TGS - Chapter 142
Chapter 142: Guarantee
In the past, Lotus saw Alyuin through the projection of multiple identities, the most distinct and prominent of which was undoubtedly "the girl she watched grow up."
Even now, that perception still existed, but it was overlaid by another, more intimate yet more ambiguous position, and did not easily surface.
This perspective was clearly not what the former queen wanted to hear, nor did Lotus intend to say it.
She knew very well what Selina was worried about.
The mother's concerns were the very questions Lotus herself had once pondered at length, questioning herself repeatedly.
After a long moment, Lotus said softly, "I cherish her as well."
Cherish—the word could have multiple interpretations.
Selina's eyelid twitched. She couldn't help but recall the myths she had read in her life, the emotional relationships between the gods, and Adia, the goddess who governed love.
Honestly, having heard the seductive, flirtatious tone in the Goddess of Love's every word and witnessed her penchant for strange pranks, Selina felt inexplicably uneasy.
If the Goddess of Love was like that, then the emotions of gods…
Selina's heart pounded with anxiety. She wanted to probe further, but she feared offending the goddess even more.
Yet Lotus seemed to see through her apprehension and said in a warm voice, "Adia cannot influence the feelings of gods. In fact, she does not easily influence the threads of emotion between humans, either. The only one who influences me is Alyuin."
After a pause, Lotus added as if to herself, "From the very beginning, it has only been her."
Selina might not have understood everything, but she listened quietly and then suddenly asked, "Have you said these things to that child?"
Lotus was taken aback.
"Perhaps my feeling is wrong, but Alyu always seems a little insecure about this matter, though she hides it well…"
Selina clenched her fingers, slightly nervous, but continued, "I have missed so much. All I can rely on is a mother's intuition. If you would, could you tell her this yourself?"
Having said her piece, Selina closed her mouth, knowing full well that this request was far too presumptuous, even bordering on taking advantage. But she had said it anyway.
Fasir was not here, and Alyuin was in her room. If the goddess was displeased by this, she would only punish Selina alone.
But it seemed Lotus was indeed a good-tempered god. She did not mind the former queen's words, but rather focused on their content.
She seemed to be reviewing whether she had said these things to Alyuin, and also judging the feasibility of the suggestion.
A moment later, Lotus said slowly, "You are right."
A weight lifted from Selina's heart, and she smiled instinctively.
Her appearance was still very young. When she smiled, her features relaxed into a beautiful curve, making her look almost like Alyuin's older sister.
"Thank you, Lotus," Selina said with sincere gratitude.
Lotus shook her head gently. "Like you, I do not want Alyuin to be hurt by this."
"Perhaps the road ahead is unclear, but I can guarantee that no matter the final outcome, Alyuin will always be an important person to me."
"..."
Selina's smile froze on her face. She studied Lotus's expression, and once certain it didn't mean what she thought it did, she patted her chest, still shaken. "Please believe me, you must never say that to Alyu."
It sounded terrifying at first blush.
Anyone who didn't know the context might think it was a gentle rejection!
Lotus: "?"
Lotus actively took the married woman's advice. "I won't. Please don't worry."
Only then did Selina finally breathe a sigh of relief.
Across from her, Lotus lowered her eyes, sighing inwardly.
Perhaps an open and honest talk would be better, but in truth, that wasn't the root of the problem. The things she was hiding from Alyuin were the real issue.
At this point, Lotus couldn't say whether her hidden emotion was unease, but even so, she had to continue on this path until she could confess everything.
Unaware of the fleeting, wry smile on the goddess's cool face, Selina, though still a little worried, knew she had done enough and should not ask any more.
The former queen bowed with elegance and deep gratitude. If there had been enough time, she might have recited a hymn of praise on the spot—fortunately, she did not, or Lotus's embarrassment would have risen another level.
"May your will be done, and may your name shine for eternity."
Selina offered her heartfelt blessing.
Then, her soul retracted into the raven's body, becoming quiet once more. Its beady black eyes were relaxed and peaceful, as if a great weight had been lifted from its mind.
Lotus led the former queen back to the path where the raven Fasir was still waiting. Unaware of what his wife and the Goddess of the Yilu River had discussed, the bird's face was filled with confusion.
Fortunately, Fasir had no intention of asking.
Since Selina had not allowed him to be present, it meant she did not want him to know. Between curiosity and respecting his wife's wishes, he chose the latter.
...The former king had no idea what he had missed.
Following her divine senses, Lotus found Emute and returned the former king and queen to him, asking what arrangements he had for the two souls.
The Death God said, "Ah, they said before that they don't want to reincarnate right away."
Lotus understood. As expected, the two were still worried—worried about Alyuin, and even more worried about Solancia.
"If these two remain here, the coming divine war—"
The ravens were always by the Death God's side. If they were hit by an enemy attack mid-battle, it seemed very dangerous.
"I'm fine. My ravens will be fine."
The Death God's tone was resolute.
Lotus asked, "What about the souls residing within them?"
