Chapter 266
Returning to the 72nd floor via the portal, Nahun fell into deep thought.
‘Should I abandon the business like this?’
Having realized just how valuable art trading could be, it was hard to give it up easily. However, with the situation deteriorating, it seemed that Nahun would have to close the business, even if it felt like a waste.
After contemplating for a while, Nahun let out a sigh. Several ideas had crossed his mind, but…
“Opening the 72nd floor and letting humans in presents issues with the council’s scrutiny.”
There were numerous problems in the current situation that were becoming increasingly unmanageable. Unfortunately, it seemed best to postpone the business for now by coordinating with Phynox.
There was another issue that troubled Nahun deeply.
“…What was that thing in Camiel’s body?”
When people communicate, there are certain things that are visible. It seemed Camiel was genuinely determined to keep his promise to Nahun. In fact, until the sudden change in attitude and ambush, there were no signs that Camiel intended to deceive Nahun.
There were many peculiarities that made it hard to believe that the entire encounter was an act intended to deceive Nahun from the outset. If that were truly the case, he should have attacked immediately after the first strike. Giving Nahun time to respond was clearly a poor decision.
Camiel was not an inexperienced fool, so it had to be that he hesitated to attack due to some problem. And every time Camiel revealed his power, Nahun felt the presence of another divinity alongside his own.
Great demons are inherently sensitive to divinity. Divinity is the only force that can inflict definitive harm on the nearly immortal body of a great demon. This was also why Nahun had realized something before Camiel himself did.
‘Is there any being capable of such interference with an archangel responsible for one of the Sephira?’
Thus, it was completely baffling. There is no existence capable of interfering with an archangel without that individual’s permission or consent. Those were undoubtedly the highest beings in both the Heavens and Hell. Since they were of equal rank, even the same archangel could not perform this kind of interference.
“Strange…”
While he was very curious about the inner workings of this situation, unless he visited the Heavens, there was no way for Nahun to find out more.
After a moment of consideration, Nahun’s thoughts turned in another direction. If he couldn’t find out what was going on in the Heavens…
“…Hell…”
He thought maybe he could learn something there.
Determined to return to the 25th floor soon, Nahun attempted to open a gate. Just then, his eyes widened. He felt the magic power of someone who should not be sensed in this place.
“Was that a false sense…?”
“Teacher!!”
It was not a false alarm. A demon king was racing towards him, her cloak nearly falling off. With white hair, strands of red sprinkled throughout, and two straight horns protruding from her head, she was characterized by traits that Nahun cherished above anyone else.
“Seere.”
As soon as Nahun called her name absentmindedly, Seere leapt into his embrace. At first, Nahun thought she had come to welcome him, but quickly realized, upon observing the staggering number of troops following her, that was not the case.
“Are you hurt anywhere?!”
Seere hurriedly inspected Nahun’s body from all angles, urgently checking to see if he was injured. Nahun, feeling a bit flustered, answered her directly.
“Umm… no. By the way, Seere, did you really come all this way to help me?”
“Of course! I heard you encountered an archangel…!”
It seemed she had nearly brought the entirety of her army with her. From the second legion to the recently joined tenth legion, even Dein and Eri, whom Nahun had sent away, were there.
Seeing this, Nahun let out a bittersweet laugh.
“It’s fine. Nothing happened.”
“That can’t possibly be true!?”
“What I meant was that I wasn’t hurt. Look, do I look injured to you?”
Despite Nahun’s gesture to inspect him, Seere took another look and confirmed he was indeed unharmed.
“How is that… really, nothing happened?”
“Well, there was a bit of an unfortunate incident.”
“Y-yes!?”
Seere interpreted this as there being something wrong with Nahun’s body. Realizing her misunderstanding, Nahun clarified.
“Oh, I didn’t mean it that way. It seems that continuing the art business will be difficult.”
“What does that matter?! We can secure funding from the newly acquired 23rd, 21st, and 20th floors. More importantly, Teacher… haah…”
Seere seemed relieved at last. With a sigh of relief, she collected herself and turned back.
