-Extra chapter today-
After a quick rest to recover from using two 5★ Talents at the same time, I continued on my journey back to Guili Assembly. My return was relatively calm, and before long I made it back. I greeted the guardsmen as I entered, and I sighed in relief when I saw that there weren't personal guards hunting me down the moment I entered the city.
And so, with a joyful heart I returned to my home, and I promptly collapsed onto my bed into a deep sleep.
…
A day went by, and to my dismay, the calm I saw yesterday was a mere facade. It seemed, realizing that I was unwilling to become someone's personal songbird, the nobles collectively decided to make me some star performer they could call upon whenever they felt bored. Some nobles even personally sought me out during my downtime, causing many people to view me differently.
It…wasn't the worst option, I suppose.. At least I wouldn't be tethered to one individual, and I'd get quite a hefty sum of Mora for it as well.
But I declined their offer still. I would perform by my own decision, not at their leisure. "My songs are for the people." Were my words to the nobles that'd come before me personally, and that seemed to be enough of a reply to dissuade the higher class. At least for the time being.
That was what I assumed. But in truth, their invitations stopped because Lady Guizhong herself had ordered for them to stop. I found that out when she visited me and personally apologized for making my life so difficult these past few days. It was such a surprise that the most I could do was dumbly nod.
Which brought me here, to a teahouse Guizhong often frequented. I did my best to sit still as an army of maidens brought over a buffet of teas and snacks. I was dressed in the same hanfu I wore during my most recent performance, and I did my best not to notice the many eyes I was attracting. All while Guizhong sat opposite of me, smiling in clear amusement over my discomfort.
"What's wrong, Venti?" She asked slyly.
I did my best to smile back. "It's nothing, Lady Guizhong." I shivered as I felt another pair of eyes join the crowd. Gods, if only Morax was here; these nobles would surely think otherwise if he was here. "I am simply tired from my excursion."
Her eyes twinkled. "Is that so?" She took a sip of her tea as she reached for an egg tart. "I heard you'd met one of our Yakshas?"
I blinked. And then realized that Alatus must've reported that meeting to Morax, who then told Guizhong. "Ah, yes. I met Alatus the day before." I smiled slightly as I remembered the prickly adepti. "His words were cutting, but I know he means well."
"Mm." She took a bite of her egg tart. "And what do you think of him?"
My gaze fell for a moment, thinking of that too-large spear he carried. He was far older than I am, that I knew. But I couldn't help but think what a loss it was that he was out there fighting monsters and demons, while many remained oblivious to the effort he put in service to Morax. Should he not be enjoying his life as well? Was it not unfair in some ways?
"He is strong." I said instead. I flashed Guizhong a smile. "He was far faster than I thought. I couldn't even put up a defense against him." And that was probably still true even with my new Talents. My Speed was really low, and I haven't found an easy way of increasing it.
She giggled. "That is true. He's certainly one of the most talented adepti Morax has in his employ." She took a sesame ball and began nibbling on it. She then gestured at the many snacks and pastries atop the table, urging me to take one for myself.
I smiled wryly. Though I didn't recognize most of them, the ones I did were pastries many peasants wouldn't ever purchase due to their insane price. I eventually decided to take one of the egg tarts. "May I ask something, Lady Guizhong?" I asked as I took a bite. I blinked as I tasted it. "This is quite good."
She smiled. "It is, isn't it?" She took another bite of her sesame ball. "And you may."
I pursed my lips as I took a bite. I did have a question, but was this atmosphere really suitable for such an inquiry? Guizhong must already be worried due to the horde of demons approaching the city walls—surely there was no need to deepen her worries, was there?
But Guizhong patiently smiled as she waited, and eventually I spoke. "What would you do if the walls were breached?"
She hummed. "Then we will fight to protect Guili."
I frowned. "And what if there comes a point when Guili falls?" And though I'd phrased it as a question, deep inside me, I felt like that was inevitable. As if this was something that'd happened before.
Her smile remained, but her eyes hardened, and a suffocating aura arose from her. The other patrons around us shuddered, and many finally turned away from watching us. Yet I remained untouched, strangely confident despite the possibility of Guizhong smiting me down for such blasphemy.
