TGS - Chapter 106
Chapter 106: Slave Rebellion
Alyuin sat upright at her desk, bathed in the warm orange glow of a candle lamp.
Her quill, saturated with an expensive pigment mixed with lapis lazuli powder, touched down on a snowtu petal. Stroke by stroke, she transcribed a love letter she had already drafted.
The Princess's eyes were half-lowered, her expression as devout and focused as the feelings in her heart.
This was the obsession she had suppressed for five long years, her most deeply hidden secret, a love that could not be spoken of to others.
Had she not seen a glimmer of hope, a woman as prudent as Alyuin would never have even considered committing these feelings to the page—feelings that had long since overflowed from her heart and eyes with nowhere else to go.
But she still didn't know how long she would have to wait before she could place them before Lotus.
At this thought, the tip of her quill paused for a fraction of a second before continuing to write smoothly.
Before long, the flower letter was finished.
The snowtu petal was quite large, but to ensure the script remained clear and elegant, there was only enough room for a short poem.
Although Solancia's script had developed into a relatively complete system, it still appeared complex and archaic. Written vertically on the petal according to convention, the beautiful characters and elegant phrases were clear at a glance, yet they also possessed the intricate solemnity of a temple inscription.
Alyuin lightly pinched the edge of the petal between her fingertips, still feeling not quite satisfied.
It's still not good enough.
After examining it for a moment, the Princess placed the finished flower letter in a hidden yet dry and well-ventilated spot, alongside the previous petals, waiting for the day they could be revealed.
Having done this, Alyuin stepped outside.
The moon had not yet risen high, and the summer night's breeze carried a hint of coolness, perfect for a stroll.
Apparently, Lotus thought so too.
They met on a garden path. Neither spoke; they simply exchanged a smile and naturally fell into step together.
After they had walked a short distance in silence, Lotus suddenly spoke. "Were you by the pond just now?"
"No," Alyuin replied.
Then she asked with a smile, "Why?"
"It's nothing." Lotus glanced toward the nearby pond and, after a moment's thought, decided to explain her guess. "I caught the scent of snowtu flowers. It was faint, so I assumed you'd come from that direction."
Alyuin understood at once.
It was the faint floral scent that had clung to her while she was writing the flower letter. Snowtu, being an aquatic flower, had a delicate and crisp fragrance that lingered for a long time, even longer than that of more potent flowers.
The Princess knew this, but she feigned ignorance. "Is there? Perhaps from being so close to you, I've inevitably picked up some of the scent."
"...Me?" Lotus asked.
Alyuin arched an eyebrow, her smile deepening. "You always carry the scent of snowtu flowers. It's very pleasant; I've grown quite used to it. When we first started living separately, I suffered from insomnia for a long time because I could no longer smell that familiar fragrance."
Hearing this half-true, half-false lament, Lotus was speechless.
The statement seemed overly intimate, yet at the same time, perfectly fine. But inexplicably, she felt a tiny flicker of joy at the words.
Such an emotion shouldn't have surfaced; it was as if she were contradicting her own thoughts.
Just then, Lena came hurrying toward the main residence. Spotting the Princess and Lotus, she immediately changed her course to approach them.
"Your Highness, those people are still spreading rumors and fanning the flames," Lena said with a frown. "I overheard a few dandies talking about it. When they heard about the injury the old man's grandson sustained, they were terrified. They're treating you like some kind of monster, and I'm afraid their families are reacting similarly."
Alyuin mused, "It seems their courage is even less than I thought."
"Shouldn't we send people to stop it?" Lena asked.
As the daughter of the Lord of Digebia, Lena was no stranger to the ugly behavior of nobles scrambling for more profit. It was precisely because she was well aware of that dark side that she understood the impact such rumors could have.
"There's no need."
"But..."
"It's not necessary. Even if these rumors didn't exist, certain families would still know that I am different from Horst and that I won't tolerate their behavior. To protect their interests and avoid a future reckoning, they would grit their teeth and stand by Horst's side regardless."
