Unknown
Princess Onseol was struck speechless for a moment, then stared at my glittering silver hair before asking, "Don't the Seol tribe produce shamans?"
No idea.
I'd never thought to ask Seol Deunghwa anything like that.
But then, nobody really knows anything about the Seol tribe anyway, do they? I could just fudge something plausible enough.
"My mother says the Seol tribe carries such strong divine blood that stray spirits and lesser ghosts can't sway us."
"Ah……!"
Princess Onseol caught my meaning at once.
Divine blood — the bloodline of a clan blessed with extraordinary powers, passed down generation after generation from a god. If that blood ran thick in your veins, your body was all but saturated with the traces of a god. Not an empty vessel like any other, but an empty vessel with a name written on it.
Even a thief bold enough to steal a bowl would hesitate if that bowl bore the name of the realm's strongest warrior or a great noble house — too afraid of the consequences to use it. As a reason not to fall prey to spirit possession, it was convincing enough.
And if it's the blood of the God of Fate, calling it strong divine blood isn't exactly a lie.
The Seol tribe weren't direct descendants of Gamgeonjang, the current God of Fate, but of his elder sister Eejang, who never attained godhood — so they couldn't be all that powerful. Still, it would do.
Princess Onseol's face brightened. "Of course! If the Seol tribe carries strong divine blood, then surely Your Highness would hardly fall ill to possession at all! There is no need for you to receive a spirit descent, just as you said! What a blessing!"
The Crown Prince blinked in puzzlement. "Aunt, are you saying my wife is constitutionally immune to possession?"
"She is. It seems her Seol blood has proven a fortune."
Nodding along, Princess Onseol gave the Crown Prince a brief explanation of divine blood. Only then did he relax, turning back to me with eyes that had somehow gone all bright and sparkling. "Truly, my lady has always been a treasure!"
"I'm sorry — what?"
Um, hello? Brat, you do know the Seol tribe is generally treated as lowly barbarians, right? Even in the Empire, where I was an imperial princess, they just left me be because my blood was 'tainted' with common stock?
Setting prejudice aside entirely, a crown prince of a nation really shouldn't be ignorant of the common view……
Well, he's clever enough. I'm sure he knows it just fine.
Leaving the giddy Crown Prince to his own devices, I turned to Princess Onseol with my question. "Your Highness, is it truly impossible to learn shamanism without receiving a spirit descent?"
"You could study the theory, but without a patron spirit within you, there is not a single practical art you would be able to perform."
"Theory is plenty! Since you say I have a vessel's constitution, I've been thinking I ought to study shamanism in advance, just in case. You never know."
"A wise judgment indeed. Your Seol blood may shield you from possession, but even the gods cannot foresee tomorrow — it is always best to be prepared for anything."
Princess Onseol agreed readily, then sighed in admiration. "Crown Princess, you will turn ten this year, will you not? Your birthday hasn't even passed yet. To be so quick-witted at your age, I understand now why the Emperor sings your praises and the Queen dotes on you so."
She seemed ready to sing my praises until my ears wore out.
Being complimented is always lovely, of course, but I had something rather more urgent on my mind.
"W-would Your Highness, then, be able to introduce me to a teacher who could instruct me in shamanism?"
"A teacher for Your Highness…… I would gladly take you on myself, but it hardly looks proper for a princess who has left the palace to come and go so often. I shall draw up a list of candidates and discuss it with His Majesty the Emperor."
"Thank you, Your Highness."
While I gave a graceful bow, I was cheering inwardly.
Yes! Nailed it!
Learning theory alone was the best possible outcome for me. I'd have to rework everything to fit my situation anyway, and if I trained in the practical arts too, there was a real risk of exposing my true identity.
Once I've studied hard, I'll be able to use my divine power without side effects! I'll become a proper goddess who performs miracles and divine arts with her own power!
Just like Mom and Dad! Just like Ansi and the fairies!
It was something I'd never even dared to dream of, and my heart fluttered at the thought.
One more thing to look forward to.
Really, coming down to the mortal world was the best decision I ever made.
The first day of the third month, in the fourteenth year of Seogwang.
A shaggy-haired man stepped through the gates of Unryong Palace, holding a young boy by the hand.
"Master, this way!"
The boy tugged eagerly at the man's hand, beside himself with excitement. The man smiled. "You haven't been here in years, yet you remember the palace grounds like the back of your hand."
"I practically lived here until I was seven, after all!"
"It occurs to me now, Yeongjun — can you not do something about that speech of yours?"
"Not a chance! If I'm to become a fine royal guard, I must accustom myself to a soldier's ways from childhood!"
"Not every soldier talks like that, you know. And if you mean to resemble one, your conduct should come before your speech……"
Letting his master's grumbling pass in one ear and out the other, the boy was so worked up that he let go of the man's hand entirely and bolted toward the East Palace.
I'm finally back! I get to see hyungnim again!
