TGS - Chapter 107
Chapter 107: Outside Senna City
The next morning.
In the Princess's residence, a group of people was packed and ready to depart.
Lena and Motis were, of course, to accompany her on this expedition to quell the rebellion.
The head maidservant, Kurda, was staying behind. Since the previous night, she had been fussing like a worried old mother, exhausting herself with preparations for this small punitive force. If she hadn't confirmed that there was a highly skilled physician in the army, her own knowledge of medicine might have compelled her to abandon her duties and follow them.
Before leaving, Alyuin looked at a stack of Snowtu flower petals used for writing love letters. She played with them for a moment before placing them in a drawer and securing it with a small brass lock.
The journey would be bumpy day and night, and the dried petals were not easy to preserve; they could easily be damaged. For the sake of the flower letters' integrity, it was better to leave them safely in her room.
Having properly stored the flower letters, the Princess left her room. Tightening her black deerskin gloves, she walked along the corridor toward the main hall.
Several people were already waiting there, including Lena, who was chatting idly, and Motis, who was wiping his sword as if it were a precious treasure. The head maidservant was reluctantly counting the items they needed to bring.
The greenhorn Luca also wanted to go, but unfortunately, his name was not on the list of accompanying personnel. He could only sit to the side and watch wistfully, muttering things like, "This must be a test for me," and "I must remain calm."
Among the crowd, the incarnation of the river goddess, with her black hair and blue eyes, was so conspicuous that she seemed to be surrounded by a pure, gentle light invisible to others. Alyuin's gaze immediately focused on her, rendering her unable to notice anyone else around.
Alyuin was stunned for only a moment before she walked to Lotus's side and followed her line of sight.
A few bags of dry rations were placed there.
Alyuin misunderstood Lotus's thoughts and whispered, "We've run out of the special seasoning powder from Goddess Suojia, but these rations have honey and dried fruit, so the taste is acceptable."
Lotus: "...Ah."
The Goddess of the Yilu River withdrew the divine power she had been using to inspect the ration bags. Her pale lips moved slightly, but in the end, she didn't say that she was simply worried about the food being poisoned.
So why did she associate it with the taste?
In the human mind, gods were not supposed to have strong desires for food and drink. Had she given the impression that she was a great lover of fine cuisine?
Alyuin used her slender, honey-colored fingertips to open a bag, picking up a small piece of the dry ration and bringing it to Lotus's lips.
"Please, have a taste," she said with a beaming smile.
Lotus subconsciously parted her lips and took the piece of dried bread embedded with fig into her mouth. For a fleeting moment, it seemed she touched something relatively soft, and then it seemed she hadn't—perhaps it was the piece of fig on the surface?
As for the food itself, it was still dry rations. The texture couldn't compare to fine cuisine, but it was indeed a significant improvement.
The goddess who supposedly had no strong desire for food suggested, "It seems quite good. You could add some dried dates next time."
Alyuin: "Alright."
The Princess lowered her hand, her fingertips rubbing together imperceptibly.
The final inventory was completed, and the party was about to depart. Two golden eagles flew in from outside the door, landing one on each of Alyuin's forearms.
They were also two members of this expedition.
"May the Goddess Lotus bless you with a smooth journey and a safe, triumphant return," the head maidservant said, bowing solemnly.
The servants and guards staying at the residence also bowed their heads and bid farewell in unison, "May the Goddess protect Your Highness for a triumphant return!"
Among those who remained in the royal city, many were guards who had once fought alongside Alyuin. In all these years, this was the only time they could not accompany her, because they had a place they needed to defend.
They could only pour their hopes and loyalty into their unified wish, hoping the Princess they served would return soon.
The cavalry column led by the Princess rode out of Akhet.
After traveling some distance, Lotus suddenly looked back toward the top of the city gate.
Just now, it seemed someone had been watching from there.
This vague feeling vanished in an instant, and Lotus couldn't tell if it had been an illusion. She could only make a mental note of it before turning her head forward again.
Atop the city gate, the renowned actress stood in a complex and solemn performance costume, her head covered by a hood. She gazed silently into the distance for a long time before turning to leave.
Strangely, the city gate guards stood right beside her, on high alert, yet they turned a blind eye to the young woman who had casually ascended the gate.
Senna City was located north of Akhet, so the journey was not too long. After two days and two nights, the troop of cavalry, mounted on tall, strong horses, arrived at the city closest to Senna.
This city was also considered a strategically important location within Solancia. It was classified as a fortress, with relatively strong defenses.
The city lord was a good-tempered elder, but he was too good-tempered. With a soft, round, ruddy face, he allowed the city's garrison commander to give all the orders. Anyone who didn't know better would have thought the commander was the city lord in power.
"Your Highness the Princess has come all the way from the royal city, and I failed to lead the troops out of the city to welcome you. How negligent of me, how negligent."
The garrison commander said this, his tone and facial expression perfectly illustrating what it meant to be passive-aggressive.
The commander believed he had reason to be dissatisfied.
The slave rebellion had occurred in Senna City, the one closest to him. If Akhet hadn't sent anyone, he could have led his army to quell the rebellion himself.
