Chapter 2: Angel

Lailah's voice faded into silence, leaving Abel alone. "What did that-" he began to say, looking towards the tiny woman. But… she was gone. As though she had never been there at all. Had… she really been just a figment of his imagination? Well, it wasn't exactly like she was still around to question.

Abel would not be left alone for long, however. After only a few minutes, the priestess in black entered the room. Lailah, however, was nowhere in sight. She shut the door behind her, and for a long while, she simply stood at the foot of Abel's bed, smoking her pipe in silence.

Eventually, Sister Alexei took the pipe out of her mouth. "For a while now…" she began, "…I wondered just who it was that brought you here, and why. With your message… everything makes a great deal more sense." There was something in the elder priestess's words, a hardness, that made Abel uneasy.

"Wh… What's that supposed to mean?" he asked slowly. "What was the message I gave you? The person who gave it to me said you would understand, so…"

The abbess took a long drag from her pipe. "…It means the peace that our kingdom- that all of mankind has enjoyed for the last hundred years, has come to an end. It means a new Overlord has emerged."

A chill ran down Abel's spine. He didn't know much about the Order or its beliefs, but he knew about the Overlord. The master of all monsters. A terrifying beast of unfathomable power, able to single-handedly lay waste to entire nations. Even his master, who otherwise feared nothing and no one, spoke of the Overlord in hushed tones. The only comfort to be had was the knowledge that the Overlord was long dead, slain over a century ago, never to threaten the world again.

Until now.

Abel shivered, the heat seeming to drain from the room. What was going to happen now? What was he supposed to do? What could he do? But the abbess seemed to sense the young man's worries, because she then said, "There's no need to be frightened. The message only means the Overlord has bested all potential rivals to the mantle. It doesn't mean he's on his way to Hokes at this very moment. There is still time."

Abel sighed in relief. But his relief was short-lived. "However," Sister Alexei continued, "your role in this has not yet ended."

"What do you mean?" Abel asked. "I delivered the message… didn't I?"

"Yes. You did everything you were supposed to." The abbess massaged her temple. "It's the situation itself that's unusual. Ordinarily…" But then, she shook her head. "…well, that isn't important now. What is important is preparing you for your journey."

Abel straightened up in surprise. "Wha-What journey?"

"A revelation such as yours must be presented to the highest ranking clergy member in the country." The abbess's gaze turned to the window. "For the Kingdom of Istar, that would be Sister Superior Beatrix, the Archbishop of Lohan."

The door suddenly fell open, and a blonde, blue-and-white clad priestess stumbled into the room. "What!?" Lailah cried. "You can't send Abel out yet! He still isn't fully healed!" Abel happened to catch sight of other blue-clad priestesses by the door, but they quickly scattered under Sister Alexei's withering gaze.

"Apprentice…" the abbess said, folding her arms over her chest. "That decision isn't yours to make."

"Yes it is!" Lailah snapped back, standing firm. "I'm the one overseeing Abel's treatment, so I'm the one who decided if he's well enough to leave!"

"In ordinary circumstances, you would be right." Sister Alexei snuffed out her pipe and tucked it away. "…But these are no longer ordinary circumstances."

The next two days passed quickly. In that time, Abel's care was passed to another, black-haired priestess. He didn't like the new priestess. Sure, she was pretty, with narrow eyes and short black hair with a subtle tinge of red, but her beauty was marred by the coldness in her eyes, and her unsmiling demeanor. It was a look Abel knew well. It was the same way his master, that everyone in Seles looked at him; as though interacting with him was a complete waste of time that would be better spent doing literally anything else.

But even so, he couldn't deny the effectiveness of her treatment. All she did was lay her hand on his side and speak a few words- then there was a glow of white light, and the pain in his side faded. After just a few of these sessions, the wound in his side became little more than a faint scar, and he gained the strength to stand on his own.

