Chapter 81: Miel 1

“Last time, I returned immediately because the demon I used the authority on died…”

Licorice’s voice was filled with frustration.

Her red eyes, reflecting the moonlight, shone even more vividly.

‘So why did you use it on me!’

‘Are you going to kill me!’

I flapped my wings faster out of anger and impatience.

In my urgency, I simply flew towards Licorice’s head and started messing up her black hair.

“Ah! Miel! What’s wrong?”

‘You’re asking because you don’t know?’

I burrowed deeper into Licorice’s hair and messed it up even more forcefully.

“Ugh! Don’t tell me you used it on Miel this time!? What do we do? Actually, we’re trapped in the celestial realm too! We’re completely stuck!”

Mikal-nim’s voice was as scattered as a child’s.

No matter how I looked at it, I couldn’t feel any divine authority from her…

“Huh… you’re trapped?”

‘But, gods trapped in the celestial realm.’

‘What on earth does that mean?’

On the opposite side of the colosseum, Solaris-nim was watching us.

Her sun-like red hair shimmered, and a gentle heat emanated from her body.

A hint of amusement and curiosity lingered in her golden eyes.

“Yeah! It’s a long story, but anyway, we can’t go down to the human world at all! And it’s really hard to interfere, like giving blessings!”

Mikal-nim explained passionately, waving her hands in the air.

Her thin, fabric-like clothes swayed with her movements.

The outfit was so thin that when the moonlight shone through, the silhouette underneath was clearly visible.

Her revealing appearance made my gaze naturally turn towards her.

“Uh, then the things I received and becoming an apostle…?”

Licorice’s red eyes sparkled with anticipation.

Her hand unconsciously caressed the sword named Crimson Bind, which was hanging at her waist.

A faint, red, mist-like substance rose from the sword.

“That’s because I put my all into it! I used up all my divine power!”

Mikal-nim’s chest puffed out with pride, making her thin outfit seem even thinner.

‘Well, at least the view is nice here.’

“Gasp! Mikal-nim… thank you so much…”

“Yep! It’s what you deserve! Since you’re my apostle!”

Mikal-nim stroked Licorice’s head.

Her hair was already messed up by me, but Mikal-nim didn’t seem to care.

“Hehe…”

‘Why are you suddenly changing the subject and laughing so happily!’

‘We need to find a way back first!’

My wings flapped faster in my impatience.

My ice wings cast a blue-tinged shadow on the crystal-like floor.

“They’re so simple-minded, they’re really alike. Like god, like apostle… just watching them gives me a headache.”

Solaris-nim’s voice was deep and soft, but there was a certain weight of authority within it.

It felt as if thousands of years were condensed in it.

‘Yes, she’s the real god.’

‘I should talk to Solaris-nim.’

A rainbow-colored aura swirled around Solaris-nim.

It was as if a small solar system was revolving around her.

Small points of light slowly rotated along that orbit.

Up close, her skin had a golden sheen.

Leaving Licorice and Mikal-nim to their own world, I flew to Solaris-nim.

Then, I flapped my wings vigorously to indicate that I wanted to talk.

My blue wings met Solaris-nim’s red aura, creating a purple sparkle.

“Hmm? You want to talk?”

‘She understood my wing flaps right away!’

‘Licorice was mostly wrong!’

‘Just a few days ago, I flapped my wings because I wanted water, and she sprinkled me with some weird pollen!’

“To write… hmm… no, wait a moment. I don’t like troublesome methods.”

Solaris-nim raised her right hand.

Then, a golden light began to gather at her fingertips.

It seemed as if all the light was being sucked into her fingers.

In an instant, a very small sun, about the size of my head, was created at her fingertips.

The small sun pulsed and emitted light as if it were alive.

Solaris-nim slowly flew the small sun towards me.

Then, a warm sunlight and the scent of sunflowers began to envelop me.

Her sun slowly circled around me.

The heat was warm but not hot.

Should I say it was the same temperature as Cecilia?

A very comfortable and stable energy enveloped my whole body.

“Think of what you want to say as if you’re praying to the sun. Then I’ll be able to hear you.”

Solaris-nim’s expression was serious, but there was a hint of playfulness in her eyes.

‘Licorice is a fool.’

I started with the thing I wanted to say the most.

It was a sincere feeling that came from the bottom of my heart.

“Huhu. Your voice is really clear and pure. You said Licorice is a fool, right?”

A smile spread across Solaris-nim’s lips.

‘Wow!’

