Ariel sat at her desk with her raspberry-colored eyes staring down at two fresh pieces of paper that had arrived only moments prior.
"An Angelic Report?"
She resided within the castle's largest spire, the same place the previous Archangel resided before her eventual journey through the heavens.
The blue-haired woman slowly flipped the page, reading two names that appeared in thick red ink.
A severe report? Randolph and Alzor?
Not only that, but listed below was a freshly printed announcement that gleamed in a brilliant golden hue.
"A Day of Rest?"
In her long time in service, it had never happened before that she wouldn't be informed of such a day in advance, her mind instantly suspecting a connection between the Angelic Report and the announcement.
Slowly, she turned to the next page, reading the name of the one who had submitted the form.
"O-oh…"
She groaned, closing the book without needing to read any of the details.
Then, she stood while raising her right hand into the air.
"If they dared to disrespect him, then there is truly nothing I can do to help them."
Closing her eyes, she recited a chant under her breath.
The words seemed to stir the very forces of nature, the ground of her chamber rippling like the surface of a pond on a stormy day.
「Relinquish」
…
In a hallway in the palace of Death, Randolph and Alzor froze where they stood, their bodies buzzing with an indescribable pain.
"What is—"
The white-togaed man didn't have the time to finish, the beautiful white wings on his back instantly bursting into flame, which quickly spread to his flesh as well.
Such a fate awaited Alzor as well, both brothers melting into nothingness before another sound could leave their lungs.
Nobody had witnessed their end; their souls now forever banished to Hell as gatekeepers, the ones who would watch over the tarnished for millennia to come.
One minute after their demise, a maid came through, sweeping up their ashes into a tray before dumping them into the incinerator.
…
On the lowest level of the castle within Infinium, Eleanor Lynn, alongside the Angel of Humility, walked leisurely through the halls.
"Do you have a real name?"
She had been waiting to ask for a while, but hesitated, unsure if the question could be considered rude towards a True Angel such as himself.
He, however, simply laughed, giving a slight shake of his head.
"Hearing it would only bring you pain, I'm afraid. There are some mysteries that are better left forgotten."
The blonde girl met his cosmic eyes for a moment, a chill going down her spine.
Yet, only a second later, his foot caught against the carpet, his body nearly falling forward onto the rough fabric.
"Gah! Who in the world designed these needlessly beautiful threads!"
Eleanor stared at him for a second before chuckling.
He curses like he's complimenting it.
Allowing his cryptic warning to fade away into a corner of her mind, she refocused on her main mission for coming to that mystical domain.
"We're heading to the bar, correct?"
She watched him nod.
"Then, would you happen to know where Sir Norman Reed or Sir Marcus Twynam resides?"
The black-haired man pursed his lips, seemingly immersed deep in thought.
"Twynam is drinking at the bar alone, and Reed is reading in his study."
Eleanor widened her eyes in surprise at the man's immediate and strangely confident guesses, as her question was never meant to gather that much information.
I'd expected a general area, but to know both of their exact locations is superb!
Quickening her pace slightly, she nodded back at the Angel, a smile on her face.
"How about we go pay Sir Twynam a visit then?"
…
"DRINKS ARE ON ME!"
A burly voice radiated through the crowded room, followed by a cacophony of cheers.
"Lord Brymyn is truly the best!"
Many echoed the statement, applauding the former King of Curses and brilliant scientist, who was somehow reduced to a babbling alcoholic upon his death.
Near the entrance of the tavern, two figures made their way through the tightly packed souls, approaching a solitary table with a notably empty perimeter around it as if the drunks were too afraid to approach.
At the table, Eleanor spotted a brown-haired man wearing a frown while sipping a frothing beer, his eyes focused on the wall ahead of him.
"Sir Twynam."
The man glanced over, the creases on his face only further deepening as he noticed the strange girl who had called out to him.
Then, he directed his gaze upward at the towering Angel behind her, his body instantly relaxing and a heavy sigh escaping his lips.
"Hello, Humility."
He addressed the Angel informally, his voice amused as if he had just made a great joke, a fact that irritated Eleanor to no end.
However, unlike the two false Angels before, the black-haired elder laughed at his provocation and took a step forward to stand ahead of the girl.
"I hope you'll entertain this girl's query, Twynam."
Reaching out, the Angel of Humility offered his right hand to the former chairman and founder of the Oceanic Association, smiling.
"If it's you asking, then how can I refuse?"
The two, seemingly old friends, shook hands tightly, the Angel then gesturing for Eleanor to join them in the booth.
Doing as she was signaled, she scooted in beside the man who had tucked his worn wings tightly behind his back.
