Chapter 111: The Angel Goes to Sea (10)

Episode 111: The Angel Goes to Sea (10)

Leffrey had hidden the fact that he was an angel.

It wasn’t because he was some Secret Agent Angel. The circumstances had simply forced him to do so.

Firstly, because most of the superhuman families, starting with the Seocheon Yu who were called the descendants of heroes, were all after angels. If he was exposed as an angel, Leffrey would be dragged to some unknown lab and become Leffrey, The Experimental Angel.

‘No, to be precise, I’d be Leffrey, the Lab Rat Angel…!’

It was something he had to avoid at all costs.

Secondly, it was because of the countless atrocities committed by angels. Headmaster Iriel, who merged this world and the other world without a word; Demon King Luciel, who fell to become the demon king and invaded the world; and lastly, Leffriel, the cruel judge who eradicated civilizations…

‘Probably 80% of the problems in our world are caused by angels. 80%? What is this, Britain?’ (TL Note: Naah that’s crazy, no way author just said Britain is the cause of 80% of the world’s problem.)

Anyway, there were many who disliked angels because of their… asshole ways. Not just dislike, but even hated angels. There were even many who made it their life’s goal to kill angels.

‘…They’re not wrong. I mean, the demon king is an angel, after all.’

Anyway, those were the reasons why Leffrey had hidden the fact that he was an angel.

And then, there was another reason that applied only to these three girls.

‘What would their reaction be if they found out I wasn’t helping them for purely altruistic reasons?’

The true reason why Leffrey helped these three girls… It was to raise them as heroes to face the demon king.

In short, to use them. As beautiful little girl soldiers, dressed in the grandiose title of ‘hero’.

That was why he had continued to hide the fact that he was an angel from these three girls. He didn’t want to disappoint them by revealing that his intentions weren’t pure.

‘No, more than that… because I wanted to remain a ‘good’ person in their eyes.’

Leffrey laughed self-deprecatingly.

He knew he would be exposed someday, but he never thought it would be revealed like this.

“Leffrey, we’re not idiots. We realized you’re no ordinary boy.”

Yumari said with a warm smile.

Yumari, a beautiful girl who always had a cold demeanor, often smiled for others, but the smile she showed to Leffrey was different.

It was more awkward, and in return, much warmer.

“Yes, boy, since the day we met… I’ve known. That there are many secrets hidden within those eyes.”

“…You didn’t think I wouldn’t know something this cat knows, did you? It doesn’t matter what the secret is. Tell us now.”

There were tears, just a little, in Soya’s eyes.

“I want to hear it from your mouth, Leffrey.”

Lies are bound to crumble eventually.

Leffrey made up his mind.

He looked at the three girls, then slowly opened his mouth,

“…I’m an angel.”

The boy continued, his red lips parting,

“I haven’t lived a long life like the other angels, so… my Angelic Power, my level, my Angelic Abilities, all of them are pathetic, but…”

Leffrey said,

“But I’m still an angel.”

‘I said it.’ That was Leffrey’s first thought. And his second thought was…

‘Ah, what’s their reaction?’

Leffrey, who had his eyes shut tight, carefully opened them, watching the girls’ reaction.

The girls, not even a hint of surprise, just nodded as if relieved,

“Ah, that’s a relief. So you’re saying that even if you use your divine power a lot, there won’t be any side effects on your body? I was a little, just a little bit worried about that…”

“Worried because of that?”

Leffrey tilted his head.

Soya, her face reddening, mumbled an excuse,

“W-Well, I was worried! A little… a little bit, anyway.”

Seeing Soya’s obvious awkwardness, Hongwol snatched her words away, mocking her,

“Hmph, the nerve, she was crying her eyes out, worried that Leffrey’s body might break down because of divine power overexertion…”

“I never cried my eyes out!”

As Soya and Hongwol began to argue, Mari couldn’t help but cut in,

“As expected, It’s as the Seocheon Yu family predicted.”

“The Seocheon Yu prediction?”

“Yes. The recent, sudden movements of the demon army. The timeline moving much faster than what the family’s prophecy-type superhumans had predicted. Putting all of it together…”

Yumari’s eyes gleamed coldly.

“Our family has concluded that a new angel has descended.”

The Seocheon Yu already knew?

Leffrey gulped hard. Wasn’t the Seocheon Yu family known to be obsessed with angels, even if only to regain the power of heroes?

“The Seocheon Yu have long possessed a vast amount of information about angels. Angels descend in the form of a young boy or girl. Angels look angelic from their appearance. And angels possess abilities that only they can wield.”

Yumari muttered,

“The head and the successor of the Seocheon Yu are already aware that you are an angel, Leffrey.”

“…Yu Si-hyun did say something like that. But just when… did they figure it out?”

Leffrey’s voice trembled.

Just when was he exposed?

“Immediately after the Blessing of the Spirits.”

“…Huh.”

That was a really long time ago.

“And there are several other factions who also know. You know our tribe’s main business is information brokering, right? The information about you being an angel is top secret, but it’s already being sold in several places.”

Hongwol, with a resigned expression, shook her head as if she had no choice.

“Of course, I crushed those who dared to talk about it openly. I did well, didn’t I?”

Several other factions already know? Leffrey, feeling dizzy, stumbled.

“H-How is that even possible?”

It was true. No matter how much he tried to hide it, that couldn’t possibly conceal all his unconventional actions, could it?

