Chapter 26
Three days had passed since my divine power went out of control.
During those few days, I had also learned something else.
Prince Haru already knew about the old man.
Apparently, some time ago, Haru had been severely wounded by monsters while hunting in Mirkwood. His knights had immediately searched the town for a healing potion and eventually found one at a small magic shop.
Most of the strongest healing potions were sold in the capital, and the most effective ones had once been made with King Leon's divine power.
Yet the potion they found in that small town was different..
It was so effective that it saved Haru despite the severity of his wounds.
Naturally, the knights were shocked.
After recovering, Haru became curious about where the potion had come from.
He traced its origin back to the alchemist who had made it.
The old man.
That's how Haru discovered that the eccentric alchemist living in this small town was actually his father's younger brother.
Since then, Haru had continued ordering potions from him.
Thinking about it now, I finally understood something.
That was probably why Haru had suddenly asked me why I'd gone to the old man's house.
Haru already knew who the old man was.
He knew that the old man was King Leon's younger brother.
And he knew that I was Raya's daughter.
Maybe Haru had wondered if the old man and I were scheming something.
After all, Uncle and I both had a strong claim to the throne.
I couldn't blame him for being cautious.
Especially when his position as heir was already being questioned.
"I told you to concentrate!" Uncle scolded, flicking my forehead.
"Ow!" I yelped, immediately covering my forehead.
I glared at him.
"Why did you flick me?!" I complained, rubbing the spot he'd hit.
"Because your mind is wandering again," Uncle replied, giving me an exasperated look.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Is he some kind of mind reader?
"Stop thinking about everything else," Uncle instructed firmly. "For now, focus only on learning how to control your power."
I sighed and lowered my gaze.
He's right. I can't afford to lose control again.
"Alright," I said, straightening my posture.
"Close your eyes," he ordered.
I obeyed and slowly shut my eyes.
"Don't force the power out," Uncle explained in a calmer voice. "Feel it first. Let it come to you naturally."
I took a slow, deep breath.
I focused on the warmth inside my body.
Then slowly...
A faint warmth stirred within me.
"There," Uncle murmured encouragingly. "Don't chase it. Just feel it."
I concentrated on the sensation.
The warmth slowly spread through my body.
I focused on keeping the sensation steady, careful not to let it overwhelm me.
I simply let it flow.
"Good," Uncle praised quietly. "You're getting better."
I opened my eyes and smiled.
For the first time, I felt like I was actually beginning to understand my divine power.
"Come with me," Uncle suddenly said, getting to his feet.
I blinked.
"Where?"
"Just come."
I followed him as he walked toward the back of the house.
He stopped in front of a wooden door and unlocked it.
When he opened it, I stared inside.
The room looked like some kind of workspace.
There were shelves filled with bottles, herbs, books, and strange-looking ingredients.
Uncle walked to the corner of the room and pulled a small cage from underneath a table.
I stared at it.
Something moved inside.
"What is that?" I asked cautiously.
Uncle set the cage down and looked at me.
"A test," he answered simply.
I stepped closer and peered through the bars.
A small monster crouched inside the cage. It looked weak and frightened, its body covered in dark patches.
My eyes widened.
"Where did you get that?"
"That's not important," Uncle replied dismissively. "What matters is what you're going to do with it."
I looked at him suspiciously.
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Use your divine power on it," Uncle said.
I blinked.
"On the monster?"
He nodded.
"Try to purify it."
I stared at the creature.
"Purify it...?"
"Yes," Uncle explained, pointing toward the cage. "Don't force your power into it. Let your divine power flow naturally and see what happens."
I slowly nodded.
I knelt in front of the cage and reached my hand toward it.
The little monster watched me warily.
I took a deep breath.
Then I focused on the warmth inside me.
A faint white light began to gather around my fingertips, surrounded by a soft golden glow.
The monster suddenly became restless.
"Easy," Uncle warned quietly. "Keep your power steady."
I concentrated.
Slowly, I let the light flow toward the monster.
The moment it touched its body...
The dark patches began to fade.
