Myths Reawakened

Private reception room, Buckingham Palace.

Auriel sat behind the desk as if he owned the place, a map of Londan spread before him. He marked on the map to divide the city into seven search zones, one for each of the reincarnated angels. It would be more efficient that way.

The question was how to assign the angel.

He hesitated, speculating about whether the Anointed One would turn out to be a noble or a beggar living off a noble. If he were a dockworker from the bottom of society, and Auriel assigned Hesione the more marginalized, impoverished area, wouldn’t he be handing the Anointed One to her?

That could never happen.

Perhaps he had been spending too much time around Mikhael, or perhaps he had contracted the ailment of arrogance, Auriel had a habit of putting himself in the role of a leader.

For example, Buckingham Palace was the most exalted location in Londan, so he had no intention of leaving after coming here. He treated it as his personal imperial retreat, as if only a palace befitted his station as a resting place.

On the sofa across from the desk sat Gerar and Vilkul, who had returned after receiving the summons, and Hesione sat on their right. Hestia, Olga, and Fred, being Thrones, had no seats. They stood before the Virtues like servants.

Olga and Fred saw nothing unusual about the secretary’s presence. Śār Hesione had been using her as a mouthpiece, and they had gotten used to it.

“Hesione, have you really no leads after staying in Londan for so long?” Auriel asked, raising an eyebrow. “I’ll ask again. You’re not lying to me, are you?”

“No.” Hesione shook her head with a blank expression. She had hidden the fact out of selfish desire, and now she stayed silent on the Anointed One’s orders.

Hearing her, Hestia let out a quiet sigh of relief. Mission complete. Time to head back and find out what her reward was.

“I still feel like you’re hiding something...” Auriel was suspicious of her. Putting himself in her shoes, he wouldn’t announce it even if he had found the Anointed One, so he suspected that Hesione had already done so. He decided against pressing the issue after some consideration, though. It was better to investigate quietly and see who Hesione had been meeting.

Auriel had never once considered Wayne to be a candidate, and he wasn’t alone. Gerar, Vilkul, and even the Lord of Pride had never once suspected Wayne.

Well, Pride had thought about it, then made a face of utter contempt. In his eyes, Hesione had been growing increasingly tainted because of his seal on her and Mona’s infatuation with Wayne. Hesione couldn’t fight back against Mona, and Mona was bound to Wayne, while Wayne...

The audacious pervert, upon learning that he was messing around with the Śār of Purity, had not only not pulled back, but even put his back into it to push harder.

The other Virtues suspected nothing for an even simpler reason: anyone with eyes could see that Wayne and the Anointed One didn’t go together in the same sentence.

Because of her ailment, Hesione had abandoned her purity and clung stubbornly to Wayne, making her the most fallen of all the Virtues. When an ordinary person fell ill, they sought a doctor. When an angel fell ill, they turned to the Anointed One.

Vilkul’s patience had reached its limit. “Śār Auriel, if there’s no pressing matter to discuss on your agenda, please excuse me. I’m in a hurry to find the Anointed One and have no interest in wasting time here.”

What’s the rush? Angling to become a Śār?

Auriel sneered silently. Lahr was Heaven’s number one traitor. He had leaked information about the Anointed One to Pride, which was a grave, unforgivable sin. Lahr’s days as a Śār were finished. Even if the Anointed One forgave him, Auriel would not!

He would emphasize the right and wrong and urge the Anointed One to give rewards and punishment fairly, imploring him to bring severe justice to the great sinner. The Śār had bled for Heaven and made a great contribution to Heaven, but he still had to face the consequences of his actions. What was wrong was wrong, and a sin was a sin. There would be no mercy.

In short, Lahr was doomed!

With Lahr’s fall, Vilkul and Gerar would have no support. If they didn’t want to suffer at the hands of the other Śārim, they would have to rise to the rank themselves. Finding the Anointed One first was the best way to earn that promotion.

Auriel scoffed. He would not let Vilkul and Gerar have the opportunity, and certainly not Hesione.

He, Auriel, would like to become the Viceroy of Heaven, wielding the authority like Mikhael!

But words that would undermine unity could not be spoken, and when there was a leader above him, he could not say out loud that he wanted to replace the leader. Auriel knew that much. When Vilkul showed obvious impatience, he said with a frown, “You’re Gentleness. Why are you always angry? Calm down and stop making mistakes.”

I’m in a hurry! If this drags on any longer, my child will be born.

Vilkul had been tirelessly searching for the Anointed One for the greater good and for one personal reason: he didn’t want his shameful secret to be exposed. If possible, he wanted to bring the Anointed One back to the Papal State before Titus’s belly became too pronounced to hide.

Time was running out. He was worried that if he wasn’t fast enough, when he returned to the Papal State, the shameless Pope would sneakily take a family photo.

Vilkul would rather go his whole life without laying eyes on a man as shameless as the Pope ever again.

“Śār Auriel, my urgency comes from my concerns for the Anointed One,” Vilkul said calmly. “Please stop with your posturing and just say whatever you want to say.”

He’s falling nearly as fast as Hesione! Auriel thought. Then he spoke like a typical leader, “First, the Anointed One is in Londan. That much is certain. You all agree, don’t you?”

The angels nodded in silence. They didn’t want to admit that they trusted Pride’s judgment, but that was the truth.

Pride had accurate intelligence and knew more than they did. A demon lord never did something that didn’t benefit them. Why would Pride lie low in Londan for years without making an appearance? It had to be because of the Anointed One.

