Chapter 27: The Angel Who Drew the Holy Sword (4)

Episode 27: The Angel Who Drew the Holy Sword (4)

‘Why is she flustered? As far as I know… Hongwol has a bold personality, so she should be trying to intimidate us…’

Leffrey didn’t understand why Hongwol was flustered. In fact, he didn’t understand why she had offered to team up with him in the first place, why she had picked a fight with Soya just because she was close to him, and why she had simply ignored the insults from the swordsmanship students…

‘At first, I thought she was trying not to cause trouble to steal the holy sword. But it’s strange, isn’t it? Then why did she pick a fight with Soya?’

Leffrey knew very little about Hongwol. The Hongwol he knew was…

‘The next chief of the Mooncat Tribe, who became corrupted and worked as an assassin after the Mooncat Tribe sided with the demon army. She particularly disliked those who graduated from the Central Academy. In her profile data, it was speculated that…’

…her actions were motivated by envy and an inferiority complex. That meant Hongwol had wanted for academy life.

And so, what was Hongwol’s death like?

‘Hongwol practically committed suicide. After pretending to enjoy stealing and killing, she confessed that such a life was hell… and died pierced by Yumari’s hand.’

And she was smiling when she died. It was mentioned in Yumari’s special documentary, so it had to be true.

‘She longed for an ordinary life like a school or an academy, disliked the tribe’s way of life of stealing and killing, and most importantly…’

Leffrey, who had argued with Hongwol on her behalf, had once received the message [Saving a future hero from despair and bringing them hope is a truly angelic act!].

That meant the status window still recognized Hongwol as a ‘future hero’…

Putting all this together, Leffrey, the logical angel, was able to draw one conclusion.

‘Could Hongwol also become a new Angelic Power source… I mean, a candidate to fight against the demon king?’

If he could completely bring Hongwol over to the side of heroes…

Soya, Hongwol.

My mining base and expanding it… (TL: Leffrey was just talking about how Soya and Hongwol were his mining base to mine angelic power)

Double the minerals?

It was definitely a tempting proposition for Leffrey, who was always hungry for Angelic Power.

“Boy, why are you here?”

Hongwol asked again. Leffrey organized his thoughts and answered,

“I came as Soya’s friend.”

“Black mage. You’re quite talkative.”

“Ugh, I didn’t tell him. He already knew. I told you, black mages keep their promises. Unlike you cats…”

Hongwol frowned and said,

“Don’t call me a cat.”

“What are you talking about? You’re a beast, a cat, meow meow…”

“Soya, stop it!”

‘I want to flick her forehead…’

Leffrey sighed and covered Soya’s mouth. Why was she provoking her opponent like this when she was cowering behind him after being beaten up and scared?

She really had a remarkable personality.

“You knew? Well, it’s not surprising. You arrived at the entrance exam site before me, boy. It seems you have some skills I don’t know about.”

“…Yeah.”

“Then you know everything.”

Pink eyes sparkled under the moonlight. Her flowing pink hair swayed gently in the evening breeze.

Hongwol asked with a smirk,

“That I entered this academy to steal the holy sword. Boy, did you say you believed in me? Too bad. You should have believed in someone trustworthy. How pathetic.”

A clear sneer. He had noticed it before, but Hongwol really liked to sneer at things.

Leffrey understood her sad heart. Someone who was lonelier than everyone and couldn’t trust anyone. People who desired something more than anyone but ended up hating it because they couldn’t have it.

Children who couldn’t sleep…

She reminded him of himself in his past life, when he believed in nothing.

Leffrey looked at Hongwol.

‘It can’t be helped, even if she sneers at me. If I can make her my new mining base… I mean, a new hero candidate to fight the demon king, I can endure this kind of cute sneer easily.’

No,

even if he didn’t get Angelic Power…

“…What can a child do? If adults tell them to steal and kill, if that’s all they’ve ever learned, what choice do they have?”

“Boy, what are you…”

“There are people who say that once you grow a bit taller and have more options, you can easily change. That’s nonsense. Do you know how hard that is? To deny all the moments you’ve endured so far…”

“What on earth are you talking about!”

“What I’m saying is…”

Hongwol looked at the boy’s angelic expression at that moment. He was clearly smiling, but it was somehow sad… an unforgettable expression.

“That I believe in you.”

[Showing the right path to a lost girl is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

[Guiding a future hero towards the light is a truly angelic act!]

[You have acquired a large amount of Angelic Power.]

‘As expected…’

As he had anticipated, Hongwol wanted to live as a hero rather than a villain. Then it would be an angel’s mission to guide such a lost child towards the light. And such a mission naturally came with a hefty reward of Angelic Power…

Leffrey couldn’t help but smile brightly at the rising Angelic Power.

‘A double Angelic Power event…!’

Hongwol couldn’t help but turn her head away from his angelic smile. She couldn’t let him see that her cheeks were flushed. Showing such a side to a man was shameful for a member of the Mooncat Tribe.

“…Whatever. Let’s just talk about the plan.”

“Right, let’s talk about the plan!”

Soya suddenly agreed with Hongwol’s words. And she had somehow moved from being behind Leffrey to now standing in the front.

‘Leffrey… he was smiling while looking at that damn cat. He didn’t just say he believed in me, he also said it to her. He should only do such black magic-friendly things to a black mage…’

Soya couldn’t help but look at Hongwol once again. She hated to admit it, but she was truly a beauty like those in TV shows, with vibrant hair untouched by magic pollution. And she was much taller than her.

