Chapter 324. The Fallen Angel in the Guest Room (1)
Bang!
“…!”
A bell rang inside his head. Whose bell was this?
Was it for him, who had finally failed in his duty for the first time today? Or for the mortal who resisted so fiercely? Or for the mortal realm, which would fall into chaos by straying from the order of the heavens?
‘Ridiculous.’
Fallen Angel Raphael couldn’t help but laugh. He didn’t know why he was falling, how he ended up in this state, or why he had failed his mission in such a way.
‘I need to get up…’
He had no strength left. He had exhausted all the potential power he gained from absorbing the angel’s halo.
‘I really lost.’
He had vaguely considered that he might face defeat someday. But he had never imagined that his first defeat would come at the hands of a mortal and that the weapon would be a shovel. The absurdity of it all left him speechless.
“Ha, haha… ha.”
In his fading consciousness, he turned his eyes. He saw the mortal looking down at him.
“Lloyd… Frontera. Will you finally succumb to an evil path?”
“Nope, not happening.”
“…”
“Why would I go down an evil path here?”
“…”
“Why are you saying such strange things?”
“…”
“I have no intention of killing you. I’m not ending you because I’m worried about the consequences. Let’s just talk before you pass out.”
“What…?”
Raphael blinked his heavy eyelids. What was this human saying? He said he wouldn’t kill him. He wouldn’t go down an evil path?
“Then what kind of conversation… are we having…?”
“Let’s discuss the cause and responsibility for this disastrous situation.”
Thud.
Lloyd Frontera smirked and sat down beside him on the dirt ground, looking at Raphael.
“As I said before, I didn’t want to clash with you. But you attacked first… no, you initiated the conflict, and this is the result, right?”
“That’s absurd…”
“Absurd? It’s the plain truth and fact, isn’t it? Did I hit you first? No, you brought up obstruction of duty and tried to attack me. Isn’t that right?”
“…”
“Wow. Talking about it makes me even angrier. You just showed up out of nowhere, threatening to demolish the Jewel, and when someone tried to stop you, you threatened them with obstruction of duty. Swinging that oversized mace around to bash skulls…”
“…”
“Let me ask you, is heaven a gang hideout?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why did you act like that?”
“Naturally, it was for the public good…”
“The public good? What public good?”
“The order of heaven and earth, and for the public benefit.”
Raphael answered without hesitation, even as his strength waned and his consciousness flickered. He spoke with the absolute conviction he had held for thousands of years.
“The Jewel of Truth is an illegal structure. It’s a facility not permitted in the mortal realm. There is a risk of divulging heavenly secrets. Therefore, it should not be built here. It’s been decided. So, it’s only right to demolish it.”
“It’s not right.”
“What?”
“Why is that right?”
“That’s nonsense…”
“Hey, angel? Nonsense? What nonsense are you talking about? For the public good? For order? Not permitted in the mortal realm? Who decided that?”
“Heaven, of course…”
“Then did those heavenly beings ever come down and discuss it with us?”
“That’s…”
“They didn’t, right? Never did, right? Then how is that for the public good? Deciding unilaterally, reaching a conclusion, and then suddenly showing up to enforce it? High-ranking people decided, so mortals should just comply? Is that for public good and order? Huh?”
“…”
“Think about it. It’s unfair to us. It feels crappy for me, who worked hard on building the Jewel. Have you ever considered that?”
Lloyd’s words grew more forceful. He was sincere, and his frustration was building.
“Seriously, what kind of nonsense is this? Talking about it makes me even angrier. Tell me, are you always like this? Is this how you’ve always handled your duties?”
“That’s…”
“It is, isn’t it? This is how it’s always been.”
“…”
“Honestly, tell me. Angel, have you ever considered the opinions and thoughts of the people affected by your duties? Have you ever listened to them?”
“…”
“Have you ever considered their positions and feelings?”
“…”
Raphael remained silent. He wanted to refute the mortal who dared to defy an angel. But for some reason, he couldn’t. His mouth wouldn’t open. He didn’t know why.
Meanwhile, Lloyd continued.
“Am I wrong? That’s why you have nothing to say. You’ve always looked down from above, making decisions without any consultation, and then imposing those decisions. Isn’t that what you’ve been doing all this time?”
“…”
“So, let me ask again. Is that really for the public good and order?”
“Of course…”
“For the public good and order of heaven, maybe.”
“…”
Raphael had nothing to say. He had no excuses. In his fading consciousness, he reflected on his past. On the numerous successful missions he had completed. He realized something.
‘That mortal’s words aren’t wrong.’
Looking back, it was true. Throughout his long career of handling complaints and successfully completing missions, he had never considered the opinions of those affected. He had never listened to their positions or feelings.
‘I’ve just been following orders, like a machine, treating my duties as mere tasks.’
But was that really for the public good? Was it really for order? Or was it just serving the interests of heaven?
“I…”
He didn’t know. He really didn’t know. He didn’t know what to say or why he felt such bitterness now.
