Chapter 86
Chapter 86
Episode 86
Taking the teapot from her, I brewed tea this time.
Meanwhile, Arietta began her story.
"Uh, hmm! The First Angel, you see, doesn't actually have a specific name."
"Like the one true god 'Ein', it has many names?"
"Yes, you know well. I'll praise you."
Arietta giggled and patted my head. It was a familiar gesture. She probably did this often to the little ones she looked after at the church. It didn't feel bad. Rather, her warm hand seemed to calm my heart even more.
"Ah..."
But Arietta, noticing her own action late, was startled and removed her hand from mine.
Her hand wandered in the air, lost. Quite a cute sight.
"Ahaha... Uh, hmm! Anyway, to talk about the First Angel, I'd say it's a faithful scythe following God's will."
"Not a sword, but a scythe?"
"Yes, it's said that the First Angel harvested the lives of countless sinners according to God's will."
"A terrifying angel."
Indeed, even in modern times, angels weren't always portrayed as entirely benevolent.
"Of course, it wasn't just that aspect. It's just that among the writings about the First Angel, the name Moros often appeared with such content."
"Moros..."
"Yes, it's just an assumption based on the circumstances, but if my interpretation isn't wrong, Moros was the First Angel."
I'd heard that name before.
Yes, I definitely heard it when I first came to the Holy City.
-HAHAHAHA! Brother. The one true god we serve, 'Ein', has many names. Among them is the name Baal.
-Huh...?
-Isn't that what's written in Moros, chapter 427, verse 6?
The priests who were tormenting the cultists definitely mentioned something like that.
I dismissed it lightly at the time, but there was a strange sense of incongruity.
"Besides that, there were many other names presumed to be the First Angel. Hmm… Should I start by explaining what names there are?"
Arietta continued her vivid explanation for me.
But the more I listened to her, the more the feeling of incongruity grew.
What was it? What was I missing?
I realized it when Arietta began listing the names presumed to be the First Angel.
"In my opinion, they are Nergal, Keres, Chernobog, Hades..."
"...."
Among the names she mentioned, there was one that was particularly familiar.
Hades. It was definitely one of the gods from Greek mythology.
It was a common name in subcultures. Wasn't this damn world itself filled with such motifs?
That's why there was a sense of incongruity that only I could notice.
Death.
Yes, death.
All the names related to the First Angel symbolized death.
Then, in this situation, who was the most related to death?
"Arietta."
"Yes?"
Thanatos.
That name too must have represented death.
My senses were ringing alarm bells, telling me it wasn't a mere coincidence.
"It seems something has come up, so I have to go first."
If my hypothesis was correct, Thanatos's trace connecting to the gate of the Underworld wasn't far.
It was only natural that the gate was abnormally large. There was a reason why not a single hair could be found even after searching so thoroughly.
If my prediction was indeed correct, the trace the [Death King] had hidden in the Holy City was none other than the [Death King] himself.
The sacred remains of the First Angel.
"Ah, um..."
"I'm sorry, Arietta. I'll explain everything later. So for now, I have to go."
Arietta tried to say something, but time was of the essence. Unfortunately, it seemed serving her tea would have to wait.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Immediately after Oz left.
Arietta remained seated at the table, her head turned in the direction Oz had departed.
She couldn't follow him, let alone see his retreating figure. For her, who couldn't see, chasing after Oz was impossible.
She would only be a burden.
Knowing this, Arietta didn't stop him from leaving, even though he was lying to her.
In truth, she probably wanted to question him more than anyone. What was going on? Couldn't they be together?
But she couldn't.
Since meeting him in Scientia, Arietta had constantly tried.
Yet, the distance between them remained the same as when it had been severed.
No matter how hard Arietta tried to get closer, Oz wouldn't cross that line. It was frustrating.
"Saintess..."
Numerous paladins, including Olivia, began to gather around Arietta.
The [Shield of Light].
The escort knights who would protect her, who couldn't see.
The fact that they had all gathered meant there was a serious matter.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes..."
Even as she answered Olivia's question, Arietta shrunk back.
Even that short answer was a lie.
Olivia sighed, looking at Arietta's condition.
"Keep your distance for a moment."
Olivia ordered the [Shield of Light] members gathered around.
Arietta's current state couldn't be shown. This wasn't Olivia's self-righteousness, but what Arietta wanted.
