Chapter 98

When the "Circulation" passed from Siehl to Seriel, Yurii, who had been so active a moment ago, became unusually quiet.

"...Wow. This kid is really taking Seriel-sama's 'Circulation' calmly."

"You must feel like I'm some kind of monster."

"Given that I, as an angel, know the amount of light attribute magic power Seriel-sama possesses, it feels like I'm seeing something that's almost impossible."

To such a Yurii, Siehl spoke with a face that looked like he had bitten a bitter bug.

"Lord Siehl, is Seriel-sama's light attribute magic power really that powerful?"

The one who asked Siehl this was, as expected, the captain of the magic corps, Sherifas.

"...Who are you? You're not from the medical team, right?"

"I hadn't introduced myself to you. I am Sherifas, the captain of the magic corps of the Northern Demon King's Castle."

"I am Alga, the deputy captain of the magic corps."

"I am Rishu, also from the magic corps."

Even though they were in the infirmary, the three of them, dressed in light combat gear, clearly did not look like doctors or nurses. They seemed unwilling to answer the question from someone whose relationship they did not know.

"By the way, you joined us halfway through. I had forgotten because you blended in so naturally. Sorry."

"That's why, how should I be treated by Captain Vincent...?"

Siehl, who had just remembered that he had not met the three from the magic corps, apologized sincerely. Siehl had drooped his head, but this man had adapted to the situation so seamlessly in such a short time. He was clearly not just a superficially charming man.

"The reason we have Seriel-sama here is as I explained. It has been a long time since the residents of the Demon Continent have had a light attribute magic user. Although it's an exception, a child with light attribute magic power from the angel race has appeared. Fortunately, Seriel-sama was here in the Demon Continent, so the first problem was solved. However, Seriel-sama is a busy person and cannot always watch over Yurii. Naturally, we need a way to handle any issues that might arise. They are, as the name suggests, the top researchers of magic in the Northern Demon King's territory. I judged them to be the most suitable and asked them to join and seek guidance from Seriel-sama."

Siehl, who had been hanging his head, looked up after hearing my explanation.

"...How much do demons know about angels?"

"To be honest, they know that angels have a unique golden hair and blue eyes, wings on their backs, are genderless until they reach adulthood, and live on the islands in the sky called the Heavenly Realm, which are filled with light attribute magic power, making them more adept at handling it than any other race."

"Yeah, that's about right. I wouldn't have known anything about demons if I hadn't come to the Demon Continent as a pharmacist."

Siehl answered the question, which was asked as a prelude, honestly. The others also seemed to have similar knowledge, as no one added any additional information.

"Angels are classified by the amount of light attribute magic power they possess. The number of wings we have varies according to the amount of light attribute magic power we hold, so you can tell the rough class—upper, middle, or lower—just by looking at the wings."

"A class society, huh?"

"Yes, a complete one. Whether it's when they no longer need 'Circulation' or when they reach a certain age, it varies from person to person, but until they reach adulthood, they study a wide range of subjects at the academy according to their aptitude. After reaching adulthood, they are divided by class and further assigned to jobs based on their aptitude for the three elements of light attribute magic power—recovery, defense, and attack. I'll skip the details, as they get unnecessarily complicated and touch on confidentiality issues."

Siehl's explanation was listened to attentively by the six from the medical and magic corps, as well as Ludwig.

"Ordinary angels have two to four wings. They are the main workforce that supports the various aspects of life in the Heavenly Realm. This is the lower class. Although they make up about 70% of the angel population, I think they are the general class. But that's just my opinion, so it doesn't matter. Next is the middle class, with six to eight wings. The amount of light attribute magic power increases dramatically from here. Even the least among them has three times the amount of the general class. This class makes up about 25% of the angel population. I'm technically in this middle class. ...And finally, the upper class, which are angels with ten wings. At this point, it's almost absurd to compare them to the general class. To put it in terms demons can understand, they are on the level of demon lords. For example, light and dark attributes are more powerful than other attributes, so unless they suppress their magic power, they are like a mass of pressure just by being there."

"““““““...Ah””””””

Hearing the rough estimates of the amount of light attribute magic power by class and the description of the upper class, the image of a demon lord came to mind. The six from the demon castle all nodded in agreement, and the others probably felt the same way.

"The upper class is really rare. There are less than twenty in the Heavenly Realm right now. They are all, of course, heads of various departments. That's why they are also called archangels. ...Lord Seriel here is a legendary angel, even among the upper class. If I say that he is the only one among the currently living angels with twelve wings, you can imagine how extraordinary he is?"

Siehl, who usually has a carefree smile, said this with a serious face, and the six demons all looked at Lord Seriel with equally serious expressions.

But his magic power was completely suppressed, so there was no overwhelming pressure.

"......Why is such an angel in the Demon Continent?"

