TGS - Chapter 164
Chapter 164: Thoughts of the Future
Rhea clutched the two large pages filled with notes and left in a daze.
The Divine Envoy wasn't an envoy, but the Goddess Lotus.
Her Majesty Alyuin wasn't human either, but the Goddess of War...?
And they were lovers.
They even had a winding, dramatic, and convoluted love story.
And Rhea, as a faithful believer of the Goddess of the Yilu River, was supposed to use her talents to restore the figure of the War Goddess to myth and legend, including the story between her and Lotus.
It was difficult to describe Rhea's current mood.
But one thing was certain: the poor priestess would need to recover before she could start writing.
The sound of the wind was intermittent. The curtains billowed and fell back into place, and through them, Rhea's small, retreating figure could be seen.
Not until Alyuin closed the window did the curtains finally settle, obediently serving as a barrier to the outside world.
Everything in this room was very familiar. Alyuin had lived in the temple since she was nine, biding her time and hiding her strength, using every means to increase her intelligence and martial prowess. At thirteen, she had set out from this temple to join the army in Digebia City.
She had spent four years in this ordinary room.
Catching a glimpse of her hand tightly clasped with the Princess's, Lotus felt a wave of emotion.
Back then, she had never imagined things would turn out like this.
Was this what people called the unpredictability of life?
Beside her, Alyuin was looking at her thoughtfully.
Lotus looked back. "What is it?"
Alyuin said, "Don't tell me what you said is actually true."
The sentence was mostly spoken in a joking tone, but there was a hint of seriousness to it.
Lotus had fabricated the story with such genuine emotion and logic that even though Alyuin knew full well she was human from head to toe, she had been somewhat drawn into it.
Hearing this, Lotus chuckled. "Of course not."
After a moment's thought, she added, "But people will believe it."
Alyuin said faintly, "Yes, even I almost believed it."
Lotus smiled without speaking.
Such an expression made the Princess want to grind her teeth. She propped her chin on one hand, her tone soft. "I just remembered, you awakened here."
Lotus nodded.
It was indeed here, in the Kadera Temple.
She had even awakened inside her own statue. If not for the little princess's tear, she might have been stuck there for who knows how long.
Thinking of this, Lotus paused.
Yes, because of the Princess's tear, and the fact that her spiritual form couldn't stray too far afterward.
If being trapped in the statue upon awakening and being unable to leave the temple's vicinity after freeing herself were all part of the process for a god, then what was the deal with her initial connection to the Princess?
Lotus, who had just written and directed a drama about the love between two major gods: "..."
Could it be that there really was some past entanglement?
But Alyuin was definitely human.
If she had once been a god, it was impossible for En and Suojia not to know, and they had no reason to hide it.
And then there was Alyuin's extraordinary strength, her unique talent for combat.
Although Suojia had said that humans with the potential to become gods always possessed abilities far beyond ordinary people in some aspect, but—
Lotus's eyes were half-closed.
As her thoughts churned, Alyuin's voice pulled her back to reality.
"Lotus awakened in the temple, but it seems you didn't return to the Kingdom of the Gods, otherwise there wouldn't have been the weekly tests in my dreams." Alyuin raised an eyebrow, her expression unreadable. "So, you stayed here the whole time, in spiritual form, right?"
Lotus nodded silently.
If it were anyone else, hearing that a spirit had been following them for several years, even if they weren't scared, they would at least feel awkward.
But not Alyuin.
She was confident that her conduct had always been impeccable. Even when she was alone as a child, she would never do anything to tarnish her image.
More than that, the Princess was concerned about something else.
"Then why did you stay back then?" The corners of Alyuin's mouth turned up. "Could it be, as you said before, that you thought I was cute?"
Lotus said expressionlessly, "Not just because you were cute, but also because you were pitiably endearing when you cried."
The smile on Alyuin's lips froze slightly as she suddenly remembered that she had indeed cried before.
Shedding tears before the statue.
Sitting in her room at night, her eyes red-rimmed.
Alyuin rarely cried, except for feigning tears to act spoiled before a god. After all, at other times, tears served no purpose other than to vent emotions and show weakness.
