Chapter 22

When in doubt, just play the harp

(tl note: fairy here is spelled using the kanji for holy beast but read as fairy)

 

The Ten Archangels of Sefirot are the guardians of the Fairy World, managing it ever since the Holy Dragon Ein Sof ceased to appear on the world stage.

 

They are united under the leadership of the King Keter, who possesses ten wings, and each operates according to their own sense of justice. They are also the most powerful force capable of resisting the Abyss, the destroyers that emerge from the depths below the sea of clouds. The fairies of the islands revere and devote themselves to these archangels with great joy.

 

This village, under the protection of Archangel Netzach, is no exception.

 

Although they were reluctant to take revenge on the human world following King Keter's decision, the angels of the Holy City have fended off several Abyss attacks from this village, located near the sea of clouds. The villagers have revered and given thanks to them for generations.

 

Kotetsu, the village chief’s son, is one of these villagers.

 

Ever since he was old enough to understand, he had watched the angels effortlessly defeat the Abyss, and by the time he was nine years old, he had resolved, “Someday, I’ll become a warrior who serves them!” and spent every day training for this goal.

 

However, this meant he would leave the village once he reached adulthood—a dream his father, who wished him to inherit the position of village chief, opposed.

 

Among the fairies, the kobolds are not particularly strong. Most warriors who serve the angels are from physically superior races, such as the ogres, known for their strength, or the dragonfolk, who, like the angels, can fly. Though the kobolds possess keen noses and great agility, their short lifespan and rapid aging make it difficult for them to rise within organizations dominated by longer-lived species.

 

But, even so, Kotetsu thinks.

 

That dream I once had has grown even bigger today.

 

He had seen a real archangel, one whom he wished to serve from the bottom of his heart, during the village's greatest crisis.

 

An archangel with ten black wings.

 

For some reason, this archangel seemed to be hiding their true identity, often appearing in human form. But Kotetsu and the other kobolds weren’t fooled.

 

Thanks to their superior sense of smell, they could detect a faint resemblance between the scent of the green-eyed girl who called herself T.P. Eight Olishua and the scent of the Ten Archangels of Sefirot.

 

It was a kind, reassuring scent. The fact that this girl had tamed the forest’s mythical carbuncle, a creature that never warmed up to any of the other fairies, also proved that she was no ordinary fairy.

 

Kotetsu recalled the image of her obliterating the Abyss horde with her shapeshifting sacred arts. She was stronger than any angel he had seen, perhaps even rivaling Netzach-sama, the king of the island.

 

He also remembered how she later used those same holy powers to transform the lumber brought by the villagers into homes, even reshaping the special metal provided by Haniel-sama into new materials. Her power seemed like something from the legends of Genesis he had once read about in picture books.

 

And finally, during the banquet, Kotetsu blushed as he remembered how she shyly accepted the villagers' hospitality and ate their food. Her face, slightly flushed from the alcohol, left him with a strange feeling that made his heart race—a feeling he had never experienced, not even when he first dreamed of serving the angels. He somehow understood, The archangel I truly wanted to serve is this one.

 

And then, after she complimented the food, she patted his head with a warm hand when he delivered the plate to her—AHHHHHHH!!!

 

“Kyuu”

 

Kotetsu let out a strange sound and nearly passed out as the memory of her soft touch sent his brain into overdrive. He decided then and there that he wouldn’t wash his head for a while.

 

Fortunately for him, no one was around to witness his goofy expressions at the time.

 

It was nighttime. The silver moon, which never waned, shone brightly in the sky, and Kotetsu had slipped away from the post-dinner bustle to cool down his overheated mind with a walk.

 

Despite the town having suffered severe damage from the Abyss attack, it was already about 70% restored to its original state—all thanks to the incognito archangel, T.P. Eight Olishua.

 

… But who exactly was she?

 

As he walked the quiet streets alone, Kotetsu tried to think rationally.

 

There were ten of them in the Ten Archangels of Sefirot, just as their name suggested. They generally do not leave the islands under their respective jurisdictions, but only in exceptional cases do they travel to other islands.