‘My thoughts were really conveyed!’

‘Writing is so difficult, this is great!’

‘My vision feels so clear now!’

My wing beats grew faster with joy.

The small sun spun around in time with my wing beats.

Its trajectory left a golden circular afterimage in the air.

It felt like I had my own Lotte.

“What did she say? Miel?”

Mikal-nim’s cheeks were slightly flushed.

It was probably due to her pleasant conversation with Licorice.

“She said Licorice is a fool.”

“What?! Miel! You said that to me?!”

Licorice’s red eyes widened.

Her face was instantly filled with bewilderment.

‘You reap what you sow!’

‘If you’re not a fool, then who is!’

‘We need to find a way back quickly! Even if we go back, we might be on the plains where we were, not inside the carriage!’

“Oh, she said something detailed this time. She says we need to find a way back quickly. Even if we go back, we might be on the plains and not in the carriage.”

“What? Our position is fixed by the horizontal coordinate system!?”

Licorice’s shout echoed in the colosseum.

‘Horizontal…? Coordinate system…?’

‘What’s that again…’

‘Licorice is a fool, but sometimes she says things that sound impressive.’

“Wow! Licorice, you’re so smart! What’s a horizontal coordinate system? I want to know too!”

“Ehehe… a horizontal coordinate system is…”

Mikal-nim and Licorice were lost in their own world again.

Mikal-nim’s eyes seemed to sparkle with stars, and Licorice shrugged her shoulders and scratched her head shyly.

‘Sigh…’

“Hmm… a way to the human world, you say…”

Meanwhile, Solaris-nim rested her chin on her hand and was lost in thought.

Her expression became serious.

“Come to think of it, there is one way.”

Solaris-nim’s voice cut off Mikal-nim and Licorice’s conversation.

They both looked at Solaris-nim at the same time.

Their expressions were filled with anticipation.

“What is it? What is it? There’s a way?”

Mikal-nim’s eyes sparkled like large stars.

“How about going to the demon world? You should be able to get to the human world using the passage the evil gods are making.”

Solaris-nim’s voice was calm, but the impact of her suggestion was enormous.

The air in the colosseum seemed to freeze for a moment.

“What did you say!?”

Mikal-nim’s shout echoed throughout the entire colosseum.

‘The demon world? Where is that?’

“It’s the place on the opposite side of the celestial realm. Where the evil gods live.”

Solaris-nim waved her hand, drawing a red line in the air.

The line gradually transformed into a shape where two circles were touching each other.

One circle shone with a golden light, and the other with a dark red light.

“Solaris! That’s absurd! How can you think of sending these cute kids to the demon world?! That’s too dangerous!”

Solaris-nim smiled and pointed at Licorice.

Her golden finger swept up and down Licorice’s entire body.

“Mikal, think carefully. Look at Licorice’s appearance and personality. All the evil gods will love her.”

Mikal-nim and I stared at Licorice.

Licorice’s pink-tinged black hair, red eyes, and black dress with red patterns that looked like flowing blood seemed to fit well with the aesthetics of the demon world.

On top of that, a constant red mist rose from the Crimson Bind hanging at her waist.

“And look at that sword too. It’s a cursed sword loaded with curses that the evil gods go crazy for.”

I inwardly nodded at Solaris-nim’s words.

Licorice was definitely the type the evil gods would like.

“That’s true, but…”

Mikal-nim’s expression was full of hesitation.

Worry clouded her eyes.

“Is there another way?”

Mikal-nim bit her lip for a moment and then shook her head.

“Ugh… is that the only way…”

Resignation was evident in Mikal-nim’s voice.

Her gaze shifted back and forth between Licorice and me, shining with worry.

“Mikal-nim, how do we get to this demon world? And since I’m your apostle, won’t the evil gods find out…?”

At Licorice’s question, Mikal-nim began to explain.

Her expression suddenly became serious.

“The celestial realm and the demon world were originally one. So they’re actually very close. The upper part is the celestial realm, and the lower part is the demon world…”

While Mikal-nim was explaining, the two circles Solaris-nim had drawn in the air grew closer and closer until they finally merged into one.

The golden light and the dark red light mixed, emitting a mystical purple light.

“And as for you being an apostle, they won’t find out if we seal your divine power for a while.”

“Umm… will it really be okay…?”

Anxiety was evident in Licorice’s voice.

Her hand unconsciously fiddled with the Crimson Bind at her waist.

The red mist from the sword billowed more strongly.