TGS - Chapter 149
Chapter 149: You Were a Lost Cause Long Ago
Alyuin stared meaningfully for two seconds before retracting her gaze and continuing her discussion with the garrison commanders.
The Princess's face was magnificent yet severe, her expression as calm as ever, showing no change.
The surrounding commanders didn't find it strange that their leader had lifted her eyes to stare into the air. In their view, Alyuin's pause must have been to contemplate the battle situation; it never occurred to them that the spirits of two deities were floating somewhere before her.
Lotus said weakly, "...Let's talk outside."
Adia was, after all, the goddess of love and desire. After her initial shock, a lazy, alluring smile returned to her lips.
"Alright," Adia said with a grin. "Let's talk outside."
Before leaving the council hall, Lotus subconsciously glanced back and met the Princess's eyes again.
This time, a gentle smile played on Alyuin's lips.
Lotus's heart settled, and she gave her a faint smile in return before floating out the door with Adia into the governor's mansion garden.
A stream crossed the courtyard, its banks lined with lush green grass and colorful flowers. Although not as exquisitely styled as the cities closer to the royal capital, Seaton's gardens possessed a unique, rugged, and vibrant beauty befitting the borderlands.
Adia floated over to a cluster of flowers at the edge of the garden, making it look as if she were sitting there.
"Your little princess, how can she see spirits?"
Lotus didn't explain in detail, only briefly mentioning the wondrous effects of divine power on humans.
Adia came to a sudden realization, clutching her chest as if still shaken. "That really scared me just now, Lotus. Please, you must promise me one thing."
"What is it?"
"When the others come, don't tell them right away. Let them find out on their own. Don't you think that would be fun?"
Lotus: "..."
You don't look scared at all right now.
In just a few words, the topic was closed.
Adia reined in her mischievous, expectant smile and grew serious. "So, where's that thing you mentioned? Let me see it."
Lotus took out the wooden box and released the divine power sealing it so the goddess of love could observe it better.
Adia took the box and studied it for a long while, naturally coming to no particular conclusion. The only thing she could confirm was—
"This wasn't made by a god; it should be just human craftsmanship. You said you saw fluctuations of divine power on its surface before..."
Lotus briefly recounted how she had discovered it, then paused and said uncertainly, "I think it's related to Perseus. That refractive transparency reminds me of her divine domain."
Perseus, the Goddess of the Mind of Kasnie.
If one could roughly imagine the powers and methods of gods of mountains, seas, or beasts just by hearing their titles, then the domain of the "mind" was far more elusive.
Adia's nails, painted with pale crimson flower juice, tapped lightly on the box's lid. She said thoughtfully, "I have no experience fighting Perseus, but En and Suojia should have. My advice is to wait for one of them to arrive before considering opening the box."
Lotus nodded. "I was thinking the same."
When facing a Goddess of the Mind who could send a shadow to Akhet to become a famous actress, and who also seemed to know her, no amount of caution was excessive.
And so, the box was sealed once more.
Adia watched Lotus, who had her head bowed as she secured the divine power. With no box to tap on, her fingers idly wound a lock of her hair, coiling and uncoiling it.
Lotus sensed her gaze. "What is it?"
The goddess of love didn't respond immediately, as if weighing something or organizing her thoughts.
After a moment, Adia finally said, "As I said, those threads of affection connecting the Princess of Solancia to your divine name are a deeper crimson than before."
"Do you... truly harbor such feelings for her?"
"As is my primary domain, do you love her?"
Lotus's eyes shot up, then she slowly lowered her silver lashes.
Adia chuckled. "Why, you look quite shy. You haven't done anything?"
At this, Lotus stood rooted to the spot, her silence like a frozen river.
To those who didn't know her, this appearance would seem cold and solemn, completely unrelated to matters of the heart. But in Adia's eyes...
"Oh, so you really haven't." The goddess of love shrugged. "For the threads of affection to be this deep without any intimate coupling is truly rare."
Lotus: "..."
So blunt.
But then again, faith in love and desire was a form of primordial worship. In Adia's view, it wasn't something that needed to be concealed.
Feeling mentally exhausted more than usual today, Lotus shifted her gaze slightly and said in a flat tone, "Love... its meaning is too profound. I haven't thought about it. But I do like her."
Adia: "Mm, I understand. 'I'm willing to break the rules and expend divine power for you, and I'm willing to float around by your side, but I just like you in an ordinary way'—is that what you mean?"
Lotus fell silent.
Adia realized she had misspoken. She was still smiling, but inwardly, she was deeply reflecting on her words.
Even though I'm not optimistic about relationships between gods and mortals, why couldn't I help but point it out? But it's just so in line with my divine domain; ignoring it all the time is torture for a god!
Really, what a mess.
Adia floated down from the flower bush and began to circle the river goddess.
"Lotus, the lives of mortals are fundamentally different from ours. You know that, right?"
Lotus nodded.
"I can't see the affection threads of gods, so only you know the depth of your feelings. However, in many cases, one's words, actions, demeanor, and what one truly does for another are enough to explain most of the situation."
