"Is there something wrong with that?" I replied challengingly, pretending not to understand.
"You just asked about something highly secret. Only a few people know about it." Prince Keylan furrowed his brow.
Seeing his eyes locked forward, I felt a little uneasy. "I... I have something to do with it."
"How could that be? That information is only known by a few people in the Elvian Kingdom. How could someone of mixed blood like you be involved with the Crystal of Souls?"
A mixture of curiosity and slight suspicion was clear on his face, like a man who suspects his lover of cheating behind his back. Although I initially wanted to keep this information to myself, I couldn't help but spill it all to this man. From how I was dragged into this world to the strange pin that brought me here from my previous world, and then the Glafelden library where I found information about the Indemnius Crystal of Souls.
As had happened with Almira, Prince Keylan was left stunned, his mouth agape as he listened to my story. He must have thought I was insane or something.
Let him think what he wants! The impossible things that he thought could never happen, had indeed happened to me. But what surprised me was that this man smiled widely, looking at me.
"Wow! That's the most fantastic lie I've ever heard," Prince Keylan said, laughing heartily. "I've heard so many lies from people, but yours is truly the best."
"You asked earlier why I'm involved with the Crystal of Souls, right? Well, that's my answer. I'm not asking you to believe me, Your Highness! I just want to know more about it."
Prince Keylan stopped his laughter, which had been echoing in the library. Now, it was my turn to gaze straight into his eyes. At times like this, I was sick of the mocking attitude from those who thought my story was unbelievable. What I wanted was information about the Crystal of Souls and a way to return to my world.
"Alright. If you say so, I believe you," he said in a calm voice. He glanced to the left and right before leaning closer to me, perhaps so that no one else would overhear our conversation. "So, what is it that you want to ask, Anggi?"
"I want to know about the Crystal of Souls."
Before speaking, he made sure there was no one around us. "The truth is, information about the Crystal of Souls is highly classified and must not be leaked to the public. Only a few people know this secret. I don't know how that information got into a human library, but... what you found is not wrong. The Crystal of Souls is not just a myth; it is real."
"The gods and goddesses each possess a Crystal of Souls with unique powers. For example, the God Lillio possesses the Zjarr Crystal of Souls, which allows him to command and control fire. And there's the Licht Crystal of Souls, owned by the Goddess Lunaris, which can control light and use it for healing. There are many gods and goddesses with their own unique Crystal of Souls. But among all of them, the most astonishing is the Crystal of Hope. With that item, any wish can be granted. From what you've told me, it seems that this is the one that brought you into this world. Because only the Crystal of Hope can do such a thing. If your story is true, I'm curious as to why the Crystal of Hope is in your world."
I shook my head. "I don't know. I found a pin shaped like an eight-pointed star, and suddenly I was brought here."
Prince Keylan rested his chin on both hands. His eyes conveyed interest. "So the Crystal of Hope is shaped like an eight-pointed star pin? Is that how the Crystal of Souls looks? Just like a regular object?"
"I thought you already knew," I replied with a small nod.
"This secret has been passed down through my family for generations. I've never seen a Crystal of Souls in person. Do you know why information about the Crystal of Souls cannot reach the public?"
"No, why is that?"
"Do you remember what I told you earlier? The Crystal of Souls is a magical object with unique and extraordinary powers. That's the source of the power for the gods and goddesses. Without their Crystal of Souls, they are nothing! Can you imagine if the people who worship and revere the gods and goddesses found out that their gods are just ordinary humans with magical objects?"
"The gods and goddesses are actually... just regular humans?"
I stood still for a moment. The idea of what Prince Keylan had just said became clearer in my mind, and my fear grew even larger. The people's faith would be shattered. Most of the lives of the citizens were governed by religions that worshipped the gods and goddesses. If this information spread, there would be countless cases of crime. People might start robbing and pillaging, murders would happen everywhere, and the population would become more selfish and self-centered. Eventually, there would be a law of the jungle where the strong trample the weak. That was a very bad scenario.
"If this information gets out, there will be chaos," I answered briefly.
"Exactly. Besides, the power of that item is so strong and amazing, it could make you a god. I'm afraid there will be many people who want to use the Crystal of Souls for evil. Nobles and rulers from all over the world will compete to get it. If that happens, bloodshed will be inevitable. That's why our ancestors kept this secret well from the public."
The atmosphere fell silent. The sun was setting, leaving streaks of orange light in the horizon. The sky grew darker, and the magical stone lamps in the library began to glow, illuminating the two figures in the corner of the room. One was Prince Keylan, concerned about the risks and consequences if this information were to spread. The other was me, blaming fate for bringing me into this difficult scenario.
Not content with dragging me into this world, fate now seemed to want to confront me with a million problems and dangers?
What I wanted was simply to return to my peaceful world. But now, I had become a hunter, then caught by the Elvian. And now, fate was toying with my life again, bringing the possibility of an impending war?
"Your Highness, may I ask you one thing?" I asked quietly, interrupting the man's thoughts.
"What is it?"
"Isn't this information meant to be kept secret by the royal members? Why are you telling me about it? A mere outsider who has only just met you a few days ago?"
A thin smile spread across his face. "It's because you are an interesting person. If you hadn't told me such an amazing story, I wouldn't have shared it with you either," he explained. He then stood up and walked toward the window. "I didn't realize that night had already arrived. After this, let's go back to the mansion! Dinner should be almost ready."
"Alright," I replied with a nod. I also stood up and was about to return the books I had read to their place.
"Arnest," he suddenly said, leaving me confused and wondering.
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"You said you wanted to return to your world, right?" Prince Keylan asked. I nodded slightly. "Here's one more little secret I'd like to share with you. If you collect all eleven of the Crystal of Souls, the Crystal of Hope will appear, and you'll be able to make any wish you desire."
"Is that true?" I replied eagerly.
"Yes, that's true. That means you'll need to start collecting the eleven Indemnius Crystals of Souls. I don't know where the others are. However, the Wind Crystal of Souls, Vitruj, is located beneath the city of Arnest. Travel north from here, and you'll find the Telnier Mountains. Beyond them is the city of Arnest, where the Crystal of Souls is hidden."
"But you need to remember, this journey will undoubtedly be very dangerous. You'll be betting your life every moment. Death will be following you constantly. Even so, do you still want to continue?"