CHAPTER 148
The young boy found himself in a state of confusion, unsure who was there to help him and who might harm him.
All the adults he had encountered thus far had been terrifying and cruel.
As his fear heightened, the wildcat within him became more pronounced.
Rex, who narrowly avoided being bitten by the wildcat, quickly retreated behind the Emperor.
“It seems we need to stop the bleeding immediately… but treating him with regular methods is too dangerous.”
The young bodies were breaking down under the effects of the experiments.
That's why the guards had intended to hand them over to the spies from the Kingdom of Meher tonight.
These monsters wouldn’t live long anyway, so they planned to sell them quickly and be rid of them.
What happened to them in Meher wouldn’t matter to them.
The cries of agony from the ruptured veins were unmistakably those of children.
“It might be more merciful to end their suffering… to show them some compassion…”
One of the knights spoke in a somber voice.
No one responded, but they had to admit he wasn’t wrong.
The blood-soaked floor where the tortured monsters lay twisted in pain confirmed as much.
Then,
“I can help.”
A clear voice sounded from behind the Emperor.
All eyes turned to the Empress, who stood under the protection of Sir Peter, Sir Jacob, and Sir Derek.
The Emperor silently gazed at the Empress.
Their eyes met, communicating a gentle understanding.
As the Emperor nodded, the Empress stepped forward.
The Emperor's three loyal knights shielded her from view.
Arabelle spoke to the boy who was panting and clutching his bleeding stomach.
“I want to help you so that it won’t hurt anymore… Will you let me?”
The wildcat’s sharp eyes, which had been gleaming with tension, gradually softened.
Arabelle’s hand rested gently on the boy’s forehead.
“Grrrr…”
The boy lifted his head, baring his sharp fangs, and the Emperor instinctively gripped his sword hilt.
But soon, the boy, who had been looking into Arabelle’s eyes, began to calm down.
“Good boy.”
Arabelle lowered her hand to the boy’s abdomen, and a soft light began to emanate from her palm.
As the radiant light spread across the boy’s torn skin, the gushing blood ceased.
It was the healing light of the Lumen Savior, a light that healed beasts.
When she cared for livestock and wild animals on the estate of Baron Cander, she had never realized the power of this light.
She had treated many animals, never thinking there was anything special about it.
Even when she saved the Emperor, who had turned into a black panther, she didn’t understand how she had healed his wounds.
But now… now she understood.
The light she saw so vividly in her mind responded to her thoughts, to her wishes.
Arabelle skillfully controlled the light from her hand, adjusting its intensity.
Instinctively, she knew where the injured parts of the monsterized children were and what kind of light they needed.
Under the light of the Lumen Savior, the three young monsters were healed and soothed.
The knights carefully carried the children, now drifting into sleep, away.
As the last of the children left the witch’s lair, a young girl, now transformed, fluttered her wings at Arabelle.
The girl, who had the eyes, beak, and wings of a hawk, approached Arabelle and whispered.
“There’s a black panther like us living at the edge of the mountain. You’ll help the sick panther too, right?”
***
The claim by Vesilia that she knew the whereabouts of Crown Prince Luca and the Crown Princess was half true and half false.
Years ago, the witch had immediately recognized the black panther and the human woman who appeared in the Forest of Spirits as the Crown Prince and Princess of the Helteran Empire.
The witch had tried to lure them into a trap, thinking they would be useful one day, but her attempt failed.
The panther was strong, and the woman was wise.
They outwitted the witch, taking what they needed from her house and escaping the Forest of Spirits.
The Crown Prince and Princess had even stolen the disguise pills that could change one’s face and the healing potions the witch had spent a hundred years crafting.
The witch had vowed to exact revenge if they ever crossed paths again, and half a year ago, she did.
The panther had ventured out to hunt alone, weaker than before, perhaps because the princess was not with him.
The witch and her followers had cornered the panther, trapping him with a barbed wire net, and celebrated their victory.
This time, she was determined to capture him alive, to either hand him over to the Emperor’s enemies or turn him into another monster entirely.
But despite his age and weakness, he was still the Emperor’s father.
Though severely injured, the panther broke through the net and escaped.
The witch searched the Forest of Spirits and the surrounding woods thoroughly, but she could not find him.
If he had died, she would have found his body, but there was no trace of him.
***
While the rescued children slept peacefully in the tents, the Emperor’s tent filled with his loyal knights, who had finished their preparations.
Their eyes glowed with determination.
