The Angel Who Brings the Rain (5)
“You can win without fighting? To cook, we need ingredients……”
Yumari’s voice grew a bit urgent. But Refri ignored her and shook his head.
Refri and Yumari had to avoid fighting more than anyone else. If they accidentally stepped on one of the reflection flowers Naiad had planted like landmines during a fight……
It’d be the absolute worst. My past aside, Yumari’s past……
Yumari’s past, as the bearer of darkness in the Seocheon Yu family……
Probably darker than any spy thriller.
Refri bit his lip.
Unaware or perhaps aware of Refri’s concerns……
“Refri, my strength is in combat. To win, we must use that strength.”
Yumari said it so calmly. True to form, she’d use any means necessary to win. Surely some among them had built rapport with her, yet look—cold fighting spirit burned in her eyes.
She’s totally ready to wipe them out!
Refri clicked his tongue.
In truth, the other students participating in the Spirit’s Blessing were acting the same way.
These are the future heroes?
Kids who’d stop at nothing to win. Refri hid a smile.
With things like this, how can I not farm some Angel Power?
Refri slowly opened his mouth.
“Yumari. A guy named Maslow once said……”
“What?”
“To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.”
Refri muttered with pity.
“Looks like our Central Academy students were only taught to wield hammers from childhood.”
Now it was time to teach these young students that the world held tools beyond just hammers.
……Of course, all for his Angel Power.
“There are so many ways besides violence. Time to show them.”
Yumari stared at the boy.
Other ways besides the hammer—besides fighting?
No way.
In this cruel world, nothing else existed. People who said otherwise were long gone.
“Refri! Fights like this can’t be stopped! It’s competition! Fall behind once, and you’re eliminated!”
“No.”
“Y-you don’t understand……”
Yumari grabbed Refri’s shoulders.
She shouldn’t say this. But to persuade him, she had no choice.
“My mom said the same foolish things. That there’s a far better path than killing each other. Paths like saving people, like you.”
Tears welled in her eyes.
“But… now it’s gone.”
Yumari crying? The great Yumari?
Refri had never seen her cry in his life.
Wait… Yumari’s mother was definitely……
Refri thought of Yumari’s mother.
Remari the Sky Dragon. Kidnapped by the Seocheon Yu family for her un-dragoon-like kindness, exploited, then murdered.
Right, Yumari lost her mother to the Seocheon Yu family too. Unjustly… miserably, by violence.
Refri recalled his own past.
That day crawling under the sofa, holding his breath. The night he realized he’d never sleep peacefully again.
Only now did Refri realize… Yumari from his past life could never sleep peacefully either. Not even for a single day.
Weird. Even seeing Yumari like this, no sense of betrayal.
……Refri understood Yumari’s wounds.
The pain of losing family to the world’s injustices, the despair of having his sole blood kin stolen by irrational violence. He understood better than anyone.
“Tears?”
The girl startled by her own tears. The boy understood her wounds.
And soothed them.
“I see.”
Tears welled in Refri’s eyes too.
“I know that pain. Truly……”
Yet the boy couldn’t stop.
“That’s why we have to do this. So others don’t suffer that pain……”
“……You don’t have to.”
“No, this is something only I can do.”
Yumari reached out again. Refri applied heavenly oil to his hand and stroked her hair. Just like he’d calmed Soya before—to soothe her.
Comforting a future hero's heart is the act of an angel!
You have acquired Angel Power.
This touch……
A touch like stroking a child, the thick heavenly fragrance wafting out. Yumari couldn’t help but falter in this warmth.
I want to feel this touch forever.
While she lost herself in the sensation, Refri had already moved farther away.
“Don’t go……”
But the boy didn’t hear.
He climbed atop a large rock by Naiad Lake.
And shouted.
“Everyone, look here!”
The boy’s angelic voice echoed across Naiad Lake. Naiad stared at Refri, wondering what he was up to.
“Stop fighting and look at me!”
The boy shouted again.
* * *
The Spirit’s Blessing was a famous festival.
Why? It wasn’t just a school event.
