Chapter 144
Chapter 144.
'When father said he was coming with that person, I had a suspicion......'
When father referred to 'that person', the only being that came to mind was an angel.
I wondered how he planned to come together with an angel.
But after finding out that his companion was actually Father Esteban.
Though I did have doubts whether he wasn't coming with an angel after all.
'So angels could descend into priests like this.'
Lee Ganghan looked at Esteban, who had an angel descended into him.
Still flickering with eyes made of light.
Esteban was radiating an intense aura.
He looked at Lee Ganghan and slowly opened his mouth.
[Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan, you have truly done well all this time. Thanks to your achievements, humanity's destruction has been postponed.]
"Thank you for your words."
[Not only did you survive against a Transcendent, but I never expected you to achieve victory against him. Even if the Orc Transcendent was careless, the victory is entirely your merit.]
"That's......"
[And earning Son Goku's recognition was also excellent. The achievement reward you gained then certainly extended this world's lifespan.]
"Ah...... yes......"
[Not participating in the Transcendent vote was also a good judgment. Despite being able to win sufficiently in the vote, you withdrew for humanity's sake. You willingly gave up private gain for the public good. It's regrettable that I couldn't become your Constellation.]
Before Lee Ganghan could say anything about being grateful for each word.
Angel Kael poured out praise like a machine gun.
"Oh my, what words of such......"
Rather than the person receiving the praise.
Lee Junil standing beside him was feeling more embarrassed and didn't know what to do with himself.
"As for the Transcendent vote, well, I had alternatives so I did that......"
Recalling the Transcendent's Proof he gained when his Divine Power reached 5, Lee Ganghan answered thus.
[Did you obtain Divine Power from that place?]
"That place being......"
[The First Tower.]
Angel Kael mentioned the 'First Tower'.
"Did you know about the First Tower?"
[Of course. Did you use the wing feathers well?]
When he received rewards from the angel last time.
Even though he chose the sword, the angel insisted on giving him 2 Flame Angel's Wing Feathers.
That was all given with the 'First Tower' strategy in mind.
Back then, when he asked where wing feathers would be needed.
-I would like to tell you everything if I could...... but I cannot provide more help to someone who hasn't received Constellation sponsorship. Even now, I'm already pushing the limits considerably.
The angel had said he couldn't answer in that way.
Now the restrictions seemed to have lessened somewhat.
Lee Ganghan recalled past events while answering the angel's question.
"Yes. Thanks to the wing feathers, I saved my life from the Smiling Face Demon. Thank you once again."
[Smiling Face Demon?]
At Lee Ganghan's words, the angel showed puzzlement for the first time.
[Who is that?]
"It was a being wearing a white mask with a smiling shape. An existence emanating very powerful demonic energy, appearing stronger than even the Transcendent I encountered."
[Is that so......?]
"And at that time, other beings entered as viewers, and they all recognized him."
[Hmm. A white mask with a smiling shape...... Such a demon existed......?]
"Yes. Several other race viewers said they would cancel their Occupation Reservations, not wanting to be associated with the Smiling Face Demon."
[So the reason some other races canceled their Occupation Reservations was because of that?]
"That's what I presume."
[Then that was also your achievement. Heavenly Demon Lee Ganghan's accomplishments, no amount of praise would be insufficient.]
No.
You're finding more things to praise again.
It's not like I particularly asked to be praised.
Lee Ganghan scratched his cheek and.
"May I also ask some questions?"
He decided to ask the angel about things he was curious about.
[Go ahead. I'll gladly answer what I can.]
"By any chance...... are you the Archangel Michael, Lord Kael?"
[What? How could I dare be compared to Lord Michael?]
Then Kael was greatly surprised.
[Lord Michael is the supreme commander overseeing all the lofty heavenly legions. I hold a not-so-high position even within the Flame Angel corps. If he is the sun, I am merely a firefly, so how could you make such an absurd mistake?]
He took the attitude that comparing himself to Michael was close to blasphemy.
And asked Lee Ganghan back why he had such thoughts.
"The power of the Flame Angel's Wing Feather I received last time was too strong. Plus, your authority is stronger compared to other Constellations and your name is similar, so I wondered if you might be Lord Michael."
[The wing feather's power being strong is because I usually condense my strength. And other Constellations...... Have you met Constellations?]
"Yes."
[I see. The three Aztec gods and the two war gods of Greek mythology...... You must have freed them?]
He knows everything.
When Lee Ganghan nodded.
The corner of Esteban's mouth, into whom Kael had descended, slightly twisted.
[It's not that my authority is strong, but theirs is weak.]
"Is that so......?"
[Let me ask this instead. Are there currently people who truly believe in the gods of Aztec mythology? What about Athena or Ares?]
"That's......"
There are hardly any, right?
Aztec mythology doesn't even resonate well from the name itself.
Athena and Ares are famous, but it doesn't feel like people worship them with real faith.
[In contrast, how many believe in God?]
"Well, that's......"
There's one right next to me.
"Ah. God the Father......!"
When Lee Ganghan glanced at his father who suddenly praised God.
[A Constellation's power is proportional to faith.]
Kael declared.
[Because humanity's faith in God is firm, even someone at the bottom like me can wield this much power.]
Is that so?
Well, last time the Divine Maiden ghost also said.
