episode_0037

“The princess is the chosen one of the goddess…!”

Count Tenafel, who was listening to the story of Prince Aplatus of the elves, was quite surprised.

A woman who had received the divine selection, revealing her appearance hundreds of years ago.

Without a doubt, the prince was talking about that sacred woman often mentioned in legends.

“But is that really possible…?”

Sacred power was said to be specialized in healing wounds and curing diseases.

It was only natural for doubts to arise.

Could the source of that power, which creates a vast shield made of light to block powerful magic, truly be considered sacred power?

His doubts kept leading him to the conclusion that she might not be a princess after all.

“Rather than a princess, isn’t she an exceptional magician with outstanding defensive magic abilities?”

But then again, thinking like that, it seemed absolutely impossible for someone at such a young age to wield magic that could never be matched.

“My brother wouldn’t make false claims, would he…?”

In any case, one thing was certain: there was a need to thoroughly monitor the lower ranks.

It is said that the princess in the legend lived a miserable life despite being loved by the gods more than anyone else.

This was because she was endlessly exploited at the temple of the goddess.

Before the rise of the demon army, she tirelessly treated the sick as a healing machine, and afterwards, she was known to have suffered endlessly as a healer in various parts of the continent.

So if the prince’s mother was really the princess…

Since she hasn’t even been engaged yet.

As soon as the truth is revealed, she might be summoned to the temple and end up living a life no different from that of a slave.

Moreover, even if she is not a princess…

She could still be targeted for kidnapping by someone greedy for her powerful defensive magic, or enemies of the empire scattered throughout the continent might attempt to assassinate her.

“This must never leak out.”

However, there is one major problem: the presence of the court priest Lergio, who follows the prince and keeps glancing at Elaine.

Although he didn’t witness yesterday’s astonishing sight, there was still a chance.

The moment he considered Elaine a saint, an uncontrollable situation might unfold.

Fortunately, Chugyikyeong did not bring any monks separately.

“If he catches on, we must remove him secretly.”

Count Tenafel, the most loyal subject of the current emperor, was ready to sacrifice himself and jump into fire for the emperor and the prince he cherished.

***

Chugyikyeong Lergio was now extremely bewildered.

It was true that he had the ability to see the inner self of a being that had taken hold of someone else, but it wasn’t just because he saw the form of a dark raven embedded in the prince’s body.

Of course, it wasn’t because Count Tenafel’s body had a mane of fur and fangs bared at him like a fierce lion.

The only reason he could be surprised was Elaine, who emitted a light more intense than the light emanating from the prince’s body.

Count Tenafel was calling her the Prince’s Consort.

But she had long established herself as a saint in Lergio’s mind.

If there was a woman with a more powerful sanctity than the prince, who had a holiness stronger than the pope, then she was undoubtedly a saint.

Yes, she was definitely a saint.

The noblewoman whom the goddess Aurora loved the most.

But in the current situation, he couldn’t help but feel apprehensive about addressing her as a saint, as it seemed to betray the saintly prince and act treacherously.

And he was worried.

“Is it okay to call her a saint in front of so many people…?”

He felt very reluctant since the prince, who had treated himself as a fool when called a saint, was right next to him.

Carefully looking around, with the count, the prince, and the elf prince’s escorts present, Lergio finally decided to postpone the courtesy towards the saint.

Thus, leaving the saint and the prince behind, Lergio headed towards Count Tenafel’s mansion, leaving for Rivengard.

***

Fen Astia, who had overslept again, gave Glen Tino a good shake.

He was still suffering from severe headaches due to unresolved doubts about his childhood friend, the prince, hiding something.

However, the suspicion Astia harbored was not about the prince.

It was because of a woman named Elaine, who was engaged to the prince.

How could she unleash such an incredible magic to stop the meteor with her frail body?

The Elven prince had clearly referred to Elaine as a saint.

Regarding the saint, Astia had also heard of it.

A sacred woman chosen by the gods.

It was said that the saint wields very powerful divine power.

But is it possible to do such things with divine power?

It’s unlikely.

Divine power isn’t specialized for healing, is it?

“….”

Then was it magic?

But even now, mana was hardly detectable from Elaine.

Of course, if one’s skills are at a certain level, they can conceal the presence of mana, but it didn’t seem likely that this innocent-faced woman possessed that level of skill.

So, it was said that with a tiny amount of mana, she displayed a powerful magic that ordinary magicians couldn’t even dream of…

That too made no sense.

Summoning a meteor in the first place was a high-level magic that ordinary magicians couldn’t even pretend to use.

Never before had anyone heard of being able to block it with magic.

And yet, that remarkable feat was achieved by just a young woman who seemed no different from herself, and who didn’t even possess much mana.

The intense shield of light that covered the vast plain.

The moment she laid eyes on it, she lost her composure and her heart became calm.

Recalling it again, her competitive spirit arose, as expected of a born swordsman.

Could her own sword break through that?

No, it would be impossible.

Even a powerful magic distorted the flow of mana around her completely, and there was no way her sword could cut through it.

Astia tightened her grip on the scabbard.

She felt infinitely pathetic all of a sudden.

“Sigh…”

The sigh escaped involuntarily.

The prince, who kept doing strange things, seemed to know who killed her mother four years ago.

Of course, she had a hunch, but she knew even the trivial habits of her childhood friend in detail.

That’s why she could intuitively sense that the prince was hiding quite a lot.

