Angel Monarch

Sera's expression turned serious upon hearing Hestia's request. She recalled Professor Collins's words...

'The Greek Pantheon, located atop Mount Olympus; led by Zeus, the King of the Gods. He can control the weather and lightning...'

Her knowledge of geography wasn't the best, but even she knew where Mount Olympus was... About a hundred kilometers north of New Athens...

Too close for comfort, if Hestia's words were true, and Sera fully believed her. The deep, soul-crushing rage in her eyes couldn't be faked.

After thinking for a few seconds, Sera glanced down at the petite lady. She reached down and touched the woman's cheek, tenderly lifting her gaze to meet hers. A wide, cruel grin spread across Sera's face, freezing even the burning hot hatred in Hestia's bones.

"If what you're saying is true, then a bunch of criminals just appeared in my neighborhood. They are a threat to my citizens, so their death is inevitable. However, I don't need your services. You can remain free and do whatever you like. I can even hire you as a maid of my residence, but I'm not a slaver!"

It took her a few moments to recognize the meaning behind Sera's words. She took a deep shuddering breath, her eyes turning teary.

She tried looking away; her cheeks red from embarrassment, her eyes red from tears. However, Sera's golden-green eyes pulled her gaze right back. It's like she couldn't take her eyes off the Angel's perfect face.

The petite lady sniffled once, then quickly regained her composure. She stood up straight and bowed deeply before Sera, this time low enough to showcase her subservience.

"Thank you, Mistress Seraphine, for the generous offer. I would like to offer my services, even as a hireling. I ask only for the heads of the Greek Pantheon as payment, but you need not hurry. I can wait until it's convenient to complete this task."

Hestia straightened. At some point, the veil fell back over her face, covering her warm smile, and as she took a step, Sera spotted no dust on her plain black dress.

A light chuckle escaped the Angel's lips as she saw through Hestia's ruse. She bowed not only out of respect. While she spoke, she tidied up her clothes, making sure no dust or stone fragments remained on her skirt.

The wooden ringlets clinked together as she continued walking along the tunnel. Sera and Bea followed close behind, while their Arachnid escort fell back in line.

Sera continued staring ahead with a polite smile, while Bea stared at the petite lady with mixed emotions. She felt empathetic towards Hestia, but uncertainty and distrust also appeared in her greenish-gold eyes.

"Hestia, since you want to help Sera, could you provide more information about the Greek Pantheon, and the other factions? We know little other than they initially arrived to find the Last Angel, but when the barrier across Earth's Realm rose, they got locked into Pocket Realms."

Hestia slowed down and matched Bea's walking speed with eerie perfection. Her face only showed honesty, which only brought more distrust in Bea's heart, since she couldn't read the lady's expression.

"I can tell you a lot about the Greek Pantheon, but my knowledge regarding the other factions is quite lacking. Technically, I was a prisoner, so I wasn't allowed to leave the peninsula. However, there's one important piece of information I can give you about every faction..."

Her smile became strained once more, but she glanced away this time, to hide her lacking control. Sera and Bea stayed silent, awaiting the petite lady's next words.

"Every faction's members were locked away in Dark Prism. They're the ones who failed escaping and got caught by the soldiers of the invading Realms...

"Upon hearing Rehael's Prophecy, they found Earth quickly, but none of the Empyreans sent their own people. Instead, they collectively decided to send these prisoners! When they arrived initially, they began their search, but found no evidence of the Last Angel, so they began ruling the place instead!"

Neither women felt too surprised by this piece of information. They expected something similar, yet it still raised many questions in their minds.

Why didn't the Empyreans come to destroy the threat themselves? Were they afraid of the Prophecy? Supposedly, they're powerful enough to destroy entire Realms, so why couldn't they just explode the planet?

Many such questions popped into their heads. The Empyreans' decision to leave the prisoners unchecked also confused them... It all felt illogical and reckless!

Regardless, Hestia didn't seem to know the answer either, so Sera changed the subject. Something kept bothering her, and she felt certain the petite lady would know the answer!

"Hey, Hestia. Do you've any idea why I felt disgusted when looking at the picture of angels like Michael, Gabriel, etc. Others also had similar feelings, but with their own races."