 

It was clear that she wasn’t Netzach, the archangel of this island. Netzach was the kind of muscle-bound gentleman that all boys admired, and he wasn’t the type to engage in subtle tricks like changing his appearance. If it turned out that Netzach had mimicking her all along, it would be a life-long trauma for Kotetsu. However, both Kotetsu and the kobolds in the village knew his smell, so there was no way they would have mistaken him for someone else, even if he had disguised himself.

 

As for beautiful female archangels who might match the kobold tribe's sense of aesthetics, Tiferet, the Archangel of Beauty, came to mind.

 

She was famous for her gentle nature and treated the sacred beast fairies equally, much like Eight did. However, she had recently supported Keter's plan to retaliate against the humans. Kotetsu couldn't imagine her disguising herself as a human and traveling with them.

 

The same went for Malkuth, another female archangel. She was known for her unwavering loyalty to King Keter, and it was unthinkable that she would side with humans.

 

This left the other seven archangels. Kotetsu's father, the village chief, suspected that Eight might actually be Binah, the third archangel.

 

Binah, the eldest daughter of the Ten Archangels, was known for her extreme secrecy. Unlike the others, she rarely appeared in public, even within her own territory on the Third Island, Elohim. She preferred to act alone and was a master of mimicry, said to possess a thousand forms. Only a handful of angels had seen her true face, apart from the Holy Dragon. Her actions were unpredictable, and her range of activity was vast.

 

It was said that, true to her name of “Understanding,” she enjoyed observing the sacred beasts and would sometimes disguise herself to interact with them or even test them. The picture books described her as having an elusive personality, one of the most enigmatic among the Ten Archangels.

 

It was not surprising that she was on the side of humans, who other archangels viewed as enemies. If anyone could be walking among humans for the purpose of understanding them, it would be her. Kotetsu recalled how, after Haniel had left, his father and the village elders had been speculating about something.

 

Strong, kind, and cool. And beautiful, with a mysterious air... Meeting such a magnificent archangel, Kotetsu couldn't abandon his dream. Surely, the racing of his heart came from that deep passion.

 

The burning desire to serve the angel ignited his young heart, and he would never give up, no matter who opposed him.

 

 

At that moment, he noticed an unusually glowing spot in the restored village.

 

 

It was near the largest tree in the village that had somehow escaped being consumed by the Abyss. The tree was over 20 meters tall, a power spot revered by the villagers, and Kotetsu's favorite place. But someone was already there.

 

About three meters above the ground, perched on a branch, was the source of the light— the carbuncle. But it wasn't alone. Sitting there, with a mythical creature on her shoulder and tending to her instrument under the glow of its light, was the angel… T.P. Eight Olishua.

 

"Ah..."

 

The moon in the sky and the mythical creature on her shoulder radiated a divine glow.

 

Seeing her bathed in the two sublime lights, Kotetsu couldn't help but think once again, how beautiful…

 

Though sitting on a branch with the knees up would normally be considered improper, she looked as though she belonged in a perfect painting. Perhaps it was the way her dark hair and pale skin caught the light, making her seem as ethereal as the night itself.

 

T.P. Eight Olishua.

 

Without even realizing it, Kotetsu instinctively understood that her appearance could not have been a result of mimicry.

 

“This is a nice spot.”

 

『Ah! Y-yes!』

 

Kotetsu, who had been staring at her in awe, snapped back to reality as she spoke to him.

 

Though he had fled before when she had patted his head, he wasn’t about to make the same mistake twice. He straightened his posture, nervously meeting her eyes and replying formally.

 

She looked at him, smiling as if she found his nervousness endearing. Kotetsu's face turned beet red.

 

“Do you like this place too?”

 

『Yes! Umm… it’s one of my favorite spots!』

 

The largest tree on the highest hill of the village had watched over the kobolds’ lives for generations, long before Kotetsu was born. Knowing it had survived the Abyss attack brought him great relief.

 

He took the chance to thank the archangel again for protecting it.

 

“...You’re all so polite. I just did what I wanted to do.”

 

Having been thanked by the villagers many times already, she smiled wryly at his gratitude.

 

Still, Kotetsu wasn't speaking out of obligation.

 

『I wanted to thank you myself! Truly, thank you so mush-』

 

…He fumbled. Fairy telepathy converted spoken language directly into the recipient’s mind, but it didn’t prevent one from tripping over their own tongue.