However, despite that, the prince didn’t reveal anything to her except for a small piece of truth.

Why could that be?

The answer to that question wasn’t hard to come by.

It was probably because he undoubtedly felt weak.

It was easy to guess.

Blood seeped from his bitten lips.

“Let’s become stronger.”

It was something that must be done.

If there was a being who could overturn such notoriety upon Eos, it would undoubtedly be a more wicked being than one could imagine.

Such a being couldn’t just sit back and watch Eos in the future.

And she knew that.

If Eos were to fall, the ones who would benefit the most would be Duke Shurain, the Empress, and the Crown Prince.

Naturally, those who most desired Eos’s downfall would surely be them.

There was no confirmation, but there was a vague speculation that perhaps they might have been involved in the tragedy four years ago.

So, it was imperative to protect Eos from them.

But just now, Astia was clearly trembling in front of Servis.

Her body stiffened like a puppy in front of a fierce beast, convulsing as if refusing even the command to draw a sword.

Thinking about that situation made her even angrier.

Because of the certainty that she wouldn’t be able to protect Eos like this.

“So let’s become stronger.”

Strong enough to protect a friend who would inevitably face danger.

With that determination, Astia followed behind the Elf Prince Eos and Elaine.

***

The Elf Prince entered the vast forest of Rivengard.

Countless elves revealed themselves one by one, showing respect to the prince.

Apart from the prince’s position and power, it also clearly displayed the love and respect he received from the elves.

As he headed towards the center of the forest, the sight of Rivengard was exactly as described in the novel.

It was not just a kingdom; it was a place that could easily be seen as simply an expansive forest.

Of course, the trees here were particularly large and sturdy due to the energy of the World Tree located in the center of the forest, unlike those in other forests.

And on such trees, there were often houses of elves.

As most people know, elves fundamentally love flowers and trees.

Therefore, although most elf houses were made of animal skins, the spirits throughout the forest made the houses look like flower buds.

The scent of flowers upon opening the door was also thanks to the spirits.

There were always such houses on slightly larger trees.

This vast forest where the elves who could become sharpshooters with a bow lived was not only a village but also a fortress.

This was such a place.

So, when the elves turned malicious, it would have been truly easy for me to kill at least one.

It was why I involuntarily swallowed dry saliva.

Numerous elves were coming out of their doors, scrutinizing Elaine and me from above or behind the trees.

As we moved forward, the changing light on our faces alternated rapidly between gratitude toward Elaine for saving our kin and unpleasant feelings toward me, evidence of Wiblea’s misfortune, unconsciously crossing each other.

Then a few young elves rushed to Elaine and handed her bouquets of flowers.

One, two, three, four, five…

The long bouquets even covered their faces.

It was an expression of gratitude for preventing the destruction of the forest and protecting the lives of elven soldiers.

Following Astia’s instructions, Elaine’s bouquets were soon handed over to the escorts.

Throughout my walk with the prince, the elves’ welcoming gestures continued.

They conjured spirits to draw beautiful letters welcoming us, along with smiling faces, flowers, hearts, and all sorts of pretty patterns.

Elaine wore a happier expression than I had ever seen before.

To be so welcomed by the elves despite being human… For some reason, as someone notorious wherever I went, I couldn’t help feeling envious.

I found myself standing in front of a gigantic tree, unlike anything I had seen before.

The elf prince spoke to me with a softened expression and tone.

“Nephew, this tree was planted with the branches of the World Tree. If it disappears, a vast area of the forest will wither away.”

Taken aback by his sudden warmth, I could only nod lightly in response.

“Follow me.”

The elf prince, accompanied by his guards, leaped effortlessly onto the huge house built on the tree.

As I moved to follow, Elaine’s grasp on my sleeve halted me abruptly.

“….”

Her slightly embarrassed expression left me pondering what she wanted for a moment.

Come to think of it, Elaine, not being a knight, couldn’t possibly ascend to the height of that tree.

“Astia, please lift Elaine up there.”

“….”

Astia, without a word, let out a sigh and then lifted Elaine into the princess’s embrace, hopping up to the top.

***

“What is this man really?”

Elaine was slightly bewildered by the prince’s attitude as he handed her over to Astia.

It was a situation where she had to be carried up to a huge tree, considering her role as a prospective fiancée.

She had even tugged at his sleeve to be held, how could this happen?

Elaine felt deeply disappointed.

Should she have clearly asked to be held?

But with Astia following behind, it would have been embarrassing.

Of course, she had run tirelessly from the capital and used her divine power, not expecting any reward.

However, when one did not receive the treatment they deserved, humans naturally felt hurt like children.

Acknowledging her own pettiness, she couldn’t help but feel that way.

And so, before she knew it, she found herself seated at a table filled with all sorts of delicious food.

“Well then, enjoy your meal.”

The elf’s dining table, which I sat at for the first time in my life, was quite interesting.

In fact, Elaine had vaguely thought that elves would only eat fruits or vegetables because they liked flowers and trees.

But when she saw the dishes they had prepared, there was nothing but meat.

According to what the elf prince explained excitedly one by one,

There was chicken, turkey, rabbit, deer, wild boar, wolf, lion… There was nothing missing.

It was unclear why they even ate carnivorous animals, but using all kinds of spices incredibly, each dish emitted a different intense flavor in all directions.

After filling her stomach enough, the elf prince casually threw a word to the prince.

“So, when is the engagement ceremony?”