To the Love Born in the Lowest Place

Liv tried to accept the current situation positively. Now that she had come all the way to the Kingdom of Ashur, it would be difficult for August to continue tracking her. However, now Liv had to worry about how to return to the Holy Hilysid Empire. At that moment, the merchant spoke again.

“A-Are you a holy person?”

“A holy person?”

Liv could read in his eyes a gaze that saw her as a strange being.

Well, it wasn’t surprising. They all had black hair and dark skin, while Liv had white hair and pale skin. Among them, Liv looked like a complete foreigner.

“Well, I suppose so.”

Since it was true that Liv received the love of the gods, she didn’t particularly deny it.

“I saw the river guiding you here. It looked as if the river was upholding you.”

“I see.”

“Then surely you must be loved by the goddess of the Tila River.”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

It wasn’t wrong since the goddess of the Tila River was among the gods who loved Liv. At Liv’s answer, the man clenched his fist with a determined face.

“Y-You must go to the royal palace!”

“…To the royal palace?”

“You must meet the Ayr!”

‘Ayr’ was the term for king in the Kingdom of Ashur. She remembered reading in a book that here, the Ayr was both king and a living god.

…Things seemed to be getting complicated. Maybe she should just try to find a ship going to the Holy Hilysid Empire… Wait, it might be better to meet the Ayr after all.

‘The Kingdom of Ashur is a country where gods exert greater power than any other country.’

The most devout country for the Holy Church was the Holy Hilysid Empire. But it couldn’t be said that gods exerted the greatest power in the Holy Hilysid Empire. Even August was still holding onto the Emperor’s position despite being disliked by the temple.

On the other hand, the Kingdom of Ashur was a country where everything revolved around the gods. There were even thousands of gods here. In the polytheistic Kingdom of Ashur, it wouldn’t be considered strange for Liv to receive the love of multiple gods.

If Liv revealed her power, she could receive help from the Ayr and return to the Holy Hilysid Empire. She might even receive help in the process of reclaiming the throne from August. It would be impossible to find a ship going to the Holy Hilysid Empire on her own here anyway.

“Alright, please guide me to the Ayr.”

Liv nodded with a solemn expression.

* * *

Saying it was his proper duty, the merchant called a cart and guided Liv to the royal palace. The people who had seen the river moving Liv also followed, saying they would testify. Riding a cart instead of a carriage was another unfamiliar thing, but it seemed common for people to ride carts here.

From inside the crowded cart, Liv looked outside while holding back her motion sickness. Low houses made of sand, the huge Tila River, temples visible here and there, the smell of exotic spices…. A completely unfamiliar scene was welcoming Liv.

More than that, Liv decided to focus on the sensation she had been feeling for a while. Liv slowly repeated clenching and unclenching her hand. She felt a full power within her body. The power of the gods she had received in the sea was now inside her.

Having received such an enormous power, Liv should have felt overwhelmed. But rather, this land felt incredibly clear and refreshing to Liv. Swallowing the air felt so sweet.

Of course, that was natural. Because in this land…

‘There are sanctuaries of thousands of gods.’

With each step she took on this land, Liv could replenish the power of the gods. Her body felt refreshed as if she had slept well and woken up. No, beyond that, it felt similar to when she first came out to the world after being confined in Abgrund. The air with a high concentration of power felt almost excessive, like eating food filled with sugar, but it wasn’t unpleasant either.

As Liv was breathing in the refreshing air, the cart stopped in front of the royal palace. The palace was magnificent and huge, surrounded by trees she had never seen before.

Those who had brought Liv rushed towards the soldiers in a group, shouting something. Liv couldn’t understand their words, so she just stood quietly behind them. Meanwhile, one soldier spotted Liv and widened his eyes in surprise.

A moment later, Liv was guided to sit in some room. The merchant who had spoken with Liv was also there.

“Where is this?”

When Liv asked that in Garcian, the merchant answered with a voice full of joy.

“Where else could it be? It’s the royal palace! When we told the soldiers about you, they believed our words after seeing your appearance. Of course, you’ll have to go through verification before meeting the Ayr.”

