Chapter 157: She gaze down from the Heaven

The Heaven and the Underworld. And beneath them, the endlessly sinking abyss.

The Underworld does not remain confined to a single domain. Like a cascade of dominoes, it layers upon itself, expanding infinitely across countless dimensions.

However, there is only one Heaven and one Abyss.

The endless pathways of the Underworld lead to but a single Heaven —and the Abyss.

Seranariel, she who gaze down from the Heaven.

Even now, with a omniscient eyes she watches over the Underworld.

Guiding the poor lambs so they do not stray down the wrong path—that was the duty of the Watcher.

Preventing the demons that wriggled out of the Abyss like maggots from spreading their festering plague upon the world—that too was her role.

And yet, recently, she had acquired a small pastime.

As one who bore the title of Watcher, her days were monotonous and tiresome. But then, she found herself intrigued by a certain girl.

“How devoutly she prays.”

Resting her chin on her hand, Seranariel narrowed her eyes and let out a faint smile.

Her ears were constantly filled with the voices of thousands, their prayers flowing ceaselessly into her.

Prayer—the only means by which the lambs of the Underworld could communicate their will to a higher existence.

Those who prayed with desperation.

Those who prayed with ambition.

Those who prayed through pain.

By listening to their prayers, she naturally came to understand the flow of the Underworld. In that regard, prayer was a rather useful tool.

“Most prayers are merely pleas for the hopes one harbors in their heart.”

The prayers of the Underworld’s denizens were always the same—pleas born from their deepest desires.

Even the saintess she had chosen prayed each day for the safety and peace of others.

It was not an unpleasant thing. Guiding all toward a righteous path was, after all, her divine mission.

However, such prayers rarely held anything special.

Then, one day, a particular girl’s prayer reached her ears.

A soul as pure as fresh snow—

Yet its outer shell was tattered and torn, as if it had been mercilessly slashed apart.

To be reduced to such a state… surely, she had suffered misfortune so cruel that even her soul had been wounded.

[Ah… Hello, Goddess… Are you listening to my prayer?]

And so, Seranariel naturally assumed that this girl, too, would pray for her own happiness.

[You know, Goddess, just being able to pray to you right now makes me so happy.]

Yet her prayer was not a plea for anything.

[I want to pray to you every single day…! Though, of course, I know you wouldn’t like that…]

The girl felt happiness simply from the fact that she could pray.

There was neither desperation nor desire in her voice.

Only the joy of being able to convey her words filled her.

Just the fact that there was someone to listen to her story allowed the girl to experience the emotion called ‘happiness.’

[I think… I’m happy.]

It was the truth.

If it had been a lie, her eyes would have seen through it immediately.

It was baffling. While the standards for happiness vary from person to person, this girl’s threshold was far too low.

The girl spoke about her daily life.

What she had eaten that day, the conversations she had, the emotions she had felt.

They were truly trivial stories.

Yet, those seemingly meaningless tales managed to pique Seranariel’s interest.

[Hello, Goddess…! I’ve come to pray again today. Hehe…]

And so, a day, two days, three days passed.

Without missing a single day, the girl devoted half of each day to prayer.

[I really missed you, Goddess…! To be honest, I wanted to pray to you since last night…]

‘When had it started?’

At some point, Seranariel found herself listening to the girl’s prayers with a faint smile on her lips.

[When I first heard about you, Goddess, my heart pounded with excitement! To think that you listen to all of our prayers from the heavens… You’re truly amazing!]

‘Amazing, huh.’

‘It was simply my duty.’

[Sometimes, I wonder… I’m such an insignificant person, would you really listen to someone like me…?]

‘Do not worry, child.’

‘I am listening to you well.’

[Being able to pray to you makes me so happy… Really, thank you for existing.]

‘No, that’s a bit much…’

[I really… really like you, Goddess…]

‘A-hem.’

[Hehe, I like you. I really do, Goddess.]

‘…Hmph.’

‘When had it begun?’

At some point, the girl’s voice had become a source of joy.

Casual chatter interwoven with her daily prayers.

The way she whispered shyly in a voice that tickled with yearning was quite endearing.

Moreover, the color of her soul was impeccably pure. So untainted and innocent—how could she not be lovable?

When I leave this world later, I must keep them by my side.

It is also the Watcher’s role to gather the good and make them angels, in order to make the world a better place.

If so, then that child surely has enough value to remain by my side.

[I came again today, Goddess…! I’m later than usual, right? I’m sorry.]

Well, I did wait. But you need not worry too much.

