Chapter 198: The Angel Who Dreams (3)

Episode 198: The Angel Who Dreams (3)

What kind of family is the Seocheon Yu?

They are the descendants of Hero Yoo Jin-cheol. Descendants of the hero who drove out the demon army that tried to invade the human world immediately after destroying the other world.

They were also descendants who took pride in the fact that their ancestor had conquered the collapsing other world and farmed items that no one else could obtain.

It was true that they were descendants of the hero who drove the demon army into the Mariana gate, then toppled the non-Awakened governments of America, China, and South Korea, who had been wary of their father, ushering in a new era.

It is a secret, however, that this hero forcibly included countless noblewomen from the other world into his harem, thus laying the foundation for the Seocheon Yu family.

That is the kind of household the Seocheon Yu family was.

A family that couldn’t be challenged by a mere angel.

Moreover, with the addition of Yu Si-hyun, the student council president, and Doorman, that unidentified Heavenly King, Leffrey would end up getting captured before he could even meet Yumari.

‘I’m aware of that much. A head-on confrontation isn’t going to get me anywhere.’

Leffrey racked his brain.

It seemed that he was trying to return to his form as Leffrey, the Smart Angel.

‘That’s why I’ve come prepared with a plan. A plan that’ll let me meet Mari right away. And the name of that plan is…’

What kind of plan could it be?

Just what plan would let him surpass all those threats and meet Yumari?

‘That plan is none other than the ‘You Can’t Spit on a Smiling Angel’s Face’ plan!’

…As expected, Leffrey was still Leffrey.

‘It sounds a little arrogant, but my smile works on everyone, regardless of age or gender.’

With that angelic smile, guaranteed to captivate absolutely everyone, he would push through the crowds and proudly walk past the Seocheon Yu people to talk with Yumari.

‘And in front of so many people, they won’t restrain me. They’ve got appearances to keep up, after all.’

That was Leffrey’s wishful thinking.

Would a powerful family like the Seocheon Yu really care about their reputation or appearances?

Or is it that they have no ability at all to deceive the masses?

Questions upon questions piled up in his mind.

But as Professor Park Jin-ho had said:

Some questions don’t need answers.

“Hero-nim, damn it, I can’t see the Hero’s face properly!”

“It’s the Hero. The Hero looked at me!”

Gathering his resolve, Leffrey steeled himself and headed into New Seoul Plaza, ready to become the determined angel.

“E-excuse me, coming through!”

“Kyaaa!”

“I’m, I’m becoming an angel sandwich…!”

…It seemed that becoming the Determined Angel would have to wait a bit longer.

* * *

“Huff… huff…”

Leffrey finally reached near the platform. Like lost luggage tossed in by the waves, he barely grabbed hold of the edge of the platform after being hurled around by the crowd.

But forcing his way through the crowd was only the first hurdle.

he second hurdle was none other than…

‘It looks like all the flags of the famous guilds are here.’

From the green background with a white taegeuk—representing Hanshin, the guild of the student council vice president Koo Sang-hyuk—to the massive golden ‘U’ emblem for Ultra, a massive multinational guild, and countless other guild banners he didn’t recognize…

It looked like someone had gathered just about every guild in the entire world here.

‘Their influence is incredible.’

If Leffrey were to leap up onto that podium, what would happen? Best case scenario, they’d mistake him for some rabid fan of the Hero, beat the snot out of him, and throw him out. Worst case scenario, they’d suspect him of being a Demon army spy and drag him off to some dark room.

Of course, with Leffrey’s strength, he could easily overpower them.

‘But if I do that, I’ll become a public enemy of the martial world, no, a public enemy of humanity. I’ll be hunted down.’

Picking a fight with the hero’s guards gathered here?

The moment that happened, he would become the hero’s enemy, an enemy of humanity, and be captured by superhumans, then dragged to the Seocheon Yu family.

Then what would happen next?