A bunch of slaves, relying on their numbers to occupy a small city. They were probably still enjoying themselves like fools in the luxurious mansions of the former nobles. No matter how numerous, they were just a disorderly mob. A casual fight would send them throwing down their armor and surrendering with their hands up.
And wouldn't that have been a great achievement?
What a pity...
The commander glanced at the Princess, gave a perfunctory salute, then straightened up and fell silent, intentionally trying to embarrass her.
Alyuin raised an eyebrow. "Are you the city lord here?"
"No, but I am—"
Before he could announce his identity, Alyuin swept past him and walked toward the long-bearded city lord, who had very little presence, to inquire about the current situation in Senna City.
The commander: "..."
He could no longer be passive-aggressive.
Ultimately, this was Horst's intentional arrangement. Unwilling to provide an opportunity for the Princess to bond with the Akhet army, he had her "airdrop" in, placing her above the local garrison, which was bound to cause dissatisfaction among its commanders.
So what if she was a strong fighter and a skilled commander? If the leadership and their subordinates were not of one mind, how much of that great power could truly be brought to bear?
As for the slave rebellion, it was nothing to worry about. It could be suppressed eventually. Even as he envisioned Senna City as Alyuin's final resting place, Horst was also happy to shatter the Princess's myth of invincibility. He would undermine her whenever he could.
But now, the commander stood to the side, frustrated, listening to the Princess and the city lord converse. He tried to interrupt but could find no suitable pretext.
Finally, when Alyuin asked, "Why did those slaves start the rebellion, and have there been any unusual situations in Senna City recently?" the commander seized his chance to cut in. He said dismissively, "What other reason could there be? They're just ungrateful. As slaves, they failed to abide by their duties. Not arresting and executing them is not enough to serve as a warning to others."
Alyuin: "Oh."
She continued her conversation with the city lord.
To deal with a passive-aggressive person, there was no need to argue. A few perfunctory words were enough to make them choke on their own anger.
The commander ground his teeth. Suddenly, he felt a pat on his shoulder from behind. He turned around angrily, only to see the roguish smile of the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Such a smile looked very out of place on that rugged, sturdy face.
Motis: "Friend, you seem a bit idle."
The commander: "?"
"How about a spar on the training grounds outside?"
"Are you challenging me on behalf of your master? Fine, a spar it is."
The commander was led out the door, and Alyuin was able to listen to the city lord describe the current situation in peace.
The city lord had heard a few things about the cause of the slave rebellion from civilians who had fled the city. Regardless of whether they were true, he hid nothing from the Princess.
"Recently, they were building a small colosseum in Senna City. It was halfway done. The schedule was probably tight, and quite a few slaves died, which is what made them riot."
The city lord shook his head. "Honestly, what's the use of building a colosseum? Even my city doesn't have one. Senna City isn't large to begin with. It would be better to reclaim more land so we can get through the winter."
Alyuin nodded, lost in thought.
As for any further details, the city lord didn't know much more. He was old, and even if he wanted to participate more in the discussion, he lacked the energy. Before long, he was helped away by his attendants.
Alyuin looked at the topographical map hanging on the wall.
Lotus didn't know much about military strategy, but she could sense, more or less, that the situation they faced was not as simple as the commander believed.
"Senna City is indeed not large. It's backed by a mountain cliff, a bit like Kadera. But precisely because it's small, a large force can't be fully utilized... The enemy has an advantage. Of course, a siege would be more suitable, but that would drag on for too long."
Alyuin's tone was very soft, almost as if she were talking to herself.
"Is this what Horst wants? To tie us down here?"
After a brief moment of thought, the two left the city lord's mansion and returned to their temporary residence to plan further.
A while later, Motis returned, covered in dust and grimacing. Unable to find his medicine bottle, he ran to Lena for some wound ointment.
Lena asked in surprise, "Why are you in such a sorry state? Did you fight several rounds with the garrison here?"
"No, it was that passive-aggressive guy," Motis said, busy applying medicine to himself.
Lena was shocked. "You lost?"
"How could I? It's not like I was fighting Her Highness. It was a narrow victory."
Motis sighed. "But I have to say, that guy is a pretty good fighter. I have reason to suspect he traded his brain for brawn. He even had the nerve to threaten me after the fight."
Lena: "..."
She thought that the phrase "traded his brain for brawn" could also be applied to Motis himself.
But Motis was slightly better in comparison. At least he wouldn't pick a fight, lose, and then act all fierce and aggressive.
Alyuin said nonchalantly, "Sounds like a handful."
"Yes—Your Highness, I strongly request that you go and knock him down a peg!"
Motis was very enthusiastic, which didn't seem like the reaction of someone who had won. The result of the spar was probably closer to a draw than a so-called narrow victory.
Alyuin unfolded the topographical map, her fingertip tapping lightly on the paper.
The commander's high martial skill was not necessarily a bad thing, of course. But it was precisely because he possessed sufficient strength, and was confident in this ability, that he was more prone to being obstinate and self-opinionated.
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