“I see.”

“Oh, by the way, what is your name? I didn’t even know that!”

Several names swirled in Liv’s mouth.

Liv Hamelsvoort. Liv liked that name. Hamelsvoort was the first family name Liv had. And for the sake of the now-deceased Hamelsvoort couple, Liv wanted to keep that name for a long time.

Liv Lartman. That was also a name Liv loved. When she heard that name, she felt that she was truly in a marital relationship with Emmett.

However, the name Liv should introduce from now on was…

“Liv Gracia. That’s my name.”

“Lady Gracia, then.”

Since few people would memorize the name of a former imperial family from a distant country, the merchant showed no reaction upon hearing that name.

At that moment, the door of the room opened. The merchant stood up with a moved expression.

“Oh, we are in the presence of the princess of the Kingdom of Ashur, daughter of the god of the universe.”

Liv focused on the word ‘princess’. The woman who entered through the door had black hair and black eyes, as was common for people here. Her tall stature and striking features emphasized her open impression.

As Liv was quietly looking at her without greeting, she smiled brightly, showing her teeth. And she said something, but Liv couldn’t understand her words. Instead, the merchant said something to the princess. The princess sat opposite Liv, and the merchant began to translate her words.

“She asks where you came from.”

“I am a person from the Holy Hilysid Empire. I was in the Merna Empire and was on my way back to the Holy Hilysid Empire when I came here.”

“She asks how you came here.”

“The ship sank and I fell into the sea. However, knowing that the sea would save me, I surrendered my body to the currents. Then I ended up in the Tila River.”

“She asks if you’re not afraid to set foot in this land, since the Holy Hilysid Empire is a country of the Holy Church.”

At those words, Liv smiled faintly. Because…

Welcome to my land, my child.

Here, we can do anything for you.

My child has finally arrived in the land of grace.

Amazing things will happen to you.

Even at this moment, thousands of gods were whispering to Liv.

“Treat a strange guest with great hospitality. The way we treat guests is our face.”

Liv recited one of the sayings circulating in the Kingdom of Ashur. When the merchant interpreted that to the princess, her eyes lit up.

“She says she will introduce herself formally. The princess’s name is Rania Ranitachilan.”

“I am Liv Gracia.”

* * *

The atmosphere in the room was on the verge of exploding, yet at the same time it was gloomy and quiet as if there was no energy for that. Emmett, who had been looking down, finally seemed to understand what he had heard and slowly recited.

“You say Liv is missing.”

Hayden, standing in front of him with a desperate face, looked disheveled as if he had just rushed here. In fact, he had just ridden a horse to the Lartman duchy as soon as he arrived at the port of the Holy Hilysid Empire. However, more noticeable than his shabby appearance were his two eyes, empty as if he had lost everything.

“Yes, the Master… fell into the sea.”

A heavy silence fell. Neither Emmett nor Hayden could continue speaking.

After a while, Emmett opened his mouth with a miserable expression. He seemed to have barely spit out one word, suppressing everything rising from within.

“Why couldn’t you stop her.”

“I have nothing to say. I should have protected the Master…”

Normally, he would have first pointed out the title ‘Master’, but now Emmett had no room to think about such things. His mind was focused solely on Liv’s well-being.

“Suddenly a calamity struck the sea, and the Master fell into the sea to gain power. After that, she used her power to push away the ship I was on… and then she sank into the seawater.”

Emmett recalled Liv’s words that the sea was a sanctuary of all gods. Then…

“Do you think Liv is alive?”

“…Yes. Don’t you know that the Master never dies?”

Although it was unknown how long the lifespan set by fate would last, it was said that Liv wouldn’t die from accidents as long as that lifespan wasn’t over. Then Liv must be alive. Emmett didn’t worry about Liv’s life.

The problem was where and how Liv was right now.

Just being barely alive had no meaning. He wanted to offer Liv all the good things in this world, and he wanted only pleasant and joyful things to happen to her. But Emmett had failed to protect Liv in the end. He had no idea on which land Liv had fallen, or what hardships she would face. Emmett felt utterly incompetent and pathetic.