Chapter 131: The Angel Who Prevents Terrorism (4)

Episode 131: The Angel Who Prevents Terrorism (4)

How does trust form?

First, there are people who naturally radiate trustworthiness. Those actors who often appear in insurance commercials, dressed impeccably, with a trustworthy smile, that kind of thing. What those people say sounds trustworthy.

Second, when there’s evidence. People will believe you if you present them with rational proof. Most people, that is.

After all, there are people who believe in things like [“Wasting time on Twitter is a waste of life.” – Einstein] just because they saw it on the internet… It’s not that strange.

And lastly, third, when it aligns with what they already want to believe.

Those who believe the Earth is flat will believe a scientist who claims the Earth is flat, and those who are afraid of vaccines will love theories about vaccines being alien markings.

“Hehehe…….”

In that sense, Leffrey couldn’t bring himself to trust Iriel.

First, seeing the dirty stains on her white dress and the trash scattered across the floor, it wasn’t something that exuded trust. Second, Iriel hadn’t even shown him any proof that this would help him train. And finally, third, this wasn’t something Leffrey, the Law-Abiding Angel, enjoyed doing.

‘…I can’t believe this.’

Leffrey, in the middle of their poker game, bit his lip.

“What’s wrong? Are you out of chips already?”

Iriel tilted her head, then smiled angelically and said something that didn’t sound very angelic.

“Angelic loans are on standby…”

“There’s no such thing as an angelic loan!”

“Now, now. Get a loan and let’s continue our training.”

Iriel urged him impatiently. She couldn’t hide her amusement at completely crushing Leffrey in their poker game.

In the end, Leffrey couldn’t help but shout,

“Aaaaahhh! Headmaster! You’re cheating me, aren’t you?!”

“Cheating you? How absurd.”

“You’re just cheating me because you don’t have any gambling friends, right? That machine you brought out is doing all the shuffling and dealing.”

The small machine with ‘Dealer Machine’ written on it made a chiring- chiring- sound as if feeling wronged.

The golden-haired girl sighed and looked at Leffrey.

“What on earth can you even learn from something bad like gambling? And if this can truly train me to handle karma, then wouldn’t all gamblers be karma masters?”

It was a fair point.

But a gambler is just a gambler.

They only ruin their families and drag their friends into their addiction.

But Iriel didn’t stop.

“Yes, there are even masters among human gamblers, those who can read symbols, understand the flow, and ultimately, predict the outcome.”

She simply acknowledged it.

“There are those kinds of people even among shamans, stock traders, and even those who invest in cryptocurrencies… they exist.”

It was true. People even called those people ‘possessed by a god’.

“But those are just people who are possessed by a god.”

“Yes. Possessed by a god.”

Iriel put the cards into the Dealer Machine and said,

“And we’re beings closer to god than any other race on Earth. And especially you, Leffriel, who even possesses Keter…”

And so, the game began again.

“You can read karma.”

* * *

Leffrey couldn’t bring himself to trust Iriel, but there was no other option for him.

Then, for now, he had to set aside his doubts,

And do his best in training.

Leffrey, looking at the cards he had been dealt, sank into thought.

‘Iriel said this. That the cards symbolize something.’

Just like that famous song, perhaps a spade represents a soldier’s sword, and clubs represent weapons of war. Leffrey fiddled with his cards, then decided to try another interpretation.

“Iriel, what is the etymology of ‘spade’?”

“It comes from the Spanish word ‘espada’, which means sword. It represents nobles and warriors.”

“So that’s why the Ace of Spades is so fancy. Then what about hearts?”

“Holy Grail. Some people mistake the heart shape for the shape of a heart, but it’s actually based on the Holy Grail. It represents the clergy.”

“I think I can guess diamonds without asking. It must be merchants.”

And he learned that clubs represent farmers, and that the kings and queens of each suit all represented different historical figures.

That the 52 cards represent the 52 weeks of a year. And if you add up the numbers of all the cards, it equals 364, and then adding the joker makes 365, a complete year.

Red and black represent day and night.

Playing cards were full of symbols.

Symbols, symbols.

Leffrey, now engrossed in the game, began to interpret the symbols of the cards in his hand.

‘It’s Four of a Kind.’

One of the ultimate hands that guaranteed victory. Four of a Kind. An incredibly strong hand, formed when you have four cards of the same rank.

‘This is definitely an all-in situation.’

Although it was just a game with 100 won chips, the pot was already quite large. He couldn’t give up on this hand.

‘But…’

But something felt off. Iriel was maintaining her poker face with a frustrated expression, and so was he, but…

The symbols in his hand.

Spades, hearts, and clubs.

Leffrey tried to interpret them in various ways…

‘This feels ominous.’

…He couldn’t shake off that feeling. To feel so uneasy after getting a Four of a Kind, which was a stroke of luck.

It was a situation that defied all logic.

Just why? Why on earth?

‘But the flow… The flow is just bad.’

Flow? What flow could there be when they weren’t in water, and in a silent room with not even a breeze was blowing in?

It might sound like paranoia, but the pattern of the cards, the fact that he was dealt a Four of a Kind at this moment, the flow all felt wrong.

To the point where even he was surprised to feel this way.

‘Just what is this feeling?’

Beep—beep—The Dealer Machine buzzed, urging him to make his bet.

Leffrey muttered in a trembling voice,

“I fold.”

“…Just what kind of hand did you even have?”

“Show me yours first, Headmaster.”

