Chapter 514: Michael
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 514: Michael
“This is just great… At this point, I’m starting to wonder if you need to get checked for an angel fetish. First Ha Yuri… and now even these pigeons…”
“Ahem…”
“Those damn pigeons sure have good eyes… Who would’ve thought they’d bring something like that up? It’s ridiculous. Don’t you think?”
“I-Indeed, Lady Choi Seulgi. How dare they discuss marriage? How dare they discuss uniting with our Savior! It would be an unjust trade even if they offered everything they possess! I knew something was suspicious when the meeting progressed so easily. Their target was none other than the Savior himself. They were insolent from the very beginning. Arrogant… Arrogant! Arrogant!”
“An alliance with pigeons in heat? That’s absurd. You sisters should say something, too.”
“If it’s what Taesung wants… I don’t really…”
“He must have his reasons. Let’s leave the choice to him.”
“Eunju-unni, you’re too nice for your own good. Our Queen of the East needs to hear about this… Shit.”
The fact that Jang Ye Ri didn’t know about this was a small miracle in itself. Of course, it was also for the best that Mev, the mother of our Green Skins, remained unaware as well.
Just as before, Choi Seulgi’s reaction after the meeting concluded was quite passionate. Baek Ahyeon was naturally the same; her response, that the insolent bastards should be seized and thrown into a brazen bull, was honestly terrifying. With Choi Seulgi also openly displaying her displeasure, I had no choice but to watch the situation unfold in silence. I knew that if I said the wrong thing, I would be attacked immediately.
Choi Eunju and Jung Hayeon also looked clearly displeased, but they maintained the stance that they would leave the decision to me. In this chaotic situation, the decision I made was…
To postpone.
I judged that I needed to observe the situation a little longer.
Making a rash decision on the spot would be foolish.
Why they wanted to form a union by blood, what they were after—nothing was clear. While it was true that a single marriage could yield many benefits, Green Skins have never been interested in material things to begin with. I felt the same; I had no desire for what they possessed. At most, all I could gain would be something like a new weapon. For now, I felt that what I already had was sufficient.
There was no need to forcefully push away a party seeking peace, but the condition being that they wanted to enter our fold was a matter that required careful consideration. It wasn’t that I held myself in high regard, but my current social standing was by no means low. One could tell just by thinking about the treatment the women around me received from the cultists or the Green Skins.
“The problem is you’re too handsome. They probably fell for your face. I guess you could say they’re similar to beastkin, so maybe they’re in heat or something?”
The correct response was to ignore Choi Seulgi’s annoyed remark. I didn’t know their standards of beauty, but she was the only one who saw me as handsome.
“Shameless beings. Hmph.”
“It pisses me off to say this, but honestly, she was fucking beautiful. Wasn’t she? I’ve never seen a woman who looked like that in my life. She’s got those angel wings, and her clothes are so elegant. From a man’s perspective, it’s only natural to want to at least consider it. Right? She looks like a total goddess, and her voice just melts you. She’d probably look charming even if she cooed like ‘coo coo coo…’ Don’t you think?”
I desperately held back the laughter that threatened to erupt at Choi Seulgi’s joke. I never imagined she’d come out with the ‘coo coo coo’ line. But knowing full well that her words were a trap, I slowly looked at her and spoke.
“So what? You’re prettier.”
“What?!”
“I said, you’re prettier.”
“Wh-what… I-I guess you thought I’d be happy to hear that.”
The corners of her mouth were twitching into a grin, and her large eyes had instantly curved into half-moons.
Contrary to her words, she looked openly delighted.
As Choi Seulgi let out a subtle smile, Jung Hayeon, who had been quiet, also began to speak. She seemed to be testing the waters, as if debating whether she should say something or just stay silent, but she soon couldn’t hold it in any longer.
“I, I think it might be some kind of honey trap. That angel was just that… th-that… beautiful.”
After speaking, Jung Hayeon quietly watched my reaction, as if she wanted me to say something. Knowing what she wanted, I slowly opened my mouth.
“You’re more beautiful.”
“Ah… Th-thank you. Hehe…”
It must have felt like I was just giving her a compliment she was fishing for, but seeing her so happy was quite amusing. It was only natural that I felt Choi Eunju and Baek Ahyeon were also sneaking glances at me. I spoke up before they could.
“That aside, what do you all think?”
It was an excellent choice.
“Y-Yes! Honey. I think choosing to postpone for now was a good decision. It’s not an urgent matter, so I thought it wouldn’t be bad to slowly look into it. At the very least, the ones staying in this Temple City don’t seem to have high combat abilities… so I don’t think they’ll cause any major problems. For now…”
“Are you saying it wouldn’t be a bad idea to treat them as guests?”
“Yes. In a manner of speaking.”
“B-But they destroyed the Savior’s statue.”
“The same thing won’t happen again. We’re keeping them under surveillance, and this time, we’re staying here as well.”
Although Choi Seulgi and Baek Ahyeon briefly voiced their complaints, Choi Eunju simply smiled and spoke. Perhaps because she was the oldest, the others often showed her respect, and it seemed today was no different.