“All troops, return to the 25th floor. The situation seems resolved, so operations are cancelled.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Take your time.”
Though Seere felt slightly flustered by Lin’s mischievous consideration, she soon responded with a smile.
“Understood, Assistant Ersha. I’ll leave the command to you.”
“Certainly.”
Ersha temporarily received command of the troops, and gathered the Debata army, which had charged down. The sight of them rushing in, leaving only Seere behind, was somewhat amusing.
With a slightly hollow smile, Nahun asked Seere.
“What will you do with an army that size… how did you manage to come this far?”
Since a gate spell couldn’t transport such a large force, they must have used a portal, meaning the other floor’s demon kings had to open the way.
Considering Seere was now a high-ranking demon king, many would surely be wary of her army passing through the layers. Still, it was astonishing they made it here so easily.
Upon Nahun’s question, Seere clung to him again like a child. As she cautiously burrowed into his embrace, Nahun accepted her without objection. Cradled in his arms, Seere murmured softly.
“They said they would turn everything into a sea of flames if I didn’t open it.”
“…huh?”
“Of course, they had to respond since they didn’t know what would happen to you. You would…”
Seere looked up at Nahun lightly. Perhaps feeling more at ease and having lost some tension, her gaze took on a somewhat forlorn expression.
“If I were in danger, you would do so, right?”
“That goes without saying. I’m your teacher and protector.”
At Nahun’s words, Seere puffed her cheeks slightly. As her expression turned sullen, Nahun pondered whether he had said something wrong.
“Umm…”
After a brief moment of contemplation, he gently patted Seere’s head.
“And your lover.”
Nahun’s second reply seemed to please her, as the frustration on Seere’s face faded, and a lovely smile formed on her lips. She buried her face deeper into Nahun’s embrace and spoke.
“…That’s right. So, I’m here to rescue you too.”
“This teacher isn’t that weak, though.”
“If it were typical circumstances, I wouldn’t be acting this way. But considering it’s an archangel…”
Seere had witnessed enough of the power of an archangel during the Heavenly Demon War. Although Nahun had overpowered Mikael at that time, it did not mean Mikael was weak.
Anyone present then, if not Nahun, would have struggled against Mikael. Thus, she couldn’t help but feel worried when Mikael was encountered in the human realm.
“Didn’t you fight with him? How did you not get hurt at all?”
“Well… I could explain, but let’s walk to the castle first. I’ll tell you as we go.”
“Aye, okay.”
#
The demon king castle on the 72nd floor, which had been destroyed, was now fully restored. Though it wouldn’t be used as a base from now on and was not large, it was equipped with a somewhat cottage-like feel.
As they made their way there, Nahun briefly explained what had just happened to Seere. She seemed puzzled by it as well.
“If he intended to stab you in the back from the start, would he have needed to weaken his power with a contract? It would have been better to just discuss it verbally.”
“That’s part of what makes it questionable. Camiel’s actions raise multiple doubts.”
“…Might there be a problem on his end too?”
At Seere’s question, Nahun shook his head, indicating that he too wasn’t sure. If they wanted to investigate further…
“Seere.”
“Yes?”
“Gremony and Citri were preparing to conquer the 30th floor, right?”
“Yes, that’s likely.”
“Since we conquered the 20th floor faster than expected, we might need to wait for them a bit. For now, let’s focus on internal affairs and postpone Citri and Gremony’s conquest plans for a little while.”
“Understood.”
After discussing future plans, Nahun asked next.
“Have you found the bloodstones on the 23rd and 20th floors?”
“We’re still searching for those. Oh, and we found the sealing stone belonging to Citri on the 21st floor.”
“Good. Then call Citri to release the seal and restore its power.”
Seere tilted her head at Nahun’s instruction. After all, restoring Citri’s powers was something Nahun typically handled himself.
“Didn’t you say you would do that? Along with training…”
“I think I’ll need to step away for a bit.”
“Excuse me?”
Seere looked at Nahun with a puzzled expression. Realizing her gaze, Nahun waved his hand.
“It’s not going to take years like before.”
