Chapter 24
I don't know how I was able to sleep last night.
After everything Haru had told me, my mind had been a complete mess.
Raya was Rishima's mother.
The Princess of Solaris.
And somehow, Rishima had survived the same night everyone believed she had died.
I stared at the ceiling, replaying Haru's words over and over again.
There were still so many questions I needed answered.
How did Rishima survive?
If Raya was Rishima's mother, then who was her father?
More importantly, in the memory, that person Celeste was talking about-the one who was coming all the way to Solaris just to see Rishima die in person...
Who was it?
I slowly sat up in bed and sighed.
I still had so many questions about Rishima.
But for now, there was one thing I could get an answer to.
If I could understand more about the power inside me, perhaps some of the questions in my head would finally start to make sense.
I need to visit the old man again.
I quickly got dressed and headed downstairs.
After having breakfast, I left the inn and made my way toward the old man's house.
The morning air was cool as I walked through the village.
It didn't take long before I reached his house.
I stopped in front of the door and knocked.
Knock. Knock.
The door opened.
The old man's grinning face greeted me.
Judging by that smile, he looked like he was already planning something suspicious.
I immediately narrowed my eyes.
"No knives. And no potions," I said before he could say anything.
His smile slowly faded.
"What a disappointment," he muttered.
He stepped aside and opened the door wider.
"Come inside."
I stepped inside and took a seat.
The old man closed the door behind me and walked over.
I looked at him seriously.
"I'm here to ask about divine power," I said directly.
I wasn't going to let what happened last night happen again.
If I don't ask immediately, I have a feeling he'll somehow distract me with another one of his potions.
"What do you want to know?" he asked curiously.
I took a breath.
There were so many things I wanted to ask.
But before I could open my mouth, he raised a finger.
"Three questions."
I blinked.
"What?"
"I'll answer three questions," he said. "That's all."
I stared at him.
"Why only three?"
He shrugged.
"Because I said so."
I couldn't help but sigh.
Of course.
"Fine," I said.
I thought carefully about what I wanted to ask.
There were too many questions in my head, so I had to choose wisely.
I looked at him.
"Then my first question..."
I paused for a moment.
"How do I use divine power?"
The old man stroked his beard.
"Using divine power isn't as simple as using ordinary mana," he said. "You need to learn how to draw it out and control it."
"How?" I asked.
He gave me a knowing smile.
"That depends on the person."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
"Divine power responds to its owner. You need to learn how to feel it before you can control it."
I looked down at my hands.
"So I just need to feel it?"
The old man stared at me for a moment before a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"That's already your fourth question," he said playfully.
I froze.
"What?"
"I said three questions," he replied, holding up three fingers.
I stared at him in disbelief.
"That's ridiculous!"
The old man chuckled and shrugged, looking far too pleased with himself.
"It's fun teasing you," he said with a laugh.
I glared at him.
"Alright, alright. I'll stop," he said. "Give me your hands."
I immediately became suspicious.
Was he planning to do something to my hands like he did last night?
"You're not going to cut me again, are you?" I asked warily.
The old man shook his head.
"No. Let's see how much divine power you have first," he said with a grin. "Then we'll see what you can do with it."
"Really?" I asked, my eyes lighting up.
"Yes. Come on, before I change my mind," he said.
I immediately held out both my hands.
The old man sat down in front of me and gently took my hands.
"Now, close your eyes," he instructed.
I closed my eyes.
"Clear your mind and focus on the power inside you," he said.
I took a slow breath and tried to do as he said.
For a moment, I felt nothing.
Then...
A warm sensation slowly spread through my hands.
I could feel something flowing from my hands and spreading through my body.
My eyes remained closed as I focused on the strange sensation.
"Do you feel it?" the old man asked.
I nodded slowly.
"That's my divine power flowing into you," he explained.
A few seconds later, the warm sensation suddenly disappeared.
The old man released my hands.
"Now, let's do it again," he said. "But this time, you'll be the one channeling your divine power into me."
My heart skipped a beat.
I was actually going to try using my divine power.
I couldn't help but feel excited.
The old man took my hands again.
"Just focus on the sensation," he instructed. "Feel the power inside you and let it flow into me."
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
I focused on the warmth in my hands, trying to find that same sensation I had felt earlier.
At first, nothing happened.
Then, slowly...
I felt something stir inside me.
A faint warmth began to spread through my hands.
I concentrated on it, trying to guide it toward the old man.
"That's it," he said quietly. "Don't force it. Just let it flow."
