Aery stayed hidden in Nikon’s saddlebag without poking her head out once until they arrived at the village that Priest Clemens Mazella had told them about.

Nikon could clearly tell that Aery was just pretending to be asleep with her loud snoring sounds, but he didn’t bother talking to her or hurrying the horse.

He had already experienced countless times through the captain what happens when you carelessly provoke someone whose fists are faster than their words. The spirit of the holy sword who was the captain’s partner couldn’t be any different.

Just imagining it made Nikon shudder.

− The goddess Yustera had four beloved children~.

As they entered the village square, they saw a lute-playing minstrel singing to children gathered under the shaded steps.

− To the kind-hearted and benevolent eldest, she gave the earth sword Gaius imbued with the energy of the land. To the clever and cool-headed second child, she bestowed the ice sword Ielo filled with the chill of ice~.

Nikon stopped the horse and listened to the minstrel’s song.

It was a song he had heard when he was young too.

− To the passionate third child, she gave the fire sword Flama filled with the energy of fire. And to the free-spirited and spoiled youngest, she handed the wind sword Aery imbued with the power of wind~.

Hearing her name, Aery poked her little face out of the saddlebag.

Nikon dismounted, slung the saddlebag over his shoulder, and made his way through the crowd to the front so Aery could hear well.

− The four children are small fragments of the divine that goddess Yustera, who loved the world she created, left behind when she departed.

The village children began singing along with the refrain to the sound of the minstrel’s lute.

− When the four holy swords gather, the world will change~. When the small fragments of the divine become one, the goddess will descend~.

“Mister, what does it mean for the fragments of the divine to become one? Do the wielders of the holy swords combine like a chimera to become a huge person?”

One of the wide-eyed children shuddered as if imagining it was scary.

“Don’t be dumb. It means the four holy sword wielders will fight until only one remains alive with all four swords!”

A boy crouched next to him retorted, shaking his head as if it was pathetic.

“Well…”

The minstrel tucked the lute under his arm and smiled at the children.

“Becoming one doesn’t necessarily mean their bodies combining or fighting until only one survives. I think it means the will of the scattered holy sword wielders becoming united.”

“Then will the goddess really descend from the heavens again?”

“Are all the holy sword wielders fragments of the divine?”

“If they’re fragments of the divine, are the holy sword wielders gods too?”

“If they’re fragments of the divine, why did His Majesty the Emperor kill the wielder of the holy sword Flama?”

“Wouldn’t you receive divine punishment for killing a fragment of the divine?”

The curious children bombarded him with questions. When they even mentioned the traitorous Captain Solas and the Emperor, the minstrel’s already pale face turned ghastly white.

“Shh! Hush!”

Putting a finger to his lips, the minstrel hurriedly moved on to the next song, strumming his lute.

− Angelo and Angela lived in the same village. The two loved each other.

Mentioning the names of the boy and girl sitting right in front, the minstrel’s desperate improvisation worked as the children giggled and quickly focused on the new song.

− But it was only in their hearts. Hmm~ hmm. Outwardly hmm~ hmm. They pretended not to know~.

Nikon bought a cup of freshly squeezed pomegranate juice and a bag of fruit from a street vendor near the square and asked for directions to Lake Bonta.

The lake not far from the village was breathtakingly beautiful with its mysterious water color and the harmony of the waterfall.

“Wow. It’s so beautiful that I wouldn’t be surprised if an elf popped out!”

[With the great Wind Spirit right in front of you, who cares about some elf?]

Aery, who was munching on an apple Nikon cut up for her with a portable knife, showed clear displeasure.

Unfortunately, the green bead containing the energy of the wind showed no reaction here either.

“Cheer up. Next time we’ll definitely find Aery’s main body!”

[I’m worried about Yuriella. That emperor is a sinister human, so who knows what he’ll do.]

“Don’t worry. His Grace the Grand Duke is keeping a close eye on her. Not only that, you said the spirit of the holy sword Gaius is by the captain’s side too. Unlike Aery who is just a small fragment, he can freely wield the power of the holy sword-. Ack!”

Before he could finish, Nikon was swept up by a fierce wind and splashed into the middle of Lake Bonta.

