Chapter 205
Chapter 205
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 205
Chapter Title: The Eternal Ra (2)
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What in the world was that supposed to mean?
Not only was there a barrier between Araboth and here, but the distance was also immense. He had no idea how sharp Ikael’s vision was, but the probability of her watching them was precisely zero.
“Don't be so disappointed. For angels, 'to see' is different from how humans 'see.' There are many ways of 'seeing,' and among them is the 'gaze,' an ability to see whatever they wish. In short, angels can see anything, as long as they want to.”
It was difficult to grasp.
According to Peope, it meant that if an angel wanted to see something, they simply saw it.
Not even the hundred-eyed monster from the fairy tales tormented the prince with such an absurd ability.
“It's true. The reason Ikasa was the first to arrive after the incident was because she was gazing upon Shamain. Well… I suppose that’s why she remains a fallen angel, being so petty.”
Since a fallen angel residing in the Second Heaven ranked lower than a fairy from the Fourth Heaven, Peope criticized Ikasa without hesitation.
It was a testament to how far an angel of the highest order could fall after committing a sin.
“But if they can see whatever they want, doesn't that mean angels know everything in the world?”
“Not necessarily. Deciding what to look at is a difficult task. Think about it. Even if you could gaze upon anything, could you comprehend the entire world?”
“No. It would be difficult.”
Shirone recalled the time an angel came to Nor's Rest.
Gardlak had said that an angel could find this place if they so wished, but that it would never happen.
“Because no one checks their own fingerprints every day.”
“Oh? You knew that story? That's exactly it. Anyway, if Lady Ikael is gazing upon this place, she might respond to my voice.”
Canis was displeased. Mages inherently disliked relying on probability, but this was taking it to an extreme.
“It's a slim chance. This place could be her fingerprint. Besides, even if she is gazing upon us, what guarantee is there that she'll help us?”
“There are no guarantees. I came along to offer even a sliver of hope. What awaits us where we're going is Archangel Kariel. Do you understand what that means? You can't win, not in a million years.”
Shirone faced reality. If the one holding his friends was an archangel, they needed an ally of at least the same rank to even have a chance at escape.
“Alright. Let's try it this way. I'll trust you.”
Peope clicked her tongue, thinking that people from Nor were far too suspicious. Regardless, she had taken on this task because she, too, saw a sliver of possibility.
No angel checked their fingerprints daily, but Ikael might be different. She was said to be benevolent and frequently watched over her subjects.
“Then I'll begin. Once the conversation starts, do not touch me. I have no desire to be disrespectful to the Archangel.”
Peope closed her eyes and focused her mind. Her plea spread out in concentric circles.
Shirone waited anxiously. But even after five minutes, there was no change in Peope.
Was it impossible after all?
The fear of losing the hope of rescuing his friends was far greater than the disappointment of failure.
Just as the group's hearts were sinking into despair, Peope's body shuddered.
A moment later, hot tears streamed from her closed eyes.
“Ah, Lady Ikael.”
Shirone snapped his head toward Peope.
The conversation with Ikael had clearly begun. He barely suppressed the urge to speak, remembering Peope's warning.
Peope and Ikael spoke for quite a long time. She would nod her head repeatedly and sometimes answer aloud.
“Yes, I understand.”
Peope kept her eyes closed for a long time, a smile gracing her lips. Still caught in the wave of emotion, she suddenly opened her eyes and began to gush.
“Did you hear that? Did you? She answered my call! My call!”
“Of course we didn't hear. What did she say?”
“Ah, Lady Ikael… she gazed upon me!”
Seeing Peope gaze up at the sky with teary eyes, Shirone didn't dare interrupt. Only after letting her ride out the wave of emotion could he finally speak.
“So, will she release our friends?”
Peope snapped back to her senses. She had been so caught up in the fact that she had spoken with an archangel that she had forgotten the most important part.
Peope's expression turned a little glum.
“No. Lady Ikael said she has committed a sin and cannot take a single step out of her room.”
“What? So it was a failure after all?”
Peope forced a bright expression.
“But she will help us. We'll be able to enter Araboth. But there's one condition...”
Seeing Peope hesitate and glance at Shirone's group, Canis, who had reached the limit of his patience, snapped.
“What is it? We don't have time, so spit it out.”
“She said she wants to meet a boy named... Shirone, alone. But who is Shirone?”
Canis and Rian looked at Shirone.
Peope didn't yet know any of their names. Aware that a name was the key to controlling one's lifespan, they had been careful to conceal their identities.
When the gazes of the two men singled out one person, Peope's eyes widened in surprise.
‘So his name was Shirone.’
Until a moment ago, Shirone had been nothing more than a collection of countless concepts in Peope's eyes.
He had felt vague and abstract, like an ungraspable mist.
But now, it was different.
Shirone.
The moment she recalled the three-syllable name, Shirone's actions, thoughts, and feelings coalesced in her mind.
“Only Shirone? Is there a special reason?”
“I don't know either. I wanted to ask, but it seemed like she didn't want to reveal anything about it.”
Canis thought it was for the best. To use their limited time effectively, it was more efficient to focus on their individual tasks rather than moving as a group.
“Then Shirone, you go meet Ikael. It seems escape will be impossible without her help anyway.”
