Leticia instantly moved her lips. Behemoth. The silver wolf that had been circling nearby swiftly charged towards Enoch.
“Aargh!”
Enoch was flung into the air and landed on the well.
“What’s that?”
Hearing the noise, Tenua turned in surprise.
“Ugh. Hah!”
He narrowed his eyes as he saw Enoch being dragged out of the well by an invisible force.
“What’s that now?”
“Ugh! Go away! I said go away!”
“A wind spirit? What, did Ahwin get involved again?”
Only Ahwin could wield the power of the wind to interfere with the Principality’s envoys.
“Really, that guy always sticks his nose in. Are the envoys his kids or something? Why’s he so restless?”
Tenua scowled and irritably swept his hair back.
He never intended to kill the envoys at this moment.
He had already obtained a justification to deal with the envoys without defying Josephina’s orders.
Still, it was infuriating.
‘The audacity. Let’s see when we return to the empire.’
He vowed to set the order of the wings right this time, grinding his teeth, when a soft voice reached him.
“Tenua, what brings you to me?”
Tenua momentarily halted and then slowly turned around.
Leticia stood a few steps away, quietly observing him.
Steady as a tall pine, without a hint of wavering. Watching her, Tenua let out a hollow laugh.
“Princess, was that question for me? What brings me here? Really, to me? Did you forget who I am? Have you finally gone mad?”
In Tenua’s memory, Leticia was always crying.
Begging for her life or shedding tears like a dead person, having lost all hope.
There was no sign of life in her eyes.
Tenua had made her that way.
Yet now.
“Princess, why are you so bold? What gives you the confidence? How can you stand so firmly before me?”
She was facing Tenua himself.
Shouldn’t she be trembling in fear as usual? He had come wanting to see that, yet how could she be so defiant?
Despite Tenua’s provocation, Leticia remained calm. The mocking laughter on Tenua’s face gradually faded.
Seeing Leticia’s confidence made him feel even more contemptuous.
“Really? Have you truly lost your fear? Or have you gone mad? What’s driving you? What’s the reason for your madness? Is it because of Prince Dietrian? I saw earlier that the Prince seems to cherish you. Have you forgotten your place because of that?”
Tenua laughed as if it was absurd.
“Got a little affection from that mongrel, and you’ve forgotten how terrifying I can be? Have you forgotten everything I did to you?”
“…That’s impossible.”
Leticia spoke softly, lowering her gaze, then closed her eyes.
‘I can no longer be held back by the past.’
Leticia had resolved to use the authority of the Lord of Rozantine to deal with Tenua.
But now, with Tenua before her, she suddenly wondered if that was necessary.
No, she felt it shouldn’t be that way.
‘I must be the one to end it.’
If he was the person who ruined her life.
If he was targeting those dear to her.
It was only right for her to finish it with her own hands.
Feeling her resolve, the elixir began to glow brightly. Finally making her decision, Leticia looked directly at Tenua.
Green eyes locked onto him squarely.
“I’m no longer afraid of you.”
“What?”
“Because a fake can never defeat the real.”
Declaring so, she strode towards Tenua. Then, she drew upon the divine power coursing through her.
* * *
A thunderous roar that shook heaven and earth made the knights in the vicinity halt their actions momentarily.
Dietrian, who was in the midst of thrusting his sword into the maw of a sand beast, whipped his head around. His eyes widened.
In the distance, an unbelievable scene unfolded.
A white whirlwind spiraled high into the sky, swirling furiously. Around the whirlwind, numerous droplets of water were scattered.
Astonishingly, the whirlwind was connected to the well.
Near the now-empty well, Enoch struggled to get up.
Dietrian, pulling his sword out of the beast’s corpse, ran like a madman.
“Leticia!”
* * *
Ahwin watched the enormous whirlwind in astonishment.
The whirlwind, made of water currents, looked like surging waves.
His long silver hair and white priest robes fluttered wildly in the wind.
As one who commands the wind, he could tell the surrounding winds were wildly agitated.
They flew around the whirlwind menacingly, baring their teeth. A hell made of water and wind was created in the middle of the desert.
Because that’s what the owner of the two powers desired.
‘Lady Leticia has subdued Tenua.’
* * *
Inside the whirlwind, amidst the roaring wind, Tenua was frozen, unable to move a finger.
With a face turned pale, he looked down at his chest. A small hand was pressing firmly against where his heart lay.
‘What the… What’s happening right now!’
A chill ran down his spine. Seeing her bracelet shining brightly, Tenua screamed silently.
