Chapter 27
Chapter 27
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 27
Chapter Title: 2-1. The Great Archangel Michaela of the Sun
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“Hoo.”
I let out a light breath.
It calms me a bit. Good, let’s go.
A massive door swung open, and as I stepped inside, a fantastical realm like a magical world unfolded before me.
The grand audience chamber, decorated in Rococo style, featured an artificial sun floating beautifully, casting its glow. And atop the high throne sat Michaela, her six golden wings draped elegantly as she looked down at me.
Her throne had no backrest, likely to accommodate her enormous wings.
The most striking feature of Michaela’s appearance was her softly shimmering blonde hair, which graded into orange at the ends like a blazing sun. Her long straight hair had waves only at the scarlet tips, emphasizing her elegance.
Her straight, elegantly upturned nose seemed to reflect her towering self-esteem. Her temptingly full breasts and long, slender legs boasted a sensual femininity.
Yet, as if God had granted her this perfect form, He had also bestowed an overwhelming presence that left no room for mere admiration of her beauty.
Even the boldest person would find it hard to speak to her.
In fact, no one was around her.
Not even a maid or attendant in sight.
Thus, Michaela appeared like the incarnation of the sun itself.
Beautiful, yet impossible to gaze upon directly.
She was the complete opposite of Metatron, who occasionally revealed innocent, childlike sides.
It was strange, really.
Despite how unapproachable this great archangel seemed, thousands flocked to her side, while the surprisingly gentle Metatron had not a single soul nearby.
“I greet the exalted one. I am Yu Je-a, leader of the Black Hyena Team. Thank you for granting me your time.”
“Welcome. I am Michaela. Feel free to raise your head and look upon me. If you can, that is.”
At her words, I risked a bit of rudeness, scanning her with an observant gaze.
A small mole under her eye caught my attention. And her sparkling pink lips suited her perfectly. Michaela smiled brightly at my demeanor.
“What an amusing child. Do I not frighten you?”
“Of course you do. But thanks to the protection of the Great Archangel of the Sun, my sister and I live peacefully.”
“Oh? Is that so.”
“My sister and I are citizens of Anyang. How could we not be grateful to you, Lady Michaela.”
Michaela smiled softly, clearly pleased. Was my line that good? It didn’t seem special.
Apparently, no one spoke to her this way.
“You’re the first to flatter me so openly, Yu Je-a. You’ve got some nerve.”
Sui-el chided me from the side. According to her, no one in the Michaela family—kin or servant alike—dared speak properly to their master. High-ranking hunters moved only at her command, and even they never approached her warmly.
This made me rethink the idea that the Michaela family was arrogant and haughty like her. Actually, every angel I’d met differed greatly from the rumors.
“I don’t know why my children dislike me so. I love and cherish them…. Just a few days ago, I invited Yuna and Eun-ji for tea, and they made excuses to refuse.”
Yuna and Eun-ji must be Radiant Oh Yu-na and Annihilation Oh Eun-ji, the sisters.
Both were Rank-1 high hunters, practically the faces of the Michaela family.
Even Rank-1 hunters feared her? Her charisma was too much.
High charisma helped, but at Michaela’s level, it became a problem.
Like the sun, people gathered around her but kept their distance. Step too close, and you’d go blind or burn.
“Yet you find even this me untroubling. How intriguing, King of Hyenas.”
Honestly, it wasn’t without pressure.
Each word from her pressed on my spirit. And gazing at her sun-like beauty made my heart ache.
Moderation was key—you could handle just the right amount.
Yet somehow, I felt only a manageable burden.
Why? Two reasons came to mind.
First, I was used to solar power.
Thanks to the SS-rank Sun God’s shield. I’d fired off solar flares with it endlessly. That must’ve acclimated me to the sun. Plus, its original owner, the Sun God Oz, dwarfed even Michaela.
Second, my encounters with Metatron.
Thanks to the time loop, I’d met that extraordinary being multiple times. I’d grown somewhat accustomed to archangels.
Those two factors probably kept me relatively calm.
“It’s fine. More than that, it’s like….”
“Like?”
“You shine brightly, Lady Michaela, but you seem lonely.”
“Are you pitying this body?”
“No, how could I dare toward a great archangel. I just mean everyone needs someone to share tea with.”
“You turn words well.”
Michaela laughed amusedly, then addressed Sui-el.
“To show pity even to a great archangel. Sui-el, why bring such an entertaining child only now? And a 1.5 trillion draw, no less.”
“Don’t remind me, Lady Michaela. I really cried then.”
Light banter about that incident ensued, creating a relaxed mood. Her attitude had softened— the initial probing was over.
It wasn’t some deliberate test or mind game.
