TGS - Chapter 125
Chapter 125: The North-South Divide
For Solancia, this was destined to be a tumultuous autumn.
Three months after Alyuin took control of the royal city, Horst and his followers, after a long and arduous journey across nearly half of Solancia, finally reached the major coastal city of Bananna with the help of his elder brother.
Once he had caught his breath, he issued a proclamation to the various cities in the name of the King of Solancia, denouncing Alyuin as a traitor guilty of rebellion. Furthermore, he declared the symbolic status of Akhet as the royal city null and void, establishing Bananna as the new royal city.
This was not just a proclamation, but also an unspoken summons.
A summons for what? To assemble the forces of the major cities, of course, and march a grand army back to Akhet to drive Alyuin from the position that rightfully belonged to him!
...However, the proclamation did not have the effect Horst had anticipated.
In the City of the Sun God, the God-Concubine Naimaer, still bathed in the faint, shimmering light of luminous pearls, listened to the letter being read with her eyes closed and let out a sneer.
"Pay him no mind. A pathetic, stray dog. He's been putting on an act for so long, he even has to be roundabout when calling for an attack. Does he expect the city lords to lead their troops to him out of loyalty? Ridiculous."
The God-Concubine twirled a lock of her hair, lost in thought. "I wonder what Alyuin is planning. Never mind, let's see what she does first."
In Wash City, Kopal had been the city lord for nearly four years. She still dressed as a man, but her aura was completely different from her past cautious and timid self.
No longer needing to worry about the danger of her gender being exposed, nor having to consider the uncertainties posed by her deceased father, Kopal had, after years of tempering, become a competent city lord—far more competent than her father had ever been.
At her desk, Kopal picked up the proclamation from the so-called new royal city, read it carefully, and tossed it aside with a blank expression.
Vanice, once a merchant's daughter and now a female official serving the city lord, heard the sound and peeked over curiously. "That stack looks like important documents. Why did you throw it away?"
Kopal shrugged. "It's scrap paper. I don't know how it got mixed in."
Vanice: "?"
Kopal: "Really. You can take a look."
Vanice picked up the paper bearing Horst's seal and read it. "...It really is scrap paper."
The two exchanged a look and decided to pretend the document never existed.
What, a proclamation from Bananna? We never received it. It must have gotten lost somewhere along the way.
In Yilulaila City, Lord Lucreta stared at the same document, motionless for a long time.
He thought of his family's long-held principles: upholding etiquette, revering the law, and remaining loyal to the sovereign.
These were things etched into their very bones.
Yet now, as Lucreta repeatedly read every word on the paper, he uncharacteristically had no intention of responding, nor did he resort to the grand principles he so often espoused.
The city lord thought of his son. His only son, Luca, was still in Akhet.
That rascal had become one of the Princess's personal guards. Every letter he sent home regularly contained a section looking toward the future. Luca was full of confidence about achieving great things under Alyuin—even though he had yet to accomplish anything.
The city lord also thought of the former king, the sovereign to whom he had once sworn allegiance.
Yilulaila City had also received the news from Akhet that Horst was the one who had murdered the former king.
His advisors held differing opinions on the news. Some believed it to be true and reliable, as the account in the announcement was logical and well-founded, and it would also explain why the Princess hated Horst so intensely. Others felt it had low credibility, suspecting the Princess might have fabricated the accusation to make her own rebellion seem more legitimate.
At the time, Lucreta had not expressed a clear stance.
He lowered his head in silence for a long time, then finally folded Horst's proclamation and held it over the hearth fire at his side.
The flames licked at a corner of the paper and spread rapidly, quickly burning it to ashes, leaving behind only a black smudge.
Five days passed, then ten, then half a month—
Horst, waiting in Bananna City: "..."
Why have so few people come?
There was no grand assembly of armies as he had imagined. A few city lords sent messengers with replies, but they were all filled with meaningless words, refusing to send troops in support.
However, most of the lords of the southern coastal cities of Solancia did answer the call. The reason for this could largely be attributed to the Lord of Bananna—Horst's own elder brother, Taz.
Unlike Horst, who was not skilled in martial matters, Taz was the eldest son and had been raised from childhood to be a city lord.
He seemed to have inherited the Solancian royal family's prowess in battle. During his ten years presiding over the coastal city, he had been diligent and responsible, repelling invading pirates on several occasions and even annihilating a notorious pirate crew.
In the south, Taz's name was known to all.
Just as Alyuin's name was constantly on the lips of the people along the northwestern border.
The Lord's Manor of Bananna City had now been temporarily requisitioned by Horst as the palace of the new royal city.
In the main hall of the "palace," Horst looked through the replies from the various city lords. He flipped through them faster and faster, his expression growing darker, until he finally slapped the letters shut, leaned back in his chair, and sneered.
"They see me fleeing Akhet in disgrace and now they're all hesitating. Who do they think they're fooling with these letters!"
