Leanna approached the prison wagon, her sword sweeping down in a single motion.
Under the flash of her blade, the wooden prison wagon shattered instantly into pieces, and she caught Teresa inside, steady and sure, unfastening the chains that bound her.
Now free, Teresa looked at them in astonishment and asked, “Leanna, Pella… Why are you here?”
“You liar! You disappeared without a word—of course we had to come after you and get an explanation!”
Leanna hadn’t even opened her mouth yet before Pella cut in, her eyes red-rimmed.
She rushed to Teresa’s side, wanting nothing more than to pound her fist against Teresa’s chest as punishment for leaving without saying goodbye.
But seeing how frail Teresa looked right now, she pushed the thought away.
Behind Pella were more members of Teresa’s squad. They crowded around, chattering as they “reprimanded” Teresa—yet every word overflowed with concern.
Still, there was one thing Teresa couldn’t quite figure out.
“How did you find me?”
At that, Pella lifted her chin high, proud as a victorious peacock.
“Hmph! You really underestimate Lady Selis. She knew you were planning to leave, so she deliberately left a Mark on you!”
Mark?
A thought stirring in her heart, Teresa raised her right hand and looked at the back of it.
There, a golden Sun Mark faintly glimmered with a gentle, warm light, like a silent embrace.
[No matter what decision you make, do not feel pressured. The Oracle Hall—or rather, the Rose Knights—will always be your home.]
Saintess Selis’s gentle words echoed in her ears. Suddenly, Teresa felt her heart gripped by an invisible hand, a wave of sourness and warmth surging up and reddening her eyes.
She knew it; in Selis’s eyes, she had never been abandoned, nor had she ever been chained.
Lady Selis had long since seen through her struggles and her wish to leave, yet instead of binding her with chains to keep her safe, she guarded her quietly with this gentle Mark.
What Selis offered was not an order, but a retreat; not captivity, but a harbor.
It made her recall the vague figure of her mother, long blurred in memory…
Only a mother would quietly prepare a child’s bag and light a lamp to welcome her home, even as she wept in secret when her child insisted on leaving.
Teresa had thought she’d chosen a lonely, dead-end path, not knowing that someone was always waiting at the end of it, lamp in hand, for her to turn back.
“Dammit! Who are you people?!”
Clambering to his feet, Yuri’s shrill voice shattered the warmth between the girls.
He glared fiercely at Leanna, who had struck just moments before, his eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Leanna showed no fear. She stepped forward and questioned him coldly, “Who are you? Why did you kidnap Teresa?!”
“Who am I? Hmph! I’m from the Preston Family. The family sent me to bring her back. You little brats, if you don’t want to die, get lost now! So annoying!”
He picked up his cane from the ground and waved his hand, shooing at them as if they were flies.
At the same time, he strode toward Teresa, as if intent on dragging her back.
Pella stepped forward and blocked his path.
“No matter where you’re from, we’ll never let you take Teresa!”
Seeing the seriousness in Pella’s eyes, Yuri frowned, finally starting to take them seriously.
He sized them up. “You girls look like Rose Knights, don’t you? Heh. Do you really think just a few of you can stop me?”
“And why not?”
“…Seems the Preston Family really has been quiet too long. Now even kids under Magic Level 20 dare to challenge me. I have no time to waste words with you.”
He took a step back and drew a deep breath. Divine Grace began to surge wildly within him, the tremendous magic causing violent winds to swirl around him.
“Come on, let me show you just how terrifying Divine Grace can be!”
The moment his words fell, he raised his head, preparing to lunge forward with a punch—only for Leanna’s longsword to press against his throat, making him jump back in fright.
Unfortunately, he was still too slow. The blade grazed the skin on his neck, leaving a shallow line.
He touched his neck, and when he saw the blood in his palm, his heart pounded wildly. The brush with death left his back soaked in cold sweat.
His Magic Level was 30, and within him lingered a trace of Divine Grace, vastly boosting his fighting power.
Yet even so, he was no match for Leanna, who was currently only Magic Level 16.
The reason was simple: he hadn’t fought for many years; his skills had deteriorated, and his body had been damaged by wine and women.
Even with the blessing of Divine Grace, at best he could barely match a Level 20 opponent.
Leanna and her companions were different. On the surface, they were only Level 15 or 16, but their real strength was already close to Level 20—and as a team, they could reach even higher.
So, Yuri was never their match.
Still reeling from his own injury, Pella slammed a fist into his stomach, sending him flying a long distance and leaving a trail of blood in the dirt.
All the girls stared in astonishment.
They’d seen firsthand at the Sand Fortress how terrifying Teresa was after unleashing Divine Grace. So, the moment Yuri used Divine Grace, they went all out.
But this result…was a bit unexpected.
Was Yuri just a paper tiger?
Staggering to his feet again, Yuri clutched his stomach and, face twisted in rage, shouted, “You—you lunatics… You dare attack a Deity’s Descendant!”
“…You? Someone like you actually calls yourself a Deity’s Descendant?”
“I don’t deserve it? Heh, I don’t—but someone does!”
Pella’s taunt drove Yuri into a frenzy. The thing he hated most was anyone mocking his divine lineage.
“You blasphemers—prepare to die!”
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with a finger, then drew a symbol in the center of his palm.
Teresa’s pupils contracted when she saw it, and she shouted to the others:
“It’s Summoning Magic! Everyone, run!”
“Run? In front of Lord Merrick, you still think you can run?!”
As Leanna and the others turned to flee, Yuri burst out laughing. At the same time, the blood-red rune in his palm pulsed violently, freezing the nearby space and magic.
From the void, as if some dreadful beast was awakening, a gray, shadowy figure slowly took form in front of Yuri.
The moment space froze, Leanna and the others lost the ability to escape. When they saw that gray silhouette, even breathing became difficult.
Knowing the identity of that figure, Teresa’s face went pale.
Merrick—that was the figure’s name. He was the current head of the Preston Family and the family’s sole Demigod.
A Demigod meant his Magic Level surpassed 90, standing at the very peak of mortals.
What’s more, with Divine Grace as well, his true power was unfathomable.
“Yuri, you called me here. What is it?”
Before Merrick, Yuri dared not show the slightest disrespect. He knelt on the ground and said, “Lord Merrick, Teresa is right here, but these people are blocking me and won’t let me take her back.”
“Blocking you? People actually dare stand in the way of the Preston Family?”
Merrick turned his gaze toward Leanna and the others. The terrifying pressure forced the girls to bend over, almost bringing them to their knees.
At that moment, Teresa gritted her teeth and stepped forward.
“I’ll go back with you. Please, just don’t harm them!”