‘What is this woman doing!’
From the moment Leticia’s hand touched his chest, he couldn’t move a finger.
Meanwhile, the rampaging powers of water and wind around him felt as if they were going to tear him apart.
The numerous water droplets felt like sharp weapons.
Even his face and the backs of his hands, wherever the droplets touched, began to bleed.
The sharp wind threatened his neck like a saw blade.
Seeing the crimson liquid flowing down his hand, Tenua turned ashen.
The fear of being slaughtered by thousands, tens of thousands of droplets surged within him.
‘How can she do this!’
He couldn’t believe what was happening.
“You, what are you doing… Huk!”
And at that moment, he regretted it.
Just speaking a few words felt like his insides were being torn apart. Tasting the bitter flavor of blood in his mouth, Tenua instinctively realized.
He was dying. If things continued this way, he would certainly die.
He must escape at all costs…
“Don’t even think about running. Tenua.”
Her voice lashed at his soul.
“Cough!”
He spat out a dark red blood.
Not a single drop of blood reached Leticia, dispersing instead and blending into the whirlwind.
Leticia gently pushed his chest. With a face as pale as a sheet, Tenua staggered back.
Leticia whispered.
“Show some respect, Tenua.”
“Groan!”
Tenua’s knees buckled.
It wasn’t his will.
An invisible force made him do so. Something caught him by the nape of his neck as he was about to fall forward.
It was a giant hand made of water and wind.
“Gasp!”
Leticia walked softly to stand in front of him. Tenua gasped for air, half-choked, and pleaded.
“Save me, please save me. I don’t want to die.”
Leticia’s gaze deepened.
Over the begging Tenua, she saw her former self superimposed.
There was only one answer she had to give to completely shatter that past.
“No. You will die here today.”
* * *
Whish! A chilling sound as the whirlwind suddenly began to shrink.
Moments later, where the whirlwind had vanished, Leticia and Tenua stood about five steps apart.
Ahwin quickly checked on Leticia first.
To his great relief, Leticia was unharmed. No, she seemed in even better condition than when she had just dismounted her horse.
On the other hand, Tenua was a mess.
What had happened inside was evident, as his body was covered in blood. His posture was awkward.
Then, Leticia glanced at Ahwin and gave a slight nod.
Ahwin immediately realized what he had to do.
He shouted loudly.
“Everyone, follow me immediately!”
He led the surrounding knights towards the two.
The Lord of Rozantine also hurriedly joined Ahwin.
When enough witnesses had gathered, Ahwin asked Leticia.
“What happened?”
Leticia replied.
“Just now, I found out that Tenua, the Second Wing, had stolen the Grail of Rozantine.”
“Tenua tampered with the goddess’s relic?”
Ahwin deliberately raised his voice.
Murmurs spread among the crowd. It was then the Lord of Rozantine stepped forward.
“Yes! In fact, this man stole the Grail of Rozantine last night! I said that without the Grail, all people of Rozantine would die, but it was in vain!”
Leticia naturally continued.
“Yes. Stealing the Grail is a very dangerous act. That’s why I said I would report the matter to my mother. Then he threatened me with the power of the Wing. The whirlwind just now is evidence of that. He used the power of water, perhaps tampering with the Grail’s power. And he shielded that whirlwind with the power of wind he controls.”
Leticia looked around and said.
“Everyone here should know well. That Tenua controls the power of wind.”
“It makes sense. I felt a familiar energy from the whirlwind, so that’s how things turned out.”
“While he threatened me with that power, suddenly, he started bleeding and collapsed.”
“It must be because he couldn’t properly control the power of the Grail.”
Ahwin answered naturally.
“He must have been punished for attempting to use the goddess’s power with evil intent. It’s clear the goddess’s arrangement was in the Grail.”
Saying so, Ahwin glared coldly at Tenua.
“I will properly report this incident to Lady Josephina. The crime of endangering Rozantine by tampering with the relic. It will not be taken lightly. Even if he is a Wing of the Goddess, he cannot escape severe punishment.”
“Nonsense!”
Tenua, unable to contain his anger, glared at Ahwin with bloodshot eyes.
“Rozantine is in danger! Ridiculous! The Grail was already broken, and the Lord hid that fact!”
Tenua raged.
“It’s not me who put Rozantine in danger, but the Lord! It was already broken! I just took it out for a moment when it was already gone!”
And at that moment, with a ground-shaking noise, dozens of horsemen charged into the area.
They were the trackers of Rozantine, following the Lord in search of the Grail.
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