Chapter 13 – Angel Descent #2

New angels descend upon the Yudelia Holy Nation!

The rumor Yuder had spread through the Cordelia Merchant Guild and the Holy Cross Guardians instantly shot across the entire continent.

“New angels are descending?”

“Yeah, I heard about it too. They’re coming to the Holy Nation, right?”

“Is this related to the recent incident?”

“It seems highly likely, doesn’t it?”

As two men began chatting in a tavern, others seated nearby started to show interest.

Some even chimed in.

“I heard His Holiness the Pope is holding a grand festival to commemorate the angels’ descent.”

“A festival?”

“Yes, it seems… the Holy Nation also suffered considerable damage from this incident. It appears to be a festival to mourn the fallen warriors and console their bereaved families.”

“I see. So, the angels are descending for that reason?”

“Yes, it is said that the Goddess Cordelia delivered an oracle, stating that she will send down two new angels to guide the Holy Nation’s fallen warriors to the heavens and to better care for those who remain.”

At the woman’s (age 21, member of the Pope’s Direct Secret Agent Unit) eloquent explanation, the people in the tavern marveled once more. When a boy (age 12, apprentice in the Pope’s Direct Secret Agent Unit) sitting in a corner began to pray in praise of Cordelia, everyone else followed suit.

And at that same moment, in the border region of the Holy Nation—

“So Maia-ssi and Dahlia-ssi are the ones who became angels?”

“Yep. Maia-ssi is the Angel of Beauty, and Dahlia-ssi is the Angel of Protection.”

At Scarlett’s question, Kaisa answered, unfolding a small booklet stamped with the seal of the Holy Nation.

The cover of the booklet featured a holy illustration of Cordelia praying with her eyes closed. Inside was information about the upcoming festival and an introduction to the two angels who would be its stars.

“So Cordelia is now openly aiming for the title of Goddess of Beauty, too.”

Scarlett’s brow furrowed as she read the description, which went on about ‘Maia, the Angel of Beauty, a subordinate of the Goddess of Beauty, Cordelia-nim~’. Kaisa smiled wryly and said:

“Don’t you think she’s just trying to create a whole family of angels?”

After all, not only Cordelia’s father, Count Chase, but also her older sister, Adelia, were angels.

Come to think of it, everyone except the eldest son, Edward, was already an angel.

“That’s a possibility. It’s probably all the Black Cloak’s scheme.”

Recalling the black-hearted Yuder’s smile, Scarlett gave another bitter smile and opened the booklet.

Unlike the holy picture of Cordelia, the illustrations of Maia and Dahlia were heavily shaded at the top, obscuring their faces. This, too, seemed like one of Yuder’s ploys.

It’s to build a sense of mystery and anticipation.

It was an obvious trick, but one that worked well.

Maia’s illustration, in particular, with its half-hidden face, effectively stimulated a sense of mystery, making it seem far more beautiful than an ordinary holy picture.

“Anyway, I am looking forward to it.”

After all, this was a descent ritual planned by none other than that damn Black Cloak—Yuder.

It was bound to be far more spectacular and lavish than any play by a first-rate troupe one might see in the imperial or royal capital.

In the first place, this booklet feels more like a promotional flyer for a theater troupe than a notice for a religious ceremony.

It was like a flyer announcing the debut of a new actress or songstress.

“Scarlett, Kaisa. I think we’re almost there.”

At the voice from the coachman’s seat, Scarlett and Kaisa stuck their heads out the window.

Just as Lucas had said, the massive statue of the Goddess Cordelia, the symbol of the Holy Nation’s capital, was beginning to appear over the hill.

“This place hasn’t changed…”

Standing in the middle of the Holy Nation’s capital, the man in the plague doctor’s attire—Belkian—spoke, his eyes narrowed.

He had heard it suffered considerable damage from the Outer God War, but it seemed they had finished the restoration work in the last ten days, as it didn’t look much different from when the nation was first proclaimed.