-Phew...... These ones had a stronger presence.
-Certainly, gods more known to people seem to be stronger.
She had said that the more famous they were, the stronger the Constellation's presence.
If faith was also reflected in a Constellation's power, then it made sense why Kael showed such strong presence.
If Christianity, Catholicism, and Islam ultimately believe in the same god.
The power of faith would be tremendously multiplied.
But.
"Hmm...... then why doesn't Heaven intervene?"
[What do you mean?]
"Well, if just a few more angels like Lord Kael helped, the current crisis situation would improve dramatically."
Right.
I don't even hope for Michael.
If just about 10 angels like Kael came to help, wouldn't the situation be much better?
In the past, being an atheist, I had the firm belief that 'where is god?'
So I didn't particularly hope for divine help.
But seeing an angel right in front of me like this.
'It seems God exists and there's a heavenly world too.'
Can't they dispatch some angels from there?
Then humanity would survive and it would be good.
At Lee Ganghan's pure question.
[......]
Kael firmly closed his mouth and.
[The descent time is over.]
Suddenly saying the descent time was over.
The light flickering in Father Esteban's eyes rapidly weakened.
'No...... what's with that timing?'
Could it be.
He doesn't want to answer the question so he's doing this?
When Lee Ganghan looked at him with a suspicious face.
[If you need more wing feathers, come to headquarters.]
Kael never answered Lee Ganghan's question to the end.
Leaving those words as his last.
He departed from Father Esteban's body.
Then.
"Owww......"
Esteban returned to normal as the light disappeared from his eyes.
He sat down on the floor and.
"What. This angel, he ran away without even answering......!?"
Immediately criticized the departed angel Kael.
***
"F-Father, such blasphemous...!"
"Blasphemous what. Tsk, I was curious too."
Pouting his lips.
"Haa. Haa...... It's tiring......"
Father Esteban, who was breathing heavily after the descent ended.
Swish.
Looked at Lee Ganghan and grinned.
"Excuse me, Heavenly Demon? Do you happen to have alcohol here?"
"Alcohol?"
"Yes. I must drink alcohol after the descent ends, you see. Oh, do you happen to have cigarettes too?"
"I'm not a smoker so no cigarettes, and alcohol too......"
I think we finished it all when my friend came last time.
When Lee Ganghan was about to check the refrigerator.
"Ah. Please wait a moment, Father. I have something I stored away before."
Lee Junil went into the main bedroom.
Not long after, he came out carrying a luxurious box.
'Was there such a thing in the main bedroom?'
Even when I thoroughly searched the main bedroom because of mother before.
I never saw such a box.
Did father hide it in an unexpected place?
When Lee Ganghan stared intently at the box.
"Ahem. Hmm. No, well. I stored this before, to drink in celebration when we found your mother. It's definitely not because I hid it so you wouldn't drink it."
Lee Junil made lengthy excuses.
You did hide it so I wouldn't drink it.
Meanwhile.
"Hennessy Paradis......? Oh god. Can I really drink this?"
Seeing the box Lee Junil brought out.
Father Esteban, who had been sitting down, suddenly got up but.
"Ah. Argh......"
His legs gave out and he sat back down on the floor.
"Of course you can drink it, Father."
"Hehe. You wouldn't let your son drink it...... That's mean, Uncle Junil?"
"Ah, it's not like that!"
At Father Esteban's point, Lee Junil denied it with a red face.
He brought the bottle and glass down to the floor.
"Then, to commemorate meeting the Heavenly Demon!"
Swish.
Esteban raised the glass high from the floor and gulped it down.
"Ooh...... I went to heaven, but I'm going to heaven again."
He showed a completely happy smile.
"Are you drinking? Uncle Junil?"
"You can drink it all."
"Really? This expensive thing? I'm really going to drink it?"
While immediately pouring more alcohol into the glass.
Lee Ganghan watched him gulp down the strong liquor and asked Lee Junil.
"Is that expensive?"
"......It's over 150."
What? That's expensive?
When my father said he ran out of money before and went to work in America.
Shouldn't he have just sold that instead of keeping it?
'Well, thanks to keeping that, the priest seems to be slowly coming alive.'
After the angel descent ended, he sat down with an even more haggard face and couldn't control his body well.
"Good, good......!"
After hastily drinking that strong liquor.
Rather, Father Esteban regained his energy and got up by himself.
"Khuh...... Would the Heavenly Demon also like a drink?"
"Drinking in broad daylight is a bit......"
"Then it's possible in the evening?"
Well, in the evening.
When Lee Ganghan nodded.
"Oh! I wish evening would come quickly!"
Esteban became even more energetic.
"Ah. Where is the bathroom......?"
"It's over there."
"Then excuse me!"
He entered the bathroom with energetic steps.
"Father."
"Hm? Ah. That alcohol really wasn't......"
"Ah. That's fine. That can happen."
"R-really?"
It's okay to hide some alcohol.
Lee Ganghan stopped his father who was suddenly entering excuse mode and.
"More than that...... is that person really a priest?"
He asked about the doubt that naturally arose when seeing Father Esteban.
To this, Lee Junil.
"He may look like that, but he really is a priest."
He continued with a bitter smile.
"Not only that...... Father Esteban is a pillar of Angels Wing."