Iriel, with a regretful expression, revealed a royal flush, the highest-value hand in poker. If Leffrey had gone all-in, he would have had to borrow money from the Loan Shark Angel again.

“To fold a Four of a Kind. Leffriel, could it be…”

“Let’s play another round.”

He had a hunch.

A hunch that he was close to understanding something incredibly important.

A spark lit in Leffrey’s eyes.

* * *

There’s a saying, “A genius who came down like a dancer”

It’s a phrase that arose due to some mistranslation, it refers to a genius who suddenly appears out of nowhere.

(TL Note: The mistranslation is from ‘Akagi ~The genius who descended into the darkness~’ In Japanese, ‘舞い降りる’ means ‘to land (flapping wings)’. The literal translation of ‘舞い’ and ‘降りる’ was carried out separately, and the mistranslation of ‘a genius who came down like a dancer’ appeared.)

“Ugh…!”

In that sense, Leffrey was a genius who descended like dancing.

“Headmaster. Perhaps you need a loan?”

“……!”

Leffrey, who had some kind of awakening, immediately launched a counterattack. Iriel, who had been completely crushing Leffrey as he couldn’t read karma at all until now…

…was now suffering karmic retribution from Leffrey.

“This is unfair. How can an angel who just realized a fragment of karma, how can you…”

Iriel made a sad face. In the end, she had to cough up all the money she had won from Leffrey, and she was even in a situation where *she* had to borrow money from him.

“No. Given that you have the body of that tyrant angel Leffriel, it’s only natural that you should have this much talent…….”

And in the end, she could only make a dejected expression. But Leffrey didn’t care.

“So this is what it feels. This feeling…”

Leffrey’s eyes sparkled.

“Come on, let’s play another round!”

“N-No more. That’s enough. Let’s try a different training method.”

“No! More!”

“…Gambling addiction?!”

An academy student, addicted to gambling and demanding more. This definitely required disciplinary action.

“You’re a student, what are you doing gambling! You want to be punished?!”

Heavenly Forehead Flick—Although the headmaster’s finger was probably the one that hurt more, the girl didn’t show any sign of it and dragged Leffrey away.

“B-But, you’re the one who started it, Headmaster…”

Leffrey felt wronged. But it was true, so he didn’t resist.

The next training also involved cards. But this time, instead of playing cards, they were using tarot cards.

“So this time it’s tarot cards.”

“Yes, tarot cards are technically a type of playing card, but they’re more specialized in reading fate.”

And therefore, it could only be used by those who had awakened their ability to read fate. Iriel said those words, then laid out the tarot cards.

“Now, there are many ways to interpret tarot cards, but since we don’t have much time…”

Iriel held up a single finger.

“Let’s go with a one-card spread.”

“One-card spread?”

“Yes, you draw a single card for a single question, then interpret its symbols.”

Leffrey, once again, couldn’t believe it. He cautiously asked,

“Um, do you even know that most shamans and fortune-tellers went bankrupt after superhumans awakened?”

“I know, it’s a pity.”

“Because people were like, how can you communicate with spirits and read fate without even awakening to a skill…?”

Iriel gently placed the finger she had raised to her lips, a gesture for him to be quiet.

“Blessed are those who believe.”

“…Seriously.”

“And most of them were con artists anyway. But a few genuine karma users are still doing quite well, you know?”

Of course, most despaired at the future that awaited them and committed suicide, Iriel added those cold words, unable to hide her sorrow.

She hid the tears that welled up in the corners of her eyes and muttered, trying to steady her chocked voice.

“Truly, truly, we angels have committed so many sins.”

“I see…”

To change the suddenly gloomy atmosphere, Leffrey asked Iriel for a demonstration.

“A demonstration?”

“Yes!”

“…Then, Leffriel, tell me one thing you’re worried about right now, something other than terrorism.”

What was he worried about right now? He was worried about Soya, who seemed hurt when he left the cathedral this morning.

“I’m worried about a friend of mine named Soya who lives in the same dorm with me. She’s seemed a little upset…”

“You mean you’re asking how to make up with her?”

“Yes.”

Iriel skillfully shuffled the tarot cards, then spread them out face down and told Leffrey to pick one.

“Pick a card.”

“I don’t believe in this, but I’ll give it a try.”

Leffrey drew a card. The card he drew was The Lovers. The card depicted a naked man and woman standing, with an angel mediating between them in the center.

“Soya, although I’ve never actually seen her, she seems like the prickly type who’s not honest with her own feelings.”

“Huh, does this actually work?”

Leffrey, the easily-swayed angel, was already hooked.

“The moment you get back, shower her with affection. Blatantly. Tell her you love her, that you like her. A kiss would also work. Then she’ll forgive you. No, she’ll be overjoyed.”

“H-H-How could I possibly do that! You, are you even aware of your responsibilities as a Headmaster?!”

A headmaster encouraging a student to kiss each other? It was more outrageous than those YouTube videos people make where they’re just uttering weird sounds.

“I can’t do that with Soya. Soya and I aren’t in that kind of relationship. How could I possibly…”

“Huh, uh.”

Iriel looked flustered.

She looked at the card again with a surprised expression.

Leffrey, just as flustered, asked,

“Wh-Why are you like that?”

“I don’t know why, but it seems that this girl, Soya, is incredibly sad and really upset…”

“Ah, come on… I told you I don’t believe in this stuff.”

Leffrey trembled with anxiety at the ominous prophecy. A cold air swirled around the castle.

On the pointed silver roof,

The snow continued to pile up.