Since I’m a Time-Limited Princess Who Has No Tomorrow - Chapter 98

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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 98
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I enlisted the celestial maidens of my palace in the Afterlife to search for records of the Yun Kingdom’s Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin who had fallen in the Sagat War. Though many had been reincarnated over the past century, some had accumulated merit and ascended to Paradise, others had become immortals, some bore such heavy sins they dwelt in Hell, and a few remained in the Afterlife awaiting judgment.
With the cooperation of the Underworld Messengers, the maidens of Sang Ra Palace compiled their names and contacted each one individually. To those in Paradise and the immortals, they offered the chance to aid their descendants; to those in Hell, they proposed reducing their sentences; to those still in the Afterlife, they suggested assistance with their judgment.
Sang Ra Palace, which had grown idle in my absence, suddenly became consumed with the frantic work of gathering and organizing the secret teachings of the Yun Kingdom’s Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin.
Among all the tasks I prioritized, the first to complete were the secret teachings of the Ki-ryeong Sword Family and those of Manshin—the most legendary shaman of Yun Kingdom. What the Ki-ryeong Sword Family had lost in the Sagat War were several martial arts texts, their genealogy, and the family’s secret vault.
‘Only the family head and his heir knew the location and how to open the secret vault, but both fell in battle without leaving instructions, so it was simply forgotten.’
I had Gwang-chul place additional secret texts compiled by the palace maidens into that vault. Then I summoned Ki Ho-cheol.
The shaggy-haired man who entered Sowang Hall with a serene expression startled upon seeing me.
“Crown Princess, that appearance…”
I sat upon the high seat dressed in a crimson robe with a translucent jade-colored wing garment draped over my shoulders. Moreover, I deliberately let my divine power flow outward, casting a subtle luminescence across my entire form.
Anyone would recognize this was no ordinary sight.
‘Even Lady Kim remarked I looked like a celestial maiden at first glance.’
I straightened my posture and regarded Ki Ho-cheol with composure.
“Ki Ho-cheol of the Ki-ryeong Sword Family.”
I did not address him as Master—this was not a meeting between teacher and student, but something else entirely.
At my summons, Ki Ho-cheol hastily tidied his hair and clothing, then knelt before me.
“Yes, Your Highness the Crown Princess.”
“You’ve heard the rumors that I received a divine descent?”
“…I have heard them.”
“The deity who descended upon me is Princess Cheonmyeong—the precious daughter of both the Jade Emperor and the Yama King, the sole princess of the Heavenly Realm and the Underworld.”
It felt strange introducing myself in this manner. Still, I maintained a solemn expression and continued.
“Princess Cheonmyeong has descended and dwells within me.”
“Are you… currently in a state of divine possession?”
Ki Ho-cheol stared at my wing garment with wide eyes.
Even in this still indoor space, the garment fluttered like a fish’s fin—surely an extraordinary sight to mortal eyes.
“Indeed. Princess Cheonmyeong, in her divine possession, has instructed me to summon you with an urgent matter.”
“Why would she summon me…?”
“You know of the Ki-ryeong Secret Vault, do you not?”
“…!”
“Princess Cheonmyeong has heard the sorrow of your ancestors. Since you are now the sole remaining heir of the Ki-ryeong Sword Family, I shall entrust this to you.”
I then detailed the vault’s location and the method to open it. Ki Ho-cheol listened with an expression of utter bewilderment.
I spoke with a grave, measured tone.
“Have you committed this to memory?”
“Wait, please wait just a moment, Your Highness.”
Ki Ho-cheol suddenly came to his senses and frantically searched for brush and ink. He hastily wrote down everything he had heard and presented the paper to me.
“Is this account accurate?”
“It is accurate. Ensure that you preserve the spirit and martial teachings of the Ki-ryeong Sword Family well.”
I nodded and closed my eyes. Once I ceased the divine possession and withdrew the wing garment, I opened my eyes to find Ki Ho-cheol sitting as though entranced by spirits.