"If there comes a time as so," she took a careful sip of her tea. "Then I will fight until the end."
I pursed my lips. "Even if you…"
She nodded. "Even if." She said, knowing the words I left unsaid.
"That's stupid." I said. She blinked, surprised at the sudden shift in tone. I continued. "To fight for your home is a good thing—that I won't deny. But you can also help everyone escape, can't you? There's always the option to live another day."
She smiled sadly. "I know." She traced the rim of her cup. "But I fear I will have little choice this time." She closed her eyes. "These demons are far from normal. Morax believes they are beneath the command of a demon god." She took a slow sip. "I disagree."
I blinked. "You do?"
She smiled for a moment. "Partially, at least." She frowned. "The horde is too large, and the demons are too varied. This can only be the work of multiple demon gods." She sighed. "And I fear Morax will be too busy fighting them to protect Guili and I from their devastation."
I took a bated breath. So that was it. No wonder I hadn't seen Morax lately; the god was likely involved in fight after fight against the demonic gods. Was that why Alatus had appeared before me as well? Perhaps he'd heard of me leaving and asked the yaksha to guard me.
No, more importantly, that meant just escaping wouldn't be possible. We'd need to thin the horde of demons before we could even contemplate the idea of relocating the citizens to another location.
A city trapped. An impossible escape. A war that couldn't be avoided.
Why…did all that sound so…fAmiLiaR?
"Venti?"
I blinked. "Yes, Lady Guizhong?" She stared at me, concerned, and I tilted my head in confusion. "Is something wrong?"
She watched me for a few more seconds, before she shook her head. "It's nothing, Venti." She ate the rest of her sesame ball to mask her worries. Surely what she'd felt for a moment there had been wrong.
I frowned, confused as to the sudden shift, but I eventually shrugged. It didn't seem like Guizhong was willing to share her mind, and that was fine. I was just a human, and she was a god. It was already a miracle that we were both sitting in this teahouse like two friends instead.
The rest of our stay at the teahouse was calm, though I had to endure Guizhong's teasing remarks regarding my 'jade-like beauty'. It was both flattering and mortifying to know that a god found me so pretty. I was already dreading the moment I revealed how I'd look once I had my Talents activated.
Eventually, our little meeting came to an end, and I left to head back home. I'd planned to walk back home at first, but after seeing the many eyes that followed me the moment I opened the door, I quickly came back in and asked Guizhong if she had any way of bringing me back home without catching so much attention.
The goddess giggled, and then to my horror led me outside. With Guizhong by my side, no one dared to approach us, but we'd quickly become the center of attention as we walked back to my home. Those that recognized me practically gaped as they saw me walking with their god, and once I reached the refugee condo I lived in, the owner's eyes went wide when he saw us enter.
Once Guizhong bid me farewell, the owner practically fell to his knees and thanked me for allowing him to glimpse at their god from so close up. I could only smile and retreat to my room in a haste, quickly switching to my usual gender-neutral robes once I locked the door behind me.
I hugged my arms and shivered. Scary! That was the scariest thing I've ever experienced since I awoke here! The sheer devotion the people showed Guizhong was intense, and now some of that awe had been shared with me. Even just remembering the almost fanatic look the owner had as he thanked me-, brr! Just remembering it sent pins and needles up my arms!
Being famous was nice and all, but this wasn't the kind of fame I wanted!
I took a deep breath. Calm, calm. I needed to calm down.
I rubbed my forehead. For the first time, I contemplated whether I should buy a house of my own. It wouldn't even be that hard—a few days of fishing should net me enough Mora to purchase a settlement for myself.
The idea was scrapped not long after. Not because I didn't want a house for myself, but because it was clear that Guili Assembly would soon face a potential calamity. There was no point in buying a house that'd soon get destroyed by the demons; that was just a waste of good Mora!
I just had to…stick it out. It'd be over soon. Everyone's attention would soon turn to the impending doom that was approaching. And besides, Guizhong would be there; she'd steal back all the spotlight that'd fallen onto me.
I just had to be patient. Yeah.
Sighing deeply, I waddled over to my bed and collapsed into the pillow. And already dreading the coming days, I drifted to a troubled sleep.