Atilia walked above the rooftops, stepping carefully above the tiles, not wanting to make a noise. It wasn't the first time she walked on top of someone's roof. She whispered silent apologies to the people below as she approached the girl she was looking for. She regretted the fact that even for this, she needed to ask for the help of her fellow angel. She tried searching for herself, yet after more than an hour of going from one end of the city to the other, she failed to find her.

She approached the girl, sitting down next to her. Mimiyat noticed her arrival, not that Atilia tried to hide it in the first place. She let out a breath, forming a little mist in front of her mouth. The mist floated away and disappeared into the night sky.

"You got up here, so I'm assuming you're not normal as well?" she murmured.

“... It took you this long to figure that out?”

“Most ‘normal’ outworlders took a couple of weeks to control magic to the point they could fly to places. That's assuming their gift has no relation to magic. There were exceptions, though.”

“You’re not going back? It’s pretty cold up here.” Atilia brought her hands up to her face and blew on them. Mist formed in the palm of his hand, similar to the one Mimiyat let out.

“Why do you care?”

“Because I’m your friend?”

“Friend?” Mimiyat snorted. Atilia didn’t answer. Instead, she looked up at the beautiful view beyond her. Several clouds floated freely high above. They weren’t large enough to block out the stars, albeit whether it would rain or not was a different question.

“Lasabinka’s beautiful, isn’t it? All those twinkling lights-"

"What do you want?" Mimiyat cut her off.

"You know damn well what I want."

"Say it."

"I want you to be in our party."

"Why? So I can give you all the rewards? So I can carry your group and let you get all the fame? While I rot down in the dump, known forever as the traitor?"

Atilia took a breather, trying her best to not get swept by Mimiyat’s provocation. She understood that Mimiyat went through a lot in her life. She imagined what Remy would have done had he been here. But, after she thought about it, had he been there, he probably wouldn’t be able to say anything in the first place. She looked into Mimiyat’s eyes, rising up to the challenge. Mimiyat’s gaze felt heavy, her clear blue eyes staring from under her damaged hood.

Arguing with Mimiyat wouldn’t help, so instead, she tried confirming Mimiyat’s thoughts.

"Yeah, precisely. Glory, gold, fame, who wouldn't want all that."

"And I'm just your tool?"

"If you want to be one. Or, you can be our friend. That's also an option."

"What are the benefits of being your tool? Going to get boss around?"

"Wow, that's a good idea. I'll take you up on that offer."

Mimiyat grimaced. "Heck no. You outworlders are always so arrogant."

"Really? You sure you can say that to Remy? The person who genuinely wants to help you? You do know that there's absolutely no reason we should side with you, right?"

"Tell your saint I don't need your help."

"Oh? That's unfortunate. If only my saint knew who the friend you were looking for."

Mimiyat glanced at her. Atilia let out a soft, barely audible sigh. This, too, was information she obtained from Kathy. The signs were all staring at her, the missing people posters, yet she didn’t figure it out. She needed Kathy to come and tell her. With a voice inked with the slightest bit of regret mixed with helplessness, she mentioned the name.

“Barett Kariya.”

Mimiyat reached out and took Atilia’s shoulder, slamming her down to the roof. The tiles let out an audible clack as the weight of Atilia’s body slammed onto it. The shock knocked all the thoughts about Kathy right off Atilia’s head.

“OUCH!” Atilia bit her lip, trying her best not to yell. She suffered several wounds before, like when she fell down that cave, but the suddenness of this one caught her off-guard.

"Where is he!?" Mimiyat pinned Atilia down, drilling the rough tiles into her back. If she was still an angel, it would probably be no more than some mild nuisance, but now that she’s a human, it hurt greatly.

“Let me go!” Atilia forced Mimiyat away, pulling herself back upright.

“Tell me where he is!” Mimiyat shouted, her voice floating into the empty sky. Atilia looked down to the roads. Some pedestrians looked around, surprised by the sudden shout. One of them turned their heads toward the roofs, Atilia tensed up the moment their eyes met.

But that person immediately turned away. He must have not noticed. She let out a breath of relief. The others also forgot about the shout, continuing on with their activities. Atilia then turned back to Mimiyat.

“What if I say no?”

“... I can pay.”

“Money isn’t what Remy is looking for.”

“Remy isn’t here.”

“Yeah, and I don’t have anything I want other than him. But, there is something he wanted.”

Mimiyat paused before she answered. “What is it?”

“He wanted your strength.”

Mimiyat tilted her head.

“He wanted to help your people, but he wanted to help you as well. Let’s make a deal. You join our party, we help you get to Barett, and you’ll join us in helping Juskon. I can confirm his location.”

“How do I know you’re not lying? How do I know you’re not trying to trap me?”

