Realm Lord
Chapter 140: Meeting at the Wings (2)

Chapter 140: Meeting at the Wings (2)

The silence stretched between them like a taut wire, heavy with anticipation and something else—something that made the very air around them seem to shimmer with an otherworldly presence. Arthur felt his breath catch in his throat as his eyes adjusted to the ethereal figure before them.

She stood exactly ten feet away from them, positioned with the grace of someone who had never known uncertainty or fear. Her white hair flowed gracefully down to the middle of her back, each strand catching the ambient light as if it were spun from moonbeams themselves. The locks moved with an almost hypnotic rhythm, swaying gently despite the absence of any discernible breeze. Her piercing pure gold eyes seemed to peer directly into their souls, searching, evaluating, perhaps even judging what lay within the depths of their beings.

Her skin was beautifully pale, almost luminescent in its perfection, like polished marble that had been kissed by starlight. Not a single blemish or imperfection marred its surface, giving her an almost surreal quality that made Arthur question whether she was truly real or some elaborate illusion conjured by his overwhelmed mind.

She adorned herself in all-white robe-like clothing that seemed to flow around her form like liquid silk. The fabric appeared to be of the finest quality, pristine and unmarked by the dust and grime that seemed to cling to everything else in this world. It draped elegantly over her figure, neither too tight nor too loose, perfectly tailored as if it had been crafted specifically for her divine form by master artisans.

Her beauty was unlike anything Arthur or Aziel had ever witnessed before. It transcended the merely physical, reaching into something deeper, something that spoke to the very core of what it meant to be human. She looked like a real angel—not the crude representations found in old religious texts or amateur artwork, but what an angel should truly look like if such beings walked among mortals.

But more than her otherworldly appearance, there was one thing that both boys could tell without a shadow of a doubt as cold sweat began to creep down the back of their necks, sending involuntary shivers down their spines. The realization hit them simultaneously, an instinctual understanding that bypassed rational thought entirely.

’She’s strong.’

The power radiating from her wasn’t flashy or ostentatious. It didn’t announce itself with dramatic displays or overwhelming auras. Instead, it was subtle, like the quiet confidence of an apex predator that had never known defeat. It was the kind of strength that didn’t need to prove itself because it simply existed, as natural and undeniable as gravity itself.

Arthur gulped audibly, his throat suddenly dry as parchment. "U-uh, y-yeah, I’m Arthur..." His voice came out as barely more than a whisper, cracking slightly on his own name. He waited expectantly for Aziel to speak next, to introduce himself and break the suffocating tension that seemed to be building with each passing second.

But Aziel remained silent, completely motionless beside him.

Arthur slowly turned his head to look at his companion, his eyes widening in disbelief at what he saw. Aziel stood there like a statue, his mouth slightly agape, practically drooling as he stared at the angelic figure before them with the intensity of someone who had just witnessed the most beautiful sunset of their lifetime.

Recognizing the signs of his friend’s complete mental shutdown, Arthur discreetly hit him with his elbow, the sharp jab finally popping Aziel out of his trance-like state.

"U-uh, I’m..." Aziel blinked rapidly, his brain struggling to reconnect with his mouth. "I’m... in love with you."

Arthur’s eyes practically bulged out of his head as the words registered. He whipped around to face Aziel in complete panic, his fist connecting solidly with his friend’s shoulder in a desperate attempt to salvage what remained of their dignity.

"Ow! Dude, what the hell is wrong with you!?" Aziel rubbed his shoulder, genuinely confused by Arthur’s violent reaction.

Arthur couldn’t believe what he was hearing. "What’s wrong with me? What’s wrong with YOU? Don’t you know who that is?" His voice rose to a frantic whisper as he gestured toward the white-haired woman. "That’s Alexandra Pellion! She’s the leader of the Pure Wings, and as of recently, a Realmbound!"

Aziel stared at him with completely blank eyes, his expression as empty as a freshly erased chalkboard. "For real?"

Arthur was at a complete loss for words. He simply slapped his palm into his face, the sound echoing in the awkward silence that followed. The secondhand embarrassment was so intense he could practically feel it burning through his skin.

