Chapter 258: Blessing (1)
K6hRlZA sky of gray stone, a completely black sun, and a structure rising like an altar piercing both. At its summit, Kuarne rested his chin on the armrest while receiving his subordinate’s report.VT2f
NfG“The human forces engaged the golems in open field, and Lady Fermush confronted the descendant of Aaron Nibelung directly but in the end, she fell to that man. Additionally, it’s reported that this man allied with the leader of the Hero Association and used angels as if they were servants.”mCcu0
b4qThe high elf Suha didn’t dare raise her head. With her forehead pressed to the ground, she delivered the report in a trembling voice.HEsW
c2KKuarne showed no change in expression, either before or after the report. He only gazed upon the world with dull, lifeless eyes, as if they were made of inanimate matter.POX
Y8XV0yThe high elf was sweating as though pouring water. Just delivering the report was torture. The death of the Fourth Corps Commander… and given Kuarne’s origin, the subject of angels was particularly sensitive.0wL
jyD“…That man.”qvSG3b
svNKuarne murmured in a low voice. In his white pupils, half-hidden beneath snowy lashes, a void deeper than the abyss floated.arrScc
uPIjCtMOnly suffocating silence followed until the high elf’s long ears twitched. She instinctively lifted her head.mRR
Fa1CI“Hahaha!”Eik
FAKfHMSKuarne burst into laughter as he looked up at the black sun. A thick madness overflowed in his white pupils.p55Uy
XkuAZyPHe violently scratched his cheeks with both hands. Chunks of flesh peeled off like skin under his nails.Kv0NbyX
4kPgnN“…K-Kuarne, my lord…”F0kA
GP69The high elf gasped. The laughter stopped abruptly, as if it had never existed. Kuarne slowly turned toward her.JFl8MLA
cd8f“……”Acqm4Qv
GwqU“……!”Fw7Wy
5uBuThe high elf froze. She immediately began banging her forehead against the floor.rzmEjy
gH7I“F-forgive me!”LN8kr1
nVRKuarne approached slowly and crouched in front of her. The elf could only see his pale, elegant feet. She begged and begged before those long toes.W6XA
irxAJ“Do you think I’ve lost my mind?”qH8Vtv
6er79ZKuarne spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. Without lifting her head, the high elf desperately shook it.HYNR
yNFlXY“Impossible! How could I harbor such a blasphemous thought? For this humble servant, seeing my lord rejoice is the greatest glory of my lineage…”G0h1NY
RFwyweWithout responding, Kuarne extended a hand. He took the elf’s trembling chin and examined her pale face.uHfjV
BcHP“You’re injured.”LpkRH
D0W6“N-no, I’m fine…”K7F0
K3yAfT“I’m not fine seeing it, so you’re not fine.”KpHrM
is6BHis words made no sense. That was how he was. No one knew what schemes lurked in his mind.g8SdVlA
aPmAC5Z“Please… at least spare my life…”FGQy
xdXThe elf kept her gaze lowered, yet Kuarne’s face still burned into her retinas. The smile twisted by scars rose from only one corner of his mouth.4RMOg
igalZY9“Tell me, what color are my eyes and hair?”4IFhD
JZA“Purer than snow, of a radiant white…”e3tJ1O
KPMTV4At such praise, Kuarne softly shook his head.uMZgEQ
MTCK“No. From head to toe, I’m as black as that sun.”sf0iTX
rSs6xieWhat was he talking about? Cold sweat formed on the bridge of the elf’s nose. A line of blood trickled down her face from her forehead.n4rqU
n3QC3She forced a weak smile.sarRDq
4EFHW“Y-you’re right… my lord is a radiant darkness like that firm sun…”BSiq
PxfQKuarne wiped her nose with his index finger, then brought it to his mouth.luWG
Wu7l“This taste.”ycm3v
NKsyKHe sucked the finger with a wicked expression.Ku1
Oszcf“It’s the taste of a lie.”AHr
SPvG3X“My lord Kuarne, no…!”uEbt
LG8M4qThat scream was her last word. Kuarne twisted his beautiful face. A small sphere formed in the center of the high elf’s chest.1ey
9w1L“Do you know why you’re going to die here? Because, to save your own skin, you dared compare me to Him. And also.”9Rku
9tOHe looked at her with deadly coldness as her body began to unravel.AFS
UNm“You showed no proper reverence. Since when is the Almighty your friend? Insolent wretch, know your place!”Rt5K
VmxCrack.iZxbkF
PVYG0d“Your sins deserve that I kill you millions of times, but I appreciate that you sincerely mourned Fermush’s death. So I’ll give you a quick death. That will be my act of mercy.”dkv
6IA7sEven as he spoke, the high elf’s body compressed in a spiral from the center of the sphere. Her skin shriveled like a wet rag, and her bones twisted grotesquely.zPF0ZBe
piOxhfShe tried to invoke a supreme spell to resist, but the dark sphere devoured even her magic.AomK
