Academic gathering with a lich-Chapter 255 - 238 Angels
Lyle felt there must be something wrong with this cross.
Looking at the Phoebe Cross he was clenching in his hand and the Silver Knight armor that appeared before him, Karen had found him one day after Lyle’s arrival in the Holy City Lokarot. At that time, Lyle had uncovered the ugly truth beneath the Holy City’s grandeur and had begun to feel weary and disillusioned with the fake city, so he had spent the entire day in his inn room without leaving. Medusa had become the one he confided in, listening like a tender older sister to Lyle’s complaints about the dissonance between his inner ideals and the harsh realities, and gradually, Lyle had gotten used to the feeling of her coiled around his neck and her whispers in his ear. As for Nia, she was not interested in Lyle’s complaints; she lay on the window, watching the giant Holy Cross on top of the church all day and night as if it were a huge glowing toy.
Karen had come to his room and knocked on the door, which was unexpected. When she correctly called out his name, Lyle became highly suspicious of the cross. It turned out that Karen’s previous talk of being hunted was not a joke; it was doable.
"This is a tracker, right?"
Karen snatched the cross back from Lyle’s hand.
"Lord Lyle, what are you talking about? Karen completely doesn’t understand what you mean. However, Karen is really happy that Lord Lyle can attend the Ceremony of Light!"
Well, meeting Karen in this city was also Lyle’s good fortune, because at that moment he already felt a great distance from the city. Encountering an acquaintance made Lyle feel less lonely, especially when Karen was chattering in his ear like a little duck.
"Lord Lyle, shall we go out and take a look?"
"Lord Lyle, would you like to go pray at the church?"
"Lord Lyle, my father is here too, do you want to go see him? My father is also a Paladin, he’s the one who told me those stories about the Crusaders’ leader, and he certainly wants to see the Purifier beyond the books; let’s fulfill his wish." In reality, Karen wanted to avoid the relentless clawing of Dolanko, especially since Dolanko had been inexplicably irate lately, and kept staring at Karen’s still-reddening little ears, so much so that she hardly dared to go home anymore. It was better to let the Purifier divert the attention.
As Karen was trying hard to convince Lyle to meet her parents, a sudden horn sound plunged Lokarot into silence. It was a long and resonant sound, its special timbre made everyone shudder.
"What is that, Karen?"
Karen’s body trembled, and her armor rattled with the trembling. She gripped Lyle’s hand and pulled him outside. "The Guardian Legion, has returned."
Lyle went downstairs; there was no one left in the inn, not even the owner, and only half-drunk cups were discarded all over the tavern. They stepped out the door and followed the crowd to the square in front of the church. The vast square was packed with people; following the crowd, you couldn’t see the marble ground, only the sea of bobbing heads. Leveraging her Paladin status and strength, Karen cleared a path for herself and Lyle through the crowd, standing in the front row near the road.
The choir of nuns began to chant hymns, and the church’s brilliance fell on the crowd, making everyone appear as pure as newborns. In the crowd, Lyle saw true saints. Those wearing masks also congregated to welcome the warriors of the Crusaders. They were visibly divided into two groups from those around them, but they didn’t care, children and elderly, men and women all looked along the path of arrival, anticipating the descent of the holy light.
The first to arrive was the sound of the cheering crowd. Even before the Guardian Legion entered Lyle’s line of sight, the cheers and screams had reached him. Like a tidal wave, every person in Lokarot expressed their joy, welcoming these warriors of the holy light. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
It was like another proud sun rising from the ground, the first of the Crusaders walked over.
To call his appearance merely handsome or beautiful would be insufficient; his visage was a divine gift, silent, without words. That was the reaction of everyone who witnessed his glory. His bi-colored auburn hair spilled in the air, and along with his dark golden armor, it gave off an air of carefree elegance. He was the kind who you’d want upon just one glance, a man who could make everyone fall in love at first sight, with the masculine vigor mingled with feminine softness, beautiful as an angel. Even his undisguised somber expression only served to make this god-like man seem more relatable.
The moment Lyle laid eyes on him, it felt as if he already knew his name.
Behind him, Karen was so excited she was close to crying.
"The Earthly Angel, His Excellency Raphael Pembai," a leader of the Crusaders. The sense of oppression he brought to Lyle was no less than that from the big shots among the students like Andrey, even perhaps far more. It was like a mountain slowly approaching you, and you could only feel your own insignificance.
The most extraordinary thing about Raphael, was the four Greatswords floating behind him, glowing with a strange light, the naturally flowing power within them could outmatch several men like Lyle.