Although he wasn't her patient anymore, Lailah still visited as often as her duties allowed. Her constant fretting over him made him feel strange. Was it… embarrassment? He didn't know the word for it. The feeling of knowing that someone was concerned for his well-being was an unfamiliar one.

The abbess came by on occasion as well, mainly to check on how his treatment was progressing, but also to pass on information. Which was precisely what she was doing during Abel's final treatment session: "…I've recently sent a message to the Lohan diocese, requesting them to send a Crusader to escort you to the Archbishop. Until they arrive, I will permit you to remain in the abbey as our guest."

"What's a Crusader?" Abel asked.

Sister Alexei sighed, and began raising her hand as if to rub her temple… but let it return to her side, seemingly thinking better of it. "…Crusaders are knights who have sworn an oath of fealty to the Church. They protect our holdings, and certain high-ranking individuals. Our parish is too small to have its own Crusader garrison, but given the situation, Lohan should dispatch one here with all due haste. Their arrival should take no more than a few days."

The light surrounding the cold-eyed priestess's hand faded, and she stepped back. "It is done, Sister Superior," she said.

"Excellent work, Sister Sarai." The abbess's attention returned to Abel. "Until your escort arrives, I will grant you the freedom to explore Hokes and the Abbey at your leisure. I ask only that you not venture beyond the city walls."

The abbess and the cold-eyed priestess left Abel alone with his thoughts. He couldn't deny that a change of scenery would be nice- he was getting a bit tired of seeing these blank white walls all the time. But his current attire didn't seem appropriate for a day out in town. And it wasn't like he had the funds to buy a new outfit, either. Perhaps the abbey could spare something for him? Abel climbed out of bed- standing on his own for the first time in what felt like ages- hoping the elder priestess hadn't gone too far.

At that moment, the door began to open. "Good morning, Abel," Lailah said as she stepped into the room. "I heard that you've fully recovered now, so-" She suddenly stopped when she saw Abel standing. "Oh. Were you going somewhere?"

"I wanted to ask the abbess something," he replied. "She said I can go see the town, but I'm not exactly dressed for the occasion." Abel shivered a little- he was keenly aware of how thin his white garments were now that he was out of bed.

"Well, what a coincidence," Lailah said. "I just came back from some shopping myself. I thought you might need some new clothes since your old ones were ruined so… here." She held out her arms. "I have a pretty good idea of what your sizes are, but let me know if anything doesn't fit." In her hands, the priestess held a blue shirt with buttons and a pair of brown trousers.

"Uh… thank you," Abel said, stunned. "That's… really thoughtful of you."

She turned. "I'm going to get a mirror for you. Call for me once you're done changing, okay?" And then she stepped out once more.

Abel held the clothes in a stunned silence for far longer than he probably should have. He could feel his face starting to burn. No one had ever given him something before. At least, anything other than a beating. Did… did Lailah, perhaps…

He shook his head. No, that couldn't be right. He had an important message for their church. That was why she was looking out for him. That's all.

With that sobering thought in mind, Abel dressed himself. The stiff fabric felt strange against his skin, but he was sure he would adjust with time. "Alright, I'm done!" he called. He had no way to know if Lailah had returned yet and was waiting for him, but the priestess entered, holding a silver rectangle. "Well, it looks like everything fits…" she said, looking Abel over. "But tell me what you think for yourself."

It wasn't the first time Abel had seen his reflection in a mirror. But as he looked at his reflection, he couldn't help but feel as if something were… missing. He leaned toward the mirror, trying to figure out just what it was.

"Is something the matter?" Lailah asked.

The realization suddenly struck him. Abel blinked, and rubbed his eyes. He even reached up and plucked a strand of hair from his head. But his reflection didn't change.

When Abel had been much younger, a merchant came to Seles, with a mirror among his wares. And on that day, as he gazed into the mirror's cloudy surface, he finally understood what it was that set him apart from the rest of the villagers: where everyone else had either brown hair, or black hair, his was red. His eyes, too, were different- a deep blue, while the rest of the villagers had brown eyes.