“What about you two?”
“We'll go to Jebul. It should be a free pass from the Seventh Heaven to the Sixth. We'll go to where Amy is first. We can buy some time if need be.”
It was the best strategy they could come up with in the current situation.
Once they reached an agreement, Shirone looked back at Peope. It was a request to let them into Araboth.
But Peope didn't know the way either.
Just as the flustered girl was stammering, trying to think of an excuse, their surroundings were engulfed in a bright light.
Overcome with emotion, Peope clasped her hands together.
“Ah... Lady Ikael.”
A massive light swallowed Shirone's party.
Where the light, sucked into a single point, vanished, nothing remained.
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The Seventh Heaven, Araboth.
Shirone looked around with a trembling heart. He had arrived at the most sacred place in Heaven.
The top of the spire was hidden by clouds. Peope had said that Ankh Ra resided at its very peak.
Her voice trembled as she explained.
“To come to the place where God's throne is... This is the most glorious day of my life.”
“You've only been alive for a year, though.”
Peope glared at Canis.
“One year, a hundred years, age doesn't matter. This isn't a place you can come to just by living a long time.”
“But for a place like that, isn't it too quiet? You said a god lives here, but there aren't even any guards.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
“Well, a being called a god lives here, yet no one is guarding him.”
Peope suddenly stopped and stared at Canis with a blank expression. It was the face of someone who had just been told that one plus one equals a window.
“Are you serious? Ra is the one who protects us. How can we protect a god?”
Shirone belatedly realized and nodded.
“Ah. I see.”
Ra was not a king in the sense of the human world.
If he was a pan-universal absolute being, the very act of someone guarding him would diminish his divinity.
Having arrived at the spire of Araboth, Shirone's party prepared to split up for their respective tasks.
Ikael wanted to meet with Shirone alone. Since the archangel's help was essential to get Amy and the others back, Rian and Canis had no complaints about the special treatment.
Peope, who was tasked with guiding Shirone to Ikael's room, transferred the memories she had obtained from Igirin to Canis and Rian.
A rough map of Jebul was imprinted in their minds.
“The women are likely in the Grand World Hall at the eastern end. It's where Lady Kariel resides.”
Canis searched through Igirin's memories and located the Grand World Hall. It was a long way, even by teleportation. But the real problem wasn't the distance.
“You should know that not just anyone can enter the Grand World Hall. It's the place that governs the movements of the world, so it's surrounded by the highest level of security.”
“Security devices? You mean there are obstacles?”
“If it were on that level, I wouldn't even mention it. In short, the Grand World Hall probably isn't in Jebul.”
“Stop pissing me off and explain it so I can understand.”
“A certain technology of the Mecha System can alter the information of a specific space. In short, it's been sent to another dimension. To enter the Grand World Hall, you have to shut down the Mecha System first.”
“How do we shut it down?”
“If you look at the map of Jebul, there's a portal to Ingris. It's the place that controls all of Heaven's information, and you should be able to shut down the Mecha System from there.”
“Huh? Ingris?”
It was the place he had heard about when he made a contract with Chief Kergo. Kadum had asked him to convey his will to Ingris, but he hadn't paid it any mind at the time. Since he hadn't received anything, he had no obligation to fulfill the contract.
Now that things had turned out this way, he felt that refusing their hospitality had been an excellent decision.
But to Canis, Ingris held a special meaning.
It was the reason he had come to Heaven, even abandoning the Metagate, and the place where it was presumed Arcane had obtained the knowledge that allowed him to become a grand mage.
While analyzing the notes his master left behind, the field Canis focused on was mythology.
If Heaven was a place that had influenced humanity for a long time, its records would be steeped in myth, not history.
While studying such ancient texts, he realized there was a place that appeared commonly in different mythologies.
That place was Ingris.
The hall of knowledge, where all the secrets of the world were said to be recorded.
“I'll take care of that. While Rian heads to the Grand World Hall, I'll disable the Mecha System. It should buy us at least a little time.”
It was a nice way of saying 'buy time,' but it was no different from telling him to walk into the lion's den.
But Rian thought that was precisely the kind of thing he was best at.
“I agree. We'll head to Jebul now. Shirone, you have to find a way, no matter what.”
“Okay. You two be careful. I'll get there as fast as I can.”
Without even a moment to watch his friends leave for Jebul, Shirone entered the tower.
A vast interior with not even a single pillar unfolded before him. The floor was made of glass, and there wasn't a speck of dust, let alone a footprint.
Relying on the memories passed down from Igirin, Peope led Shirone to a corner of the tower.
“Huh? Why is there nothing here?”
According to her memories, there was supposed to be an elevator right here. But looking around, there was no visible device.
At that moment, light seeped from a crack in the floor, then burst in a blinding flash.
Shirone looked around at the changed scenery.
They had arrived in a place where a corridor stretched out like the spine of a fish. Paths branched off to both sides every ten meters, and at the end of the corridor stood a golden iron door.
Peope turned to Shirone in front of the iron door.
“From here on is Lady Ikael's domain. As promised, I cannot enter. Angels can communicate with all beings, so you won't need me. Just in case, I'll send you the map of Jebul too.”