Radiance · A Glimmer of Light

The scent of darkness, Filianore, lured something tainted by darkness to a place someone might come into contact with.

"Was it necessary to go this far, Your Filianore?" The Fire Keeper tilted her head, a hint of dissatisfaction in her voice.

"Just going with the flow." Filianore stood up, her long golden hair swaying slightly behind her. "Originally, it was a foreshadowing I prepared for myself. If the success rate of my confession was low, I would have to rely on these guys as bait to continue following her. But now, becoming an ally of that Miss Kal'tsit isn't so bad, it could be considered making use of waste. And..."

"I remember I said last time that you shouldn't call me Your Highness next time we meet. I'm now Surtr's, just like you. You can call me by a more affectionate tone."

"For example?"

"Like, sister?" Filianore winked playfully. "I'd be so happy if you called me that. After all, I'm older than you, both in age and in terms of the time we made our pact. And you are a Princess, too."

"... It seems you are quite ambitious, Your Filianore. Even as a treasure, do you want to be the most beloved and highest-ranking one? Miss might not like people around her who are too noisy."

"Ah, that's your lack of experience, Fire Keeper." The Goddess walked lightly across the carpet, her hands behind her back. "Those who haven't been served can hardly understand the feeling of a group of the most dazzling jewels of the world vying for your attention, scheming against each other, just to catch your eye and make you smile—the power struggles in the court are actually a pleasant pastime for a powerful Monarchs outside of state affairs. And Surtr... someone like her, unwilling to relinquish control, must be able to appreciate the pleasure within."

"So you just did it to make her smile?"

"Getting angry is fine too," Filianore, a subtle expectation in her voice. "Fourteen thousand years ago, she wouldn't have gotten angry. But now, her emotions have become richer, which gives me an opportunity. But she's still too gentle and tolerant, so much so that these increasingly rich emotions might hurt her. So, apart from those gentle and considerate companions, the anger that always builds up inside her will eventually need a safe outlet."

"But it's a bit difficult to expect her to bully others on her own initiative... or rather, her kind of bullying often falls into the category of acting cute. It's not that it has no effect, but it's better than nothing. So at this time, someone has to provide her with some small help."

"It's good for her to get angry and lose her temper occasionally—that Miss Kal'tsit is actually the best candidate. After all, according to her past statement, 'It's easier to change mountains and rivers than to change one's nature.' Even if Miss Kal'tsit succeeds this time, it will always be easy to make her angry in the future... But I don't have any hope for that cat-eared lady. So whether she succeeds or fails, my self-positioning will not change."

She made a gesture, and a precious orb formed from gathered light appeared at the tip of her finger.

"The most competitive of the pearls always shines brighter and more brilliantly than its kind—that's what I want to be. Not necessarily her favorite, but certainly the one she plays with the most." She held the pearl in her hand, and the radiance immediately overflowed and diffused through her fingers—she tilted her head toward the Fire Keeper.

"How about that? Not a bad reason, right? Now, would you like to call me 'sister'?"

Filianore was full of confidence.

However, the response she received was beyond her expectations.

"Please forgive my refusal, Your Highness." The Fire Keeper bowed slightly to her. "I agree with your point of view, but I do not agree with your approach."

"Why?" Filianore tilted her little head to the other side. "I am no longer the god you serve. That identity is worthless in comparison to what we all share: Surtr's companion."

"Yes, you are no longer." A subtle smile played on the Fire Keeper's lips. "Therefore, you have no right to command me. Nor do you have the right to correct how I address you, Your Highness."

The Goddess was taken aback at first, then her slender eyebrows twitched slightly. Her willow-leaf eyebrows changed from vertical to a smiling curve, and her bright eyes narrowed slightly.

"So it's already started? Fire Keeper, you've gotten into character even faster than I expected."

"This is my duty, Your Highness. I am the lady's Fire Keeper, guarding her flame and her heart. When she is happy, it is my duty to make her even happier. When she is unhappy, it is my duty to soothe her pent-up emotions in ways she cannot perceive, where she is not even aware of them."

