Chapter 46
Tristan snapped back to his senses.
‘…I did something foolish in a moment like this.’
What could be more idiotic than being lost in thought and failing to act?
Forcing a smile to his lips, Tristan said,
“Since you said we’re heading to the training grounds… I’ll go there.”
“I’ll guide the wyvern,” Maya replied, stepping in close beside him as they turned.
“Let’s go.”
As soon as Maya gave the word, the wyvern took to the sky, soaring fast, following the direction of her pointing finger.
A wolf trailed closely behind them.
On the way to the training grounds, Maya fell into thought.
There were still many unanswered questions about the monster wolf that had just appeared.
‘Did this monster exist in the past too?’
It was true that Maya had been in the north around this time before.
But if a monster of this size had appeared, there was no way it would have gone unnoticed.
“That thing’s probably one of the Demon King’s subordinates. Seems like they’re starting to wake up one by one. Just so you know, that’s all I remember—so don’t bother asking more.”
The white dragon beside her chatted away, noticing Maya’s deeply contemplative face. He figured the faster he answered the questions he could, the sooner they’d be able to fight effectively.
“I thought all the Demon King’s subordinates died when he did?”
“Some ran away. And when there weren’t dragons around, they weren’t all killed off. Especially the ones closest to him—they were strong.”
Very little was known about the Demon King’s direct subordinates.
Or perhaps, what was known had simply been glossed over—reduced to a tale of how the imperial family and the dragons wiped out the remnants gloriously.
The dragons were mighty, but never made to shine too brightly.
Because history was always written by the victors.
So, this was the first time Maya was truly hearing about the Demon King’s subordinates.
Her thoughts spiraled elsewhere.
If this monster had appeared in the past, then who had taken it down?
The train of thought continued.
Kendrick.
She suddenly remembered Kendrick, who had died while fighting an illusion monster in the past.
What if Kendrick had previously fought and slain a monster like this one?
What if that victory had filled him with such confidence that he tried to take on the illusion monster alone—and failed?
‘…If so, then that means someone from the Mage Tower might show up soon.’
Of course, nothing had happened yet.
It was all speculation on Maya’s part.
But the thought that she might be right kept her from staying still.
‘Let’s finish this quickly.’
With renewed determination, Maya whipped the reins, urging the wyvern onward, drawing the wolf to the training grounds.
As she adjusted their flight path mid-air, she made sure to partially demolish the emperor’s favorite annex along the way.
The wolf howled noisily as it followed.
“You think I’ll let this go?!”
The way it shouted furiously was a far cry from the intelligent and elegant appearance it had shown as the white snake.
The wyvern wasn’t caught, but the distance between them was steadily closing.
Though Maya’s wyvern had a speed advantage in the open air, the wolf’s massive frame was still a problem.
“There it is.”
As expected, the massive training ground was completely empty.
After morning, early afternoon, and dawn drills, imperial knights never set foot in the place during this time of day.
That was why the training ground at this hour was always Maya’s playground.
With no one around to interfere—it was her private sanctuary.
“Here we go!”
The white dragon exclaimed excitedly and returned to its sword form. Maya readied her grip.
“I’ll take the guest somewhere safe.”
Tristan had judged that it was best for Maya to attack from the wyvern.
Since the beast was larger than expected, he gently helped Serren up.
He simply didn’t want to risk Maya’s guest getting hurt.
“Mm…”
But even though all he did was help her up, Maya narrowed her eyes at them.
Tristan, expecting her to be pleased, was caught off guard. So was Serren, who stood beside him.
“…Did I do something wrong, My Lady?”
Serren asked, her voice tentative. It was only then Maya finally responded.
“No, I was just thinking where the safest hiding spot might be!”
Of course, it was a hasty excuse.
In truth, she’d been sizing up just how good they looked together.
‘If only Count Baker were out of the picture, Serren would be perfect for Tristan.’
Their ranks matched, and both had respected Maya’s decisions without hesitation.
Sure, he was still her contract husband—and she’d grown attached to him due to his many acts of kindness—but still… it was hard to picture him with someone else!
“You think you can keep stalling?!”
The wolf slammed its front paw down at Maya. The sheer force of it felt like it could crush her to her core—but it meant nothing to Maya.
‘If I can’t dodge it, I’ll destroy it.’
Her eyes gleamed with the light of madness.
Her entire focus was on the sword in her hand.
Pendragon’s blade sliced through the air.
The massive paw of the wolf split in two like a shattered plate.
“Ugh… guh…”
Apparently, the monster could feel pain. It curled its wounded paw toward itself.
But that reaction wouldn’t last long. Its goal to destroy the obstacle before it was stronger than any pain.
“Get to safety.”
At Maya’s words, Tristan lifted Serren into his arms and carried her to a hidden corner near the training building’s entrance.
It was to give Maya the best possible environment to fight in.
It also sent a message—that interacting with others felt more like work to her.
And Serren, in his arms, felt the same.
Rather than being self-conscious about being held by a stranger, she was too captivated by the fight before her.
She was in shock at Maya’s skill.
‘Can a human body even move like that?’
Riding atop the wyvern, Maya soared into the sky and then leapt from its back, landing behind the wolf.
‘I must fight so they never see my full form.’
From the air, she slashed downward at the wolf’s neck before it could even react.
Her figure was hidden and revealed again behind the wolf’s thick fur.
From outside the clearing, it would’ve been hard to see her at all.
“Khrrk…!”
The wolf howled, slamming its still-healthy paw down.
A loud crash sounded just beside Maya, splintering the wooden sword rack on the right side of the training ground.
Then the beast collapsed to the ground.
Shhk.
As Maya yanked her sword free, blood gushed out in torrents. Her face and dress were splattered with red.
Blood the same color as her eyes stained her face, as if she had applied makeup.
Her hands trembled from the force she had put into the strike.
Pendragon’s sword could change its size at will, but doing so required immense focus and strength.
To extend the blade deep enough to pierce the wolf’s heart, she had overexerted herself—her arm throbbed painfully, possibly broken.
‘…Maybe I should be more careful about injuries.’
Was it because she hadn’t been awakened long?
Her body still felt too fragile.
She would need more training.
‘For now, I’ll just push through.’
No time to be cautious now.
Maya charged in again.
Standing before the massive wolf, she clenched her teeth and moved like a dancer, swinging her sword in graceful arcs.
“I told you not to fight alone.”
At some point, Tristan had come up behind her, standing back to back as he frowned slightly.
“…But when I fight, I’m always alone.”
“Not this time.”
With a gesture, Tristan erased the pain in her arm.
“I am Beiadon.”
His blue eyes were like the deep sea.
The words seemed to promise he would fill the part of her that was so obsessively alone.
“Fight however you want. I’ll take care of your limits.”
His words became wings for Maya.
Every movement was sharp yet controlled. The sword’s sound as it sliced the air was heavy and sure.
Even the bloodstained dress looked like a blooming rose.
Whenever Maya exceeded her body’s limits, Tristan noticed instantly and healed her.
The wolf, already struggling to keep up with Maya alone, had no chance to worry about the wyvern or those riding it.
‘I don’t even have to worry about getting hurt now.’
A whole new world opened for Maya.
With no need to hold back, her movements became fluid and liberated.
The arc of her sword traced circles in the air like falling petals.
Each stroke carved a new wound into the wolf’s body.
The monster, a direct subordinate of the Demon King, was one of the strongest of its kind—far beyond what ordinary people could handle.
But for Maya, it was no challenge.
Not merely because of Pendragon’s power.
The real reason… lay elsewhere.