Hestia chuckled as she glanced towards Sera with a kind expression, like a mother looking at their curious child. Her laughter soon stopped, and while continuing to smile, she answered, "That's proof that you're a true Angel, Mistress Seraphine!"

Sera tilted her head in bewilderment, her eyes asking for elaboration. Hestia happily obliged...

"Back in Aerin, some Justiciars had a special ability. They could mark people's souls and even restrict their powers. Every criminal received the Mark of Judgement upon conviction. If they get rehabilitated, the mark gets removed, but everyone from Dark Prism still has their marks...

"The marks give off an eerie, disgusted feeling to the same race as the markholder. This notifies them of the criminal's presence... Also, I'm pretty sure the restricting effect broke after all the Justiciars died, so be careful!"

Sera and Bea glanced together and burst into laughter. Careful wasn't something Sera was famous for. Recklessness though... that was her last name!

On the last span of their journey in this giant cavern system, they walked silently. There were still lots of questions bothering Sera, but instead she spent the time calming her emotions.

The bloodlust began acting up again, and this time even Hestia couldn't suppress it. She was running out of time, but finally, they arrived at their destination.

The passage stopped at a dead end. Everybody stopped, except Hestia. The petite lady stepped forward and placed her hand on the cobwebbed stone wall. A circle of incomprehensible writing glowed in dark green hues, and moments later the wall simply disappeared, like an illusion.

Warm light emanated through the now-open passage. The sounds of laughter and joy mixed with the crackling of open fireplaces, creating an inviting harmony. The air smelled of fresh, cooked meat and bread, which made both women's stomachs rumble.

Hestia glanced back with her usual warm smile, but a new emotion appeared in her brown eyes, satisfaction. The long tunnel was just the walkway, and now the host proudly showed off her beautiful home.

They stepped inside, which silenced the laughter and talking, as all the Arachnid residents glanced at Sera's wings in awe. The dozen escorts left their trio and began explaining the details to their friends.

Many shocked gasps echoed in the crowd, but Hestia walked on, leading Sera and Bea away from the loud gathering.

This part of the cavern had actual light, not that it mattered to either Sera or Bea, since they could see through darkness like it was daytime. Either way, it definitely felt much better to see without using a passive ability.

The cave also didn't have any cobwebs, and on each side, doors led into private rooms. The previous tunnels must've been a distraction from the actual home of the Arachnids.

"This place looks quite nice! I actually believed the spide—... I mean, Arachnids lived in that web-covered cavern... You did a great job keeping everything tidy!"

Bea tried hiding her embarrassment by complimenting Hestia's cleanliness. The petite lady smiled widely at Bea and bowed her head in thanks.

They soon arrived at a larger beautifully carved wooden door.

Sera and Bea stopped a few steps away, while Hestia walked on and used the metal knocker. Loud bangs reverberated inside the room, and judging by the echo, it was closer to a hall than a private residence in size.

"I told you, Hestia, to stop using that stupid knocker! It's so loud, it makes my ears bleed! I don't even understand why you installed it in the first place!"

The very annoyed and exhausted middle-aged man's voice echoed from inside. Upon reaching Hestia's ears, the lady giggled like a mischievous teenage girl, teasing an old friend.

To further press the voice owner's buttons, Hestia didn't open the door until a loud sigh echoed inside, and the tired voice said, "Come in!"

She giggled again and pushed the door open. The well-oiled, stayed silent as the carved door spread wide.

Just as Sera imagined, Qinrir's room appeared larger, comparable to a hall in size. The ceiling reached high, and multiple pillar-like formations kept it from collapsing.

Lanterns lit the room from all sides. Bookshelves full of scrolls, papers and even stone tablets covered the walls. In the middle, a giant desk took up the space, full of scrap metal, junk and writing instruments. Near a corner, a spartan stone protrusion served as the man's bed.

Qinrir, the tall Arachnid, stood nearby, reading a book. He was in humanoid form, but the black needle-like hairs still covered his entire body, except his handsome face. His three pairs of black eyes read the lines in the book with a gloomy expression.

He glanced at Sera, but only momentarily, showing no shock at her pristine white wings, unlike the other Arachnids.

With a hairy finger he pointed at a nearby chair, and said, "Take a seat, Miss Seraphine. Be right with you in a moment."