SRS 176

Suhyeok and Kylus wore peculiar expressions as they listened to the story, which flowed peacefully like a fairy tale read in his distinctively sweet voice. Furthermore, Yohan, who already knew his past, also gazed at Mikael with a slightly surprised look.

Unlike the day he first heard Mikael’s secret, he today appeared serene, as if he were a completely different person. It was almost unexpected, as there was no trace of resentment, hatred, or sadness.

What impact could the temporary lifting of his punishment have had on Mikael’s state of mind?

Seeing him like this only made him more curious about what had happened.

“Hey, uh…”

After a long silence, Suhyeok scratched his cheek.

“I don’t think I should be the one saying this, but is it really right to tell that story so peacefully like this…?”

Kylus nodded in agreement with Suhyeok. Yohan also found himself nodding along. After confirming that the others shared the same sentiment, Mikael looked at Yohan. Upon seeing his gray eyes that seemed somehow brighter than before, Yohan held his breath.

“It’s not that I don’t resent him. Hatred, resentment, and despair, they are still inside me. But… after hearing about Evil Gods Contractors, my thoughts changed. The fact that I am here must mean that he, too, had some connection to the Evil Gods Contractors. Until I uncover the truth…”

“…So you decided to forgive him?”

As he voiced the direction he suspected, Mikael shook his head.

“No.”

“Then?”

“I just decided to seal away my negative feelings toward him for the time being.”

“…What?”

“…Huh?”

“…….”

Everyone was shocked by the answer that was far beyond what they had expected. No one had ever imagined that he would said that.

Faced with his friends’ dumbfounded expressions, Mikael waved his hand.

“I made a promise with God. I would seal away my negative feelings toward him (the human) and fulfill my duty as God’s son. That is why I was granted these wings.”

As Mikael spoke while stroking his newly sprouted wings, he reached out his hand toward the empty air. A small light appeared, soon transforming into a white box. Mikael held the box out to Yohan.

“And he told me to entrust this box to you.”

“…To me?”

Yohan accepted the box Mikael offered. When he gestured to ask what it was, Mikael, who had also handed him a [unauthorized copy]key that fit perfectly inside the box, replied.

“It is the box that sealed my emotions towards him.”

“…….”

Yohan was so shocked that he almost dropped the box he was holding.

“Why… gives this to me…?”

“Well… they said you would know the timing.”

Mikael shrugged, there was nothing he could do since it was a divine command. Mikael wrapped Yohan’s fingers around the box’s key.

“So I’ll leave it to you.”

Flustered, Yohan closed his eyes. Instead of questioning it, Mikael wholeheartedly trusted him.

Right. If it was a divine command, he had no power to argue about it.

“…How should I store this?”

“If you say ‘store,’ it will disappear on its own.”

“…Store?”

Poof.

The box transformed back into a halo of light and penetrated right into Yohan’s body.

“How-how do I take it out again?”

“Then, you just have to think about taking the box out.”

“…….”

“There is no need to frown so much.”

As Yohan strained his face and pursed his lips in concentration, Mikael smiled and tapped his forehead. Yohan marveled slightly when the box appeared once again, then put it back away. He wondered if this was really fine. As if understanding his feelings, Suhyeok and Kylus patted Yohan’s back once each.

“…For now, I’ll keep it safe.”

It was already done, and it was a command from his god. Yohan decided to accept reality. He had thought Mikael’s face looked somewhat peaceful, but he never, ever, dreamed there was a reason for it.

The Mikael of today reminded him of the angel he first met. That meant that the Mikael he first met here was close to having his emotions toward that person sealed, just like now.

Was he partly to blame for Mikael once again being consumed by turmoil over thoughts of that person?

He recalled something Mikael had said once.

The Mikael who said he saw himself through Yohan. Back then, his expression had been bitter and showed just a hint of resentment toward Yohan. Now, he felt he understood why he wore that expression. It was understandable that he would hate him, as he had made him recall and vividly relive memories he had been trying so hard to forget, and live without consciously thinking about.

…Did I perhaps have a negative influence on Mikael?