KcYeRN0Moments later, all that remained was a perfectly round crater. That was the only trace of her existence.UJtu
vvgB“The return of the Great Lord is near.”Vzj
lks7NKuarne rose to his feet, one knee pressing the ground.Xqnrd
LyygBy“The Academy break is soon, right? Make sure my nephew comes to the Demon Territory.”VjuQe
xqzMn“We’ll dispatch someone immediately.”2BJ4ln
jCM9SymThe subordinate behind the throne, a demoness with her hands crossed behind her back, nodded. She was Kuarne’s current chief assistant and second in rank within Gehenna.OoNX2zE
U4jccq“It’s been a while since I saw him.”GOBcl
Jcn8ZQxKuarne lifted his head with a faint smile.uePiW
zMZ“My dear nephew, Leon van Reinhardt.”EDY8
HAoArHigh above in the sky, the black sun began to tilt. The gloomy shadows cast by that dark light swayed as if they were alive.tnkepw
jhGZp5***m1I
7WXsSip.ORRl
YiR3WZDThe headmistress of the Academy, Media, took a sip of black tea and looked up. In front of her, a woman who was the spitting image of herself stared back. For a moment, it was like looking into a mirror.IdRAXK5
EGleFTY‘…But unlike me, her face is well cared for. Just look at that glow on her skin.’bdp4S
c1SdXUyMedia let out a deep sigh. Her twin sister, Meain, was lounging on the sofa with a completely carefree attitude.vl7t7
IrwB“Don’t you know sighing accelerates aging? Even if you’re an ancient, you should take care of your skin. Your face’s already gone downhill since becoming headmistress.”9e5AY
XB9Media was speechless. Hearing that from someone who embodied the word “laziness” was just plain irritating.cc3b9t
sD1g“I don’t think you’re the one to be saying that… or are you, ex–head–mis–tress? What, want the job back, huh?!”aLhpNh
FJOMeain waved her hand.jiY2Wb8
cy1“Pass, pass.”qbB
7hDusoMedia mentally wrote the character for “patience” three times. She fought the urge to plant a fist into that mocking smile.1lUFz
eNR7lDC“I prefer getting paid rather than doing the paying. And honestly, being headmistress isn’t worth the workload.”Ita7L
HOZbXsD“……”g2R7i
JB1CyIt was hard to stay calm. The teacup in her hand trembled slightly. Inside her, a storm brewed in silence.ekXvx
aGY84I“The pay between an instructor and the headmistress isn’t that different, you know? After taxes, I might even earn more. The work environment’s great, super comfy. If I want a break, I send the kids off to self-study. Being an instructor is basically a paycheck heist! Of course, compared to the headmistress…”NaW7rMF
sWmd5nPMeain adjusted her glasses and raised the left corner of her mouth.BgMJe
XE198g“Call me Meain, the paycheck thief.”6yr8zF
mPVA perfect parody of a serial killer disguised as a detective. Since they were kids, Meain had been not just a master—but an artist—at annoying her younger sister.7czGNk
pjSVw“And why didn’t this great paycheck thief join the operation to hunt down Fermush, huh?”ZpnsU9
CTvTyXMedia forced a tight smile from her jaw and used her sweetest voice. Though inside, her heart pounded furiously.UXusqa
X4u“Of course I wanted to go. But Kang Geom-Ma personally asked me to supervise the Heavenly Class while he handled the Fourth Corps Commander.”YN39
nfPaV“How’s Heavenly Sword doing with the job he took on? Because if he’s not up to it, we can replace him with someone more competent. There are plenty of candidates, you know.”F2Sc
9jRidMeain motioned with her eyes toward the table in front of them.XJb
rBc“The report’s there. Read it yourself, yo-yo-yo.”VLGfaG
Jz2Media immediately opened the report. Her double-lidded eyes scanned it like they were about to devour it.C7zV
QMa7bT“Please, let there be something, just one thing.”EtjbuD
qjLHer mint green eyes moved up and down, left to right. After decades as headmistress, she had perfected the art of speed-reading.d58eDK
aUR0PR“Grades personal records individual personality profiles…”Gnd0TFn
pVxOThe report was immaculately organized by section. Perfect. Which made it all the more annoying. If at least something were lacking, she could scold her… damn it.FeJPqUY
VC4Then Media furrowed her brow slightly. She glanced away from the paper and flipped the report.sS9
3Y9jMedia asked.obtLdFW
h5jF“Leon van Reinhardt. Isn’t his growth rate a bit too fast?”4SN
NeaM31Meain, head tilted back, slowly lowered it as if she’d been waiting for that question, and nodded solemnly.slL
iuxZ“Yes. Even accounting for the fact that he’s a Hero, he’s progressing way too fast.”3MWN
McZKOl“Compared to Heavenly Sword?”9B8R
