Chapter 251: Luna arrives
After another long, exhausting day searching the mountains for the princess’ mysterious fire, Henry and Eleanor had returned to the Mehis Castle and were now quietly dining together. Zolun, the captain of the Fifth Princess’s entourage, stood a short distance behind them, his posture straight, hands clasped behind his back like a statue.
Oben, the coachman who had once attacked Henry’s soldiers, remained far from his sight ever since their conflict. Though still present whenever they climbed the mountains, responsible for guiding the carriage, he kept to the edges, out of sight and out of mind.
Unlike when they first arrived, Eleanor’s condition had started to mysteriously improve. Her face no longer looked pale and drained, and the terrible coughing fits, once triggered every twenty minutes when she stepped outside and walked in the cold air, had now slowed to once an hour. It was an enormous improvement.
"Princess Eleanor," Henry said as he lifted a piece of meat with his fork and brought it to his mouth, "something urgent has come up. I will need to leave for a while. During that time, I will leave you in the care of one of my most trusted friends. She’s a mage, also from the far southern lands, and she may be able to help you more than I can."
Eleanor paused mid-bite, her golden eyes locking with his.
"Is she the one who gave you the Whispering Parchment?" she asked, remembering the magical scroll Henry had used inside the carriage. From what she understood, magical tools were nearly impossible to find in these frozen regions. That parchment had to come from the South, and the one who brought it probably was a mage, since it was a common commodity amongst the class.
"Indeed," Henry said with a nod.
"What’s her name?" Eleanor asked, her fork and knife still raised, forgotten.
Henry finished chewing before answering, "Luna."
"Luna..." Eleanor repeated softly, tasting the name. "And her last name?"
Henry paused. He realized he had never asked. Luna had never told him.
"She never said her full name," he admitted.
"Good," Eleanor said with a faint smile, finally setting her utensils down. "And is there anything I can do to help you with whatever you’re facing?"
"I appreciate the princess’s concern, but I will handle it myself," Henry said with a calm tone. "It’s just some trouble with my subordinates. I’ll resolve it quickly and return to help you as soon as I can."
"I have already sent a message to Luna," he added. "She is expected to arrive within the next three days. I’ll stay with you until then."
He tried to hide the slight bitterness creeping into his expression. He had promised Eleanor two more books, yet hadn’t even located the entrance to the mysterious place where he had first found traces of the Founder. Worse, he knew Luna wouldn’t let the matter rest once her favor was fulfilled, she would demand her rewards.
"Good". Eleanor said as they finished their dinner quietly.
The three days passed quickly. Henry stayed by Eleanor’s side as they ventured deeper into the mountains. They never strayed too far from the castle, always staying within a safe distance in case the cold worsened. Eleanor’s health, though improving, remained delicate.
Meanwhile, Henry had quietly sent word to the miners and travelers who moved through the mountain paths, offering a reward to anyone who saw anything strange or unusual. The message spread fast, and the promise of gold sparked curiosity, giving several people just the motivation they needed to start searching.
As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, Luna was already at the castle gates.
She didn’t wait for permission to enter. With a burst of magic, she soared effortlessly over the stone walls, ignoring the startled cries of the gatekeepers below.
"Henry!" she called, her cheerful voice ringing through the air like a bell. It echoed through Mehis, no, through the entire Western Region. It was a bold and unmistakable voice. "I’ve come to collect my books! Where’s the princess you said I should guide?"
Her bright eyes sparkled with excitement, as if she couldn’t wait to complete her task and claim the ancient knowledge she had been promised.
The castle doors creaked open on their own as Luna approached, as if sensing her presence. She strode quickly through the corridors, her voice ringing out with each step. "Henry! Where are you?"
Crossing the corridors, she finally stopped in front of a guarded room, where a man with brown hair stood planted in the ground, Zolun, the loyal protector of the Fifth Princess. His hands rested calmly on the hilt of his sword, eyes locked on Luna.
"Hey, you. Guard guy," Luna said, walking straight toward him. "Have you seen Henry?"
The moment her foot crossed the invisible line of caution, Zolun’s sword was already drawn, swift and silent.
"Who are you?" he asked, his gaze sharp and unblinking, ready for anything.
Luna didn’t stop. She kept walking toward the drawn blade as if it were no more threatening than a gust of wind.
"You must be new to Henry’s entourage," she said casually. "I don’t recall seeing you in the capital."
She tilted her head, rephrasing the question. Maybe he didn’t understand he was looking for the king. "I am looking for King Henry. Have you seen him?"
Zolun’s eyes narrowed. The strange woman was approaching the princess’s chambers without permission, and worse, ignoring a drawn sword. She hadn’t identified herself. That was all the reason he needed. A soldier’s instinct took over: better to cut the weed before it grew thorns and became threatening.
Without a word, Zolun lunged. His step was swift, his hips rotated for momentum, and his sword gleamed mid-arc.
But the strike never landed. It barely initiated.
Zolun froze in place, his body locked as if wrapped in invisible chains, from his wrists to his ankles.
"What a bother," Luna muttered.
She flicked her fingers, and it felt like an invisible horse ran over Zolun, blasting him backward. He crashed through the wooden doors behind him, shattering them like dried reeds. The room beyond was now exposed, and Luna stepped inside without hesitation, her boots crunching over splintered wood.
"Henry! I am here! Where are my books?" - She called excitedly.
But before she could take her third step inside the room, something came hurtling toward her, a jagged boulder of ice, thick and fast, roughly the size of a man’s leg.
It was followed by a wheezing cough.
Luna, a Ninth Stage Mage didn’t flinch. She merely snapped her fingers. The ice shattered mid-air, bursting into shards that clattered harmlessly to the floor.
"A Fifth-Stage mage," Luna muttered, scanning the room. "Not Henry."
Her eyes settled on a pale red-haired woman struggling to help Zolun to his feet, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth between coughs.
"You must be Eleanor," Luna said, a wide grin spreading across her face. It was the kind of smile one wore when finally laying eyes on a long-sought treasure. "Have we met before?"