The gentle Duchess was still muttering to herself.

Alicia, the exceptionally talented eldest sister, had distinguished herself on the Plane battlefield and earned the chance to study at the Temple of the God of War.

Jojo had an astonishing affinity for wind magic. It had caught the attention of both a Special-Grade Mentor from Saint Lensa Academy and a red-robed archbishop from the Seven Luminaries Temple, and the two sides were fighting tooth and nail to claim her.

Just the other day, some blind noble had actually dared to come asking for Second Joestar’s hand. Duke Joestar had rejected him in no uncertain terms, then publicly announced once again that Second Joestar would inherit the Griffin Legion and become a Holy Knight.

The problem was, a true knight couldn’t marry and take her husband’s name. She had to serve the lords of the Holy Alliance faithfully for the rest of her life, just like the old Duke.

That left Nolan with only two possible futures.

The first was to die in battle. That was the more respectable option.

The second was to be lucky enough to live until she was old and gray, too feeble to lift a sword. Then, with her lord’s approval, she could choose some man from a family beneath her station who didn’t care about his reputation, bring him into her household, and produce an heir.

When all was said and done, a woman hoping to become a Holy Knight was a joke in the Iseran Continent.

Duke Joestar was highly respected throughout the Broomflower Empire, but his outrageous move still drew plenty of criticism.

But he didn’t mind being a laughingstock. He was deadly serious.

“Who says you need a dick to be a man? Being able to fuck women doesn’t make you a man! From now on, I say she’s a man, so she’s a man. Got a problem with that?”

Those were Old Jo’s exact words.

No one dared take issue with him. There were few powers on this continent willing to challenge the Griffin Legion.

If he weren’t the protagonist of this story, even the Chaos God King couldn’t have helped applauding that flawless logic.

If only the old geezer weren’t so weak. He’d make a perfect follower of Chaos!

That said, the elderly Duke was still one of the stronger ants crawling around Iseran. That made him a decent backer for the faith of Chaos.

The Broomflower Kingdom had always been a pillar of the Iseran Plane battlefield, with a seat at the table in the Holy Alliance.

As the guardian knight of a Plane lord, Duke Joestar was a battle-hardened general in his own right. That was why he couldn’t accept the thought of having no heir.

“If Jojo knew you were about to leave too, she probably wouldn’t go no matter what anyone said.”

Tess’s words carried a pointed meaning. Before Nolan could reply, she took out a letter and placed it in her hand.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and see. I managed to win you a little more time. Make the most of it.”

Nolan opened the letter and skimmed it. Then she stood frozen in place.

It was an admission letter. The Saint Lensa War-Soul Academy in the Free Federation was famous across the continent, and the emblem of The Stars—the Eternal Dragon—was easy to recognize.

Tess hugged Nolan again, her voice full of concern. “That damned bastard promised me you wouldn’t officially take command of the legion until after you graduated. The Holy Alliance’s investiture ceremony can be put off too. Until then, you can enjoy your student days—and maybe even find time to fall in love?”

“Fall in #@%&…”

Nolan rubbed her temples, at a loss for words.

In just a little over a decade, the plan had changed again and again. She’d even gotten so caught up in the act that she’d been forced to accept this ridiculous noble-lady setup.

And now she, the invincible Destroyer of Worlds, the great Chaos Goddess, was supposed to go to school!?

Could she just stomp these troublesome mortals into the ground already?

“No one can change that man’s mind once he’s made a decision. There isn’t much I can do. This is as far as I can help you.”

“Then I guess I should thank you?”

“Mm, you’re welcome. What can I say? I’m a rather incompetent mother.”

“I wasn’t complimenting you!”

Well, Nolan knew the naturally airheaded Duchess meant well, but she couldn’t explain that to her. That was the most awkward part.

Nolan gripped the admission letter tightly and gazed up at the sky over Morningstar City, her feelings a tangled mess.

So all those years of training had been for nothing?

The bad news was that she couldn’t officially set foot on the Plane battlefield and poach other gods’ followers anymore. The good news was that she was free—for now.