She just wanted a basic read on who she’d negotiate with. Nothing interrogative in her words.
Her presence might make it seem otherwise to others, but she’d simply spoken kindly and gently. To those intimidated, it might seem exaggerated, but to me, it felt natural.
“Shall we get to business properly now?”
Michaela clapped, and we moved elsewhere in an instant. The surroundings reconfigured.
Tea, cookies, and bread sat on the table.
Sui-el lit up and started eating. Even in front of her superior.
Nom nom.
“Hohoho. Sui-el, eat slowly, dear.”
Michaela even gently stroked her head.
That sight revealed Sui-el’s place with her. Sui-el was one of the rare few unafraid of Michaela. To her, Sui-el must be utterly adorable.
Touching her, Michaela looked as warm as the spring sun.
“Now, Sui-el seems busy eating, so let’s talk just us. A time loop, you say? Tell me everything. If it’s true, I can discern it.”
I calmly laid it all out.
From start to finish. Michaela even marveled at the Sun God’s shield.
“I can hardly believe it. It belongs to one far above me. Yes, the energy within could indeed trap you in a time loop.”
With all the evidence, she nearly accepted the time loop.
“But no definitive proof? One more, and it’d be certain.”
Hm, say it? Or not?
There was one decisive piece.
But revealing it would shatter Metatron’s dignity.
Tough call. Spill it, and she might kill me—not as an enemy, but for Metatron. Still, shouldn’t Metatron abandon her false tools and reveal her true self? Size didn’t matter. Shape and firmness did.
I nearly blurted out “pad” but held back.
“Isn’t this enough?”
“Well, I suppose so.”
Luckily, Michaela was convinced.
“Metatron… I wondered what she was up to, and she was suffering in Noryangjin. Anyway. So, what do you want from me? You came for something—speak.”
I began earnestly presenting the ideas I’d organized beforehand, one by one.
***
“What! You met Michaela! Are you insane!”
Metatron was now screaming.
In full rage, she was like an uncontrollable beast. I felt like a trainer facing a suddenly rebellious animal. My heart raced, but I kept a cool facade.
“I’m perfectly sane.”
“And you went to her holy site!”
“Yes, your Noryangjin holy site will play the role of Rhodes Island.”
“Rhodes Island? You mean the Knights of Saint John?”
Angels had studied European history when crafting their images. They knew it inside out. The Knights of Saint John had based on Rhodes Island, tormenting the Ottoman Empire. Their perfect fortress and narrow straits let six warships dominate the seas.
To the Ottomans, they were a thorn in the throat, forcing Suleiman the Magnificent through endless toil to expel them.
Their piracy against Islam was so fierce, Rhodes was called a devil’s nest.
“I want Noryangjin’s holy site in that position.”
“Rhodes was an island. This is central Seoul.”
“Metatron. If it’s not an island, make it one.”
“What?”
“A great archangel surely has that power. If you’ve lost yours, Michaela will help.”
“Who said I’d ally with that woman! And where would that massive energy come from? It’d take tens of trillions in mana.”
Rage had narrowed her vision completely. Past issues restrained her, preventing full use of her abilities.
“Energy? I have plenty. One Grand Lord-grade magic stone and three Lord-grade ones. That’s enough to turn Noryangjin into an island. The Han River’s waters will flow here, forming a natural moat. We’ll relocate nearby buildings for sturdy walls. Thus, Noryangjin becomes an impregnable fortress island.”
“Impossible….”
Metatron trembled lightly.
“Really impossible? Michaela promised aid.”
“How can you trust her! Abandon her own holy site to move? That Michaela?”
It was indeed a hard decision.
Angels couldn’t fight monsters directly, sending hunters instead, for reasons.
Holy sites blocked monster southward advances.
Remove one, and monsters would swarm that direction.
Monsters lingered in Seoul only because paths forward were blocked. Clear a holy site, and instinct would draw hordes.
A wave—the nightmare everyone feared—would likely occur.
Reestablishing a halted holy site wasn’t simple. Like months of unsaved work lost when the computer shuts off.
Worse, actually.
So when I asked her to come to Noryangjin, she agonized deeply.
But I persuaded relentlessly.
Mentioning the gains of Metatron rejoining the archangel ranks.
“That woman won’t upend her holy site for free to aid me. What does she want?”
“Michaela’s demands are simple. You reclaim a holy site as an archangel. And allocate part of the new Noryangjin site to her. That’s it.”
I’d advised Michaela to leverage the situation fully. Use the holy site anomaly to trap monsters.
Turn the wave into a death march for them. At my words, Michaela smiled delightedly—chillingly, dangerously so. I couldn’t help raising my guard against her.