Chapter 58: The Gravity of the Princess


    Communion of souls.


    It was my first time too, so due to the simplicity of words, I didnt expect anything monumental.


    I thought that if I just connected two souls, that should suffice.


    What is this ce?


    Looking around, I found myself in an enormous rooma ce certainly absent from my memory.


    The wallpaper was antiquated, the furniture opulent. These luxury items could have been mistaken for those used in a royal pce, yet they possessed an added sense of ancient gravitas.


    Stepping out of the room, I immediately felt out of ce.


    Wrists much thicker than those of Deus, the distinctive yellow undertone of an Asianplexion, and wearing a modern suit


    Huh?


    An old-fashioned turn of phrase slipped out naturally, catching me off guard as I checked my form.


    Looking in the mirror, there I was indeedKim Shin-woo. In my own original form.


    I had experienced this just once before.


    When I met Deus as a soul.


    Does this mean Ive be a soul and entered inside Eleanor?


    I needed to stay calm.


    It was unclear whether this was a spiritual exchange or a continuation of a dream. It might even be an incident caused simply by the resonance of the power of Lemegeton and the remnants left behind by Mack.


    But that wasnt what mattered. The priority was to meet Eleanor.


    If my hunch is right, she has to be in here.


    And not just herboth of her personas together.


    With the thought that encountering both would end this situation, I turned the doorknob and stepped outside.


    Creak.


    A solemn corridor unfolds before me. It was only after stepping out that I could be certain.


    This ce is the Royal Pce.


    The unique crests of the kingdom, along with the neatlyid red carpet, were proof.


    Should I head to Eleanors room first?


    I make my way directly to her room. I thought I might encounter someone along the way, but surprisingly, there was no one to be seen.


    If this is a dream world, its still unfinished. That must be why it feels iplete.


    With no one watching, I start to run down the corridor. It felt noticeably easier to move about, not being weighed down by Deus overindulgence in drugs and alcohol.


    Having grown ustomed to it, I hadnt realizedrunning like this made me fully aware of how much Deus had worn down his body.


    Or is it just because Im a soul?


    Im not sure, but for now, its not important, I thought as I arrived at Eleanors room.


    And surprisingly, I could hear a fierce scoldinging from inside.


    Is that the right way to behave now!


    Gently opening the door, there stood a young Eleanor and a woman who appeared to be her mother.


    Eleanors mother.


    Helen Luden Griffin.


    It was my first time seeing her in person. To my knowledge, she had long since passed away due to illness.


    And before Helen stood young Eleanor, lips sealed tight without a hint of rebellion, head bowed under her mothers scolding.


    Do it again! Do it over!


    At Helensmand, Eleanor steps back and bows cautiously, her gesture brimming with dignity.


    But then.


    p!


    Helen strikes Eleanors cheek, a p so forceful it sends the girl reeling backward. Yet Helen showed no signs of retreat.


    Are you joking? Is that right? You look like an imbecile! Youre a princess! The face of this nation! What will be of you if this is the best you can do? Its all an act right now! You need to draw out your true elegance!


    Im, Im sorry.


    Silence! Know that each time you fail to do it properly, youll be hit. Any marks can easily be removed by a magician!


    Eleanor, trembling and clumsily trying to rise, is roughly grabbed by the wrist and yanked upright by Helen.


    As Eleanor attempts another bow, Helen, dissatisfied again, raises her hand.


    Click.


    I had entered the room and caught Helens wrist in mid-air.


    You, what are you!


    Helen screams at me, her voice dripping with venom. But my mana had already surged violently into her body, lifting her into the air and mming her against the wall.


    Thud!


    After all, this is just a dream.


    Helen, Eleanors mother, is nothing more than a person long deceased.


    Snap out of it.


    Eleanor looks at me nkly, trembling instead of being shocked at her mothers downfall.


    Huh? Whats going on?


    I could tell right away from her tone.


    This Eleanor was the second one, the one burdened with the duties of royalty.


    Huh? A moment ago, I was...


    Do you remember anything? Get a grip on yourself.


    Huh? Wait, who are you?


