Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 130

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 130
The children fell silent as a mouse under the director’s overwhelming presence. I could see several of them swallowing hard.
Sung Jeong-sim spoke in her characteristic blunt tone.
“Currently, the classes at Seongsul Academy are named after the Four Gentlemen, just like the Blood Plum Squad, Silver Orchid Squad, Chrysanthemum Squad, and Bamboo Leaf Squad—the operational units of Jagyogapsa. Does anyone know what specialized duties each Jagyogapsa unit handles?”
The children clamped their mouths shut at the sudden question, their eyes darting away nervously.
I remained silent as well. Though I naturally knew the answer since I was involved in Jagyogapsa’s founding, I had no desire to stand out.
‘With this silver hair already making it obvious I’m the Crown Princess, I don’t need to draw attention on my first day.’
The Crown Prince said nothing either. He’d apparently judged that standing out too much would be unwise given his position.
As silence stretched on, the director’s gaze swept across the children like frost.
“No one?”
Then a boy timidly raised his hand from one side—a twelve or thirteen-year-old wearing glasses, which was uncommon. The director gestured to him with her chin.
“Speak.”
“T-the B-Bamboo Leaf Squad is a unit with superior mobility and breakthrough capability, handling the vanguard of combat or p-pursuing fleeing enemies. The Ch-Chrysanthemum Squad specializes in covert operations and reconnaissance, primarily conducting scouting and ambush missions. The Silver Orchid Squad is specialized in d-defense and support, mainly protecting civilians and providing escort duties while also assisting other units’ missions….”
Despite his stammering delivery, the content flowed eloquently. He seemed capable of explaining far more, suggesting he’d taken considerable interest in the subject.
“…And the B-Blood Plum Squad is Jagyogapsa’s strongest combat unit, handling the most difficult battles. The m-meanings of each unit’s name and their characteristics….”
The director nodded.
“That’s enough. You’re accurate. Excellent work.”
“Th-thank you….”
The boy’s face flushed crimson as he bowed his head deeply. Sung Jeong-sim turned to address the entire group.
“Currently, Seongsul Academy’s classes share only names with Jagyogapsa’s operational units—they have no actual similarities to those units, nor do the classes differ from one another.”
“….”
“However, from now on, I will reorganize the classes not merely to share names, but to match aptitudes so you may become candidates capable of deployment to the corresponding units in the future.”
“…!”
“In other words, the Plum Blossom Class will become Blood Plum Squad candidates, the Orchid Class will become Silver Orchid Squad candidates, the Chrysanthemum Class will become Chrysanthemum Squad candidates, and the Bamboo Class will become Bamboo Leaf Squad candidates. Now, everyone sit on the ground with distance between you and your neighbors. Instructor Bae So-wol, Instructor Ju Sung-chan, prepare yourselves.”
A languid-looking woman and a good-natured-seeming man appeared. The man’s face was familiar.
‘That’s the sorcerer from the Crown Prince’s verification! He must be the sorcery instructor.’
The two instructors descended the stone steps and began arranging the children in lines. Once all the children were seated on the ground with enough space between them that they couldn’t touch even if they flailed their limbs, the instructors positioned themselves at opposite ends of the courtyard.
Sung Jeong-sim spoke without expression.
“I will now begin the class assignment test. Your classes will be determined based on how you respond and what methods you use to solve problems in this test. And the test’s objective is survival and escape.”
“Pardon? Survival?”
“Escape? From where?”
The children gasped in surprise, but the director ignored their questions and gestured to the instructors. They formed hand seals and activated something.
“Aaaahhh!”
“Ughhhh!”
Various screams erupted simultaneously. I flinched as well. Just moments before, I’d been sitting in the broad courtyard with Seongsul Academy’s Palace Hall visible above, but suddenly the surroundings transformed into a dense forest.
Many children had vanished. Of the over one hundred students who’d been here, only about ten remained visible to my eyes. Even the Crown Prince, who’d been sitting directly in front of me, had disappeared.
‘An illusion?’
A breeze suddenly blew. Leaves rustled against each other with a whooshing sound, and the thick forest’s scent pricked my nostrils.
Humid air entered with each breath. The cold, damp earth felt vivid beneath my palms.
‘…This is far too realistic to be an illusion.’
To create an illusion of this magnitude, one would need to be a divine spirit—or rather, a Mountain Spirit of a great peak, nearly at the level of an immortal.
‘Is this not an illusion but an actual forest? Did they lay down a formation in the courtyard beforehand and activate it to teleport the children instantly? Using spatial folding?’
