Half an hour later, we left the guild, satisfied after eating a lot. I can't waste any more time eating; I have other things to do, like sleep. Seriously, flying as an angel is exhausting, and my body is begging for rest.
"I'm stuffed… Come on, I'll build you a bed so you can sleep at my place."
"I can sleep on the floor; I don't want to bother Daniel."
"It's no trouble, don't worry."
Who taught her to say that?
… Oh, familiars are treated like slaves… Don't worry, I'll treat you well.
I said goodbye to Rocco, and we headed to my house.
•
•
We arrived at the house and went inside.
Ah, my bed, I hope you missed me, because I missed you so much.
"Sorry, it's not very pretty, but I designed and built it myself."
"It's very nice, Daniel."
"Thanks. I appreciate that."
Mmm. I see there's no space for another bed in the house.
I built it for one person; I never thought about sharing it. I made it small since I only intended to use it for sleeping, not as a full house.
"I guess I can't make another bed; there's no space."
"I can sleep on the floor."
"No, you're not a pet; you're a person. You'll sleep in a bed."
I'd build another house, but I need her by my side since my mother could attack at any moment. We need to stick together to avoid being caught off guard.
What I'm about to offer could be misinterpreted, but it's a good idea. If we're attacked, we'll be ready to fight instantly.
"You can sleep with me if you want. It's not anything sexual, don't worry; we'll just sleep."
"If Daniel's okay with it, I'll sleep with Daniel."
"Thanks for the trust."
When I wake up, I'll make the house bigger. I don't have the energy to do it right now. I just want to sleep.
"Daniel!"
Meibis barges into the house without permission. That wasn't polite of her, but I need to respect the common sense of demi-humans.
"Hey, Daniel!"
Daniela quickly turns to look at her and frowns. D-did she get mad? For the first time, I see an expression on her face, but it worries me.
"Intruder!"
She even raised her voice!
Whoa! Daniela grabs Meibis by the arms and holds her from behind, like she's arresting her!
"Huh?!"
"What do I do with her, Daniel?"
"W-what are you doing?! Daniel, help me!"
Damn. She's a bit… overprotective… I like that she's concerned for my safety, but… Well, I guess I just need to tell her who she shouldn't treat like that.
"Don't worry, she's a friend."
Daniela returns to her cold expression and nods.
"Alright, Daniel."
Daniela releases Meibis.
"Sorry about that."
"W-who is she?"
"This is Daniela, my familiar… Magical familiar, not family familiar… That word is weird. Why didn't they give it another name?"
"Y-y-your familiar?! Incredible! It's the first time I've seen a familiar!"
"Thanks, thanks," I said, proud of myself.
Though I shouldn't feel proud; God gave me the power I have without needing to train for years to use it or become powerful. A bit cheating, I know.
"Few people in the world manage to summon a familiar; you're incredible!"
"And the most incredible thing is this, look. Daniela, stop hiding your wings."
"Alright," Daniela said, nodding.
Daniela's wings reappear.
A light shone from her back when it happened. So divine, so celestial… Awesome!!
"She's an angel."
Meibis freezes, staring at Daniela's wings, as if she doesn't know how to react to such a sight. I get you, Meibis; I'm shocked too, but I just say things like "awesome," "incredible," blah, blah, blah, because I don't know how to react to these kinds of things.
I mean, after seeing chicken men wearing pants, I don't even know what to expect from this world anymore, or how to feel about it. I just know I'm surprised, but I don't know how to describe the rest of what I feel.
"A-a-a-an a-a-angel?! An angel?! Incredible!"
She lunges at Daniela to hug her. Daniela almost hits her but stops, probably remembering what I told her. Phew. That was close.
Meibis is acting like a little kid meeting a celebrity she admires. Is the God Fransme really that popular? Well, he is their God, after all. The angel Fransme… Well, well. I need to research more about him.
Meibis starts stroking Daniela's wings.