[Tsk tsk. I’ve met many, many humans since the beginning up until 500 years ago. But you’re the first human I’ve seen who’s this dense.]

Thanks to holding Aery’s fatal secret, Nikon was spared from having his precious hair plucked out, but he had to endure the punishment of being trapped by the high waves Aery created, unable to get out of the lake until his legs cramped and he sank.

Aery blew a small gust of cold wind at Nikon who glared at her, soaking wet.

“Achoo. Aa-choo. Stop it.”

[What? I’m just blowing on you to dry you off quickly.]

“If you keep harassing me, I’m going to tell the captain everything.”

[Go ahead and tell. I’ll send you flying beyond the pretty stars over there.]

“Aery, you really suit our captain so well! How can you be so violent and mean-spirited? You really didn’t suit Flama at all!”

When Nikon raised his voice in anger, Aery’s eyes softened as sweetly as cotton candy.

[We suit each other that well? I really don’t suit Flama at all?]

“I’m insulting you right now, you know.”

[I know. I’m flattered that I can be happy from a lowly human’s insult too.]

Nikon let out a big sigh and asked, wringing out his wet hair.

“That song earlier. Is it true? That the chosen wielders of the holy swords are all small fragments of the divine left behind by the goddess.”

[Yes. Both Solas and Yuriella are small fragments of the divine. Although their divine blood has thinned over the long years, they are undoubtedly children of the divine with traces of divinity remaining. Humans qualified to form a contract with us holy swords.]

“I heard the holy swords choose their masters. Then does that mean a holy sword can reject someone even if they’re a fragment of the divine?”

[Yes. We select the qualified human from among the fragments of the divine. We can’t grant the ability to command wind, fire, earth, and ice to a human unworthy of wielding a holy sword.]

“That’s dangerous. Leaving the choice entirely up to the holy sword, I mean. The holy sword could make the mistake of contracting with a bad human who’s unqualified.”

[Holy swords don’t make mistakes.]

“Even goddess Yustera makes mistakes. Captain was unjustly beheaded, but forget striking the Emperor with lightning, she’s letting him live well and prosper.”

Let alone the captain.

Even when the blood of the Northerners and his comrades was unjustly spilled in the fields of Collina Rosa due to the Emperor’s schemes, forming a valley, the goddess simply remained silent.

[Nikon Nibera. What you’re saying is quite blasphemous, you know?]

“Aery, you look like you’re thinking the exact same thing as me though?”

At Nikon’s sharp observation, Aery flinched and rolled her eyes upward, checking the sky’s reaction.

[Hey human. You know why the sky is wide open?]

“Why is it open?”

[Because the goddess wants to see everything from up there, down to the movement of a speck of dust.]

“Exactly. Why does she pretend not to know when she sees everything then?”

[Nothing descends from the heavens that didn’t ascend from the earth.]

Nikon blinked at Aery’s cryptic words. No matter how seriously he closed and opened his eyes, words he didn’t understand wouldn’t suddenly make sense.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

[If Solas knew he would eventually have his head cut off by the Emperor, would he have become Flama’s master? If Yuriella knew she would fall in love with the Grand Duke, would she have become his wife?]

Nikon shook his head vigorously to indicate no.

[His unjust death and her falling in love with the Grand Duke were not the will of heaven. It’s what people chose to do themselves. The heavens don’t interfere. Whether it’s a child favored in their eyes or a disliked child, they simply watch until that day comes.]

“What day is that?”

[It was in the song earlier. The day the four holy swords gather. The day the small fragments of the divine become one.]

“If they’re small fragments of the divine,”

Nikon counted on his fingers one by one.

“Our captain who has a contract with the holy sword Aery. His Grace the Grand Duke who has a contract with the holy sword Ielo. The head of the Magic Tower who has a contract with the holy sword Gaius. Huh? But the holy sword Flama was destroyed. Does that mean that day will never come then?”

[Who knows. Flama may regain its original power.]

“Wow. If that happens, our captain would be the most powerful! While it’s harder than plucking stars from the sky for others to have even one holy sword, our captain is the master of two.”

[That’s also unknown. Another fragment of the divine may claim Flama.]

