Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 131
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
Chapter 131
“…Yes.”
“And by channeling divine power through your eyes, you observed the flow of qi? You’re saying you visually perceived the spiritual energy composing this illusion? How exactly do you manipulate divine power to achieve such a thing?”
“I don’t understand the principle myself. It just… appears to me.”
Honestly, I have no idea how this works. Perhaps it’s the Celestial Eye I inherited from my parents—that ability to see through people—manifesting differently through possession. That’s my best guess.
At my answer, Director Sung Jeong-sim let out a hollow laugh.
“…I’ve heard rumors that the Crown Princess possesses remarkable potential as a shaman, but it seems those rumors were no exaggeration.”
“….”
Remarkable potential? Perhaps it’s simply because I’m not an ordinary shaman who begs deities to borrow their divine power—I’m one who freely draws upon my own original divine strength. That must be it.
‘Ah, this body died once and became an empty vessel, making it a perfect shaman’s constitution. So having talent is… actually correct?’
Wow, so I do have a field where I’m talented!
As I struggled to suppress the corners of my mouth from rising at this sudden realization, the director extended her hand toward me.
“Hand over your prayer beads.”
“Ah, yes.”
I untied my black prayer beads and handed them over. The director drew up her spiritual energy and crushed one of the strung beads.
‘That energy feels like Taoist power. So the director was a Taoist Priest.’
As the bead shattered, the energy contained within flowed out, staining the black prayer beads crimson. The director briefly examined the condition of the remaining beads, then held up the reddened beads for me to see.
“The top ten to escape first, by any means necessary, will comprise the Plum Blossom Class.”
Ah, so that’s how they’re organizing the classes. Since the Blood Plum Squad is the most critical combat unit, they’re filling its candidate class—the Plum Blossom Class—with the most exceptional students?
‘This is quite serious.’
I approve. To defeat Doo-eok-sini alongside humans within eight years, ordinary education won’t suffice.
The director continued, observing my reaction carefully.
“However, the moment you don this, you are no longer the Crown Princess but a student of Seongsul Academy. From now on, within these halls, no one will address you with the respect due to the Crown Princess. Are you still willing?”
The gap between Princess Cheonmyeong and a human Crown Princess is far greater than the gap between a Crown Princess and an ordinary human. I’ve already lived as a human for several years—that’s nothing.
I nodded without hesitation.
“Yes, I’m fine with it.”
“…Congratulations on becoming the first student of the Plum Blossom Class, Se-ru-hwa.”
Director Sung Jeong-sim personally tied the crimson prayer beads around my wrist. The moment she finished the knot, I heard something burst behind me with a sharp crack.
The director, looking at where the sound came from, muttered in exasperation.
“Already? The beads can’t handle the spiritual energy being absorbed and shattered? What in the world….”
When I turned around, I saw the Crown Prince rising to his feet with a bewildered expression. Fragments of shattered beads tumbled from his chest.
The director pressed her temples as if struck by a headache.
“…The second student of the Plum Blossom Class, then.”
That’s my husband for you. My shoulders rose slightly with pride. I waved cheerfully, and the Crown Prince rushed toward me, his face drained of color.
“My Lady!”
“Your Highness, Your Highness, you’re also in the Plum Blossom—”
“You disappeared so suddenly. I was worried.”
The Crown Prince hurriedly embraced me, resting his chin on the crown of my head and exhaling a deep sigh of relief. Wait, doesn’t this boy see the director standing right in front of us?
“…While affection between spouses is admirable, do not forget that this is Seongsul Academy, a rigorous hall of learning.”
The director spoke curtly. Only then did the Crown Prince seem to grasp the situation, releasing me and stepping back.
“I-I’m so sorry.”
The child’s embarrassment painted her face crimson as she lowered her head—an endearing sight. The instructor, his brow furrowed with concentration, extended his hand toward the Crown Prince.
“Your Highness, please give me the training band. Since the beads are completely shattered, I’ll replace them with new ones.”
“…I apologize for breaking it.”
“Think nothing of it. The fault lies with us for failing to account for the exceptional strength you possess.”
While Sung Jeong-sim, the instructor, offered the Crown Prince the same explanation and warning she’d given me, then fastened a crimson training band around his wrist, I observed the hallucinating children sitting in the courtyard.
‘Ah, Yeon-ju’s transformed into a cat again… but unlike two years ago, this time she’s controlling her fox magic skillfully while shifting.’
Cat ears formed from shimmering blue energy sprouted from the child’s head as she lay tensely coiled. From the way her jaw snapped, it seemed she was battling a demon within the hallucination.
‘And Yi Yeon-jo right beside her… he’s learned Taoist magic?’