It was a ritual where standout students received a spirit king’s blessing, drawing them closer to heroism—and a great PR showing academy students had talents beyond combat.
So people watching this Spirit’s Blessing were deeply disappointed.
Students in bloody fights over “ingredients”—who’d see future heroes in that? Ordinary folk thought of the villains tormenting them first.
“What, fighting again?”
“Hmph, figures. Awakeners are like that every day.”
“Battle-crazed lunatics.”
Humanity begins to distrust humanity!
Darkness begins to blanket the world!
Dispelling this darkness is an angel's duty!
Refri felt the world darkening as an angel.
Angel’s duty, huh. Messages like that give tons of Angel Power.
Refri smacked his lips.
It was like when he pulled the holy sword.
Probably something about preventing strife between normals and superhumans……
Superhumans were the apex of human society.
How did they seize hegemony? Through strength and violence, naturally.
The authority of strength and violence—never broken since ancient times.
Superhumans worshipped that truth.
But to ordinary people, it didn’t look so pretty.
And though superhumans fought the Demon King’s army as humanity’s heroes… not all were true heroes.
No need to go far as villains—corrupt heroes lurked nearby.
Thus……
“Damn superhumans……”
“Screw it, monsters are better.”
Ordinary folk often hated superhumans.
Just thugs with power. Knowing only violence.
And now, countless normals watching the Spirit’s Blessing said:
“What? They’re supposed to cook, why fight?”
“Ugh, smashing the back of the head like that?”
“Cruel bastards.”
That’s why the Spirit’s Blessing mattered.
A chance to show superhumans’ other sides……
I knew it’d turn out like this.
Refri recalled his past life.
This Spirit’s Blessing, rigged to humiliate Yumari, ended ugly even without his intervention.
Plots, betrayals, mobbing. All broadcasted.
No heroic display at all.
Even birthing the term “superhuman distrust syndrome.”
That distrust spread, becoming one reason humanity lost to the Demon King.
How could superhumans and normals unite against the Demon King without trust?
So Refri thought: Better to let it get worse than back then.
Then flip it all at once.
That way, more Angel Power. Plus, stopping the world’s darkening…… how much Angel Power?
Refri grew eager at the thought.
“Stop fighting and look at me!”
A boy’s voice echoed worldwide via broadcast.
He had an unforgettable appearance.
Cliché, but like an angel.
People ignoring the event, even those who’d turned off the TV in disappointment, heard rumors online and tuned back in.
But to the senior students participating, he was just some nameless first-year punk.
“What?”
“Who’s that?”
“Uh, first-year maybe……”
“Refri? Famous among first-year martial arts kids.”
Sneers rose among the seniors.
“Still just a first-year, ignore him.”
“Weakling trying to buy time… pathetic.”
And it all aired.
Their sneers seemed aimed at ordinary viewers.
“What the—,”
“Why say it like that?”
Normals naturally rooted for the sneered-at boy.
He shouted again.
“We didn’t gather here to fight!”
“Wasting time on that.”
But Central Academy students wouldn’t let him finish.
A confident swordsmanship senior charged at Refri.
Wait, he didn’t even let me finish. Hmm, Cheonggu Swordsmanship Form 3 stance. High proficiency explains the smug face.
A strong sword indeed. Probably surpassing active superhuman swordsmen.
But wrong opponent.
Refri, inheritor of True Cheonggu Swordsmanship—the original and superior skill. Against Cheonggu Swordsmanship, unless the skill was extraordinarily high……
I can dismantle it like this.
The blue sword aura aimed at Refri’s side veered wildly as he sidestepped.
“Wha—?”
The swordsmanship senior, unable to halt his charge, followed his own aura straight into the lake.
Splash—
Audience in the stands and viewers at home all laughed together.
“Hahaha.”
“Heh, all that tough talk.”
But other participants couldn’t laugh.
They knew how strong that second-year swordsmanship student was.
The sword clan’s eldest son, just like that?
Heard he mastered Cheonggu Swordsmanship to level 5.
