Chapter 14

What would Jesus do? No, seriously, what would he do in this situation? I’m at a total loss.

Even in this cold, dimly lit grey room, I feel strangely warm and at ease. It’s hard to explain, but there’s this glow of goodness and holiness washing over me… but there’s a slight touch of… superiority?

I’m not exactly a spiritual person, but… it’s scary how much an aura can influence people. And I know I’m not crazy because I can literally see the aura in front of me!

The source of that glow is the next guest of honor. Her golden, gentle gaze falls upon me even if she doesn’t have any pupils. She has an ornate white dress with yellow gems inside. There’s no wind in here, but her long blonde hair somehow gently floats.

“Pleasure to meet thee, human~,” The woman says as she gently places a hand on her chest over her heart. She lowers her shoulders and slightly tilts her head, all with the same smile and gaze. “To what do I call thee?”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out. My heart thumps loudly as my mind scrambles.

… I should’ve listened to Cruz. Apparently, this woman was quite cooperative when turning herself in. Way too cooperative. Cruz is definitely worried about her intentions but is probably confident that I- or rather Varialax can deal with any shenanigans…

I just hope we don’t have assassination attempt two.

“M-Monarch. My name is Monarch.” I say with a slightly shaky voice.

“A monarch?” The woman gasp as she brings her hand up to her mouth. “Of what kingdom? Goddess Sephora has ensured all kingdoms and empires know of her presence.”

“Oh! N-no, I’m not an actual king,” I explain with my hands. “I-it’s just my name.”

“Ah. I understand.” The woman relaxes with her smile. “To think even the names are unique… and your unusual attire would be strange for royalty.”

I get that a hoodie and sweatpants aren’t exactly the most formal, but she didn’t have to do me like that. I open my mouth to retort, but…

“I… literally can’t say anything bad about you,” I say with my head down.

“Ufufu… what a charming human.” She says as she laughs, bringing her hand up to her mouth.

“…You say that like you’re not human,” I say, probing. I know what she is, but I need confirmation.

“It is, as the humans say, ‘obvious,’ no?” The woman says to me. “I am a humble angel of the Goddess Sephora.” She says with a gleeful tone.

I desperately resist the urge to ask her if it hurt when she fell from heaven, but smited by holy light does not sound like a pleasant way to go.

“Don’t have to tell me twice…” I say, chuckling. “Although… I expected you to look a bit… different?”

The angel closes her eyes and smiles at me. She leans forward a bit before a glow shines from her back. Just as quickly as she opens her eyes, two white feathered wings flip out and stretch in all of their glory. A rush of wind hits me as I try to calm down Varialax.

“Does this suffice?” She asks as she puffs out her chest.

“Ok, that’s awesome,” I say, pointing at her. “But… I meant more like….

I try to phrase my words carefully.

“I thought you would have… maybe four to six wings? Possibly four faces? Perhaps numerous eyes attached to wheels that would be orbiting your-”

The angel stands up and slams her hands on the table, causing a sudden startle to fly through me. The chair falls to the ground with a sharp clang. Her eyes widen as her breathing becomes much more frantic.

“WH-WHERE HAS THY GATHER SUCH KNOWLEGE?” She practically screams at me as I lean back, attempting to gain distance. “Only those who have ascended to the celestial realms of Langit would-”

Just as I’m weighing my options as Varialax analyzes her, the angel completely stops all motion. Her head emits a bright yellow aura for a brief moment. A moment of silence passes before the angel finally opens her mouth again.

“...But- lady Seph-...” The angel spouts as she takes a step back. Her eyes stare into blankness as she looks at no one in particular. “I… yes. I understand.”

The angel then turns her attention back toward me, and gives a slow bow.

“Forgive this lowly angel for her sudden outburst, Monarch.” She says in a soft, meek voice.

I stare at her with a raised eyebrow as she picks up her chair and sits again. The glow from her head… Then suddenly changing her tone…

Did she…

“Did you… just talk to someone?” I ask, tilting my head.

“Indeed.” She says, nodding her head. “Goddess Sephora has appropriately reprimanded my behavior.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” I say, shaking my hands. “So, like, you’re in direct contact with her? Like, right now?”

“Indeed. The Goddess sees and hears all.” She says with a smile.

If what she’s saying is true, then…

We could be dealing with a literal DEITY.

…I get the feeling I shouldn’t bring up anything else about Earth's religion and mythology, lest I want to start a holy war.

“You need not fear, Monarch, for the Goddess is quite intrigued and pleased with these new humans.” She explains as she claps her hands together.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

“Pleased with us?” I ask, raising both of my eyebrows. She responds, nodding.

“Goddess Sephora has witnessed the meticulous and effective labor of purging impure creatures and lesser beings across these newfound lands.” She explains. "She had commanded the realms of Sunder to follow suit, yet they remain entwined with creatures of lesser stature, whether due to misguided fondness or servitude."

I don’t like where this is going.

"However, the nations of Earth... your people did not falter! To eliminate with such discernment and proficiency... Langit is greatly impressed!" She says, almost swooning.

Did… did she just tell me that my nation is committing genocide? And that her nation and Goddess APPROVES of that?

Well, I mean, it’s not like it’s an ACTUAL genocide, right? All of those creatures and monsters landed on our planet! A good chunk of them have been attacking humans on sight! They’re invasive! Plus, just their mere presence could have massive effects on our ecosystem, right? The extinctions that could happen…

But also… it’s not like they know any better, right? If the fantastical animals are anything like our animals, they are probably just scared, confused, and probably hungry, right? They don’t deserve to die over that. I’m sure most of them didn’t ask to merge with Earth. But what can we do about it? Especially when they’re actively hurting us?