The appearance and the aura of Raphael were so dazzling that even the sight of the well-ordered Guardian Legion that came after seemed only natural. Raphael had captured all attention.
At that moment, a discordant note appeared. It was a man dressed in a white suit, a slightly portly man with a small mustache and an oily complexion. He rushed to the earlier built podium, a place Lyle hadn’t previously understood the purpose of. Sharp, imp-like screeches began to spread beneath the sacred light.
"Citizens of Lokarot! This is the leader of the Crusaders, His Excellency Raphael Pembai! Cheer, rejoice! An angel has descended among us! A distinguished guest invited by our great lord, Duke Terresi himself! What are you waiting for! Praise the holy light! And our lord!"
To his influence, an unimaginable cheer erupted from the surrounding crowd. Lyle secretly clicked his tongue, a clown, he had turned the sacred into a farce, a performance, a ridiculous political play. Look, the overconfident man had already caught Raphael’s gaze. Raphael’s eyes locked onto the man in the white suit, unwavering.
The man seemed to have also noticed something and began his next round of introduction.
"You simply cannot comprehend how vast the embrace of the holy light is, let me tell you, the holy light will accept everyone! Even the lowest of people will find a place in the arm of the holy light!" The man’s gaze swept through the crowd, finally taking notice of the group of masked people.
"Hey! You there! Shouldn’t you people show your gratitude towards the holy light!"
All eyes converged on the bewildered masked figures, ever devoid of emotion and indifference.
Lyle trembled with rage, that damned scum! He had diverted Raphael’s attention to these people. No matter how noble the masked figures’ souls might be, their appearance was enough to constitute sacrilege. For Raphael, who already had his reservations, this offense was enough to enrage him, and he was paying for this affront with the masked figures’ sacrilege.
Clearly unaware of such arrangements, the masked figures were confused yet pleasantly surprised. For they were more pious than anyone else, and loved the holy light more than anyone. Eventually, a little girl covered in white resin and wearing a torn dress was pushed forward by her family. With encouraging gazes from them, she held up a string of homemade flowers made of twigs and white paint, step by step approaching Raphael.
Don’t go, don’t go! Lyle screamed inwardly, but the little girl continued moving towards the towering Raphael, each step taken with earnest focus. Raphael’s gaze remained solemn, watching the girl draw near, his eyes like those of an enraged lion.
"Lord Angel, my family and I are very grateful to you for everything you have done for us." The little girl lifted the fake flowers high, covering her face and mask. She bowed her head, not daring to look at Raphael’s face.
In everyone’s ears, the sound of metal striking the ground echoed.
The angel, Raphael Pembai, knelt on one knee before the girl covered in sap.
He received the fake flowers, his somber eyes looking at the girl. His voice was as soft as melting ice and flowing water, exceedingly gentle.
"Child, what is your name?"
"I am Ellie."
"Ellie, may I see your face?" Raphael asked as he looked at Ellie’s masked face, his tone inquisitive but still frightening Ellie, who quickly covered her mask and turned away from Raphael’s gaze.
"That’s not possible, Lord Angel. You would be scared if you saw Ellie’s face."
Raphael’s voice remained gentle, like invisible water flowing into Ellie’s heart. "Ellie, I am very familiar with you all. Lokarot is also my home, and family does not fear Ellie."
"...Really?"
"Truly, Ellie’s angel would not deceive."
"Then Ellie will really take off her mask."
"Hmm."
The little girl removed her mask and beneath it was a face with flesh completely rotted, like the insides of a decaying corpse, nauseating to behold. The crowd erupted in commotion, with curses and cries of sacrilege and demonic nonsense, trampling the little girl’s one moment of courage.
The angel took hold of her sinking heart.
Raphael extended his hand, and a Greatsword floating behind him shone with light. The unsheathed blade, mirror-like, with gems set into the hilt, blazed with divine radiance.
"Norgburn."
The weapon of the angel radiated light, and the Holy Light in Raphael’s hand dimmed to a gentle flow.
Raphael cradled Ellie’s frail body in his arms, caressing her cheek. As a miracle of Holy Light unfolded, Ellie closed her eyes; under the Divine Artifact’s power, her scarred body scabbed over and healed, her face became softer and more tender than that of a baby.
Her outward appearance became as perfect as her inner beauty.
As Raphael softly called to her, Ellie opened her eyes and through the Norgburn’s mirrored blade, she saw her true self. Tears of joy streamed down her face.
Raphael wiped away her tears, his solemn expression unchanged.
"Ellie, my solemnity is not due to dissatisfaction with you all. I carry a pain that prevents me from smiling. Now that I have healed your wounds..."
"Ellie, could you smile for me?"
