TGS - Chapter 193
Chapter 193: Memories (2)
During her time in ancient Solancia, Lotus had often wondered what she should do in the future.
If possible, she still preferred to go back.
It had little to do with her emotionally distant parents or her not-so-close friends. It was simply that in this turbulent and backward ancient world, Lotus was a true stranger.
She had no identity, no sense of belonging, not a penny to her name, and no one to turn to.
In comparison, returning to her familiar era was, of course, a better option.
Another, more important reason was that Lotus didn't know what she could do here.
Her path had been planned for her long ago, and she had always walked it straight, without a single misstep. But in this strange, lost world before her, the path ahead had been severed. Which direction was she supposed to go now?
Lotus temporarily gave up on studying the bronze mirror, placing it face down and gently stroking the bracelet on her wrist with her fingertips.
A moment later, she flipped the mirror over again and adjusted her expression before her reflection.
Her frost-blue eyes were slightly downcast, the gentle, faint smile on her lips faded, replaced by an indifference devoid of joy or sorrow.
At first glance, it was quite intimidating.
Alyuin’s seemingly casual yet earnest proposal echoed in her ears.
Lotus placed one hand on the sapphire inlaid in the mirror and snapped the fingers of her other hand. Like a mutant or a person with superpowers in a movie, a crystal flower formed from a cluster of icicles burst open at her fingertips.
A new goal, huh…
The next day, Lotus went out and encountered Alyuin practicing archery in the garden.
The city lord was a master archer. Every arrow struck its target with precision, carrying the aura of clashing steel, like a valkyrie.
Could it be that everyone named Alyuin was such a formidable fighter?
Lotus made no sound, standing quietly behind her to watch.
Alyuin seemed not to have noticed. With her final arrow, she raised her bow and shot into the treetops. A piece of fruit fell at the sound, landing steadily in her outstretched palm.
“For you.” Alyuin tossed it backward without turning her head.
Lotus reached out and caught the fruit, then looked up.
“Count me in for that thing you mentioned.”
Alyuin: “Have you thought it through?”
As she spoke, she turned around, and her eyes widened slightly when she saw Lotus’s expression.
Lotus maintained the expression she had settled on after her self-assessment in the mirror, meeting her gaze with a placid look.
“You look—” Alyuin paused here, as if searching for the right words, then continued, “It’s hard to imagine. Are you sure you’re not some deity who’s come here to play tricks on people?”
Lotus said, “I remember you saying you didn’t believe in gods.”
“That was before. From now on, I am your faithful believer.”
Alyuin narrowed her eyes thoughtfully. “Or perhaps I should say, Your Grace.”
The Lord of Solancia was clearly serious. Whatever her reasons, Lotus felt a faint sense of anticipation.
Perhaps it was because she had never once strayed from the beaten path that her first act of “rebellion” had to be a big one.
Afterward, the two conspirators discussed the details.
Alyuin believed that Lotus just needed to maintain that expression, stand on a stage, and casually conjure a water ball or a splash, and that would be enough to establish the existence of a miracle.
Lotus said, “But you don’t have a god who rules over water, at least not yet. It will be difficult to convince people.”
Alyuin said, “You are one.”
Lotus tried to stick to her established character. “I’m just a giant fish.”
“Well now, you’ve been promoted from a spirit of the Yilu River to the Yilu River itself.” Alyuin shrugged. “We in Solancia have no protection from water and rivers, but several other city-states do. Our neighbors, for example, get all excited by the side of the Watermarsh River. It’s really annoying.”
Therefore, they had to establish the most sublime divine authority, one that surpassed the beliefs of other city-states on a mythological level, to inspire their own side and suppress their enemies.
Lotus thought of the “Lotus” in the ancient Solancian mythological system.
That was the origin of her name. Was the myth of the river goddess formed against such a backdrop?