"......Because various things became bothersome. There is no freedom in the Heavenly Realm."

In response to Sherifas' question, Lord Seriel thought for a moment and answered briefly. He then fell silent without saying more, and the focus shifted back to Siehl.

"Since Lord Seriel's 'Circulation' is compatible, it means that this child, Yurii, must have some incredible latent potential. Honestly, I'm very curious about what kind of roots led to a child like this being born in the Demon Continent."

After hearing Siehl's explanation, it was understandable why Yurii would be seen with strange eyes.

I think this child's magic attributes are mostly light, but even so, it feels off. To have such latent potential and yet have the lowest rank of magic power—can that even be possible?

Regardless, we do not yet have the answer to Siehl's question.

"Unfortunately, we have no idea."

"...Huh?"

"...This child was found alone in the 'Deep Forest' and was rescued by the captain of the cooking corps, who happened to pass by when the child was being attacked by a monster. We would like to return the child to their parents if possible, but the child has amnesia and doesn't remember anything. We are currently searching for clues from various angles."

After explaining the situation to Siehl, who was looking at us inquisitively, his eyes turned to Lord Seriel, or rather, to Yurii on Lord Seriel's lap.

"......If this child was born and raised in the Demon Continent, particularly in the Eastern Territory, it's a disturbing thought, but there's a possibility that the child was born for the purpose of light attribute research."

"Wh-What!?"

"From the information we have on this child, it seems the child is from the Eastern Territory. The Eastern Territory is the most advanced in magic research. Behind this, there are many experiments that lack any ethical considerations, which any researcher of magic must have felt at some point. Otherwise, it's impossible to explain the content and results of the magic books that actually exist. ...Although, under the current rule of the Eastern Demon King, such experiments are strictly regulated, they are not completely eradicated. Therefore, it's not possible to simply return the child to their parents. That's why we need to gather information from various perspectives to carefully examine the situation."

As Sherifas provided more information, Siehl, Lord Seriel, and Ludwig all showed signs of discomfort.

"Does that mean... there's a possibility that angels are being held captive?"

"...It's difficult to deny that possibility. Since you've heard the story, you should investigate. Check if any high-ranking angels or those connected to them have gone missing in the past thirty to fifty years."

"That's easy for you to say."

"Lord Seriel has praised you as 'capable.' From your attitude towards Lord Seriel, I assume you served under him. Therefore, I judge that you are also a high-ranking angel, close to the upper class."

"......Wow, you really are the captain of the Northern Demon King's Castle. Scary."

Siehl, who was pressing his temples as if to suppress a headache, was further pressed by Sherifas. His words were probably hitting the mark. Siehl, with a wry smile, raised his hands slightly in a gesture of surrender.

"......I'm not Lord Seriel, but I'm sort of out of the Heavenly Realm. I'm not sure how much I can investigate, but I'll give it a try."

"...Is there any other way for angel blood to mix with demon blood? Since we have both angels and demons here, can you think of anything?"

Fol suddenly asked Siehl.

"Mixing angel and demon blood, huh. First, an angel comes to the Demon Continent of their own will. This is a rare case. Without light attribute magic power, their combat power is reduced. Besides me and Lord Seriel, there haven't been any others recently. Well, it's not impossible for tourism or something, but angels generally don't go out unless it's for work."

"Is there any work that brings them out of the Heavenly Realm?"

"Actually, we have a first team dispatched to the human world. We've had a contract with them for a long time."

"......Do any of them marry humans?"

Fol was exploring the possibilities one by one.

"......Well, humans find angels attractive, but honestly, the lifestyle differences make marriage difficult."

"I see."

"......Well, there are half-angels, but they are usually from the general class, so they don't have much power or wings. Most of them become priests in the human world."

Siehl spoke, imagining the situation. His words trailed off unnaturally.

This caught everyone's attention.

"......What's wrong, Siehl?"

"Nothing, really."

When Lord Seriel asked, Siehl immediately answered with a smile.

"Just remembered a messy incident I had to clean up."

"......I see."

Siehl, with a slightly distant look, continued, and Lord Seriel slightly averted his gaze. ...It seemed some past event was implied. Was there an exceptional existence that was not a priest?

"......That's about all I can think of. Is any of this helpful?"

"Angels don't seem to go out much, as you said."

"Right. Angels love their home. The Heavenly Realm is the land with the most light attribute magic power, so it's the most comfortable place for them."

Siehl concluded and looked at us.

"Talking like this, we might run out of time. Shouldn't we get to the main topic soon?"

With these words, the conversation shifted to "Circulation" and light attribute magic. Siehl mainly answered the questions, and Lord Seriel provided additional information when necessary.

While taking notes, I couldn't help but wonder about the incident Siehl had mentioned, which had made him trail off so unnaturally.