Divine Delivery and the Remaining Kings
[Divine Realm, Chief Angel Michael's Office]
"Haaah…."
Chief Angel Michael stamped the approval documents and let out a long, heavy sigh. Dark circles hung under his eyes, reaching all the way to his jaw—circles so deep that even the holy glow of an angel chief couldn't hide them. It was the classic face of a chronic workaholic buried in overtime.
"Don't forget, time flows much faster on the mortal plane than it does here in the Divine Realm. The spices have to arrive before That One gets angry."
Michael issued orders to the lesser angels without taking his eyes off the paperwork, his voice calm and precise. No panic, no rush—just the picture of a competent boss handling business.
"Yes, Chief Angel, sir! We've packed all the premium salt, pepper, and spices from the Divine Realm warehouse without missing a thing."
Michael nodded, setting down his fountain pen. "Good work. Oh, and on your way, swing by the Divine Garden and sweep up some 'Heavenly Fruits'—the whole boxes."
The lesser angels' shoulders stiffened at the command.
"P-Pardon? The Divine Garden? That's the gods' most treasured spot… Are we sure we can take from there without permission?"
Michael rested his chin on his interlaced hands, face expressionless. "They're the ones who dumped this headache on me with full authority and peaced out. I've been handling it solo, so a little pettiness like this? They won't have a word to say up top."
"Ah…."
"Besides, from what I've seen, That One has a huge interest in 'delicious food.' Better to stuff their mouth with sweet fruits than just send spices—they'll stay quiet longer that way. Get it done before complaints roll in."
"Yes, sir! We'll keep that in mind!"
What kind of terrifying being could make this capable chief angel raid even the gods' garden to keep them appeased? The two lesser angels, now roped into delivery duty, left the Divine Realm tense as could be.
The next morning, at the summit of the World Tree.
As I slept like a baby on the plush leather of Turaka's hide, bathed in warm sunlight, a soft rustling reached my ears—someone tiptoeing carefully.
"I-Is this the right place, senior?"
"Shh! Keep it down. They're sleeping right in the middle of the nest… Eek?!"
I lifted my head from the feathers at the voices below. The moment a gigantic black crow's eyes snapped open, the two winged figures—a man and a woman—who'd just set down massive delivery boxes in one corner of my nest froze, faces pale as sheets.
Oh, must be the delivery guys Michael mentioned.
Snow-white wings and holy halos. Obvious angels.
I was still half-asleep, yawning with a casual "Cawww—(Oh, you guys are here?)"—but the sheer menacing aura made their legs buckle; they nearly collapsed.
"Eek! Th-The legendary magic beast…?!"
"Y-You idiot! It's the Great Soul, remember?!"
I sniffed the sweet fruit aroma and salty spice scent wafting from the boxes they'd carefully placed on my nest floor.
Oh! The spices are finally here!
Thrilled, I shifted to human form on the spot.
Poof! Black mist billowed, the house-sized black crow vanished, replaced by a human child in a jet-black feather robe.
"Whoa! Delivery got here super fast!"
I skipped over to the angels with light steps. They stared blankly at my transformation, dumbfounded.
"Wha… a kid?"
"Chief Angel was sweating bullets, so I figured it'd be some monster…!"
Finally relaxing, the angels stepped back and offered me the boxes.
"G-Great Soul! At Chief Angel Michael's command, we bring spices from the Divine Realm and fruits from the Divine Garden!"
"Ooh! Pepper! Salt! And new stuff too!"
I ripped open a box, beaming with joy.
Fluorescent pigeon—top-notch taste in gifts!
Admiring Michael's efficiency inwardly, I picked up a fruit glowing faintly from the box.
"What's this peach-looking thing? Smells insanely sweet."
One bite, and juice exploded in my mouth—sweetness so perfect I started humming.
As I munched happily, cheeks bulging, the terrified angels softened into warm smiles.
That's when it happened.
"Ugh… my head…."
From the branches outside the nest where I'd hung him out to dry, the wyvern lord—out cold all night—was finally stirring, his massive body twitching.
The rustling of huge reptilian scales. And with it, the vicious, murky mana unique to lord-class magic beasts flooded the World Tree summit.
"Gasp! What is that horrific mana?!"
The angels' friendly smiles twisted in an instant. Reflexively, they spread their wings wide and drew holy swords brimming with white divine power.
"Great Soul, stand back! That vile wyvern lord dares invade a sacred space!"
"We'll sever the blasphemous beast's head right now!"
As the angels lunged, swords poised to strike, the bleary-eyed wyvern lord—fresh from waking—flinched back in horror, toppling over.
"K-Kweeeek?! Ex-Executors from the Divine Realm?! Why am I getting holy swords first thing in the morning?!"
Lightning sauna yesterday, holy sword sauna today. The wyvern lord wailed in injustice.
I raised a hand quick, still chewing my peach. "Whoa, whoa, stop! Put the swords away. Can't kill him."
My words halted the charging angels mid-air like brakes screeching.
"P-Pardon? B-But leaving a vile, massive beast like that alive endangers the nest!"
I tapped the wyvern's thick snout casually. "Danger? Nah. This guy's my pet. Personal ride."
"…Pardon?"
"P-Pet? That ferocious wyvern lord?!"
The angels' jaws hit the floor. Their eyes locked on the massive wyvern wagging his tail desperately for mercy at the word "personal ride."
Th-They're treating a lord-class magic beast like a pet…?!
Michael's warning—"the most dangerous being on the mortal plane"—rang clear in their minds again, awe crashing over them like a wave.