"What can I help you with, lass? I'm no oracle or a brilliant scientist, so you'll have to brace yourself."
Marcus laughed, a friendly smile coming across his face.
The blonde girl returned his expression, her response coming soon after.
"Well, sir, I've been assigned a mission to make allies, or rather, friends within the Great Beyond to remove the corruption of a… foreign entity…"
Next to her, the Angel of Humility kept his eyes focused on her, a flicker of light crossing his pupils at the mention of the so-called 'foreign entity.'
"Corruption, eh? Got caught up with a Devil now, did you?"
He frowned, cracking his knuckles as quietly as he could within the relatively peaceful booth in the middle of the tavern.
Eleanor thought for a moment before nodding her head, determining that revealing her connection to the God Slayer was far more dangerous than a comparatively meager Devil.
"If you're here for friendship, then I'd be happy to oblige. As you can see, I'm left alone within this castle. The only ones who still talk to me are the ones who don't know about my family."
He gestured to the large gap between their table and the other people in the bar.
"Now, do you have any specific questions, or is this just the prologue to our friendship?"
A chuckle was released by the Angel sitting beside the girl, and hearing this, she shot him a doubtful look.
Was something he said funny?
Deciding to keep the thought to herself, she spoke aloud again.
"For today, I hadn't planned on asking questions; however, there's one that's been at the back of my mind since arriving here."
Marcus pursed his lips, waiting for her to continue.
"How does the memory erasure work? I understand that when one enters Neutrality, they lose their memories, but in some cases, they can remember certain things but not others. Is there a specific reason for this?'
She noticed Humility shift in his seat, his body language revealing his keen interest in what Twynam would respond with.
The brown-haired man thought for a moment with his finger tapping at his lips, pondering what to say.
"Well, it typically depends on the strength or bonds of a person. If a Sea King were judged unworthy of an entry into either Infinium or Hell, they would retain all memories of their life but be forced into Neutrality. In contrast, someone weaker, like a baker, let's say, would lose any memory that wasn't important to their past job upon joining Neutrality, only retaining the knowledge necessary for baking. It's done through the warping of the Knowledge Barrier around this impossible-to-define castle."
He leaned back in his seat, letting his hand fall and resting it atop the table.
"Of course, there are exceptions to this, when details such as name, date of birth, date of death, or even the circumstances of one's death are retained regardless of the soul's prowess. In unique scenarios, individuals with a specifically written Soul Pact, such as those contracted with Devils or certain spirits, might be exempt from the memory erasure as well."
As he finished, he looked over at the Angel as if waiting for him to add anything else, something he had forgotten to mention.
So it's directly tied to one's strength…
She remembered how the archbishop from Sea Fallen had kept a decent portion of his memories, while still, of course, not enough for her to be included.
Or maybe I just wasn't memorable. Perhaps not beautiful enough for his strange taste…
Placing the thoughts aside, she politely bowed her head to the man.
"Thank you for your insight. Do you want to ask anything, or are we fine to continue with our journey through the castle?"
She gestured to the elder next to her, since, despite what the name might have suggested, the time in Infinium was not infinite, and they still had a lot to do.
With her badge set to expire in less than two hours, she needed to hurry and meet Norman Reed; otherwise, it was possible that she wouldn't get another chance for many weeks as she trained directly with Prudentia.
"I have nothing I need. You're free to go."
Marcus smiled, taking a swig of his drink.
"Though…"
Eleanor, who had begun to stand up, paused, looking over towards him.
"You never told me your name. How're we supposed to be friends if I don't know my friend's name?"
The blonde girl chuckled.
"Eleanor Lynn. I'm from Sea Fallen."
As she finished, a dark shadow passed over the man's face.
"Sea Fallen, eh…? I wonder how it's changed…"
The young girl felt a gaze bore into her from the side, her eyes instinctively shifting to meet the Angel's.
Exchanging a look with him, she could distinctly understand what he meant to tell her.
Don't explain it.
Nodding to him, she smiled back at the former chairman.
"It's truly changed beyond your wildest expectations."
She felt the urge to break her false smile and tell the man the truth, but the Angel's intense stare was enough to silence her.
Marcus laughed, his lips resting on the edge of his drink as he bid her farewell.
"Don't be a stranger."
She responded with a nod, turning around and walking away a few steps before stopping, Humility by her side.
Closing her eyes, she sighed hard, then resumed her strides, leaving the packed tavern together with the Angel.
The brown-haired man sat alone once more, his eyes returning to the portrait he had been staring at previously.
"For you to seek me out yourself is truly intriguing… That corruption must be far more severe than a measly Devil if you cannot remove it yourself."