Cheonggu is an advanced art. Level 5 mastery, yet toyed with like that?
Of course, possible because the boy was True Cheonggu’s inheritor… but they didn’t know.
An incredible expert……!
What’s behind that angelic face……
Other students no longer dared approach.
Thus, Refri got his chance to speak.
“Let me say it again. We’re not here to fight. We’re here to make a dish to satisfy Lady Naiad.”
“That’s why we’re gathering ingredients.”
Immediate rebuttal.
Yet Refri stayed calm, explaining steadily.
“From what I see, you’re more focused on battles over old grudges than gathering ingredients.”
“It’s winner-takes-all anyway. What’s wrong with sabotaging others’ ingredients?”
At the seniors’ shameless reply, Refri bowed his head.
What’s the problem? The massive factions raising them? Or our academy professors teaching them?
Probably both.
Families and academies teaching only strength and violence.
……Doesn’t matter. The worse, the more Angel Power I get.
Even now, thinking only of Angel Power. In a way, Refri was a positive angel.
The boy lifted his head and continued.
“You can’t make a dish with just salt.”
“What’re you on about?”
“Not with just herbs, or just spices. Get it? Cooking needs countless ingredients!”
Yes. Cooking required many ingredients.
No great dish from one alone.
Cooking was collaboration: farmers, fishers, delivery folk, processors… many hands.
“But fighting like this, can we even make a dish? Sure, we could. But the result……”
Refri declared coldly.
“None of us would want to eat it.”
Participants finally quieted.
Some lips twitched to argue, but they didn’t fully speak.
Refri was right.
“……So what’re you saying?”
“Share the ingredients we’ve secured. Through barter.”
“How do we trust that? We were just trying to eliminate each other.”
Refri pulled small vials from his pocket.
Vials of heavenly oil.
“Then I’ll start sharing.”
Refri opened one.
A fragrant, nutty aroma—irresistibly delicious—spread around him.
Gulp—
Many students, starved from participating, swallowed hard, struggling to maintain dignity.
“Take it. Perfect for oil-based dishes—super tasty.”
Some cheeky ones snatched vials, tasting the oil with fingers.
“Tasty.”
“This is oil? Then what’ve I been eating……?”
Faces moved to true delight.
Moving a future hero to emotion is the act of an angel!
You have acquired Angel Power.
With good reactions, hesitant students began taking the oil one by one.
And status windows popped up endlessly.
Moving a future hero to emotion is the act of an angel!
You have acquired Angel Power.
Moving a future hero to emotion is the act of an angel!
You have acquired Angel Power.
Moving a future hero to emotion is the act of an angel!
You have acquired Angel Power.
Angel Power surged.
Refri gazed at the messages, moved.
Just as planned. King-Anointing Angel's Blessing Lv.2. Even the taste leveled up……!
As an oil producer, the boy felt pride.
Like a craftsman.
From now on, Craftsman Angel Refri.
Huge profit. Near-free oil, stripping Angel Power from so many students.
“Heh heh heh.”
Utterly greedy…… no, smiling like an angel, Refri.
And now, massive Angel Power for fulfilling duty!
Students saw Refri happily sharing oil and naturally wondered.
Why’s that kid so happy? It’s a loss. Giving tasty ingredients free to rivals……
Then realization hit.
……I get it. Why he’s smiling. He’s just happy we enjoy it. No calculations or gains.
Next came shame.
That’s what food is.
Shame naturally prompts change.
One student spoke.
“Um……”
“Yeah?”
“Trade our herbs for your mushrooms?”
The other nodded shyly.
“……Sure.”
Thus, fights slowly ceased.
Boys and girls who’d sought mutual destruction moments ago now cooperated, thanks to one boy’s sacrifice.
Like a movie scene.
Former foes realizing faults, starting to collaborate.
TV viewers murmured.
“Not all superhumans are violent.”
Others said:
“Who’s that boy?”
“No gain for him, just to stop the fights……”
“Hah, just one good one.”
“But that one stopped it all.”
“……Impressive.”
The true form of the hero humanity needed.