[Actually, I moved to Lady Viviana’s estate this time. Because of that, I missed my usual departure time this morning.]

Even after moving, they still came to the temple. What a truly diligent child.

[Ah, Goddess, you don’t know who Lady Viviana is, do you?]

A voice as lovely as birdsong. I was softly humming along as I listened to that voice.

[You see… this is a secret, okay…?]

Seranariel quietly smiled and listened attentively.

It was the only joy she experienced in her otherwise monotonous days.

However, unfortunately, not everything that came to her was simply joyful.

[Lady Viviana is the person I have a crush on…!]

…Twitch.

Seranariel’s eyebrows twitched ever so slightly.

The smile lingering on her lips slowly faded.

[I’ve never told anyone before, but… actually, in my past life, I was a man. And Lady Viviana is exactly my ideal type…]

Viviana.

She knew who that was.

A woman who once roamed the battlefield for years alongside her own apostle.

Right now.

In this very cathedral, where her power was strongest.

That woman lay beside the girl, eyes closed.

It must be her.

“Ideal type, you say…”

Indeed, in the Underworld, she possessed beauty that could be considered near the pinnacle.

But that was merely within the standards of the Underworld.

To think they would call such a face their ideal type.

The pure-hearted child was kind to a fault, but unfortunately, they seemed to lack discernment in beauty.

[I can’t tell you how happy I am to be by her side!]

It was not a welcome story.

For some reason, she wished the girl would talk about something else.

And perhaps that wish was granted, as the girl soon moved on to another topic.

She spoke of the engraving carved into her lower abdomen.

And the one who engraved that mark was none other than Seranariel’s apostle.

From earlier, her body had been trembling faintly.

“Was that mark the reason why?”

It might have been beneficial to the body, but she couldn’t help but think that the apostle who had carved such a mark had quite the peculiar personality.

[I’m planning to ask Lady Viviana for help later!]

Flinch—

Once again, the observer’s eyes narrowed.

She couldn’t understand why the name ‘Viviana’ kept being mentioned.

Of all times, wasn’t she engaged in a conversation with her right now?

And hadn’t she repeatedly expressed her fondness for her?

Yet, at the same time, was she harboring feelings for someone else?

A little—no, quite a bit—of displeasure welled up inside her.

[Ah, I should get going now, Goddess… My legs keep twitching…]

The girl’s body trembled.

Something about her presence exuded a provocative energy, and in response, Seranariel slowly lifted a finger.

“Do not worry, child. That frustration—allow me to relieve it for you.”

In an instant, one of her fingers transformed into a pillar of light and descended beneath the clouds.

Before long, the pillar approached the girl.

Seranariel, the observer, rarely interfered with the mortal world.

Only when the world was on the brink of destruction or desperately called for her aid did she send down a pillar of light.

But this time, it was solely her own decision.

Surely, if her angels learned of this, there would be an uproar.

“Well, so what?”

She had lived selflessly until now—was it not acceptable to use her power for personal reasons, just this once?

And the result was more than satisfying.

[A-Ah… Hngh… Aah, Go… Goddess, Goddess…!]

The trembling prayer of the girl, flushed with heat, reached her ears.

The more desperate that voice became, the deeper an unfamiliar pleasure stirred within Seranariel’s chest.

And at last—

As the girl’s body shuddered and a transparent pool spread beneath her feet, an emotion unlike anything Seranariel had ever experienced arose within her.

A scorching, sticky, indescribable feeling.

Even she could not define what it was.

“Kyaaah!”

Sure enough, her attendants came rushing in with wide eyes.

“G-Goddess! Did you just unleash your power upon the lower world?!”

A tedious barrage of scolding followed, warning her that she must not wield her power recklessly.

Seranariel leaned her chin on her hand, listening half-heartedly.

Only one thought occupied her mind.

“I want to feel that emotion once more.”

And that emotion resurfaced—on the very next day.

Smooch—

The girl pressed her lips against her pillar.

Overwhelmed by sheer surprise, Seranariel instinctively withdrew her strength.

It was an utterly bewildering situation, but the moment she saw the girl break into a bashful smile, everything suddenly felt meaningless.

‘Right… If that gentle lamb is so satisfied… then what exactly is the problem?’

It wasn’t a bad relationship.

The girl found happiness in her, and she found pleasure in her.

Thinking it would lead to quite a satisfying routine, Seranariel hummed a tune.

However, it was after that day—when she had believed everything would go well.

The lovely girl who had promised to visit the temple every day—

Had not shown herself for ten days.