Chapter 21
The monster in front of me raised its claws, preparing to strike.
My breath caught.
Was this really how I was going to die?
I had only just begun living this life in Rishima's body.
This was kind of unfair. I had already died once as Julie. And yet... here I was, not even able to fully live this life.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I still hadn't found a single clue about Rishima.
I came all the way to Solaris searching for answers, but now it looked like I was never going to find them.
And Travis...
I hadn't even seen him again.
What about Leon and Elia?
Would I really never see them again?
My chest tightened.
I didn't want this to be the end.
I still had so many things left to do.
There was still so much I didn't understand.
I opened my eyes and clenched my fist.
"No, I can't die... not yet."
Before the monster's claws could reach me, a strange warmth suddenly stirred deep within my body.
I could feel it... something powerful awakening inside me.
My heart raced.
I clenched my fists tighter.
"I refuse to dieeeee!" I shouted at the monster.
Suddenly, a powerful burst of white light surrounded me, shimmering with a golden glow.
I instinctively closed my eyes.
I could feel intense heat surrounding me, but strangely, it didn't hurt at all.
I slowly opened my eyes.
The light eventually faded, leaving the forest completely silent.
I reached up and touched my face, then quickly checked the rest of my body.
I was unharmed.
Even the wound I had gotten earlier was gone.
"How...?" I asked in disbelief.
Then, I looked around.
The monsters...
They were gone.
All that remained were piles of ashes scattered across the ground.
A gentle breeze swept through the forest, sending the ashes drifting into the air.
They scattered into the wind, quickly disappearing among the trees.
I watched in disbelief, unable to process what had just happened.
"W-what the hell?"
Suddenly, a sound came from the bushes.
My eyes widened.
Another monster?
I quickly grabbed my sword from the ground and pointed it toward the sound.
Suddenly, a man jumped out from the bushes.
I froze.
It wasn't a monster.
He was a tall man with black hair and sharp features. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was slightly open as he stared at me.
He looked completely shocked.
His lips moved, as though he had muttered something under his breath, but I couldn't make out what he said.
He slowly walked toward me.
"Was it you?" he asked, staring at me in astonishment.
I frowned.
"What do you mean?" I asked, lowering my sword slightly.
He glanced around the forest before looking back at me.
"Did that light just now come from you?" he demanded, his voice tense.
I stared at him, unsure how to answer.
Before I could say anything, a voice suddenly echoed through the forest.
"Your Highness! Where are you?"
The man's expression changed slightly.
More voices followed from somewhere behind the trees.
I glanced toward the direction of the voices.
Your Highness?
I looked back at the man standing in front of me.
He looked strangely familiar.
But where had I seen him before?
Suddenly something clicked in my mind.
The family portrait!
That young boy between King Leon and Queen Nadia!
My eyes widened as realization hit me.
That was him!
The family portrait in the book was from years ago. Of course... he had grown up.
The sole heir to the throne of this kingdom.
"Your Highness!"
A knight suddenly emerged from the trees, his face filled with relief when he saw Haru.
"There you are!" he exclaimed.
Several more knights appeared behind him.
"We've been searching everywhere for you," one of them said, looking relieved.
Haru turned toward the knights.
As they approached, several of them noticed me standing nearby.
They exchanged confused glances.
One of the knights looked at Haru, then back at me.
"Your Highness... who is she?" he asked, clearly confused by my presence.
I quickly showed them my mercenary badge.
"I'm Luna," I said.
I reached into my pouch and showed them the herbs I had gathered earlier.
"I took a request to gather medicinal herbs in Mirkwood," I explained.
The knights exchanged glances.
"Oh..." one of them said, seeming to understand.
Their expressions relaxed slightly.
"Are you His Highness Haru?" I asked politely.
He looked at me seriously before nodding. "Yes."
He paused for a moment.
"You didn't answer my question," he said, studying me carefully.
Right.
I glanced at him.
I can't tell anyone about it. Not until I know what exactly is it.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, Your Highness," I said innocently. "I'm just here to gather some herbs."
Then I noticed several more of the same medicinal herbs I had gathered earlier growing nearby.
Perfect.
I quickly walked over and picked them.
"Looks like I've gathered enough," I said.
I turned back toward Haru and the knights.
"I should head back now. It's going to get dark soon," I said.
I gave Haru a small curtsy, then offered the knights a polite smile.
"Excuse me, Your Highness," I said.
Before any of them could say anything, I quickly turned around and walked away.