The Emperor and his knights, clad in iron armor over steel mesh, looked as if they were preparing for a great battle.
“The girl who turned into a hawk saw His Highness the Crown Prince from the sky.”
“And she discovered other monsters and creatures there… It’s astonishing.”
The girl who had become a monster had lived as the witch’s eyes in the sky.
As she flew over the cliffs beyond the waterfall and reached the edge of the mountain, she saw them.
Creatures she had never seen before, beings straight out of myth and legend.
It was a place so peaceful and beautiful, utterly incomparable to the witch’s dungeon.
It was there that she saw a creature transforming from a black panther into a human man.
A place where monsters like herself could live.
She was destined to remain a monster, forever unable to escape the witch.
If she were seen by humans, they would surely kill her.
Gathering her courage, she flapped her wings and descended towards the place where the other creatures lived.
But then…
Thud.
As soon as the hawk girl descended to a certain point, she was repelled and thrown back.
She tried again, but the result was the same.
An invisible barrier prevented her from entering.
“It’s definitely a barrier. Whatever the intent, it allows the area to be seen from the sky, but it’s made difficult to find from within the forest,” said Count Corald.
The Emperor nodded.
“She’s a remarkable girl. She kept this a secret from the witch, holding onto it for herself.”
The girl, only ten years old, had not told the witch.
Her pure heart wished for beings like her to live safely.
The Emperor and his knights prepared to head toward the barrier.
No one knew what kind of dark magic or sorcery they might face.
They could be walking into a dangerous situation.
The Emperor sheathed the finely sharpened sword handed to him by the royal blacksmith.
“Sir Derek, Sir Peter, stay with the Royal Guard and protect the Empress.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
As the Emperor received his helmet from an attendant, the tent flap opened.
Arabelle, dressed in a deep blue robe, walked in.
“I’m coming with you.”
“That’s not possible.”
The Emperor shook his head firmly.
Though he was usually susceptible to the Empress’s requests, this time he could not comply.
The situation was too unpredictable, even for him.
There was no telling how dangerous the place behind the barrier might be.
He could not bring the Empress to such a place.
Arabelle’s clear eyes met the Emperor’s deepening red ones.
The unease in her soul calmed as she looked into his eyes.
“If my father is injured, he will need my help. If he requires urgent healing, like the children earlier… there won’t be a moment to lose.”
Her voice was resolute, making it clear she wouldn’t accept a refusal.
Her unwavering gaze showed her determination.
Still, the Emperor hesitated, unable to give his consent easily.
Arabelle gently clasped the Emperor’s hand.
“If you take me with you, we’ll find my parents’ location more quickly. There’s no one here who knows this mountain better than I do. If it’s a place linked to the creatures of the mythical era, then you’ll need me even more.”
Everything Arabelle said was true.
The knights looked at the Emperor.
They understood his feelings.
They knew they might be walking into a situation where lives would be at stake.
But they also knew that the Empress’s help was crucial.
The Emperor tightened his grip on Arabelle’s hand.
His expression hardened, and after a moment, he nodded in silence.
But his eyes, as he looked at his wife, were filled with deep gratitude and trust.
***
Clop, clop,
Flutter…
The sound of galloping hooves awakened the birds, sending them flying into the twilight sky.
By the time dawn began to break, the Emperor and Empress’s party had arrived at the location the girl had found.
As Arabelle had predicted, without her, they would never have reached the place by dawn, perhaps not even by nightfall.
Even though she had never been in these mountains, Arabelle guided them unerringly, sensing the terrain and following the sound of the water.
She was no longer the Empress who got lost within the palace.
Thanks to Arabelle, the group had traversed swamps, climbed waterfall cliffs, and reached the mountain’s edge without a single casualty or injury.
As the Emperor and Empress’s party attempted to push through the thick vine-covered forest, their horses kept retreating.
Just as the girl had described, a powerful barrier stood in their way.
After dismounting, the Emperor and his party reached out and felt the hard, invisible wall.
They searched for a doorway, but it was no use.
“Shall I strike it with my sword?”
Sir Jacob drew his longsword, but…
“Be careful. You could end up seriously hurt.”
A familiar voice spoke from behind the Emperor’s party.
Count Corald, who quickly turned to confirm the speaker, was the first to react.
“What… how is this possible?”
His eyes widened in disbelief.
He wasn’t the only one.
All eyes turned toward…
“Master! Berel!”
Arabelle’s cry echoed as the attention of everyone in front of the barrier shifted to Esferal and Berel, the two elves.
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