‘I’ll be taken to the Demon world, or maybe mind-controlled by the Seocheon Yu family…’

Both were unacceptable outcomes.

‘Should I try sneaking in? With my Angelic Ability…’

If he used his angelic ability ‘Walking Through the Night’, maybe he could reach Mari’s side. But…

‘I can’t use my Angelic Abilities unless it’s absolutely necessary.’

The dark nightmare that keeps growing, and the bone-chilling killing intent. Something that wouldn’t end so easily, just as the Demon King had said.

‘I’m already short on Angelic Power just from trying to suppress my fall. If I were to use even a little bit of my Angelic Abilities…’

An angel that resembled Leffrey, an angel who’s only different in that his hair was black and his eyes red, was smiling from somewhere in the distance.

Gulp- Leffrey swallowed his saliva nervously.

[An angel unable to use Angelic Abilities. Would such an angel be useful in anything but children’s fairy tales. With no wings to prove that he’s an angel and no heavenly power, Leffrey was nothing more than a pretty boy who looked like an angel.]

‘No, I still…’

[+Still what? You’re ultimately just a bomb. A time bomb with its countdown ticking away, a missile that’s going to explode, targeting the most precious, in the most brutal way possible.

Just how long are you going to keep enduring until you explode?

Are you that upset about being left alone, sobbing under a sofa?

Hm? Answer me, my little Leffrey.+]

The demon king’s whispering echoed in his mind. Leffrey remained silent at those whispers. Or rather, barely able to maintain his silence.

That’s how Leffrey was.

Like a child who had lost their parents, he fidgeted slightly, his large eyes filled with unease. Words that would not form circled on the tip of his tongue, and a sign language that never came to completion hovered around his fingertips.

‘I shouldn’t, be wavering.

And then Leffrey’s shoulders shook.

“You, I’ve seen you before.”

Someone grabbed Leffrey’s shoulder. The man who grabbed Leffrey’s shoulder was wearing an Ultra Guild uniform.

A man with blond hair and blue eyes who, despite that, spoke fluent Korean. He was looking at Leffrey with a gaze that held pity.

“Me? Are you sure you’re not mistaken?”

“No. Anyway, come on up here. Stop loitering around like a lost child.”

And so Leffrey was able to climb up onto the platform without difficulty.

‘Huh? That easy?’

Leffrey tilted his head at the unexpected development.

“Director, thanks for your hard work.”

“Yes, good work.”

The man received a salute from the other Ultra guild members. He was probably one of Ultra’s executives.

‘A blonde man with blue eyes who speaks perfect Korean? I wouldn’t forget someone that unique, would I?’

But no matter how hard he tried, Leffrey couldn’t recall the man’s face. At that moment, the man offered him a small smile.

“This is our first time meeting in person, I guess. You’re Leffrey, right? The boy who scolded and then saved Rainmaker.”

“Y-yes. You know the Rainmaker?”

“Yes. I got to know him thanks to you.”

Rainmaker, the arrogant genius alchemist, whom he had met when he went to the department store with Soya. Back then, Leffrey had given Rainmaker an order.

“You told the Rainmaker to help three people, right? And then have those three people each help another three people.”

A terrifying pyramid scheme of kindness, indeed, like the devil’s, or rather an angel’s scheme, spreading good deeds in powers of three. He had collected quite a bit of Angelic Power through that system, so how could he forget.

“Yes, I did say that.”

“I survived thanks to you. We were sealing a gate and got stuck, about to meet our doom, but Rainmaker saved us, even though we belong to a rival guild.”

The man scratched his head sheepishly, then continued.

“When I tried to thank him, Rainmaker told me I should be thanking you instead. And somehow, I ended up meeting you like this.”

“R-right. What a coincidence.”

“Thank you. You saved my life. You’re here to see the hero too, right?”

“Ye-yes!”

The man smiled and pointed at a door that had a sign saying ‘Authorized Personnel Only.’

