An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 161: The Angel Who Crossdresses (11)

Leffrey, who had learned fate manipulation from Iriel.

‘Wait a minute.’

Couldn’t help but have a question.

‘The demon king can also handle karma.’

Then the demon king should also be able to use fate manipulation, and naturally, he would also have a countermeasure against it.

If he didn’t, then Iriel would have already defeated the demon king long ago.

‘The Demon King Luciel was known as the one most adept at karma in all of Heaven.’

Would such a being not have a countermeasure against fate manipulation?

Leffrey didn’t think so.

With that reasoning, Leffrey made a prediction.

That the demon king would see through Leffrey's fate manipulation.

That Leffrey would draw five diamond cards and use that information to find the Fallen Hero.

‘He must have prepared a countermeasure. I probably won’t be able to find the Fallen Hero just by drawing diamond cards.’

So he palmed a card.

Not a playing card, but a tarot card.

While drawing five playing cards, he slipped one tarot card from the bottom.

“Trap card activated…!”

That tarot card was The High Priestess. A card that clearly symbolized one of the Central Academy professors.

A trap card, activated by Leffrey, the Trap Angel, aimed at the demon king who only considered the hero girls as a factor.

The name of that trap card was Rebecca.

‘St. Lucia Academy is a missionary school run by the Church.’

And Saint Rebecca was a high-ranking member of the Church.

‘The professors have always been fighting the demon king. They’ll definitely recognize what an angel’s fate manipulation is like.’

Saint Rebecca would also sense that this manipulated fate was a cry for help from her beloved student.

Then surely, she would come to his rescue.

‘There shouldn’t be any problem. Since Saint Rebecca is a high-ranking member of the Church, she’ll be able to enter St. Lucia Academy and come straight to me.’

That had to happen.

That was why Leffrey tried to buy time.

He was doing his best to create time until Saint Rebecca came to rescue him.

But…

‘Why isn’t she here yet?’

Not everything in this world goes as planned. For example, even if Saint Rebecca sensed the fate manipulation, perhaps she ignored it, or maybe there was something urgent that prevented her from coming.

‘…That’s impossible. Only Luciel, Iriel, and I can use fate manipulation. There’s no way she would ignore it if such beings are involved. Even if she had urgent business, she would abandon it and come.’

If that wasn’t the case, then perhaps she simply hated Leffrey and didn’t want to help him.

It was a sudden thought, but come to think of it.

Those gloomy eyes of the Fallen Hero were so similar to Rebecca’s.

‘Were there no murderers among our ancestors? No. Those who steal and kill become nobles and kings. And they take many women, spreading their seed far and wide.’

He remembered Rebecca’s lesson.

That lecture that didn't seem like a Theology class at all.

‘In the end, all humans are descendants of murderers.’

That voice filled with despair.

What exactly made Rebecca despair so?

“Professor, why do some people follow the demon king? Even though the Demon King is trying to kill all humans.”

On a day when the sky had darkened and raindrops had begun to fall. Rebecca’s calm voice filled the lecture hall.

“It’s because people follow the truth. Leffrey, do you know what truth is?”

At that somewhat abstract question,

Leffrey chose to ask a question befitting an angel.

“Isn’t it love? Parental love, love between lovers, love between family members…”

Love, it was a concept Leffrey wasn’t familiar with, but there were so many others who called love the truth.

“Love, is it. Are there other truths?”

Rebecca’s voice remained the same.

That calm voice.

That voice that seemed to hold back emotions.

Leffrey, muttering “…Truth?”, was lost in thought. Truth. It was too difficult of a question for a simple being like him.

Seeing the beautiful boy tilting his head, the Saint smiled faintly and said.

“Heaven loves humanity. Angels protect humanity. And ultimately, the world moves towards good. That is the truth as defined by humans.”

Right. That was the truth Leffrey knew.

Just as the boy was about to smile brightly and agree with those words.

Rebecca continued.

“But… people die when wars break out. People starve to death every day. Girls who are sold off are raped. Boys who are abandoned become murderers. Aren’t those also truths. The unchanging, true reality of this world, yet no one questions.”

Sadness and despair could be felt from every word.

It wasn’t that her tone had changed.

That was simply how Leffrey perceived it.

“Therefore, the demon king can also be the truth. A dark truth.”

Seeing Leffrey's shocked expression, Rebecca continued.

“People follow truth. That's why some people side with the demon king. Does this answer your question?”

A heavy silence fell upon the classroom.

Leffrey couldn't bring himself to refute this answer, and Rebecca didn’t seem to have any intention of retracting her words.

‘There’s something, something I want to say.’

But Leffrey couldn’t open his mouth.

He had something he wanted to tell her, something he really wanted to say to Rebecca.

“…..”

Just as class time was ending, Rebecca, while packing her things, muttered as if casually mentioning something.

“Leffrey.”

“Yes?”

“I no longer offer any prayers.”

Thus ended Leffrey’s Theology class, with words that were the least appropriate for such a class.