I waved it off casually, ignoring their shock. "Eh, ignore him. He's just baggage carrier and ride. Anyway, this thing I've been eating."
I pointed at my half-eaten peach, eyes sparkling. "It's so good. What is it?"
Snapping to, the angels sheathed their swords, cleared their throats proudly, and puffed their chests.
"That's 'Heavenly Fruit' from the Divine Garden! Prized by the gods themselves, but Chief Angel Michael prepared it specially for you, Great Soul!"
Oho, that fluorescent pigeon. Always looked overworked, but he's got a big heart and deep pockets.
My fondness for Michael skyrocketed as I swallowed the sweet pulp. Then a word caught my ear.
"Hold up. Gods? This world has actual gods?"
The angels blinked like I'd asked if the sky was blue. "Y-Yes… Of course. The great gods who created and govern this world."
"Ah."
I nodded, chin toward the sky barrier. "So that 'Divine Realm' you mentioned is the huge floating rock island up there in the barrier, right?"
I recalled scratching at it days ago with my beak, getting zapped by lightning, and giving up because it got dirty.
The angels' eyes sharpened. Michael's bloodshot plea before they descended flashed in their minds:
"Do everything to ensure That One feels positively about the Divine Realm. Stroke their ego at all costs."
The two lesser angels exchanged quick glances, then launched into fervent sales pitches like top salespeople hungry for commission, grins wide.
"Spot on! That majestic sanctuary inside the barrier is the Divine Realm—home to us angels and the gods!"
"Eternal beautiful light shines there year-round, with Heavenly Fruits piled like mountains. It's a place of utmost abundance and mercy!"
They hyped it like luxury resort timeshares.
I scratched my chin, listening intently. Ooh, mountains of fruit and great perks…
The massive rock island hidden in the barrier. Fruits stacked inside. Someday, I'd take a drive-by "buffet run" there. More food was always better.
"Um… Master…."
Kar, crumpled in the nest corner, peeked nervously at the angels and spoke up cautiously.
"Sorry to interrupt, but don't trust the Divine Realm too much. Gods are selfish mood-swings mostly—could stab you in the back anytime. Dangerous bunch."
Before the angels bristled, Kar pressed on. "My ancestors passed down tales of getting burned trusting them carelessly. Sure, fruits and spices seem nice now, but gods flip attitudes when it doesn't suit their interests. You're the strongest in this forest, Master, so watch if those sweets aren't a ploy to tie you down…."
Kar rolled his huge eyes, sneaking glances at the angels. Sharp instincts for his size.
I looked down at him, chewing pulp. Huh, this guy's deeper than he looks?
"N-No! Just lowly reptile worries… But if you followed those white-winged ones to the Divine Realm and maybe took me along… Gods hate beasts like me. Could get killed on sight…."
Kar's massive body shivered. His eyes flicked to the angels, then away quick.
Ah, so he's scared of getting dragged there himself.
I chuckled inwardly. Pretending to worry for his master, but really fretting for his own hide—hilarious. Still, his honesty was kinda endearing.
The angels' shoulders jerked up. R-Right! Those guys are always sneaking out of the barrier causing trouble and making us pull all-nighters!
They nearly teared up in agreement but kept heavenly dignity. Stern faces on, they snapped.
"How dare this vile, irreverent reptile insult the great gods?!"
"The gods are always just and merciful!"
Their lips quivered with rage, but I ignored it. Eh, bosses are mood swings everywhere. Still, Kar's useful.
I focused on devouring the sweets.
But the boxes held way more fruit than expected. "Man, there's a ton."
I grabbed three big ones, tossing them to the angels and nest-corner wyvern. "Here, one each. You worked hard delivering. Kar, you too—for yesterday."
"…P-Pardon?!"
Caught off guard, they clutched the fruits, stunned.
Sh-She's giving lowly lesser angels these precious Heavenly Fruits…!
Chief Angel was so tense, thought it'd be a tyrant—but so merciful, caring for underlings!
The angels' eyes welled with emotion. Kar cradled his tiny fruit in huge forepaws, sniffling. M-Master! Devilish with lightning, but way kinder than expected!
Just sharing 'cause eating alone felt bad, but they gazed at me like a savior.
Anyway, mood was cozy. The angels tucked fruits away carefully and bowed deep.
"Truly grateful, Great Soul! We'll be delivering more needed items from the ground up often."
One pulled a gleaming orb from his robes, offering it reverently with both hands.
"This is a 'Communication Orb' to contact Chief Angel Michael directly. When spices run low or you need anything, infuse it with mana. We'll come running!"
"Ooh, hotline? Nice. I'll use it well."
"Then we'll return to the Divine Realm. Have a peaceful day!"
Grinning like they'd won the world with fruit tips, they scattered white feathers and soared skyward.
After the delivery duo left, I flopped in the nest, patting my belly.
Huh? Wait a sec…
Normally starving for raw meat breakfast by now. But a few fruits filled me right up.
And not just full—warm energy bubbled from my dantian, mana and vitality surging endlessly.
"Whoa, these aren't just tasty."
Elixir disguised as fruit. Dozens of boxes stacked here! Felt like hitting the jackpot in my past life; I grinned at them.
High spirits, I got to the point with light steps.
"Anyway."
I rubbed my chin, eyes gleaming. Spices piled high, but cooking ingredients lacking.
Turaka was gone. But three more besides him, right?
"Kar. Those 'Four Kings' you mentioned yesterday in the forest. Spill everything you know about the other three."
Cold sweat trickled down Kar's spine in the nest corner, where he'd been trembling.