"The feathers are so soft. I feel like I'm in paradise," she said, rubbing her cheek against Daniela's wings.
Is she exaggerating? I need to check. If they're that soft, I'll pluck the feathers to stuff a pillow. Will it hurt? Won't they disappear when I cancel the spell? I need to find out.
"Really? Daniela, can I have permission to touch them? Does it hurt?"
"It doesn't hurt, don't worry. You can touch them, Daniel."
"Thanks. I appreciate it."
I stroke Daniela's wings.
Wow. They feel so soft. What can I compare them to? I don't know, but they're fluffy and soft, like a baby's skin. Wow…
"They're really soft. Will mine be that soft too?"
I take off my vest and shirt. Oh, I forgot the girls were here.
Meibis blushes and covers her face with her hands, but I can see her eyes peeking through her fingers, looking at me.
Daniela keeps the same expression while watching me, so I don't need to worry about her.
… I don't feel as shy as I used to. Weird. Have I finally gotten used to being seen? In my original world, I never got used to it, but here I have?
Oh, yeah, I think it's because I gave up on women and don't care about them anymore. The perks of losing trust in them… I guess that's a perk. Oh, whatever.
"Angel conver!"
I feel a tickle on my back and transform into an angel.
Ah, I love this transformation; it makes me feel like a truly good person. I mean, I'm an angel right now, the purest being in the universe.
Oh, well, well. Daniela's blinking a ton in seconds, while Meibis just gets excited seeing me.
Is blinking her way of showing she's surprised or analyzing me?
"Daniela, touch my feathers and tell me if they're soft, please."
"You're an angel too? You're really incredible, Daniel. It's the first time I've heard of an angel living among mortals," Daniela said, surprised? I guess.
"I'm half angel, half demon. Well, I suppose. I have angel and demonic magic, but… Well, I'll tell you my story in detail later."
First, I need to ask God for permission.
"Half demon?"
Daniela touches my wings.
"They're very soft, Daniel."
"I'm half demon because my mother is a demon. Even that… Even that woman tried to kill me…"
I was about to insult her, but I didn't dare. I know I should hate her, but… Ugh…
I lower my head… I don't like talking about it… And I don't like lying either.
I'm not a demon or an angel, but I have to say I'm half angel, half demon so they don't think I'm fully a demon.
My transformation fades, and I yawn.
"I'm a bit sleepy."
"Whoa!"
Daniela pushes Meibis and shoves her out of the house.
H-hey, that was rude, Daniela.
"Daniel needs to sleep."
"Hey, Daniela, don't be rude. Polite and respectful people are always well-liked. If you don't want people to hate or criticize you, don't be rude to those who haven't done anything wrong. You should only act rude to people who don't deserve your respect, like villains or bad people. Apologize to Meibis."
"Yes, Daniel. I'm sorry for pushing you, Miss Meibis. It won't happen again."
"N-no worries. It's fine. See you later, Daniel. Bye, Miss Angel."
"Bye."
"Bye, miss."
Meibis leaves, and Daniela closes the door.
"Daniela, what I said earlier might've sounded like I was angry, but I only said it to prevent others from hating you for your behavior. I'm not mad. Sorry if it made you uncomfortable or upset; it's just that my grandma raised me to be respectful and polite, so I couldn't help saying that."
"Don't worry, Daniel. I understand I was too rude to Miss Meibis. It won't happen again."
"You're free, not my slave. You have the right to act how you want, but I won't allow you to be rude to my friends. I'm not mad; I know you only did it for me, but I ask that you also consider others' feelings before acting. Ugh, I feel like a dad teaching his daughter."
"I understand, Daniel, and I appreciate your words."
I yawn and feel exhausted… Ugh, I'm so tired, so tired I could fall asleep standing right now.
… Too much.
"I think I used too much magical energy, but this is the first time I've felt this tired."
"The spell to summon your familiar used a lot of your magical energy, and it hasn't replenished yet. When you transformed into an angel, you lost even more. It's incredible you have so much energy, but even someone like you would feel exhausted using such complex spells in such a short time."