No, something has changed.

The super-giant Goddess Cordelia statue in the central plaza and the various other statues of Cordelia throughout the city were the same, but new things had been added.

“I would be very, very embarrassed.”

Fran remarked, looking at the holy pictures of Maia and Dahlia hanging all over the city with a lukewarm expression. Belkian nodded in agreement.

The images were hung not only on the walls of buildings but also on the ground, on the trees lining the streets, and even in the air, so the two women’s faces were visible no matter where one looked in the capital.

“Still, I might like it a little…”

“Huh? Lena, what did you just say…”

“N-no! It was nothing!”

Her face turning red, Lena frantically waved her hands and quickened her pace as if to flee. Landius tilted his head, looking puzzled, and followed after her.

And one other person.

Kamael, one of the Five Heroes of Paragon, picked up one of the booklets placed throughout the streets and let out a small gasp of admiration.

“The printing is extraordinary. The paper-making technique is also impressive.”

The quality of the holy illustrations was also quite high.

For a booklet distributed for free, the quality of the paper was excellent.

But there was one more thing that caught Kamael’s attention: the cover.

A cover depicting Cordelia in prayer.

Conventional books usually just embellished the font of the title, but this booklet used a splendid holy illustration as its cover, increasing the book’s appeal.

If a proper book were made with this technology…

For example, a limited collector’s edition of Bildwein’s Heroic Saga.

Kamael smiled contentedly, imagining a cover with Landius—no, Bildwein—standing tall, holding the Solar Blade high. Fran shot him a look that said, ‘What’s with that guy all of a sudden?’ but only for a moment.

“Anyway, let’s get going.”

Landius and Lena were already far ahead.

At Fran’s urging, Kamael tucked the booklet into his coat, and he and Belkian hurried their steps.

The area around the outdoor stage, set up at the feet of the super-giant Goddess Cordelia statue, was packed with countless people who had gathered to watch the descent ritual.

At a rough estimate, it looked like nearly a hundred thousand people had gathered.

“I think I know why Cordelia is always so embarrassed.”

As Scarlett, seated in the front-row VIP section, muttered under her breath, Kaisa immediately nodded.

Both of them enjoyed being in the spotlight in their own ways, but the mere thought of having to utter the embarrassing lines Yuder had prepared in front of so many people was enough to make their faces flush.

“Anyway, it looks like it’s about to start.”

Sitting side-by-side with an excited Lucas between them, Scarlett and Kaisa glanced to the left and right of the VIP section.

Count Bayer and the Countess, Yuna; the Wind Wolf, Gale; and Gale and Adelia’s two children in a stroller.

The Five Heroes of Paragon, led by Landius.

Edward Chase, sitting next to Sylvia with a smile.

And Kirara, Red Wind, Sun Song, their children, Sir Kaplan, and other distinguished guests.

After scanning the VIP section, where almost everyone who was supposed to be there had gathered, Scarlett and Kaisa finally turned their gazes to the stage. Soon, they saw a man ascending it.

Yuder August Bayer.

The continent’s most devoted husband, who had created a religion to worship his own wife and seized the position of Pope for himself.

He smiled with satisfaction at the crowd that filled the plaza and, as the Pope of the Cordelia Church, began a lengthy speech.

He is handsome, I’ll give him that.

Scarlett thought absently, watching Yuder on the stage with her chin propped in her hand.

He was black-hearted, cunning as a snake, and utterly vicious, but apart from all that, Yuder was undeniably handsome.

Still, I like Lucas much, much more.

Unlike Yuder, Lucas was genuinely kind and pure.

Moreover, his looks were nothing to scoff at.

Should she say he was truly handsome in a manly way?

In terms of pure aesthetics, Yuder was honestly more handsome, but for Scarlett, the manly Lucas was far more her type than the androgynously charming Yuder.

And his eyes are just brimming with passion.

That gaze, which highlighted Lucas’s unique boyishness.

