Jaesang Lee furrowed his brow as he questioned the angelic man before him.
“Me?”
“Yes, you! You’re the thief, aren’t you?”
Jaesang felt wronged. He couldn’t think of anything he’d done to be accused of theft.
‘All I did was look for a café as soon as I entered the castle.’
Yet, despite his thoughts, the atmosphere was turning against him. The crowd’s eyes narrowed in agreement with the angelic man’s accusation.
“There must be some misunderstanding. I haven’t—”
“Don’t lie! If it’s not you, the outsider, then who else could it be?”
It was then that Jaesang realized how out of place he looked. Unlike the medieval fantasy attire of those around him, his suit made him stand out.
‘Still, why accuse an innocent person of theft?’
If he had done something wrong, he wouldn’t feel so unjustly accused.
“I’m not a thief. What exactly am I supposed to have stolen?”
“Stop lying! You’re the one who stole from our shop!”
“And why do you think that?”
“If it’s not you, neither an angel nor a dragon, then who else could it be?”
“Look, I’m telling you, it’s not me… huh?”
Jaesang was about to explain further when he sensed a dark mana behind him. Dark mana in the heavenly realm? This was no ordinary situation.
“You! Don’t pretend you don’t know—”
Ignoring the man’s voice and the murmurs around him, Jaesang scanned the area. Dark mana in a place like this was unusual.
‘Where is it coming from?’
Amidst the pure white mana, there was a distinct anomaly. Jaesang’s gaze locked onto a small girl emitting the dark mana.
‘Found you.’
The girl, hood pulled low over her face, turned and ran the moment their eyes met. Jaesang instinctively knew she was the real thief.
“Wait right there! I’ll get the guards—”
Without paying any heed to the man’s words, Jaesang dashed forward. He leaped over the crowd, catching sight of the girl who had already gained some distance.
Covering what seemed like a hundred meters in just a second or two was beyond human capability. But Jaesang was faster.
“Swift.”
With his eyes glowing blue, Jaesang shot forward, leaving the crowd behind. It took only a moment to catch up to the fleeing girl.
Thud.
As he grabbed her shoulder, the girl tried to push him away with all her might.
“Let go!”
Struggling, she slapped his hand off her shoulder and tried to run again.
And then.
“Freeze.”
With a short incantation, an ice wall rose in front of her, blocking her path. The wall extended to the sides, leaving no room for escape.
“Ugh…”
She turned to look back. Jaesang was approaching leisurely, and behind him, the angelic beings were watching her intently.
Desperate to escape, she attempted to climb the ice wall. Finding footholds, she began to ascend.
Watching her from below, Jaesang hesitated for a moment before dispelling the ice wall.
“Ahhh!”
Thud.
Left hanging in mid-air, she fell to the ground right in front of Jaesang. She tried to get up but collapsed again, her ankle swollen and red.
‘No…’
Jaesang, now close, reached out to her. Memories of adults who had hurt her flashed through her mind.
She squeezed her eyes shut, but the expected pain never came.
“It’s okay.”
When she opened her eyes, Jaesang’s hand was on her ankle, a gentle light emanating from it, easing the pain.
“You little thief! Where do you think you’re going—”
The man who had been chasing them stopped, seeing Jaesang and the girl, and the spilled contents of a side bag nearby.
From the open bag, a jeweled dagger glinted in the light.
“This… this is what went missing from the shop…”
Jaesang shrugged.
“See? I told you it wasn’t me.”
Surely, this would clear up the misunderstanding. Jaesang was about to stand up, relieved.
”…An accomplice.”
“What?”
“You’re both in on it!”
But the man, face flushed with anger, pointed accusingly.
“An accomplice?”
“Yes! The girl steals, and you create a distraction so she can escape. Caught you both red-handed.”
The man rolled up his sleeves, advancing toward them.
Are all angels this aggressive? Jaesang wondered, forming a new prejudice about the angelic beings he had just met.
“No need to call the guards! You both need a good beating today.”
The man flexed his arms, pure white mana gathering around them.
“Wait, you…”
Then, as if recognizing her, the man looked down at the girl.
“Now I see, it’s you, Luife! Crawling out of the slums to steal, you filthy brat?”
At the mention of her name, Luife pulled her hood even lower. Underneath, Jaesang noticed the bruises on her skin.
“Perfect. I’ll just kill you today! Light, heed my call!”
With an incantation, a spear of light formed from the mana. Without hesitation, the man hurled it at Luife.
The spear flew swiftly toward her, but just before it reached her, a mana shield materialized, deflecting the spear.
The deflected spear embedded itself in the ground beside the man before dissipating.
“There’s no need to kill her, is there?”
The mana shield vanished, and Jaesang spoke with a smile.
“Surely there’s a law in the heavenly realm… or are you resorting to barbarism?”
“You little…”
Jaesang glanced at Luife behind him. She was just a small child, no older than ten, trembling pitifully.
‘Stealing is wrong, but it’s not a crime worthy of death.’
Even if she had to face consequences, it shouldn’t be at the hands of this man.
“No one will care if an outsider like you dies.”
‘More violent than I expected.’
Jaesang had never met an angel before. The name conjured images of celestial beings from stories, but this was no different from humans. Perhaps humans were better.
No one in the crowd contradicted the man’s words, suggesting they weren’t much different.