Is the angel transformation spell really that complex?
Ugh, I'm too powerful, and there are two others like me! Arghhh! The final boss is on a universal level! We're doomed!
N-no, Daniel, don't lose hope. Hope is the last thing to die!
I-I'd better not think about that for now.
"W-well, well… I see…"
I yawn and scratch my head.
"I'm gonna sleep a bit. You should rest too."
I lie down on the bed.
"Rest well, Daniel."
"You too."
I close my eyes. Ah, this is what I needed, a good rest.
•
•
(POV - Sandro)
"To Sandro, the demon slayer!!"
"I didn't sleep with her!! Though I won't deny I was tempted."
Everyone in the bar started laughing, including me. Hahahahaha! I defeated a demon, and I wasn't even in my right mind!
I'd be on the front page of the newspaper if it weren't for Daniel stopping a war and killing three kings, completely overshadowing my victory!
N-no, I'm not jealous or anything…! Arghhh! Of course I'm jealous and furious! Why does Daniel always have to show up and outshine me?!
Sandro, Sandro, Sandro, don't let him beat you! You defeated a demon without help. I didn't need Sara's advice or distractions from my ex-girlfriends! Sandro, you're capable of great things on your own! Keep believing in yourself and don't let external factors get to you!
"So, Sandro, what are you gonna do with that pretty boy? Not gonna get revenge for him killing you?" said some random guy whose name I don't know but thinks we're close enough for him to pat me on the back.
I kicked his legs and put my foot on his face before answering.
"I'm not dumb enough to let revenge consume me. I know my limits, and I know the current me couldn't beat him. I'd rather not risk dying again and save my death for fighting the Demon King or at least a high-ranking demon in the future."
Daniel, your moves are amateur, but your power and reflexes make up for your lack of experience. I'd rather avoid trouble with you; it's not worth it.
"Revenge isn't always worth it. Even if I get revenge, it won't undo the damage already done to me."
Revenge didn't bring my family back or restore my smile. It's not worth risking my life for stupid revenge.
I made a mistake once; I won't make it again… Hmm?
"Sandro, could you come check something in the kitchen?"
The bar owner's mom is rubbing my crotch? She's over 50; I don't think I should… Huh? What's that sound? Sounds like someone giving a blowjob?
Oh… This woman's sucking me off in the kitchen. Was I so turned on I don't remember agreeing?
Well, it's my victory party, so enjoy!
Oh, she's wearing a ring; she's married… Nah, I don't care. Time to enjoy the win!
•
•
(POV - Daniel)
(The next day)
Knock, knock, knock
Ugh, who's knocking so early?
I open my eyes slowly. Ugh, mornings, my old enemy.
"Coming…" I said, tired.
I yawn and get up to open the door.
"Who is it?"
"I'm Rose's familiar!" a man said.
A man? Does he have a human appearance too?
"Coming."
I open the door and… Huh?!
I-I see a giant pink butterfly in front of me. I-it's human-sized. So, so, so… So cool! It's a damn giant butterfly! And it can talk! Arghhh! It's so terrifying and awesome at the same time!
"Incredible!"
"Sorry for taking so long. Here."
He hands me a small box.
"T-thanks, sir. I appreciate it."
"Bye."
"Bye. Have a nice day."
The butterfly flies off… Arghhh! It flies like a butterfly! Awesome!
"Incredible! This world never stops surprising me!"
Giant insects, giant butterflies! Are there giants too? What a diverse world!
I close the door and see Daniela still sleeping.
She's so cute… I understand angels don't have a gender… But she looks like a girl… I think everything I know about angels is wrong.
"How long did I sleep?"
I take out my phone… It's really early.
"7:21 AM? I slept a lot…"
Wait, I think I forgot something… Oh, right. I have to meet the King!
I forgot I was supposed to meet him!
But first, let's see what they gave me. I hope it's a magical ring or a magical rock or something like that.