Then, suddenly, they began to hear something unexpected—gentle, melodious giggling that seemed to dance through the air like wind chimes in a summer breeze. They turned in surprise to see Ms. Pellion laughing, her hand delicately covering her mouth as her shoulders shook with genuine amusement.

’Holy crap... she’s so cute,’ Arthur thought involuntarily.

He immediately slapped himself in the face, the sharp sting helping to clear his muddled thoughts. ’No, lock in. Focus. Don’t be an idiot like Aziel.’

"You two are funny," she said between giggles, wiping away tears of laughter with the back of her hand before taking a few graceful steps forward. Her movements were fluid and purposeful, each step perfectly balanced and controlled. "You must be the two boys responsible for bringing Kay and Lara back to me then, huh?"

Arthur scratched the back of his head awkwardly, his face burning with embarrassment. "Oh, haha, I don’t know about that. I’d say they were more responsible for bringing us back, if anything."

She giggled once more, the sound like silver bells in the morning air, before equipping a smile that could have dropped entire armies where they stood. Arthur could practically sense Aziel about to spontaneously combust beside him, his friend’s breathing becoming increasingly irregular.

"Nonsense! But whatever the case may be, I owe you two boys a great debt!" Her expression shifted slightly, taking on a more calculating quality as a sly smile spread across her perfect features. "Unless, that is... you would like to join the Pure Wings?"

Arthur laughed awkwardly, the sound forced and uncomfortable. "I truly appreciate the generous offer, but I must humbly decline."

Her expression immediately drooped, disappointment flickering across her features like a shadow passing over the sun. She switched her gaze to Aziel, hope still glimmering in those golden eyes.

"Yeah, me too... sorry," Aziel managed to mumble, though he looked like it physically pained him to refuse.

Ms. Pellion’s face transformed into an expression that could only be described as one thing, and Arthur felt his heart skip a beat at the sight.

’Uh—is she pouting!?’

"Oh, no matter," she said, though her voice carried a hint of genuine disappointment. "How about we head on up to the meeting room now? I’m sure you’re both eager to see Kay and Lara."

Arthur and Aziel both laughed awkwardly once more before nodding in unison and beginning to walk alongside Ms. Pelligon through the pristine corridors of her domain.

During their walk, Arthur found himself having a difficult time keeping his eyes off her, though it wasn’t simply because of her radiant, otherworldly beauty. There was something else, something that gnawed at the edges of his consciousness like a persistent itch he couldn’t quite reach.

’She’s so strong...’ The thought echoed in his mind as he observed her casual, effortless grace. ’I heard that there’s almost nothing she can’t heal aside from death itself, and she can even fly through the sky like a true angel. And yet, people die every single hour—men, women, children—who could have been saved by her touch. And yet she remains here instead of District 3, where the rest of her organization is working directly with the government and other guilds, making a real difference in the world. She stays here in her cozy castle, hoarding an ability that could save thousands upon thousands of lives.’

The bitter thoughts continued to swirl in Arthur’s mind, each one building upon the last until they formed a towering wall of resentment and frustration. But then he caught himself, recognizing the familiar pattern of his own prejudices beginning to take root.

’No, stop it. Don’t go down that path again.’

After making it back to Earth, he had made a conscious decision to do his best not to immediately dislike or discriminate against the Chosen simply because of what they were. Seeing as he was one of them himself now, it only made logical sense to try to change his perspective. He couldn’t continue to blame the deaths of his parents on all the Chosen in the world—that path led only to madness and endless cycles of hatred.

He needed to start growing up, to become the man his parents would have wanted him to be rather than the bitter boy he had been becoming.

But sadly, that transformation was much easier said than done. Having harbored hatred for the Chosen for so long, it had become almost like an involuntary reaction, as natural and automatic as breathing. The prejudice was deeply ingrained, woven into the very fabric of his being through pain, loss, and carefully nurtured resentment.

Nevertheless, he would do his absolute best to change, to become better than the sum of his past experiences and the trauma that had shaped him. For Kay and Lara, for Aziel, and most importantly, for himself—he would try to be better than the hatred that had defined him for so long.