The Death God had clearly forgotten about that.
He fell silent for two seconds, then tried to remedy the situation. "Then it's better to send them back."
The taciturn Death God was undoubtedly a man of action. The moment the decision was made, he had already pointed out several ravens, ordering them to return the human souls to the underworld.
The designated ravens showed unusual enthusiasm, handing over the harps they were responsible for to their companions and flapping their wings cheerfully. "Caw!"
They took flight at once, on their way!
The former king and queen: "..."
Their beady black eyes showed they were caught completely off guard. Their gazes met Lotus's, and the river goddess nodded with a faint smile in farewell.
Although they had followed the Death God out of the underworld to speak with their daughter, returning so soon after their conversation was something they had not expected.
The only consolation was that they had said a proper goodbye this time.
Selina pecked Fasir's wing. Together, the two souls used the ravens' heads to give Lotus a solemn nod, as the king and queen of Solancia, and as parents.
They flew toward the horizon, escorted by several other ravens.
It had to be said, this was actually good news for Lotus.
After all, whether it was her beloved's parents constantly following her colleague around as ravens, or being with Alyuin in front of the two spirits, neither sounded particularly wonderful.
Lotus watched the small black specks disappear into the sky, then turned back. "Thank you, Emute."
The Death God shook his head from side to side, then pulled his hood down further, covering half his face.
"By the way, do you know about 【Spacetime】?"
Lotus asked, mimicking the brief pause the Sky God used when mentioning those words.
"I don't know much," Emute answered in a muffled voice. "You can go ask En."
"Alright." Lotus thanked him again. Emute lowered his head and fell completely silent.
The ravens began to play a tune that mocked their master, to a degree that even a bystander would find obnoxious.
Lotus left the troublesome scene before the Death God could silence his ravens. She hovered in mid-air and closed her eyes, sensing for the Sky God's power, only to find a residual trace of it in Seaton City.
En was not here.
Lotus paused, recalling what Suojia had said before leaving the room. It seemed she was calling En to go where her subordinate gods were, to see the captured minor foreign emotion god.
It seemed they had already gone far...
The questions she wanted to ask would have to be put on hold for now.
Lotus slowly returned to the city lord's mansion.
It was now the latter half of the night. A new shift of soldiers patrolled the mansion. They held torches as they made their rounds in the corridors, their footsteps quiet, the flames casting clear shadows on the walls.
Their vigilant gazes swept past Lotus without lingering—she was still in her spiritual form.
Even though Lotus had not appeared before anyone this time, Alyuin had still ordered the room next to her own to be prepared. She hadn't said who would be staying there; it was simply left empty.
Lotus knew the room was for her.
But it wasn't really necessary.
Before the foreign gods decided to break through the barrier, the reason Lotus stayed by Alyuin's side was to prevent any mischievous foreign minor gods from causing trouble.
Gods did not require daily sleep. In this situation, merely mimicking sleep out of habit was unnecessary, and Lotus had no intention of maintaining this habit.
The night was deep, with only the moon casting a bright silver halo, its clear light as crisp as snow.
Lotus floated to the window of the princess's room and sat leaning against the sill, though without putting any weight on it.
The moonlight fell equally upon the earth, passing through Lotus's translucent spiritual form and spilling into the room as usual, pooling into a puddle of light like clear water, marked only by the vertical shadows of the windowpanes.
Lotus raised her head slightly, gazing peacefully at the night sky.
With her back to the sleeping princess, she silently watched the half-moon and the starlight for the entire night.
The next day, Alyuin went to the city walls early in the morning.
After a night of rest, the reinforcements who had rushed here day and night had relieved some of Seaton City's soldiers, ready at any moment to repel the Sanur army.
Lena was among them.
Ordinarily, Lena should have remained in the royal city, while Motis, the captain of the Royal Guard, would have accompanied the army to the border.
After all, of Alyuin's two most trusted generals, one had to stay in Akhet to guard against any unforeseen circumstances.
But considering various factors, Alyuin had decided to bring Lena and have Motis stay behind.
Before setting out, Alyuin had learned from Lotus of the death of the Lord of Digebia, who was Lena's father.
Because the source of the information could not be explained, Alyuin did not tell Lena immediately, but they received the battle report from the border during their march.
Digebia had fallen, and its lord was killed in battle.
Lena did not lose her composure in front of the princess and the other soldiers. She marched normally, rested and ate normally, just like everyone else.
And now, the female general in her armor stood behind the battlements, her eyes fixed on the Sanur army stationed on the hill opposite them. Her jaw was clenched, and her eyes were filled with crimson veins.
Alyuin walked over.
Lena turned her head and forced a smile. "Your Majesty."
"They will not continue their rampage for long," Alyuin said coldly. "Once we retake Digebia, we will hold a funeral for Lord Hephit. At his funeral, there will surely be the heads of enemy generals."
The wolf-head banner fluttering above the hills was just a small black dot from the city wall.
It was reflected in the depths of the princess's molten gold eyes, as if it had ignited a cold flame.
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