Atilia could only shrug in response. She didn’t want to tell Mimiyat that she asked Kathy for help. She didn’t want Mimiyat to rely on Kathy. She knew about the instability of the world if a heavenly deity came and interfered. She knew that Kathy wouldn’t risk the entire world for this one thing.

She wanted her to rely on the things she could do by herself. Atilia didn’t have any other proof, either. If she told her the specific location, Mimiyat might go and search for him on her own, defeating the entire point of this conversation.

“How many quests do I need to do before you get me to him?”

“Here’s the thing. We’re going to be heading there to help anyway, so we’ll find him pretty early on.”

Mimiyat’s eyes widened.

“No way…”

“You never visited home after he disappeared, have you?”

She said, giving Mimiyat a little hint. Mimiyat averted her gaze. “What, you think they’ll be happy seeing this traitor come home?”

Atilia shook her head. “They don’t have any other option. They’ll be happy with any help they can get. Even if not, then we can just leave.”

“... You’re not giving me any other options, are you?”

“Unfortunately, no. So?”

“Damn you.” Mimiyat turned around, looking at the distance. She let out a sigh as she counted her fingers. Atilia waited for her without questioning the point of her gesture.

After a while, Atilia asked again, “So?”

“... Fine, I’m in.”

“Alright, how about you return to the inn for the night? Meet up earlier tomorrow.”

“Whatever.” Mimiyat stood up and leaped off the rooftops. She landed in the middle of the road, surprising passersby. They didn’t pay it much mind, though, going on with their business the moment after.

“You changed a lot, Atilia.”

Atilia turned around. Kathy stood there with one of her mischievous smiles, one not fitting for an angel. It was like the smile of a big sister, one that had kindness and purity in it, but also one that enjoyed teasing their little sister.

“... Keep me updated with his exact location. If he moved, tell me his destination. I want nothing less than the exact coordinates.”

“Learn to respect privacy, will you?” She said with a little wink. Atilia thought about how annoying Kathy acted, writing a mental note to keep Remy as far as possible from her.

“So you want to help or not? If not, then tell me now, don’t go back on your words.”

“Fine, fine, I’ll help. Don’t worry, I won’t embarrass you. You owe me one, okay?”

“Whatever. Oh, by the way, is that thing you told me about her accurate? About that night?”

“I double-checked the archives. Regrettably, it wasn’t something we could stop without affecting the world. We’re lucky they managed to stop most of them. If not, who knows what would happen if those demons knew of our weakness.”

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

“You people are really bad at your job.”

“Says the guide angel.” She chuckled. “Off you go now, madam Atilia.” With a wide grin, Kathy disappeared into thin air. Atilia let out a heavy breath and jumped off the rooftops, heading for her next destination.

* ••

Atilia accompanied Mimiyat all the way back to her inn.

“Good night, Mimiyat.”

“... Night.” Mimiyat closed the door. Atilia then went back out. She walked under Lasabinka’s cold night, heading to another inn separate from the guild.

Upon entering, she asked for the name of the ambassador. The receptionist used some magic paper to contact him. The reply didn't take long. She made her way upstairs, looking at the numbers, and then found the door she was searching for.

She knocked on the door while pondering on why Natiria was still awake. Not long after she knocked, the sounds of footsteps seeped through, followed by the creaking of the door opening.

“Lady Atilia? Welcome. Please, come in.”

“Excuse me.”

It was in the middle of the night, but Natiria, the staff from the embassy, was still awake. She could only imagine how tired he must be, especially after the disaster of a meeting earlier that day. At first, Atilia wondered why he hadn’t slept yet, considering the late hour. The piles of paper on his table answered all her questions.

His inn room did look very different from an average room. It only had one single bed. Most inn rooms either had two beds, or one large bed. In this one, a work table with chairs on both sides replaced the second bed.

“Plan on settling here?”

“No. There are several things that require my attention. I just happened to run into you during my business trip, that’s all.” He noticed Atilia’s eyes looking toward his table and added, “The inn management is kind enough to provide me with this table and these chairs. It made receiving guests much easier. Feel free to sit there.”

Atilia nodded, sitting down on the chair closer to the door. Natiria walked toward another table in front of his bed, this one attached to the wall. He took a cup and poured some hot tea, its smell drifting into the air before floating toward the table. He brought it over and set it down in front of her.

“Is there something you would like to discuss?” Natiria asked with a professional-looking smile, sitting down in the chair across from her. His clear and quite cheerful face contrasted the grumpy Mimiyat she knew. The way he handled the late hour impressed her. But, to be fair, Mimiyat was more active at night. She doubted Mimiyat would be able to function properly the next day, though.

She reminded herself of the reason she went there and returned her mind to the right track. “There is, actually.”

