An Angel Lives in the Academy
Chapter 98: The Angel Meets the Headmaster (3)

Surprised, The headmaster looked up, carefully examining the boy on Rebecca's back.

Hair the color of the dawn that ends the night and the eternal brilliance of Heaven, a warm light that illuminates the world, not the scorching heat of the blazing sun.

Golden hair.

His androgynous beauty was so captivating that any mortal seeking companionship for their loneliness would reach for him.

Such beauty and loveliness.

The headmaster felt a wave of emotions that she hadn’t felt in a long time, not since meeting her own kind. The name of that emotion was ‘fear.’

‘Besides, this appearance…‘

The headmaster couldn’t help but recall an angel she had feared most.

‘It resembles Leffriel, the Judge of Earth. That monstrous archangel… The tyrant who eradicated civilizations and decimated races, without any change in his expression.’

An archangel, someone she couldn't even handle.

Leffrey, the Tyrant Angel.

‘No, there couldn’t be an angel left on Earth. Besides, I barely even sense karma from that boy.’

The headmaster, her hands trembling slightly, cautiously caressed Leffrey’s face.

“What is this child’s name?”

“His name is Leffrey.”

“Leffrey? Quite a fitting name, considering his appearance…”

The headmaster swallowed her words. ‘It’s a terrifying name, too.’ These people didn’t know much about angels. Not even Rebecca, the Saint of the Church.

How could she tell them about the ruthless and heartless angels? Even the tale of how the one who soared the highest fell and became the demon king?

They weren’t worth mentioning.

“So, are you requesting that I use my Healing of the Seraphim to cure this child?”

“That’s correct. Please.”

“Using an Angelic Ability consumes a lot of karma. With the demon army knocking on humanity's doorstep, do you truly believe that using karma for this child is the right thing to do?”

Park Jin-ho couldn't answer.

As mentioned before, lies didn’t work on the headmaster.

“I do not believe it is the right thing to do. But please.”

Tears welled up in Park Jin-ho’s eyes.

“Please save this child.”

“No, you, who were called ‘Iron Blood’ are shedding tears…?”

The girl who resembled Leffrey.

The headmaster couldn’t help but trail off.

“Lusa, what has happened to Jin-ho?”

That girl, beautiful like an angel, looked at Lusa, hoping for something.

“Think carefully. Is this truly the right thing to do for the sake of the world…?”

Lusa, the thug elf, was cynical, ill-tempered, and incapable of caring for others.

‘Even to me, Lusa is rude and harsh. Surely, Lusa will…’

Surely, Lusa would stop the rampaging Park Jin-ho and help the professors realize that world-changing karma is much more important than a single boy.

“Lusa?”

But even Lusa, tears welling up in her eyes, abandoned all her usual rebelliousness and knelt before the headmaster.

The headmaster had lived for thousands of years and had experienced so much.

She had believed that there would be nothing else to surprise her.

But in this era, in which angels have long vanished, a boy who looked exactly like an angel was brought to her.

And then, the professors, who had abandoned their humanity to protect the world, now showed an incredibly humane side by treating that boy so preciously.

Both were events worthy of her astonishment.

‘The heroes of this era, the professors, are defying my control? And because of that one boy?’

She looked at Hexi, hoping for the last glimmer of light.

‘Yes, Hexi then?’

Hexi, a legacy of the Artificial Hero project.

And the last princess.

‘Hexi… Is ultimately a being similar to a hero, she’s dependent on karma.’

A hero is someone who can change the world. Why?

Because they’re unworthy of the title if they cannot.

Ultimately, if they cannot create a new world, then that person isn't a hero, but just a powerful being.

‘There were many strong individuals more powerful than heroes in the past. In some ways, the current professors are much stronger than the old heroes.’

But they couldn’t change the world.

This is because they weren’t heroes, they weren’t chosen by karma.

‘Ultimately, heroes need karma. And that includes artificial heroes…’

There’s no way Hexi would antagonize the only being left in this world who could provide her with karma.

The headmaster believed that.

“Hexi?”

“Headmaster, quickly heal this child.”

But such beliefs are always shattered. Seeing Hexi with her bow already drawn, the headmaster lowered her head and muttered,

“...Okay, okay, I understand.”

Just what is the identity of that boy, to make the professors act like this?

‘It can’t be Leffriel. There shouldn't be any angels left on Earth in the first place...’

It’s impossible. Leffriel was the emotionless, heavenly puppet itself. He had never smiled at others, never shown any compassion.

It's impossible for those professors to feel this much attachment to such a cold being.

‘If it wasn’t Leffriel…’

Although it was the karma she had been gathering to fight the demon king, but if this was the only way to bring mental stability to the professors, then spending this much was doable.

Actually, it was really pushing it, but…

‘It can't be helped. It’s better than fighting with the professors over an absurd incident like this…’

The headmaster solidified her resolve.

“Alright, I’ll heal him.”

As the headmaster declared that she would heal the boy, the professors’ faces brightened. The headmaster, surprised once more at their reaction, reached out to Rebecca.

“...Headmaster?”

“Hand over the child. It’s for his treatment.”

‘Even Saint Rebecca is wary of me and is trying to protect the child? Rebecca, hating Heaven as she did, being wary wasn’t strange, but…’

‘Rebecca, including all the other professors, values the life of this boy so greatly.’

The headmaster, feeling a little annoyed, took the limp boy from her.

The boy smelled incredibly familiar.

The scent of Heaven, the fragrance of those who could fly to the end of the sky, simultaneously witnessing the setting of the sun and the rising of the moon…

And the scent that she could never have, no matter what she did.

