Chapter 32
At that moment, when I had fallen off the cliff, a barrier enveloped me in midair, similar to when I had blocked Wick’s attack.
The difference from last time was that the shape of the barrier wasn’t a hemisphere but a perfect sphere.
I was about to marvel, thinking “Life really is all about the right tools,” when—
“Ugh?!”
The spherical barrier hit a protruding rock from the cliff, bounced high, and then plunged into the nearby river.
The current was strong.
Even though His Majesty had jumped off the cliff using divine power to save me, I was swept away by the rapids at a speed so fast that I couldn’t do anything to stop it.
I floated out to the open sea, drifting endlessly, until I finally arrived at the coastal shore where I am now.
“How far have I come… really?”
A sigh escaped me.
Of course, without the barrier, my body would have shattered into pieces on the rocks.
But… isn’t this just a little too far?!
Shhhhhh.
The shallow waves repeatedly washed over the sandy shore.
I lay there helplessly.
The sea was emerald, reminiscent of the Mediterranean. The sand, fine. The sky, blue.
Honestly, the scenery was breathtakingly beautiful.
But imagine having to look at it for an entire day without your own will.
You’d get sick of it.
I’d rather see His Majesty’s face…!
No matter how clear and transparent the sea is, it can’t compare to the pupils of our His Majesty!
Sniff… I want to see His Majesty’s face.
“How do I get back…?”
I didn’t know the geography, had no money, and no special abilities.
I didn’t even know if it was lucky or unlucky that my hair was brown right now.
I hoped this wasn’t a deserted island.
Growl.
“Seriously… I’m hungry at a time like this?”
Well, it made sense. My last meal had been the night before yesterday, when Wick had kidnapped me.
“Ugh. I’ll look for something to eat first.”
I got up.
The barrier rotated to follow my movements, keeping its balance.
Perhaps it was adjusted for the user, because it felt quite cozy.
External shocks didn’t reach inside, and even if the barrier rolled or moved, the user remained unaffected and calm.
Lying still, it even felt like lying on a soft bed.
Even now.
I walked forward from the center of the barrier, feeling as if I were walking on clouds.
When I finally reached the shoreline where no seawater entered, the barrier naturally vanished.
Wow. Impressive. So that’s why they call it a Divine Stone.
“Wonder if there’s anything edible around here?”
About an hour later, I was able to gather a decent amount of food from the forest connected to the shore.
“The knowledge I gained researching desserts with Heli came in handy.”
There were fruits resembling apple and apple mango, root vegetables tasting like sweet potatoes, and tree stems you could chew to replenish water.
Seeing the food bundled in a cloth made from my apron, I felt satisfied.
“No need to worry about starving to death.”
I bit into a fruit that looked like an apple and moved forward, familiarizing myself with the surroundings.
To avoid getting lost, I snapped branches from noticeable trees to mark my path.
Then, I stopped between densely grown trees.
“The forest is quite large. I guess if I get out of here, I might find a place where people live… but…”
Continuing deeper would be risky.
I had to find a safe place to sleep before sunset.
I also wanted to try lighting a campfire.
Feels like I’ve become the protagonist of a survival story in a single day. Must just be my imagination.
“I’ll mark it here and come back tomorrow.”
I snapped a branch from a nearby tree.
“Kraaak. Kraaak.”
That was when an ominous bird cry reached me.
From above?
I looked up, but there was no bird in sight.
Gradually, more birds joined, all with the same cry.
Before one echo disappeared, another appeared, creating yet another echo.
In the end, I felt surrounded by the cries.
“Kraaak. Kraaak.”
“Ah.”
I remembered.
That cry…
It was the damned bird that had stolen my dessert basket in the palace…!
“Do you know what multiple thief birds are called?”
“Heartless creatures?”
“They’re called robber birds.”
“…Delkan, you like that joke, huh? Want me to tell you a few more?”
“Huh? It’s not a joke, Liri. Really called robber birds. Because…”
I hugged my precious food wrapped in my apron, recalling my conversation with Delkan.
“They’re nothing short of highwaymen.”
“Kraaak. Kraaak.”
The birds’ cries grew louder, as if mocking me being alone.
“…I have food to eat and die from, but nothing for you.”
Looks like I’m destined to run for a while.
I timed my step to dash toward the shore, moving my right foot half a step back.
Whooosh—.
Something fast sliced through the air repeatedly, and five birds fell to the ground one after another.
