Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 136

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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 136
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Though I had started the trial early in the morning, a single day vanished in an instant simply preparing our base camp.
After Yi Yeon-jo surveyed the terrain of the sunken depression, he used Taoist magic to pile earth and construct something resembling a wall. His spiritual power still fell short of sealing it completely at the top, but it formed quite an impressive barrier nonetheless. Je-gal Pyo affixed several talismans to that wall, and at the entrance, I hung a bear pelt that the Blue-Robed Child had gifted us.
In the center, I kindled a bonfire and crudely fashioned a hearth. Thanks to Yun Ra-sa gathering firewood and discovering bamboo in the forest, we felled some and fashioned both vessels and water containers. The valley water was unsafe to drink in its raw state, but by applying my healing divine power, I meticulously filtered out the impurities until it reached a drinkable standard.
‘This isn’t purification at all—applying healing magic to filter water is incredibly slow.’
While Yi Yeon-jo raised earthen walls, Je-gal Pyo inspected the Blue-Robed Child’s gifts and inscribed countless talismans, and Yun Ra-sa wandered through the surrounding forest, I spent the entire time filtering water and storing it in bamboo segments to create multiple containers.
‘This should last us four days.’
Each of us moved busily about our tasks, and after sunset, we all gathered around the bonfire. Well-roasted chestnuts and various fruits comprised our evening meal.
“I-if we ration these properly, we might manage for four days, but b-b-but we should still do some hunting. It’s really just barely enough to s-s-survive on.”
Je-gal Pyo gestured toward the fruits he had sorted and stacked, then added:
“A-all four seasons’ fruits are here—truly the Giant-Mouthed Demon’s gift. How strange… where d-d-does a yokai even obtain such things?”
Perhaps from the storehouse of Oneul, the seasonal deity in Heaven? All four seasons are preserved there, after all.
Rather than give the correct answer, I said something else.
“There were some fish in the valley. Could we make something like a fish trap?”
“A t-trap? If I set a small barrier with magic, it c-c-could serve as a fish trap.”
“Good, then we can eat fish tomorrow.”
“D-don’t get your hopes too high. I’ve s-s-seen others do it, but this is my first t-t-time actually trying it myself…”
At my words, Je-gal Pyo muttered nervously, wiping sweat from his brow. Yun Ra-sa, who had been ignoring the roasted chestnuts beside her and relentlessly popping strawberries into her mouth, interjected.
“Don’t expect much. I’ll bring back game tomorrow anyway.”
“Have you hunted before? Do you even know how to butcher?”
“Of course I do. I told you—my life experience is different from yours.”
Yun Ra-sa responded to my question with subtle boasting, then stretched out her hand. Drawing her silver-handled blade, she snatched the chestnut from Yi Yeon-jo’s hands—which had been struggling with the shell—and peeled it bare-handed in one smooth motion. As the chestnut’s flesh was revealed in an instant, Yi Yeon-jo’s expression crumbled, and Yun Ra-sa let out a scoff.
“A delicately raised young master should stay home and guard the shelter tomorrow. If you have free time, practice peeling chestnut shells.”
“Ugh…”
Yi Yeon-jo seemed choked up, but finding nothing to say, he clamped his mouth shut.
Yun Ra-sa stacked the peeled chestnuts neatly into the bamboo bowl before the boy, then took the roasted chestnuts from in front of me and began peeling those as well.
…So she had witnessed my earlier failure at peeling chestnut shells and pretended nothing happened while I busied myself with tangerines.
“Thank you.”
“Hmph.”
At my thanks, the girl turned her head away sharply.
“W-well… shouldn’t you have roasted them after completely p-p-peeling the shells?”
Je-gal Pyo, who had roasted the chestnuts in the first place, mumbled awkwardly. Yun Ra-sa, returning the fully peeled chestnuts to me, replied coolly.
“Just scoring them with a knife before roasting is enough. Why bother? If you have time to waste peeling shells one by one like an idiot, do something useful instead.”
“Ah, I s-s-see. Scoring chestnuts before roasting m-m-makes them easier to eat.”
Je-gal Pyo quickly pulled out his notebook and recorded Yun Ra-sa’s words. Meanwhile, Yun Ra-sa finished peeling Je-gal Pyo’s chestnuts as well, then reached for the strawberries again.
Yi Yeon-jo, embarrassed, stared at the chestnuts Yun Ra-sa had peeled for him with a reddened face, then suddenly spoke.
“Yun Ra-sa.”
“Yes, young master?”
“What was the chaos you said you experienced like?”
“What good does knowing that do you?”
“You told me I was making assumptions without knowing anything… I realized that applies to me too.”
For Yi Yeon-jo, those were words spoken with considerable courage. They were also an acknowledgment of Yun Ra-sa, whom he’d been displeased with.
But instead of accepting his words graciously, Yun Ra-sa’s expression hardened.
“Don’t ask. My past isn’t light enough for innocent children like you to bear.”
