“Where’s Rosaria?”
“She’s fine. Just fainted, that’s all.”
Annamaria, biting her lip at her blunder, approached the Fire Dragon.
It was still breathing, but completely knocked out.
“Poor thing. Bruno just used you.”
She crouched before the Fire Dragon’s face, carefully examining its condition.
Though unconscious, it would likely awaken before long.
Zoe’s blow had been powerful, but not enough to kill the Fire Dragon instantly.
Annamaria whispered an incantation at the Fire Dragon’s snout.
“What dwells within you, into my hand.”
From the half-open mouth of the Fire Dragon, something white and wispy slipped between its sharp fangs.
It gently fell into Annamaria’s hand—a tuft as light as a feather.
She could sense magical power from the fluff, power belonging to someone else.
“I’ve got it. This must be Bruno’s magic.”
“So, what are you going to do with it?” Galileo asked.
“This isn’t like a claw or something naturally shed. Magical power stays connected to the one who cast it. It only disappears when the mage dies, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
“That means this is still connected to Bruno. There’s no trickery like with the claw. We can trace it and pinpoint Bruno’s location for sure.”
After stroking the Fire Dragon’s snout once, Annamaria stood and held the tuft high in her hand.
She was exhausted after facing the Fire Dragon and summoning Zoe, but this minor magic was still within her abilities.
“Reveal yourself, trail of magic.”
As she chanted, a fine thread of golden light emerged from the tuft in her palm.
It wavered and extended, passing through rocks and stretching further ahead.
“Visibility’s poor here.”
She tucked the tuft into her breast and climbed a nearby rock to get a better view.
From there, she could see the town of Parsa and even Parsa Castle below—an excellent vantage point.
She took the tuft out again and placed it on her palm; the golden thread pointed straight, trailing down the Padova Mountains.
In the end, it led directly to the town of Parsa.
“Bruno. He’s hiding that close!?”
It was right under Jeremiah’s nose—bold and audacious.
Perhaps it was because he was so bold that no one ever suspected him.
“I’m going to wake Rosaria, then we’re heading to Parsa. This time, we’ll catch him for sure.”
Leaping down from the rock, Annamaria heard Galileo call from behind, “Hey.”
“What is it?”
“When Zoe appeared just now, you talked with her, didn’t you?”
“I did. Why?”
“You know I understand a bit of the ancient language, right?”
Though a magical beast, Galileo prided himself on his intelligence.
“When Zoe spoke of something important, she meant Rosaria, didn’t she?”
“Oh, that.”
Annamaria gave a short laugh through her nose.
“Zoe can see through people’s obsessions. But she can’t tell if it’s affection, hatred, or hostility, so she just says whatever comes to mind. Well, it is an obsession, in a sense. I don’t want to lose to Rosaria, after all.”
“What would happen if Zoe found something important to you?” Galileo murmured.
He had watched from the sidelines as Annamaria worked to tame Zoe, but he could never fathom Zoe’s intentions.
Only Annamaria, who carried Zoe in her blood, could sense what Zoe wanted.
“She’d want to devour it, most likely. Even if she had to control me to do it.”
According to legend, Zoe gained great magical power by consuming her loved ones.
Most called it a myth—but from the emotions Zoe stirred inside her, Annamaria knew it was true.
Who had Zoe loved?
Her parents, siblings, children, a best friend, or a lover?
No one knew.
But when Zoe whispered “devour” inside her, Annamaria felt a mixture of despair and ecstasy—the inexpressible bliss and loathing of having eaten someone she loved.
Zoe yearned for that bursting, shattering emotional high she felt when she devoured her beloved.
It was agonizing to the point of nausea, yet she craved it.
“Well, I won’t let that happen. Not unless I’m truly weakened—she can’t pull such a thing. Besides—”
She grinned, “There’s nothing I care about more than anything else.”
“Wow, the way you say that… You sound like some heartless, villainous monster.”
“It means I care for everything equally. Isn’t that for the best?”
Kneeling beside the collapsed Rosaria, she shook her shoulder.
“Wake up, Rosaria! How long do you plan to sleep, you sluggard? We’re going to catch Bruno Stecchi, this time for sure!”
Jostled awake, Rosaria regained consciousness.
“…Annamaria?”
“Get up at once. We’re going after Bruno Stecchi.”
“The Fire Dragon…?”
She looked around, spotting the massive red-scaled body sprawled on the ground.
“You defeated it? Alone?”
“It was nothing at all!”
Annamaria let out a peal of high laughter, then turned and urged, “Let’s go!”
Rosaria watched her, frowning.
‘Was that just my imagination…? I heard a low voice in the ancient tongue. A voice different from Annamaria’s. And now, the Fire Dragon has been defeated.’
No matter how strong Annamaria’s magic was, Rosaria couldn’t believe she could take down the Fire Dragon alone in that situation.
It would have required more power than Annamaria should possess.
Magic to defeat the Fire Dragon.
The ancient language.
And the one present here was Annamaria, daughter of the Furlanetto House.
‘Could it be that Zoe manifested within Annamaria?’
If that were true—Rosaria would bear a dreadful duty.
The role that earned her the title Knight of Light.
The Romano Family had a sworn duty: if Zoe revived within the Furlanetto House, they must eradicate Zoe and the entire Furlanetto line, becoming the light that banishes darkness.
She had been told of Luca’s existence, and her father the Count had impressed the duty upon her.
The revelation had terrified her—she’d suffered nightmares for days, unable to sleep.
But Rosaria was the daughter of the Romano Family.
She had her pride.
If such a misfortune came to pass, she would fulfill her role as a Knight of Light.
That was why she wanted to always surpass Annamaria.
So she wouldn’t shrink back in a moment of crisis.
So she could always defeat, or at least stand equal to, Annamaria.
Even if—she didn’t want to lose Annamaria.
‘I thought I saw a shadow… but it must be my imagination. If Zoe had awakened, Annamaria couldn’t possibly be so calm, no matter how strong she is.’
No ordinary person could ever tame Zoe within their own blood.
Rosaria shook her head lightly, casting off her doubts as she stood.
First, she needed to atone for her own blunder.
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