This time, he intended to take a normal route. If he used the gate carelessly, he might end up trapped in the flow of time again, and it wouldn’t be clear when he would return.
“I think I’ll have to visit Hell to find out about the things we discussed before.”
“Are you sure it’s alright? You nearly put one great demon into a semi-conscious state last time…”
“That will be alright. It was them who broke the regulations.”
Nahun stated.
“And there’s no one who can judge me in Hell.”
“…I feel you’ll be fine, but I’m worried.”
“You can handle things well on your own now, can’t you?”
“That’s not it.”
Seere moved a bit closer to Nahun. Then, she gently grasped his clothing with her fingers.
“I think it’ll be lonely.”
“…I’ll return soon. It won’t take long. In the meantime, I’d like you to handle what I can’t. It may be tough, but I’m counting on you.”
“That much is… certainly manageable. That isn’t the issue…”
Seere wore a slightly dissatisfied expression. Then, she thought about how to convince Nahun, who was oblivious only at such times.
“I still haven’t received the reward for defeating on the 23rd floor that you promised.”
“Oh right. Do you have something in mind now?”
“Yes, I do.”
Suddenly, Seere stepped directly in front of Nahun, causing him to stop in his tracks. When he tilted his head in question, Seere looked up at him and spoke.
“Two nights, three days.”
“Huh?”
“Since we’re here on the 72nd floor, let’s take a moment to rest in the castle. I’ll inform the 25th floor. After all, we’re going to focus solely on internal affairs for a while, so we can afford a little break, right?”
This was effectively an invitation to spend a vacation together. Nahun felt that being a day or two late to Hell wouldn’t make much of a difference.
“Indeed, we both have been quite busy.”
“…Hehe.”
When Nahun easily consented, Seere seemed happy, letting out a faint smile. With a bright grin, she activated her magic.
“Gate.”
『 Līmen 』
Suddenly opening a passage through gate magic, Seere entered it without saying another word. Nahun was a bit taken aback but saw that the gate hadn’t closed, indicating he was included as a user.
“Where does this connect…?”
Not knowing for sure, he decided to step in regardless. With curious eyes, Nahun stepped through the gate, and he found himself emerging in…
“…Huh?”
In the bedroom. More precisely, on the bed. Nahun’s expression was one of astonishment as he found himself entrapped in a muddled state.
At that moment…
“Teacher.”
“!?”
Thud, something crashed down on Nahun. Taken by surprise, Nahun fell back, with his head hitting the plush pillow.
“If you’re not going to be by my side for a while, shouldn’t you give me what I deserve before you go?”
It was none other than Seere who had landed on him. Having thrown off her cloak, she was holding him down with her body, rendering him unable to move.
“…What do you mean by give?”
As Nahun asked mildly, Seere smiled sweetly.
“You know exactly what I mean.”
That smile was extraordinarily enticing. Watching Seere’s alluring grin, Nahun couldn’t help but let out a resigned chuckle.
“I have no objections, but…”
“Hmm?”
“Let’s keep the order.”
Nahun pulled Seere slightly closer. He then laid her next to him. Upon this, Seere, pouting as if questioning his actions, puffed her lips.
“I just fought, so I’m a bit tired, and we should let the folks here know we’ve arrived, so they’re not shocked. Don’t you think?”
“…Umm, that’s true.”
“When the sun sets, then I’ll give you even more than you desire, so don’t feel too disappointed.”
“…!”
Understanding Nahun’s intention, Seere’s face flushed bright red. Whether she was satisfied with his words or shy, she quietly nuzzled into his embrace and lay down beside him. Nahun offered her a comforting arm and spoke in a slightly weary voice.
“Let’s take a nap.”
“…Yes.”
Afterward, Nahun, exhausted from battle, quickly fell asleep, but Seere couldn’t shake the fluttering flutter in her heart. In the end, she forwent sleep to sniff Nahun’s scent and admire the face of the peacefully sleeping Nahun, relishing the time spent solely to herself.
#
Kamiel, returned to the Heavens, headed straight to the top of the Sephiroth tree, the highest point in the Heavens. He instructed Barakiel and the tardy Cassiel to return to Geburah and approached there alone.
