The Great Witch of the Padova Mountains, Zoe, was the only one who never submitted to the founding Grand Sorcerer, Adamo Raniero.
It is widely known that the ancestor of the Fullranetto Family was the one who sealed her away.
However, very few know the true story.
The ancestor of the Fullranetto Family did not defeat Zoe, but sealed her.
Where was she sealed?
No one ever asks.
If asked, those of the Fullranetto Family simply reply, “Somewhere.”
She was sealed within the blood of the Fullranetto Family.
It was impossible for the magic power of a single sorcerer to seal such a great witch.
The ancestor used the power of the unbroken line of their blood—like borrowing magical power in advance—to accomplish the sealing.
As a result, within the direct descendants, Zoe is always present.
However, she is sealed and kept quiet.
Normally, this does not cause any problems.
But—
At times, someone is born who is highly compatible with Zoe, and then, the Zoe within the blood awakens.
It is said that, in order to oppose the Grand Sorcerer at the nation’s founding, Zoe devoured her beloved, absorbing his magical power into herself and her kin.
Twisted, tainted, a witch of immense magic.
Sealing the awakened Zoe is no easy task.
That’s why Annamaria desperately trained to strengthen her magical power.
Zoe awakened when she was ten years old—at that time.
That night, when she was baking cookies for reconciliation in the kitchen.
At that time, Annamaria realized that something ominous dwelled within her.
And afterwards, she was taught that she must suppress it.
She was simply told to suppress it, but at the same time, thought it would be too boring to only hold it back.
While pressing Zoe down inside her blood, she wondered if she could also make use of that magical power.
And—Annamaria succeeded.
But if she let her guard down, she risked being overtaken by Zoe, so she could not use it carelessly.
‘But in this situation, there’s no other choice.’
Zoe’s shadow whispers.
‘Which is the precious one, the delicious one? Is it that? Or that?’
Within Zoe, who devoured her beloved to increase her power, there remains an insatiable hunger.
She is always starving, always craving to consume something.
In a cold voice, she responds.
‘I have nothing precious. There is no delicious prey for you.’
‘Lies, lies, lies. That one looks tasty.’
‘Utterly mistaken, you fool. That is not something precious, but something to be defeated.’
‘Then where? Where is the precious, delicious one?’
‘There is no such thing!’
She rebukes and commands.
‘Give me your power, Zoe.’
At the sound of her command, laughter cackles from behind.
‘No, no, no! I refuse!’
‘Disobedience is not allowed.’
With a strong tone, she looked up at the Fire Dragon, raising both hands and chanting.
‘I command you! With your lightning, strike down the Fire Dragon, Zoe Tritti!’
The moment Zoe’s shadow let out a sound, somewhere between a scream and a roar—
A spot in the clear blue sky suddenly darkened, and from there, a giant jet-black spear plummeted downward.
The black arrow pierced straight through the Fire Dragon from skull to tail, then was swallowed by the ground.
The Fire Dragon let out a scream that shook the mountains, twisted its body, and collapsed heavily onto its side.
The Fire Dragon’s scales sizzled with heat, crackling, but it did not move an inch.
The body that should have been pierced by the black spear—was unscathed.
Seeing that, Annamaria immediately shouted, “Sleep, Zoe Tritti!”
With a shrill scream, a sharp, contracting pain shot through the center of her body.
She dropped to her knees, enduring the agony.
As soon as the pain faded, an uncanny stillness enveloped the surroundings, as if the previous chaos had been a lie.
“Are you all right, Annamaria?” Cautiously, Galileo approached.
“Are you Annamaria right now? Or…”
“I’m not Zoe, so don’t worry.”
“…Thank goodness.” Galileo’s mustache drooped, clearly relieved.
When borrowing Zoe’s power, it seemed that others could neither see nor hear Zoe’s form or voice.
Annamaria’s expression would change, as if possessed, and she would appear to be speaking to herself.
It had taken years to completely tame Zoe.
Galileo, who had spent that time with her, had told her many things she herself wasn’t aware of.
The fact that Zoe is sealed within the blood of the Fullranetto Family is not public knowledge.
If people knew that the great witch had not perished, but lay hidden in the blood of the Count’s family, they would be terrified.
The reason the Furlanetto House, whose magical power is second only to the royal family, remains as a small border lord is, in fact, because they harbor the terrifying Zoe in their blood.
Because the royal family fears Zoe, they have the Fullranetto Family live at the far end of the country, distant from the Royal Capital.
Even though she’s usually sealed within, if it were known that Zoe had awakened, it would cause tremendous trouble.
After learning of this, Father Count spoke more seriously than ever before.
—Listen well, Annamaria. No one must know about the one who awakened within you. And you must never give in to her. If you fail to keep these two, you’ll be hunted by the Romano Family.
This is the true reason the Parsa Region is jointly governed by the Romano Family and the Fullranetto Family.
The role of the Romano Family is to monitor the blood of the Fullranetto Family, where the Great Witch’s blood is inherited.
If Zoe awakens within the Fullranetto Family’s blood, the Romano Family is to eradicate the Fullranetto Family along with Zoe.
The Romano Family is granted the title of the Order of the Knights of Light by the king, meaning they are knights destined to destroy Zoe, the kingdom’s greatest evil shadow.
Zoe is not one to be easily destroyed.
However, if those of the Fullranetto Family who bear Zoe’s blood cooperate, there’s a chance she can be eradicated.
That means all members of the Fullranetto Family would offer up their lives.
Only then would Zoe be perfectly destroyed along with their bloodline.
But of course, the Fullranetto Family does not wish for their own extinction.
Whenever someone with Zoe awakened in their blood appeared, the Fullranetto Family would secretly kill that person themselves, suppressing Zoe’s resurrection before the Romano Family could notice.
Eighty years ago, there was a six-year-old boy in whom Zoe awakened.
As soon as it was discovered, he was killed by his own parents.
Originally, Annamaria would likely have lost her life at her father’s hand as well.
However, Annamaria was not completely taken over by the awakened Zoe.
For that reason, her father chose to let her live.
Yet if Annamaria were ever to yield to Zoe’s control, her father would kill her.
If he failed, the Romano Family would surely notice Zoe’s revival.
And then—the Romano Family would annihilate the Fullranetto Family, including Annamaria.
The truth of both families’ fate is passed down only to those who will inherit both the Romano and Fullranet houses.
Therefore, Rosaria has likely also been told.
The true meaning of why the two families stand side by side.
‘It’s best not to borrow Zoe’s power carelessly.’
Relying too much on Zoe could inflate her ego and strengthen her control over Annamaria.
She understood that, but there was no other choice this time.
Without Zoe’s power, Rosaria, Galileo, and Annamaria herself would have been burned to death by the Fire Dragon.
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