Whenever she met that intensely hot gaze, Scarlett’s heart would pound in spite of herself.

Last night, too…

Recalling the previous night with Lucas, Scarlett giggled, “Ehehe,” her cheeks flushing slightly.

The fiery moments came back to her, fresh in her mind.

[Hey, Scarlett. You’re going to drool. You’re having weird thoughts again, aren’t you?]

“Huh? Uh, uh huh.”

[Uh huh? What were you thinking about?]

Startled by Kaisa’s telepathic message, which had caught her off guard, Scarlett quickly composed her expression and sent a message back.

[What do you mean, what was I thinking? I was just thinking about today’s ceremony.]

[No, you weren’t. I think you were thinking about something else.]

[No, I wasn’t! I was thinking good, proper thoughts! Oh, I think the speech is over.]

Quickly ending the telepathic conversation, Scarlett turned her gaze to the stage. Kaisa narrowed her eyes suspiciously but soon turned to look at the stage as well.

“Now, we shall begin the ritual for the angels’ descent. Everyone, please look to the sky.”

The moment Yuder, wearing a black-hearted—though outwardly dazzling—smile, pointed to the sky.

“Night, night is coming!”

It was just as someone had shouted.

Darkness instantly spread across the clear blue sky, and night fell.

People cried out in astonishment at the sudden miracle, and those in the VIP section were not much different.

“Is… is it really night?”

Not a trick of the eye caused by magic, but actual night?

No, even if it was magic, this was no ordinary feat.

Night had fallen not just over the capital, but over the entire Yudelia Holy Nation.

“It’s real night. It’s not magic. It’s a divine miracle.”

Belkian said in a voice mixed with bewilderment and shock, and Lena nodded in agreement.

Having become an angel through Ancestral Regression, she could tell.

A truly immense divine power could be felt from the miracle occurring in the skies of the Holy Nation.

“Oh, Goddess.”

As someone, moved by the miracle witnessed before their eyes, clasped their hands in prayer, most of the nearly hundred-thousand-strong crowd in the plaza began to pray, calling Cordelia’s name.

Just as Yuder had calculated.

It was worth overexerting myself.

As the people’s attention was fixed on the sky, Yuder descended from the stage and watched the crowd with a broad grin.

Once word of today’s events spread, the power of the Cordelia Church would undoubtedly grow even stronger across the continent.

The number of believers would skyrocket, too.

It’s worth the strain.

The miracle in the skies of the Holy Nation.

What had brought night to a clear sky was Yuder’s own divinity—the power of the Black Beast.

So, strictly speaking, it was Yuder’s miracle, not Goddess Cordelia’s, but Yuder had no intention of revealing this truth.

Increasing Cordelia’s worshippers is the most important thing.

Of course, Yuder planned to have the ‘God of the Black Moon,’ the partner of Goddess Cordelia, make his debut in the scripture at the appropriate time, but that was a matter for another day, not today.

Alright, Cordelia. Show them.

Yuder’s own role in today’s ceremony was finished.

Thus, Yuder turned invisible, took a seat in the VVIP section right in front of the stage, and smiled a genuine smile.

And it was at that very moment.

With a soft pop, a single streak of light descended from the sky.

Amidst the jet-black night that covered the sky, the light descending onto the stage was incredibly conspicuous, and the crowd’s attention immediately focused on where the light landed.

And one person was revealed.

At the sight of Cordelia, who had appeared on the stage where the light had fallen, everyone in the plaza let out emotions they could no longer suppress.

But strangely, no one screamed or raised their voice.

All one hundred thousand people simply clasped their hands together in prayer, in a silence that felt ready to burst.

The power that made it so.

The presence of Cordelia on the stage.

The incarnation of the goddess, the pure white saintess who was her earthly agent.

With her pink hair flowing naturally, Cordelia spread her arms wide and began to sing.

A holy hymn in praise of the Sun Goddess.

