Chapter 23
"Don't worry," he said cheerfully. "This won't hurt."
His wicked smile widened.
Then he laughed.
A low, unsettling laugh.
Oh, damn.
This old man must be a mad alchemist!
I instinctively took a step backward.
"Wait!"
He stopped.
I stared at the knife in his hand.
"Why are you holding that?"
The old man smiled. "What you drank was not just a regular healing potion. I added a secondary effect to it," he explained.
I stared at him.
"What kind of effect?" I asked.
"You'll be completely immune to pain for at least three hours. That makes this potion extremely useful, especially on the battlefield," he said excitedly.
My eyes widened.
So something like that is possible?
I looked at the knife again.
Then at him.
"So... you want to stab me just to test your potion?"
He chuckled.
"Not stab. Just a small cut," he said. "You wouldn't feel anything... that is, if the potion really worked."
I stared at him in disbelief.
That did not make me feel any better.
The old man gently took my hand and brought the knife toward my fingertip.
I watched the blade touch my skin.
A second later, he made a small cut.
Blood immediately welled up from the wound.
I froze.
I waited for the pain.
Nothing.
I blinked and looked at my finger.
There was blood, but I couldn't feel a thing.
"Whoa..."
I stared at the wound in amazement.
"It really doesn't hurt."
The old man's eyes lit up.
"Of course! My potion worked!" he said proudly.
I looked at him in awe.
"That's actually incredible," I said, clapping my hands.
He laughed excitedly, watching my reaction.
"Three hours of complete pain immunity! Imagine how useful this would be on the battlefield!" the old man exclaimed.
I glanced at the blood on my finger.
I had to admit, the potion really was impressive.
Though I still wasn't comfortable with the fact that his first test subject had been me.
"Next time, at least warn me before you come at me with a knife," I said, rubbing the blood off my finger.
The old man simply laughed.
"Where's the fun in that?"
I stared at him while shaking my head.
He's definitely a mad alchemist.
I sighed and glanced toward the window.
It was already late.
I hadn't even gotten the chance to ask him about divine power.
I guess I'll just ask him tomorrow.
"I should head back," I said, standing up.
The old man nodded and handed me one silver coin and three copper coins.
"The payment," he said.
I accepted the coins and gave him a small smile.
"Thank you."
I headed towards the door and opened it.
"Come back sometime. I still have more potions that need to be tested!" the old man called out.
I frowned and slowly turned around to glare at him.
The old man simply laughed.
"I'll see you tomorrow," I said.
Without waiting for his response, I stepped outside and closed the door behind me.
I started walking back toward the village.
The streets were already quiet, with only a few people still outside.
I quickened my pace as I made my way toward the inn.
After everything that had happened today, I was more than ready to get some rest.
Tomorrow, I'd ask the old man about divine power.
Hopefully, there wouldn't be any more knives involved.
I finally reached the inn and made my way to my room.
I stopped in front of the door and reached for the handle.
I turned it slowly and pushed the door open.
The moment I stepped inside, my eyes widened.
There was someone in my room.
I couldn't make out who it was.
The room was completely dark, and a shadowy figure stood silently inside.
My heart began pounding.
Who the hell was in my room?
My hand immediately went to my sword.
I slowly unsheathed it, keeping my eyes fixed on the figure.
Then I reached for the light switch.
Click.
The room suddenly lit up.
I froze.
"P-Prince Haru?" I stammered in disbelief.
I quickly stepped inside and shut the door behind me.
"Why are you here?" I asked, staring at him in confusion.
Haru didn't answer immediately.
He simply stared at me intently, his expression cold and serious.
"Who are you, exactly?" he asked, his voice low and demanding.
I frowned.
"Your Highness, what are you talking about?"
His expression suddenly hardened.
Before I could react, he lunged at me.
My back slammed against the door as he grabbed my shoulders, holding me firmly in place.
"Don't pretend like you don't know!" he snarled.
His eyes were filled with anger, his gaze becoming frighteningly cold.
"Are you here to take the throne away from me?"