But now…

"My hair…" he finally stammered. "It… it used to be red."

His reflection's hair… the strand of hair he held in his hand…

It was blue. Like the sky.

Just like the tiny woman's hair.

Ever since that day, Abel had grown his hair long to hide his eyes. But something in his stomach told him to check. And his gut was right. His eyes were no longer blue. Now, they were a vibrant pink.

"Abel…" Lailah began, pulling the mirror back. "Are you… feeling alright?"

Abel looked into the mirror one last time, and after a long pause, replied, "…yeah. I'm fine." Lailah was already fretting about him enough as it was- he didn't need to worry her further.

After an uncomfortable silence, Abel began hesitantly, "A-Anyway, Lailah, I… I don't want to impose on you, but-"

"You're not imposing!" Lailah suddenly said. She took one of his hands in hers, holding it close to her chest. "You can ask me anything! Really!"

Abel felt his face burning. Lailah's hands were… warm. But with some effort, he pushed that thought aside. "Could you… show me around Hokes? This would technically be my first time in town."

Lailah's grip on Abel's hand tightened, making his heart skip a beat. "Of course!" she replied, with a gentle smile. "It would be my pleasure."

"So, Lailah…" Abel began. "Where are you from?"

"Apollonia," the priestess replied. "The heartland of the Order."

Abel had absolutely no idea where that was. "And, how long have you been with the Church?"

Lailah brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face. "Honestly, for as far back as I can remember."

Is she an orphan, too? Abel thought. He pondered if he should ask, but decided to keep such a personal question to himself.

The town of Hokes was far beyond what Abel had expected. It was massive, completely dwarfing Seles, surrounded by high stone walls and built upon a two-tiered terrace that resembled a staircase for giants. On the uppermost terrace was the Abbey, and a guardhouse for the town watch; on the middle terrace were the homes of the town's wealthier citizens; and at ground level was the market, and homes for the common folk. Abel's stomach churned as he and Lailah descended the long staircase connecting the three levels, and the crowd at the bottom drew nearer. But the two merged with the throng with nary a second glance from any passersby. Abel was partly relieved… but after almost a lifetime of facing nothing but contempt, he wasn't certain that outright ignorance was a better option.

As the two wandered the market, Lailah showing Abel various stores, the priestess asked, "Abel, you come from one of the outlying villages, right?"

Oh no. This was something Abel had been dreading- that the conversation would inevitably turn towards him. In spite of himself however, Abel's answer was reflexive: "Yeah. Seles." Calling Seles a village was a bit generous. It was closer to a work camp, albeit one with permanent structures.

"Are you a woodsman?"

Abel tried to formulate a convincing lie… but the way Lailah looked at him made crafting one impossible. "…No. There was a chef there. I… was her apprentice."

Lailah touched her chin. "Hmm. I never really thought about that, but I guess the villages would need people to cook for them. So, why did you leave?"

Abel… didn't answer. A plethora of reasons sprang to mind… but those were things he wasn't willing to share with Lailah.

Something must have shown on Abel's face, because Lailah stopped the two in front of a stall filled with various jars. "Sorry. I didn't mean to pry. But what were you planning to do? Before… all of this, I mean?"

Again, Abel didn't answer. He didn't know how to answer. He'd been so focused on just getting away from Seles that he put no thought into what would come after. Sure, he had an objective now, but when that was finished, what then? All he could say for sure was that he would never set foot in that village again. But that wasn't a plan. And Lailah was looking at him again…

So, when a commotion suddenly erupted nearby, Abel was relieved. To the right, some distance away, a crowd was already beginning to form in front of the town gates. Lailah began to run toward the commotion without a moment's hesitation. "Wh- Hey! Hold on a minute!" Abel called, before chasing after her. The priestess easily pushed her way through the growing crowd- Abel merely had to follow in her wake, and easily reached the front.