And what about the humanoid creatures? Are they sentient? Is this angel any more or less conscious than the goblins, orcs, and ogres those soldiers ran into? And who knows what else is out there!

…I don’t know. I guess in the end, all we can do is defend ourselves and try to restore world order until we figure things out.

“…Let’s continue with the interro- interview.” I say with my head down. “So, what exactly is ‘Langit’ anyway?”

I lean in as she starts to respond. The word ‘Langit’ has been mentioned at least once by every “Sunderer” I’ve talked to. As expected, her face lights up with pure radiance.

“Ah, yes! The land of absolute excellence! The abode of all that is virtuous and all that gleams with brilliance!" She starts to proclaim while clasping her hands together. “To sit above all to govern and observe! That is the role of a Goddess and her servants!”

…Yep. That’s about what I thought. I guess I should move on with Cruz’s request. I take out a tablet and navigate to the map of the new continents. I spin it around on the table and slide it toward the angel.

“Is it safe to assume this looks familiar to you?” I ask.

“Of course! That is unquestionably all of Sunder… but how did you achieve such precision in your map? Did you possess prior knowledge of our world?" She asks as her head tilts. I shake my head in response.

“Apparently, this picture was taken a few hours ago, and quite frankly, we’re still trying to figure out what the heck we’re looking at,” I explain.

"Ahh, behold, the celestial realm of Langit." She says, pointing at a golden cluster of islands on the map.

I figured that was Langit. Hard not to with the way she was worshiping it. But Cruz suspects more.

“The islands are lovely, for sure… But…” I say, prepping her and myself. “We couldn’t help but notice… According to the satellite imagery, none of these islands have beaches. Are the elevations of the islands extremely high or something?”

"I do not fully comprehend your reference to ‘satellite’ imagery, but the islands do not possess shores, for they gracefully levitate in honor of the Goddess."

…What.

“I-I’m sorry, you said they… um…”

“They float above all other nations.” The angel explains. "Take all the time you need, Monarch. I have heard that this can be quite challenging for humans to fathom."

My heart rate increases as I try to compose myself. It-it doesn’t make any sense! How can an entire landmass just float?! Are the islands metallic or something and their ocean floor just a giant magnet?!

“To sit above all to govern and observe! That is the role of a Goddess and her servants!”

…Good Lord, she was being literal.

“...May I know how?” I ask with a shaky voice.

“The Goddess wills that they float… So they float.” The Angel explains with a sweet smile on her face.

…I don’t think I’m going to get a scientific explanation out of her. I need to change the subject before my understanding of geology is completely uprooted.

Let’s see… Cruz’s suspicions about the island are confirmed. She also wanted to know if she has any superiors. I think we have a clear answer on that as well… Well, as clear as we’re going to get.

I think we’re done here…

Although…

I cross my arms and look up to the ceiling for a moment.

…There IS something I want to try. It shouldn’t cause a holy war…

I hope.

“You know,” I start, relaxing my shoulders and slightly chuckling. “We’ve been at this for a minute now, talking about Ms. Goddess Sephora and Langit… but I don’t even know your name. Mind filling me in?”

The angel, for once, falls completely silent. She widens her eyes for a brief moment as she recoils but narrows them as she tilts her head and leans in. The silence continues to fly by before I decide to break it.

“Do…Do you not have one?” I ask, raising an eyebrow.

“...Eleftheria.”

Yeah, that’s not happening.

“That’s a little hard for me to pronounce. Mind if I just call you Ellie?” I ask her.

“...For what reason do you inquire about my identity? Your focus should lie in what I represent, Monarch.” She says with a neutral look on her face.

“Is it so wrong for me to get to know the angel in front of me? Encounters like this don’t happen every day, you know.”

She goes silent again for a moment before looking down. I’m about to say something, but a quick flash engulfs her head. Then, Ellie raises her head.

“...What a soft, pleasant soul you possess, Monarch.” She looks me straight in the eyes as she speaks.

“Th-thanks? I try… I guess.” I say as she gets up from her chair and walks toward me. She then kneels to my level and slowly yet calmly offers me her hands.

“You are injured, yes?” She says as she continues to stare at me. “I shall fix that.”

“...Am I that bad at hiding it?” I say as I squirm in my chair while I recall the assassin. I may have been wearing armor, but F=ma didn’t care. These bruises…

Just how strong is she anyway?

Ellie shakes her head at me before before responding. “Goddess Sephora sees and notices all.”

My heart rate increases as I gaze at her hands, eyes, and then the one-way mirror…

Nothing happens. Not even Varialax is doing anything.

…Well if Varialax isn’t freaking out, it’ll probably be fine… right? Plus, these bruises are REALLY starting to hurt.

“Do not be afraid. I would not injure you further.” She says as she continues looking at me.

Slowly and reluctantly, I hover over her hands, hesitating momentarily before finally landing in her soft hands. Just as I do, she gently grips me as a golden glow forms on me—specifically, the places where the bruises are.

The longer we hold hands, the weaker the pain gets until eventually it's gone.

But she doesn’t release me just yet. This whole time, she hasn’t taken her eyes off me once.

“I implore you to remember these words, Monarch.” She says as she stares at me. "The power you have just experienced came not from me but through the divine intention of the Goddess. Only the angels of Langit carry inherent righteousness, yet humans can still acquire the virtue. But only if…"

She finally lets go of me and stands up once more.

"I pray that one day, you shall ascend as an angel, O Monarch."

Well, I’m not sleeping tonight.