As Cordelia’s voice echoed softly throughout the plaza, people shed tears of emotion and listened intently. For that reason, only a very few, like Yuder and Scarlett, noticed that Cordelia’s face was flushed red from extreme embarrassment and shame.

Why am I always the one who has to be embarrassed?!

The hymn she was singing now.

It was a song praising the Sun Goddess, Cordelia.

In other words, it was a song praising herself.

Just singing a song of self-praise was embarrassing enough to make her want to die, but to do it in front of nearly a hundred thousand people…

Cordelia sang, feeling like she was about to burst into tears. Reading her thoughts, Scarlett let out a weak laugh.

He’s a real demon, that one.

She was talking about Yuder, who must be sitting in the VVIP section, not Cordelia.

She couldn’t see his expression since he was invisible, but that wasn’t a problem for Scarlett.

It was painfully obvious what kind of face the man who claimed an embarrassed Cordelia was the cutest and most lovable thing in the world would be making.

Still, this is pretty amazing.

Even Scarlett herself, who knew the whole truth, was half-mesmerized by the beauty and divinity Cordelia was radiating. How much more so for the people who knew nothing?

Indeed, a crowd of nearly a hundred thousand was focused on Cordelia, not even daring to breathe too loudly.

And at a certain moment.

Just as Cordelia’s song seemed to calmly subside, a magnificent chorus rang out from high in the sky.

And the people were hit with a third shock.

A host of angels was descending from high in the night sky.

A red-haired angel, descending to the earth in a great chariot pulled by winged celestial horses.

At the sight of his majestic presence, reminiscent of a war god, the people were once again moved to prayer, but Count Bayer was not one of them.

He wore a pained expression and a bitter smile.

He knew the identity of the angel at the forefront better than anyone.

Arthur, my friend.

The red-haired angel singing thunderously with a red cape fluttering behind him.

Cordelia’s father, one of the Four Northern Powers, and Count Bayer’s own longtime friend, Count Chase.

Unlike Cordelia, who looked like she wanted to die of embarrassment, he seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the situation. Behind him, new figures appeared, and at their lead was a golden-haired angel riding a celestial horse.

“Mama! Mama!”

Amber and Aidan, who were in the stroller, began to squirm upon seeing the newly appeared angel, and a wide smile spread across Gale’s face.

The golden-haired angel currently descending—the woman singing with stiff movements, her face and even her neck red with embarrassment—was none other than Gale’s own wife, Adelia.

Like brother, like brother, they say.

Scarlett thought to herself as she stole a glance at Gale’s beaming face.

It was only natural, as Gale’s admiring expression while watching the embarrassed Adelia reminded her of Yuder enjoying the sight of an embarrassed Cordelia.

Adelia-unni is just like Cordelia, too.

How could their embarrassed expressions be so similar?

Were they sisters, after all?

Smiling wryly, Scarlett looked away from the angels captivating the crowd’s attention and toward Cordelia, and she ended up bursting into laughter again.

Just as someone had said, the sight of Cordelia—or to be more precise, Cordelia squirming with embarrassment at the sight of her father and sister singing a song of praise for her—was just too adorable.

And then another breath.

As Count Chase and Adelia led the angels back toward the night sky, a new miracle occurred.

The night sky split open, and two streaks of light descended onto the stage.

Cordelia spread her arms and once again praised the Sun Goddess, and with gentle music, two new angels began their descent to the earth.

“Aaaah…”

Feathers of light scattered on the wind, and escorted by cherubs, two angels clad in pure white holy garments approached Cordelia.

The Angel of Beauty, Maia, and the Angel of Protection, Dahlia.

The moment Maia took off the hood she had pulled down low, a violent silence, ready to explode at any moment, filled the entire plaza.

It was because of Maia’s beauty, which could be described as nothing short of violent.

Countless people, regardless of age or gender, gasped for breath at the pounding of their hearts. Maia and Dahlia took their places on either side of Cordelia and began to sing together.

Wow, this is no joke.

She knew Maia-ssi was pretty before, but she never imagined it was to this extent.

