A Journey Unwanted

[Realm: Álfheimr]

[Location: Heart Kingdom]

[Pulchritudo]

"Honestly..." Robert began after a long silence, his voice low enough that it would not carry beyond the church grounds. "...are you really certain about this?"

The pair stood just beyond the church gate once more.

The broken entrance remained behind them, one wooden door still hanging crookedly while the other rested where it had been thrown. The afternoon bustle of Pulchritudo continued beyond the fence as though nothing had happened, the sounds of conversation and carriage wheels sounding out.

After Mikoto’s declaration that he was an Angel...

Confusion had been the only response.

Nicholas had not argued, and Catherine had merely stared. Paimon had looked as though she wanted to ask a hundred questions at once.

And Mikoto simply hadn’t seemed to care.

Now he stood silently besides Robert, his thick gauntleted hands folded before him, red eyes fixed somewhere ahead without any obvious destination. His beautiful face remained absent-minded, as though the conversation inside the church had already slipped to the back of his mind.

Robert studied him for a moment before speaking again.

"Helping this church, dealing with a Duke..." he murmured thoughtfully. "...that could take far longer than we can reasonably afford."

His emerald eyes narrowed.

"We’re drifting further and further away from why we came here in the first place."

Mikoto remained quiet as Robert continued.

"We’ve abandoned our original course..." he said, furrowing his brows. "...and despite everything that’s happened today, we’re still no closer to learning anything useful about the dragons. I thought that was the thing you cared about most."

Only then did Mikoto glance sideways.

"I’m invested now." His answer came simply.

His eyes lingered on Robert for only a moment.

"And..." he added with a faint shrug, "...I’ve got Angel duties and all that."

Robert frowned.

("...I did hear Shuten and the monster call him an Angel before.") His gaze lingered on the small armored figure walking besides him. ("Whatever Angels actually are, I suppose that explains at least part of him.")

It explained...

Very little.

If anything, it only raised more questions.

Mikoto could become interested in something without warning. He could abandon one objective for another with almost no hesitation. He could threaten someone one moment, then decide to save an entire church the next.

Calling him unpredictable almost failed to capture it.

There simply wasn’t any reliable way to anticipate what he would decide next.

"Come on." Mikoto unfolded his arms. "We’ll meet up with the others first." He had already begun walking before finishing the sentence. "Then we’ll save the church."

Robert let out a quiet sigh before falling into step besides him.

"Something tells me," he admitted cautiously, "...that your reason for helping them doesn’t actually come from simple kindness."

He glanced sideways.

"You don’t strike me as someone motivated purely by altruism."

Mikoto didn’t even deny it.

"I want to see something." His answer remained frustratingly vague.

Robert stared.

"See what?"

Before the question could properly leave his mouth—

"Wait!" A familiar voice echoed from behind them. It sounded soft and gentle, yet hurried enough to carry across the church courtyard.

Rapid footsteps followed.

Both Robert and Mikoto turned at nearly the same moment.

Paimon was already rushing towards them.

The red hood bounced lightly with each step until she finally slowed before the pair, breathing only slightly faster than before.

Her bright blue eyes immediately settled upon Mikoto.

They positively sparkled with curiosity.

"I-is it really true?" she asked, barely containing herself. "Are... are you actually an Angel?" The excitement in her voice was impossible to miss.

Mikoto looked at her, and then he sighed.

His expression flattened into mild annoyance.

"Keep your voice down." His tone remained perfectly even. "You’re loud as hell."

Robert pinched the bridge of his nose.

("He really could stand to choose his words with a little more care.")

At this point he wasn’t even surprised anymore. Yet somehow Mikoto always managed to sound harsher than strictly necessary.

Oddly enough Paimon didn’t appear offended in the slightest. If anything, she looked too absorbed by her own curiosity to care.

"But is it really true?" She repeated the question almost immediately. This time her excitement remained completely unchanged. "So you really are an Angel!?"

Mikoto merely shrugged.

"Who knows?"

Robert blinked.

("He’s being deliberately vague again.")

Paimon looked equally confused; she tilted her head.

"...But..." Her brows knitted together. "...you literally just said you were."

"Might’ve said what everyone wanted to hear." Mikoto dismissed the matter with a casual wave of one armored hand. "...Or maybe I really am an Angel."

He looked directly at her; his expression remained impossible to read.