“Is it related to the quest we offered, by any chance?”

“Yep.”

“I see. Oh, feel free to drink the tea. Don’t worry, I don’t put anything weird in there,” he said with a chuckle.

“Thank you for your hospitality.” Atilia took a sip, the drink heating up her human body, making her feel warm and fuzzy inside. It tasted sweet. He never drank anything when she was in heaven, but she did hear about all kinds of tea back on Earth. If she were to guess, she would assume that the tea served by Natiria counted as green tea, or at least this world’s equivalent of green tea.

“No worries. It’s the least I can do after that mess earlier. So, what do you want to talk about?”

“Mimiyat joined us.”

“...” It took Natiria a good three seconds to react. “Oh? So I take that as you rejecting our request?”

“Not necessarily. I managed to convince her to help out with the war. But I want you to know, if we’re joining, it’s the three of us.”

“... Sigh… look, lady Atilia, with all due respect, I have neither right, nor care for what lady Mimiyat does. I admit that I had gotten heated in our discussion earlier today. But if I were to be completely honest, I do not give a damn on whether she travels with you or not, as long as you help us with destroying the demons.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, but I must warn you. Many, and I do mean many, knights look up to her. A strong woman who stood above the people. A guardian of the night. But they were only a fraction compared to the people who hated her. Returning to Juskon will mean meeting all kinds of people. That included ones that had a less than favorable perception of her. If she joined you, I suggest you prepare yourself, both for those who will accept and adore you, and those who will reject you and outright hate you. I do not represent the entirety of my country, nor the people you will meet on your journey. Even the king himself, with all due respect, does not represent the entire country.”

“So you’re saying there won’t be a problem.”

“Officially, no. There will not. You will be going there as mercenaries, and are not tied to the rules of the knights. You just need to follow the rules set for the outworlders. It’s just… we cannot guarantee the reactions of our people, that is all. Also, there is one thing you must note about the ship.”

“And that is?”

“There will be a minimum number of quests you will need to complete before you are officially the owner of the ship. Before that, the ship will be registered as an asset owned by the Kingdom of Juskon. Some rules will apply under this state, for example, you must fly the Juskon flag at all times.”

“I kind of agree with Mimiyat on this one. Please give us the full terms.”

“I apologize for that. I will contact my superiors and will notify you of the details immediately.”

“Alright.”

“Is there anything else?”

“Nothing.” Atilia drank the remainder of the tea. “This is delicious, by the way.”

“Glad to hear that you like it. Also, thank you so much for your time.”

“Likewise.”

With that done, Atilia got out of the room. She made her way back to the guild’s inn. The temperature had dropped a bit since before, with Atilia wishing she had better clothing. Atilia created a fire in her hand, using its heat to protect herself against the cold. The warmth of the fire was something she would never be able to feel had she not come here.

She looked up at the sky. Stars shone high above, stars that she would have never seen had she not come into this world. She felt really lucky that Remy decided to pick her. Living in this beautiful world and having someone precious to her, was so much of a blessing. She always wanted to explore the world, but she never expected it to be this great.

Living with Remy, standing at his side as they explored this new life together, it was truly exciting. A lot more fun compared to checking the life history of people, repeating that same process over and over again. She earned her freedom, along with someone precious to her.

I wonder what he’ll feel if I’m the one to disappear? Maybe I should ask him sometime.

“Hey.”

Mimiyat’s voice came to her ears. Atilia turned around, stopping in her tracks as she waited for her to catch up.

Guess she didn’t actually fall asleep.

Once Mimiyat caught up, the two began walking together.

“You went to meet with the diplomat?”

“He said he’s sorry for letting his emotions run wild.”

“I don’t care about that part.”

“He said that a lot of people look up to you.”

“... and?” Mimiyat’s tone changed into one of surprise. Atilia expected a refutal, but it didn’t come.

“But there’s a lot of people that hate you as well. We should prepare ourselves if we want to enter Juskon with you.”

“... This is so frustrating.”

“I already know the location of Barett, so if the question is when we’ll get to him, well, not long after we arrive. But, at the end of the day, these people are your people, right? Are you sure you don’t want to help them?”

Mimiyat clenched her fist.

“You do, don’t you? You hated all the people that abandoned you. The knights that kicked you out, the people that forced you to follow their way of living, but you still regret that night, did you not?”

The night when two thousand soldiers died.

* ••

Kathy had told her about it. Mimiyat was among the youngest of the soldiers who fought on the front lines. The youngest in the High Magic Knights. She was transferred from the High Magic Knights into a regular unit after more outworlders came. When she first joined the regular army, her commander saw her as an undisciplined child who did nothing but laze around all day.

