooling period. Afterward, she would perhaps be placed in some insignificant position, or simply be kept by the temple as a princess. The new king would not give her a chance to grow.
But now, with these scrolls before her, she could at least acquire sufficient knowledge. She would no longer have to spend her days listening to lessons she had already learned, secretly anxious about her lack of progress.
Realizing the implications, Alyuin's lips curved into a smile, her eyes crinkling. "Thank you!"
"It is a small matter. Even when it is not Wednesday, they will remain in your dream until you have mastered them," Lotus said. "But before we begin, there is one more thing."
A sheet of white paper with writing on it floated down before Alyuin. She had never seen paper so brilliantly white, light, and thin. She turned it over curiously and saw the questions written upon it.
The little princess: "..."
She looked up, bewildered. "I remember the God of Wisdom and Knowledge is Nierde."
A flicker of amusement crossed Lotus's eyes, but her tone remained indifferent. "Then please accept Nierde's test."
Using the name of a divine colleague who may or may not exist... how about a little assessment exam?
Before dawn, Lotus's translucent figure suddenly appeared beside the young princess's bed. A few seconds later, Alyuin awoke with a jolt and sat up.
The little princess, who had struggled to answer the questions in her dream, stared blankly into space.
When she was in the royal city, she had taken lessons from the palace governesses, all of which were rather basic. She had never encountered a challenge in her studies, which was why she had focused most of her energy on archery and combat training.
Compared to what she had learned before, this test was of a fiendish difficulty. Alyuin had racked her brain and only managed to answer half the questions, and she wasn't even sure if that half was correct.
"Is this the test of Nierde, the God of Wisdom?" Alyuin muttered to herself with a grave expression. "It's certainly not simple."
She felt a small measure of comfort recalling the river goddess's gentle "You did well" after she had handed back the paper. She lifted the Snowtu-shaped amulet hanging from her chest and kissed it.
This was a habitual gesture. Amulets held extraordinary significance for the people of Solancia, and kissing one was believed to bring good luck.
Ever since Alyuin had sworn allegiance to the river goddess, her old amulet of the Sky God was naturally unusable—not that she could use it anyway, as the poor thing had long been smashed to pieces.
In any case, the young princess needed a new amulet. She had entrusted the task of making one to the priestess, and at the same time, she had taken out the blue chalcedony bead she received from Lotus and asked for it to be embedded in the amulet.
The priestess, having just received an oracle from the goddess, treated the matter with the utmost importance. She visited the artisan twice a day to supervise the progress, managing to have it completed within a week. The blue chalcedony was set in the center of the Snowtu flower. While its exquisite craftsmanship couldn't compare to her previous one, it was no worse than the priestess's own amulet.
Now, Alyuin began her day by kissing the amulet. She then stretched and prepared to eat breakfast before heading to the schoolhouse.
Even if it was pointless, she still had to keep up appearances.
Suddenly, a knock came from the door. Three raps, a pause of a few seconds, then three more.
Alyuin froze, walked silently to the door, and opened it a crack.
Standing outside was a girl, a head shorter than the princess, with a round face and round eyes, dressed in the robes of a junior priestess.
Lotus remembered her. She had seen this little girl in the library before, but not since. What was she doing here?
Alyuin voiced the same question. "Who are you, and what is it?"
The little girl's cheeks were pale. She opened her mouth but no sound came out.
Alyuin was baffled. "..."
Do I look that scary?
The girl opposite her finally managed to speak, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "Hello... My name is Rhea. My... my mother sent me to find you."
"Find me for what?"
"The Lord of Kadera City has come to visit you..."
It dawned on Lotus.
Ordinarily, when a princess arrived in such a remote city, even in exile, the local lord should pay a visit at the first opportunity. To do otherwise would be disrespectful to the royal family.
The Lord of Kadera had not appeared before. That was acceptable; it was understandable that he wouldn't want to get involved in the royal family's internal struggles. But what did it mean to come after a week had passed?
Alyuin had clearly reached the same conclusion. Her expression darkened, but she spoke at a measured pace. "Wait a moment. I will prepare and then go with you."
Rhea waved her hands hastily. "It's alright, my mother said there's no rush."
The young princess returned to her room to quickly wash up. After a moment's hesitation, she concealed a dagger on her person before leaving with Rhea.
On the way, she asked Rhea, "Do you know how many people came?"
Rhea: "Just three. The lord and his two guards."
"Is that so..." Alyuin thought for a moment, then asked, "By the way, who is your mother?"
Rhea: "She's... she's a priestess here."
Rhea's answer was not very clear. Both Lotus and Alyuin assumed her mother was just an ordinary priestess in the temple.
It wasn't until they arrived at the temple's reception room that Rhea scurried over to the head priestess and called out softly, "Mother, I've brought her."
The priestess: "Thank you for your trouble. You may go back."
Lotus: "..."
Alyuin: "..."
They looked at the tall, thin priestess with her sharp brows, stern eyes, and dignified bearing, then at the timid, round-faced Rhea who didn't dare speak loudly.
They're really mother and daughter?
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