I stared at him in disbelief.
What the hell was he talking about?
"Let go of me!"
I pushed him as hard as I could.
Haru stumbled backward, giving me just enough space to fight back.
Before he could react, I quickly lifted my leg and kicked him between the legs.
His eyes widened in shock.
He clearly hadn't expected it.
He immediately dropped to his knees, clutching himself as pain shot through him.
I glared at him angrily.
"What the hell are you talking about? Explain it to me so I can understand!" I snapped.
Haru looked up at me, still struggling with the pain.
"Why are you suddenly doing this?" I demanded.
I gave him a moment to recover.
Then...
It suddenly hit me.
Damn.
I had just kicked the Prince of Solaris in the nuts.
I glanced at him.
What the hell was I thinking?
I quickly looked away.
I had been so angry that I hadn't even thought about who I was kicking.
But then again, he had grabbed me and slammed me against the door for no reason.
He deserved it.
After a while, Haru slowly got to his feet.
He tried to compose himself, but the slight grimace on his face made it obvious he was still in pain.
He adjusted his clothes before looking at me again.
His expression was much more serious now.
"That light in Mirkwood..." he said coldly. "Did it come from you?"
I frowned.
He's still not over that?
I had already told him I knew nothing about the light.
"I told you, I don't-"
Before I could finish speaking, Haru cut me off.
"Don't you dare lie to me!" he said, his voice sharp and threatening.
I sighed in annoyance.
It seemed like Haru wasn't going to let this go.
I paused for a moment before answering.
"Yes... it came from me," I said honestly.
I frowned in confusion.
"But what does that have to do with you accusing me of trying to take the throne?" I asked.
Haru's expression remained serious.
"When I saw that light in Mirkwood, I knew immediately that it was divine power," he said.
My eyes widened slightly.
So it really was divine power!
"But it wasn't an ordinary one," he continued. "It had a golden glow."
His gaze sharpened.
"Only the Solaris royal family possesses that kind of divine power," Haru revealed.
My heart pounded violently in my chest.
Was this the secret behind Rishima's birth?
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"So... I have royal blood?" I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
Haru remained silent for a moment before answering.
"It seems that way," he said.
My mind went blank.
How is this possible?
Everything I knew about Rishima suddenly felt uncertain.
I had never once expected that she could actually be connected to the Solaris royal family.
Suddenly...
I remembered the dream I had seen in Rishima's memories.
Solaris... it's where your mother gave birth to you.
My heart skipped a beat.
If that was true...
Then who in the royal family gave birth to Rishima?
"Do you know who my mother is?" I asked, unable to hide the urgency in my voice.
Haru stared at me for a moment, his expression slowly changing.
"You don't know who your mother is?" he asked in confusion.
I shook my head.
"No."
I frowned.
"I didn't even know I had royal blood until now!" I said, still in shock.
Haru fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.
"Then why were you at that old man's house?" he asked.
I frowned in confusion.
"The alchemist?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
He nodded.
"I went there to deliver the herbs," I said, still confused.
Why is he suddenly talking about that mad alchemist?
How did he even know I went there?
Did he have someone following me?
"Then... you're not really here to take the throne from me?" he asked hesitantly.
I gave him a glare.
After a moment, he looked at me seriously.
"I think I know who your mother is," he said, his gaze fixed on me.
My heart skipped a beat.
"Who?" I asked.
Haru's expression grew serious.
"Raya. My sister."
My entire body froze.
Raya?!
King Leon and the former Queen Elvina's daughter?!
So that explains why we looked so much alike.
"This wasn't known to the public, but..." Haru's expression grew solemn.
"My sister died giving birth."
My eyes widened to their limit.
She died giving birth?
My mind struggled to process everything I had just learned.
I pressed my temples, feeling overwhelmed.
This was way too much information.
"It was believed that the child died as well. My mother confirmed it herself, since she was there when Raya gave birth," he continued.
He looked directly at me.
"I don't know how, but..." His voice trailed off.
"Somehow, you survived."