"There was information from outside. A gate to the Underworld has been discovered in the sky above Hedenia."
"I see."
"Prince Oz must have known about it as well. So there's no need to be so disheartened..."
"I know."
Arietta answered, her voice choked with tears.
This time, it wasn't a lie.
"He seemed urgent from the moment we first met... I knew I was being unreasonable."
Arietta could sense Oz's urgency. A mixture of anxiety and fear. Arietta hoped she could resolve it for him.
She had planned to bring up the topic of the First Angel and gradually ask Oz about his worries.
Because she was the Saintess.
As the Saintess, that was all she could do.
"I guess I'm still not good enough."
But she failed.
Before she could reach her goal, Oz left abruptly, saying he was in a hurry. Her way of dealing with people was still far too immature.
She couldn't earn Oz's trust.
"No, Saintess. It was just bad timing."
"Olivia. Do you know?"
Arietta said, clutching an empty teacup, as if reproaching herself.
"Actually, I wanted to follow him, I wanted to ask, I wanted to urge him."
And she wanted to be with him.
But the distance remained.
Arietta's wish to be taken away was still stuck in that time, that place, unchanged.
But no matter how hard they tried, the distance between them didn't shrink.
"But I don't even know how to say such things, and even if I try to move at Oz's pace, I can't even take five steps."
What truly frustrated her wasn't Oz, who wouldn't tell her anything.
It was her own incompetence, unable to even move without someone else's help.
"I don't want to just wait either. I don't want to... But..."
What good was a lot of divine power? Her first priority had to be the hope of the masses.
Trapped by the karma of being the [Saintess of Hope], she couldn't push herself even if she wanted to. How could she, when her very existence was the hope of many?
The only penance she could perform was, in the end, a controlled penance.
As the Saintess, she couldn't, and shouldn't, stand by Oz's side.
"Saintess, we are here for you. We can be your eyes and legs."
"But...!"
Arietta covered her mouth, as if startled by her own attempt to raise her voice.
Arietta still hesitated to command her escorts.
The fact that there were people ready to sacrifice their lives for her was a burden. It was sinful.
"I don't want Olivia and the knights to sacrifice themselves for me..."
"Saintess! It's dangerous!"
As Arietta answered tearfully, the distant [Shield of Light] members approached, shouting.
The dead began to appear from one of the Holy City's walls.
At the sight, all the [Shield of Light] members approached, fortifying their defenses around Arietta.
Arietta's expression hardened, and she stood up. There was no time to be weak. It wasn't allowed.
Because Arietta was the Saintess of Hope.
In such a situation, she had to be stronger than anyone.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
It took a considerable amount of time to persuade Lucia Domine.
Only I, a modern person, knew that the name Thanatos and all the names presumed to be the First Angel had similar meanings.
Therefore, my words could only be baseless claims. It was fortunate I wasn't imprisoned as a heretic.
Fortunately, Lucia Domine also had doubts about the gate in the sky, so she was willing to confirm the possibility.
Just as she and I were heading towards the basement of the Holy City...
"It seems we're too late."
"...."
I felt a sense of unease.
Even for a basement, wasn't it strangely dark around here?
"Can the corridors inside the Holy City, a sanctuary, be shrouded in darkness?"
"No. Why else would there be no lights inside the Holy City? We're appealing that aspect to the public, so there can't be a place stained by darkness."
I couldn't feel any death energy yet.
But the fact that the Holy City, filled with divine power, was shrouded in darkness was enough to tell me.
The Holy City's divine power, which always seemed to overflow, was being consumed to purify the death energy. That's why it had weakened.
"Those who look up at the sky often fail to see what's beneath their feet."
A chillingly low voice echoed from beyond the darkness.
Just staring into that darkness was suffocating. It felt as if a scythe was pressed against my throat.
As the dense death energy pushed away the residual divine power, the opponent revealed his presence.
A gray-eyed king with blackened armor and wings.
[KP Death King]
Thanatos
The king of the Underworld had personally led his body to the mortal realm.
"But I'm disappointed. I opened the gate to draw attention, but you were late to discover it."
"...."
The gate in the sky was a decoy.
He had been opening a gate to move his own body first.
With his own corpse, even a single finger would have been enough to open a gate capable of transporting his body.