The headmaster’s hands, which were holding the boy, started to tremble slightly.

‘No… no way, Could it be?’

Overwhelmed by indescribable emotions, the headmaster began to have bad thoughts.

‘Is he truly an angel? If, If this child is really an angel, then he must be a weak angel who hasn't received a name.’

The celestial hierarchy is rigid. And incredibly complex.

The hierarchy among the archangels in charge of each sephirot, and the hierarchy among those angels under them. Upholding this hierarchy was practically instinctual for an angel.

‘It’s not easy to simply refuse.’

And that’s why Heaven had fallen.

That was why no one could stop the rampaging Lucifer, the one who soared the highest. That’s why most angels obeyed Lucifer’s orders, even turning against their own kind.

The demon king was born as the angels destroyed each other.

The headmaster, recalling the bitter past, looked at Leffrey and grew greedy.

‘If this child is a low-ranking angel…’

Then he couldn’t refuse her orders.

A young angel cherished by the professors? Good. They could cherish him all they wanted. Why? Because this young angel…

…was about to become hers.

‘Am I, am I finally receiving a new recruit… no, a low-ranking angel?’

The headmaster smiled brightly, looked at the professors, and said,

“I will begin his treatment. No one is allowed to enter my castle.”

Just before the headmaster carried the boy into the castle, Rebecca asked her again,

“Headmaster.”

“What?”

“Is that child… An angel?”

The saint’s voice trembled greatly. The headmaster, sensing the sadness and hatred contained in her voice, replied,

“You already know the answer.”

Thus, the headmaster entered the castle, carrying the boy, and the silver door closed behind her with a loud rumble.

“Leffrey, please…”

None of the professors left the silver door.

"Please..."

For the first time in a long time, they offered their prayers to a Heaven that no longer existed.

Except for Rebecca.

* * *

In the cold hallway of a silver castle located in the northern part of the Central Academy, a girl was sauntering gracefully.

“I’ll have to use up a lot of karma to heal you, but…”

Arriving at an altar where a boy lay, she caressed his chest and muttered those words.

“But that's fine.”

The girl, or rather the thing that looked like a girl, grinned. Although her appearance was that of a beautiful girl… but when she smiled, she didn't seem young.

Was it because this girl was a noble being called an angel? No, that wasn't it.

If you had to compare her to something… you would say she resembled a monster. An incredibly old monster.

“Because I’ll just use you to gain more karma.”

Of course, the girl’s appearance didn't distort, nor did her face become grotesque. It just meant that her aura changed.

Just her aura.

The girl’s white fingertip touched Leffrey’s heart.

“Angelic Ability activation.”

A gray halo appeared above the girl’s head.

“Healing of the Seraphim That Heals All Creation.”

Her Angelic Power began to be consumed, and…

“Ugh, I’m using several years’ worth of karma just to save one low-ranking angel. So…”

The girl muttered irritably,

“Wake up. Work to repay your debt. And fulfill your duty.”

Fulfill your duty-

Angels are messengers of Heaven.

A messenger is someone who fulfills their duty.

Leffrey’s eyelids slowly opened, his green eyes flickering faintly.

“Mmm… ”

Leffrey thought,

‘I’m cold, and hungry…’

Then he rubbed his eyes and quickly checked his surroundings.

“Wh-Where am I?”

A space where everything was silver.

To Leffrey’s angelic eye, it wasn’t just a place that sparkled with silver.

‘It’s all real silver. This whole place is made of silver.’

Truly, everything was silver.

Just as Leffrey tried to figure out who would possibly flaunt their wealth like this…

“You’re finally awake.”

He saw a girl standing confidently before him.

“...Hello?”

“Ha, ‘Hello?’ What an informal greeting.”

The girl, with a confident air, sat down on the chair across from Leffrey. Naturally, that chair was also made of silver.

“Well, get up and do something fun, no, introduce yourself.”

“...?”

Leffrey tilted his head.

Just who was this girl, demanding that he introduce himself?

“And who are you?”

“No, you still don’t know?”

The girl got up and confidently declared,

“I am the Headmaster of the Central Superhuman Academy, the last angel, Iriel. And I’m also your master now.”

Sparkle sparkle- The girl flipped her sparkling golden hair, then…

“Now, Get up.”

…Ordered him to stand.

Leffrey, silently observing her, looked at the girl who called herself Iriel.

“What is it? Why aren’t you listening? Are you defying the celestial hierarchy?”

“I didn’t defy you or anything.”

Leffrey shook his head, sighed, and then stood up.

“So this is the celestial hierarchy I’ve only heard rumors of. Leffriel, what’s Iriel’s rank?”

“...L-Leffriel? Just what are you talking about?”

Headmaster Iriel only then realized that something wasn’t right.

“Hmm, I see. So, our ranks are quite different.”

“Hey! Low-ranking angel! I’ll really punish you if you keep acting up!”

But Leffrey didn’t obey.

Why wasn’t he obeying her orders?

Was Leffrey some crazy angel who defied the celestial hierarchy? Or…

…Was it because he was an angel of even higher rank than her?

“My little recruit, no … my … low-ranking angel? Please listen to me…”

Looking at Iriel, who was nervously sweating as she tried to smile, Leffrey said,

“Headmaster.”

“Y-Yes?”

Leffrey, looking at Iriel backing away, ordered her,

“Come here.”

The headmaster tried to back away, but for some reason, her feet wouldn’t obey.

“W-Wait.”

The headmaster walked toward Leffrey.