Chapter 511: Michael
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 511: Michael
The emotion I could see from Nazareth was fear. Understandable, since she wouldn't want to go back in there ever again.
It probably wasn't just that bull. In the time between the incident and their arrival here, she must have spent some time with Baek Ahyeon. Some very intense time.
The fact that her mind hadn't completely shattered was commendable. It wasn't particularly useful information, but I couldn't help but notice that these beings were of a superior stock. Their base racial stats were high.
“S-sob… ugh… sob…”
But the sight of her trembling was pathetic. The others seemed to be in a similar state, they just weren't showing it as openly as this woman. If I were to toss them a carrot, they would undoubtedly scramble over and bow their heads like dogs.
“Hmm…”
For some reason, Choi Seulgi's voice echoed in my head.
'This temple is fucking reliable.'
I couldn't agree more. Recruiting Baek Ahyeon was the best thing I'd done since coming to this continent. Who would have known that little kid from back then would grow up like this? Probably no one.
The angel named Michael's expression remained unchanged. However, seeing him frown as he glanced at Nazareth beside him, it seemed he wasn't too pleased with the situation. I looked at Michael and casually began to speak.
“However, I am a lover of peace.”
Complete bullshit, of course.
“My mind could be changed, depending on what you have to offer me.”
“Does that mean…”
“It means I'm prepared to hear you out in a little more detail, pigeon.”
“…”
Either way, it wasn't like they had a choice. From my perspective, the most important thing was to gauge the extent of their power. Where they came from, where their home base was, what their purpose was, what abilities they used—I was full of questions. Compared to the enemies I'd faced before, the information I had on them was far too limited.
In the case of the East, they were foes I didn't need to gather information on. In the West, humans were the dominant race.
I was leaning toward the conclusion that these pigeons were the ones mentioned in the Fallen Prince's diary, but even that wasn't a certainty. While Nazareth, who was so fervently shouting "For the Savior," might be able to provide some information, it was obvious she wouldn't have as much as the big-shot pigeon in front of me.
In fact, the reason I was even trying to talk more was because of that pigeon. The very fact that he had discussed an alliance between our two peoples spoke volumes about his position.
His personal combat power was a step below Choi Eunju's, and the fact that he didn't bring up his own status first meant he had a decent head on his shoulders. At the very least, he held a position that allowed him to discuss various topics with me.
“As for treating you as proper prisoners of war, I'll have to think about that a little more. Weren't you the ones who came to my home first?”
“I am deeply sorry for destroying your statue. I am also sorry for trespassing without permission. However, we did not declare war on your city. Nor did we bring harm to the residents living in your home. We did not want a fight.”
“How dare you! Destroying the Savior's statue is not a problem that can be solved with a simple apology!”
As Baek Ahyeon suddenly screamed, as if recalling a past memory, the angel's face twisted slightly. It was absurd, but he was scared.
Separate from that, his pretense of ignorance was quite shameless.
To be fair, what he said wasn't wrong. If you disregarded the various cultural circumstances and looked at it simply from the perspective of intelligent beings, they could even see themselves as the victims.
The eight pigeons who stopped by the Temple City were merely waiting for the archbishop who ran it. In fact, they maintained a friendly relationship with the other followers in the temple. There might have been some uncomfortable moments here and there, but they hadn't committed murder, nor had they committed robbery. All they did was eat the food they were given and talk quietly.
It was a bit of a stretch, but he was essentially saying they had no intention of fighting.
“What nonsense.”
“I can only bow my head and apologize for destroying the temple's symbol. However, that was a sin committed by an individual. The rest of us, excluding Nazareth, have caused no harm to this temple and have taken no such action.”
“Didn't you act like you owned the temple?”
“But…”
“Are you saying it's unfair to be treated like this for that alone?”
“It is shameful, but yes. Acting as if we were masters of the temple was also not our true intention. We live as a single race, a single nation, but we are also a large religious group. Many humans, in fact, believe in and follow formless beings. We thought this temple was the same. Our first mistake must have been thinking we could bring them joy. Had we known that the one this Temple City believed in was you, we would not have come in such a rude manner.”
“Puhahahaha! So are you saying you came here out of goodwill?”
“That is not what I meant.”
“Well, it's not a particularly important issue. In any case, continue.”