Suddenly, a sound like a beast’s cry echoed from beyond the dense trees. It was an ominous wail that sent shivers down my spine.
“Mother….”
“No, how can you just dump us in a strange place like this without warning!”
I could see a whimpering child and an angry one. Everyone was in confusion.
Of course, I was confused too.
‘Could the actual test for forming the squad really be to survive and escape from here? So recklessly? What if the children get seriously injured or die?’
Bewildered, I first tried to locate where the Crown Prince had gone, when Gwang-chul wrapped around my wrist sent me a telepathic message.
[Huh, that human used their head pretty well, didn’t they?]
[Huh?]
[That sorcery hanging on that artifact from earlier. They linked it with the sorcery laid around the courtyard to create a convincing illusion.]
[This is an illusion? To create an illusion of this caliber, wouldn’t you need to be at least a divine spirit?]
[They made the target of the sorcery wear the tool directly, putting them in a state where they’re susceptible to illusions. Once you’re wearing that artifact, it would be hard to break free from it, wouldn’t it? Though if you removed the artifact, the illusion would be exposed immediately….]
[…Making them susceptible to illusions? You didn’t even tell me this artifact had such a function?]
[Aw, with me here, what’s dangerous about this? You didn’t even ask for details!]
[That’s because you were going on about sorcery… No, never mind. Let’s not talk about it.]
As I curled my finger to flick him on the forehead, Gwang-chul cried out in alarm.
[Eek! I-I didn’t tell you because it’s really not dangerous to the Princess! L-look, use your qi instead of your eyes! Now that you can see the flow of qi with the Cheonmyeong Eye, you’ll see I’m right!]
[If you’re wrong, you’re getting two flicks.]
[…Master and familiar are truly the same….]
[What did you say?]
[A-ah, it’s nothing….]
I silenced Gwang-chul and then channeled my divine power. Without manifesting my wings, I quietly drew my spiritual energy to my eyes and opened the Cheonmyeong Eye.
‘…!’
It really is an illusion? That’s incredible.
[See? I told you I was right? For the Princess, something like this is nothing! Hehe, you don’t need to praise me, just give me a reward in alcohol… Ow!]
After striking the cheeky Gwang-chul, I concentrated on observing the flow of qi.
My ears, nose, and eyes continued to perceive the surroundings as a forest, but the landscape visible through the Cheonmyeong Eye, infused with divine power, was completely different.
‘I can see the real scenery beyond the illusion.’
We were still in the courtyard as before. Just as Gwang-chul said, the orb on the artifact and the countless sorcerous tools hidden throughout the courtyard were resonating to create the illusion.
‘Looking at it this way… it’s like being inside flowing water.’
Dense qi covered the surroundings like water, and the people appeared like shadows painted with different colors of pigment. The currents swirling and eddying everywhere represented the flow of qi composing this illusion, while the pigment bleeding from each person’s shadow represented the qi they were using.
In the chaotic, swirling flow like turbulent water, the children sat in place, staring blankly into empty space.
‘Their bodies remain still, but only their minds are trapped in the illusion?’
Among them, some children occasionally tried to attack the illusion, their pigment darkening—meaning they were drawing up their qi—and the orb attached to the artifact seemed to absorb the qi they used, preventing the effects from spreading to the surroundings.
‘Just how much effort did they put into a mere squad formation test for children?’
Bewildered, I turned to look at the director, and our eyes met directly.
“….”
“….”
The Director’s form, painted in ashen gray like storm clouds, tilted her head at an angle. She raised one eyebrow while her lips moved silently.
‘The shape of her mouth… it looks like she’s saying “Can you see?”‘
I reflexively nodded, and the Director’s other eyebrow shot upward as well. She gestured to me with a subtle expression.
‘Is she telling me to come forward?’
I rose from my seat and walked forward. To the naked eye, it would have seemed like I was about to crash directly into a wooden pillar, but through my Cheonmyeong Vision, I could see the courtyard beyond the shimmering forest, so it was not difficult at all.
“Hey, hey, where are you going?”
“Uh… she’s just walking into the forest by herself…”
“Wait, silver hair? Could it be…?”
The children near me called out in confusion, but I pretended not to hear and simply continued walking. Explaining that this was all an illusion would interfere with the test.
When I stood before the Director, she looked down at me intently and asked.
“How did you know?”
“I channeled a spirit and captured divine energy in my eyes. When you do that, you can see the flow of qi.”
“You performed spirit channeling right there in your seat? Without a ritual, without offerings, without even performing the sacred dance?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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