She would skip out on her day activities. Not attending meetings or ceremonies, not doing weapon maintenance, skipping out on training, all to sleep in her tent. Even when she was in the field, her commander would often find her asleep, standing there with her eyes closed. At first, her commander let her go with a warning, which became stricter with every passing day. Eventually, she was forced to guard camp outside in the night as a punishment. This wasn’t really a problem, as she was used to being awake at night. If anything, this was preferable.

Demons' attacks would come every now and then. Instead of warning the camp and sounding the alarm, she would dispatch them herself. Quick and efficient, a truly powerful warrior. Instead of earning her praise, this only resulted in more trouble. She simply didn’t have the energy to keep up in the mornings, especially after all the demon attacks happening in the night. So, her commander, blissfully unaware of what she did, would punish Mimiyat countless times. Mimiyat received scornful glares from both her peers and the people of the camp, thinking of her as this lazy girl who only slept all day.

They remained like that until that fateful spring day, exactly two years ago. She had a massive argument with her commander, unable to hold it anymore. After a huge fight, the words came out of her commander’s mouth. She wasn’t needed. She was dishonorably discharged from her unit, expelled, forced to go through the rough road connecting the front lines and the closest town all on her own, with very limited supplies.

That very night, two thousand men died in the largest demon attack that camp had ever seen.

* ••

Mimiyat gritted her teeth. She opened her mouth, yet no voice came out.

“Mimiyat?” Atilia looked at her, confused.

“I… I! I… How- Argh!” She held her head in frustration. Atilia swung her arms around her back, pulling her into her embrace.

“Look, it’s not your fault, alright?”

“It’s not- But, had I not-”

“That attack in particular is much larger than the ones you faced on your own. Had you been there, you wouldn’t be here with us.”

“But…” tears began streaming down her cheeks. Atilia pulled Mimiyat’s head into her chest, allowing her tears to flow. She covered her with her hands, protecting her from the cold.

“It’s not your fault. It’s not your fault.” She repeated and repeated into her ears.

“How do you know!? You’re not even there!”

“Ah, right. You have a point.”

“If you’re going to say all that, at least commit to it!”

What could I say? Like seriously, what could I say? ‘I’m an ex-angel’ should I say that? Would she even believe it? What if she asked for proof?

Atilia would rather keep that fact a secret. Saying that she used to be an angel wouldn’t help, either, as not much of her powers remained with her. And the powers that remained couldn’t be used anyway. She also disliked the idea of relying on Kathy for every possible thing. Kathy was threading a thin line as well. One mistake and everything would come tumbling down. There would be a time when Kathy wouldn’t be able to help. How would things be at that point? It frustrated her greatly. She wanted to help, she wanted to be able to do something.

Trying to help Mimiyat was one of the few things she could do, but even at that, she struggled. At that moment, she could only lightly pat her back, letting her cry her tears out. Atilia’s dress became wet, but Atilia fought the slight discomfort. Instead, she hugged Mimiyat, pulling her tighter. Mimiyat’s tears continued streaming down. The two caught the attention of passersby, luckily not too many of them since they were in the dead of night. Atilia ignored all of them, instead looking at the beautiful night sky.

“I… It’s my fault! If I don’t exist-”

“More people would’ve died.”

Mimiyat’s words got caught in her breath. Atilia looked back down toward Mimiyat, caressing her hair. She liked it when Remy did that to her, and she could only hope Mimiyat enjoyed it as well.

“Look, Mimiyat, calm down, alright?”

“I- You never experienced something like this. You won’t understand.”

Yes, she was right. Atilia never experienced anything like this. But she did witness many humans go through this. Regretting mistakes they made, why they didn’t do this, why they didn’t do that. Telling them that they couldn’t change the past was easy. Asking them to accept that past and move on was much, much harder.

“Mimiyat, calm down. You’re right, I never experienced what you experienced, but I can confidently say that whatever you do, you can’t change your past. You can, however, move forward. Those people are knights. They sacrificed their lives so the people of Juskon can live in peace. You can honor their sacrifice by not making the same mistake, not running away from your troubles. Back then, you were alone. This time, you’re with me and Remy. We’ll back you up.”

“You’ll just abandon me. Like them.”

“Even now, we didn’t abandon you, right? Even now, I came looking for you on that rooftop, right? I promise, we won’t. As long as you want us, we’ll stick with you throughout Juskon. We won’t let people remember you as a traitor.” Atilia lifted Mimiyat’s face, and wiped the tears off.

“We’ll find Barett together, and we’ll prove that their deaths aren’t your fault. You’re not a traitor.”

“I… I…” Mimiyat averted her eyes, before nodding ever so slightly. “Okay.”

Holding her hand, Atilia escorted Mimiyat back to the inn.