TGS - Chapter 138
Chapter 138: The Meeting
The northwestern border, Seaton City.
Inside the City Lord's manor, a middle-aged man in luxurious robes sat in the main seat. Despite his high position, he appeared terrified and restless.
At this moment, the middle-aged man was listening to a subordinate report on the military situation outside the city.
"Lord City Lord, the Sanur have already climbed the hills opposite us. Their banners are lined up in a row. I fear they will attack soon!"
The soldier delivering the message reported with his head bowed, his tone urgent, yet a glimmer of hope remained in his eyes.
As a border city, Seaton City's defenses were naturally quite complete. Due to its natural geographical advantages, making it easy to defend and hard to attack, and its location behind Digebia, it had rarely faced any significant threats in the past.
To prevent the Sanur Tribe from bypassing the Digebia defense line and launching a surprise attack on the city from the desolate mountain regions, a considerable number of troops were stationed here.
However, the Seaton City garrison, having experienced little actual combat, was far inferior in fighting capability compared to the border legions.
Even the Digebia garrison couldn't withstand the Sanur's savage army, so what about them? Could they really hold off the enemy until reinforcements arrived from the royal city or other cities?
The shadow of war and death loomed over the army and enveloped the city's residents, filling their hearts with panic.
And at this moment, they needed a banner, a source of reassurance, a superior who could step forward and inspire them.
The soldier raised his head, looking up at the City Lord with anxious expectation.
He didn't expect the City Lord, a nobleman, to personally go into battle and resist the enemy alongside the generals. But if the City Lord was just willing to stand on the city walls and deliver a rousing speech, it would be a tremendous encouragement to them.
Please, stand up for us, please—
However, after hearing the report, the City Lord turned to the advisors behind him and asked in a panic, "They're about to attack! What do we do? What do we do now? Can we surrender..."
The advisor on the right shook his head. "Surrender is not an option. The Sanur are ferocious by nature. It's said they use the heads and hearts of captives to sacrifice to their gods. Their culture has no concept of sparing prisoners of war."
The advisor on the left suggested, "Previously, I advised you to wait and see, but now the Sanur army is at our gates. The situation is critical. If we don't leave now, it will be too late once they surround the city."
Another advisor said, "Indeed. The Lord City Lord and the other nobles here are of high status. How can you take such a risk? In my opinion, we should evacuate quickly!"
The officials present all agreed. Some hesitated to speak, while one official questioned, "What are you all saying? If the officials and nobles all leave, what will happen to Seaton City?"
As soon as these words were spoken, they were met with numerous refutations and rebukes.
"Your words are the strange ones, making it sound as if the lords are acting improperly."
"Seaton City's forces can't possibly hold. The Lord City Lord is going to personally seek reinforcements from other cities!"
"Since you're so unhappy about it, you can stay behind."
The City Lord had already stood up and was hurrying toward the rear courtyard, calling for his attendants to pack his valuables. The soldier left in the hall watched his retreating back and could faintly hear a few lines of conversation between the City Lord and his advisors.
"The roads aren't safe! I need a military escort!"
"Just take a small squad of elite soldiers. Otherwise, it will only slow you down."
The voices of the conversation faded away, and the soldier's expression became lost and helpless. He looked around; only a few officials remained in the hall, and not a single noble was to be seen.
Even these important figures had fled.
Could they really defend Seaton City?
The soldier knew he should return to his comrades and reluctantly tell them about the City Lord's reaction—but his legs felt as heavy as lead.
Without a doubt, this news would spread feelings of suspicion and despair to everyone.
Before long, the City Lord reappeared with his wife, children, and several mistresses, rushing hurriedly out of the manor.
Soon, they would join the other nobles and officials to escape from Seaton City through a hidden path. As for the punishment for abandoning the city, that was a matter for later. The most important thing now was to survive.
Once the City Lord left, the manor descended into chaos. Outside the main hall, servants and slaves ran about, shouting, trying to gather valuables and escape in the confusion.
The soldier stood with his head bowed numbly. He didn't know how much time had passed before he staggered to his feet.
I have to let my comrades know what to expect...
Just then, the commotion outside came to an abrupt halt, as if someone had pressed a mute button. All the chaotic noise vanished.
In its place came the sound of perfectly synchronized footsteps, almost as if made by a single person, but no one person could possibly stomp with such volume.
This powerful sound stopped outside the hall, revealing the unsteady, scattered footsteps mixed within it that were still moving forward. Among them, one set of steady, forceful steps was particularly distinct, as if it could seize one's very eardrums.
Following the direction of the sound, the soldier turned his head and saw the owner of the footsteps.
Black hair, black boots.
The newcomer was tall and upright, with a beautiful face. Her armor reflected a metallic, cold, and sharp glint under the sunlight.
And that same brilliance was reflected in her eyes, which shone like molten gold.
The soldier's eyes were fixed on the emblem imprinted on the armor.
Everyone knew it was the royal crest of Solancia. In present-day Solancia, only two people could openly use this insignia.
"Your High... Your Majesty..."
The soldier murmured softly.
The newcomer's gaze swept over, sharp and majestic, with a hint of scrutiny. But she quickly identified the soldier's status and gave a slight nod.
"Go back. Tell them I am here."
Currently, only two people could use the royal crest: one was Her Highness, the God-Concubine Naimaer in the City of the Sun God, and the other was, naturally, Her Majesty Alyuin, the Regent Princess who presided over Akhet.
The soldier stood stunned for two seconds, then suddenly gave a military salute. "Yes, Your Majesty!"
At this moment, it no longer mattered whether the City Lord stayed. The nominal princess, the de facto ruler, had come to preside in person. Nothing could be more inspiring.
