He did not explain why Ahwin, a wing of Josephina, was helping Leticia, nor why he had come to seek Leticia just before.
“There are things I cannot reveal to someone who prioritizes the Principality. It concerns her well-being.”
Banessa could not say a word against Ahwin’s criticism. Regardless of the situation, it was true he had not sought Ahwin out of dislike for the clergy.
“If you want to know, awaken. Then you will naturally come to understand.”
Ahwin said this with such arrogance. Banessa felt irritation surge up to the tips of his hair, yet he managed to hold back his anger for the moment.
“Can you really grant me power?”
“If my calculations are correct, perhaps.”
“Perhaps? Perhaps?”
“If you lack determination, my calculations mean nothing.”
Ahwin declared.
“Then someone else will be chosen. The secrets of Lady Leticia and the power to protect her will be granted to someone other than you.”
One thing was clear: Ahwin had a natural talent for provoking others’ pride. Banessa growled.
“Enough with the nonsense. What do I need to do?”
“Are you prepared?”
“Prepared? Of course. Just watch how resilient I am. I’ll flatten your arrogance.”
“You talk a good game.”
Ahwin chuckled. Then, as if nothing had happened, he looked down at Banessa with arrogance once again.
“Prepare for death.”
“What?”
“Give up your desire to live. Then the path will become clear.”
As soon as Ahwin finished speaking, a yellow sandstorm rose up.
It rushed at Banessa with a gaping maw, like a beast.
* * *
Prepare for death.
Banessa understood those words very clearly.
Ahwin’s attack was fierce. It seemed he truly intended to kill him. Banessa did his best to dodge, but it was in vain.
The opponent is a wing of the goddess.
A mere human cannot defeat a transcendent being.
He struggled desperately but eventually fell. Only when he was on the verge of death did Ahwin cease his attack.
And then he meticulously treated his wounds, in a way that seemed almost perverse.
“Do you feel anything special? Do you feel nothing yet?”
“Ha, what, what am I supposed to feel!”
“Seems it’s not enough.”
He clicked his tongue and said.
“Get up. There’s no time.”
Then, without a moment’s rest, he attacked Banessa again.
A whole day passed like this. The sun was high in the sky. He no longer had the strength to lift a finger.
Banessa cursed, sprawled out on the sand in a spread-eagled position.
“This con man! When is the power supposed to come?!”
Ahwin pressed his throbbing temples and asked.
“Why hasn’t the awakening happened?”
“How would I know!”
“Do you still feel nothing?”
“No! It hurts so much I could die!”
“Ha, even calling upon Behemoth.”
「Ahahaha!」
Laughter echoed in the air. Banessa felt a chill run down his spine.
That damn spirit had thrown him dozens of times.
Behemoth laughed heartily, saying.
[Ahwin, it seems this human has regained his energy! Should I throw him again?]
“No, that’s enough. Any more and he might actually die.”
Ahwin gestured with his hand.
“Behemoth, it seems we should stop for today. Return to your true form. If you’re away too long, Tenua might engage in foolish acts.”
[Yes! Understood!]
Just as Banessa felt a moment of relief with the spirit’s departure, his mood soured further. It felt as if Ahwin had given up on him.
“This bastard! Why send the spirit away!”
“Any more and you might actually die.”
“What happened to preparing for death!”
“…Strange. It seems you are sufficiently prepared.”
Ahwin narrowed his brows.
“It seems I may have misjudged the person.”
Banessa’s heart sank at the quiet murmur.
“Misjudged? What the hell does that mean? Are you saying I can’t gain power?”
“Are you sure you heard a strange voice promising you power? Did you see the petals? Or was it just a dream?”
“I saw it with my own eyes! I heard it clearly! How many times do I have to tell you!”
“Don’t get up. If you hurt your bones any further, healing will be impossible.”
Ahwin sighed lightly and pressed down on Banessa’s shoulder. Banessa let out a wheezing groan of pain. Even so, a fire blazed in his eyes. Ahwin’s eyes narrowed at the sight.
“…Could it be because I wasn’t serious?”
“Huh, what?”
“It seems the awakening does not occur because I do not truly intend to kill you.”
“Serious? What good is that….”
Banessa paused, then suddenly got up. He looked at Ahwin with intense eyes.
“Wait, so if you’re serious, it will work?”