Unlike shamans or those with innate spiritual aptitude who naturally discover their nature, one cannot determine if someone is a Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin before attempting martial arts or Taoist techniques. Even ordinary humans can become Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin through rigorous training in these disciplines.
‘In truth, Taoist Priests and Warriors aren’t born as Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin so much as they’re simply humans with talent in their respective fields. Before training, they’re indistinguishable from ordinary people… which is why there’s less sense of alienation and fewer side effects.’
It seemed Yi Yeon-jo possessed talent for Taoist magic. Judging by the considerable spiritual energy he’d accumulated over two years, the Taoist force—unlike the divine power borrowed from deities by Shamans, the fox magic absorbed from demons by those with spiritual aptitude, or the vital force gathered through breathing by Warriors—was energy received from nature itself, circling the boy’s body before being drawn into the training band’s beads in an endless cycle.
‘He’s fighting too. I’m curious what kind of hallucination he’s trapped in.’
Since I’d woken up before anything serious happened, I couldn’t tell what hallucinations the children were experiencing. It certainly wasn’t an ordinary forest… Given how many of them were drawing upon their energy, perhaps demons were appearing and attacking?
“Hello.”
While I was observing, a familiar greeting suddenly came from beside me. When I turned, a tall boy had approached.
“We can speak casually, right? Since you’re wearing a training band.”
Pale golden hair caught my eye first—a luminous shade reminiscent of silver grass beneath the setting sun. Next came leaf-green eyes that drew attention. Then, sprouting from his shoulders and hanging limply downward, came a pair of pristine white wings.
His appearance was extraordinarily striking and eye-catching. His exceptionally delicate and beautiful face only registered afterward.
“I’m an instructor for the Plum Blossom Class. My name is Heo Gye-gyo.”
“Ah… hello.”
He looked barely sixteen years old, yet he was an instructor? That was practically a student’s age, not an instructor’s.
Perhaps noticing my confusion, the boy named Heo Gye-gyo introduced himself in a gentle voice.
“I’m the youngest among the instructors, so I’m around your age, but I’ve been with the Blood Plum Squad since the Jagyogapsa was founded, so you can trust my abilities. I look forward to working with you.”
The boy smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I returned the smile and bowed my head.
“I’m Se-ru-hwa. Thank you for your guidance.”
“Sure. If you ever need help with anything, tell me directly. Instructors exist to support you, so feel free to rely on me. Besides, you’re… the first student to join the Plum Blossom Class, so I’ll take especially good care of you.”
His gentle voice, the way his eyes smiled, and his subtly fluttering demeanor all seemed calculated.
Why is he acting like this? We’ve just met today… Is he simply flattering me because I’m the Crown Princess?
‘I know his true identity, though.’
Silver grass-like hair, leaf-like eyes, and wings beneath his shoulders—with such distinctive features, there was no way to mistake him. This boy was the divine blood descendant of Utouri, the War God.
‘And it seems he inherited the blood quite densely. With wings and all, he’s practically a copy of Utouri from the Heavenly Realm.’
In ancient times, when a Human King’s tyranny plunged the world into chaos, Utouri was born as a hero chosen by the Celestial Deities. At birth, his umbilical cord refused to sever, alarming his parents. When they observed his silver grass-like hair and cut it with actual silver grass, the cord finally separated safely.
Upon closer inspection, small wings were visible beneath the baby’s shoulders. At that time, a prophecy foretold that a winged baby general would defeat the tyrant and usher in an era of peace. Fearing the tyrant would come seeking them if word spread that they’d birthed this legendary child, the parents decided to kill the baby in secret.
The baby, whose cord had been so difficult to sever, refused to die easily. Only after removing his wings could they finally kill him. The parents buried their dead child in a field where beans and red beans had been planted.
However, word had already spread that they’d given birth to a winged baby. The king’s soldiers arrived at their door. When the parents claimed they’d already killed the baby general, the soldiers demanded to see the corpse and asked for the grave’s location.
Upon hearing it was a field of beans and red beans, the soldiers went and excavated it, only to find the baby general had grown into an adult warrior, and the beans and red beans planted in the field had transformed into soldiers.
When the soldiers killed the baby again, the soldiers vanished like melting snow. That night, a winged dragon-horse appeared, wailed mournfully, and drowned in a pond—this is the “Baby General” story known to humans.
‘But the real baby general didn’t die. He ascended to Heaven riding the dragon-horse, received the name Utouri, and became the War God.’
Since it was such an ancient tale, the humans of today didn’t know that the War God Utouri they made offerings to was that very baby general from the legend.
‘She probably doesn’t realize she carries Utouri’s blood, does she? Though she must know what divine blood is—she couldn’t not know that.’
Still, with features this identical, I wonder if she’s inherited Utouri’s curse as well?
‘Well, there must be a way to break the curse, which is why the bloodline has persisted this long.’
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————