And with that final thought, Raphael’s consciousness faded. The third-rank fallen angel of heaven, a symbol of meteoric success, had experienced his first defeat and complete blackout.
Unconsciousness.
Dizziness.
Where was this place?
Why was he lying down?
And why did he feel so comfortable?
“…”
Raphael opened his eyes slightly. It was bright. Too bright, not because of the sunlight.
‘I’m back. My halo of fire.’
Hovering above his lying body were two rings, engulfed in holy flames just like in his memories, as if vowing to protect him always.
Raphael felt relieved.
‘Thank goodness. I thought I had lost it forever.’
Suddenly, he remembered. He had cursed for the first time in his life, losing his purity and, consequently, the flames of his halo. But seeing the flames revived, it seemed his sullied heart had been cleansed.
‘Wait. What about that human?’
Startled, Raphael’s shoulders twitched. He began to remember what had happened.
‘I tried to demolish the Jewel of Truth… got obstructed in my duty… tried to punish the mortal Lloyd Frontera… and…’
He lost. Hit on the forehead with a shovel, he had been defeated for the first time in his life. He even passed out!
“…!”
As the memories returned, he sprang up, causing the white blanket covering him to fall. The sudden movement startled Lloyd, who was dozing off beside the bed.
“…Huh? Oh, geez, you scared me.”
“…”
“I was just dozing off a bit while nursing you, angel.”
“…”
“Seriously, I was. I’ve had severe insomnia recently, you see. But I fought off the sleep to nurse you, touching, right?”
“You… nursed me?”
“Yes.”
Lloyd rubbed his eyes and smiled.
“Really. After you collapsed yesterday, you slept so soundly.”
“Yesterday?”
“Yes, yesterday. When we fought to the death.”
“And you didn’t kill me?”
“Why would I?”
Lloyd shrugged.
“Actually, some people following me suggested killing you, saying you were dangerous and might attack again. But as you can see, I’m a bit generous.”
“…”
“Man, I even nursed you. Just yesterday, you were swinging that mace around, threatening to demolish the Jewel. And here I am, putting you up in a guest room and nursing you through the night. Should I charge you for lodging and nursing?”
“…”
Raphael looked at Lloyd, feeling dazed. Listening to the human’s banter, he began to understand.
‘I really lost.’
But this human had forgiven him. He had been unconscious for a day, and this human could have easily finished him off. Yet, he didn’t. Instead, he took care of him. Realizing this, Raphael spoke without thinking.
“Then, I’ll stay here for a while.”
“Excuse me?”
“I won’t return to heaven for now. I’d like to stay in your territory for about 10 years.”
“Wait, hold on.”
“Yes.”
“What kind of manners are those? You just declared you’d stay for 10 years to someone who said they should charge you for lodging and nursing. Do angels chew gum up in heaven or something?”
“No.”
Raphael smiled softly. He spoke slowly, as if organizing his thoughts.
“I can’t return to heaven immediately. I lost my angel’s halo.”
“Your halo? The thing above your head?”
“Yes. It’s essential for returning to heaven. Think of it as a kind of passport.”
“Then…”
“Don’t worry too much. It’ll be automatically reissued in about 10 years.”
“Isn’t that too long?”
“To an angel, it’s like a month for humans.”
“But here, it’s enough time for mountains to change.”
“It’s fine. I’m an angel.”
“No, I mean it might not be fine for us.”
Lloyd looked at Raphael, feeling exasperated.
‘What? Why does this angel want to stick around here as a freeloader?’
But before he could outright reject him, Raphael spoke again.
“Actually, it’s also because of the advice you gave me yesterday.”
“What advice?”
“Before I passed out, you advised me. You asked if we angels ever discussed our duties with mortals, if we ever considered their perspectives.”
“…”
“I wanted to deny it at first. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized you had a point. It made me reflect.”
A bitter smile appeared on Raphael’s lips.
“It was a shock. I thought I was helping the world, but perhaps I was being arrogant and self-righteous. So, I want to think about how I should carry out my duties in the future, what mindset I should have, and what to do if my opinions clash with my superiors. I want to use this time to reflect.”
“So, you want to stay here and heal for free while contemplating?”
“Yes. I don’t know what answers I’ll find, but I have 10 years to reflect.”
“…I haven’t agreed to that yet.”
“Will you turn me away then?”
“Depends on how useful you’ll be.”
Lloyd responded nonchalantly.
‘Of course! Why would I take in a freeloader if they’re not useful? This isn’t a shelter!’
To stay here, Raphael needed to prove his worth. It was only natural.
‘Even the seemingly idle Dragon King plays his part. He’s my patron, after all.’
But this angel wanted to stay for free for 10 years? Absurd.
Lloyd shot a sharp, stingy glare at him, like a landlord eyeing a tenant who hadn’t paid rent in six months. The third-rank angel of heaven flinched.
Despite his long tenure as an angel, this was a new type of look. Probably because of this unfamiliar pressure, Raphael felt pushed and, without realizing Lloyd’s crafty intentions, promised what Lloyd wanted.
“Well, if you let me stay, I’ll…”