The tall, burly man across from him said nonchalantly, "What, are they all making excuses?"
"They're not even making excuses, just playing dumb and pretending not to understand," Horst said irritably. Thinking of Alyuin, he was once again filled with regret. "Why didn't I just kill her back then? To think it would lead to all this trouble now—"
In front of his elder brother, he couldn't be bothered to wear a mask; there was no need.
If there was anyone who had always known what kind of person he was, it was Taz.
And indeed, Taz took a sip of wine, unfazed. "It's not surprising, given the current situation. You still want to fight your way back to Akhet?"
Horst: "If I don't attack, Alyuin will sooner or later. It's better to strike now than to wait for her to consolidate her position in Akhet."
Taz: "The problem is, our situation isn't great either."
Horst: "..."
Indeed. The forces gathered in Bananna were not numerous, and pirate forces were eyeing them covetously. If they really took all their troops to confront the Princess, their new royal city might be completely overrun by pirates the moment they left.
Horst's mind was accustomed to clandestine schemes. Faced with the current situation and with no advisors offering ideas, he couldn't make up his mind and could only say, "I'll listen to you."
"Attacking proactively is unrealistic. Let's sort out our own affairs first and secure the south."
It was the only way.
Horst sighed. "Thank you, Taz."
"What can I do? I'm your elder brother," Taz said.
Yes, their branch of the family had always supported one another. Otherwise, how could they have come so close to replacing the direct line?
A pity. They had been so close, thwarted only by a single Alyuin.
Just as Horst was grinding his teeth in hatred, he heard Taz continue, "What can I do? I'm your elder brother. Even if I wanted to defect to Alyuin, I couldn't."
Horst: "..."
Taz: "Haha, just a joke."
It was indeed just a joke. From the very beginning of Horst's plan all those years ago, Taz had known everything. It was he and their deceased father who had been secretly assisting, helping their younger brother bring his scheme to fruition.
From the moment they set foot on this path, there had been no other possibility.
In contrast to the Horst brothers, Alyuin seemed in no hurry to send troops south to deal with Horst, who still called himself the King of Solancia after fleeing the royal city.
Inside and outside Akhet, Alyuin's influence expanded with incredible speed. It was a silent yet vast process.
From "Your Highness" to "Your Majesty," the people selectively ignored one fact—Alyuin had not yet been formally crowned.
That's right, no coronation.
Strictly speaking, Alyuin was the master of royal authority at this time, but she could not yet truly be called Queen.
Therefore, everyone addressed her as "Your Majesty," both in public and in private.
As for her formal written title, the scribes responsible for the records agonized for some time before cautiously settling on "Her Majesty, the Regent Princess" for Alyuin during this period.
...A complex and strange title, yet a fitting one.
As for the reason for delaying the coronation ceremony, Alyuin gave two explanations.
Her parents' royal tomb was not yet complete.
The traitor who usurped the throne had not yet been captured.
Only when these two conditions were met would Alyuin formally be crowned Queen.
Such an explanation was enough to convince outsiders, but whether Alyuin held other, secret obsessions in her heart—such as waiting for Lotus to watch her become queen... others would neither know nor understand.
Alyuin looked at the documents piled on her desk.
The paper on top contained the latest intelligence regarding the Kasnie Kingdom.
Ever since Asilu's death, Alyuin had begun to suspect the Kasnie Kingdom's motives.
The intelligence reports were calm and uneventful, making it easy to think she was being overly suspicious. But Alyuin's doubts never faded; she maintained a certain vigilance toward Kasnie.
News of Solancia's internal strife had, of course, long since reached the ears of those in power in Kasnie.
They would not let this opportunity pass. They would surely choose the right moment to strike. Under these circumstances, she could not confront Horst head-on and deplete her forces, or it would only benefit Kasnie.
This really was... not something to be happy about.
Alyuin gently closed her eyes and set the intelligence report aside.
The sun and moon took turns passing across the skies of Solancia.
Under the watch of the sun and moon deities, the seasons turned on this land, until another year had passed.
The former king's royal tomb was completed.
It was only a matter of repairing the crudely finished parts, so it did not take long. The newly completed royal tomb was situated in the valley behind the royal palace, lined up with the mausoleums of many past Solancian kings, like a monument.
Before this day arrived, Alyuin had wondered if Lotus might suddenly appear and gently tell her at the funeral that her parents' souls had indeed broken free of their bonds and returned to the Kingdom of the Gods along the Yilu River.
But she did not.
On the day of the funeral, the ceremony was presided over by Alyuin, assisted by Rhea and the High Priest of the Death God.
Fifteen years had passed. The former king and queen, once hastily buried in an unmarked grave outside the city, had been reduced to two clean skeletons. They leaned against each other, just as they had in life.
The High Priest of the Death God recited a long funereal poem, and musicians plucked their harps, playing a corresponding melody.
Alyuin listened calmly until their final syllable fell.
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