As soon as Noel distanced herself from Josephina, people approached her.
“Lady Noel, greetings. I am Count Galleon of Chantes.”
“I, too, wish to greet you. I am modestly in charge of guarding the border…”
The faces of those approaching Noel were filled with fear.
Yet, they couldn’t distance themselves from her.
Despite their fear of Noel, they were eager to align themselves with her. Noel’s power was that overwhelming.
“Is that so? But what should we do about this? I’m currently busy, you see. I must carry out Lady Josephina’s orders.”
Noel dismissed them all with a radiant smile.
She felt no regret.
All of them had been loyal to Josephina all their lives.
In other words, they were those who despised Leticia.
Noel found it profoundly satisfying to see these undesirables begging her and then running away.
“What order, if I may ask? If there’s anything I can help with…”
“Please tell us! If it would be of any help to Lady Noel, I would do anything.”
“Haha, would there be such a thing? You are all but ordinary humans with no capabilities. How could mere mortals possibly help with the grand tasks of the great wings?”
A few persistent pests clung on until the end.
Power truly made people ugly, Noel realized, revealing the aura of her wings.
“It would likely be more of a hindrance, don’t you think? You all agree, right?”
“Ye-yes! We’ll see you another time!”
“We’re truly sorry for the inconvenience! We will take our leave now!”
After shaking off these nuisances, Noel leisurely enjoyed the banquet. The event became more to her liking as time passed, especially with the ladies still marveling at her power.
“Lady Noel, isn’t it amazing? I’ve never seen such a spectacle in my life. I still get goosebumps thinking about it.”
“It seems the goddess’s power has grown stronger. I’ve seen the power of the wings before, but never to this extent. Even the Healing Wing wasn’t like this.”
“You’re referring to Lady Kylaras, right? She is indeed remarkable.”
“Among the powers of the wings, physical force seems to be the supreme. Thanks to these powers, other nations dare not challenge the Holy Empire.”
“But Lady Noel is the ninth, right? For the ninth to become this powerful… It seems the rumors of the saintess’s power waning are false.”
“That must be the case. The saintess’s ability influences the power of the wings.”
Overhearing their conversation, Noel slightly wrinkled her nose.
‘Everyone’s praising Josephina. Did I overdo it? Should I have been more moderate?’
Despite expecting such praise for Josephina, it upset her.
Noel shook her head.
‘No. It was the right thing to do, considering the future.’
Eventually, when Leticia’s power is revealed, Josephina will spare no effort to make Leticia appear as a fraud.
Those present will bear witness.
They would say they witnessed the power of Leticia’s first wing, Noel Armos.
‘How will Josephina react? Will she finally reveal her first wing? Am I about to meet this person?’
The first wing, shrouded in mystery. For a moment, Noel worried what if Josephina’s first wing was too strong.
But she quickly scoffed at the thought.
‘Hmph, as if. A fake’s wing, no matter how much it flutters, remains fake. Let them try; I’ll put them in their place.’
Noel harbored a dislike for the first wing.
Because of that person, Ahwin always had a hard time.
‘The first wing’s absence meant Ahwin had to take on all their responsibilities.’
Even now, with the dragon frightening Josephina and Noel bringing down the divine palace, it was the same.
Even rumors swirled about Josephina hiding oracles in the capital, yet the first wing remained silent.
‘What could be so important that they’d shirk their duties onto others?’
Perhaps, the first wing might come to their senses and join Leticia’s wings.
‘Then I’ll give them a piece of my mind. Tell them to stop slacking and start working properly.’
Unaware that the first wing had been glaring at her fiercely all this while.
***
Calisto’s father, the emperor of the Holy Empire, initially disliked that his son had become Josephina’s wing.
Even if being the first wing was a glorious position, it ultimately meant being a subordinate to the saint.
He had to obey the saint’s orders, no matter what.
It could hardly be a delight for a royal.
However, the emperor soon changed his mind.
He realized that it was quite useful that a royal had been chosen as the first wing.
“The royalty receiving the goddess’s blessing for the first time. If that child becomes the emperor, he will be able to elevate the royal authority more than ever before.”
Thus, from a very young age, Calisto became the most promising crown prince candidate.
His innate qualities were outstanding, so his succession to the throne was a foregone conclusion.
“Cal, that person is Saint Josephina. On your coming birthday, your position as the first wing will be announced. You must prepare thoroughly to present a perfect image to the people.”
The emperor’s grand plan shattered right after Calisto first met Josephina.
The young boy turned pale at the sight of Josephina and pleaded with the emperor.
“Father, please withdraw the command. I do not wish to be a wing. I dislike that person! Please, do not make me a wing!”
“What are you talking about! You are Josephina’s wing! You ought to feel reverence towards the saint!”
“That cannot be true! To my eyes, that person looks like a devil!”
Calisto cried bitterly as he said so.
The emperor had never seen his son, usually so mature and a source of pride, so disheveled.
Yet, he could not grant his son’s plea.
A wing refusing the saint was unprecedented.
Especially since Calisto was the first wing.
If this were to become known, the emperor would suffer a great blow.
“Regain your senses and look properly. You are the saint’s wing! Josephina is the master of your soul!”
