Godslayer's Legend

"Is this the part where we’re supposed to switch partners again?"

The moment the woman heard that question, she immediately realised Arthur was unfamiliar with the festival.

"Is this your first time attending the Festival of Flowers?" she asked.

"So it really is called the Festival of Flowers," Arthur replied.

Hearing his response, she chuckled lightly before answering. "Yes, it really is called the Festival of Flowers. It’s held in honour of the Lady of Spring."

Arthur spun her around right after she spoke, her brown hair sweeping across his face as the scent of flowers filled his nose.

Honestly, Arthur found it impressive.

There were several different flowers woven into her wreath and tucked into her hair from the people running around with flower bags earlier, but somehow none of the scents clashed with each other.

Instead, they blended together into a harmonious fragrance.

She turned back toward him, her smile bright beneath the festival lights as she explained, "The three cymbal sounds mean the partner switching phase is over. Now it’s the dance off until we select the Prince and Princess of the festival."

"Prince and princess, huh?" Arthur echoed.

He glanced around at the dozens of couples filling the square before looking back at her.

"We’ve got a lot of competition."

"Yes, we do," the woman agreed with a nod. "But I’m very determined to win this year."

Suddenly, the music stopped, and every dancer froze where they stood.

Arthur was just about to look around and ask what was happening when the woman suddenly leaned closer toward him.

She was several inches shorter than Arthur, so she had to tilt her head upward slightly to meet his eyes as she asked, "What about you, Mr Newcomer? Don’t you want to win on your debut festival?"

There was a glint in her obsidian eyes as they met Arthur’s similarly dark eyes.

Deciding he might as well just continue going along with the flow of things, Arthur replied, "Well, I guess I’ve added becoming prince of the festival to my agenda for today."

"Wonderful news."

Immediately after the woman replied, the music resumed.

She released Arthur’s hand and took a few steps backwards while spinning lightly, the hem of her apron dress lifting gently with the motion before she extended a hand toward him as the tempo of the music rose once more.

The two of them resumed dancing together, their movements following the rhythm of the festival music as they moved around the square together with the other dancers, stepping in circles around one another before reconnecting hands again.

At times, she spun beneath his arm while he guided her back toward him in rhythm with the drums and strings echoing through the square.

Meanwhile, those carrying bags filled with flowers began weaving through the dancers once again. This time, however, the reaction around Arthur and the woman was far louder than the reactions to any of the other pairs before them.

Cheers erupted from the watching crowds around the square, from people standing beside vendor stalls, from those leaning out of windows and balconies above, and even from spectators gathered on the rooftops overlooking the festival.

Flowers started disappearing into the woman’s hair one after another, woven into her wreath and tucked beside her ears, while others were placed onto Arthur’s shoulders and into his hair as the cheering only grew louder.

The applause and cheering continued for close to an entire minute before finally beginning to die down, allowing the flower carriers to rush toward the next dancers receiving attention from the crowd.

The woman spun beneath Arthur’s arm once more before plucking one of the flowers from her hair and raising it lightly toward her nose.

"Well," she said with a smile, "this crowd seems very fond of pretty faces."

She then reached forward and tucked the flower into Arthur’s hair.

Arthur shrugged lightly. "True. Then there are two of us, so it’s only natural we got so many cheers."

It was an indirect compliment that the woman didn’t fail to notice. Her smile brightened as she responded, "You’ve got quite a way with words, don’t you, young man?"

"I only speak the truth," Arthur replied.

And he genuinely meant it.

Objectively speaking, the woman dancing with him was beautiful.

Her features were soft and refined, with smooth bronze skin illuminated by the lights of the square and obsidian eyes that seemed almost reflective beneath the festival glow.

Her smile carried an easy warmth to it, and with the flowers woven into her brown hair alongside the golden light of the festival surrounding her, she practically looked like she was glowing amidst the crowd.

"Would you mind enlightening the newcomer on what this festival is about?" Arthur asked.

The woman nodded, then spoke, "The Festival of Flowers, held in honour of the Lady of Spring, marks the opening of the season of spring.

It is a time where prayers are offered, and praise is given to the Lady who governs spring, with hopes for blessings, growth, and prosperity throughout the coming season."

After hearing her explanation, Arthur looked around at the smiling faces of the people around them and said, "It seems this is a festival that’s held willingly. The Lady of Spring appears to be very loved here."

At his words, the woman’s expression softened into a slightly melancholic smile as she replied.

"Don’t be fooled by all those smiles. In the grand scheme of things, those who truly love the Lady of Spring are far fewer than you’d think. To most, she’s just another Deity, and mortals worship her because they don’t really have a choice. For some others, she’s simply a lesser evil."

"Evil?" Arthur asked. "I do know a thing or two about people faking smiles, which is why I can tell that a large majority of the smiles here are definitely not fake.

I don’t think there would be this many genuine-looking smiles at a festival held in honour of someone who is considered any kind of evil, lesser or otherwise."

The woman quietly listened to Arthur’s words as the music around them continued playing, the sounds of drums, flutes, and clanging cymbals blending together with the laughter and cheers filling the square.

Then she spoke.

"Mortals worship Deities for all kinds of reasons. Some worship out of genuine faith in their power as Higher Existences. Some worship because they’re afraid. Others worship because they want blessings, protection, prosperity, power, good harvests, good weather, healthy children, and long lives.

And there are those who worship them simply because they fear what might happen if they don’t."

As she spoke, the two of them continued moving together with the rhythm of the festival dance, their feet gliding across the flower-covered stone ground while the crowd around them danced in circles around the decorated fountain.

"And then," she continued, "there are those who worship because they hope that when their lifespans finally run out, and they shuffle off the mortal coil, the Deities they worship will allow them into whatever paradise they rule over."

The mention of the ’mortal coil’ momentarily reminded Arthur of Elaine, but he pushed the thought aside before asking,

"What about you? Do you think that way as well?"

"Well, yes, of course," she answered without hesitation. "I’m part of the faction that worships the deities of this world for the sake of reaching Elysium once our lifespans come to an end."

After saying that, she looked up at him and asked,

"What about you? Do you hold the same belief?"

"Not really," Arthur replied, shaking his head. "I hold a different belief regarding Deity Realm existences."

"Is that so?" she asked.

"Yes, that is so," Arthur answered. "And I don’t think you can truly hold that belief either."

Hearing those words, the woman raised a brow lightly before asking,

"You somehow know what beliefs I truly hold now?"

"Oh no," Arthur replied with a smile. "I’ve got no idea what other beliefs you truly hold. But this one, I’m certain you can’t genuinely believe it."

The music around them rose in tempo once more as the dancers spun around each other, flower petals scattering through the air beneath the lights hanging across the square.

"Because you," Arthur continued, "just like me, are an existence that doesn’t exactly have a lifespan to live out."

At that moment, Arthur spun her around with the flow of the dance. The motion sent several flowers loose from her hair, the petals fluttering through the air in front of her face as a gust of early spring wind swept through the square.

Arthur then wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer before asking softly,

"Isn’t that right, Lady Persephone?"

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