* * *

And Leffrey looked at the Fallen Hero. At the girl who had lost her most precious because she believed that purity is the truth.

At her who had come to follow the dark truth as a result.

After a moment of silence,

The Fallen Hero shook her head and knelt.

“What’s this, nothing’s happening.”

And she resumed drawing the magic circle.

The magic circle was already more than half complete. And there was no more point in stalling.

‘Now that I think about it, that's how it was.’

Come to think of it, after it was revealed that Leffrey was an angel, Professor Rebecca’s expression hadn’t looked too good.

She no longer offered prayers.

The dark truth.

Her animosity towards the demon king.

All of it connected to her hatred of angels.

Then, where is Rebecca right now?

Could she be somewhere out there, listening to his conversation with the Fallen Hero, Lisera? And unable to open the door, empathizing with the Fallen Hero's feelings?

‘…I had something I wanted to say to her.’

Leffrey closed his eyes and muttered.

“Miss Lisera.”

“….”

“You said that you’ll turn this world into hell and retrieve Miss Lucera’s soul that’s in hell, right?”

“Yes.”

An indifferent voice.

But Leffrey knew that was a lie.

“Then what about Miss Lucera who shared a room with me?”

“She’s a fragment of the Archangel’s miracle, one that didn’t fall into hell… Tsk, stop asking.”

“Hell…”

Those who lost their purity through means other than marriage were doomed to hell. And those who committed suicide were the same.

An unforgivable sin.

That’s why they fall into hell.

“That’s the Archangel’s lie.”

“…Yes?”

“Miss Lucera didn’t fall into hell. Lost her purity? Committed suicide? Do you think people would be sent to hell for such reasons?”

The drawing of the magic circle stopped once again. The blue-haired girl raised her head and looked at Leffrey.

“But that’s Heaven’s truth.”

“It is not.”

Leffrey said firmly.

“Purity is just a superstition for unicorns. Does the truth of this world seem so evil to you that it would condemn a girl who was raped and say she’s impure and therefore belongs in hell?”

Leffrey continued.

“Purity is just a human fear. The fear of STDs, the fear of reproduction, and the fear of children.”

(TL Note: STD (성병) sexually transmitted disease)

“But…”

“Such fear cannot be truth. Of course, the Church had to use such fear to thrive, so they deceived you all. No, they packaged their own narrow-minded fears as truth through the Church’s teachings. So should we call this a symbiotic relationship?”

And Leffrey's words continued.

“Suicide is the same. Why does the Church consider suicide a mortal sin? It’s simply a matter of workforce. If those which can still be used find life too difficult then commit suicide, society wouldn't function. The Church has labeled suicide a mortal sin for their own selfish reasons. This also conveniently aligns with the nobles' interests as well.”

“But the Church’s teachings…”

The boy kept speaking.

“Heaven’s truth is absolutely not like that. I, an angel, guarantee it.”

Leffrey looked at the blue-haired girl.

“Miss Lucera didn’t fall into hell.”

That must have been the truth.

Leffrey wanted to believe that was the truth.

“So if you turn this world into hell, Miss Lucera who’s in Heaven would be sad…”

“…”

The Fallen Hero’s expression looked somewhat angry. After moving her lips, the fallen hero could only utter these words.

“Angel-nim, you’re lying.”

“Yes?”

“Look at the darkness of this world. Look at the truth that rules this world. Look at the children who are being dragged away. Look at the people being consumed like toys. And you’re saying fear isn’t the truth? Selfishness isn’t the truth?”

Smirk—It was a smile.

A smile that’s as cruel as it was beautiful.

“So stop spouting such nonsense about Heaven’s salvation.”

The dark truth.

In other words, the dark karma.

If light karma was the truth that illuminated the world, then dark karma was the truth that concealed it.

[The Fallen Hero candidate's words are resonating with the demonic power.]

[Demonic power is growing stronger!]

[Demonic power is growing stronger!]

[Demonic power is growing stronger!]

However,

Leffrey still had something to say.

“I know, I also…”

The boy said,

“I also know that this world is incredibly dark.”

“It’s a good thing your eyes weren’t injured.”

“I know that it’s full of sorrow, that people commit sins without a second thought. Heh, the human species is truly gifted at creating darkness.”

Lisera was about to make another sarcastic remark, but those words were cut short by a certain sight.

“But do you know?”

A teardrop fell from the green eyes of the angel, who looked like a girl.

“That humans ultimately yearn for the light?”

Leffrey said,

“Humans want to be loved. They want to be free from pain. They want their families to be happy. And they want this world to be a better place. It might be incredibly weak compared to darkness, but this is also a truth that humans have discovered.”

Another teardrop,

…Streamed down the boy’s cheek.

“So why are you only looking at the dark truth? Please, just give the light another chance…”

[But Angelic Power is pushing back the demonic power!]

While the Fallen Hero was speechless,

Leffrey wiped away his tears and said.

“Please…”