“Another fragment? There were more fragments?”

Aery nodded her small head with a serious expression.

[Yes. Here and there across the continent, like specks of gold hidden in sand. And on the day of the imperial ball, both Flama and I felt it. There was another small fragment of the divine inside the Golden Hall.]

“Who is it? Gasp. Could it be the Holy Maiden candidate?”

[No. She has abundant holy power but she’s not a fragment of the divine. We already confirmed that in Collina Rosa.]

“Then who on earth is it?”

[That I don’t know. All I know is they were definitely there that day.]

Aery’s expression noticeably darkened.

The energy she sensed in the palace that day was undoubtedly that of a small fragment of the divine, but it felt quite different from the pure and noble energy possessed by the usual holy sword wielders.

An evil and corrupt magic was completely infused in that small fragment of the divine, making it nearly impossible to discern the identity of its master.

She thought it was because she was an incomplete spirit. But Flama said the same.

How could such opposing extremes of energy coexist within a single person?

Was that also the unknowable will of heaven?

Or was it due to human will?

Whether it was the will of heaven or the intervention of human will, Aery bit her small lip, feeling like a danger that would strangle Yuriella’s neck was approaching.

She had to quickly find her main body and help Yuriella.

*

At that time, in the banquet hall of the Grand Duke’s residence in the capital.

The northern nobles were taking a brief recess from the meeting that started early in the morning to have a simple luncheon.

As the agenda items to be raised in the Grand Council had been mostly wrapped up, only the Grand Dukes Dabano and Grande and Count Berceri, the sole count granted the title of Grand Duke, remained in the capital. The rest of the nobles were in a relaxed mood, intending to gradually return to the North.

“I was very worried on the way here, but fortunately it went well. I was so tense when entering the capital even with the escort of the family’s knight order.”

Count Dabano, whose family had been civil officials for generations, spoke and Duke Grande, who had once swung a mace around, snorted.

“Let them come at us if they dare! Are our lives the only ones at stake? Their lives are also just one!”

“Indeed! Do they take us Northerners lightly, not knowing a puppy doesn’t fear a tiger!”

Count Chernier pounded the table with both fists, responding to Duke Grande’s words.

“If they think they can exchange the blood and humiliation of Collina Rosa for a few coins, they are mistaken! Receiving compensation is a given. The fight has only just begun!”

Count Ibabe also ground his teeth so hard his pointy beard trembled.

At that moment, the banquet hall doors opened and the Grand Duke entered, holding Yuriella’s hand, prompting the nobles to rise from their seats.

However, upon seeing the dazzling blond Shavell following behind, everyone stiffened their expressions.

Shavell, who usually draped herself in extravagant dresses, was for some reason wearing a frock coat and trousers today, with her hair neatly tied back.

Frost ignored the sharp stares and even pulled out a chair for Shavell to sit in the seat of highest honor, his own seat.

“Please sit.”

Shavell took the seat without declining, as if it was only natural.

“Your Grace! How can you seat a mere concubine…!”

Duke Grande clenched his huge fists that were the size of pot lids and his mustache trembled.

“I think it’s time to introduce her to you all. This person is-.”

“I will introduce myself, Grand Duke.”

When Shavell raised a hand to stop Frost, the nobles murmured. The nerve of a mere concubine to use informal speech with the Grand Duke!

However, when the beautiful amethyst eyes of the unwelcome guest looked at the nobles one by one, the rough northern men instinctively flinched under the sharp and majestic gaze that seemed to see right through them.

“I’ve passed by you for 3 years but we’ve never been properly introduced. Allow me to formally introduce myself.”

Shavell, no, Prince Lewis, slowly rose from his seat.

“I am Lewis Della Ponti. The only surviving younger brother of the current Emperor Justin Della Ponti, and I stand here to pull that lunatic emperor who is rotting the empire from the throne.”

Frost smiled and knelt on one knee before Lewis, bowing his head deeply.

“Ielheim will stake our lives to support you, Your Highness.”

Yuriella also knelt beside Frost.

Raising her head slightly after bowing, the Grand Duchess’s red eyes, filled with vitality and passion, sparkled brightly as she gazed at the beautiful future sun.