Chapter 350 - Goddess’ Request

Yuzu arrived in Huan in a breath of time.

It had happened without warning, and was likely meant to be disorienting, but Yuzu was a very hard person to surprise.

Of course, that didn’t stop Char Char from letting out an exaggerated yelp behind her. 

“…just wondering how we— Aiya!” Char Char was mid sentence and clearly had been sitting down as she fell on her butt on the hard stone ground.

Yuzu was at the front of the group, looking over a gorgeous mountainous vista. They were atop a narrow spire of a mountain with no civilization or other people in sight. Yuzu didn’t turn around, but observed the strings that had been brought over; Char Char, Firuzeh, Kai, Finn, and Minnie. At Lord Noga’s side his secretary Robin Lang was present as well.

They were on the second tallest peak in the area. The tallest was directly in front of them, another monolith that jutted out of the earth like a pillar, its narrow shadow falling upon their group.

Looking up at the peak in front of them, Yuzu could see a lone figure glaring down at them, with the halo of the sun shining behind her silhouette. Yuzu could feel the flaxen haired goddess’ eyes pierce into hers even from that great distance. From her shadowed face the goddess’ eyes glowed with the light of a storm.

Yuima, Goddess of Nature.

An immense spiritual pressure weighed down Yuzu’s spirit, so great that she had to physically resist against bowing her head and kneeling.

Yuzu had never met the goddess of nature before, but she knew from the threads that this goddess viewed her with hostility.

Yuzu’s spiritual intuition was aching with such sharpness that she felt short of breath. Her thread trembled in the presence of the goddess, Yuzu saw her Fate across multiple possible futures. 

Reduced to ash by lightning from a clear blue sky. Washed off the cliff by a sudden torrent of rain and smitten against the rocks hundreds of feet below. Swallowed up in a sudden crevice in the mountain.

Yuima is quite creative in her methods of killing me. Yuzu thought with morbid amusement, noting that in none of the futures did Lord Noga interfere. She paid close attention to the Angel’s facial expressions and actions in each of her deaths— they ranged from grim acceptance to repressed anger.

Noga had truly brought Yuzu to assist Lord Matsuhara, but he did not have the authority or power to stop Yuima from interfering.

It’s a bit anti-climatic, knowing the future. Yuzu thought whimsically as she finished Cycling through the threads. Despite the many, many paths that lead to her untimely and painful death, Yuzu already knew the best route.

“You cannot proceed.” Yuima’s voice, dark and low like rolling thunder, rumbled through their bones.

Lord Noga had intended to take them deep into Huan, but Yuima had erected a barrier that stopped them at the border of one of the outer mountain ranges. 

The noble Angel of SpaceTime smiled pleasantly, stepping forward on the plateau. His long coat swirled magnificently around his feet as he spoke in a calm tone, “Your Grace, you know why we are here. I beseech you to let us pass.”

Silence here means sudden death by lightning.

“It is fine.” Yuzu interrupted, standing tall as she looked directly at the silhouette on the distant peak, “Goddess, I have no intention to intrude on your Domain.”

Pausing to let Yuima think would result in a quick earthquake burial.

“I assure you, the White Maiden is Her own power. She is not aligned with Akahi as you suspect.” Yuzu declared.

Yuima’s hesitation bought Yuzu time. She let the words sink in. Speaking too fast would result in her being boiled alive by a spontaneous steam geyser.

Yuzu was alert, but calm. Sweat trickled down the back of Yuzu’s neck as she kept ahold of this flow of Fate.

“It is Akahi’s shrines that you use.” Yuima spoke with an accusatory snarl, “Akahi’s chest that you stole from my priests.”

Yuzu didn’t defend herself. It wasn’t necessary.

“But…” After a moment, Yuima’s tone softened, “…Her Order indeed has been pestering my same priests for the chest… I’ve wondered at their attempt at such transparent a ruse…”

The Kismet Order has been trying to work with Yuima to find me? Yuzu wondered. From the sounds of it, they’re not on good terms… They must be really desperate…

This small piece of information was a treasure for Yuzu. An indication that perhaps she was not quite so wrapped around Akahi’s finger as she feared. 

“The White Maiden disrupted Prince Deka’s resurrection, and Her interference at Hasan Walled City also appears connected to breaking Shuma’s prophecy.” Lord Noga spoke up.

Actions that are directly against Akahi’s interests and political alignments. Yuzu understood. Lord Noga has been thinking about this issue in depth. Perhaps this is why he is willing to work with me.