I didn't slow down until I was far enough from the forest.
Thankfully, no one followed me.
I breathed a sigh of relief.
What were the odds of encountering the prince of Solaris in the middle of Mirkwood?
Of all the people I could have run into, it had to be him.
As I walked, my thoughts drifted back to what had happened earlier.
I really almost died in there.
If it hadn't been for that strange light, those monsters would already be feasting on my body.
I glanced down at my hands.
Then again... how did I do that?
I still couldn't explain how that light had come from me.
Was it divine power?
My eyes widened slightly at the thought.
That light...
It was similar to what I'd read about in the novel.
The divine power that Aurora, the Saintess, possessed.
I froze.
If it is...
Why would this body have divine power?
"It's impossible!" I muttered, shaking my head.
Rishima was supposed to be powerless.
I looked at my hands again.
There was no light now.
Nothing unusual.
Yet I knew what I had felt.
I grabbed my hair in frustration.
There were already so many questions left unanswered, and now I had another one to worry about.
Damn, I'm going crazy.
By the time I reached the town, the sun was already beginning to set.
I needed to deliver the herbs as soon as possible.
I didn't want to keep the person who posted the request waiting any longer.
I headed straight to the place where I had registered for the request.
When I reached the counter, I took out the herbs from my pouch and placed them in front of the staff member.
"I've gathered the medicinal herbs from Mirkwood," I said.
The staff member stared at the herbs.
Then he looked at me.
"You actually went to Mirkwood?" he asked in disbelief.
I nodded.
"Yes."
He picked up one of the herbs and examined it carefully.
"Wow. You're amazing," he said. "You know, this request has actually been sitting on the notice board for three days."
"Really?" I said with a gasp.
"Yes." He nodded as he picked up the rest of the herbs and placed them into a small basket.
"Most people refused to take it because they didn't want to enter Mirkwood," he continued.
I nodded slowly.
"Ah..." I said, unsure of what else to say.
The staff member looked me up and down.
"You don't even have a single injury," he remarked.
I looked down at myself.
Right. Not even a scratch.
Thanks to that strange light.
"You must be very strong," he said in amazement.
I forced a smile.
"I guess..." I replied awkwardly.
Strong, my feet!
I almost became the monster's dinner!
"I'm sure that old geezer will be happy to see these herbs," he said, setting the basket of herbs aside.
I blinked.
"Old geezer?"
"Yes. The one who put up the job request," he explained. "He's an alchemist."
My eyes widened.
"An alchemist? Aren't they the one who makes potions and elixirs?"
"That's right," the staff member replied.
I hesitated for a moment before asking, "Then... do you think he knows about divine powers too?"
"Of course," he answered with a smile. "In fact, he can use divine power himself."
My eyes widened.
Maybe he could confirm whether the light that came from me was actually divine power!
I looked at the basket of herbs.
I should go see him.
"Do you know where he lives?" I asked. "I want to deliver the herbs to him in person."
The staff member nodded.
"Of course. His house is near the local cemetery, on the outskirts of town."
"The cemetery?" My brows narrowed.
"Yes," he replied. "Follow the road toward the cemetery. Just before you reach the gates, you'll see a narrow path on the right. You'll find his house there at the very end."
He paused before adding, "You'll recognize it immediately because it looks haunted."
I blinked.
"Haunted?"
He just chuckled.
"Just knock on the door when you get there. He should be home," he said, handing me the basket of herbs.
I took it and thanked him.
I followed the directions he had given me and made my way toward the outskirts of town.
By the time I reached the cemetery, night had already fallen.
I glanced around before spotting the narrow path on the right.
I followed it until an old house came into view.
I stopped in my tracks.
Now I understood why the staff member said it looked haunted.
The house was old and worn, with vines crawling up its walls and an overgrown garden surrounding it.
It looked even more unsettling in the darkness of night.
I stared at it for a moment before slowly approaching.
I stopped in front of the door and raised my hand.
Knock. Knock.
The door slowly opened with a loud creak.
An old man who looked to be in his sixties appeared before me.
He stared at me silently.
"Who are you?" he asked, eyeing me suspiciously.
"I'm Luna," I replied. "I brought the herbs you requested."
I showed him the basket.
The moment he saw the herbs, his eyes suddenly lit up.
"Ohhh!"
He leaned closer, his expression changing completely.
"Beautiful... absolutely beautiful!"
I blinked.
He looked at the herbs as if they were the most precious things in the world.