TGS - Chapter 75
Chapter 75: A Question of the Soul
In the evening, hundreds of miles away in the city of Akhet.
The royal palace was located in the center of the capital.
Without a doubt, this was an extremely magnificent and splendid palace. Its overall structure was grand and imposing, yet it did not lack exquisite detail. It could be called the epitome of Solancian architectural art, symbolizing the family at the pinnacle of power in this kingdom—the royal family, favored by the gods.
At this moment, escorted by his guards, a man dressed in luxurious robes was walking hastily along the main road.
He was in the prime of his life, with a square jaw and resolute features. The corners of his mouth were turned down in a serious line, and deep creases were etched into his face, giving him an upright and honest appearance.
A magnificent crown inlaid with lapis lazuli sat on his head, revealing his identity.
Horst, the current master of this royal palace.
"Your Majesty, news has arrived from Zitela City."
An attendant with a curled mustache followed closely behind him, matching his every step.
Zitela City was the main city where the caravan was currently staying.
Hearing this, Horst didn't slow his pace. "That useless oaf who's more trouble than he's worth? I'm in no mood to hear what foolish thing he's done now. As long as he hasn't gone too far, don't report it to me."
The attendant said, "But Alyuin has arrived there."
"What? Give me the letter."
The attendant handed him the letter and lowered his head, trembling.
As expected, after Horst finished reading the report, his expression became visibly stormy, and a shadow fell over his seemingly upright face.
"Provoking her on his own initiative, making a public spectacle of it, demanding she go to the arena, only to be dragged down himself. He's completely disgraced the royal family! My elder brother wasn't a fool, how could he have raised such an idiot?"
"But the letter also says that besides being frightened, the Lord of Zitela City was not seriously harmed and has now recovered."
"Of course Alyuin wouldn't dare let anything happen to him," Horst sneered. "She has no foundation in the royal city. All she can rely on are those old geezers with one foot in the grave. She's about to return to Akhet; would she dare harm my nephew?"
Horst shook his head. "No matter how good a woman is at warfare, she's still a woman—indecisive and timid. She would never have the guts. Besides, she's just a little girl."
He paused. "About this matter, has Wick not sent back any news?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"I fear he's developed some ideas he shouldn't have," Horst said coldly. "No wonder. He was once a slave; I never expected much from him in the first place."
The attendant nodded repeatedly in agreement, while on the other side, a white-bearded old man expressed deep concern, "Your Majesty, since Alyuin will soon be returning to the royal city, shouldn't we also make preparations?"
"What's there to panic about? You don't really think I'd consider a little girl like her an opponent, do you?"
"Of course not." The old man changed his tune. "But you know, she is, after all, the former king's only daughter. Those stubborn fools who are dissatisfied with the Crown Prince are still hoping..."
Hoping for the Princess to return to the royal city soon.
Calculating her age, Alyuin was already an adult. Those supporters of the direct royal bloodline probably wished she would appear outside the city gates tomorrow, marry a young nobleman the day after, and a year later, present them with a little prince to carry on the bloodline.
Horst knew full well what these old men were plotting, but he couldn't openly oppose them because most of the nobility still didn't recognize him as the legitimate ruler.
In their eyes, Horst was the king, but his branch of the family was not the direct line.
How ridiculous.
"Their schemes will never come to fruition." Horst's expression turned savage for an instant before quickly returning to normal. "Even if they do, it will be according to my wishes."
"Have men keep a close watch along the route, and call off all assassination attempts. I'll be waiting for my dear brother's daughter to return to the city safely!"
As he spoke, the group had already arrived at the largest bedchamber in the palace, the one belonging exclusively to the king.
Outside the bedchamber, a young man with flaxen, shoulder-length hair waited quietly.
The contours of his face, like his father's, appeared upright and resolute, and there was a resemblance between them, but he possessed a handsomeness that Horst lacked.
Seeing Horst return, he smiled and bowed. "Father King."
Horst's expression couldn't help but soften. "Romuer, my son, what are you doing here?"
Romuer—the Crown Prince personally appointed by Horst, and also his only son.
"Today at the court council, you said that the people of Disimeng City suffered heavy casualties after the earthquake and are also lacking necessary supplies," Romuer said resolutely. "I am willing to go and provide disaster relief. Please allow me to go."
"It's enough to order people to allocate supplies and send them over. There's no need for you to go in person."
"But I've heard the situation is very serious. I want to share your burden, Father King. This is also a form of training."
"Alright. You are truly my son."
The lines on Horst's face softened. He looked at his young son, feeling immense pride.
His only son had inherited his own physique and his mother's looks. His temperament was gentle but not weak. Especially those eyes, the color of lapis lazuli, were practically proof of the Sky God's favor.
Horst was very pleased with himself.
"Thank you. I will set out tomorrow," said Romuer.
Horst clapped his son's shoulder. "It seems you were already prepared, just waiting for my approval."
The Crown Prince smiled, pretending not to hear his father's teasing, and after taking his leave, departed with a light step.