“Master, are you all right?”
To distinguish it from a state of divine possession, I addressed him with formal speech as usual. Ki Ho-cheol blinked his distant eyes before looking at me.
“…Your Highness.”
“Princess Cheonmyeong, who descended into me, knew many things. Among them, I particularly wanted to inform you about this record.”
“…The Ki-ryeong Record… the Ki-ryeong Record, you say.”
Ki Ho-cheol gripped the paper he had written with trembling hands and read it again, then suddenly made a deep bow to me.
“I am truly grateful, Your Highness.”
“I’ll accept your thanks after confirming whether that information proves helpful to you.”
I smiled brightly and looked up at Ki Ho-cheol.
“Please go at once. The Crown Prince will handle your leave from the Crown Prince’s Academy, so don’t worry.”
“…Th-thank you, thank you so much.”
Ki Ho-cheol stammered his reply and rushed out. He would likely head straight to find where the record was kept.
‘Next, then, is Princess Onseol.’
What I would convey to Princess Onseol was Manshin’s secret teachings.
‘Since it contains methods to distinguish between false spirits possessing shamans and genuine divine descent, I need to spread this first.’
Manshin had named the false spirits that descended upon shamans’ bodies as “hollow masters,” and had thoroughly researched methods to identify and expel them.
‘This is exactly the information we need most right now. If this becomes properly known, wouldn’t the Yun Kingdom actually suffer less from deception by false spirits than other nations?’
Manshin’s secret teachings were obtained when the Chief Celestial Maiden of Sang Ra Palace visited Manshin, who had become an immortal, and received them directly in writing. Since this content had already been compiled into books during her human years and transmitted to shamans, it didn’t constitute a breach of heavenly secrets.
‘Doo-eok-sini burned Hoguk Temple once, and the secret teachings were lost in that fire. Most of the shamans who had learned them perished in battle, leaving only poorly trained disciples, which is how we’ve come to this point.’
I received Princess Onseol in exactly the same manner as I had Ki Ho-cheol.
“…Crown Princess, Your Highness?”
“Princess Cheonmyeong speaks thus: There exists a secret place hidden within Manshin’s tomb. Her unburned secret teachings remain there—go and obtain them.”
This time, I deliberately adopted a solemn tone, pretending to be Princess Cheonmyeong herself. Though I wouldn’t actually speak that way, humans seemed to find such speech more dignified.
Princess Onseol, entranced by the feathered robe and the soft light emanating from my body, accepted the information and departed.
Manshin’s tomb lay near Hoguk Temple. Hoguk Temple had been established there in the first place because of Manshin’s Tomb. The monks of Hoguk Temple guarded that burial place meticulously, and there was originally no such secret place.
‘Gwang-chul put on his goblin hat and went in to set it up nicely.’
Honestly, I didn’t trust him, so An-si went to verify it once more. Apparently, he had done it quite convincingly. He had also fabricated things plausibly during the Yongryong Ceremony, so it seemed Gwang-chul had a talent for this sort of thing.
‘Now I just need to wait for these two to go and confirm it.’
I didn’t have to wait long. Within a week, Ki Ho-cheol and Princess Onseol came to find me one after another.
It was all true, they said, and not knowing how to repay this grace, the two of them came before me. I made a request of them.
First, in Ki Ho-cheol’s case.
“Princess Cheonmyeong wishes to restore the lost secret teachings to the descendants of the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin who were sacrificed in the Salgat War. Please spread word of this widely.”
“Good heavens… you mean to restore this without any compensation whatsoever?”
“Of course not entirely. Divine possession is no easy matter, and Princess Cheonmyeong doesn’t bestow her grace without reason.”
Since I was possessing myself, it wasn’t actually very difficult, though it wasn’t entirely effortless either, so it wasn’t a lie. As for Princess Cheonmyeong’s intentions—well, they were my intentions!