The pressure on Yuzu’s spirit decreased, indicating that Yuima was being swayed.

The path Yuzu was aiming for was clear. Yuima would give her and her entourage a set of conditions which would give the goddess time to judge their intentions. Yuima was wary of Fate, but Yuzu had expertly tugged on the doubts in Her mind.

One more death awaited Yuzu. If she spoke up at this moment and tried to anticipate Yuima’s actions, calling out Her intentions to put Yuzu through trials, Yuima would take offense to the act of so blatantly reading the future. 

I would be thrown off the ledge by a gust of wind and… burned to a crisp in a pool of molten rock opened by a spontaneous volcanic eruption? Yuzu almost rolled her eyes at the exaggerated execution. She could only come to one conclusion after watching all these threads.

Nature was clearly a fickle and temperamental goddess.

Their surroundings grew silent, as if nature itself was holding its breath. Even the winds ceased, creating an eerie, suffocating silence.

“You cannot pass.” Yuima said after some time, “But I will give you a chance to prove your true nature.”

“There is a village in the valley of this mountain range that is stricken with disease. Alleviate their woes, and I will weigh the merit of your actions.” 

“I shall send a representative of mine to assist you.” Yuima said, “They will meet you at the base of the mountain.”

“As You wish.” Yuzu nodded, neither too subservient nor too confidently. 

Beside her, Noga let his lips turn up into an amused grin. He turned his head, meeting Yuzu’s eyes, then nodded his head in a polite bow to her. “Then I shall leave you in Yuima’s care. If you succeed in swaying Her heart, we shall meet again… Time and Fate permitting.”

He grinned, then turned and took a step away. With the single step his body disappeared as if he had walked through an invisible doorway, his coat tail trailing behind him with a flourish on an invisible wind.

“I shall return with the two officers.” Robin Lang bowed while speaking in a respectful tone. She had stayed at Noga’s side for the whole conversation, emotionless as a doll.

This surprised Yuzu somewhat. When Yuzu had spoken of her entourage, she had included Finn and Minnie in it. She gathered Lord Noga had also understood this, but was unwilling or unable to lend his personnel to deal with Yuima’s plans. Yuzu didn’t get along much with Finn, but she remembered his personal request that he had made at the White Maiden’s shrine in Hasan.

“Before that—“ Yuzu said, turning to Finn as she pulled a small object out of her pockets, “The White Maiden wishes to support your investigation. If you learn of anything of interest, you may contact me through this lodestone. If needed you can extend its range by employing a high level Exalted.”

In this way, she would be able to hold good to her word to help Finn in his search for Markus Gantt, if he were to find him. She had no particular reason for lending her support, only that there was something about the tapestry that told Yuzu that there was an important role to play for her in this endeavour.

Yuzu’s eyes flickered to Minnie, who regarded the lodestone with a serious gaze. For a moment Yuzu considered handing the lodestone to the female officer. Doing so had no purpose except to agitate Finn for her own amusement. Too cheeky. She decided against the action.

Finn stepped forward seriously and accepted the stone without a remark.

Yuzu nodded to Robin, and the blue haired woman raised her cane in front of her with both hands and stamped it firmly on the ground. Finn, Minnie and Robin disappeared instantly without a trace.

Yuzu turned back to the distant peek, seeing that Yuima had departed as well. The sounds of wind and distant birds slowly returned to her senses. The low howl of a wind traveled through the mountain range below.

Yuzu turned toward the remaining three Chaos Exalted who remained on the mountain top.

Char Char, her… best… friend, who knew the truth about her secret. The beautiful kumin girl wore a set of pink robes that made it seem like she was out on a leisure stroll— if not for the sword which hung off her waist.

Firuzeh, who had pledged her allegiance to the White Maiden, dressed in a traveler’s cloak and battle ready attire. Notably, she was no longer wearing her security company uniform. The crystal pendant was no longer around her neck.

Kai, who Yuzu honestly had no impression of, avoided Yuzu’s gaze as he kept an aloof expression looking out over the cliff. He was still in his uniform, short sword at his side.

If they didn’t want to be there, they didn’t immediately protest. Nor could Yuzu gather their thoughts by reading their futures. 

After all, these were three Chaos domain Exalted whose Fates Yuzu couldn’t read.

This Goddess’ request is going to be… troublesome… Yuzu could only sigh in her mind.

With a burst of energy Char Char hopped up onto a stone, looking directly at Yuzu. Her eyes brimmed with excitement as she exclaimed.

“A quest from a Goddess! This is going to be fun!”