The news that Joanna had obtained a letter of recommendation was conveyed to Dantalion through Noir.
More than anything, what was commendable was that she had succeeded in getting close to the children.
Sitting in front of a mirror, Dantalion accepted the canned coffee that Sitri handed him and spoke.
“Isn’t it admirable?
If she’s such an outstanding child, she will surely bring some peace to the surface.”
“Well, it is impressive, but… hmm…”
“What’s wrong?”
Sitri couldn’t readily agree with Dantalion’s words.
Has there ever been a being from the surface who received such favoritism?
It was common for other demons to interfere with the surface, but it was rare for a Grand Duke of Hell to take personal interest.
Honestly, if she started wielding the granted power properly, the surface world would be completely wrecked—
“Well… I guess it’ll be fine.”
There was no point in worrying about something that wasn’t even his responsibility.
Responding matter-of-factly, Sitri sprawled out on the sofa.
He wasn’t lying down to slack off. It was simply the most efficient position for using his work tablet.
“At the very least, sit up when you work. What will your subordinates think if they see you like that?”
“Wouldn’t they think, ‘I want to get promoted so I can lounge around while working too’?
That ambition will make them work harder, so really, this is like a total lucky bikini moment~”
“Lucky… what?”
Dantalion shook his head at the string of incomprehensible words.
Still, today was a day when he could afford to be generous.
It was one of the rare holidays when even the judges of Hell could rest.
The usual wails of the judges were absent, bringing an unexpected sense of peace.
‘Ah, I had prepared something for a moment like this.’
Opening a drawer, he took out a specially procured tea bag.
It was made from tea leaves personally grown by the flower warden of the Western Heaven’s flower fields.
If not during a peaceful moment like this, when else would he have the chance to enjoy it?
Snap!
With a flick of his fingers, hot water filled the teacup.
The tea bag was dropped in, releasing the delicate, subtle aroma unique to green tea.
At that moment, Sitri, still lying down with his tablet, raised a hand.
“Give me a cup too!”
‘…Did I entrust my tea leaves to him or something?’
“In exchange, I helped out a lot with your hobby, didn’t I, Grand Judge?”
It wasn’t a hobby.
It had been a strategic decision made for the greater good of the judges.
Even as he thought this, Dantalion prepared a cup of green tea for Sitri.
After confirming that the green tea he had prepared for Sitri had vanished into the shadows, he leaned back in his chair.
As he savored the tea’s fragrance, his body slumped like slime.
‘Having no face is an advantage at times like this.’
Savoring the aroma through his entire body deepened the experience.
After thoroughly enjoying the scent, he was about to move on to tasting it when—
“Pfffttt!!”
Half-reclining, Sitri spat out a fountain of green tea.
Dantalion, staring at the now tea-soaked sofa and table, felt his fingers tense.
Crack.
The precious teacup, gifted by the flower warden, fractured slightly.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Dantalion slowly spoke.
“Sitri, I hope you have a valid reason for defiling my office with this precious green tea.
If not, then it’s been a while since I’ve had to educate you—”
“Th-they want to see you in Heaven!”
“…What?”
Dantalion looked at Sitri as if he had just spouted utter nonsense.
Those overly busy people had time for a meeting?
Sitri, wiping his tablet now drenched in tea, handed it over.
[Greetings, Lord Dantalion. The Archangel Michael wishes to meet with you…]
Clink.
The precious teacup shattered, and the warm green tea seeped onto his hand.
His sweet, precious holiday was now replaced by a meeting.
Once you got used to Hell, certain things started to feel unnatural.
The clear sky, the radiant sun, and the refreshing breeze…
“Grand Judge of Hell, Lord Dantalion.
We truly appreciate your visit to Heaven.
I am Elut, your guide for today.”
““We truly appreciate your visit.””
Finally, a crowd of angels gathered in unison to greet him.
No, that last part wasn’t because he was used to Hell—it would have been awkward even when he was human.
As an angel who looked like a weeping statue stepped forward to greet him, the waiting angels behind him followed with a synchronized bow, causing the light from the halos above their heads to spill out.
Sitri, wincing at the angelic brightness, took a step back.
“Ugh, how can they pull off a Solar Flare without even being bald?”
“Do you even understand what ‘being rude’ means?”
“Just because I understand it, does that mean I have to follow it?”
Generally, people learned manners to actually use them.
However, Sitri wasn’t being thoughtlessly disrespectful.
The angel resembling a statue, Elut, smiled and spoke to Dantalion.
“No need to worry. We understand that Lady Sitri is simply joking.”
Angels were generally broad-minded.
Their job was to console suffering souls, so naturally, their mental fortitude was exceptional.
“Even so, I apologize.
Allow me to apologize on her behalf.”
“It’s quite alright.
Even I sometimes think that the halo’s glow is a bit excessive.”
After dispersing the other angels, Elut enlarged his body with divine power.
Transforming into a towering statue, he extended his hand.
“Please climb aboard. I will take you directly to the High Council, where the Archangel awaits.”