“Then what would be required…?”
“Have you heard the news that Doo-eok-sini has appeared again? I would like your cooperation in preparations to counter this threat.”
The reconstruction of the Jagyogapsa and the establishment of Seongsul Academy. This was already a proposal the Right Prime Minister had made to the court. It had been pushed back due to the commotion surrounding my deposition.
I briefly outlined the plan and requested cooperation, while adding one more thing.
“The Crown Prince and I plan to enroll in Seongsul Academy as well.”
“…!”
The royal family—specifically the Crown Prince and Crown Princess who would inherit the throne—receiving education as Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin. This would become a symbol that this time, unlike the previous Salgat War, we would not allow the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin to be sacrificed unilaterally.
‘I’ve already settled the matter with the Crown Prince.’
The Crown Prince seemed to have felt a strong need for training after engaging in combat with Geu-seun-dae. The moment I brought up Seongsul Academy, he immediately said he wanted to study there as well.
‘Before I even mentioned the entrance ceremony.’
“It seems that the establishment and enrollment at Seongsul Academy would also help you maintain your position as Crown Princess, even after receiving divine descent.”
“Pardon? How did you know that?”
“You mentioned it yourself, didn’t you? That the purpose of establishing Seongsul Academy is to recover the lost teachings of the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin and correct mistranslated knowledge.”
“Yes, that’s right….”
“The superstition that shamans ruin families is also mistranslated knowledge, so if we correct it, the fact that you received divine descent won’t be a problem at all. Truly, this will become an even greater undertaking. You are remarkable, my lady.”
The Crown Prince was marveling at me, but I was too busy marveling at the Crown Prince.
‘This kid is genuinely brilliant.’
I may not actually be ten years old, but the Crown Prince is truly only twelve—how can he be so clever?
In any case, I felt reassured by the Crown Prince’s proactive stance. As Crown Princess, it would have been difficult to push forward with the entrance ceremony without his support.
Ki Ho-cheol was horrified when he heard that the Crown Prince and I would be enrolling at Seongsul Academy.
“Would His Majesty permit such a thing?”
“Don’t worry about that.”
We would have to persuade the King and Queen ourselves. The Right Prime Minister would support us, the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin who would gather from now on would help, and the Chief State Councillor’s true identity would serve as another reason to make that persuasion possible one way or another.
“All you need to do is spread this fact widely, Master.”
“That is not difficult, but… will that be sufficient?”
“Yes. So… please spread the rumor that the Crown Princess who channeled Princess Cheonmyeong, with the courage to prepare for another Salgat War, will restore to the Gwae-ryeok-nan-sin what was lost in the Salgat War.”
After sending Ki Ho-cheol away, I received Princess Onseol. I had one more request for her besides spreading rumors.
“Please spread information about Heo-ju as quickly as possible. And attempt the Heo-ju gut to drive out Heo-ju as soon as you can.”
“…I’ve heard that memorials are pouring in. The faster we act, the more it will help you, Crown Princess.”
“Yes, I’m counting on you.”
“I understand. However, I am advanced in years and find it difficult to master Manshin’s teachings. And it is not easy to find talented individuals capable of quickly learning these new shamanic practices….”
“I have a master for you.”
“…!”
“Your master will learn quickly. Take her as your spiritual daughter and transmit Manshin’s teachings to her.”
“You mean Baek Tam-sol. I already know about that child. Isn’t she the genius you discovered thanks to the Crown Princess? It seems I’m blessed in my old age to have a student more remarkable than myself.”
Princess Onseol accepted my request with a pleased expression.
‘It’s better to go through Princess Onseol than to teach Baek Tam-sol directly.’
Manshin’s teachings are a great treasure. It’s safer for it to be held by Princess Onseol, who has both status as a princess and seniority, rather than the young Baek Tam-sol who lacks backing. And it would be good for the girl if she became Princess Onseol’s disciple.

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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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