Of course, age aside, Choi Eunju often made more rational choices than the other women, so she had likely earned their trust in that regard.
“Does that mean…”
“We’ve gained a lot of information from the ones Ahyeon has captured, but there’s a limit to what we can learn. I think it would be best to find out more, even if it means shortening the interval between meetings. Of course, it would be fine for you to look into it personally as well. If you’re uncomfortable, we can…”
“No, I don’t mind doing it myself.”
“Ah… yes.”
“……”
It’s always better to see and judge for myself.
“You just want to see her again, don’t you? To be honest, I want to see her again too.”
“……”
But it seemed they weren’t too pleased about it.
It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see her at all, but the one I truly wanted to meet again wasn’t the Seraphim. The one I wanted to speak with more was Michael, the one we had captured initially.
It was because he seemed like a better guy than I had thought.
Contrary to my very poor first impression, he had a sense of integrity. Though slightly different, if I had to draw a comparison, he was like Goff or Black Spear. He had already earned high marks just for being able to state his thoughts confidently and for keeping his promise. Separate from his claim that he trusted me, I had a feeling we could communicate.
A guy you can’t help but feel a strange fondness for—that was my assessment of him.
“Then, since we’re on the subject, I’ll get going.”
“T-To where?”
“I’m not going to see Seraphim, so don’t worry.”
“……”
Seeing them become visibly anxious at the news of my departure, it seemed that the angel named Seraphim appeared beautiful in their eyes as well. It wasn’t just simple jealousy. I could even sense a kind of desperation on Choi Seulgi’s and Baek Ahyeon’s faces.
But the fact that they didn’t try to stop me meant they did trust me. Beauty and what I liked were two completely different things. She was beautiful, but that was all. To be honest, I felt no attraction to her whatsoever.
Even if I did feel some attraction, I wasn’t foolish enough to lose my head and disrespect the ones already by my side. The reason they didn’t hold me back was probably because they knew my character.
“I’ll be back.”
My destination was the place where the angels were staying. They had been gathered in a suitable building within the Temple City. It was convenient for surveillance, but it was also a building personally assigned by Baek Ahyeon, who feared a second statue incident.
It was probably a type of building she could tolerate being damaged to some extent. Of course, to me, a layman in the arts, even the building Baek Ahyeon cared for the least looked quite magnificent. In fact, without any symbols of me, it felt as if its artistic value had somehow increased.
Naturally, the cultists didn’t seem pleased that the angels were staying here. They still hadn’t forgotten the moment the statue was destroyed.
If I were in the pigeons’ shoes, I wouldn’t want to stay here.
It’s not a pleasant experience to be right next to people who want to tear you to shreds. In fact, a few of them were still suffering in the dungeons below. They must have heard the details from Michael, so it was only natural for them to be afraid.
As I walked slowly, the place where they were staying came into view. As if she had seen me coming, Seraphim, whom I had seen before, was standing at the entrance, waiting for me.
“What brings you here?”
She came into my view, her wings folded as she bowed her head slightly.
As expected, she was overly polite. Normally, I would have just ignored her and passed by. But for some reason, my gaze was drawn to her. I opened my mouth slightly.
“Is this union by blood your own will?”
“It is.”
“You’re quite bold for someone I’ve just met.”
“……”
“What do you think of me?”
“I’m not… quite sure what you mean…”
“I’m asking what you see when you look at me.”
“Charming…”
She was visibly flustered. It was only natural that she didn’t like me. I didn’t know their standards of beauty, but there was no way my dark skin and long horns would seem attractive. The long tail extending behind me might even look grotesque. The only consolation was that my face was humanoid, but it wouldn’t be a stretch to see me as a monster.
This was a completely separate issue from the fact that I was satisfied with my own appearance. Especially if you considered that their race had its own pride, from the perspective of someone in her position, this must feel like being sold off.
“Pfft. You don’t have to lie.”
“I-I apologize.”
“If by any chance I am not to your liking…”
“And what will you do if I say you’re not to my liking?”
“I will try my best.”
“……”
“I will try my best until I become a woman who satisfies you.”
Her voice was incredibly captivating. But I didn’t feel any magical effect from it. It wasn’t the Sin of Lust that Isaac and I possessed, nor was it a type of pheromone like Jung Hayeon’s. I felt like an idiot for thinking she might be employing some other means.
“I don’t understand… I just don’t understand.”
They already knew I wasn’t a fool. They must be assuming that I would see through any cheap tricks that could only have a short-term effect. Deciding there was no need to drag the conversation on any longer, I walked slightly past Seraphim and spoke.
“I didn’t come here to talk to you. You didn’t need to come out to greet me… I apologize.”
“Not at all. If I made you uncomfortable…”
“You don’t need to apologize. I might be stopping by often from now on. However, you don’t need to come out to greet me like this every time. We’ll need to keep up appearances, so I’ll arrange for a time to have tea.”
“Th…”
“Where is Michael?”
“I will guide you.”
“I’ll find him myself.”
“Yes.”
Entering the building and leaving behind the others who were bowing, I made my way to the room where I was told Michael was staying. If I was right, he would be able to resolve some of my questions.