Die Flugel der Freiheit, better known as the wings of freedom, was a top-tier spell that only a handful of sorcerers could conjure.
Almost all of the spells in existence had their own list of dogmas. These dogmas had to be followed by the caster, or else, the spell's effects would go awry. Dogmas could include the change of intention of the sorcerer and the kind of environment it would be cast on.
For Ilya to be able to conjure the wings of freedom, she had to be of sound mind. On top of that, not a single spell should be in effect within a certain distance from her. Hence, before she conjured the wings, she had to neutralize the area with another high-tiered spell that didn't have any dogmas.
Yes, she was successful. But at what cost?
Ilya was not in the best of health. Moreover, whenever she wielded Manna, it had an adverse effect on her body. That was not the case from the very beginning of her journey as a sorcerer.
One of the reasons why she was infuriated at the criminal of the century was the curse they had given her. She had no chance to research the curse because she had received it before time reverted. There were no more traces for her to start investigating from, mainly because her body didn't show any indications of being cursed.
What she didn't expect was that the curse would continue to torment her anew.
'I've sustained critical damage even before the climax of the confrontation. How unfortunate of me.'
With that thought, Ilya reappeared just a meter away from the edge of the fire. Breathless and immovable, she watched the inferno consume everything in sight. It was as if time had stopped just for her to be able to savor the view.
The wings on her back began to disperse like dust. It gave the impression that they were being burned to ashes by the fire.
Once the wings were gone, Ilya felt something prick her heart. She clutched her chest, scraping her thin clothing with her nails. The corners of her eyes twitched as she tried to endure the pain. Unbeknownst to her, blood was now dripping on one side of her nose. Her breathing started to hasten, making it difficult for her to focus her gaze.
Ilya promptly shut her eyes. A ringing sound then violated her ears that gave her a terrible headache.
As she was about to fall, Ilya felt someone's arm around her waist. She took in a deep breath before turning her head to see who it was.
"Commander… Halkias?"
"What are you doing here, Lady Gertrude? You don't even have any shoes on."
Ilya put her hand over the man's and removed it. She then took a couple of steps back, giving the man a bow afterward.
"Thank you for your help."
"That's not what I asked." The Marquis said while ruffling his hair. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be on house arrest?"
Ilya's eyebrows furrowed at what she just heard.
"House arrest? Am I a suspect?"
Halkias knew that Ilya was unaware of the reality of her circumstances. But he couldn't stop himself from revealing the truth. After all, she was put on house arrest without her knowledge.
"Yes, you're on house arrest. However, it's not because you're under suspicion. The Emperor was the one behind it."
Ilya didn't inquire any further. She just redirected her attention at the fire that was crawling nearer to her. She roamed her gaze around the area and therefore witnessed the arrival of a large group of knights and soldiers.
She took cover behind Halkias and turned around. Lamentably, it was Halkias who was assigned to deal with the fire. Of course, they would approach him foremost.
Sentient of Ilya's situation, he took off his coat and covered Ilya's head before his subordinates could see her. One of the knights approached Halkias, halting his steps only a meter away from him.
"Commander, the fifth and seventh order were also dispatched. Still, the overall command to this incident will be given to you. The Commanders of the fifth and seventh order are on their way. They just stopped by the Obelisk to ask for assistance."
"Then I'll assume command. Have the knights and soldiers stand along the circumference of the fire. Make sure to take note of the damages in the surrounding area. Compile them in a report once the fire has been extinguished."
The knight gave a salute and said, "Right away, Commander!"
The second that the order was issued, every personnel involved began to fulfill their duties. Meanwhile, Halkias and Ilya were left standing in the middle of the bustle.
Ilya turned to face Halkias and grabbed his arm. She didn't say anything for a short while and merely glared at the man. Halkias raised an eyebrow at her behavior, even wanting to remove her hand. Still, he refrained from doing so.
"Commander," Ilya suddenly spoke, "I advise that you don't accept the assistance of the Obelisk this time. The explosion was certainly not made by magic but with an explosive device."
"I'm aware of that much, Lady Gertrude. It doesn't dismiss the fact that the fire is growing more rapidly than we expected. You might not know this, but the sorcerer who can beat the Obelisk in terms of water magic is currently outside of the Empire."
"That's not what I'm trying to say, Sir Halkias. The problem will be the Obelisk. They'll attempt to take this case in its entirety."
Halkias let out a long breath as she shook his head. He glanced at her hand that was holding his arm, prompting the lady to retract her hand herself.
The man then gazed at the fire, responding with, "Lady Gertrude, no matter what the Obelisk is intending to do, it is imperative to put out the fire as soon as possible. They're the only ones who can do that at the moment. We can conjure shields to stop the fire from spreading, but that's it. The fire will still contin-"
"I'll do it. I'll extinguish the fire."