Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Complete Silence
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A city shrouded in darkness.
From the spire at its center.
She slowly raised her bow.
An arrowhead glinting in the shadows.
The target of that object, infused with faint holy power,
was down below, walking along the street.
A single young girl.
She had pink hair.
And, just like this side, she was holding a bow.
Even as she cautiously scanned her surroundings and moved with care, it seemed the girl hadn't noticed this side yet.
Acknowledging that fact in a dry, emotionless manner, she drew back the bowstring.
"Target. Aim."
A cold voice devoid of even a shred of emotion.
With a sound evoking machinery,
"Fire."
She released the tension in her string-pulling hand.
-Swish!
The arrow shot forth sharply.
That single strike, concealed by the veil of darkness,
flew straight toward the young girl.
And.
"!"
-Thud!!!
The arrow pierced the girl's head with pinpoint accuracy.
A blow that shattered her skull and burst her brain.
That strike, which delivered certain death.
The girl collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood, unable to even scream.
That one was dead.
Undoubtedly, she had met her end.
Acknowledging that fact,
she murmured softly in a voice still utterly devoid of emotion.
"387... Complete Silence."
-Thud!!!!
In that instant, an arrow pierced her eye with perfect precision.
The sensation felt in that split second... was the thing called pain.
What followed was.
Darkness.
Something indescribable.
Cold and heavy.
A pitch-black void.
Drawn inexorably into that unresisting abyss,
her consciousness came to an end there.
And then.
"562. Complete Silence."
A calm voice rang out next.
Standing there was a woman holding the exact same bow as the fallen figure.
Right after clearly confirming the target's death,
she indifferently hurled her body beyond the spire.
Pink hair fluttering.
Pure white wings sprouting from her back flapping powerfully.
Thus descended a heavy silence.
On the blood-soaked floor,
the dead woman's pink hair glimmered quietly.
At that moment.
-Drip.
A small sound echoed in the stillness.
A sound like a water droplet falling beneath a cloudless night sky.
Added atop the girl's body, soaked in crimson blood.
It too bore a red hue, resembling a tiny seed.
And in the next moment.
"…."
A ray of light began to seep into the dead girl's dull eyes.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "Please give me some work too!"
"[...Huh?]"
Arcroyal's sudden request for a task.
Hearing it, I momentarily wore a blank though I have no face).
"Work? What are you suddenly talking about?"
Arcroyal replied to my puzzled question in a clear voice.
"I know everything. That just recently, Seraphim-nim defeated the God of War! And that in the process, you used the human princess... that woman named Solomon... as bait!"
'No, it wasn't like I used her as bait. She got caught as bait on their end, and I turned the tables by devouring the angler instead?'
That was the reality, but at a glance, the picture wasn't entirely off.
If he hadn't shown up to mess with Solomon, meeting Anumaesh right in the heart of enemy territory would've been no easy feat.
At this point, with the Baal Church already as our enemies, taking down one of their key forces like this was a massive gain overall.
Bonus: I got a rough gauge of the enemy's power level.
Anyway, Arcroyal kept voicing her grievances toward me as I mulled this over.
"This Arcroyal has diligently honed herself all this time, in line with Seraphim-nim's will. I know I'm lacking, but I did it to be of even a little help to you. Yet despite my efforts, unlike those holy knights or the princess, Seraphim-nim gives me no opportunities at all. Could it be... you find this girl that unreliable?"
"Uhmm... it's not like that."
"Then please, give me a chance this time! A chance to prove I can do something for Seraphim-nim!"
"A chance, huh..."
Arcroyal's words left me pondering for a moment.
Honestly, my assessment of her wasn't so much distrust as... ambiguous.
Her combat prowess was subpar compared to ours, but humans were convenient to maneuver in all sorts of ways.
From basic intel gathering to spreading the faith through proselytizing.
They filled in all the gaps where it was awkward for me to step in directly.
In short, they were useful for scouting and resource procurement.
But Arcroyal was a different story.
As a great archangel (8th rank...), she packed serious firepower by human standards,
and with her human-like looks—tall, sure, but hide the wings and she could pass.
Still, for all her basic common sense training, she remained hopelessly naive by human measures.