“What do you mean?”
“If someone truly tries to kill me, will it work then?”
Prepare for death. Although he had failed to gain power, the meaning of those words became crystal clear.
To awaken, one’s life must be in critical danger.
It meant he had to seek out death.
Ahwin’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“What are you planning?”
“Just answer. Does it just require risking my life?”
“You’re considering suicide?”
“Mad. Why would I do such a pointless thing?”
Banessa was annoyed.
“If I’m going to die, it should be for a purpose.”
“…Remember, you only have one life. Whatever you do, make sure I’m nearby. I’ll make sure to save you before you die.”
Banessa did not respond.
Indeed, as Ahwin said, one only has one life. He had already owed his life once each to Dietrian and Leticia.
His remaining life was a bonus.
Then, it was only right to use that remaining life for its true owner.
If there was a need to risk his life to protect the two, he would not hesitate.
He resolved.
* * *
“Cough!”
Louis, who was thrown into a dry pond, spat out a mouthful of blood. The red blood dotted the mud.
“Louis!”
The lord of Rosantine rushed over and embraced his son. Louis slowly blinked his eyes. With blurred vision, he looked up at the pedestal.
‘Why has it come to this….’
The place where the Holy Grail should have been was empty. Louis let out a groan filled with regret.
“Because of me…”
Late regrets were of no use. Louis’s convulsing body slackened. The lord burst into tears.
“Louis, come to your senses. Please!”
He screamed in desperation.
“Is there no one there? A doctor! Call a doctor!”
But no one could respond to the lord’s call. The black wind silenced all sounds. The lord glared at Tenua with bloodshot eyes.
“Why are you doing this? What do you want from us!”
“What do I want? Nothing. I’ve already got everything I needed.”
Tenua waved the Grail, smirking. The Grail, which should have shone, looked dull as if it had lost all its light. The lord raged.
“Return the Grail to us! Without the Grail, the people of Rosantine will die!”
“Enough with the nonsense. The Grail is already broken. Whether I take it or not, Rosantine is doomed.”
“It’s not broken! It can be fixed. We were going to fix it!”
“Fix it? As if. You never intended to.”
Tenua snickered.
“If you had intended to fix it, you would have said so long ago. But you hid it, didn’t you?”
“That, that’s because!”
“You kept silent even when two Wings came to investigate. You tried to conceal that the Grail was broken. After all that, you dare to speak so proudly?”
“That’s why Louis went to seek you out! He asked for your help!”
“Right. Foolishly, he came to me.”
Tenua chuckled.
“So, I showed mercy. I didn’t kill him. Though he’ll probably die soon enough.”
“A doctor! Please, call a doctor!”
“Puhaha!”
Tenua couldn’t contain his laughter. He held his stomach and laughed.
Indeed, the suffering of the weak was always a delightful sight.
He laughed so hard that tears formed. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he said,
“How have I lived without this joy all this time.”
For the past ten days, Tenua had felt like a predator forced to graze on grass.
He could not lay a hand on anyone, not Leticia, not anyone, not even on beasts.
‘Ahwin, that damned bastard.’
Ahwin had overpowered Tenua and warned him not to harm anyone.
‘Dare to lecture me, a mere lower Wing.’
He had wanted to twist his neck, but damnably, Ahwin was stronger.
The reason was clear.
Josephina.
The favor of the saint had disrupted even the order of the Wings.
Thinking thus, he now wanted to kill Josephina as well.
‘That damned woman. A saint, yet can’t distinguish public from private? What does she think the duty of a saint is?’
But he couldn’t. Ironically, Ahwin had spared Tenua because of Josephina.
Even Ahwin couldn’t kill Tenua without Josephina’s permission.
Except for one exception.
Disobedience.
If Tenua disobeyed Josephina’s orders, Ahwin could execute him immediately.
‘Disobedience, whatever, I avoided touching the delegation just to avoid such accusations.’
But now, things had changed.
‘I’ve got the broken Grail.’
Within a few days, all the embassy except the King would die by his hands. Ahwin would not be able to stop him.
“Anyway, thanks. Because of you, I’ll be able to kill those vermin.”
With that, Tenua pocketed the Grail and hummed a tune as he entered the corridor. The lord’s cries of despair echoed.
And Behemoth, who had been watching all this, quickly slipped out through the window.
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