Horst watched his retreating back and sighed softly. "This son of mine... he's good at everything, just too kind."
The attendant and the old man both said, "The Crown Prince is benevolent. That is a good thing. He can learn the rest slowly."
"You're right," Horst said, withdrawing his gaze. "All of you, follow me."
The group's figures disappeared behind the door.
Beside the main hall was a palace that seemed to have been abandoned for a long time.
Not a single person entered or left. It was pitch black and covered in dust.
The winter night's wind beat against the firmly locked palace doors. The doors trembled slightly, and the window frames shook, making faint noises.
Desolate and deserted.
The caravan's carts and horses traveled along the wide road.
As they traveled, the road surface clearly became more and more uneven, and the jolting of the carriages gradually grew more intense.
The caravan consequently slowed its pace, but sitting inside the carriage still gave one the illusion of being shaken to pieces, thoroughly disoriented by the bumps.
Back when she was still human, Lotus might have gotten motion sickness. Now, in her divine body, it was impossible, but she still felt a psychological discomfort.
So, she and Alyuin decided to get out of the carriage and ride horses at a trot.
As it happened, the gray horse Lotus had ridden as a cavalrywoman was also in the caravan. Noticing Lotus looking over, it raised its head excitedly.
—Who wants to pull cargo when you can carry a rider?
The River Goddess noticed it.
Just as she was about to walk over, Alyuin called out to her.
"You can ride with me," the Princess suggested earnestly.
Lotus let out a laugh. "How could I? There are so many people..."
Alyuin asked a soul-searching question: "If no one were around, would you agree?"
Lotus started to nod, then thought better of it and said with precision, "Yes. It's like how I can pat your head, hug you, and give you a goodnight kiss in private, but I can't do so in front of others."
A princess must maintain her dignity, after all.
Alyuin asked bluntly, "Why not?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, whether it's patting my head, hugging me, or even giving me a ki—a kiss of blessing right now, why can't we do that in front of others? Everyone knows our relationship; they wouldn't find it strange."
What relationship?
A relationship of mutual respect and affection between a teacher and student, or an elder and a junior.
Lotus said with a deadpan expression, "No. That's just how it is."
Her invitation to ride together having failed, Alyuin watched Lotus mount the gray horse, then had no choice but to turn and call for her own companion—a beautiful and powerful warhorse.
On the uneven road, the two horses trotted along, maintaining the closest safe distance between them, riding side-by-side, so to speak.
When it was time to rest at noon, the caravan stopped by the roadside to take out their dry rations and take a break.
The rations were made into flat cakes, with a coarse and hard texture and a bland taste, accompanied by dried meat.
The Princess took out a small leather pouch and handed it to Lotus.
Lotus opened it and saw it was more than half full of a sticky, white powder that gave off a rich, sweet fragrance. The scent was so familiar it seemed to be etched into her memory.
The River Goddess, who had once been deeply traumatized by them: "Suojia's cookies?"
The ground-up version, no less.
Alyuin said, "That's right. The Goddess Suojia's creations are very... innovative. Of course, they are delicious enough on their own, but they're also suitable for developing newer ways to eat them."
Lotus: "..."
Case closed. Alyuin must also think they're too sweet.
Lotus couldn't bear it and said, "Why don't we just throw—"
Alyuin immediately shook her head. "Wait, please try it first."
She took a piece of the ration cake, cut it in half with a small knife, and evenly sprinkled a layer of the cookie crumbs over it.
Trusting the Princess, Lotus took the ration and took a small bite.
She had expected it to be only slightly better than before, at most not as cloyingly sweet, but when she tasted it, it was surprisingly delicious.
The sweetness was just right, and it had a fresh, delightful flavor that processed sweets usually lacked. It even made the poor-textured ration itself seem sweet and moist.
Lotus stared at the sweet ration with a probing expression, as if trying to discern the truths of the universe from within it.
Could simply grinding it into a powder and pairing it with dry rations have such an effect?
It must be Suojia's divine power, right? It has to be.
Alyuin smiled. "It's rare to see you dazed like this. It's alright, we can eat them like this from now on."
For some reason, Lotus felt a trace of pity in the Princess's eyes.
And then she remembered Alyuin's slip of the tongue, "She's your mother"...
Lotus declared solemnly, "I did not grow up eating that kind of thing."
Alyuin replied obediently, "Yes, I understand."
Lotus felt it necessary to clarify, "Suojia and I are not related by blood, and neither is the Snow Goddess. It's not just the Goddess of the Earth; none of the gods are blood relatives."
She thought for a moment and added, "The stories in the myths are just human imagination. In fact, I've looked like this ever since I awoke. If I had to describe my relationship with Suojia and the others, I suppose we would be colleagues."
Alyuin pressed her lips together, staring at the leather pouch for a long moment.
"Then, why would the Goddess of the Earth give me cookies?"
Lotus: "..."
A good question—perhaps this was a grandmother's love?
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