“I’ll at least let you see her from a distance. Er, you won’t be able to talk to her, but you’ll be able to see her closer than the others can.”

“Yes, thank you very much.”

“No need to thank me. I’m the grateful one here.”

Thus, Leffrey easily entered the restricted area of the platform guarded by the Guild Alliance. Leffrey was slightly dazed to have passed this hurdle without even using his Angelic Abilities.

The next obstacle would be the Seocheon Yu family’s honor guard, but…

“Wait a second, you, could it be, kid, did you stop by the Superhuman Management Bureau’s headquarters last year?”

A woman murmured as she looked at Leffrey.

She was dressed in a black suit. She looked barely older than twenty, yet the armband on her shoulder showed that she was an officer among the Seocheon Yu family honor guard.

“Uh, yes, I did… stop by…?”

He had caused a bit of chaos when he stopped by, so with that record in mind, Leffrey couldn’t speak in a confident tone.

“I see. So it was you.”

The woman, unable to hide her surprise, spoke again.

“So you’re that angelic-looking girl who saved my younger sister. I can tell at a glance it’s you.”

“I’m a boy, not a girl!”

Leffrey cried out in protest, like a baby chick going ‘Piyak!’

* * *

If karma, the so-called power of fate, truly exists, doesn’t that mean something we call ‘fate’ must exist, too? Leffrey had once held that question in his mind

And right now, Leffrey was somewhat experiencing that fate.

“Ah, so that girl was your younger sister. Then the girl who entered the Central Superhuman Academy is?”

“Yep. She’s my proud little sister.”

The woman couldn’t hide her sense of pride.

Leffrey looked at her with a warm expression.

“It happened when I was taking the entry tests for the Seocheon Yu household. The kid went to the Superhuman Management Bureau alone, but who could’ve known those bastards at the Bureau would do something like that.”

She chuckled while muttering something chilling under her breath along the lines of, ‘If it weren’t for you, I would’ve slaughtered them all.’

“I know this world is harsh for those without parents or backing, but isn’t that too much?”

“Right. This world is really too much.”

“But I’m so glad you were there. If it weren’t for you…”

Then she immediately became teary-eyed.

Leffrey looked at her, unable to say anything.

“No, no, I shouldn’t be bawling when I’ve just met my benefactor. What brings you here?”

“I’m here to see Hero Yumari.”

“‘I’m here to see Hero Yumari-nim’ would be more appropriate. Um, I need to get permission for this, so, hmmm.”

“Then would you mind just asking about it for me? Tell her that Leffrey, her closest friend, is waiting.”

“The hero’s closest friend?”

The woman’s gaze towards Leffrey suddenly changed.

“That, I thought it was strange how you didn’t hesitate to turn the Central Management Bureau upside down. Are you the child of some big shot?”

“Not at all. Just please pass my message on to the Hero.”

“Uh, sure. I understand.”

And with that, the woman with the armband took her leave.

Among guild members bustling about and the cheers coming from the distant crowds. Even in this noisy situation, Leffrey felt a sense of peace.

A useless angel with no wings and no Angelic Abilities.

Yet fate led even such an angel down a path.

“Karma is shining.”

A small light, so faint compared to the darkness that permeated the world, and yet because of that, it seemed to shine even brighter.

Leffrey could feel that light.

At that moment, he heard someone calling his name from afar.

“Leffrey!”

“Yes!”

“The Hero said she wants to see you! Hurry over!”

And so, Leffrey was able to enter the VIP room where the Hero was resting.

And the person waiting for Leffrey in that room was…

“Hello, it’s been a while, hasn’t it?”

“…Student Council President.”

A girl whom anyone could see was clearly Yumari’s sister.

The difference was that she had no horns and was a bit taller.

And a girl who always wore that suspicious smile.

That girl’s name was Yu Si-hyun. Heir to the Seocheon Yu and the student council president of the Central Superhuman Academy.