Once on his palm, Elut gently placed them onto his shoulder.
He had even carved out a dedicated seat there.
Complete with plush cushions and even a mini-fridge embedded in the floor.
Wait… he had literally carved out his own body for convenience?
‘Angels are seriously hard to understand.’
Still, it wasn’t entirely pointless.
The sensation of sinking into the soft cushion was like being submerged in water.
Finding a can of his favorite coffee inside the mini-fridge, Dantalion took a sip.
The bitter taste, enhanced by the fresh breeze, was exquisite.
Meanwhile, Sitri, sucking on a sweet café mocha, mumbled with a dazed expression.
“Whoa… so this is Heaven.”
“Hahaha!
I’m so glad to see you both satisfied!”
Elut let out a hearty laugh as he flapped his wings, soaring across Heaven.
Dantalion turned his head and took in his surroundings.
The buildings in the sky captured his attention.
Pure white structures adorned with gold, peculiar fish-like creatures swimming through the air…
But what caught his eye the most was the amusement park built on the clouds. The joyous laughter of people echoed across the heavens.
‘It would be nice if Hell were filled with laughter too.’
The most common sounds in Hell were screams and wailing.
Demons did laugh often, but since sinners made up the majority of Hell’s population, it was inevitable.
More than the clear sky or the refreshing air, Dantalion envied the happiness and laughter that filled Heaven.
“There, that’s the Council where the Archangel is waiting.”
Elut pointed towards a building.
Not that he needed to—its sheer size made it obvious that it was their destination.
Thud!
Elut landed carefully on the ground, gently lowering them.
Meanwhile, Sitri tumbled through the air, landing with a series of acrobatic flips.
“Was that really necessary when he set us down so gently?”
“It looked cool.”
“Lady Sitri is correct.
That was quite the impressive landing.”
Elut, now back to his regular size, clapped in agreement.
Feeling triumphant, Sitri smirked—until Dantalion flicked her forehead.
Smack!
It was a perfect flick, without any flaws.
Ignoring Sitri’s yelps of pain, Dantalion turned to Elut.
“I’ll meet with Michael alone.”
“Understood.
Is there anything else you need?”
“If you don’t mind, take that noisy one and show her around Heaven.”
Elut nodded and dragged Sitri away.
She was grumbling, but if she really didn’t want to go, she would’ve flipped an angel over without a second thought.
‘They say the body is honest, huh?’
Interpreting Sitri’s actions in his own way, Dantalion stepped into the Council chamber.
Dantalion wasted no time searching for Michael.
Finding his way wasn’t difficult—he had been here a few times before.
‘Those incidents with the young demons… what a damn headache.’
Young demons often mimicked the elder demons on the surface.
Since they were too young to work, they played pranks out of boredom.
Usually, these were the ones who would grant power to tragic protagonists…
‘Even thinking about it now is ridiculous.’
Sometimes, one of these demons would be so talented that they would shift the entire flow of the world.
Once, he had been summoned here because the moral compass of an entire world had been utterly warped.
After all, the angels had carefully cultivated morality, only for it to be thrown straight into the gutter.
Even with a hundred mouths, he wouldn’t have had enough to apologize properly.
Maybe because he was reminiscing about the past, he arrived at his destination sooner than expected.
Michael’s office.
Dantalion stared at the nameplate for a moment, steadying himself.
Not that he had done anything wrong to feel guilty about—
“Dantalion, get in here and sit down immediately.”
“…Ahem.”
Clearing his throat, Dantalion pushed open the door and stepped inside.
A sharp gaze immediately bore into him, as if stabbing at his face.
At times like this, it was great not having facial features.
If he had them, he doubted his expression would be pleasant.
“I’ve never once summoned you for a good reason.
That’s honestly pretty damn annoying.”
“Isn’t that a little harsh for a greeting between old acquaintances?”
“Damn it, when work never stops piling up, do you think I have the energy for pleasantries?”
“Fair point.”
The white-haired man wearing glasses, Archangel Michael, let out a deep sigh.
Drinking tea like it was water, Michael finally spoke.
“Whew…
You already know why I called you, don’t you?”
“Because I’ve been acting too much like an angel?”
Honestly, there was no other reason he’d be summoned.
There were no troublemaking demons lately, and the Grand Dukes of Hell were too busy managing their respective domains and enjoying their hobbies to stir up any issues.
“Since you already know, we can get straight to the point.”
Michael set his teacup down and rested his chin on his interlaced fingers.
Sensing the serious atmosphere, Dantalion composed himself.
He was probably about to be warned not to interfere with the surface any further.
It was unfortunate, but not worrisome.
Considering Joanna’s nature and talents, she wouldn’t go down the wrong path.
So he had nothing to be concerned about—
“What are your thoughts on magical girls?”
“…What the hell kind of nonsense is that?”
Michael had the most serious expression, yet suddenly brought up magical girls.
Had he lost his mind from overwork?
Dantalion stared at him, genuinely concerned.