 

Seeing Kotetsu's blunder, she put her hand over her mouth and let out a smile. Though embarrassed enough to want to crawl into a hole, Kotetsu couldn’t help but feel that seeing her smile made it all worth it.

 

“It’s pretty late. Are you sure it’s okay? …Ah, I suppose for your kind, this time of night is when things really start.”

 

『? Normally, this is when we’re asleep. I’ve heard that other kobold tribes are active at night, but our village has lived like this since the time of my great-great-grandfather, to align with the angels.』

 

“Hmm, that’s about 100 years ago, isn’t it? ... You’re all very devout, aren’t you?”

 

『Ehehe.』

 

I was praised by an angel for my faith!

 

She couldn't help but smile at his joy, and after a moment of puzzlement at Kotetsu's reaction, she suddenly smiled wryly again, as if she had just realised something.

 

"Shifts in consciousness can change the world."

 

『...Eh?』

 

Adjusting the strings of her instrument, she began to speak.

 

“Your kind originally thrived in the dead of night, yet now, it’s natural for you to sleep at night and wake in the morning, just like the angels. I think that’s an incredible evolution.”

 

『Is… that so?』

 

"Yes. What once thought impossible became possible simply because you wanted to be closer to the angels. That single change in mindset opened up new possibilities for you. Who knows, perhaps one day in the not-so-distant future, you’ll even become angels yourselves."

 

Kotetsu thought that was absurd, but he couldn’t say it aloud.

 

The expression on her face as she continued to tend to her instrument made her seem as though she was gazing at a distant home she could no longer return to.

 

After a few moments of silence, she tightened the strings with a snap and asked Kotetsu a question.

 

“Hey, what is your dream for the future?”

 

Kotetsu was taken aback by the sudden change in topic.

 

However, as a boy who dreamed of becoming a warrior in service to the angels, he quickly answered.

 

“I see… You like angels, don’t you?”

 

She said this with an impressed tone.

 

Even for the fearless Kotetsu, talking about this dream in front of the archangel made him incredibly nervous.

 

Looking down, he asked, "Do you think even I, of the kobold tribe, can become one?"

 

At that, she let out a quiet "Hmm..." and looked up from her instrument, fixing her gaze on Kotetsu.

 

Her eyes were just as mesmerizing as always, a color that seemed to draw you in. Kotetsu stared back, filled with a mix of hope and determination of a man.

 

After a moment, she finally spoke.

 

"I’m not really in a position to say anything irresponsible about your dream. But if I were to give you one piece of advice, I’d say that 'preconception’ isn’t something to be underestimated."

 

『Preconception?』

 

"Don’t give up. Holding onto the belief that you will succeed is important. Even if something seems difficult, no one else has the right to deny your dream. A strong will can change the world… just like how your ancestors overturned the kobold way of life to get closer to the angels."

 

『Ah…』

 

"Of course, there are things you can’t do alone. As long as you have something to lean on, it’s important to ask those nearby for help when you need it, okay?"

 

Her words settled deeply into Kotetsu’s heart.

 

He had never planned on giving up, but perhaps, all this time, he had been feeling anxious. With few children in the village and no adults around to support his dreams, he might have been struggling more than he realized.

 

But she didn’t deny his dream.

 

The very archangel he wanted to serve, standing right in front of him, had acknowledged his dream.

 

That alone seemed to lift the dark clouds from his heart, filling him with new energy and motivation.

 

『Um…!』

 

"Down I go!"

 

『Wah!?』

 

Just as Kotetsu was about to declare, “I want to serve you!”, he stopped short.

 

She suddenly stood up from the branch, her cape and skirt fluttering as she leaped gracefully down to land right in front of Kotetsu. The scent that filled his nose as she landed distracted him for a moment.

 

Standing before him, she raised the instrument in her hand and said:

 

"How about it? Would you like to stay and listen for a bit? Won’t you keep a bad older sister company for a little late-night fun? At least until I sober up…"

 

With a playful smile, she extended her invitation. Kotetsu’s tail twitched in excitement.

 

Ever since he had seen her holding that instrument at the banquet, he had been curious about what kind of music she would play.

 

With his tail wagging enthusiastically, he nodded eagerly, and so, the incognito archangel treated him to a one-night-only concert.

Next