Chapter 473: Into the Room of Truth
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 473: Into the Room of Truth
The Archangel Gabriel.
Meeting her, the highest-ranking Constellation representing the nebula Eden, was something I had never expected.
But as always, the unexpected passed in a flash.
After leaving the prayer room, I had a brief conversation with Bishop Donatian before leaving the church. As expected, he seemed completely unaware of Gabriel's descent.
He also appeared to believe the building shaking was just an earthquake.
‘Now, what do I do?’
I wandered down the main street, bustling with people, browsing the vendor stalls. With a chicken skewer in my mouth, I lost myself in thought for a moment.
Of course, I would tell Lucifer I met Gabriel.
But I was at a loss as to how I should explain it.
‘Telling her the truth would be best… but the problem is, how much can I trust Gabriel?’
I didn't trust Gabriel.
It was only natural.
No matter how warmly our conversation had ended, it was still our first time meeting.
Trust between strangers wasn't something easily built after exchanging just a few words.
‘One of the archangels betraying Eden to help us… what are the odds of something so convenient actually happening?’
Probably lower than winning the lottery back-to-back.
And I don't believe in that kind of luck.
In the worst-case scenario, the 8th-floor dungeon itself could be a trap.
“Ugh… this chicken has a strong gamy smell.”
I tossed the wooden skewer into a trash can and sighed.
I already knew.
This kind of speculation was meaningless.
In the end, it was a matter I had to discuss with Lucifer.
“Well… it'll work out somehow.”
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CRASH!!
With the deafening sound of an explosion, a hole the size of a human face appeared in the pristine white wall.
And this was despite the protective barrier cast over the entire clan house for security.
“Who did you say you met?”
“...”
I remained silent and just looked at Lucifer.
The atmosphere had been fine at first.
Even though she'd beaten me up one-sidedly last night, we had more or less made up before I went to the church.
But the moment words hinting at Gabriel left my lips, her mood completely changed.
For the worse, just like this.
I wanted to block the channel and explain everything, but if I did that too often, I had no idea what kind of complaints might erupt from the Constellations.
Of course, the Dweller of the Swamp didn't seem to care, and the Dancing Destroyer also seemed to have been away for a while.
The problem was Ishtar.
T-ring-
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' focuses on your conversation.」
‘...She's a goddess, for crying out loud. Isn't she busy?’
I complained inwardly, but it was an undeniable fact that her nebula, 'Dilmun,' was relatively quiet compared to others.
They weren't waging war against other nebulas through proxy battles using their affiliated clans.
But Ishtar was definitely a Constellation who had contracted with numerous players.
Yet for her to focus solely on me for such a long time was something I found hard to understand.
‘I've heard that 'goddess' and 'whim' are synonyms. I guess it must be true.’
“It's just as I said.”
“Explain in more detail.”
Lucifer pressed me, moving right up close.
I swallowed a sigh at the look in her eyes, which showed her determination not to back down an inch until she was convinced.
“...Lady Ishtar, I'd like to ask for your understanding for a moment.”
T-ring-
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' gazes at you with a prim expression.」
「“First that arrogant angel, and now you. Do you think I'm some kind of side character?”」
“How could that be possible? It is merely that there are many ignorant fools who do not realize that you, Lady Ishtar, are the center of this world. I pray you will understand with your vast generosity.”
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' gives a meaningful smile.」
「“Keep going.”」
Seeing the screen that appeared before me, I almost reflexively scowled.
How much more did she want me to suck up to her?
“...I beseech you to forgive this foolish one, who has received all of your affection yet failed to be grateful. Furthermore, I swear that this will never happen again.”
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' tidies her nails with a languid expression.」
「“Hmph... So, in the end, you're just going to ask with empty words? Without any tribute.”」
The moment I heard that, I finally realized Ishtar's objective.
I thought she had given up long ago, but she was far more persistent and troublesome than I had imagined.
“...Would you permit me to visit the temple soon to personally ask for your forgiveness, Lady Ishtar?”
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' nods in satisfaction.」
「“Fine. But don't be late, okay?”」
T-ring-
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' has set the channel to a private room.」
「The Constellation, 'Saintess of Uruk,' has left.」
Confirming that the sticky gaze I'd even felt while showering was gone, I could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But that was only for a moment.
“...I don't like that whore.”
Lucifer was glaring into the empty air with a murderous expression.
“What if she hears you?”
“I don't care. I'll just fold her in half.”
Anyone could tell she was serious.
Flump-
I pulled Lucifer into a hug and sat down on the sofa. Then I spent some time stroking her head as if to soothe her.