‘Kether.’
Located at the highest point among the Sephira of the Sephirot, ruled by Metatron. Due to its position, it had once been referred to as “the place closest to God.”
It was particularly mysterious among the Sephira, and the Archangel Metatron who governed it was an exceptionally enigmatic being. Although not at present, in the past, Metatron was the only archangel who could directly communicate with God.
The fact that the other archangels implicitly recognized her as the leader of the Heavens was due to this reason. However, it was still only an implicit acknowledgment; her status as the leader of the Heavens had not been officially recognized.
Fundamentally, all archangels are of equal rank, respecting each other’s existence and refraining from excessive interference. However, the experience Kamiel had gone through this time was closer to ‘manipulation’ rather than mere interference.
Though the principle remained unknown, it was clear that the voice Kamiel had heard was that of Metatron. This suggested a high probability that he had acted against his own will due to Metatron’s influence.
No matter how much Kamiel had acted under Metatron’s requests, it was undeniably crossing a line.
“Metatron!”
Thus, he had come to confront her directly. No archangel dared stop the entrance of an archangel like him, and Kamiel was able to enter Metatron’s chamber without any hindrance.
“…Metatron?”
Kamiel was taken aback. A massive and pure white pair of wings that usually adorned her chamber covered the room, but something was different. The once entirely white feathers were now streaked with red, and the veil that Metatron usually wore lay discarded on the floor.
That veil bore traces of red as well. Kamiel quickly discerned what it was. By following the line of red, he saw it flowing from her vacant, ashen eyes and cracked lips.
“Me, Metatron!? What the hell…!”
Kamiel momentarily forgot about confronting her and hurried to wipe the blood flowing from her mouth and eyes. Metatron accepted Kamiel’s actions like a doll.
“Why… why is this happening? What is going on? What’s with all this blood!?”
Kamiel had many questions, but the urgency of the current situation took precedence. This couldn’t merely be considered an ambush. There were no signs of anyone else having intruded, nor were there any obvious wounds on Metatron.
Had there been an assault, her subordinates would have already responded to assess the situation. This meant that the current circumstances were definitely not the result of an external attack.
“…I suppose the blood flowing excessively took you by surprise.”
The dry, cracking voice that escaped from her cracked lips echoed in Kamiel’s ears. It was completely different from the voice he had previously heard in his mind.
“Don’t speak, wait. Let me treat you first…”
“It’s alright, Kamiel… this is just a side effect. I will recover soon.”
“…Side effect?”
Kamiel looked at Metatron with an expression of incomprehension. Then, Metatron’s hollow eyes slowly shifted, locking gazes with Kamiel.
“Even using great power, commanding an equal being is quite burdensome.”
“…What are you saying now…?”
“However, there’s still work to be done. I intended to rest for a bit, but you coming here means I won’t have the luxury of time.”
Instinctively sensing something was off, Kamiel momentarily let go of her.
However, just moments ago, Metatron hadn’t even had the strength to sit upright without Kamiel’s support. Yet, she slowly propped herself up and stood.
“Archangel Kamiel.”
At that moment, Metatron’s void-like eyes glinted. The halo above her head began to warp, forming some characters.
It started to reveal ancient letters, beginning with Yod (י).
Then, the symbols that arose sequentially were:
He (ה).
Vav (ו).
He (ה).
Kamiel could not have failed to recognize the four letters that completed the formation. The shock on his face contorted as he confronted the reality that went beyond just being manipulated.
“It’s a command.”
“You, when did you start doing this…!!!”
“Forget about this incident. And don’t think of it again.”
As the four letters hovered above her head, Metatron’s command caused Kamiel’s body to freeze.
Instantly, his eyes lost their color. Like Metatron, his eyes transformed to ash-gray. Kamiel nodded and began to turn, leaving Metatron’s chamber.
Slowly, the halo that had displayed the four letters returned to its original form. In the meantime, blood began to drip once again from the eyes that Kamiel had wiped clean.
“Exercising power is not easy, after all.”
