Chapter 46
When we reached the royal capital, I could see a swarm of wyverns flying straight toward the castle.
“Hurry!!”
At Leo’s shout, the tension spiked all at once.
Are Anika, Prince Markus… are the people in the castle all right?
Please… please let everyone be safe—
“…Sibel?”
As I naturally clasped my hands and closed my eyes in prayer, I thought I heard Yoti call my name softly, sounding puzzled.
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When the royal castle came into view, I saw knights firing arrows at the wyverns in an attempt to repel them.
Those are the Second Knight Order…?
They’re struggling…!!
Wyverns fly.
Because of that, swords can’t easily reach them, making them extremely troublesome opponents.
This is awful…!
The knights are fighting with everything they have, and yet…!!
“Sibel, stay here! Mirko, take care of her!!”
“Leo…!”
There was still some distance between us and where the Second Knight Order was fighting the wyverns. Even so, Leo stopped the carriage, switched to a horse himself, and rode straight toward the battlefield.
Yoti and the other knights followed after him.
“I’m coming too!”
“No. Sibel, stay here with me!”
“But—!”
As I jumped down from the carriage, Mirko grabbed me and stopped me.
It’s true that I can’t fight.
But just standing here, worrying and watching Leo and the others…!
“Leo…”
The moment he joined the fight, Leo threw a knife at a wyvern.
It hit perfectly, and the creature fell, writhing as it dropped.
Amazing. As expected of Leo…!
But there are so many of them…
The wyverns aren’t as fast as I imagined, but fighting enemies in the air is still incredibly difficult.
There has to be something… something I can do…
As I stared at Leo and the knights battling, my body began to feel strangely exhilarated.
“…Sibel?”
Mirko called my name again, just like Yoti had earlier, sounding confused.
But I couldn’t take my eyes off Leo—
“Leo!!”
At that very moment—
A wyvern dove straight toward Leo.
No—!!
I don’t want this.
If something happens to Leo, I couldn’t bear it—!!
The instant I screamed his name with all my strength, the area seemed to be flooded with brilliant light.
“Huh…?”
The moment the wyverns were bathed in that light, the ones flying in the air began to flail and fall to the ground.
The wyvern that had been attacking Leo did the same.
It looked like it collided with Leo’s raised arm as he tried to shield his head.
And yet—Leo was completely unharmed.
Is Leo… that tough?
“Leo…!”
“Sibel.”
When I ran to him without thinking, I saw his chest glowing with the same light as before.
“Leo, that is—”
“It’s the magic stone pendant you gave me before…”
As he said that, Leo pulled out the blue stone pendant I had given him when we went into town together.
At the time, I’d prayed over it just as the shopkeeper suggested, wishing it would protect Leo from monsters and danger.
“You protected me with your prayer.”
“…You kept wearing it all this time.”
“Of course.”
Relief flooded me when I realized he wasn’t hurt, and at the same time, knowing he’d kept it with him all this time made my chest ache softly.
Honestly… I’m happy.
“Leo—”
“Yeah.”
Mirko, who had run alongside me, exchanged a silent look with Leo, still not even out of breath.
Right—what just happened?
Why did the wyverns suddenly fall…?
“You did it, Sibel.”
“Eh?”
As I looked around in confusion, Leo spoke quietly but firmly.
“You probably don’t remember, but you did the same thing before—to a pack of wolves.”
“That’s right. Back then, you lost consciousness after using that power… are you all right now?”
“Before…?”
Mirko looked at me with the same serious expression as Leo.
Before I knew it, the other knights were staring at me too.
“I’m fine…”
“Good.”
“But why me…? I didn’t do anything—”
“Because you are the true Saint, Miss Sibel Vias.”
“Your Majesty!”
The knights gasped and dropped to one knee as a low, commanding voice called my name.
When I turned around, I saw His Majesty, Prince Markus, and Anika—who looked slightly more grown than before—standing there.
“You’ve returned safely.”
“Your Majesty, I humbly greet you and wish you continued good health.”
“That will do. This is no time for formalities. Raise your heads, all of you.”
At his command, Leo, the knights, and I lifted our heads.
Markus and Anika avoided my gaze, their expressions awkward.
Still… me being the true Saint—?
“Many witnessed it. They saw you use the power of a Saint. I once saw my grandmother wield that power myself. What you used was undoubtedly the Saint’s power.”
“Yes…”
I replied, but it still didn’t feel real.
I’m the true Saint? Not Anika?
“Very few have seen that power, so it may be understandable that your stepmother misunderstood… but to exile you from the capital without properly confirming the truth—such foolishness is unfit for one who would inherit this country.”
“…!”
At the King’s words, Prince Markus lowered his head and clenched his fists, trembling.
“I will decide your punishment later. Now—Sibel.”
“Yes.”
“I have another son. His elder brother—the First Prince. I wish for you to become his wife.”
“…Oh.”
The sudden declaration made my breath slip out unintentionally.
“What do you think?”
“…As Your Majesty wishes.”
“Good.”
There was no other answer I could give.
Defying the King—or a Saint refusing to marry a prince—would never be allowed.
It’s fine, Sibel.
You’re just going back to where you were before.
I was trained to marry a prince, after all.
The groom is simply changing from Prince Markus to his older brother.
…I’ve never even met him, though.
And yet—why does my chest hurt so much?
It hurts. It’s suffocating.
I won’t be able to live in the knights’ dormitory with everyone anymore…
Standing half a step behind me, Leo—
I want to see his face, but I’m afraid to.
I can’t bring myself to look.
And yet… I can’t stop thinking about him.
“In the name of the King, I hereby proclaim! The true Saint is Sibel Vias!”
As the King’s voice rang out, the surrounding knights erupted into cheers.
“The Saint! The Saint has awakened her power!”
“Our country is saved!”
“So Sibel was the Saint all along—amazing!”
“I knew it from the start!”
“Liar, Yoti!”
Not just the First Knight Order, but the Second and Third as well—all eyes turned to me, voices filled with joy.
And yet—
Surrounded by the knights’ happy voices and smiling faces,
my heart swayed with complicated emotions.