I open the gift. Oh, well, well. It's a necklace with a small sword charm.
"It's nice."
Does it have any magical abilities?
I put it on and call Rose to confirm what it does.
She answers almost immediately. Is she still studying the phone? I hope she doesn't get addicted to it like people in my world.
"Thanks for the necklace; it's really nice."
"I'm glad you like it. It's just a decoration, but I thought it'd look good on you."
Oh, it's just a decoration… Well, it's still nice. I should be grateful.
"Thank you so much."
"Bye, take care."
"You too, thanks."
She hangs up, and I put my phone away.
"Alright, time to go to the King."
I put on my shirt and vest.
"Good."
I try to wake Daniela. She looks so adorable sleeping, but we need to go.
"Daniela, it's time to go."
Daniela opens her eyes slowly and yawns. Wow, such a cute yawn. She's gonna give me diabetes with all this sweetness.
"Go?"
"We're going to see the King of Soular."
"Alright."
Daniela gets out of bed.
"I'm ready."
"Good, let's go."
We leave the house.
Alright, my name's already spread across the country; I don't need to use my angel form to fly anymore.
"Get on my back; we'll go faster if I fly with the fairy flight spell. Muslar asio!"
"Alright, Daniel."
Daniela climbs onto my back and hugs me.
"Arches Nexus!"
I fly off from there.
•
•
An hour later, we arrive. Phew. That was faster.
We reach the castle.
I knew we'd get here quicker.
"We're here."
I land, and Daniela gets off my back.
"Stop hiding your wings, please."
"Of course, Daniel."
Daniela's wings appear, and we head to the entrance, where three guards are stationed.
You have to show superiority in moments like this to prevent them from trying anything stupid and to achieve our goal faster.
"Hey! Good morning, gentlemen. It's a nice day, don't you think?"
The guards approach us and kneel before us.
Ugh, this is over the top. I feel gross right now.
"It's an honor to meet you," all three say.
Oh, my popularity keeps growing, which I'm happy about, but being treated with so much respect also makes me uncomfortable. Ugh, it's the price of pretending to be someone I'm not. I feel like a worthless liar.
"Please tell the King I'm here."
"Of course!" all three say, saluting.
The guards leave.
"I sense you feel nauseous, Daniel. Are you unwell?"
"Well, well. You noticed."
"I'm linked to you; I can feel what you feel."
"I see… Yeah, I feel sick. I don't like pretending to be someone I'm not, much less lying, but it's necessary to achieve peace."
"Sacrificing your dignity and principles. I understand. It's painful, isn't it?"
"Yeah… Quite a bit. I'd rather not talk about it. What's your home like, Daniela?"
"Boring. Angels were created to be the servants of the Gods; we just work and work with no right to free time."
"Ouch. Sounds like hell."
"It is, but we were created for that. No one complains since they see it as perfectly normal. I'm an exception because I was given the ability to reason and have my own consciousness to help those who summon me."
"But this is the first time you've been summoned, right?"
"Yes."
"So you worked for the Gods without any rest, knowing they were overworking you with no breaks, right?"
"Yes."
She lived for so long while the Gods took advantage of her. Condemned to live without rest. A hellish life… And I summoned her to use her for my benefit… I disgust myself.
"… Daniela, you can leave if you want. Take this time to use as your well-deserved vacation."
"No, but I appreciate the offer."
"I'm not testing you; you can go."
"And I appreciate it, but I don't want to. Thanks."
"Why? You can finally rest."
"The Supreme God told me my first master would change the world, and I want to see it up close when it happens."
"… Are you sure? I can't promise that'll happen."
"It's worth the risk."
"Well, if that's what you want, I'll accept it."
The Supreme God, huh? Will I really change the world? I hope it's for the better and not for the worse.
•
•
Minutes later, the guards return and rush toward us.
"Please, follow us."
We follow the guards and reach the King, who's seated on his throne.