Like a country bumpkin fresh off the farm, prime pickings for city sharks.
Sending her on intel ops just couldn't match mobilizing humans.
And combat? Opportunities were scarce anyway, but more to the point, the fights either didn't suit her temperament or pitted her against 'god'-tier foes way out of her league.
She lagged behind humans in support roles, and direct combat needed me anyway—so her lack of chances was inevitable.
'But... yeah, sidelining Arcroyal indefinitely isn't ideal.'
It was her own wish, too.
And above all, I couldn't keep her cooped up at "home" forever.
To me right now, Arcroyal was the last of my kind—a family member, like a little sister.
I instinctively wanted her safe and sound, but truth be told, I also hoped she'd pull her weight as a proper angel.
For that, she needed real experience: facing problems head-on and solving them herself.
Having reached that conclusion,
I gazed at Arcroyal with utmost seriousness.
"Alright."
"Ah!"
"If you're that set on it, go ahead and give it a shot."
"Th-thank you! Truly, thank you, Seraphim-nim!"
Arcroyal bowed repeatedly, overflowing with joy.
Her delight rubbed off on me, lifting my mood.
Of course, that didn't mean I planned to throw anything tough her way right off the bat.
"For starters, head down to the surface and assist the humans. Eva the captain or Princess Solomon—you mentioned them, right? They'll surely have ways you can help."
"Understood, Seraphim-nim!"
Eva the captain was still pouring her all into proselytizing these days.
And Princess Solomon had been holed up in her room ever since that incident, refusing to step out.
For Eva, Arcroyal just standing by during sermons would be a huge boost.
As for Solomon, the psychological trauma from recent events must've hit hard—Arcroyal's holy magic could help soothe her mind.
Might seem trivial, but it was tailor-made for Arcroyal; perfect for a first field stint, and she'd likely be content enough.
And if anything unexpected cropped up midway? With me always keeping watch, a direct intervention would sort it out, no sweat...
"One thing, Seraphim-nim. You're planning to keep observing me during the mission, aren't you?"
"That's the idea, yeah. Even so, for safety's sake..."
"Absolutely do not."
"Huh?... Wh-what? Why?"
Her unexpected retort left me flustered.
Toward my bewilderment, Arcroyal made her plea with utter sincerity.
"This is my trial to prove my own capabilities. Allowing Seraphim-nim's observation—or intervention—would undermine its purpose entirely. Please, refrain from watching or interfering until I specifically ask for aid."
The age-old parent-child universal truth hit me late:
The classic 'I'll handle it myself, so Dad, no peeking!'
Since it was her request, I agreed for the time being.
"Fine... if that's what you want."
"Thank you. Then, I'll be off."
With that, Arcroyal descended to the surface.
Of course, promise aside—as her teacher who'd trained her up to now, I couldn't help worrying about my disciple-sister's safety. So even if no direct meddling, at least some minimal monitoring...
{I said don't watch.}
"Ah..."
A telepathic message hit just as I tried to observe.
Plus, she'd activated an observation-block spell.
This wasn't mere words; she'd deployed the holy magic I'd taught her against me. Caught off guard, I was left with a tangle of mixed feelings, momentarily speechless.
'...Damn, think I taught her a bit too well...'
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The sudden arrival of an angel right before her eyes.
Any ordinary person would've been struck with awe and reverence...
But at this moment, Solomon's heart brimmed only with profound disappointment.
She'd sensed an angel's presence and naturally assumed it was Seraphim-nim.
So why on earth had this pink-haired angel popped up out of nowhere?
However,
upon hearing Arcroyal's explanation, that disappointment in Solomon's heart swiftly gave way to a budding sense of anticipation.
"So... Seraphim-nim ordered you to assist me."
"Yes. First, I'll aid you, Princess, and if time allows, then help the knight order captain as well. With that said... is there anything you'd like me to do?"
Arcroyal asked, her face alight with eager expectation.
Wings aside, her appearance hardly differed from a tall human woman—but she was, without doubt, a mighty great archangel.
And perfectly timed.
Solomon had one task in mind: something only Seraphim-nim's direct subordinate, a great archangel like Arcroyal, could handle... something she alone could entrust.
"Arcroyal-nim, do you happen to know of a city called Somora?"