As his thoughts grew, his worries worsened. Yohan looked at him again, but he decided to set aside time for later, as it was not a topic he wanted to bring up while everyone was present.

He still had many questions to ask him.

However, for the time being, he yielded his turn to Suhyeok and Kylus.

Kylus, who had been deep in thought, asked a question.

“Did you voluntarily seal your emotions?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“I realized it through this incident that to deal with Evil Gods Contractors, power is necessary, and I cannot defeat them with my divine power sealed. No matter how much magic I learned after falling here, a few years of practice is no match for the divine power I have used my entire life. So, in exchange for sealing my emotions, they lifted the ban on my divine power.”

“…I see.”

Kylus, who had initially appeared perplexed, finally understood.

Suhyeok, however, had been dissatisfied for a while.

“No, but even after hearing your past, I still don’t understand those gods. It is certainly something to be angry about, but I do wonder if they really need to punish you to this extent for something like that. The gods lack flexibility…”

Suhyeok’s mouth, which had been chattering, was covered by Yohan and Mikael.

“Mmph.”

With his mouth covered, Suhyeok could only glare at them. Yohan turned his head slightly to look away, yet he did not lower his hands. He glanced nervously at the sky. His god wouldn’t punish him for saying such things, but it was still better to refrain if possible.

Especially when both he and Mikael were present.

Yohan possessed a soul capable of hosting a god and Mikael was an angel directly connected to such a god. Since the god’s eyes and ears were naturally bound to be drawn to them, they signaled to Suhyeok to be quiet; the latter, though sulking, nodded.

Only then did Yohan and Mikael remove the hands covering Suhyeok’s mouth.

“…In the Divine Realm, there are rules and the natural order of things.”

Yohan, too, could not say that he had never resented his god, but he understood his cruelty and heartlessness in not intervening.

The Divine Realm had its own rules.

The discipline of the benevolent gods was strict, while that of the evil gods was cruel. Since these rules were determined by order, the [visit our site]reality was that no matter how much Yohan, a mere mortal, complained, he could not bring about significant change.

When this was explained, Suhyeok grumbled, while Kylus accepted it. He understood, as he, too, lived in a dimension close to the gods.

“Well then, let’s leave this story here… Mikael, are you going to reveal your species to the others as well?”

“I can’t hide my wings, so shouldn’t I?”

“Wow. The Divine Studies students are going to go crazy.”

Anticipating the chaos that was about to unfold, Suhyeok comforted Yohan and Mikael in advance.

“How is it that you have never once been away from the eye of the storm? Good luck.”

“…It’s not like I chose this.”

Yohan, too, had dreamed of leading a quiet school life, but he ended up attracting trouble. When he replied listlessly, Kylus cheered him on. He appreciated the sentiment, but he felt a little sad because he could read in his eyes that such a thing was impossible. Yohan decided to pretend he hadn’t noticed.

“So, are you two going back to attending school normally starting tomorrow?”

“I think so… Mikael, what about you?”

“I was advised to rest for about two more days, so I think I might return to school next week.”

“You’re still not feeling well?”

“It’s not that I’m not feeling well, but it hasn’t been a long time since the seal was lifted, so I need to stabilize my power.”

“Ah.”

Considering the years his power had been sealed, it was a necessary task. Yohan nodded in understanding.

They exchanged trivial chatter again, and after discussing a few more times about how the exams–excluding the end-of-month evaluations–had been replaced by missions, they slowly drifted off to bed.

When Suhyeok and Kylus fell asleep first, Yohan signaled to Mikael. The latter, who was about to lie down, got up without a word, and went outside.

Yohan, now accustomed to navigating the school at night, broke the illusion and entered the Rose Garden. Then, he cast a soundproof barrier using his divine power and looked at Mikael. He had many questions, but the first one to leave his lips was obvious.

“Mikael. You said before that looking at me reminded you of yourself. That we are alike in our foolishness.”

“…I don’t think I said it that harshly.”

“That’s not important.”

It was no longer a matter of being hurt by such words. Yohan shook his head and looked directly at him. His golden eyes ensnared Mikael.

“How about now? Do you regret meeting me here?”