“…The Goddess of the Yilu River, the incarnation of all fresh water. The blue heron is her messenger, the giant fish her mount. Her floods traverse the earth as if flowing through the kingdom of the gods.”
Lotus murmured.
She had once, out of interest, found a collection of research papers on ancient Solancia. One of them was dedicated to its mythological system, and the description of the ancient god who shared her name was still fresh in her memory.
Alyuin: “Good, it’s settled then.”
Lotus: “Hm?”
Alyuin raised an eyebrow and tapped her chin. “That sounds very sublime. It can definitely beat our neighbor’s crocodile god… So, the River Goddess Lorja?”
It seemed the city lord had already decisively settled on the promotional content. Lotus remained silent for a moment, then decided to correct history.
“Lotus. My name.”
The River Goddess Lotus.
As a member of the Solancian pantheon, in this world where gods truly existed, her origin began with a man-made plot, though the person in question was unaware, and the gods of the various warring city-states had not noticed either.
【Destiny】 will always push certain things onto their predetermined tracks.
It is precisely because it cannot be resisted, cannot be changed, that it is called destiny.
In the city-state of Solancia, a new myth began to spread quietly.
Alyuin wanted the people of Solancia to see that destiny was on their side, on our side.
Among the many warring city-states, only Solancia was acknowledged by the gods, destined to unify this land.
For this, Lotus needed to display an irrefutable “miracle” that was beyond human capability to substantiate this claim.
For example, making the water in the river rise into the air and form the symbol of the city-state of Solancia.
Or, for another example, condensing an ice dagger out of thin air in front of everyone. Alyuin used it to run an enemy city-state’s assassin through, even complaining that it was too cold.
In this era, it was common for city-states to annex one another, and Solancia had already swallowed up many smaller cities.
Initially, the larger city-states could maintain a superficial peace, but everyone wanted to occupy more land and become stronger.
This was a trend that no party could stand aside from, or they would only be devoured by other rising city-states.
In such a situation, Solancia rose with an unyielding posture.
Alyuin and her brother’s father had truly been farsighted. While Alyuin was out on campaigns, the young city lord could hold down the fort, ensuring there were no worries about military supplies or logistics.
The greatest fear in a co-regency is a power struggle, but this brother and sister had no disagreements at all. They worked together to forge Solancia into an iron barrel—an iron barrel with blades sprouting from its exterior.
Lotus was well aware that her role in all this was merely the icing on the cake. If Solancia’s strength couldn’t support it, the so-called miracles would be nothing but a joke.
But it was precisely because of Solancia’s power that the claim of a divine sign revealing heaven’s mandate became exceptionally credible.
Most of the time, Lotus and Alyuin were not far from each other, practically inseparable.
In fact, according to Alyuin’s original plan, Lotus was supposed to stay behind in the city-state with the priests after performing a few miracles. But later, it was Alyuin who first rejected this proposal, stating that it was better for her to move with the army.
Lotus had no objection. After all, when it came to self-preservation, no human could compare to her.
But just in case her powers suddenly disappeared as abruptly as they had appeared, Lotus began to learn some essential skills from Alyuin.
Skills like horsemanship, swordsmanship, and simple fighting techniques. Lotus learned quickly; she had always been a fast learner in everything. Otherwise, she could never have achieved the “perfection” her parents demanded.
Once, Alyuin remarked, seemingly unintentionally, “Are all you giant fish this smart?”
Lotus hesitated for a moment. “Actually, I’m not—”
Alyuin cut her off. “I know, you’re my goddess.”
Since they both knew the truth, the statement was more of a joke, though her tone was a little too gentle.
“Now, everyone says I am the faithful believer of the River Goddess, since I am the city lord you chose.”
“And are you?”
Alyuin didn't answer immediately. From Lotus’s perspective, she seemed to be deep in thought.
The silence stretched on for too long, and Lotus subconsciously asked, “Alyuin?”
The battle-hardened lord of Solancia came back to her senses and chuckled softly. “Of course I am.”