How could a boy with no backing shake up the Central Superhuman Academy’s entrance ceremony, receive love calls from the professors, and gain fame at the Blessing of the Spirits and the club fair?

‘Right, any faction that deals in information… must have investigated me.’

But Leffrey had only hidden the fact that he was an angel; his actions were basically those of an angel, minus the wings. To think he believed he wouldn’t get caught…

‘I was too naive…!’

Leffrey, the Naive Angel.

Staggering, he finally touched the ground.

“So that’s why you weren’t surprised. You already knew.”

“…Yes.”

Leffrey, after getting up with Mari’s support, looked at her and asked,

“But why aren’t the other factions targeting me? I’m embarrassed to say this myself, but… an angel is a valuable asset, you know?”

“There are many reasons. They’re wary of each other. They can’t afford to make an enemy of the Central Academy professors. Or maybe they’re afraid of incurring the wrath of another angel…”

Yumari’s expression turned cold, and her horns grew a little larger.

“Or maybe they think that since Leffrey’s abilities seem weak and undeveloped, you’re probably a young angel who hasn’t been around for long. That it’s better to properly tame you and make you serve them instead of resorting to force.”

Electricity crackled around her hands.

“Truly disgusting people. Unforgivable. Just who do they think…”

Leffrey calmed Yumari down, Leffrey tried to say what had to be said. He hesitated, his eyes wavering, but he couldn’t avoid it any longer.

“Guys… If you knew I was an angel…”

The boy asked carefully,

“Do you know why… I’m with you?”

“…Do you think we’re stupid?”

“Boy, of course we know. It’s because of the hero thing, right? The one who slays the demon king.”

Soya grumbled, and Hongwol, grinning, patted Leffrey’s head.

Mari, as usual, looked at Leffrey with her blank face and said,

“To be chosen as a hero. It’s been my dream since childhood.”

Were those her true feelings?

Or words spoken under the orders of the Seocheon Yu?

He wanted to know Yumari’s true thoughts.

Leffrey glanced at Soya. What would Soya think of this? He couldn’t see her expression because it was hidden by the brim of her hat, but… What kind of expression was she making right now?

Hongwol, and what about Hongwol?

Her tail wasn’t swaying, nor was it puffed up. Although she was smiling, but…

Yumari was the real problem. She had replaced her blank expression with a smile, but it was an act.

A smile that hurt Leffrey.

‘Now I have no choice but to accept it.’

Leffrey, seeing that smile, lowered his head.

“Shall we head back now?”

“Haa. But that monster, the one who used the pseudo-ultimate technique…”

“It must have been the demon king’s avatar. He looked kinda like Leffrey, didn’t he?”

“For a mere avatar to be that strong? The world is really going to the dogs.”

The girls decided to turn back. Leffrey, looking at them, finally uttered his true feelings.

“Guys… I…”

“…?”

Leffrey, his voice choking back sobs, said,

“Even if… even if I wasn’t an angel, I still would have wanted to be with you all.”

It was the boy’s true feelings.

The boy had always admired superhumans.

He shared Yumari’s joy in victory, was captivated by Hongwol’s beauty, and was enraged, alongside the other netizens, by the unfair treatment Soya suffered.

“It hasn’t even been a year since I awakened to this world. And since then…”

And now, the only ones the boy had left were these girls.

“You’re… the only ones I can call family.”

The boy wiped away his tears with his sleeve and muttered,

“It’s not because you’re heroes.”

And the young angel confessed,

“Even if you weren’t heroes, I would still cherish you all.”

To speak honestly is truly embarrassing. Leffrey’s cheeks were flushed, and his tearful eyes were slightly swollen.

‘At first, I only thought of them as people who would defeat the demon king in my place. Tools for protecting this world.’

Leffrey, hiccuping, trying to stop crying, closed his mouth.

‘But that’s not true anymore…’

He felt warm hands on both sides, the girls’ hands.

‘They… are so precious to me now.’

That’s right.

Sincerity always finds a way to reach the heart.

Soya was the first to speak.

“…What the. Leffrey, you’re not a little kid, so stop crying. I already knew, even if you didn’t say it!”

Soya had already lowered the brim of her hat, hiding her face. But a tear fell from beneath the brim.

“Ahem, It’s unbecoming for a woman to cry, but…”

Even Hongwol, who always tried to be strong, shed a tear and gently stroked Leffrey’s head.

“…”

Seeing this, Yumari couldn’t speak. She made a face that showed she hadn’t expected Leffrey to act like this…

“Even your tearful side resembles Mother. Truly…”

…she couldn’t help but mutter those words.

And Yumari, her face completely hardened, mumbled,

“I will never lose you again. Never.”

The three girls thus became heroes, and Leffrey, their guardian angel.

As the guardian angel and the girls walked back to their rooms…

“Ahem, w-what should we do now?”

“Leffrey, what’s wrong?”

“We can’t let the Demon King’s avatar get away.”

The other girls finally grasped the situation.

“Ah, right. We forgot about him.”

“…He’ll probably hide even better now that we found him.”

Hearing that, Soya puffed out her chest, reassuringly.

“Hehe, this is why you magic ignoramuses are…”

“Soya… do you have a way to catch the avatar?”

Nod nod- The girl nodded confidently.

“Of course.”

Soya, looking at Leffrey, confidently declared, as if asking to be praised, said it again.

“Of course.”

The gray-haired black mage girl smiled arrogantly.