‘This place isn’t as bright as I thought.’
The city, once beautiful in his eyes, now seemed different. The illusion of the heavenly realm shattered, leaving Jaesang with a bitter smile.
“Why did you…”
Luife’s question was met with a straightforward answer from Jaesang.
“I have a habit of not leaving kids on the wrong path alone.”
He grinned.
“Face your punishment later. I’ll handle this guy.”
With that, Jaesang opened his mana circuits. The heart he had calmed upon entering the heavenly realm began to pump mana vigorously.
His mana, once merely exceptional for a human, surged, doubling, tripling, until it matched the man’s.
’…A mere human can hold this much mana?’
It was unthinkable. A human possessing mana comparable to an angel?
‘Damn it!’
The man had stepped in, confident he wouldn’t lose to a human. But this level of mana?
‘Damn. I can’t back down now.’
Gritting his teeth, the man summoned his mana. Pure white mana began to swirl around his hands.
“Let’s deal with both accomplices.”
“Even if I’m not an accomplice.”
“Shut up.”
As the man raised his hands to cast a spell, mana gathered into a sphere of light. The sphere, filled with pure white mana, was denser and larger than typical magic.
“Take this!”
Luife’s hands trembled at the sight of the massive sphere. The angelic man was genuinely trying to kill her and Jaesang.
Tears welled in Luife’s eyes as she thought of her siblings waiting in the slums. She didn’t want to die, but she was powerless.
But.
“Don’t worry.”
She wasn’t alone now. She looked up at the man before her. He was smiling.
“Nothing you fear will happen.”
As the sphere of light approached, blue mana surged from Jaesang’s body. The mana spread wide, forming a shield larger than the incoming sphere.
And then.
The sphere shattered against the shield, dispersing into the air.
”…What?”
Everyone present doubted their eyes. The sphere of light wasn’t an attack that could be blocked so easily. It was a spell cast with the intent to kill.
And it was stopped just like that?
“You… what kind of trick is this?”
“I didn’t trick anyone.”
“Still lying… then block this one too!”
The man gritted his teeth, gathering mana once more. The flow of immense mana was palpable.
Backing down now was not an option.
But.
“Enough.”
A voice rang out.
“If you continue to disrespect my guest, I will not forgive you.”
The voice, full of noble authority, belonged to Damian, who entered the scene with a calm demeanor. His presence changed the air.
The celestial beings quickly averted their gazes, eager to avoid the scene unfolding before them.
The man, too, found himself unable to muster any further aggression, rooted to the spot. His pupils quivered with uncertainty.
“I-I didn’t realize you were a guest of Lord Damian…”
“You didn’t know, did you?”
Damian approached the man slowly, each step deliberate.
Thud, thud.
With every step closer, more beads of sweat trickled down the man’s forehead.
“Ignorance is no excuse.”
Damian placed a firm hand on the man’s shoulder.
And then—
Thud!
The man suddenly dropped to his knees on the ground. No magic had been cast. It was simply the sheer weight of Damian’s mana that forced the celestial to kneel.
“I-I’m sorry!”
Ignoring the pain in his knees, the man prostrated himself on the floor. Damian’s gaze then shifted to the other celestial beings, who quickly followed suit, kneeling in respect.
Without sparing them another glance, Damian turned his attention to Jaesang.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
The fierce expression he had worn moments ago softened as he approached Jaesang.
“The audience request took a bit longer than expected. His Majesty has been quite busy.”
”?”
Jaesang’s brow furrowed in confusion. Something about that statement seemed off.
“His Majesty? Who’s that?”
“Don’t play dumb. The King of the Celestial Realm.”
“Why would I meet the King of the Celestial Realm?”
“If you’re joking, it’s not very funny. Isn’t that why you came to the Celestial Realm?”
Damian’s words made Jaesang’s mind race. Why had he come to the Celestial Realm? To meet and persuade Liz’s father. And now Damian was saying he needed to meet—
The King of the Celestial Realm.
The pieces clicked into place with startling clarity.
‘No way.’
Jaesang’s eyes darted around, taking in the celestial beings kneeling before Damian. This wasn’t just about being overpowered by magic.
‘Liz’s father is the King of the Celestial Realm?’
The unexpected truth hit him like a bolt from the blue.
’…Is this some kind of hidden camera prank?’
Jaesang stood there, stunned, staring at Damian for what felt like an eternity.
In the darkened dorm room, Liz ran her fingers over the desk. The texture wasn’t exactly smooth, but she found comfort in it nonetheless. It wasn’t just the desk. She also cherished the moonlight streaming into the dark room and the faint sounds of student life echoing around her.
But now, she could no longer stay here.
Her father’s summons were absolute.
“It is time, Lady Liz.”
A voice emerged from the shadows, and Liz bowed her head deeply. Her face, devoid of any hint of a smile, seemed like that of a different person. She caressed the desk and chair once more, sifting through her memories of the human world, which hadn’t even spanned half a year.
‘Once I go back, I won’t be able to return, will I?’
The thought saddened her deeply. She wouldn’t be able to see the friends she had made. She would be confined like a bird in a cage.
She let out a sigh, releasing the surge of sadness, and then lifted her head again. The presence watching her from the shadows would wait no longer.
“Yes, I understand. I’m coming.”
As she finally stepped out of the dorm room, shadows cast a heavy veil over her face.