All had been cleanly struck in vital points by arrows.
“….”
Then, the sound of hooves approached, undoubtedly the owner of that skillful marksmanship.
I held my breath and watched the direction the sound came from, widening my eyes in surprise.
“Oh.”
It was an elf from the forest.
Otherwise, there was no explanation for such beauty.
Ash-blonde hair flowing with elegance. Hazel eyes brimming with charm.
The elf wore hunting clothes, holding a large bow while sitting atop a black horse with glossy fur.
She noticed me and smiled gently.
“I was wondering who’s messing around in my hunting grounds.”
Am I dreaming right now?
“What a cute little one.”
Sister Charle…
Why is the princess here?
Throughout the night, the emperor’s office had remained lit.
Piles of books and documents stacked on desks and tables.
Ebon, Henkel, Siana, and Chobi were the ones reviewing them.
“I can’t take this anymore… If I die, engrave on my tombstone that I died of overwork.”
Chobi buried her weary face in the table.
She hadn’t slept for two days, just researching materials.
“Chobi.”
Henkel, sitting on the sofa beside her, called out.
He took away the documents Chobi was reading and handed her a new book.
“You can do it.”
“Henkel Levarthen. You’re not human…”
Perhaps neither side was human.
Chobi turned her head while keeping her forehead on the table.
Siana Pradan was flipping through book pages with terrifying concentration.
No one knew how many boring, thick history books she’d gone through.
“…I get that it’s an emergency, but why all this worry?”
Chobi raised her head and asked rhetorically.
“You’re a saint! Stronger divine power than His Majesty! Even if caught in rapids, you’d escape easily! You must be in the capital now, right?”
At that, Ebon and Henkel briefly exchanged glances.
Then Ebon’s gaze shifted from the uninterested Siana to Chobi.
‘Lady Pradan and Chobi don’t know the saint has no divine power.’
Even though the Guardian Ring was a precious artifact, it was theoretically impossible for a barrier activated by a Divine Stone to last indefinitely.
To maintain it, divine power had to be continuously infused.
‘The saint has no divine power to inject…’
It was possible the worst-case scenario had occurred: she drifted to the sea, and the barrier dissipated in the middle of the ocean.
But.
“The barrier is probably fine.”
That’s what His Majesty had said.
So they believed the saint was safe and did everything they could.
The top priority was determining her location. For two days, they had checked all relevant materials without sleep.
Meanwhile, nobles were challenging the saint, so Ebon fully understood why the emperor drew his sword mid-meeting.
In fact, he felt relieved the emperor did what he couldn’t.
“Chobi.”
“Why call me?”
“Henkel’s right. You can do it.”
Chobi frowned deeply.
Ebon Hyben and Henkel Levarthen.
They weren’t people who lived for others back in the academy.
“You two have completely fallen for the saint—”
“Your Majesty. You’re here.”
“I came too. I couldn’t sleep, worrying about the saint.”
Henkel subtly shook his head at Chobi’s obvious feelings.
Allend stepped briskly into the office.
Though he had stayed up all night with the group, his fatigue highlighted his handsome features.
Ebon asked Allend:
“Your Majesty, have you found her?”
“Yes, I have.”
At that, everyone, including Siana, moved in unison.
Allend sat in the seat of honor, and the piled-up documents were cleared.
A large map of the continent of Oditria was spread on the table.
“Director, is the repair done?”
“Yes.”
Chobi swiftly handed something to Allend: a pendant shaped like a closed eyelid.
Allend matched the design of his ring on his finger to the groove on the back of the pendant.
‘The Emperor’s Ring.’
It had been found overnight in the treasure vault with Lu.
Paired with the Guardian Ring, the Emperor’s Ring allowed them to check each other’s location via the “Eye of Guidance.”
‘…That’s what the record says.’
Whether it would really work remained to be seen.
Allend injected his divine power into the ring, trying not to show his anxiety.
As the divine stone in the ring reacted and glowed red, the pendant’s eyelid gradually lifted.
“…”
It worked.
Before anyone could celebrate, a suffocating silence fell.
Everyone was careful even to breathe, fearing speaking might cause trouble.
The Eye of Guidance scanned the map across the table.
Its gaze stopped at one point, sending a thin red beam.
Five pairs of eyes simultaneously followed it.
After about a minute of silence, Chobi spoke first.
“…The Kingdom of Bonia?”
Bonia Kingdom.
Allend focused on the map, silently clenching his fist.