His eyes never left the beautifully painted image of an Angel floating calmly within the void of the universe, the endless backdrop of stars overlapping to form ripples in eternity.
…
"Stay close. The True Angels live in this passageway, and they typically dislike outsiders. Of course, as my guest, you'll have no issues."
Humility spoke quietly, his eyes locked ahead as he walked at a leisurely pace through the castle.
Sapphire blue carpet covered the hall, the liquid-like white walls contrasting with the pitch-black exterior of the building.
The modern aesthetic surprised the girl who had expected the ancient beings to prefer a Gothic style for their living quarters; however, as she looked further, she couldn't help but accept their choice.
Lavish marble sculptures stood guard outside the doors, with names embedded into them to notify the visitors of their owners.
Each one was a perfect replica of the room's resident, many faces passing through Eleanor's mind.
She saw an old statue of Lady Ariel, who, after being promoted 200 years ago, had never thought to move it in front of her new quarters.
She's been beautiful for as long as that… I'm sure the nuns back home would kill to have fair skin like that, even at her age.
As they passed a corner, a sudden sight caught the child's eye.
"I-It's her!"
Humility turned around at her startled exclamation, his eyes following her own to where yet another stone sculpture stood.
"Ah...."
Proudly displayed before a door marked 'Throne Room', a statue bearing the name Maria Elaris stood guard over the entrance.
Her long, silky, smooth golden hair was replicated to perfection on the replica, her figure and regality reflecting with utter brilliance.
"She was the former right-hand of Death before leaving the Great Beyond as a nomad."
The elder spoke quietly, watching as Eleanor's face contorted, having a hard time processing what she was seeing.
"H-how did a True Angel arrive in my homeland? I thought only the false Angels could…"
She watched the man slowly shake his head.
"Centuries ago, she had been assigned as the Envoy of Death, the one who oversaw all relations in the Kingdom of Heaven for Death."
He paused, taking a moment before continuing.
"Upon her visit, she met a man masquerading as a deity. He cut her very soul away from the authority of Death, and left her with her freedom as to him, such a thing was more valuable than anything that a god could offer."
He released a short sigh.
"However, with the breakage of those bonds, she could no longer be seen as a simple Angel, but a living being, and thus could not escape the woes of this land. For the following millennia, she remained here, slowly losing her memories, aging, to the point it even began to hinder her in fulfilling her duties, albeit the effects were much less than for a normal human."
His eyes left the statue briefly to glance at the blonde girl.
"When the Holy Crusades took place in your world over two centuries ago, she took the opportunity while the Gates were… malfunctioning… and fell into your world in a significantly weakened state. Her power of miracles was reduced to the point that she cannot use it more than once per century at most."
The man swallowed hard, gazing into the statue's eyes.
"Lady Ariel was distraught when she left."
Then he looked back at Eleanor, a sad expression on his face.
"I doubt she has told you this; however, Lady Ariel's full name is Ariel Elaris, her mother being the previous Envoy of Death."
His words came as a great shock to the girl, an instinctual step back making her shoes clatter against the piece of ceramic tile she had stepped onto.
Humility shook his head, his eyes cloudy.
"She already knows that you've met her mother in the Dimension of Waves; however, she is purposely kept unaware of Maria's current situation. The physical binds placed upon her by the watchdog of that land are truly vile."
He grumbled out the last sentence, obviously displeased with the pitch-black shackles that Eleanor had seen the Angel wear when they had met.
"Then, if we entered that door, would we see Death?"
She was curious about the meaning of 'Throne Room'; however, after she spoke, the man quickly soured her expectations.
"As I said to the two earlier, it is a Day of Rest. He is likely wandering the streets of Neutrality in disguise as he normally does. The Great Lord has no greater passion than observing life, and as such, he enjoys spending time with souls who attained what he never had."
His inscrutable expression made it impossible for the girl to know what he was thinking, but as he turned around and began the walk again, she suddenly had a feeling like she could guess his thoughts.
He must feel the same… Never experiencing what real life feels like, yet forced to linger around those who had lived to their fullest.
She sighed, allowing her eyes to wander towards an illuminated hallway that jutted off from the main one.
Her mind trembled as her eyes touched upon a flesh of white in the middle of the hall, straining to get a sharper image of the scene that remained strangely blurry.
For a moment, she adamantly believed that a tall man stood there, staring at her, 2.1 to 2.2 meters in height, with luxurious long white hair and pale white skin.
Yet, as soon as her eyes focused properly, he was gone, like a mere dream, a feeling that Eleanor had only felt once before settling over her bones once more.
It's like… what I felt from Aaron's Ghostship…