The Princess would not show weakness before anyone other than Lotus.
And those rare emotional outbursts had been witnessed by Lotus.
This feeling was...
Wonderful.
Alyuin turned her head, her smile deepening, and said with utter delight, "That's also cute. Lotus, don't you want to dote on your most faithful believer a little more?"
Her fingertips moved away from Lotus's red-gold bracelet, no longer brushing faintly against the skin at the edge of her wrist, but openly, lightly, and slowly climbing upward.
The pads of her fingers caressed Lotus's forearm, tracing the soft lines up to her shoulder, like a rose vine growing along a trellis, or like the young princess surveying her territory.
The warm touch stirred a strange ticklish sensation, and Lotus's breathing rhythm faltered for a moment.
Her silver lashes half-veiled her eyes, hiding the dark ripples spreading within them. Her usually cool voice was tinged with the same hue, as if it had deepened.
"Close your eyes."
"Why do you always tell me to close my eyes? I want to look at you."
As Alyuin spoke, she still cooperatively closed her eyelids. Her thick, beautiful lashes rested below her eyes, making her look very obedient, as if she were at someone's mercy.
Looking at her, Lotus suddenly felt a sense of guilt and almost blurted out, "Never mind, you can open them."
But at the same time, she couldn't ignore the desire rising from the bottom of her heart, and she even felt a little urge to bite her.
The curtains blocked the sunlight, making the room as dim as dusk.
Lotus cupped the back of Alyuin's neck, pulled her closer, and tilted her head to give her cheek a light bite.
When Alyuin, slightly surprised, subconsciously opened her eyes, Lotus habitually raised a hand to cover them. Her lips found Alyuin's slightly parted, crimson ones and kissed them gently, the kiss deepening as they moved.
By now, they were quite skilled at this activity.
Perhaps intimacy was an innate human talent; every touch guided the next, and every step stimulated the senses.
Their mingled breaths flushed their earlobes red. The hand sliding between her shoulder blades seemed to have a magnetic pull, transmitting the sensation to her bare skin.
It was far more than a fleeting taste, but not quite unrestrained indulgence, because just as they were about to lose control, someone knocked on the door.
Lotus: "..."
How careless. Could doing this sort of thing affect one's perception of the outside world? Or was she just too engrossed? Someone had walked right up to the door, and she hadn't noticed until they knocked.
Speaking of which, it would be best to set up a God Power Field before getting intimate in the future. Never mind approaching mortals, but what about the omnipresent senses of the other gods?
The wind could be En's eyes and ears, the earth could be Suojia's extension, the light of the sun and moon could be the gazes of Anmila and Suriel, just as the rivers were Lotus's extended senses.
Although this was all theoretical, in reality, it wasn't easy to precisely find something one wanted to see within Solancia's borders without locating it beforehand. But it couldn't be ruled out that another god might be looking for her at this very moment.
Right, next time, she should definitely cover the area with a God Power Field first.
The kind that was 360 degrees without any blind spots, impenetrable to both divine power and sight.
As Lotus made this resolution, she and Alyuin straightened each other's slightly disheveled clothes.
The person outside the door said, "Your Majesty, I've come to deliver your... and the lady-in-waiting's meal."
It was the voice of the priestess Muya. She had addressed her as a lady-in-waiting, which meant there were others present. Lotus paused for a moment and transformed into the appearance of the black-haired lady-in-waiting.
Alyuin went to unlatch the door and opened it. "Thank you."
The Princess still held great respect for this elder priestess who had shown her kindness and help in her youth. So, even though they had been interrupted, she showed no displeasure—at most, she might grind her back teeth in private.
Behind Muya, two female attendants entered with trays, placed the food on the table, bowed, and withdrew.
The priestess, however, did not leave immediately. She first said to Lotus, "Lord Divine Envoy, is there anything else you require?"
Her tone was normal, respectful but not overly fervent. It was clear Rhea hadn't told her mother what had happened today.
Lotus shook her head. Only then did Muya turn her gaze back to the Princess and say in a business-like manner, "Your Majesty, the city lord heard of your arrival and wishes to pay his respects."