Lotus fell into thought and sat down properly on another cluster of flowers, waiting to hear the expert's profound insights.
Adia: "Take you, for example. The things you've done for the Princess of Solancia... I really can't pretend I haven't seen them."
"But there's a problem here," Lotus raised a hand. "Regarding the behavior you mentioned—I would have done the same when Alyuin was still a little girl. It has nothing to do with romantic love."
"Hmm?" Adia covered her mouth, a shocked expression on her face. "Are you perhaps trying to say it's motherly love?"
"...It hasn't reached that point either."
"Even if it were, it wouldn't matter. Once you're emotionally entangled with a mortal, whether it's familial, romantic, or platonic love, as long as the depth is similar, there isn't much difference."
As she spoke, Adia added, "It's just that romantic love sounds more abnormal, that's all."
Lotus: "Hmm—"
Lotus wanted to object to the "abnormal" assessment, but Adia didn't give her the chance.
"I should have thought of this sooner. Since feelings have already developed, the type of emotion is irrelevant. Familial affection is even more stable than romantic love."
"So the conclusion is, Lotus, you were a lost cause long ago."
Lotus: "..."
Lotus said gently, "Isn't that an obvious fact?"
"Well, at least I only figured it out today." Adia sighed and sat down again opposite the river goddess. "It seems you're more clear-headed than I imagined. It reminds me of the debate between Nierde and me in human legends."
"Whether love is rational," Lotus said, recalling a musical she had once seen in the City of the Sun God that depicted the two gods debating.
Adia said listlessly, "Yes. Although I would never actually debate with Nierde—that would be asking for trouble—I can now draw a conclusion: it's still not rational."
If it were truly rational, how could a god become so deeply entangled with a mortal?
The notion that emotions can be rational is a false premise to begin with, isn't it?
Lotus made a sound, and it was impossible to tell if it was agreement or just a meaningless utterance.
Adia leaned back, tilting her head to look at the sky. "As for me, I prefer to seize the day, but that creed probably doesn't suit you. What are your thoughts now?"
What troubled Lotus most was the secret she was hiding, but since it concerned her past before coming to ancient Solancia, she obviously couldn't speak of it casually to Adia, another deity.
Aside from that, her biggest worry was whether Alyuin would be harmed by their future relationship.
After hearing this, Adia said with emphasis, "But that's unavoidable."
"Mortals weaken and grow old. You know we shouldn't interfere with life and death using divine power. Even if we could, the only one who could handle such a situation is Emute—in theory. In reality, he probably wouldn't know what to do either."
"When mortals are among their own kind, growing old, getting sick, and dying are ordinary things. They might feel dissatisfied or unwilling, but they still accept it."
But after a mortal has spent a long time with an ageless, immortal god, who could calmly accept their fate? They can't find peace, nor can they change it. As for becoming a spirit after death... that's a matter for after death.
No one knows what happens to a soul that has broken free from its mortal shell but doesn't proceed to the Kingdom of the Gods for reincarnation, because there is no precedent.
Such harm is, in itself, far more profound than physical decline.
Lotus sat quietly for a long time, then almost silently mouthed a word.
Adia read her lips, her eyes widening in astonishment.
When Alyuin stepped out of the council hall, the two goddesses had already finished their conversation.
Adia's gaze toward the Princess was a little strange, but she quickly resumed her usual leisurely demeanor and said with a brilliant smile, "Can you still see me now?"
Alyuin smiled politely, her lips barely moving as she whispered, "There are many people here. If the Goddess Adia has something to say, let's go to my room."
Adia spread her hands. "I have nothing to say. More importantly, do your best to drive out the foreign tribes, Alyuin. We have high hopes for you."
From "the mortal princess" to "Lotus's little princess," then back to "the mortal princess," and finally to "Alyuin," the evolution of the goddess of love's forms of address had been quite a journey.
The Princess noticed the change and instinctively looked at Lotus.
The moment Alyuin appeared, Lotus, who had been habitually crossing her legs casually as a spirit, lowered them gracefully, appearing very elegant and serene.
She also gave the Princess a faint smile, her face clearly saying: I don't know anything.
Alyuin: "?"
Adia shook her head and said to Lotus, "Well, since this is a serious matter—I mean the box—I'll send a message to En and have him come over as soon as possible."
Lotus: "Alright."
Adia raised her hand as if to summon a messenger, but on second thought, decided an avatar would be faster.
A pale crimson mist billowed from the goddess's body, quickly coalescing into a snow-white rabbit.
The rabbit avatar had a temperament quite similar to its main body. It leaped forward, landed precisely on Lotus's right shoulder, then used it as a springboard to jump again, vanishing into thin air in the blink of an eye.
Alyuin: "..."
She had a feeling that the rabbit had deliberately glanced at her before it left, and its gaze was a bit strange.
Suddenly, Alyuin's gaze froze.
She recalled the rabbit's eyes. Their color was clear, a jade green identical to that of the goddess of love herself.
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