But before running out of the hall, the soldier's gaze inevitably lingered for a moment on the people behind the Princess.
It was the City Lord and his party, escorted by the Royal Guard. Their clothes were still luxurious but were now disheveled and wretched. The look of relief from their narrow escape moments ago was gone, replaced by panicked, pleading eyes fixed on the Princess.
Lotus, floating in mid-air, also let her gaze fall upon these people. Then she withdrew her eyes and looked back at Alyuin.
To increase their marching speed, Alyuin and several generals had led a troop of elite cavalry, traveling day and night, to finally reach Seaton City.
Naturally, the troop entered through the eastern gate, far from the Sanur's position. The guards on the wall saw the royal banner and didn't dare to question or obstruct them.
But one man looked flustered, as if wanting to return to the city to tip someone off. Alyuin had the Royal Guard restrain him.
She had thought he might be a spy planted by the enemy, but it turned out he was a sentry posted by the City Lord in preparation for his escape.
Alyuin: "..."
The Princess led her troops forward with a blank expression. Before they had gone far, they ran headlong into a dozen inconspicuous carriages. Unsurprisingly, they rounded up all the nobles in one fell swoop and escorted them back to the City Lord's manor.
With a great enemy at the gates, the lord of a city fled at the first sign of trouble without offering any resistance.
The absurdity and detestability of his actions were no less than that of the Lord of Disimeng, who had embezzled funds during the earthquake disaster.
"There is no power from foreign emotional gods here. Their thoughts and actions come entirely from within."
The River Goddess's clear and serene voice sounded only in the Princess's ear.
Alyuin didn't speak. In the enclosed, empty hall, even a soft whisper could be detected by someone with sharp hearing, so Alyuin simply curled the corner of her lip to show she had heard.
In the eyes of the city's nobles and officials, this tiny smile meant she wouldn't hold them accountable, which made them sigh in relief.
It made sense, they thought. So many people had tried to leave the city early; the law doesn't punish the masses. Besides, in these special circumstances, the Princess couldn't possibly deal with them one by one.
However, this self-reassurance slowly crumbled, and anxiety rose once more.
Because from the moment she stepped into the City Lord's manor, the Princess hadn't spared them a single glance.
Alyuin simply sat down nonchalantly in the main seat of the hall and quickly found the defense and topographical maps of Seaton City and its surrounding areas among the documents on the table, along with some other materials.
Alyuin unrolled the maps and examined them in silence.
The atmosphere in the hall froze. No one dared to break the silence.
Lotus turned her head, her blue eyes half-lowered, her expression complex.
On the table in front of Alyuin, two ravens had landed at some point.
One of them raised its head, silently gazing at the Princess's focused, contemplative face. The other lowered its head to look at the map with the Princess, its avian face showing no expression.
Lotus sighed inwardly, her expression unchanging.
In this hall, only she could see these two ravens.
Finally, just as the City Lord and the others grew more and more fearful, nearly pushed to their limit by the Princess's attitude of ignoring them, Alyuin lifted her gaze from the maps.
Her deep golden eyes, with their upturned corners, swept across the hall, not pausing on the few who had tried to flee, as if they were nothing more than insignificant ornaments.
Finally, she looked at the few people waiting to the side—the officials who had not fled with the City Lord and wanted to stay in the city to resist with the army and the people.
"Where is the prison?"
Alyuin asked.
The official was taken aback and answered instinctively, "Not far behind the manor, it's at..."
"Please lead them there."
Did she mean for the Royal Guard to throw the nobles into prison?
Before the official could speak, the City Lord raised his voice in disbelief, shouting, "A—Your Majesty, you must be joking! I am related to the royal family by marriage! I am the head of this noble house! You can't do this to me!"
"Is that so."
"Of course it is! We weren't trying to abandon the city, we just... just wanted to go out and seek reinforcements." The City Lord, as if seeing a glimmer of hope, swallowed and said, "It's wonderful that you were willing to come from the royal city. Please rest assured, we will assist you in mobilizing Seaton City's forces—"
Alyuin cut him off.
"Right now, staying quietly in prison and not causing trouble is the greatest contribution you can make."
Without a trial by the Tribunal or the Royal Court, this sentence, though frightening, was merely a temporary measure. But coming from Alyuin's lips, it sounded like a final verdict.
One noble's legs even went weak, his eyes filled with terror. The Royal Guard paid them no mind, following the official's lead as ordered, to "settle" these fellows in the prison.
Afterward, without taking a rest, Alyuin immediately rushed to the city gate. She gazed at the Sanur army camped on the hills opposite and conferred with the defending generals.
It wasn't until evening that Alyuin had the time and space to be alone in her temporary quarters.
Seaton City's architectural style was not particularly refined, but the interiors of its buildings were quite large and spacious.
Alyuin closed the door, walked to the window, and casually drew the curtains, waiting for Lotus to appear in the dim yellow light that filled the room.
The spirit-form Lotus glanced at the host of major gods beside her and cleared her throat. "Alyuin, it's like this... my colleagues have come along."
So you'd better be prepared.
Alyuin raised an eyebrow slightly, then quickly understood what that meant, her expression freezing for an instant.
At the same time, the flames of the lamps and candles in the room flickered abnormally, and the shadows they cast on the wall danced. When the flickering stopped, several tall shadows had appeared on the wall.
Representing the main fighting force of the Solancian pantheon, eight major gods had gathered together in a mortal room.
They had different appearances, each with their own merits, and at least outwardly, they largely conformed to human conceptions of deities—of course, this notion was overturned upon seeing the God of the Sky.
Of the eight deities, excluding Lotus, every one of them wore an expression of strange wonder and curiosity.
Alyuin looked down and met the eyes of two ravens that had hopped over.
Alyuin: "..."
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