Wow. She and I were the youngest here, so I thought it would be a bit embarrassing to say something like that, but Yun Ra-sa was confident and composed.
Yeah, she means it.
‘Now I’m genuinely curious.’
I wanted to peer into Yun Ra-sa’s twelve years through Cheonmyeong’s eyes, but I had to hold back. Besides, right now…
“Shouldn’t we start preparing for the attack? We don’t know when the instructors and assistant instructors will arrive.”
“Prepare?”
“If we work out our response strategy in advance, we won’t be caught off guard. To fight together, we need to understand each other first…”
The red glow of the crackling campfire painted the still-youthful faces of the children a rosy hue. I looked at each face in turn and smiled softly.
“…How about we start with introductions?”
“I-i-introductions?”
“Since I brought it up first, I’ll go.”
I immediately possessed the Shaman and manifested wings of divine cloth.
“As you know, I’m a Shaman serving the god Princess Cheonmyeong. With possession like this, I can channel divine power without rituals or shamanic dances, and when I do, I can see the flow of energy with my eyes or heal people.”
“Um, th-those wings…”
“I made them with divine power and can control them however I want. They’re surprisingly strong?”
With a gesture, I stretched the wings of cloth long. The translucent fabric extended and wrapped around a large boulder in the corner, lifting it effortlessly. The children’s eyes went wide.
“Since they’re strong, I can use them like this too.”
I lifted the boulder high, then released the wings. The massive stone crashed down with a thunderous bang, shaking the ground, and the children’s shoulders all flinched in unison.
“Wh-what, it really is strong…”
Yun Ra-sa muttered in disbelief. Je-gal Pyo’s eyes trembled relentlessly behind his glasses, and Yi Yeon-jo had gone pale.
It seemed like I’d just given a show of force. That wasn’t my intention.
‘If they saw the Sang Ra Palace Celestial Maidens using the wings as weapons, they’d pass out.’
They’d all crush boulders like that into powder. They’d slice demon necks clean off with their wings, clink clink.
My wings don’t even compare to their level. Part of it is because I’m not skilled enough, but the real issue is that I still have too little divine power to use with this body.
‘Since I’m steadily expanding my capacity, maybe someday I’ll be able to use the wings as well as the Celestial Maidens.’
“I think that covers my introduction. Who wants to go next?”
As I withdrew the wings and turned around, Yi Yeon-jo quickly raised his hand.
“I’m, well, as you already know, a Taoist Priest… When I accumulated Taoist power, I mainly absorbed the energy of earth. It suited my constitution well.”
The boy, seeming embarrassed, cleared his throat quietly and continued while placing his hand on the dirt ground.
“You all know the standard for being called a Taoist Priest rather than just a practitioner—right?”
“M-m-making a staff?”
Je-gal Pyo asked with gleaming eyes.
Yi Yeon-jo nodded and slowly lifted the hand he’d pressed into the ground. The earth wrapped in Taoist power rose with his hand, forming the shape of a long staff with a curved hook at the end.
“Usually, children destined to become Taoist Priests create their staff much earlier, but I… started learning Taoist arts quite late, so I’ve only recently been able to make this. However…”
Yi Yeon-jo stood up, holding the earthen staff in his hand, and took a deep breath. The boy drew upon his Taoist power and struck the staff against the ground with a heavy thud.
The ground beneath us trembled gently, and with a grinding sound, the earth rose and took shape—a clay figurine the size of a living warrior mounted upon a horse.
“Impressive… truly impressive.”
“Wait, is that thing actually moving?”
Je-gal Pyo’s mouth fell open in astonishment, and Yun Ra-sa cried out in surprise. No answer was needed to her question. The colossal horse of earth began to prance, and the warrior atop it turned his head to gaze down upon us.
“Of course it moves—otherwise, what use would it be?”
“Hmm… this is genuinely impressive.”
Yun Ra-sa regarded Yi Yeon-jo with newfound respect. Yi Yeon-jo scratched the back of his head awkwardly and continued.
“…In any case, I’ve been praised for my considerable talent in manipulating living, moving clay figurines like this. I understand geomancy and basic Taoist arts, but my true specialty—my gift—lies in this clay figurine technique.”
As Yi Yeon-jo finished his explanation and gestured, the mounted warrior sank into the earth and vanished. The staff, too, crumbled to soil the moment the boy released it, flowing away like sand.
I marveled silently at how refined his Taoist abilities had become in merely two years of study. He must have trained with extraordinary dedication.
The trauma of the Geu-seun-dae incident surely weighed upon him, but watching his twin sister Yi Yeon-ju had likely spurred him forward as well—the desire not to fall behind her.
“Remarkable, Yi Yeon-jo.”
“…To hear such praise from you… no, wait, um, yes—it’s rather embarrassing, actually.”
Yi Yeon-jo laughed awkwardly, brushing the soil from his hands before settling back into place.
“I’m naturally far weaker than a true warrior, but since the clay figurines can be continuously repaired even if destroyed, they should prove quite useful for buying time or drawing attention. Well then, who should I introduce next?”

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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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