"But I've heard that those people aren't very satisfied with the Crown Prince either. They often complain that he's inflexible and won't turn a blind eye."
"That kind of complaint is just empty talk." Alyuin shook her head, her tone lightly sarcastic. "Do you remember what happened in Disimeng City? Romuer is soft-hearted. He hesitated over a city lord with whom he had no connection. If he were faced with these nobles from the royal city, people he actually knows, how do you think he would choose?"
Lena thought about it and realized that was indeed the case.
But she still hesitated. "So we should just ignore the rumors?"
"Of course we'll deal with them. But not by controlling them—by letting them spread even further."
They don't need to reach the ears of nobles and wealthy merchants. They need to reach the common people—those who usually have no interest in the private affairs of the powerful, who are only concerned with how to cope with heavy taxes and support their families.
Especially the part about how the Princess dealt with the dandy. The more detailed, the better; embellishments are welcome. We can even have Rhea write something—for example, that this was the will of the Goddess Lotus, that the deity commanded the Princess to eliminate the pests who commit all manner of evil and threaten the lives and safety of the people...
In the end, it will probably be Horst who has to send people to curb the rumors, lest Alyuin's deeds spread throughout all of Akhet.
Lena nodded, preparing to give the orders.
Her worries cast aside, the female knight pounded her shoulder and laughed heartily. "You know," she said, her tone half-musing and half-joking, "I don't think that's impossible. It really is the River Goddess giving you her decree, isn't it? As expected of one favored by the gods, Your Highness."
Alyuin gave a noncommittal smile. "Hmm, I wonder?"
At the same time, she shot a mischievous glance at Lotus.
Lotus, who spent her days reading and feeding the fish and birds in perfect tranquility, was speechless.
Not at all.
All the goddess had done, probably, was provide a name.
Lena had come in a hurry and left just as quickly.
"Goddess of the Yilu River, incarnation of all the waters of the world," Alyuin said, "do you have any other instructions for me?"
"The goddess instructs you to go back to sleep." Lotus finally couldn't resist. She raised her hand and unceremoniously tapped the Princess's forehead with her knuckle.
"I will obey your command."
Alyuin sighed and, surprisingly, returned to her room obediently.
Lotus remained where she was, turning her bracelet with a thoughtful expression, her thoughts unreadable.
After standing silently for a long time, Lotus tilted her head and sniffed lightly at her own shoulder.
As expected, she smelled nothing.
Let alone the snowtu fragrance Alyuin had mentioned.
The hottest part of summer passed. In another month or so, the bountiful autumn favored by the Goddess of the Earth would arrive.
During this time, Alyuin and Horst remained locked in a standoff, as if waiting for some critical point, some opportunity, to break the current stalemate.
Lotus had never forgotten the cup of poisoned wine from the historical records of another world.
She had investigated key areas within the royal city and its outskirts but had not found the perfumer or apothecary she suspected. The strange scented poisons Horst possessed also seemed to have reached their limit.
But was it really over?
Lotus remained skeptical. She inspected the storerooms in the residence, paying special attention to the food, wine, and spices, but found nothing amiss.
In addition, she made a point of accompanying the Princess more often, especially to events like invited banquets, which Lotus would always attend.
However, for the time being, there were no problems with the food and drink, either outside or within the residence.
Finally, the opportunity both sides had been waiting for arrived.
In early autumn, a rebellion broke out in Senna City, located north of the royal city. Slaves, oppressed by the nobility, had risen up in revolt.
By the time the news reached Akhet, the lord of that city had already been beheaded by the slave rebel army. The slaves had occupied the lord's manor, and within a few short days, the tables had turned.
In Solancia, slave uprisings were not uncommon, but it was rare for one to escalate to the point of capturing an entire city.