“...Sorry.”
“For what?”
“You had to make a difficult promise because of me.”
“Is that all?”
A chuckle escaped my lips at her words.
“Don't worry about it. I would have had to visit her soon anyway.”
I had hoped she would just give up, but deep down, I knew that wasn't in Ishtar's nature.
She probably would have used one excuse or another to make me visit the temple of my own accord eventually.
“Besides, the important thing right now is what happened at the church.”
“...Did you really meet Gabriel?”
“Yeah. She descended into the body of a lesser angel, but I met her face-to-face and we talked.”
“What did you talk about?”
“She said she wants to help us.”
R-r-rumble-
As soon as I finished speaking, the flow of magic grew violent. The entire room began to shake as if in an earthquake.
I manipulated Lucifer's magic to forcibly calm the vibrations.
“Calm down first. It's not too late to get angry after you've heard the whole story.”
“...”
Lucifer reluctantly pouted and slowly nodded her head in understanding.
“And Gabriel told me to pass on a message in case you got angry. 'Ten spears.'”
“...”
“Does that mean anything to you?”
I still didn't know what 'ten spears' meant.
But I could tell from Lucifer's reaction that it wasn't just a simple password.
It was the first time I'd ever seen her look so serious.
“...On the day I was betrayed by the comrades I trusted, I resisted with all my might. I believed it was the only way to prove my innocence. But in the end, I was cornered by their superior numbers, and I was pierced by the spear tips of the twelve comrades I had trusted most.”
“If you mean twelve...”
“That's right.”
Lucifer leaned against my chest with a bitter smile.
“The archangels who support Eden now.”
As if reminiscing about the past, her gaze drifted blankly out the window.
Beyond those eyes, a tangle of complex emotions quietly swirled.
The most distinct among them was, without a doubt, killing intent.
“But only ten spears actually pierced my body.”
“...What?”
For a moment, I was speechless.
There was no way beings known as archangels would make a mistake at such a crucial moment.
Which means—
“On the day I fell from the heavens, there must have been at least two angels who refused to follow the Lord's will to the end.”
“Circumstantially, it's highly likely that one of those two was Gabriel.”
“...”
Lucifer said nothing. Instead, it was clear she agreed with my assessment.
“Huu... You're right. She's worth trusting. Among all of us, Gabriel was the one who knew how to rage against injustice. And she was foolishly kind.”
“Then is it also true that she sealed your power in the dungeon?”
“I don't know about that. But at least it won't be a trap. If they really intended to eliminate us, they wouldn't have used such a complicated method. It would have been far simpler to just send an Inquisitor.”
She was right.
A single oracle would have been enough to bring an Inquisitor down from the upper floors.
Unlike with Constellations, the Tower and the System don't impose sanctions on players no matter where they run rampant.
Instead, other large clans would find fault with it.
“So, should we proceed with the dungeon raid as planned?”
“Do as you please. You're the clan leader.”
A laugh escaped me at Lucifer's subtly sharp tone.
Perhaps because we'd been through so much, I could now get a sense of what she was thinking just by looking at her face.
Lucifer wasn't angry right now. To be precise, she was flustered.
On that day when only ten of the twelve spear tips pierced her, she must have harbored a thought in a corner of her heart that maybe not everyone in Eden had betrayed her.
‘Lucifer definitely would have.’
But at some point, she must have started to resent everyone equally as targets for her revenge. It's much easier than holding onto hope based on an uncertain guess.
But now, hearing direct proof that she still had allies, it was only natural for her to feel conflicted.
“So we're going, then?”
“...Do whatever.”
Despite Lucifer's coy reaction, I pushed her down onto the sofa as if to make a point. I knew very well how to cheer her up when she was in a bad mood.
Honestly, I wanted to hear the full story of what exactly happened on the day of her betrayal.
But I wasn't so insensitive as to stir up her already troubled heart.
‘I can always hear about it later.’
I caressed Lucifer's pale cheek and slowly took off my shirt.
The sun was still high in the sky, but I was free until my lesson with Sister Serin in the evening anyway.
Just as I was slowly unbuttoning Lucifer's shirt...
“...Don't you have something to say to me?”
A cold voice that sent shivers down my spine brushed past my ear.
A gaze as cold as the dead of winter was fixed on me.
Lucifer slowly reached out a hand toward me and, with a blank expression, caressed my forehead.
“The blessing of an archangel... Just what did you do to come back with a lipstick mark plastered right on your forehead?”
“...”
“It seems we have quite a lot to talk about.”
“...”
“What are you doing? Go lock the door.”
“...Yes.”
Click-