The Clown's Harem

Beautiful...

Lucy Windelle repeated the words in her head.

Despite having been complimented by the Clown multiple times, it still felt surreal.

Most importantly, now that she had seen the god’s physical form in person, she felt as though there was a strange, personal connection between them, even if she was the only one who felt it.

"You are beautiful too, Mister Clown."

The words caught even Solomon off guard.

He knew that he was beautiful in this world; however, there was something different about hearing it come from a royal woman.

As his brows raised, Lucy blushed brighter and elaborated.

"I mean... when I saw you in the Valanian Kingdom, my first thought was how beautiful you were. History says that the gods no longer walk the worlds, so it caught me by surprise. Are all gods as beautiful as you?"

Inside, Lucy wanted to kill herself. Speaking so brazenly to a being like the Clown did not feel like herself at all. But it was like the words fell from her tongue against her will.

She wondered whether it was one of the Clown’s abilities to make others more likely to reveal their thoughts to him. He was the God of Information, after all.

Meanwhile, Solomon thought...

You ask me about the gods, Lucy, but with my current knowledge, you probably know more than me. Don’t you know that I am a fraud?

Still, he answered confidently.

"Some are beautiful, and others are not. Your words are touching."

Lucy sighed with relief. It seemed she had not stepped out of bounds.

...

Afterwards, Solomon allowed her to leave and continue readying herself after her bath.

The princess bowed respectfully and returned to her seat in the stands, where the clouds enveloped her and dragged her back to her room.

...

In the Redsham Palace, home to the royal family...

Lucy Windelle sat on her bed after her meeting with the Clown.

Despite the stress that the royal family were currently under, she couldn’t help but smile.

She alone felt like she was separate from everyone else.

She alone was connected to a god who was not yet known to the wider world.

He called me beautiful...

...

Solomon left the pink tent and stepped out into the streets of Redsham. The sun was still up, which meant that it was perfect weather for him to go out and get some fresh air.

He was dressed in his white long-sleeve buttoned shirt and black pants. His sword was sheathed at his waist, which was no longer uncommon after the recent news of the Prince’s death in the neighbouring kingdom.

Solomon walked through the streets and listened to the gossip as he walked by groups of adults and teenagers alike.

It seemed everyone was worried about the royal family. No one knew when to expect another assassination attempt.

...

Ignoring this, he continued walking until eventually he heard commotion.

It took place near the Temple of Hearts, the most popular place of worship in the Kingdom of Olaria.

At first, he wondered whether it was just a congregation taking place. When he stepped closer, he saw that wasn’t the case.

There were a bunch of worshippers storming out of the temple in clear anger.

He watched as one after another, families and individuals left the temple hastily. Some even had tears streaming down their faces.

What is going on there?

Solomon’s curiosity brought him to the temple, where he entered and found that the source of the commotion came from the raised platform, where the bishop would usually deliver the worship service.

The bishop was kneeling on the raised platform, clutching at his wrist where blood was flowing profusely. There were a handful of other religious figures surrounding him, trying their best to help him, but it was to no use.

"She has abandoned us!" a man called from the crowd. "The goddess has abandoned us!"

Only then did Solomon realise what was going on.

After the situation between Juniper and her brother Ba’al, the unexpected had happened.

Her followers had lost access to her vein powers.

Surely not... has she truly abandoned her worshippers?

Wishing to test this for himself, Solomon turned away from the congregation and bit into his thumb.

Pain came, followed by a stream of blood.

He closed his eyes and focused on the wound on his thumb, and then...

It healed.

Solomon scratched at his chin. It seemed that Juniper had not yet abandoned him. Or perhaps it was due to the fact that his powers had not been earned through worship, but rather a connection and agreement formed between the two gods.

If that was the case, then Solomon was the only one present who could heal the bishop from his wounds. If he left him, it was very clear that the man might bleed out, as he had cut himself far too deep.

But if I go over and help, I will draw attention to myself. That’s the last thing I want.

...

Alright... I’ll do what I must.

Solomon circled the outskirts of the inner temple, making sure to stay hidden amongst the shadows and constantly covered by a group of worshippers.

Once positioned close enough to the bleeding bishop, yet far enough not to be seen, he focused.

With access to the Fifth Vein, his powers were already far greater than most, which was why he was able to use them at range.

Through the temple, a few small flowers fluttered through the air, eventually striking the bishop’s body and making their way towards his wound.

Despite his attempts to remain unseen, many people noticed the floating flowers. They recognised them as the powers of Juniper.

Their eyes turned to the bishop, and they rejoiced as they watched his bleeding wound heal itself.

Then they turned towards the location of the flowers, hoping to see who they came from - who still possessed the powers of the god who had supposedly abandoned them.

Unfortunately, there was nobody there.

The mysterious healer had vanished.