Even considering the buffing effect of her angel transformation and the current stage, her beauty was truly immense.

Even Scarlett herself was having a hard time keeping her wits about her.

Therefore, instead of checking Lucas’s reaction, Scarlett held on tight to her sanity and watched the stage.

Then, she began to see things she hadn’t before.

Maia-ssi is enjoying this!

She was embarrassed, yes, but was her enjoyment far greater?

Moreover, Scarlett could tell.

The reason Maia was enjoying herself now was not because she was flaunting her superior beauty to the entire world.

Maia was clearly enjoying the sight of the embarrassed Dahlia.

The proof was that the radiant smile and the look in her eyes as she watched Dahlia were strikingly similar to Yuder’s.

So this is the Bayer family.

To think that not only Yuder and Gale, but even their maid, Maia, possessed the same strange eccentricity.

Was the source of this eccentricity Count Bayer, or was it the Countess, Yuna?

In any case, time passed, and the ceremony soon reached its climax.

“O one in the heavens, beautiful and elegant, benevolent and gentle Goddess of the Sun.”

As Cordelia praised herself with a heart that was about to cry, Maia and Dahlia raised their voices as well. At that moment, the night sky split open, and the light of the sun began to illuminate the world once more.

The morning that came again after the night.

The miracle of the sun.

And finally, the silent crowd began to erupt in cheers all at once.

“Waaaaaaaaaah!”

It was not a cheer prompted by anyone, but one that burst forth naturally.

A natural expression of the emotions born from witnessing a miracle.

“Oh, Cordelia.”

“Goddess of the Sun.”

The nearly hundred thousand people began to pray again, and a wide smile spread across Yuder’s face.

As the Pope, he couldn’t be more pleased at the thought of the explosive increase in the Cordelia Church’s followers in the coming days.

And the people in the VIP section.

Although they knew everything—that the Goddess of the Sun Cordelia was the same person as the incarnation Cordelia, and the true identities of the descended angels—they were still human.

Each of them, though to different degrees, was deeply moved by the spectacle that had unfolded before their eyes.

“Haa… that was incredible.”

Count Bayer.

As Cordelia and Adelia’s father-in-law and Count Chase’s close friend, he let out a heartfelt sigh of admiration and stretched his body.

Despite having only been sitting still, he felt a pleasant fatigue, perhaps due to the lingering effects of the descent ritual.

And besides… Huhu, I’ll have to tease him later.

He had even recorded Count Chase’s passionate performance on his video device.

Tapping the video device again, Count Bayer closed his eyes.

It was to fully savor the afterglow, if only for a moment.

But it was at that very instant.

“Darling.”

At the voice from right beside him and the tug on his sleeve, Count Bayer opened his eyes again.

As expected, Yuna, sitting next to him, was pulling on his sleeve.

Count Bayer smiled at Yuna’s flushed face, which was just as excited as his own, and brushed back her stray hair as he spoke.

“Yuna, wasn’t that a truly wonderful ceremony?”

“It was. But darling, I have something important to tell you.”

“Something important?”

What could it be so suddenly?

As Count Bayer tilted his head slightly and asked what was wrong, Yuna gave a slightly strained smile, placed a hand on her swollen belly, and said:

“I think it’s coming.”

“Eh?”

Count Bayer let out a dazed sound, and Gale, who was nearby, was so shocked he started to choke.

Yuna even patted Gale on the back.

And back to Count Bayer.

Barely managing to grasp hold of his senses amidst the confusion, he looked back and forth between Yuna’s belly and her face, then managed to form a voice.

“R-right now?”

“Yes, now.”

The third child of the Bayer family.

Yuna smiled a pained smile, beads of cold sweat on her brow, and Count Bayer shot up from his seat.

He shouted Yuder’s name at the top of his lungs.

---

Translated By: Meher (RaidenTL)

Please do consider subscribing to my Patreon or donate to my Ko-fi if you like this work or to get early access to chapters