He must have intended to launch a surprise attack while everyone's attention was diverted.
"It's nice to meet you like this. Shall we talk, Pope?"
"Talk? Wasn't your purpose my Key? Or are you planning to utter some arrogant negotiation proposal like telling me to end my own life?"
"There's no need to kill you in the first place. The Key of the Evangelist can be retrieved without killing."
Lucia Domine's eyes widened in shock.
Was there really such a method, as the [Death King] said?
A Key's owner should only change when the original owner died. But what if the [Death King] had a way to retrieve a Key without killing the opponent?
If so, couldn't I somehow find out that method and transfer Eleanor's or Salem's Key to Tia?
"...No."
Judging by the [Death King]'s words, it might only apply to the [Key of the Evangelist].
I didn't know the specifics of each Key. The only one I knew relatively well was Eleanor's [Key of Understanding].
Harmony and severance. The [Key of Understanding] had two powers.
If the [Key of Understanding] wasn't special, it wouldn't be strange if other Keys also had such abilities.
"Open the Conclave right now. Then you can protect this wretched land and the humans who live like cattle."
The [Death King] declared arrogantly, his hand on the sword at his waist.
[Death King] Thanatos was the First Angel. Then it wouldn't be strange if he had been the owner of the [Key of the Evangelist] during his lifetime.
More than that...
"What's a Conclave?"
I had heard of it, but I didn't remember exactly what it was.
I wished they would explain it first. Since we were in the same space, shouldn't information be shared?
I needed to know what was going on to respond.
"...It means 'a room that can be locked with a key.' Inside, the cardinals vote to decide the next Pope and the owner of the Key."
Whether it was a ritual or a law that absolutely had to be followed, it meant it wasn't just about transferring the ownership of the Key.
"So what will you do now? Will you entrust the next Pope to that unpleasant fellow?"
"That can't happen. Seeing as you even know about the Conclave, it seems you're right, and Death King Thanatos was indeed the First Angel..."
Lucia Domine said, taking out a heinous battle hammer.
"But now, isn't he just a mere dead man not even recorded in the scriptures? ...Hearing you speak makes me worry about Arietta's education. You're not teaching her vulgar swear words, are you?”
"She's doing fine, so worry about yourself. From the looks of it, you don't seem like you'll live long."
"...You have quite the personality. You must not get stressed."
"Indeed."
Lucia Domine snorted and slung the hammer over her shoulder.
It was rude to say, but she looked more like a mafia boss than a Pope.
"More importantly, the fact that Death King Thanatos has shown himself means he's not ready yet."
"So, there's still time before the gate opens?"
"Isn't it obvious when he's blabbering about being late to discover it and still came out first?"
Bluffing was a basic tactic. Despite his overwhelming power, the [Death King] was acting thoroughly.
"...Then we must destroy the sacred remains before the gate opens."
"I like that you understand quickly."
"I hear that often."
"Then let's go."
"Yes...?"
Lucia Domine's natural command momentarily confused me.
"Me?"
I didn't even know the way. More importantly, was she planning to fight Thanatos one-on-one?
"Are you confident you can defeat Death King Thanatos in this place?"
"That's..."
Honestly, I was reluctant to leave her and the [Death King]'s fight alone.
Thanatos's target was none other than her [Key of the Evangelist].
Knowing that and leaving her alone was a poor strategy.
But she was also right.
The underground terrain was the worst place for me, a mage.
I didn't think I could win in other places either, but it was certain that my actions would be severely restricted.
"Do you really think I'd let that happen?"
"What else can we do?"
Lucia Domine swung her hammer to stop the [Death King] who suddenly drew his sword and charged.
At the threatening attack, the [Death King] distanced himself again.
The sanctuary's function was still intact.
"As you can see, I still have the advantage. So go quickly."
Her advantage was that this place was still a sanctuary.
As time passed, the situation would become more favorable to Thanatos, but it seemed she could still hold out.
"Follow this path down, and you'll find it with the relics on the altar. It's the only sacred remains in the Holy City right now, so if you see bones, just destroy them."
Lucia Domine raised her giant battle hammer horizontally.
The [Death King], as if anticipating her action, also raised his sword horizontally.
"Open."
The two Key Persons simultaneously twisted their weapons and declared.
"Wings of pure white."
"Boundary of Life and Death."