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Chapter Ⅸ - The Goddess in Red

“Your majesty,” a blonde maid in a pure white dress said as she stood beside the edge of a bed, half bending herself close to a goddess who was lying on her back. “It’s eleven thirty.”

“So, what’s the matter?” The goddess opened her rosy eyes slowly. Her fiery eyelashes were long and thin, waving slightly in the firelight that filled in the room.

“My lord…”

“Oh, right. I have a midnight meeting,” she interrupted the servant with an ominous smile, “but, I feel a bit tired now.” The goddess sat up hazily, stretched herself while her legs swayed by the bed. “And as you know, it’s midnight now.”

“Yes, your majesty.” The maid knelt down, holding a pretty foot in her left hand and a vermeil shoe in her right. “May I report it to Prince?”

“There is no need.” She twisted her head to the side with a pout while lifting her right hand in front of her eyes. Appreciating her slim fingers, she added, “But I need you to tell Antimony and Aluminum to come here right now.”

“Yes, your majesty.” After putting on both of her masters’ shoes, the maid suddenly disappeared.

The goddess stood up and lingered, wearing a blouse and a skirt that were both the color of blood, dark and dreadful. Her long curly hair was plum. Her full lips were scarlet. Even her fingernails were painted carmine.

She turned to a mirror hanging on the wall beside her, staring at her oval face, which was deathly pale with a resentful frown and a fierce scar. Covering her cheek with a trembling hand, she roared like a bear and suddenly waved her arm powerfully, crashing the mirror into pieces. The lady went mad. She groaned angrily and stomped all around her room. No one dared to approach her, even the blonde maid who had brought two gods outside her door.

This insane goddess was the god of Lava, Princess Lava.

After a few seconds, she calmed down unexpectedly, sat on the bed again and fell into silence.

After another moment of silence, the maid quietly led two gods, Antimony and Aluminum, into the room and bowed deeply in front of her.

“Your majesty, Marshal Antimony and General Aluminum are here,” the maid said tenderly.

“I can see that.” Lava waved her hand softly, which made her servant walk outside. “Did it start?”

“My lord,” said Aluminum, who is a commander of nearly fifteen percent of the empire’s army, standing tall with a sword belted on his waist, “it did, but it was not Manganese or Sodium…”

“You mean Copper?”

“Nope,” answered Antimony, who was also a general of the empire. “It was Potassium.”

“Potassium?” the Princess hesitated and thought for a while. “I have never heard that he was one of their members.”

“It’s true, your majesty.” Aluminum bowed forward slightly and added, “I’ve got information about how he killed the guard of the western gate and is now fighting with Calcium.”

“It’s become complicated,” Lava mumbled. “But anyway, I think it’s time for us to go.” She stood up, flapped her blood red clothes with a huge strength and shouted, “Shadow!”

The blonde maid walked into the room in a hurry and fell on a knee.

“My adorable girl,” Lava said gently with a friendly smile, stretching one of her hands out, “we are all depending on you.”

“You are teasing me now, your majesty,” the maid chuckled, putting out her hand and holding Lava’s. “Where are we going?”

“Aluminum, may I visit your troops? It has been a long time since I last went there.”

“My army and I would greet you at all times, your majesty. But they are very far from here. We would spend at least half a day to reach there.”

“It is not a problem,” the princess laughed. “And both of you, hold her hand. She will show you something incredible.”

The two generals looked at each other for a while and cautiously touched the blonde maid’s hand with a hesitation that made her giggle.

“Stop laughing at the two gentlemen, Shadow.” Lava turned serious.

“Yes, my lord.”

Then they all disappeared.