The crowd was gathered around three men- two guards, judging by their armor and weapons, and a third man, sprawled on the ground. One guard knelt down next to the fallen man, while the other stood in front of the crowd, sword drawn, shouting for everyone to move back.

The standing guard's attention snapped to Lailah. "You there!" he called. "You're from the abbey, right? Can you treat this man's wounds?"

"I…" Lailah hesitated… but only for a moment. "I'll do what I can." She hurried to the fallen man and kneeled down next to him. "Are you alright? What happened to you?"

The fallen man suddenly reached up, and grabbed Lailah's shoulders, pulling himself up until they were eye-to-eye. "The trees… the trees! The trees are coming for us!" he shouted frantically.

"The trees?" the kneeling guard asked. "What's he talking about?"

"Sir, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened," Lailah said firmly.

An answer came, but not from the man. The ground rumbled, and the sound of breaking wood filled the air. The man instantly jumped to his feet and ran deeper into town, shouting, "They're coming, they're coming!" There was another rumble, and the sound of splintering wood. And then a third. With each repetition, the rumbling grew stronger, the sounds grew louder. The kneeling guard looked out the gate, and flinched, shouting, "What the hell is that!?" Lailah followed his gaze, and gasped. Abel too looked down the road leading away from Hokes, and in that moment, words failed him.

A… tree was lumbering down the road towards the town- at least, Abel thought it was a tree. But it was unlike any tree he had ever seen before. Its branches twisted and weaved into one another, forming long arms that ended in sharp, broken talons; the earth shook every time it drove one of those talons into the ground to drag itself forward, it's withered roots trailing limply behind it; and set into its trunk was a crude face with hollow, staring eye sockets, and a mouth surrounded by splinters that resembled jagged, broken teeth.

The tree monster reared back, and let out a sound, like a great wind blowing through countless branches. It then lunged forward, its arms… elongating and stretching across the fifteen yards or so between itself and the gate. It seized the kneeling guard in one claw before pulling back; the man let out a terrified cry as he was dragged away, his spear falling from his hands. It tried to grab Lailah with its other claw, but the priestess managed to dive to the side, barely escaping its talons.

The guard standing before the crowd cried out and began to run, his sword falling to the ground with a clatter. Terrified screams rang out as the gathered crowd fled deeper into the city. Abel began to retreat as well… until he looked back, and saw that Lailah wasn't with him. Instead, with the guard's spear in hand, she was running in the opposite direction… running toward the tree monster.

Able stopped in his tracks. Every instinct within him told him to run, to hide, the place as much between himself and that creature as possible. But the sight of Lailah… of that priestess charging fearlessly towards danger, spear in hand, stirred something within him. Before he realized what he was doing, he snatched up the other guard's sword from the ground, and charged towards the tree monster as well, following in Lailah's wake.

It wasn't until he'd taken ten steps out of the gate that Abel realized the terrible mistake he had made. He'd never used a sword in his life. And in the handful of fights he'd been in throughout his life, he'd never won even one. And those were against boys near his age, not a monster almost three times his size. He was more or less charging straight toward his death.

With another hollow roar, the tree monster lunged, extending its free claw towards Abel. He dived to his left, hitting the ground hard, feeling the air above him ripple as the monster's arm rushed past. As he scrambled to his feet, he saw Hokes's gate slam shut, sound carrying all the finality of an executioner's axe. There would be no retreat now.

Abel looked ahead. Lailah was about halfway between the gate and the tree monster. It tried to retract its arm, but the priestess drew back her spear, and thrust it into the monster's arm. There was a burst at the point where her spear made contact, and the monster's arm was severed in an instant, as if a massive invisible blade had cleaved through it. Letting out another hollow roar, the tree monster raised its closed fist high into the air, and slammed it down on top of Lailah. But the priestess… vanished, before suddenly reappearing in front of the monster. She drew her spear back again, and thrust it directly into the center of the tree monster's trunk- there was a second burst, and a great crack as Lailah's spear blasted a hole straight through the monster's body. The monster shuddered, letting out another of its strange roars, before falling still.