“That cannot be true. It is not so! Such a devil cannot be a saint!”
“Shut your mouth! What if others hear you speaking like this!”
The emperor tried to persuade Calisto but failed. Enraged, the emperor confined Calisto to the palace.
“Think carefully in here. You shall not step out until you regain your senses!”
“Father!”
Even as he turned away after locking up his crying son, the emperor believed that his son would change his mind.
“The boy just can’t tell right from wrong yet. He will come to his senses soon. We’ll announce his position as the first wing after that.”
However, as time passed, Calisto did not change his mind.
Instead, he grew to hate Josephina even more.
“I will never change my mind. I would rather die than live as such a devil’s wing.”
“You really intend to ruin this country!”
The emperor was not a patient man.
He could not tolerate his usually obedient son acting on his own.
Eventually, he started to physically punish him.
“A whip is the remedy for a mad dog. I will beat you until you come to your senses!”
The intensity of the punishment escalated.
With rage burning to his very scalp, the emperor eventually crossed the line.
“Father, the royal advisor says it was really dangerous this time. Cal was almost killed. Perhaps you should keep your distance from the child for a while? Cal needs time to think.”
Calisto’s sister, Princess Dana, begged the emperor on her knees.
It was the third day since Calisto had lost consciousness.
“Keeping distance won’t solve anything! It’s better to keep beating him until he comes to his senses!”
“Please, just listen to my request this once. I will try whatever it takes to persuade Cal.”
“If he were a person who could be persuaded, he would have listened to me long ago!”
“Over time, Cal will eventually change his mind. He wouldn’t want to suffer the pain of the covenant for a lifetime.”
Finally moved by the princess’s earnestness, the emperor decided to keep an eye on Calisto for the time being.
Meanwhile, Calisto remained confined in the palace. The emperor could not let his deranged son be seen outside.
Externally, it was announced that Calisto was diligently engaged in his training.
Thanks to Calisto’s well-known intelligence, everyone believed the emperor’s words.
“Foolish boy! Born with such exceptional talents, and all you choose to do is defy your destined fate!”
Years passed, and finally, the moment the emperor had been waiting for arrived.
Calisto declared his loyalty to the saint.
“You have finally matured. Yes, you’ve thought well. This is the only way to protect both yourself and the royal house.”
“I am glad that Your Majesty sees it positively.”
The son he met after several years seemed like a different person.
His height had grown significantly, his face pale from not seeing enough sunlight, his features sharp, and his gray eyes void of emotion.
The emperor did not take his son’s changes seriously.
He thought it natural for him to change since he had regained his senses.
“Summon the chancellor right now. We need a proper oath of loyalty. As soon as the chancellor delivers the oath to Josephina, I will declare you the first wing.”
“I will obey Your Majesty’s command.”
The night Calisto swore loyalty to Josephina before the chancellor, the entire temple was engulfed in flames.
Calisto was the culprit.
“Calisto! Have you gone mad? Setting fire to the temple! Aren’t you afraid of the goddess’s punishment?”
“If I were afraid of divine punishment, I wouldn’t dare do such a thing.”
Calisto laughed brightly against the backdrop of the raging flames.
“Actually, I prayed to the goddess yesterday. I said I would set fire to the temple, and if that was a sin, she should definitely punish me.”
“…!”
“But, if Josephina is truly a devil as I believe, I asked that the divine punishment be postponed.”
Calisto’s laughter deepened.
“However, no matter how long I wait, the divine punishment does not come. That means, I suppose, that I am not guilty? Or perhaps Josephina really is a devil.”
The emperor was speechless, watching his son.
Only now did he see his son’s gaze properly.
Calisto was no longer the fragile boy the emperor knew.
Although his appearance was as beautiful as a flower, his gaze was chilling like a block of ice.
“If it is the will of the goddess, shouldn’t you punish Josephina instead of me? Now that we’re on the subject, how about I kill her with my own hands?”
Immediately after this mad declaration, Calisto lost consciousness.
Just as he spoke of killing the saint, the pain of the covenant engulfed his entire body.
All the royal attendants clung to him, but the pain did not subside.
Even amidst terrible agony, Calisto did not falter in his resolve.
Laughing with bloodshot eyes, he said,
“There is only one way for Josephina to receive the loyalty of the first wing. Kill me and get a new wing.”
Seeing this, the emperor realized.
He could never bend his son’s will.
There were not many options left for the emperor.
If he let Calisto be, he would only be a trouble to the royal house.
He had to kill him or hide him.
Though a tyrant to his family, he could not bring himself to kill his own son.
There still remained a faint hope that someday Calisto might pledge loyalty to Josephina.
Thus, the emperor hastily sent Calisto to the north.
Externally, it was declared that the son had set fire to the temple because he did not want to become emperor, but the truth was entirely different.
And after a while,
Calisto disappeared. Half a year later, he emerged in the Magic Empire.
The furious emperor tried to bring Calisto back but failed.
The genius of the Holy Empire was also a genius in the Magic Empire.
The elders of the Magic Tower, dazzled by his magical prowess, protected him.
Unless he wanted to start a war with the Magic Empire, there was no way to forcefully bring Calisto back.
Eventually, the emperor, grinding his teeth, had no choice but to give up on Calisto.
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