The boy, now ten years old that year, was Sa Young-joon —
son of Lady Jeong, the Crown Prince's former wet nurse, his milk-brother, and the favorite disciple of Gi Ho-cheol, the new swordsmanship guest tutor of the East Palace.
As he ran, Sa Young-joon's memories of his early childhood came flooding back.
His revered hyungnim, who excelled at everything.
His gentle hyungnim, who despite his exalted rank as Crown Prince had always looked after him like a little brother and played with him without fail.
His hyungnim, whose smile was like something out of a painting.
"Yeongjun, I believe you have a gift for the martial arts."
"What's a gift for the martial arts?"
"It means you have the makings of a great warrior when you grow up."
"Wow! Then when I grow up, I'm going to be a warrior who protects you, hyungnim!"
A dream he'd held since he was very, very small.
To stand at the side of the hyungnim who would be remembered in history as a great and wise king, clad in full battle dress with a cloud-sword at his hip, standing guard.
To become the Crown Prince's loyal right hand, and defend him with his very life!
That dashing, honorable life was the dream and the ideal of the boy called Sa Young-joon.
Then the Black Curse had driven him and his mother from the palace, and he had thought that dream lost to him forever.
But hyungnim overcame the Black Curse, and at the Unryong Festival he even bowed to the dragon that descended from the heavens! That's our hyungnim for you!
When he'd heard the tale of the Unryong Festival, Sa Young-joon had swelled with pride as though it were his own triumph.
Which was why he had counted down the days until he could return to the palace and see the Crown Prince again.
"Hyungnim! Your little brother is here!"
The boy charged headlong into Jamryongdang without so much as a pause.
His master sighed and followed slowly behind him.
"……Quiet again today."
Murmuring to myself, I peeled Nabi off my eyelids.
"It's peaceful to the point of being uncanny……"
After the Left State Councilor took the poison and died, I had quietly planted Sasi among the servants who returned to the Yeonguijeong's household. Ever since, my three-hour watch bugs had been keeping a steady eye on the Chief State Councilor's movements — and what I'd found was astonishingly ordinary. Nothing had happened at all.
He didn't even seem to be keeping many Gwoeryeoknansin in his service.
The hit on Ruhwa, the fire ghosts sent to the East Palace — everything points to the Yeonguijeong no matter how I look at it. But when all I see, month after month, is a man quietly going about his business, I almost start wondering if it was all my imagination. Paranoia, even.
Ugh, I want to use my Heavenly Mandate Eye so badly……
If I looked through it, everything would be laid out plain as day.
All the more reason to master shamanism quickly.
I tucked the watch bugs back into their jar and rested my chin on the desk.
The Left State Councilor was my revenge and the Crown Prince's revenge more than it was revenge for Ruhwa — for Sohwa, I mean. But catching the one who actually killed Sohwa is trickier than it looks.
Come to think of it, how was Seol Deunghwa faring? I'd heard she arrived safely in Pyeong, and nothing since.
She hasn't prayed to me, so I suppose there's no real trouble. I told her that if anything went wrong, she should set out a bowl of clear water and pray to me.
For all I knew, she was simply biding her time for a chance to be alone with the Emperor, or her resolve had faltered at the prospect of actually killing a man, and she was wrestling with her conscience.
……Still, I'm the imperial princess they sent to Un to die, and here I am, alive and well, having healed the King and Queen of Un. I figured Pyeong wouldn't sit still over that, but they've been quieter than I expected.
Somehow…… all of it felt like the stillness before a storm. The quiet Yeonguijeong, the placid Pyeong Empire — everything.
The Yeonguijeong I can leave be for now, but if Pyeong tries anything, the first priority is Seol Deunghwa escaping the inner palace and securing her safety.
Either way, all I could do was trust her and wait a while longer.
The plague outbreak from the Netherworld's death register — that's two years out now, isn't it? Things around here have settled down, so it's time to start preparing. Prepare early, and no one has to die. Right?
To do that, I needed to find out where the plague first manifested, what kind of plague it was, and how far it spread. I'd have to determine whether it was the work of a plague god or a plague ghost, too.
If it's just a plague ghost, ordinary precautions like any outbreak would do. But if a plague god is behind it…… that won't be easy.
And how was I supposed to find out? Something two years in the future wasn't exactly easy to investigate.
Hmm…… Maybe I could start by combing the Netherworld's death register and sorting out everyone fated to die in a plague around that time? That should tell me the scale of it and the exact date it begins……
Just as I was turning all these thoughts about the future over in my head, Ansi popped her head in through the window.
"Your Highness, did you not say today is your first swordsmanship lesson? I believe the hour has come……"
"What? Kyaaak!"
I shot up from my seat.
Ugh, why is it that whenever I get absorbed in something, I lose all track of time?
Why don't mortals use alarm clocks? Clearly I need to bring a clock over from Heaven.
Did I have a clock in my treasury, or not? I couldn't remember.
Grumbling under my breath, I changed clothes in a flurry — into the new training garb the maids of Unyeondang had made for my swordsmanship lessons.