Abel could only stare at Lailah in awe. How could one person be so strong? But then, movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. The branches from the tree monster's fallen arm were… slithering across the ground, toward the main trunk. Was it still alive? But, how? As he tracked their movements, Abel came to a horrible realization: the branches weren't going to the main body, they were heading towards… Lailah.

"Lailah look out!" Abel shouted.

In an instant, the priestess spun around to face him. But… something was wrong with her face. It was twisted, almost beast-like, but her eyes were the worst. They were shining, radiating a bright, bloody red light. But the moment she saw him, all of that vanished. "A-Abel?" she stammered. But his warning came too late. In the blink of an eye, the branches slithering across the ground reared up, and raked across Lailah's front. There was a spray of blood, and strips of fabric torn from her robes fluttered around her. The side horrified Abel, but it was the sound- Lailah's piercing scream of pain- that burrowed itself into his brain forever.

"Lailah, no!"

Abel's feet began moving before he could stop them. The branches reattached to the tree monster's trunk, melding perfectly, as they had never been severed. The monster then lunged, extending its arm toward Abel again. He dived again, but the tree monster's arm split into a dozen thin branches that seized him out of the air. The branches wrapped around his waist, his neck, his wrists, elbows, knees, ankles… he tried to cut through them with a desperate swing, but the branches tightened around him, binding him in place.

Pain surged through Abel's whole body. It felt like the branches were trying to pull them apart. He tried to twist, to break free, but they only wound around him tighter to maintain their grip. Abel thrashed, trying to breathe as the branch around his neck tightened. Was this really how it was going to end? After everything she'd done for him, was Lailah really about to watch him die here?

"Angel Fire!"

A sudden rush of heat washed over Abel. The branches around him crumbled, and he fell to the ground, hard. As he tried- and failed- to rise, a scratchy voice came to his ears. "Geez Abel… After all the work we put into bringing you back, you're already trying to get yourself killed again."

Abel looked up. Fluttering in the air in front of him was the tiny blue-haired woman. "You!" he gasped.

"Yeah, me," she replied. "Now if you don't mind, I'll be taking over from here." Suddenly, the tiny woman dived toward Abel, head aimed directly at his chest. But rather than bumping into him, she simply passed through him, as though she hadn't actually been there.

All of a sudden, Abel's grip tightened, and he swung his sword upward, cutting through a branch that had been snaking towards him. Then he gripped the sword in both hands and whirled around, swinging horizontally, cutting through another three branches that had come up from behind. Then he darted toward the tree monster. He didn't know how- his feet weren't touching the ground, but he was still moving. Was he… flying? But how? And since the tiny woman vanished, his whole body was… burning. Not painfully, but Abel felt as if something was inside of him, desperately seeking to get out.

The tree monster reared back, extending its claw at him again. But of its own accord, Abel's body darted to the side, and thrust his sword into the monster's arm, dragging it up its entire length. He then darted up, before falling back down, slashing the sword downward and cleaving through the monster's arm with ease. At the same time, a scratchy voice that was most certainly not Abel's own said in his head, "Nnngh… come on, quit being so tense."

"What did you do to me!?" Abel demanded as his body again acted on its own, slicing through the monster's other arm. The severed arm's grip slackened, and the guard clutched within began to fall.

"I took over your body," the tiny woman's voice replied. Abel shot up, catching the guard and slinging him over his shoulder. He then dived, scooping Lailah off the ground and into his arms. "At least until I can get you out of this mess."

Abel turned, flying over the ground and up the wall surrounding Hokes until reaching the top, where he set down his passengers- Lailah gently, the guard less so. He then looked to the guard. Again, his body acted of its own accord, and said in his voice, "Don't worry. It's almost over." As his body turned to look out at the tree monster, Abel couldn't help but wonder if those words were meant for the guard… or for him.