"Wow... It's amazing," I whispered.
I watched as the darkness slowly vanished from the little monster's body.
So this is what my divine power can do...
If I could learn to use it properly, maybe it could become something I could rely on.
"Good," Uncle said.
I looked up at him.
He was watching the monster closely, his usual stern expression replaced by one of quiet interest.
"Keep going."
I nodded and focused on the creature again.
The white light around my fingertips grew slightly brighter.
Suddenly, the monster began to thrash violently inside the cage.
It let out a piercing screech as its tiny claws desperately scratched against the bars.
Its body started to burn beneath the glow of my divine power.
The monster writhed in agony, unable to escape the intense heat consuming it.
"Uncle!" I exclaimed, startled.
"Don't stop," Uncle said firmly. "Keep your power steady."
I gritted my teeth and concentrated.
The monster continued to struggle for a few more moments.
Then its movements gradually weakened.
Its body burned away beneath the white-golden light until nothing remained but a small pile of ash.
I stared at the ashes in stunned silence.
"Interesting," Uncle muttered.
I looked at him.
"What?"
"Your divine power doesn't simply purify it," he said thoughtfully. "It destroys it completely."
I glanced back at the ashes inside the cage.
Destroys it completely...
Is this what happened to the monsters in Mirkwood?
And more importantly...
This is how Aurora's divine power was described in the novel!
She could completely destroy monsters, reducing them to nothing but ashes.
I looked at Uncle.
"Can anyone with divine power do this too?" I asked curiously.
Uncle shook his head.
"No. The last person I knew who could do something like this was King Leon."
I stared at him in shock.
"King Leon?"
He nodded.
"His divine power was capable of completely destroying monsters, just like yours."
I fell silent.
Just like mine...
So my divine power is really that powerful?
I glanced at Uncle.
"So you can't do it?" I asked.
Uncle shook his head.
"The only thing I can do is repel or purify them," he replied.
★★★
A week passed.
For the next seven days, Uncle continued training me to control my divine power.
I learned how to use it whenever I wanted and keep it steady for longer periods.
He also taught me how to shape my divine power into shields.
At first, maintaining the shield was difficult, but after a few days of practice I got the hang of it.
"You're a fast learner," Uncle remarked.
He folded his arms, watching the shimmering barrier around me with a satisfied expression.
"Come on," Uncle said as he grabbed his leather bag and turned toward the door.
I let the barrier disappear and looked at him.
"Where are we going?" I asked.
"We're going to do your last test," Uncle replied.
"My last test?" I repeated, surprised.
He nodded and glanced back at me.
"Did you bring everything I told you to bring?" Uncle asked.
"Yes. All my things are here," I replied, lifting the bulging bag beside me to show him.
"Good. Let's go," Uncle said.
Still confused, I followed Uncle, carrying my bag with me.
Lately, Uncle had been acting strange.
He seemed restless, constantly asking me whether I had noticed anything suspicious on my way home or whenever I came to his house.
I always brushed off his questions with a joke, telling him he was the only suspicious one I'd noticed.
But last night, before I left, he had specifically told me to bring all my things with me the next day.
And now, here we were, leaving together.
Something was definitely going on.
I followed Uncle outside, where a carriage was already waiting for us.
We climbed inside, and soon, the carriage began rolling down the road.
I leaned against the window and watched the town slowly disappear behind us.
"After this, I won't be teaching you anymore," Uncle suddenly said.
I turned to him, puzzled.
"Why not?" I asked.
"You've learned enough from me," Uncle said. "There's nothing more I can teach you. You'll have to figure out the rest on your own."
I just nodded and looked out the carriage window.
Guess I'm really a fast learner, huh?
But the more I thought about his words, the more something felt off.
If there was nothing more for him to teach me, then why had he told me to bring all my things?
I turned to Uncle.
"But why did you make me bring all my things?" I asked. "It's almost like you're sending me away..."
Uncle looked at me seriously.
A strange feeling suddenly settled in my chest, making me nervous.
"Because I am," he answered.
My heart sank.