Maybe she could start with future followers and sign up a few promising prospects early.

Don’t think Second Joestar had spent all this time doing nothing but measuring how her bust, waist, and hips were growing. Behind the scenes, she’d asked the old butler to scour the whole kingdom for promising Witch disciples.

Like some kind of pervert (woman)!

It had been a lot of work, and in the end, she’d barely managed to find a handful of people suited to Chaos.

It would be more reliable to simply recruit Alicia and Joanna while she was at it.

Saint Lensa was the Timekeeper’s domain. The quality of its teaching, in the land beneath the Stars, was famous even on the Prime Plane. Apprentices from all kinds of Planes went there to study.

Hopefully, it’d have a surprise in store for her...

Morningstar City stood at the highest point of the Kodo Mountains in the Eastern Territory. It was said to be the closest place to the stars in Nolan.

The vast city perched atop towering cliffs looked like a nest. Griffins—sights rarely seen on other Planes—circled overhead from time to time. The guards were out on patrol.

A carriage rolled leisurely along the mountain road into Morningstar City. The golden griffin hanging from it was the crest of House Joestar.

This was the first time Nolan had gotten such a clear view of the mighty, easily defended city. She narrowed her eyes and basked lazily in the sun.

A noble lady wouldn’t straddle a horse with her legs spread; it wasn’t elegant. But Nolan wasn’t a noble lady, and she’d never been allowed to wear high heels or ride in a carriage.

The silver-haired, red-eyed girl wore her hair up. A black leather cuirass hugged her waist, and a cross-shaped sword hung at her side. If not for her striking beauty, she’d have looked more like a ranger.

Though it was her own territory, Nolan had rarely had the chance to return to the Griffin’s Nest. She’d never gotten to ride out with a squadron of griffins and throw her weight around. Under the iron-fisted old man’s upbringing, she hadn’t even had a chance to go shopping.

This time, she wouldn’t be staying long either.

The sentimental Lady Tess was still wiping away tears as she reminded Second Joestar to be careful on the road. Duke Joestar had agreed to let Nolan study in the military program at the Saint Lensa War-Soul Academy, but he wouldn’t give her a single extra coin or resource.

She’d have to earn enough to cover all her expenses except tuition.

That’s what a real man should do!

That man, who did nothing but give orders and never spoke to her otherwise, always managed to make Nolan laugh. Sometimes she couldn’t tell which of them belonged more to Chaos.

But the old Duke, for all his preference for boys, still cared a great deal about her. Otherwise, the seemingly frail old butler wouldn’t have stayed by her side all this time.

Nolan glanced, seemingly casually, at the handsome old man driving the carriage.

His immaculate tailcoat was spotless. He could handle every household chore, and the explosive Soul Spirit hidden inside that wiry frame was just as impressive.

By mortal standards, he was probably close to reaching the Saint Realm. His nature was sinister, and he carried a murderous aura.

Experts like him were rare even on the Prime Plane. Having one protect a little girl seemed like overkill.

A woman with brown skin and short hair rode another horse. A huge greatsword rested across her back, and her well-proportioned build concealed impressive strength. A scar on her left cheek marred what had once been a pretty face, giving her a rugged kind of sex appeal.

Kama was one of the Duke’s personal guards and was in charge of teaching Nolan martial arts.

She glanced at Second Joestar. Those long, slender legs were propped carelessly on the horse, and her whole body was relaxed, completely on guard against nothing. Kama smiled.

“Fight bravely like a man, but don’t neglect your advantage in agility. That way, we can do things they can’t.”

“What’s this, the last lesson?”

Nolan shot the woman a sidelong glance.

“Not yet. I’ll personally see you off on your final stretch tomorrow. After that, you’ll have to walk the rest of the way on your own.”

Kama pursed her lips. She doubted the second young lady, who’d never traveled far from home, could make it to the Free Federation by herself.

As the General put it, men didn’t need babysitters. If you needed your parents to escort you to school, you weren’t fit to become a Holy Knight. You might as well go die!

A future Holy Knight?

No, no. Nolan was the Destroyer of Worlds, spreading Chaos!