Winds of Change

Fly.

The black-haired maid's heart echoed with her Mistress's words.

This was not an order, but a blessing.

She looked at the two longswords in her hands, casually fastened them to her belt, then walked toward the edge of the terrace, moving faster and faster until she broke into a run.

At last, she leaped from the terrace's edge—a fierce gale carrying wind and snow appeared at just the right moment, enveloping her falling figure and lifting her into the sky.

Amid the swirling snowflakes, a huge shadow could vaguely be seen hurtling toward the southern sky. Yet it vanished in an instant, so quickly that everyone who noticed the strange sight assumed they had imagined it.

If one rode the wind, even crippled, degenerated wings could beat and fly.

Victoria silently watched the sudden gale gradually dissipate into the horizon, watching the enormous body sweep through the lead-gray clouds in the distance. Snowflakes drifted across the reflection in her eyes as she let out a soft sigh.

"You're terrible at hiding—especially considering the Verde Family has dealt with the Holy Dragon Duchy for centuries."

Then the Duchess withdrew her gaze from the sky and looked toward the walls surrounding the nearby castle district.

Now, it was time to fulfill her duty as Protector Duke.

An astonishing number of humanoid monsters had poured in from the direction of the Holy Spirit Plain. The terrifying Crystal Giant legion had flattened who knew how many forts and strongholds along its path. Elron City, Wind City, and Valley Corridor had come under attack one after another, while hastily assembled noble armies rushed into battle and suffered grievous losses...

A constant stream of bad news arrived from the southeast. Beyond reports of attacks drawing ever closer and ever-growing lists of losses, the exhausted