And various curves…

She didn’t want to compare, but she kept comparing. Soya bit her lip and pulled down the brim of her hat. Pretending to be calm, she muttered,

“So, the plan is divided into three main parts. First, a mage who will open the Gate to the Central Academy basement. Of course, I’ll take care of that. Next, someone to break through the protective barrier. And lastly…”

“Someone to get the key from Professor Rebecca.”

“Right. We need Professor Rebecca’s key to enter the sanctuary.”

“Naturally, this is the most difficult task. The professors at the Central Academy… are really, really strong.”

Ignoring what the girls were saying, Leffrey thought,

‘No, according to my prediction, dealing with Professor Rebecca is the easiest task. Why? Because Professor Rebecca is the one who opened the door to the sanctuary wide open for the Mooncats to take the holy sword.’

However, the Mooncats ultimately failed to steal the holy sword. Why? Because the holy sword wasn’t a sword that just anyone could draw.

Professor Rebecca probably opened the door to see that. To see the group of cats flustered because they couldn’t draw the holy sword…

That’s why Leffrey concluded that dealing with Professor Rebecca would be the easiest. And naturally Leffrey being a C-grade angel, not even B-grade, wanted to choose the easiest tasks.

“…I’ll take care of the professor.”

“What?”

“Hongwol, you have no chance of winning. I’ll take care of this.”

“What are you talking about! Dealing with the professor is the most dangerous task! So that strong cat over there should do it!”

“I know. But… I’m the only one here who took Professor Rebecca’s class, right?”

Leffrey muttered with a resolute attitude. Of course, both his attitude and his mind were only focused on taking the easy way out.

“So I have no choice but to do it.”

[Taking on the most difficult task is an angelic act!]

[You have gained Angelic Power.]

‘Ha… he’s going to face the professor himself? This is something a woman should do…’

Contrary to her thoughts, Hongwol’s tail swayed.

Until now, the only men Hongwol knew were those who submitted to the tribe. She had never seen a man take initiative and lead like this.

…But it didn’t feel bad.

“Boy, are you confident?”

“Yes.”

“Then…”

Hongwol whispered in a small voice,

“I’ll believe in you too.”

*

*

*

*

“As expected, Leffrey, I knew you would come.”

Rebecca smiled as she looked at the boy who had entered the room.

It was a blasphemous comparison for a saint, but… she couldn’t help but describe him as a beautiful boy who looked like an angel that descended from heaven.

And his actions were also like that.

Look, how the boy had come to face her in place of the girls.

“How did you know I would come…?”

“Because someone with a heart like you would try to shoulder the greatest danger in place of those poor girls… To take the biggest risk on behalf of everyone else.”

The greatest danger, huh. Leffrey had come because this was the easiest task.

‘If I talk to her nicely, she’ll hand over the key, right? And those poor girls… Naturally, of Rebecca, she saw through that much.’

“To do something that doesn’t benefit you at all… something that only brings you danger… just to save one tribe and two girls.”

Rebecca stroked Leffrey’s cheek.

It was a gentle touch.

“As expected, even the professors knew. That the Mooncat Tribe is cursed by the demon king.”

“Yes, of course.”

“If the Mooncat Tribe becomes corrupted, it’s practically the same as the demon army gaining a stable passage to the human world. We have to stop it.”

“We professors also want to stop it, of course.”

Good. The conversation was going well.

Leffrey once again thought that dealing with the professor was the most comfortable option.

“Then…”

The boy stretched out his hand.

“Please lend me the key to the sanctuary. I’ll stop it.”

“No.”

And Rebecca smiled and said,

“Why should I give you the key?”

“What…?”

Naturally, Leffrey was flustered.

“I can give the key to the Mooncats… but Leffrey, I can’t give it to you.”

“Why?”

“For your sake.”

“B-But why is not giving me the key for my sake?”

Rebecca grabbed Leffrey’s shoulders and whispered,

“You still have faith. Faith in the heavens and in people. But if you fail to draw the holy sword and receive divine punishment, you’ll lose all that purity and faith. That’s why I can’t give it to you.”

“Faith?”

“People like Park Jin-ho and the principal will tell you to draw the holy sword. Without realizing how much of a sacrifice it is. But I won’t do that.”

What was this sudden talk about clouds and the sky? (TL: This is an idiom in Korea, I think? About clouds and the sky meaning “That came out of nowhere”)

Leffrey shook off Rebecca’s hand and shouted,

“Give me the key. I understand what you’re worried about. You’re worried that I might not be able to draw the holy sword… and that my body might be damaged by the divine punishment, the side effects of the holy sword, right?”

“I’m more worried about your faith than your body. You believe that you can draw the holy sword, of course. You’re kind… and you believe in the heavens.”

“Then you have nothing to worry about. I’m someone who has no faith.”

Professor… it’s urgent…

Leffrey looked at her, tapping his feet impatiently.

“…Then how about this?”

As if she knew his heart, she slowly placed a white bead fragment on the table. Leffrey recognized the bead fragment.

‘Anathema of Lies. The evil bead of falsehood. An item from the other world that turns black when it hears a lie…!’

“I will give you the key to the sanctuary if you prove that you have no faith. Is that alright?”

However, Leffrey had no other choice. He had to get the key, both to stop the demon king and for his own Angelic Power.

“Okay.”

“Then I’ll ask the first question.”

Gulp- Leffrey swallowed his saliva.

What on earth was she going to ask?

“Leffrey, what is your true identity?”