58 – 58th Episode – Escape 8 –
After learning that the angel had been walking around visible to other people,
I immediately confronted the angel.
-Why on earth did you materialize and wander around!
[Guardian angels materialize to keep the individual unaware of their presence.
If they know they have a guardian angel, they often become arrogant and corrupt.]
-And what does that have to do with me! Do you know what you’ve done? I, who don’t even believe in God properly, was on the brink of being worshipped as a saint!
[You are aware of my existence as a guardian angel, aren’t you? That’s why we can have this conversation. That’s why I just left it as it is.]
-Logically… Oh right. There’s no logic to begin with. Damn it.
This was my mistake.
I thought the guardian angel would be invisible to others because they said so.
But it turns out she was visible to other people.
‘I have to talk to him, so it’s not just me who sees it… that’s not good.’
Thinking about it, it was strange.
Aria either thanked me when she looked at me or cried.
I expected her to react like this, even though it seemed like she hadn’t been away for long.
I just passed it off as strange and moved on.
“Darn it…”
Aria’s confusion when she looked at me.
The fact that the warden wouldn’t accommodate us.
It was all because of the angel standing behind me.
“I can’t think of a way to escape this… What should I do?”
All angels who descend to the earthly realm are messengers of God.
Beings who come to this land on behalf of the divine.
The reason they can exist in the hybrid realm between heaven and earth is also because the divine has permitted it.
But she is not an angel.
She is still of the angelic race, but not an angel of the divine lineage.
Just a guardian angel, sworn to protect someone.
Naturally, there is no change in her appearance.
“An angel following me around. Do they think I’m a saint? If this gets out to the nobility…”
They would find out soon enough.
Of course, it’s not a problem.
I haven’t committed any sins.
I even have the Holy Sword, which more than proves my innocence.
I just don’t like the idea that I might have to return the Holy Sword in the future.
And if I’ve been chosen by an angel, there might be people who scrutinize my every move in the future, which is a problem.
“If I’m revered as a saint, I won’t be able to live a carefree life like before…! If I keep going, I might end up facing a religious trial for impersonating an angel…!”
So, think about it.
A way to avoid this situation.
“For now, what I need to do is… silence Aria and her entourage. That should be enough.”
The situation inside here will keep us inside for a while, so we have plenty of time to prepare.
However, it wasn’t Aria.
The moment I mentioned that fact to the Duke…!
“It’s irreversible.”
I felt a shiver down my spine, so I turned around.
Everyone was curious about my appearance.
“Could you wait for a moment? Uh, I have to contact someone.”
“No problem at all!!”
They looked like followers of a cult.
Thinking about it, since the angel behind me had descended, they might be more faithful believers than cultists.
After a brief moment, I headed straight to my room’s communication device.
A magical crystal, a product of the Magic Republic, capable of long-distance communication.
I immediately raised the item and contacted Aria.
“Vrrrm—”
With the sound of activation, Aria’s puppet appeared on the crystal.
It was still the same as before.
Probably because we parted just three minutes ago.
“So, why did you call?”
“Aria.”
“Why?”
“Did you see that angel?”
“Well… but why that reaction? You didn’t have to show it off, did you…?”
“If I knew, would I have shown it openly and walked in?”
“So, why did you call then? To confirm that?”
“Your attendants saw it too, right? Monitor all those people. It’s not what you think it is.”
“What exactly happened at the summit of Mugeok Mountain?”
“I’ll explain that later. What you saw wasn’t an angel; it was just something in the shape of an angel. Don’t mess things up by announcing it. I’ll handle the information here.”
“Alright… you’re not up to something strange again, are you?”
“Have you ever seen me cause problems by doing something strange?”
“Well…”
“If you say so, there’s nothing more to say. Then, let’s end it.”
“Alright. I’ll come pick you up when you’re released, so wait for me.”
“There’s still over a week left.”
Thud-
As the conversation ended, it was now time to move on.
The most urgent fire had been put out.
If Ha-in were to say that it wasn’t Aria, the Duke would believe Aria’s words.
But now, what should they do?
With all the prisoners and guards present in this place.
“If I use my power, I can silence them… but there are others among the prisoners here who will be released soon.”
Silencing within this prison would be easy.
However, if done that way, there is a considerable chance it will be revealed later.
Of course, they wouldn’t believe it.
But if there were several people… at the very least, an investigation would be possible.
And if the Saint were to discover that I had saved an angel…
“Oh, how dreadful. Let’s think of another way.”
How can they prevent the leakage of information?
Is there a way?
Let’s twist our thinking a bit.
Rather than preventing the leakage of information.
They just need to make sure no one believes it.
“As long as it’s only mentioned occasionally, the Duke won’t pay much attention. There are already so many cases of fake angels being seen.”
In that case, they need to minimize the involvement of the Duke.
And surprisingly, a good solution came to mind.
-Petroel. Can you act well?
“Act?”
-Yes. Acting. Since you’ve worked as an angel of God, you can play the role of a real angel, right?
“I can do that.”
Great.
Then it’s settled.
I will become a human who has truly been chosen by a god in this place.
Since coming here was also a choice, it’s correct to say that I have been chosen.
But I don’t know why.
-Then… can you move according to what I say?
[Of course. I am no longer an angel.]
Good.
All preparations are complete.
I explained all the operations to the angel.
The angel didn’t ask any further. Even though he could have asked why.
I thought that there must be a reason for everything.
Because I have not witnessed all the events in this world.
Unlike other people, the attitude of trying it out first was quite comfortable for me.
I go outside and look around.
People who were doing their work before I came out glance at me as soon as they see me.