They couldn’t go wrong with trusting Pride!

“Second,” Auriel continued, “I’ve been wondering: are the identifiable traits that Lahr told us true or false?”

He shook his head. “To be frank, I no longer trust him. He’s a traitor, and a traitor can do anything. Falsifying a prophecy is nothing.”

“What are you suggesting?” Gerar said. “That we send our thoughts back to Heaven through the Sacred Tome to meet with Mikhael?”

“I’ve considered that...” Auriel nodded. “I intend to inform Mikhael of Lahr’s betrayal so that he can apprehend Lahr and interrogate him about the prophecy.”

“It’s reasonable, but...” Gerar said slowly. “Have you considered the possibility that Lahr isn’t the traitor?”

“I have, but Lahr is too suspicious,” Auriel said firmly. “This concerns the safety of Heaven. Mikhael must be warned.”

None of the three Virtues could argue with that.

“I have a Sacred Tome of Golden Law for sending our thoughts back to Heaven, but this is an important matter. I want your support.”

If Lahr wasn’t the traitor... Auriel didn’t want to make an unnecessary enemy. With Hesione, Gerar, and Vilkul joining him in making a statement, even if he was wrong, the pressure on him would be much lighter.

“No need to hesitate,” Hesione was the first to speak up. “I support you.”

Vilkul sighed, nodding alongside Gerar. “I’ll go back to Heaven with you. Consider me a witness.”

Auriel wasted no time drawing a black dotted line in the air and retrieving the Sacred Tome of Golden Law he had obtained from the Papal State. He pressed one hand to its cover and started to murmur.

Hesione conjured a ward with a wave of her hand, preventing any outside detection. Although Pride had been banished and could not descend again any time soon, caution was still necessary.

Moments later, the reincarnated angels saw a radiant golden light and the ghostly outline of the Gate of Heaven. Auriel and Vilkul stepped through.

Almost immediately, a massive, bloated figure appeared. It was Viceroy Mikhael.

Mikhael had appeared as soon as the two Virtues entered Heaven. That alone said everything about how intently he had been on finding the Anointed One. Hesione watched with a frown, feeling a bout of annoyance and a hint of satisfaction. Then a wave of shame followed.

The Anointed One was right. She had not overcome her desires. She still had a long way to go.

The exchange was brief. Barely two minutes in, Mikhael left in a hurry. Then came a long, anxious wait.

After some time, the bloated figure returned and exchanged a few words with Auriel. The golden light faded, and the ghostly gate dissolved. Once they returned to their bodies, Auriel looked grave, while Vilkul looked resigned.

“Well?” Gerar pressed. “What did Śār Mikhael say?”

He and Hesione had only seen the encounter but not heard the conversation. From the looks on Auriel’s and Vilkul’s faces, though, they could make an educated guess.

“Mikhael confronted Lahr, but Lahr refused to confess. He denied any connection to the Lord of Pride. He demanded furiously to confront Vilkul and me. Just in case, Mikhael subdued him first.”

Auriel’s expression darkened. “Mikhael believes our intelligence is flawed. He told us to investigate properly before making more claims. He will have Lahr re-interpret the prophecy and personally watch over Lahr before we return to Heaven.”

Vilkul added, “Śār Mikhael believes the description of the Anointed One and the accuracy of the prophecy. He advised us not to let Pride’s games get to our heads, making us suspicious of Śār Lahr. It might be the demon’s scheme to sow discord.”

“What’s the meaning of that?” Hesione frowned. “Is he protecting Lahr?”

“Rather than protecting Lahr, it’s more likely that he doesn’t want us to find the Anointed One so soon...” Vilkul huffed. “This isn’t the time for that. I wonder what’s going on in his head.”

What else? Mikhael must be planning on sending another group of angels to look for the Anointed One after confirming the true prophecy.

The four Virtues felt like they were approaching the uncomfortable truth. For the sake of unity, they didn’t want to expose Mikhael’s petty intention.

Auriel felt the worst among them. He saw Mikhael as a brother, yet Mikhael treated him as nothing but a lackey. He was going to claim the pie on his own without letting Auriel have a bite.

Yes, Auriel did want to become the Viceroy of Heaven, but he had never voiced the thought. For Mikhael to push aside their brotherhood without evidence truly stung.

“Damn it, when did Heaven become like this?!” Auriel slammed the table. “We can’t count on Mikhael anymore. He doesn’t trust us and suspects we’re trying to steal his seat from him. I’d wager that the next time we ask him, he’ll say the same thing: the Anointed One’s description is accurate. Follow the four criteria.”

The three Thrones froze, aware that they had heard something they weren’t supposed to hear. Olga, in particular, felt seized by unease. She was a member of Mikhael’s legion. When her superior wasn’t here, she was afraid that the four Virtues would make her life difficult.

Auriel’s gaze shifted to her. “Olga, you won’t tell on us, will you?”

Olga shook her head repeatedly. She had heard and seen nothing.

“Auriel, why are you taking this out on a Throne?” Hesione said with a frown. “She isn’t Mikhael.”

“Hmph, if you want to laugh, laugh. Save the noble act. You’re happier than anyone that Mikhael’s guilty.” Auriel huffed before falling silent.

Olga shot Hesione a grateful look. The secretary was just a mouthpiece, so Śār Hesione must have spoken up for her just now.

How enviable, she thought. Hesione is a much gentler Śār. The next time they played cards, she had to thank him properly.