I did as he said.
The warmth in my hands continued to spread.
It was a strange but pleasant feeling, almost like a gentle warmth flowing through my entire body.
I focused on the sensation, slowly becoming more comfortable with it.
Then, suddenly...
The warmth intensified.
A powerful surge of divine power rushed through me and flowed into the old man.
"Wait... stop!" the old man exclaimed.
I immediately opened my eyes.
The old man's expression had completely changed.
More and more divine power continued pouring out of me.
My vision began to blur, and my body suddenly felt weak.
"What's happening to me?"
"Stop!" the old man shouted. "You need to stop!"
"I... I can't..." I said weakly.
The old man quickly pulled his hands away from mine.
Suddenly, a bright white light surrounded by a shimmering golden glow burst from my body.
A powerful gust of wind swept through the room.
Books, bottles, and papers went flying everywhere.
"What the-?!"
The old man stumbled backward, shielding his face from the wind.
The light continued to fill the room, and my body felt heavier with every passing second.
I could barely keep my eyes open.
"S-stop..." I whispered weakly.
The light slowly began to fade.
It gradually disappeared.
The last thing I saw was the old man's shocked expression and the mess inside the house before everything went black.
★★★
When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I noticed was the ceiling.
I blinked several times.
For a moment, I couldn't remember where I was.
Then everything came rushing back.
The divine power.
The light.
The wind.
The old man's shocked face.
I quickly sat up.
"Ugh..."
A wave of dizziness hit me, forcing me to steady myself with one hand against the floor.
"Don't move too quickly."
The old man's voice came from nearby.
I turned toward him.
He was sitting on the floor a few feet away, surrounded by scattered books and bottles.
His hair was a mess.
His clothes were covered in dust.
I stared at him.
"Are you alright?"
He slowly looked at me.
"That's what I should be asking you," he said.
He pushed himself to his feet and walked toward me.
"I'm fine," I said, though my body felt strangely heavy.
The old man reached for a small vial on the nearby table and handed it to me.
"Drink this," he said. "It'll help you feel better."
I looked at the vial suspiciously before taking it from him.
I pulled out the stopper and drank it.
A warm sensation quickly spread through my body, easing the heaviness in my limbs.
I let out a small sigh of relief.
"You didn't tell me you're a royal," he said casually.
My eyes widened.
"What?"
How did he know?
I stared at him in shock.
"Look," the old man said.
He raised his hand.
A faint golden glow surrounded his palm.
My eyes widened.
It was the same color as the glow of my divine power.
I stared at his hand in disbelief.
This old man must be a royal too!
"I know what you're thinking," the old man said with a grin. "And yes, I have royal blood, just like you."
I couldn't believe it.
This strange old man was actually a royal.
But then... why was he living in a small village like this?
The old man smiled.
"Haha. I can tell exactly what you're thinking," he said.
Before I could say anything, he continued.
"King Leon was my older brother," he revealed.
My eyes widened.
"Your older brother?"
He nodded.
"We had different mothers," he explained. "My mother was a commoner, and I didn't want anything to do with royal affairs or family conflicts."
He shrugged.
"So I chose to live as a commoner with my mother instead. I stayed with her until she passed away."
I stared at him, still trying to process what I had just learned.
If he's King Leon's younger brother, that means he's Rishima's great-uncle!
I suddenly stared at his hair.
"Wait..." I said, narrowing my eyes. "Your hair... it's been silver this whole time?"
The old man raised an eyebrow.
"Of course," he replied. "What did you think it was?"
I stared at him in disbelief.
I thought it was just silver because he was old. T_T
"So, how are you related to the royal family?" he asked curiously.
I hesitated for a moment.
Though he had been honest with me about his own life, I decided to tell him the truth.
"King Leon's daughter... Princess Raya. She's my mother," I said quietly.
The old man's eyes widened in shock.
A moment later, a wide grin spread across his face.
"That means..." He paused, his grin growing even wider.
"You're my great-niece," he finished happily.
I nodded.
"Yes... Uncle," I said, scratching my cheek.
I couldn't believe I'd been calling him a mad alchemist this whole time. ?_?
Damnnn!
The more I learned, the more I realized there were far more secrets in this world than I had ever imagined.
There were so many things the novel had never mentioned...
Far more than I had ever thought.
King Leon had a younger brother.
More importantly...
A member of the royal family had been living quietly in a small village all this time.
And somehow, none of it had ever been mentioned.
If something this important had been left out...
What else was missing from the story I thought I knew?