I noticed that it’s true what they say about some women secretly watching me.
Knowing that they want to secretly glance at me, I can really feel their gazes.
In that situation, a man approaches me.
He looks old and seems to have been here for a long time.
When he faces the angel floating behind me, his eyes become red.
Because he showed a hesitant expression.
I sent a message to the angel.
-According to plan.
And the angel’s beautiful voice resonated throughout the prison.
[Why have you come to me?]
“Oh… oh-“
The old man, upon seeing that sight, starts to cry and kneels.
From the whispers of the people around, it seems that he didn’t believe in gods at all.
A man who didn’t have faith in gods and seemed to have been a prisoner for a long time.
Proof of the existence of a god who came to such a man.
“This… lowly sinner… acknowledges the angel of God…”
The old man knelt down.
And the angel faithfully carried out the mission.
[There are many here today who have not denied me. I was born through the divine grace of the great deity and have lived as a messenger of the deity.
Though I am currently by this man’s side, I can anticipate what outcome will await me.]
There is no falsehood in these words.
I was the messenger of the deity, his guardian angel.
It’s just that there have been many events.
[People here, why have you come to this place, burdened by sins?
The deity has said that all humans can go to the deity’s side. But why couldn’t you overcome that hardship and come here?]
“Well, um…”
“We didn’t believe in you…”
“We wanted to earn more money…”
“That… person eventually…”
The angel listened to all the stories they were telling.
Even the guards didn’t say a word in that moment.
“I will no longer question your past sins. Before you came looking for me, I came looking for all of you. So no longer commit sins, and live a moral life.
Those who can leave this prison will have a second chance at life. And those who are buried in this prison will have a new life after death.”
Salvation can only be known after death.
And the dead have no words.
No one can confirm the truth of these words.
The reason for mentioning this preamble is simple.
To make a speech.
To be convincing, you need a solid foundation.
“Thank you…! Truly, thank you…! If I can leave, I will spread this story far and wide…!”
One person truly spoke good words.
And therefore, they were immediately contradicted.
“Oh, I hope you don’t spread it.”
“Huh? What do you mean by that…?”
“That… Saint… or whatever you call it? Regardless, why did you say such things? Can you tell us?”
“Yes. Can you tell us why?”
Some people ask me.
It is human nature to want to share their mysterious experiences.
Just by looking at all the stories overflowing on the internet, it’s obvious.
But… an experience of meeting an angel?
Even if it were me, I would have said it right away.
So, a suitable justification is necessary.
I immediately mentioned the justification.
“According to the angel, it’s not good to spread this matter.
Because the people here happened to witness the angel, but if the angel becomes famous, there may be people who come seeking salvation.”
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Some of the prisoners and guards showed a realization expression, saying Ah!
For those who still didn’t understand, I provided further explanation.
“Atonement isn’t something that is sought out, it’s something that comes to you. If the angel becomes known, ultimately impure people will come seeking it.
So, no matter who asks about this matter, please don’t speak of it. Most of them will have impure motives.”
Now, many prisoners showed an expression of understanding.
There were even prisoners who kindly explained it in vulgar language to those who didn’t understand.
In the end, after some time, every prisoner in this place understood my intentions without exception.
And they gathered together and shouted loudly.
“Yes! We understand!!!”
If someone were to conduct an investigation, they would ask those who were here during the same period.
But what if someone says they saw it, and someone else says they didn’t?
That alone would create confusion.
Moreover, those who speak in that manner would have such thoughts.
That they themselves are committing sins.
Because of these points, those who make accusations will become the minority.
If the majority remains silent, they will think of it as something of a delusion of a schizophrenic.
Finally, even the prison warden, who shed tears like that, if he were to say it flatly, would not be believed.
Even if the servants accuse the duke, if it’s not Aria who says it, the world works on the principle of not lifting a finger for Aria.
“Then we will go inside. I hope for everyone’s future to be peaceful.”
That’s how everything ended.
For a while, numerous prisoners and guards came to my room, but…
It ended without any particular incident.
A few of them looked at me with curiosity.
Some might think I came here to spread faith.
A week passed in the blink of an eye.
And so, the time for my release was approaching.
After going through various paperwork, some meetings, and the approval of the authorities.
Only one final step remained.
My heart felt light.
The thought of finally leaving filled my mind.
“If you enter this room, you can have your final counseling session before your release.”
Before receiving the release procedure, everyone goes through one thing.
That is counseling.
It’s a time to understand the mental state of the person before their release.
As I entered the room, a small table was placed in the center of the narrow room.
On one side, a person was sitting, shuffling through documents.
On the opposite side, there was a chair for me to sit in.
The counselor looked at me with a smile as soon as I took my seat.
And then, he began to speak.
“It’s truly amazing. According to what others have said, inmates like you become this calm and comfortable after coming here. Nowadays, there are more and more people who truly repent and have faith. How did you manage to calm down those violent prisoners?”
The counselor asked me.
I had heard similar things during my occasional visits here.
Though the question seemed to single me out as the true cause.
I chose not to respond regarding the angels.
Impressive.
“So, what happened? Can you tell me, or is it too difficult?”
The counselor asked, his eyes twinkling.
Listening to his explanation, I felt he was genuinely dedicated to this work.
He went so far as to say that if my methods were applied well, the recidivism rate would decrease significantly.
He wasn’t wrong.
“When people witness miracles, it can change their attitude towards life.
That’s why I had already decided what to say.
I’ve seen this phrase somewhere before, but I believe it’s the finest summary.
“I gave them hope.”
There’s no guarantee that they’ll be saved.
But the moment they realize there’s hope,
Humans can change.