Alyuin had been about to say she wouldn't see him; she certainly had that right.
But on second thought, the Princess swallowed the words on the tip of her tongue and asked, "Where is he?"
"The city lord is waiting outside the temple gate."
"Have him wait in the reception room."
Having received her instructions, Muya bowed and left.
Lotus carefully washed both their hands with clean water, picked up a pastry to feed the Princess, and then said, "You have business with the city lord?"
"I have an idea." Alyuin's expression relaxed. "After I see him, let's go to the training ground."
The little princess's training ground—that patch of mountain meadow that seemed to have never been discovered.
Lotus glanced at her. "And then I'll turn into a blue heron and take you there again?"
Alyuin's smile grew wider. "As long as you're willing, I'm fine with anything, Miss Messenger."
Lotus silenced her with the pastry.
After a simple lunch, Alyuin went to see the Lord of Kadera City.
The previous city lord, Tarsha's father, had been sentenced to death for corruption. The one who replaced him was the very man standing before her.
Having witnessed the Princess's methods, the city lord was respectful from the very beginning. Moreover, Alyuin was no longer just a princess; she was an uncrowned king.
It was just an ordinary meeting that ended after a brief exchange. As the city lord was preparing to take his leave, Alyuin asked, "The mountain behind the city, does it have an owner now?"
The city lord was taken aback. The mountain?
Oh, the mountain behind Kadera City. It was steep and barren, unsuitable for farming or grazing. Even the sharpest-eyed herb gatherers knew there was little of value there, and even the most skilled rock-climbing goats were unwilling to go there.
So he said, "No, Your Majesty."
Alyuin: "Then I'll buy it."
The city lord quickly waved his hands. "All the land in Solancia belongs to Your Majesty. If you have a use for it, you need only say the word."
The Princess said calmly, "The money to buy it will be placed in Kadera City's accounts, and I am purchasing it in a private capacity."
From now on, this mountain would belong to Alyuin, not to the King of Solancia.
The city lord didn't quite understand, but he did as he was told.
That evening at dusk, Lotus led Alyuin across the river that wound around the foot of the mountain. Behind a cave hidden by tall grass, the small path was now just barely wide enough for the grown princess to pass through.
Beneath a fiery sunset that covered most of the sky, the meadow was wide and tranquil.
Plants grew wild at the edges, while the center was carpeted with soft green grass that was barely ankle-high. There were no traces of human activity, except for a pile of wooden swords, wooden targets, and practice bows and arrows in a corner.
Alyuin walked over, dusted off a wooden sword, and swung it casually.
"It's much lighter than I remember."
Lotus looked up. Two golden eagles flew over the mountain rocks and landed on a cliff face, where their parents had once built their nest.
Would they remember? Would they recognize it?
The two of them sat on the grass, casually chatting about things that had happened in the past.
In truth, they had experienced most of it together, but there were other times, such as during Lotus's two periods of slumber.
Lotus listened quietly as the Princess recounted what had happened during those times, and she, in turn, told her the gossip the major gods had shared—of course, the major gods themselves were the gossip.
"If all goes well, they will be your colleagues in the future," Lotus said.
Imagining herself sitting with Alyuin at a divine banquet in the future, she couldn't help but let out a soft laugh.
Alyuin: "What are you laughing at?"
"I was thinking of something happy." A smile touched the corners of Lotus's eyes, a rare sight for the emotionally reserved river goddess.
Alyuin also smiled faintly. "I'm thinking of something very happy, too."
She raised her hand, pointing to a nearby clearing with the same posture she used to brandish her sword on the battlefield.
"The war will surely end. Once everything is on the right track and Solancia has its next reliable king, we'll come here. What do you think?"
"Build a house?"
"Mhm. We'll build it ourselves. If we really can't, we'll just call Motis and the others over to be our laborers."
Lotus imagined the scene: "..."
That doesn't sound too bad.
The fiery clouds had long since dispersed, and the sky was painted in layered shades of blue until night fell, deep and brilliant with stars and the moon.
It was a very clear night.
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