IDMWE 04

Chapter 04

Not the hero’s companion, but the hero’s mother! And the father being Regan of all people?

At those utterly unbelievable words, Leona exploded.

“What the hell kind of crazy bullshit is that?!”

“For once, I have no choice but to agree with your vulgar language.”

As both Regan and Leona strongly objected, the angel’s expression became timid again.

“I-I’ve been trying so hard… for years… but it’s only getting worse…”

Eventually, the angel began to cry, tears dripping down.

“Sob, I’m just a powerless, memoryless, stupid angel!”

Seeing the small being trembling and shedding tears was truly pitiful.

“Wait a moment, you said ‘years’ just now?”

Of course, the heartless Regan latched onto the wording even in the midst of this.

“*Hic*, *sniff*. That’s right. I woke up three years ago. Since then, I’ve been searching for the two of you and trying to make you fall in love…”

“Oh my goodness.”

Those words were a huge shock to Leona as well.

Because over the past three years, Leona and Regan had felt nothing but terribly awful emotions toward each other—not an ounce of affection.

Things like contempt, disdain, mockery, vengeance, irritation, and annoyance.

So she couldn’t help but ask.

“Seriously, what exactly have you been doing for three years?”

“Since you two weren’t adults yet… I tried to at least create opportunities for you to see each other often…”

“Ah.”

Leona felt like she finally understood everything.

Normally, she from the Knight Faculty and Regan from the Magic Faculty should have rarely crossed paths at the Academy.

But somehow, from their freshman year, the two kept clashing at every turn…

That was undoubtedly because of this angel before her eyes.

“So, all of that was your doing, Angel-nim?”

“Yes…”

“The fall on the bare ground on entrance day, getting caught up in that bastard’s magic experiment that burned off half my hair, and the fight during the festival too?”

Leona asked, recalling each memory one by one.

Seeing that, Regan let out a hollow laugh in disbelief.

“Excuse me, you remember in vivid detail everything that happened to you, but you’re conveniently glossing over the things you did.”

“Well, it’s all true, isn’t it?”

At Leona’s words, Regan sighed and began to refute each point.

“On entrance day, you just tripped and fell, right? I had to give my entrance oath completely drenched because of the water you knocked over on me, you know?”

“That was a real accident! I apologized, didn’t I?”

“And what about during the festival, when you beat up an innocent person over a stupid misunderstanding and made them walk around with a bruise on their face for two weeks?”

“That time, you really made it look like you were up to something… And that bruise! You could have healed it right away, but you deliberately wore it as a badge to make a point!”

Leona and Regan’s voices grew louder.

Hearing about her own failed history, the angel began to wail, “Hoo-eeeng!”

“I’m truly a useless idiot that can’t even be recycled! Even my main body will think I’m pathetic!”

—

***

—

It was only after some time that the angel’s sobbing finally subsided.

“…Um, are you feeling a bit better now?”

“*Hic*, yes.”

Leona watched the angel, who was sitting on her palm and blowing its nose on her uniform sleeve.

“So, Angel-nim, what exactly are Regan and I supposed to do?”

“Give birth to the child who will become the hero…”

*Haa.* Leona sighed without even listening to the rest of the angel’s words.

No matter how many times she heard it, it was an answer she just couldn’t get used to.

Leona frowned in thought.

Creating a child was no simple matter. And with *that* Regan, of all people…

Moreover, if she became pregnant, no matter how exceptional her abilities, her activities would be restricted.

*’But I am a knight who protects this country.’*

To her, protecting people was more important than her own convictions.

If she was the only one who could bring a hero to save the world into this world, she was willing to sacrifice herself for the world. Even if the method was hard to accept.

She glanced to the side and saw Regan deep in thought with a very serious expression.

If Regan spoke up first, it would look like he was forcing a sacrifice on Leona, so his lips wouldn’t part easily either. That’s why Leona deliberately spoke lightly.

“Hey, it’s for saving the world—let’s just do it.”

It was her own way of trying not to make Regan feel guilty.

“Vulgar.”

But what came back was Regan’s contemptuous gaze.

“What did you say, you bastard?”

“The Knight Faculty has nothing in their heads, so they sleep around with anyone so easily, but I’m not like that.”

“Here I was trying to be considerate, and you have to say all that?”

Just as the two looked ready to grab each other by the collar, the angel jumped up and stood between them.

“No! I can’t allow that kind of… loveless physical act!”

The divine Sirphion, the God of Peace, also bore another epithet—the God of Love.

“Only a child born through true love, when your hearts are united! Only then can they surely defeat the evil that will destroy the world!”

At the angel’s firm words, Leona sighed.

“Falling in love with a bastard like that. That’s literally impossible for eternity.”

Leona glared at Regan as she spoke, but he ignored her completely.

Instead, he asked the angel a question.

“What exactly is this ‘evil that will destroy the world’?”

“…Before long, the Demon King will descend.”

“The Demon King…!”

Both Regan and Leona’s expressions grew serious.

The angel continued explaining.

“I was created to awaken when the Demon King’s seal weakens. Seeing that demonic beasts are gradually appearing in the world, it’s clear the Demon King is regaining power.”

Demonic beasts were beings whose instincts were slaughter and destruction. Not only that, but they also brainwashed humans, sowed discord, and stirred up division.

That’s why whenever demonic beasts appeared in the human world, the world was always thrown into great turmoil.

“Demonic beasts stir up all sorts of incidents and amplify humans’ negative emotions. Human malice—that is precisely the sacrifice needed for the Demon King’s resurrection.”

After hearing that, Regan thought for a moment and then questioned.

“Then if we exterminate those demonic beasts, the Demon King won’t be able to descend either, correct?”

“Huh?”

“Or we could invade the Demon Realm and kill him before he descends.”

“E-Eek?!”

“It seems faster to do that than to fall in love with this idiot or whatever.”

Regan continued in a cold voice.

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to love anyone. And if it’s this woman… there’s no need to say more.”

“Who are you calling an idiot!”

“And even if, by some chance… a really slim chance, that were to happen, I wouldn’t want my child to suffer hardship saving the world.”

“You said it!”

Though the words he spoke out loud were obnoxious, Leona cheerfully agreed with Regan for the first time, happy that he shared the same thoughts.

“So…”

“So, Angel-nim! We’ll just take care of all those demonic beasts and save the world ourselves!”

Leona cut Regan off and proudly declared.

“W-Well…”

The angel was flustered, having heard something completely unexpected.

“Is that not okay?”

“It’s not that it’s impossible, but…”

The angel felt himself somehow being swayed by his words.

Ultimately, the angel tried to steady his shaken heart and shouted even louder.

“Facing the Demon King is an incredibly difficult task! It would be much better for both of you to just fall in love quickly and give birth to the hero!”

As the angel threw a tantrum, Regan spoke in a firm voice.

“Then you, Angel-nim, can continue doing what you’ve been doing.”

Regan recalled the things the angel had done over the past three years trying to make him and Leona fall in love.

With that approach, he could bet his entire fortune that it would still be impossible even after thirty years.

“We will find our own way to save the world. Think of it as a backup plan in case each of us fails.”

Leona nodded vigorously, as if agreeing that he was right.

Falling in love with Regan and having a child was far worse than just beating up demonic beasts.

Leona extended her hand first, as if doing him a favor.

“Alright. We’ll join forces only until we defeat the Demon King. And we absolutely never fall for each other, deal?”

“That will never happen, even at the cost of my life.”

The two grinned at their first discovered common ground.

“Then the alliance is formed.”

“Noooooo!”

Leaving behind the angel who had started crying again, the two slowly shook their clasped hands.