“There have been several misunderstandings, but it is an undeniable fact that we made a mistake. We have no intention of pretending that mistake never happened. We will pay appropriate compensation for the mistake we made.”
I'm not particularly eloquent or brilliant, so I felt like I was somehow being drawn into his pace. But winning or losing this war of words wasn't important. I was already in a position of overwhelming dominance.
“What you wanted was…”
“To proselytize. Of course, we never spoke of our religion to others before the archbishop arrived.”
“H-How dare you! You filthy heathens!”
The one who cut him off was, of course, Baek Ahyeon. The sight of him flinching at her was pathetic. He was pretending to be calm, but what I'd seen earlier wasn't wrong. He was definitely afraid of Baek Ahyeon. I raised my arm slightly to stop her. This conversation with him was getting quite interesting.
To give a fitting analogy, it was like this.
They were like religious missionaries who come to your house. The kind who ask you to open the door and then try to persuade you to believe in their religion. The methods were different, but they had come to my house to preach.
They hadn't rambled on about their religion, but after seeing Baek Ahyeon with their own eyes, they would have taken some kind of action. If they had judged it impossible, they might have left immediately. Or perhaps they might have resorted to physical action.
The problem was, the house they found was Baek Ahyeon's and mine. The expression ‘You can check in any time you like, but you can never leave’ fit perfectly.
It was a bit of a stretch, but it was a situation where they could play the victim if they wanted to. What was smarter was that he was speaking while also recognizing that they were, in fact, the aggressors.
“I suppose one could think of it that way. What you're saying isn't bad. I can see your point, and I understand what you're trying to say and with what intention.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“You're saying you had no intention of attacking us, aren't you? That it was a simple mistake.”
“That is correct.”
“But you've admitted that you had the intent to attack us, religiously or culturally.”
“…”
“That's one way to see it. Isn't it?”
“The words 'attack' or 'invasion' are not appropriate.”
“However you think of it, my opinion won't change. If you want to proselytize, the first step is to ask for permission. It's proper to follow official procedures. Before the statue was destroyed, you insulted this place. That is why you are in this state. You are not guests. You claim you committed no crime, but your very presence here is a crime. It's quite amusing that you're even admitting you intended to commit a crime.”
“…”
“Of course, it's an undeniable fact that the statue was the fuse… Pfft. The more I think about it, the more foolish it seems. In fact, I almost feel like I should thank that pigeon, Nazareth.”
As I raised the corners of my mouth, the angel named Michael began to bow his head.
“I admit that we were rude. I sincerely apologize.”
“Puhahaha. You're making my heart go soft.”
His expression was just that serious.
He had apologized for being the aggressor.
“We are willing to show our utmost sincerity regarding the mental and material damages you have suffered. In fact, even more than that…”
“So you're telling me to release you all?”
“I know that it is right to be punished for one's sins. I am certainly not asking to be released. I am only asking that you create an opportunity for dialogue. Isn't the basis of diplomacy to establish an advantage? If you do not desire war, I believe you can understand my words.”
“Hmm… So you're saying that I currently hold an overwhelming advantage over you.”
“Yes.”
Naturally, I didn't believe everything he said. But at the very least, his words weren't lies. This race was not one that enjoyed conflict like we did.
“What can you offer?”
“Anything.”
“The terms…”
“We will do our best to meet them.”
“Are you in a position to negotiate this with me?”
“I am.”
I paused and looked at him, a silent question about his position. The quick-witted fellow quietly opened his mouth.
“I am an Archangel.”
“I'd like you to tell me what level of authority that entails.”
“I cannot perfectly understand your standards. However…”
I nodded. I could roughly guess. It was likely equivalent to a city administrator, or at least an executive in the organization he belonged to. From a Green Skin's perspective, it would be chieftain-level. What I could infer from him was that their overall level was not low, and their military power was enough to pose a threat to us.
But I needed more information.
I smiled slightly and raised my arm. As if on cue, the followers began to dismantle his restraints. However, only Michael was freed. The others still stared at me with anxious eyes.
“Then let's talk about exactly what you can offer.”
“For your consideration… I thank you.”
“Pfft. You don't care about the others?”
As I spoke, Nazareth, who had been listening to the conversation blankly, began to speak with vigor.