Chapter 3:
Lucina
I walk through the grand marble halls, following a pathway now familiar to me.
Crystal pillars line the halls, stretching on for what seems like miles. The sheer beauty of this place takes my breath away. I saw glimpses of the castle through Lucina's memories, but being here in person?
Breathtaking.
The maids and guards pay me no mind. Fitting.
After all, I am a princess.
I make my way to the end of the hall, navigate through countless turns, and finally reach my room.
I enter and lock the door behind me. A sigh of relief escapes.
Moving to the vanity mirror, I study my reflection.
I still look like the sixteen-year-old version of myself.
So the goddess held her end of the bargain.
This world is filled with magicians, swordsmen, elves, dwarves, and faeries.
A world straight out of a novel I once discarded. It was about some loser guy from Earth who transmigrates into a third prince, gains strength, and fights for the throne.
I disliked it because the male lead had no redeeming qualities. The author gave him major buffs and a harem collection of women that made little sense—foreign princesses, noble ladies, and so on.
But who am I to judge? I've always been fond of reverse harem books myself.
The reason I agreed to the goddess's deal is clear.
The laws of this world revolve around strength, power, and wealth. In this world, I can finally achieve my dream.
My own harem.
Ha! Slavery is legal here too.
I'm not some saint who felt pity for the other Lucina. This world is the perfect place for someone of my character.
I look at the sixteen-year-old Lucina reflected in the mirror and smile. If there's one thing Zira was, it's beautiful. I'm grateful to have inherited her looks.
*
I grab a cloak and slip out through the window.
Fortunately for me, my wing of the palace is only guarded by two-star swordsmen. If they were higher-ranked guards, I wouldn't have sneaked out so easily.
How stars work in this world:
A swordsman's strength is measured by stars. Two-star swordsmen are just slightly stronger than normal men. One-star is considered average. The strongest swordsmen reach nine stars—though that level isn't easy to achieve. Even the emperor himself is only a seven-star swordsman.
These stars represent the mana circles a person possesses. This world draws power from two sources: divine power and mana.
The religion of the moongoddessLuna is the predominant faith on the continent. Their pope is the strongest swordsman at eight stars.
*
I navigate through the overgrown flower garden maze. Moving with ease, I find a small opening that leads to the outer palace wall.
I scale the wall with the help of a large tree, carefully making my way along the branches toward the outer perimeter.
Once I reach the ground, I find myself surrounded by trees. The area is deserted.
I pull the cloak tighter for concealment.
The sun begins to set, casting a warm glow over the landscape as I head toward the town center. The palace sits to the north of Lumine, the capital city of the Empire of Solana.
I exit the mini-forest and make my way toward the bustling city.
Upon reaching the city streets, I pause and wait for an express carriage.
I had concerns about hygiene standards in this world. But magic is highly advanced here. Golems keep the streets clean. I watch an earth golem efficiently drag a large bowl of food waste away.
"Where to, my lady?"
A sketchy-looking, skinny man approaches me.
"The cathedral. And make it fast."
The man's eyes light up. He lets out a whistle.
A large winged lizard creature appears. A Gilcha lizard. These creatures were bred by a mage named Gilcha, who was known for his talent in summoning and breeding various animals.
Lumine city sprawls across thousands of kilometers. Teleportation is forbidden within the empire's cities, so traditional transportation like Gilcha lizards is the norm.
A normal horse carriage would take two laborious days to reach the main cathedral. On a Gilcha lizard? The journey shortens to just four hours. I assume they move at incredible speed—I was never particularly skilled at math in my previous life.
I climb onto the small boxed compartment on the lizard's back.
Surprise: it's much larger on the inside. Reminiscent of those fancy VIP train compartments.
I settle into a seat and allow myself to relax.
Honestly, I still feel like I'm dreaming. I can't quite believe I'm actually in a world like this.
"My lady, we've arrived."
The sketchy man informs me. I glance at him and reach for a bag of about two hundred gold coins. I toss it to him.
He catches it eagerly.
"This is too much, my lady!" he exclaims, already stowing the coins away in his cloak.
I remove my hood and settle back into the seat.
"What's your name?"
His eyes light up with excitement—until he notices my ashy white hair. A mark of the royal family.
He begins to tremble slightly.
"M-m-m... Maverick, your highness." He attempts a clumsy bow.
"Don't bother with the formalities. Just call me Maverick." I wave a hand. "So, Maverick. How long have you been in the capital?"
"I was born in the slums here, my lady. Spent my entire life in the capital. There's nothing I don't know about these parts. Anything you need, I'm your guy." He puffs out his chest proudly.
"Interesting." I tilt my head. "How did you come to possess this Gilcha lizard? They're known to be quite expensive."
I wait for his answer. Maverick seems like he's seen better days.
"She was due to be discarded." Sadness and pride mix in his voice. "The sickly one of the batch of eggs from a Gilcha breeder I used to work for. I asked to take her off him. Honestly, no one expected my girl to survive. It's just been me and her for eight years now."
His eyes betray a depth of emotion.
Gilcha lizards are notoriously expensive to raise. Maverick must have resorted to questionable actions to keep her alive this long.
Moved by his story, I reach into my mini space pack in my cloak and pull out a communication crystal. I toss it to him.
"I'll contact you soon, Maverick."
I leave the compartment and make my way toward the Cathedral.
---
The Cathedral bustles with activity despite the late hour—nearly nine p.m. Fitting for a religion that worships the moon goddess to be active at night.
I keep my head down and navigate through the crowd. I ascend the many stairs leading to the main building.
Suddenly, a voice calls out.
"Your Highness. Follow me."
A young priest swiftly maneuvers through the people. I hurry after him, not wanting to lose sight of him in the bustling crowd.
The crystal pillars lining the cathedral are stunning. They cast an ethereal glow in the moonlight. Truly breathtaking.
"Please, head in. He's waiting for you."
The priest gestures toward a seemingly inconspicuous door along the long corridor. I enter. The priest follows and closes the door behind us. The door blends back into the cathedral wall, concealing our entry.
Inside, it's dark. I let the priest take the lead.
He expertly guides me through numerous turns and flights of stairs. Just when I'm certain I'll collapse from exhaustion after walking for a good twenty minutes, he opens a door.
Blinding light floods in.
---
My eyes adjust.
I find myself in a large room with towering windows. In the center stands a magnificent crystal sculpture of a feminine figure, arms outstretched toward the sky. The space between the arms aligns perfectly with the moon's position from the main window.
Light shines through the arms, reflects off the sculpture, and pools onto a small fountain at its feet.
Kneeling before the statue, a figure awaits.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness. I've been awaiting your arrival."
The figure stands. He appears to be a man in his sixties. I walk toward him as he gestures for me to join him at his side.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" He looks toward the magnificent sculpture.
I remove the cloak covering my face.
"It seems you were expecting me."
I look at the pope before me. The strongest person on the continent. The leader of the Church of Moonlight.
"The Mother informed me." He turns to the priest. "Daryl, I will not be receiving any visitors for the next few days. No one is allowed into the prayer room until I'm out."
"As you wish."
Daryl nods and exits the room.
The door clicks shut.
The pope and I are alone.