"Either way it’s none of your business." A brief pause followed. "So buzz off."

Paimon froze; it was not because she looked hurt. But rather because she genuinely seemed unable to tell whether he was joking, teasing her, or speaking with complete sincerity.

Robert quietly watched the exchange unfold.

Somehow against all logic she still didn’t seem discouraged.

"Either way..." Paimon said after a small pause, gently shaking her head as though trying to clear away the uncertainty crowding her thoughts. The hesitation that had filled her expression moments ago gradually gave way to resolve. She drew a slow breath before lifting her blue eyes once more. "I still want to help."

There was only sincerity in her voice as she folded her hands together before her.

"This church means so much to me." Her voice softened. "Not just to me either. There are so many people who come here because they have nowhere else to go, nowhere else where they’re welcomed without being judged." Her lips pressed together for a moment before she continued. "I can’t just stand by and watch it be torn down. I don’t think I could forgive myself if I did."

Mikoto regarded her for only a second before answering.

"Maybe," he said flatly, "you should’ve thought about that before knocking around those Heart Kingdom soldiers."

His tone remained completely matter-of-fact, and Robert almost physically winced.

("There he goes again.")

Paimon herself flinched.

The determination she’d gathered wavered ever so slightly as her gaze lowered towards the stone path beneath her boots.

"...I know."

Her voice became noticeably quieter.

"I know enduring it would’ve been easier." She swallowed gently before forcing herself to continue. "...It would’ve caused less trouble for everyone else."

She hesitated.

"...But..."

Her fingers tightened together; the words refused to come any further.

Robert looked at her for a long moment before speaking.

"Personally," he began calmly, drawing both of their attention, "I think you made the right decision."

Paimon’s head slowly lifted as Robert met her eyes evenly.

"People often praise endurance because it’s difficult," he continued. "But the truth is..." He gave a small shake of his head. "...enduring something isn’t always admirable simply because you can."

His voice remained steady.

"Sometimes enduring is merely the easier choice." He folded his arms loosely. "You said it yourself. Those soldiers became increasingly lecherous."

Disgust briefly crossed his features.

"If you had continued enduring them..." he said quietly, "...then where would it have ended?"

The question sat unanswered.

"No one," Robert continued after a brief silence, "should have to tolerate being treated that way simply to keep the peace." His expression softened. "You defended both yourself and Catherine." A small smile appeared. "I don’t think that’s something you should be ashamed of."

Paimon stared at him, her blue eyes widened just slightly. No one had framed it that way before. For several quiet seconds she simply stood there, absorbing his words.

Then...

"...Thank you." The gratitude in her voice came quietly; she smiled. It was still somewhat timid and still carrying traces of guilt, but it felt genuine.

"Even so", she continued with renewed determination, "...that only gives me more reason to help however I can."

Mikoto watched the exchange without saying anything; his red eyes lingered on Paimon.

("The contract still makes my skin crawl.") He frowned. ("What she’s bound to, I don’t like it.") His expression barely changed. ("Still...") He studied her for another moment. ("She might actually be worth keeping around for now.") The thought came without particular fondness. ("At the very least, someone familiar with Pulchritudo saves us from wandering around blindly.")

Another thought immediately followed.

("Though this group keeps getting bigger and bigger.") He looked somewhat irritated. ("And I could really go for more chocolate.")

Without another word, he turned towards Robert.

"I’m getting tired of walking all over this city." His voice carried the usual indifference. "I’ll use telepathy and have the others meet us somewhere instead."

Robert nodded slowly.

"That would certainly save us some time."

Mikoto then shifted his attention back towards Paimon, his red eyes narrowed ever so slightly.

"I honestly don’t care what you decide to do." His tone remained calm. "But..." He held her gaze. "...if you become annoying I’ll set you on fire."

Robert resisted the urge to sigh.

("Threatening people really has become his default way of communicating.")

Paimon, however, looked more startled by the bluntness than frightened by the threat itself.

She straightened almost immediately.

"I’ll be on my very best behaviour!"

The promise burst from her with almost comical enthusiasm.

She nodded repeatedly, as though hoping extra enthusiasm might somehow reassure him.

"I really will! I won’t get in anyone’s way, I won’t cause any trouble, and I’ll make sure I’m as helpful as I possibly can!"

Mikoto merely stared at her for another second before turning away again as though the matter had already ceased to interest him.

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