TGS - Chapter 112

Chapter 112: The Person Who Shouldn't Have Appeared

After some time, the two emerged from the gloomy prison and stepped into the light of day.

Alyuin raised a hand to shield her forehead, her eyes squinting slightly as she adjusted to the sudden brightness of the sun.

"Lotus, do you see great potential in her?"

Her voice trailed off, almost like a faint sigh.

Killing a city lord, seizing a city, rebellion—any one of these was an undeniable capital offense under Solancian law, especially when committed by a slave.

Anyone handling this matter would have been bound to issue a death sentence, likely a brutal public execution to deter any others with similar ideas.

Even Alyuin, at first, had no intention of sparing the rebel leader.

Shalu had never received any formal training, yet she had managed to lead a rebellion, withstand a siege for days, and find an opportunity to break through. While the Princess admired the potential she displayed, that was the extent of it.

After all, they stood on opposite sides, their statuses worlds apart.

Allowing Shalu to die with dignity, without harsh interrogation, was the greatest respect Alyuin could offer an enemy.

However, upon hearing Shalu's name, Lotus had said, "Look into her life story before you make a decision."

Alyuin had initially only investigated the events of the uprising. After hearing Lotus's words, she fell silent for a moment before questioning the surrendered slaves about Shalu's past.

The slaves, desperate to live, vied to be the first to speak, spilling everything they knew without reservation.

A troubled past and a life of hardship were not enough to sway the Princess. What truly changed her mind were Shalu's actions after taking Senna City.

The slave leader hadn't killed all the nobles in the city. She had been lenient with the aristocrats and wealthy merchants who had not mistreated their slaves. She had even dispatched a reliable escort before the uprising began to see a noblewoman's family, who had once helped slaves, safely out of the city and away from the turmoil.

Shalu didn't hate all nobles because of her own plight. The slaves who had revealed their true colors after taking the city knew her principles and had to act behind her back. Otherwise, Shalu wouldn't have learned of her subordinates' deeds from the Princess only today.

This person could be of use.

Alyuin came to this conclusion.

Shalu was the leader of the rebellion; pardoning her was unrealistic. Thus, she would be "secretly executed," while the Princess would simultaneously gain a new personal guard of the same name.

Of course, "personal guard" was merely her public identity. For the foreseeable future, Lena would be in charge of her training—a form of covert surveillance. Only when Shalu was deemed trustworthy would she gradually be entrusted with responsibilities.

As for the slaves who had joined Shalu's uprising, those who had harmed innocent civilians would be punished according to the law, commensurate with their crimes, regardless of their surrender. The rest would be sent to another city to enlist in the army, allowing them to atone for their offenses through service.

With that, the biggest problem was resolved, though a host of trivial matters still required her attention.

But at this moment, Alyuin only wanted to know one thing.

"Lotus, do you see great potential in her?"

"Why did you take special notice of her?"

It was the first time—the very first time the Goddess of the Yilu River had offered the Princess advice for the sake of another person.

Lotus didn't answer right away. Instead, she tilted her head to look at the Princess and asked thoughtfully, "Are you bothered?"

"Yes, I am," Alyuin admitted frankly.

Lotus nodded. Unconsciously toying with her bracelet, she said slowly, "If you had not been the one to quell this rebellion, Shalu would have led her rebel army out of the city and on to others."

Alyuin listened quietly.

"She would have conspired with the commoners and slaves there, taking cities, conquering more territory, and spreading the flames of war across the entire northern land. Then, just as the tide was turning in her favor, she would have killed half her trusted followers and committed suicide."

"Shalu is capable enough to achieve all that. I thought... you might find a use for her."

Lotus gave the Princess a gentle smile.

Alyuin stared ahead, her tone calm and tinged with just the right amount of sentiment. "So that's how it was."

But in her heart, she thought: It was for my sake. Whether it was or not, it was all for me.

As it turned out, the decision to spare Shalu was the right one.

What the future held was still uncertain, but just moments ago, the young female leader had agreed to the Princess's arrangement. And as they were about to leave, she had revealed a piece of information.

"Me? I only ever wanted to kill that bastard from the start. I never thought about anything as grand as founding a new kingdom or overthrowing the royal family."

Shalu laced her fingers behind her head and produced a blade of grass from somewhere to chew on. Her tone and posture had a carefree, roguish air.

"But—not everyone thought the same. A certain group was secretly inciting the others to cause chaos, urging me to leave Senna City and recruit more followers."

"I don't know what those folks hiding in the shadows are after, but if they're going to all this trouble, they must have a goal, right?"

Someone had incited the slave rebellion.

This was something that hadn't come up in the previous interrogations. Given how eager the surrendered slaves were to confess—so much so they'd probably admit how many loaves of bread they'd eaten in their entire lives—it was unlikely they were covering for anyone. It was more probable that they hadn't even realized they were being manipulated.

Who could it be, and for what purpose, that had secretly stoked the slaves' emotions and guided them to rebel under Shalu's lead?

This became the next focus of the Princess's investigation.

"I'm going to question the surviving nobles. Will you be returning to rest, or..."