Usually, before they could gain momentum, the rebels would be surrounded and annihilated by a large army, overwhelmed by the numbers and weaponry of the regular forces. As long as the main leaders were eliminated, the rebel force would lose its cohesion like scattered sand and be wiped out.
In this rebellion, however, the leaders had only dealt with the powerful figures within the city and seemed to have no intention of expanding beyond its walls.
The uprising was neither massive nor insignificant, but it still required reinforcements from the royal city.
In the royal court, Horst announced the news that Senna City had been occupied by slaves, his face filled with indignation.
"Senna City is located in the near north, less than five hundred li from Akhet. That lowly slaves would dare to be so rampant is simply absurd."
"Those slaves killed their masters and now presume to possess Senna City! Their actions are a grave violation of the law, an unforgivable offense!"
The ministers all chimed in with denunciations, their words filled with contempt and anger. Even the officials of commoner birth, though they remained silent, shared the same sentiment.
To be a slave was to be destined to have lowly blood. This was a belief shared by everyone in this era, including many slaves themselves.
Horst raised a hand, signaling for silence.
"So, who is willing to lead an army to Senna City to quell this rebellion?"
The military commanders perked up, eagerly volunteering for the task.
Quelling a rebellion was generally not a desirable assignment, but a slave uprising like this was different. The opponents had no organized army, knew nothing of tactics, and had a limited worldview. They would just hole up in the city, where they could be worn down and defeated.
The glory was practically being handed to them on a platter!
Romuer also eagerly volunteered. "Father, I am willing to go."
Horst glanced at his son but didn't agree, instead turning his gaze to the Princess.
"Alyuin," he called out amiably.
Alyuin looked up, her expression calm, as if she already knew what he was going to say.
As expected, Horst's next words were, "You've been back in the royal city for so long. I'm sure you'd be willing to lead the army to suppress the rebellion. Consider it a chance to stretch your legs."
Some of the military commanders grumbled in discontent, but they also heard the finality in Horst's tone, so they all fell silent, waiting for the Princess's reply.
A flicker of light passed through Alyuin's eyes. She was silent for a moment, then slowly smiled.
"Very well," she said calmly. "Since you think so highly of me, Uncle, how could I possibly disappoint you?"
Horst nodded in satisfaction, thinking that his niece knew her place after all.
...If only she would go and die so obediently, that would be even better.
Yes, unlike his dark calculations from months ago, Horst now believed that Alyuin must die.
And wasn't this slave rebellion the perfect opportunity?
That night, the commander of the white-armored guard once again visited the Perfumer's attic.
After the commander explained his purpose, the Perfumer sneered. "No. If you want poisons or poisoned incense, I have plenty. But she is my unfinished work. I can't possibly give her to you now. Leave."
The guard commander was helpless and could only leave.
However, less than two days later, on the eve of the Princess's departure, the Perfumer summoned the guard commander again and waved his hand in disgust.
"She's ruined. If you don't use her now, she'll spoil. Take her, do what you will—and bring me new test subjects."
As he spoke, the Perfumer pushed a frail young girl out, and the attic door slammed shut without hesitation.
The guard commander was speechless.
He sized up the person before him.
The girl wore a loose robe, but her frame was paper-thin. She was haggard and pale, her long chestnut hair dry and dull, and her eyes held only numbness.
"Come with me," he said.
The girl didn't move.
The guard commander frowned. Before he could resort to force, the girl lifted her head like a wandering spirit and asked airily, "Am I to deal with Alyuin?"
"Is that it?"
"Perhaps," came the ambiguous reply.
The girl's lips curled high into a smile, as if she didn't care about the Perfumer's assessment of her. A crazed, hateful light danced in the depths of her eyes.
"How wonderful. I've waited for this day for a long, long time—"
A strange hissing sound arose. The guard commander instinctively looked down and saw a venomous snake poke its triangular head out from the girl's sleeve, its tongue flicking faintly.
It was a chilling sight.
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