"You have willingly become this object, and I will guide her to choose the right one—you should know that she enjoys seeing noble women submit to her. So, I need to make this label on you more prominent—playing with a commoner is different from playing with a Princess. And the pleasure derived from punishing a princess is naturally different from punishing a Goddess. Don't you think so, Your Highness?"

"... It seems I must retract my previous judgment of you, Fire Keeper. I still have much to learn from you."

Filianore let out a soft breath. Her previous languid, mischievous, even girl-next-door air had vanished. In its place was the nobility and solemnity of Goddess —she walked to the edge of the carriage and peered down through the parted clouds. Surtr hadn't yet found Kal'tsit, who was deliberately hiding, but she had already caught sight of the approaching shadowy figure.

"Go toward Fran, Fire Keeper," she commanded. "Go and fulfill your duty."

The Fire Keeper responded with a bowed head and a submissive voice.

"Yes, Your Highness."

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PS: The whole world is helping Kal'tsit climb the ranks. (jpg)

Chapter 204. Glow. A Line of Light

Run.

As he ran, his heart was filled with pain and regret.

Her senses and intuition became exceptionally sharp at this moment. The assimilation of perception from the symbiote allowed her to discern subtle changes in airflow over several kilometers as clearly as examining fingerprints on her hand, as well as the subtle shifts in her own heart. At the same time, this also deepened the anguish within her.

Why did it turn out this way?

Why?

Everything was clearly moving in a positive direction, the past grievances were fading, and gradually healing with the soothing effects of time and action... even starting over as friends would have been better than nothing; at least there was hope, unlike so many times before when there was no hope at all. But why...?

Miss Lynx gently pressed her hand to her chest. She leaned against a thick tree, slumped down, and seemed to lose all support, becoming utterly dejected.

Why is my heart aching so much?

Close your eyes and perceive.

She could clearly sense a familiar streak of fire searching in another direction. It was Surtr, but Surtr hadn't found the right direction immediately.

She felt frustrated. Her frustration was tinged with deep sorrow.

She wanted to be found, but deliberately avoided it.

She wanted to be discovered, but instead hid even more secretly.

A gust of wind swept through the woods, the cold air stinging her face. She shivered instinctively and curled up. Her sharp senses, just moments before, dulled instantly. With a stinging in her eyes and a throbbing in her nose, she buried her head deep in her chest, like an ostrich in a sandstorm.

Pain... It feels like my internal organs have been hollowed out and filled with tiny ice crystals.

But why does it hurt? Why?

Surtr was merely adored—she was always adored. She never made any promises to herself; she only saw herself as a friend. She had Persephone in Terra, and others equally close to her—that was all, so why did it hurt?

Press your hand firmly against your chest, trying to feel your heartbeat. Sink your thoughts, roughly pulling all your deepest desires to the surface.

Why?

She recalled the first time she met Surtr —the red-haired Sarkaz, the wandering swordsman, the helper introduced by the Princess. Back then, she saw her as just an ordinary... no, a colleague she was slightly interested in. She had been able to treat her like any other Sarkaz operator, even gently keeping her company and smiling at her.

She recalled the many times she had met Surtr —a capable assistant, a thoughtful helper, who always showed her special care, and she enjoyed this intimacy. Back then, she considered her a friend she could confide in. She could pour out her troubles to her, seek her help, and if anything good happened, she would think of her first.

She recalled the time when her relationship with Surtr took a sudden and unilateral turn for the worse—the time when Theresia suddenly told her, "I'm sorry, I've fallen in love with her." And at that moment, she felt a pain and sorrow similar to the current situation within her.

Why do I feel pain?

Why did my attitude towards her change so drastically at that time?

She pressed her hand to her heart, feeling the fainter heartbeat in her chest.

Why? The apparent reason was that he wanted to bring her and Theresia together—at that time, she had gradually revealed her unparalleled power on the battlefield. More than the Lord of Fiends's inherited Royal Authority, she was more like a self-proclaimed king of strength. So he hesitated then, even after realizing his own desires, he still chose to back down. Because at that time, he wanted to fulfill Her Highness's ideals more than romance.