The tree monster's branches were weaving together again, reattaching its severed limbs. But before it could act further, Abel pointed at the tree monster, and his voice intoned coldly:

"Light of Judgement."

A golden light began to shine from Abel's extended fingertip. Then, a beam of blinding white light shot forth, toward the tree monster. The beam struck the monster, enveloping it in a massive explosion. There was a tremendous roar- through the light, Abel could see the monster's silhouette as it was torn to pieces, and the pieces dissolved away. As the light faded, no trace of the tree monster was left behind- only a massive crater left in the middle of the road, the only proof the monster had ever existed at all.

All of a sudden, Abel- who had been floating about a foot above the ground- dropped down and collapsed to his knees. The burning within him was suddenly gone, replaced by an overwhelming fatigue. As he gasped for breath, the tiny woman's voice rang out in his head: "Your stamina needs some work. If that had gone on any longer, I would've completely burned you out."

A weak cough grabbed Abel's attention. In spite of his exhaustion, he turned, forcing himself to stand. Behind him was the guard, staring wide-eyed at him- he had a number of scratches, but otherwise didn't seem seriously hurt. But next to him…

"Lailah!" He hurried to her side. His stomach churned at the sight. He thought seeing her being attacked was bad enough, but to see the aftermath up close… He cradled her in his arms, trying to be gentle. "Lailah! Lailah! Come on, say something!"

"A… bel?" The priestess slowly opened her eyes- they were cloudy and unfocused. "You're… okay. I… I'm glad… you weren't hurt."

"I'm sorry…" Abel said- his voice was strained, his vision blurring. "You got hurt because of me. But it's okay. I… I'll fix this… you'll be okay…" It was a lie so transparent that he couldn't even fool himself with it. Aside from not knowing how to treat wounds, Abel had never seen so much blood before in his life. It was probably nothing short of a miracle that Lailah had even survived for this long.

The priestess reached up, slowly, and put her hand on his face. "I saw. You… you were… amazing. You looked… just like… an angel…" Her eyes closed, and hand began to slide off his face.

Abel grabbed her wrist. "Lailah, please hang on! I… I…" He could help her? What could he possibly do?

Then, the scratchy voice of the tiny woman said, "You can save her, you know."

"What!?" Abel cried "H-How!?"

"Just hold out your hand and focus. Concentrate on what you want to happen, and it'll happen."

That… was it? That couldn't be it! It was too easy! The tiny woman had beaten that monster, so she must have-

"Yeah, I killed that monster…" the tiny woman said. "…but the power to do that was already inside of you. Ball's in your court, Abel- there isn't anything I can do that you can't do yourself."

The power… was already inside of him? But…

…dammit. If he could save Lailah, he had to at least try. He held his hand over her chest, concentrating, imagining the priestess as she had been that morning: happy, and healthy. Instantly, a blinding white light shone from his palm. A soothing warmth washed over him, erasing his fatigue.

But it wasn't just his fatigue that had been erased- as the light died away, the wounds on Lailah's body were gone as well. Her robes were still shredded, and soaked with blood, but… she was okay. …wasn't she?

Lailah's eyes opened again- clear and focused. Slowly, she sat up, looking down at herself, then back to Abel. "Abel…" she said, voice full of awe. "Did… did you do this?"

Any sense of propriety left Abel in that moment. Tears spilling from his eyes, he threw himself at Lailah, wrapping his arms around her and sobbing into her chest. "I did it… you're okay… you're okay…" he said over and over again, but between his sobs and being pressed into the priestess's chest, his words were rendered completely unintelligible. The world disappeared as he held Lailah and cried, reduced to nothing more than the priestess's warm embrace.

But soon- much too soon- Lailah said to him, "Um, Abel? I know you're glad I'm okay, but… could you… not press your face into my chest like that?"

Abel returned to his senses. What was with Lailah's sudden change of heart? But now that he thought about it, something didn't seem right. He didn't feel fabric being pressed against his face. Rather, he felt…

…bare skin.