She took Lotus’s hand and lowered her head to press a light touch to its back.
Before Lotus could react, Alyuin let go, as if it were an incredibly ordinary gesture.
And indeed, there was nothing wrong with it. Kissing the back of a hand was merely a symbol of respect and piety.
But Lotus was inappropriately reminded of the rumors that had once spread among the servants of the city lord’s mansion—the rumor that the foreign woman the city lord had brought back was her lover. Though no one dared to spread such nonsense afterward.
Lotus only learned later that such rumors had started because Alyuin had rejected all marriage proposals in her youth. Annoyed, she had even set up a tournament for a day, beating all her would-be suitors to a pulp.
Ever since then, rumors had spread that the city lord’s daughter only liked women.
Such a rumor was, of course, quite baseless.
But at this moment, Lotus felt a pang of regret.
Why wasn’t it true?
The next moment, realizing what she was thinking, Lotus fell silent. “…”
Rumors were truly harmful.
The long scroll of memory rolled on, pausing briefly on one frame.
Three years passed in a flash. In this turbulent era, Lotus went from being unaccustomed to it to taking it in stride. In those three years, the city-state of Solancia had also expanded to become one of the most powerful city-states.
With another campaign, their territory expanded westward to the edge of a great lake.
The locals just called it “the lake,” with no other name. Lotus hadn’t known either, until she found a stone by the shore.
On this stone was writing in a script she recognized. It was the modern word for “Jadaar.”
Lotus’s heart skipped a beat. An indescribable premonition struck her; her intuition told her this was a clue.
But a clue to what?
Who had carved this word on the surface of the black stone? Herself? But why?
At some point, Alyuin had come to stand beside her. “Give this lake a name.”
“They say it’s the largest lake in this land. It should be named by you.”
Lotus said softly, “…Jadaar.”
It was indeed Jadaar Lake. Alyuin was right; Jadaar was the largest lake in the land of Solancia, even in modern times.
Could it be that the stone was just a hint for this?
Lotus couldn’t figure it out, but she kept the black stone.
The wheel of memory turned to the next frame.
Solancia’s battlefront was still advancing. They were at a small city abandoned by other large city-states, a place now shrouded in the shadow of drought.
The locals had heard that the River Goddess of Solancia had performed miracles. They surrendered almost immediately, hoping only for rain to fall.
Lotus’s abilities were not enough to control rainfall, and Alyuin could have easily used other excuses to brush the matter aside, but this made Lotus feel powerless.
She was, after all, just a person, not a god from the legends.
Especially when she saw a young girl on the verge of dying from thirst. She conjured a cup of water to save the child, but when she looked up, she saw so many more victims. She couldn’t remain completely indifferent.
The legend of the goddess was a fabrication.
But the hope and prayers that came with it were laid squarely upon Lotus’s shoulders.
Lotus just wanted to try. Even if she couldn’t do it, she had to at least try.
With this thought, she tried to activate some kind of connection with the bronze mirror. The desire was incredibly strong, and the rain truly came.
It was an unnatural rain. There weren’t even many clouds gathered overhead. Lotus didn’t see any more, because the moment the first drop of rain fell, she lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she was face to face with Alyuin.
“You slept for ten days,” she said.
Lotus tried to sit up, but failed. “Ten days?”
“Ten days and nights, to be precise.” Alyuin’s expression was grim. “This is harmful to you, isn’t it?”
Lotus turned her head. “Perhaps?”
She truly hadn’t expected this. If she had known beforehand, Lotus would never have tried.
Alyuin took a deep breath and suddenly leaned down to hug her.
“Don’t ever do that again. Lotus, you have no idea how worried I was.”
Lotus said in a low voice, “Okay, I won’t.”
In the tight embrace, their heartbeats were almost in sync. Lotus felt that hers was a little faster, probably an illusion brought on by her guilt.
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