"I'll go see the temple."

The temple in Senna City was dedicated to the Goddess of the Earth. Its head priest had been killed by enraged slaves early in the rebellion—he was likely cut from the same cloth as the city lord.

If not for their reverence for the gods, the rebels might have burned down the temple as well.

Alyuin nodded. "Understood. I'll come find you when I'm finished here."

Ahead was a fork in the road, where the two would part ways.

The sunlight was a bit glaring. Lotus's eyes fell on the ornament fastened to Alyuin's belt, which swayed gently as she walked. For some reason, she suddenly called out, "Wait."

The Princess stopped. "Yes?"

Lotus pressed her lips together lightly.

In her former world, records of the ancient Solancian civilization were scarce and incomplete, with a muddled timeline.

Thus, no one had ever definitively established the sequence of two key events: the Princess's death by poisoned wine and the rebellion led by the slave leader, Shalu, or even if they occurred around the same time.

The River Goddess released her divine power, repeating her earlier scan. A colorless, formless wave spread across the entire city. Only after confirming there were no unusual reactions did she feel at ease.

The tension in her brow eased unconsciously. Facing the Princess, who was waiting for her to speak, Lotus paused for a moment before saying gently, "I won't be at the temple long. I'll come and get you when I'm finished."

Alyuin smiled. "Then let's see which of us finishes first."

"Alright."

The two parted ways. After a few steps, Alyuin glanced back and saw the goddess's snow-white hem fluttering in the wind. She happily pressed the tip of her index finger to her lips and waved it toward Lotus's retreating figure.

—It was similar to the blown kiss of later eras, only in ancient Solancia its use was more restricted and solemn. It was a gesture reserved for undeclared lovers, symbolizing, "I cannot touch you yet, but I can let the wind carry my affection."

A small, secret gesture each day. After blowing the fingertip kiss, Alyuin felt as if she had accomplished something momentous, and her steps grew inexplicably lighter.

---

Not many of Senna City's nobles and wealthy merchants had survived the slaves' fury. The survivors were all wealthy individuals who had not mistreated their slaves and had maintained a relatively benevolent demeanor.

If Shalu hadn't intervened, the blood-crazed rebels would have slaughtered them all without exception.

Nearly all the nobles had been terrified, but after regaining their status and wealth, their reactions diverged sharply.

One faction's attitude toward the slave population remained largely unchanged. Some even hesitantly inquired about the slave leader's fate, merely sighing when told of the death sentence.

Another faction was far more agitated, demanding that all slaves involved in the uprising be executed. They then planned to purchase large numbers of docile new slaves to continue their privileged lives of being served.

"Those slaves... they're nothing but beasts, demons! I treated them kindly, yet I never imagined those dreadful creatures would do something like this. They must be punished severely!"

The noble who spoke wore an expression of disgust and lingering fear.

Sometimes, lenient treatment didn't mean viewing slaves as people. It might have been for the sake of a merciful reputation, or perhaps they simply saw slaves as livestock and property, not caring enough to bother with abuse and humiliation.

But when the slaves rebelled, these nobles finally realized—oh, so slaves can bite back.

How could that be tolerated? They had to be killed! Slaves who betrayed their masters could not be spared!

Alyuin simply gathered these nobles together and asked, "Were you aware that the city lord and his cohorts abused slaves?"

The nobles fell silent.

"The rampant corruption in this city, the wanton oppression of commoners—were you aware of it?"

Again, they were silent.

Clearly, they knew.

Alyuin's tone was perfectly even, her voice deceptively calm. "Is there anything else you wish to report to me? Speak."

"N-no, nothing else."

Watching them depart in a flurry, Alyuin's lips formed a flat line, and she let out a silent sigh.

The commoners of Senna City hadn't participated in the slave uprising, but neither had they opposed it. Some had even secretly aided the rebels. If not for a few of the rebels exercising their newfound "privileges" behind Shalu's back, even more commoners would have supported the rebellion.

In a city like Senna, was it only the slaves who couldn't go on living?

Of course, all this chaos and these hidden dangers couldn't have been sown in the mere decade of Horst's reign.

They were long-standing afflictions.

A chronic disease that had accumulated in Solancia for a thousand years—suppressed time and again, only to resurface.

Alyuin made her way to the residence of the final noble, the sole surviving member of their family.

The main gate stood open and the courtyard was empty. No one came out to greet her.

Alyuin crossed the trampled lawn, her brow furrowed. "Lena."

Lena understood. "I'll find someone."

As her guard disappeared through the doorway, Alyuin remained in the garden, surveying her surroundings.

It seemed a little too quiet. Was it because only one family member remained? No, that couldn't be it. The servants, guards, and laborers—surely not every single one was gone.

Suddenly, she heard unconcealed footsteps behind her.

The Princess's ears twitched. In an instant, her right hand had drawn her sword, and she spun to face the person approaching.

The next moment, Alyuin's eyes darkened. Her expression remained composed, but her tone held a hint of astonishment, as if she were seeing someone who had no business being there.

She said, "...Tarsha?"

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