"Ahh!" Abel spun around, shutting his eyes to ensure he saw nothing. "I-I'm sorry!" He flinched, expecting Lailah to slap him, or to scold him for his behavior…

But nothing happened. "…I knew, that there was something special about you, Abel," Lailah said. "I knew there was a reason you were brought to us. And I was right." Abel jolted as the priestess slipped her arms around his waist, as she pressed her chest against his back. "You saved my life. Thank you… from the bottom of my heart, I thank you."

Abel's heart hammered in his chest. In his head, the tiny woman said, "Man, your heart is racing. And that spell you cast… aren't your feelings kinda strong for a girl you barely know?"

"It wasn't just the Sister you saved," a man's voice suddenly said. Abel looked- it was the guard he'd saved. He was on one knee, his wounds gone- had the light that healed Lailah healed him as well? "You saved her, me, and everyone in Hokes. We all owe you a debt of gratitude. And I swear to you, good sir, that for as long as I live, all will know of what you did for us on this day." The guard put a hand on his chest, and bowed his head to Abel.

Then there was the sound of a commotion, and someone called, "Yeah, there he is!" A group was climbing a flight of stairs leading to the top of the wall, a mix of guards, priestesses from the abbey, and ordinary citizens. And leading from the front, carrying a heavy-looking hammer in her hands…

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised to see you in the middle of all this," Sister Alexei said as she neared. Her gaze shifted from Abel, to the guard, and then to Lailah. "Would anyone care to explain what exactly is going on here?"

"I believe I can answer that, Sister Alexei," a scratchy woman's voice said. The tiny woman emerged from Abel. Lailah gasped; the guard recoiled; even the abbess took a step back in surprise.

"Fear not," the tiny woman continued, "for I am an angel, come to deliver a message from on high."

The abbess quickly shepherded Abel and Lailah back to the abbey. The townspeople had full view of what had taken place, so they quickly set upon Abel, asking him to perform other miracles for them. Fortunately, the abbess quickly ordered the guards to form an entourage to escort both him and Lailah back to the abbey before he could be overwhelmed, claiming that the matter would need to be investigated by the Church. Once they had returned, Lailah departed to make herself decent while Sister Alexei led Abel to a small study at the back of a chapel at the heart of the abbey. The small room was dominated by a large wooden desk- Abel sat on one side, the abbess on the other; the angel stood on the desk between them, smoking from the abbess's pipe.

Almost the moment they entered the room, the angel and the abbess began discussing something, but Abel wasn't sure what precisely. All he could say was that he was certain it involved him in some way. All he could do was wait, cursing himself for his lack of worldly knowledge as he tried to decipher their conversation.

After a long drag from the pipe, the angel exhaled a cloud of smoke and said, "…hopefully, that should clarify a few things." Another drag. "…and sorry about the mess. This was something that was decided at the very last moment."

Rubbing her temple, the abbess replied "…I suppose I should have expected this."

The door behind Abel opened. "Sister Superior-" Lailah began, as she entered.

But the abbess cut her off. "If I may, Your Grace, who is his patron?"

"I'm afraid I'm not at liberty to disclose that information," the angel replied, after another puff on the abbess's pipe.

"An anonymous patron," the abbess muttered, as Lailah took a seat next to Abel. "…I see… though considering you hail from Lord Ilias's domain, I can hazard a few guesses to their identity."

"Um…" Abel began. "Would someone please tell me what's going on?"

"I agree," Lailah added. "It's pretty clear to me that Abel isn't a member of the faithful. He deserves an explanation."

The angel looked up at Abel. "Right, sorry. This is about you, so it's not fair of us to talk over your head like this."

"In essence," the abbess said, "one of the gods has chosen you to serve as their champion, Lord Abel."

Lord? Abel thought. Where had that come from? But Lailah spoke up in his place, asking, "Are you saying that Abel's… a Hero?"