yMNd“Heavenly Sword defeated three Corps Commanders alone. Obviously Leon’s nowhere near his level yet. But…”BiCyy
VeAKNMeain leaned forward. She knocked on the back of the report as if knocking on a door.oZVl
AcrTSr“In terms of potential, he’s not behind. It’s innate—his ‘capacity as a vessel.’”BhOM
eWf“Heavenly Sword told me something once. That Leon is a nephilim. Did you already know?”VAid
TQXBeY“I suspected. But nephilim only appear in legends. Then again, we ancients are part of those too, in a sense.”hNr6VD4
VaMAs the Poison sisters talked, the air in the headmistress’s office grew colder. Even the tea lost its aroma as it cooled.PjxKwRI
Xziqf1Media drank from her cold cup to moisten her dry throat.JNiOQc7
HCA8fThen reheated it and spoke.WxM
GyIai“Alright, accepting that Leon’s from the Demon Territory is one thing. But who are his real parents? He doesn’t seem like someone who just happened to grow up there. You must have an idea.”NRvkXe1
sxcW“I don’t know who the mother is, but I’ve got a pretty clear suspicion about the father.”haUS1
ziMr3yMeain also refilled her cup. With her lips at the rim, she said.2Rpbckm
1N5Mx“Remember the fallen angels from mythological times?”cztMRy0
Ge6mP8r“Yeah. Dad used to tell us stories about them when we were little.”kAikvTq
rOwRJQThe Poison family descended from the ancients massacred by angels. They were the humans most deeply tied to mythology. So they knew the forbidden stories well.0Kf
EdWb“Angels were heaven’s representatives. Among them, the most radiant formed a group—the Grigori. That name ring a bell?”ID5
davCMedia nodded.g0vd
xSHt“Yes, I’ve heard of it.”fvyS
5vyHhY“The Grigori’s purpose was to strictly enforce the celestial gospel. In other words, heaven’s lapdogs. But powerful ones. One day, they betrayed heaven. The leader of that betrayal was Azazel, whose current name is Kuarne, the one who now rules the Demon Territory.”kyA4zmJ
THu0N“Heavenly Sword mentioned that once. Said he heard it while visiting the nephilim temple.”cWap
Dn0bbmb“I don’t know why Kuarne acts as a priest there, but he wasn’t alone. Samael, Lucifel, Sandalphon… and others. Several of the most powerful angels led that rebellion. In short, it was a coup d’état against the gods. The motive? No one really knows. And going into detail is pointless. After all, we’re talking about mythology.”0gka8qi
2ElI5pMeain moistened her lips with tea and set the cup on the table with a soft clink. Calmly, she continued.ukWtHQ
Kny“The rebellion of the Grigori ended in failure. And not just a partial one—a total failure.”3lwpi
D3CmJUP“You said you didn’t know their motive. Then how do you know the result?”pQeo
Yb9J4“I just told you. Kuarne was Azazel. If the rebellion had succeeded, do you think he’d be holed up in the Demon Territory now? And that’s not all. The reason he’s in that state is because, except for him, the Grigori were nearly wiped out. All by a single angel sent by the gods.”G0W
ZOAt2J“One angel took them all on? Is that even possible?”NHu
GS3TVMeain let out a chuckle.bpL
ikI5“Why not? Even the gods, who brushed against infinity, were nearly wiped out by a single being. The Grigori followed the same path. Kuarne, the strongest among them, was the only one able to fight on even terms, but that doesn’t change the fact that he lost.”TyvEZMt
c8ha“Then… who was that angel? And what does that have to do with Leon’s origin?”K93
zvyG“Ugh, don’t rush me. You’ve always been so impatient when you’re curious.”OCwETeY
BDWEVIV“Fine…”hCe
urRMedia lowered her voice, a bit sheepish. Meain found that look endearing and resumed the explanation.Z18tK61
Ivl“The name of God’s apostle, the supreme angel of all, Kuarne’s brother, bearer of 36 wings… is Metatron (מטטרון).”NrULQbc
ANxCFz7Meain paused briefly before continuing.wND
RbBAN“Leon is a descendant of Metatron.”yhuu
9qZhNm***VoqfT
ybY4ONRyozo and Abel spoke to me at the same time.U0k
oFH“Choose me or her.”VBnzSeR
kGeM“Choose me or her.”TfJnh
dKLrDSame phrase, eyes narrowed with fury, lips pursed. To top it off, their cheeks pressed together while they shot me that perfectly synchronized sharp glare. Not even rehearsed choreography could match that.xi8EyC
R0XFAEAnyway.DyPI
p8II just got out of the hospital and I’m already in this mess.2lIevmD
f6EThe chaos started a day ago.n9ekex
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BlackLotus
Qi RefinementLore dump of leon finnally.
Hell yeah, now the tension arises, Ryozo or Abel?
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaChoose Both.
Haimiya_cutie.
MahayanaI’m not even surprised anymore.