Don't kings know any other place to talk to their guests? Well, I guess it's a tradition or something.
"It's a pleasure to see you again… W-who's that girl?!"
He's surprised? Didn't the guards mention Daniela? I guess they didn't because they know the King loves angels and wanted to surprise him.
He's excited; you can tell by his sparkling eyes… He really loves angels, huh? Just to avoid awkward moments or misunderstandings, I won't let him get close to her. We barely know each other, King, so you don't have my trust yet.
"This is Daniela, my familiar."
"Your familiar?! You managed to make an angel your familiar?! D-Daniel, wouldn't you like to impregnate my daughters right now?"
"Do you want me to kill you for treating your daughters like objects?"
"N-no, don't jump to conclusions, I-I was just saying. A child of yours would probably be as powerful as you and…"
"Don't say stupid things, King."
"S-sorry."
He made a sad cat sound. It was cute, but my anger didn't go away. He offered his daughters' bodies to a stranger he barely knows. Disgusting.
"Daniel, that King disgusts me."
"Oh, me too, but don't blame him, Daniela. In this world, power is the most important thing. This place's common sense is different from ours; we don't have the right to criticize other cultures."
"I understand."
"Darling!!"
D-darling?
Esmeralda and Charlotte enter the main hall and run toward me.
"Daniel, sweetheart!" Esmeralda said.
"Dear!" Charlotte said.
… Huh?! Sweetheart?! Dear?! They barely know me!
Both hug me tightly.
"It's good to see you again, sweetheart!" Esmeralda said.
"I missed you!" Charlotte said.
"How can you miss someone you barely know?"
"You'll be my husband, that's why I missed you!" Esmeralda said.
"Same here!" Charlotte said.
Noticing her presence, Esmeralda and Charlotte turn to look at Daniela.
"Incredible!" Esmeralda said.
"Who's she?!" Charlotte said.
"She's my familiar, Daniela, and as you can see, she's an angel."
"Wow! Incredible!" Charlotte said.
"Amazing!" Esmeralda said.
Esmeralda and Charlotte touch Daniela's wings without permission. Oh, well, I don't see Daniela minding, so I'll let it slide.
"They're so soft!" Esmeralda said.
"Your familiar is so cute!" Charlotte said.
While they're distracted with Daniela, I turn to the King.
"When's the wedding? Make it as soon as possible, please."
"In two days; I've got everything ready, don't worry."
"Can I invite my friends?"
"Of course."
"Thank you so much. I'll be back in two days then."
"Alright, don't worry. The wedding's at noon; you need to be here a few hours earlier to prepare."
"Got it, thanks. I'll leave it in your hands."
I turn to the girls.
"See you at the wedding. Muslar asio! Daniela, get on my back."
"Alright."
Daniela climbs onto my back and hugs me.
"I'll miss you!" Charlotte said, stroking my hands.
"I'll miss you more!" Esmeralda said, stroking my cheeks.
"No, I'll miss him more!"
"No, I'll miss him more!"
"No, I'll miss him more!"
"I hate you!"
"I hate you more!"
The girls start fighting.
… They're immature… They're still so young… Ugh, I don't want to get married.
"Sorry, I have to go. Bye. Open the door, please!"
The guards open the massive door to the main hall.
"Arches Nexus!"
I fly off from there.
I get far from the castle, and Daniela touches my right cheek with her index finger.
"You're marrying those two? They seem very immature, Daniel. I think you deserve someone better."
"I'm only doing it to show that humans and demi-humans are friends and capable of living together in peace. I barely know them."
"So you'll marry them without loving them?"
"I think so. I really don't want to, but I have to. Honestly, I won't treat them like wives. I'll try to love them, but I don't know if I'll manage. If I'm honest, since my girlfriend cheated on me, I stopped believing in love."
"I think you're doing the right thing, Daniel. Sacrificing yourself for the good of others, an act worthy of my admiration."
"Thanks. We're going to my teammates; I'm bringing them to the wedding."
"Alright."