The tiny woman nodded. "Yeah, pretty much."

"Wait, when you say 'Hero…'" Abel began, "do you mean a 'travel across the world and slay the Overlord' Hero?"

The angel took a puff. "Didn't know there was any other kind."

Abel didn't know about the Church, but he knew about the Overlord. And because he knew about the Overlord, he knew about Heroes as well. Brave warriors chosen by the gods to slay him, and restore peace to the land. But…

"N-No…" Abel shook his head. "No, that- …this can't be right. I- …I'm just a cook's apprentice."

"A cook's apprentice, who has been chosen by the gods to serve a higher purpose," the abbess said flatly, resting her elbows on the desk.

"You might not see what makes you special, but your patron does," the angel added. "And just so you know, you're not the only one. Any god can choose a champion at any time- some of the higher ranked deities even have multiple champions."

Abel could only stammer weakly, "Who… why…?"

"Sorry Abel, I can't disclose that. Not even to you," the angel replied. "But your benefactor will reveal themselves to you, once the time is right." She puffed on the abbess's pipe. "I can say that your patron is very invested in your survival, though." Another puff. "So much so that when you got ganked by those bandits, they asked Lord Ilias for permission to use angel blood to resurrect you." Puff. "My blood, specifically. It's why I look like… well, like this." Puff. "You were pretty much at Hel's gate when we were given the green light. So it took a lot of my blood to bring you back. But once we got you through the worst of it, Lord Hermes brought you here so you finish out the rest of your recovery." Puff. "Hmph. Lazy bitch also pushed her job onto you while she was at it. Trust me, Lord Ilias make sure to give her a pretty thorough ass-whooping for-"

The abbess cleared her throat.

The angel glanced back for a moment. "Right, getting distracted. Anyway, you're probably wondering why I'm still hanging around. Turns out then when a mortal has as much angel blood flowing through their veins as you do, they and the donor get kinda… bound together. You might've seen signs of it already, what with your hair and eye color being different now. And since you and I are already stuck together for the long haul, Lord Ilias ordered me to accompany you, to 'guide and counsel' you on your journey. And since I haven't actually gotten around to introducing myself yet…" She extended her arm, as if to receive a handshake. "Name's Niel."

Abel began extending a hand in turn… before extending just a finger. "It's… nice to meet you, Neil."

Niel glared up at Abel. "No, no. Niel. Ni-El. Not Neil. Get it right." She gripped Abel's fingertip firmly. "And what happened today was a one-time thing, got it? You won't grow any stronger as a Hero if I'm always having to bail you out of trouble."

"R-Right. Sorry," Abel replied nervously.

"So what's going to happen now, Sister Superior?" Lailah asked.

"I'll need to send out a few extra letters," the abbess began, "but your objective remains mostly the same, Lord Abel: you are to travel to Lohan to meet the Archbishop and deliver Lord Hermes's message. The Lohan diocese will also bestow upon you a Relic to assist you in your journey. From there, you will travel to the Holy See in Lescatie, to receive the Praetor's blessing."

Abel tilted his head in confusion. "Um, Holy See? Lescatie? Praetor? I think you lost me…"

"Man, you don't know anything, do you?" Niel fluttered up to Abel. "The Praetor is the head of the Church. The Holy See is the Church's headquarters, and also where the Praetor lives. The Holy See is in the city of Lescatie, on the island of Apollonia, on the north shore of the Arielian Sea. It's traditional for Heroes to receive the Praetor's blessing before setting out to slay the Overlord." She returned to the abbess's pipe. "Get it now?"

As Abel nodded, Sister Alexei stood. "Our parish is small, Lord Abel, but even so, we of the Order of the Chief God are sworn to provide you with whatever aid you request of us." She bowed. "May the blessings of Ilias and all the gods be with you."

"Eh, save your blessings," Niel said, picking up the abbess's pipe. After a few puffs, she added, "Abel's a Hero. He's already got all the blessings he's gonna get."