    Pointing at me and furrowing her brow, Eleanor demands an answer, and I reply nonchntly.


    Deus Verdi.


    What? Youre nothing like the Deus I know. Youre like night and day. Who are you?


    Eleanor was confused, but there was no time to exin. Because Helen, previously smashed against the wall, was slowly getting up.


    And she was growing enormously, her back bending so much it touched the ceiling. With elongated hands, she ms the door shut, preventing our escape.


    How dare a princess talk to a man like thiiiiis!


    With a cry almost like a curse, Eleanor and I turn to bolt outside.


    Once again, I wield my mana to shatter both the hand and the door itself to get out.


    My mana felt unusually responsive, almost eerie.


    As I pondered this, Eleanor clicked her tongue in response.


    Its dream mana, after all. Its more about will than talent or effort.


    Is that so?


    But that means fine control is out of the question.


    I twist my body, pulling up mana with all the strength I have.


    The giant Helen, now one hand less, tries to approach us, thumping along.


    Boom!


    But shes pushed back by a flood of mana, a tidal wave that eventually sweeps her through a window and out of sight.


    Clearly, I can use more mana than I usually can without any trouble.


    As I nod, intrigued by this discovery, Eleanor stares nkly, her mouth agape.


    Shouldnt you feel dizzy from the mental drain, then?


    I mused on the ambiguous nature of mental strength. But as someone who is not easily shaken, I didnt find it overly taxing.


    Are you really Deus?


    Eleanor asks, looking at me curiously, and I scratch the back of my head as I reply.


    More precisely, you could say Im a man using Deuss body.


    I didnt feel like introducing myself as Deus in my current state.


    I reach out my hand to the little girl.


    Kim Shin-woo. Thats my real name.


    Kim Shin-woo?


    Eleanor takes my hand, her expression a mixture of confusion and curiosity, but there was no time to waste.


    Already, Helens grotesquely twisted face was peering back at us through the window.


    She just wont die.


    Eleanor, with a soured expression, nces at Helen and pokes at my thigh.


    Lift me up. It seems wiser to flee than to fight.


    ...


    And I think I know where the other Eleanor is. Lets head there.


    Where?


    Honestly, I didnt feel like carrying her, but Eleanors stride was too short to escape from Helen, who was crawling toward us on all fours.


    The rooftop! I sense the other half there.


    As I hoist her onto my back upon hearing her answer, Helen bangs her forehead against the ground, screaming.


    The princess! Riding on the back of a strange man! Insanity! Insanity! Insanity! Come here! Come heeeere!


    Helen starts to catch up at a terrifying pace. I, however, confront her head-on, pushing mana outward to repel her.


    Swept away by my mana, Helen crashes into a wall, and we pass by the window she had been pushed through earlier.


    Thendscape outside doesnt even seem properly formed.


    Moreover, the sensations are off; the pce walls look as tall as the skyscrapers of a high-rise building.


    I wonder if this is how the pce appeared to Eleanor when she was a child.


    Argh!


    I release mana, soaring through the sky. Eleanor clings to my neck in panic, but Im not choked.


    Moreover, without the ability to use refined magic, my body was swept this way and that as if entrusted to a wild tempest.


    Yet, I felt neither dizzy nor nauseous.


    Hey, listen!


    Eleanor shouts through the artificially raging winds.


    When I turn my head slightly to ask why, Eleanor asks with an annoyed expression.


    Why did your way of speaking change?


    ...


    No, seriously, its so different. You know, the usual Deus has a somewhat... annoying tone, right?


    She speaks her mind without hesitation.


    Should I just chalk this up to royal bearing?


    Im deliberately making a distinction.


    I brush off the question with a simple exnation. Eleanor looks puzzled for the moment, but shes a sharp girl; shell catch on quickly.


    Before we knew it, Eleanor and I reached the edge of the building and floated up to the rooftop.


    Behind the shimmering, watercolor-like scene, a blonde girl crouching down came into view.


    A different Eleanor, this one appearing to be 17.


    Just as we were about to approach her.


    Donte closer! She spoke.


    Despair was woven into the tremble of her voice.


    <strong>--- End of The Chapter ---</strong>


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