Chapter 1174

Drinking pitch-black tea, which is just magically-dyed normal tea, I exchanged a few words with Amel-san, whom I met by chance.

[……Speaking of which, Amel-san…… is a Winged, right?]

[Indeed I am. Does my existence bring forth questions within your mind? Ahh, I see, I understand. It must be these black wings of mine, yes? What, it’s no big deal. They had just been a little tinted by the darkness of the night. No, it might actually be that the world in itself is being dyed by the darkness, and these wings of mine are turning black for defying the taint of this world.]

[Ah, no, errr…… It was actually my first time seeing a Winged so……]

From the conversation up to this point, I understood that Amel-san was seriously afflicted with a certain disease peculiar to adolescent teens. It would be better to respond to her while ignoring most of her words.

If I just picked up everything in detail, there would be no end to this…… How do I know? It’s because I myself had been afflicted by this disease in the past.

[You had never seen my Winged kindred before? That’s surprising. We are not so rare of a species, but perhaps, have you been jailed underneath the sweltering pits of hell?]

[No, errr, I’m from another world, so I’ve simply never seen them before.]

[An otherworlder!? Wawawa, amazing! I’ve never seen——— Erhem. Oh, a visitor from another world huh, I had indeed seen a glimpse of your identity when our fates had crossed earlier. Special people indeed attract one another…… Fufu, the world really is amusing.]

……I feel like her true personality came out for a moment just now, but I guess it’d be better if I don’t mention it.

[I suppose otherworlders really are rare huh? Well, it’s true that even if you saw the person who plays the role of Hero at the Festival of Heroes, people don’t really have much chance to talk with them.]

[There was indeed that, but I too have seals placed within this body of mine. One may say I am free to do as I please, but this world itself acts as my cage. I would like to fly to the skies and spread my wings, but sadly, my position and duties are pressing upon this body, pulling me down to the ground.]

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[……Errr, does that mean Amel-san is someone of high position?]

[I would prefer not to be associated with such leashes, but it is my nature to respond to calls for help. Even unwilling as I am, I have been elevated to carry the burdens of those on top. For my own kindred, I was as radiant as the sun in the skies.]

Hmmm, errr…… To summarize, from what she said at beginning about how her wings are special, I guess Amel-san is a Special Individual Winged, and although she doesn’t want to, her status had been raised and she had become her species’ Chief, so she doesn’t have much free time or something like that?

[Heehhh…… Amel-san is the Wingeds’ Chief huh, that’s amazing. You certainly have the charisma and other such characteristics.]

[E- Ehehe, you think so? I don’t know if I’m really that gre…… Hrnn. W- Well, being too excellent does bring its own problems.]

She sometimes accidentally shows her true personality, and when she does, her voice sounds very cute.

Well, what I can say for sure now is that her way of speaking right now was her making up her character. Well, I can tell that she isn’t a bad person.

[……Ahh, that’s right. Amel-san, you’ve served me tea, so how about some sweets? What I brought are chocolates though……]

[Ahh, precious jet-black gems of sweetness…… They’re beautiful. They are like stars shining in the night. I offer my gratitude for your thoughtfulness———- Tasty!?]

With an intrepid smile on her lips, Amel-san picks up one of the chocolates and eats it, her eyes sparkled and she smiled from the deliciousness.

[This is amazing, I’ve never had chocolate as tasty as this before. Where in the world did you get these?]

[Ahh, they’re chocolates made from cacao grown in my home.]

[I see. Miyama-kun got cacao trees back in your home! That’s amazing——— !? P- Pardon me, it seems that my mind is being taken over…… Kuhh, just obediently let yourself be sealed……]

Amel-san, who was talking like a child with glittering eyes, looked startled midspeech, and then began acting as if she’s suppressing her bandaged right arm.

After struggling with her right arm for a while, she lets out a relieved sigh before turning toward me.

[……Errr, are you alright?]

[Yeah, my apologies for making you worried. The power residing within my right arm is quite troublesome. If I’m negligent, it will turn on me and try to eat away at my psyche. It is to be expected from the power of the abyss, but I will not allow myself to be swallowed by it!]

[S- Sounds rough.]

[Having understanding people like you on my side greatly helps me. Perhaps, you may be the ray of light within this darkness that I have been searching for.]

That’s strange? I don’t think I did anything special, but every time I talk to Amel-san, I feel like her Affection Meters are increasing.

I mean, she started incomprehensible things like I might be her light…… Also, before I knew it, she certified me as an understanding person…… What the heck is happening!?

[As I thought, my meeting with you really is a bolt of lightning. Ahh, I could feel it……. You are to bring about a great upheaval within me.]

[……H- Huh…… I see……]

I don’t really know why, but for some reason, she seems to like me a lot. Why? Don’t tell me…… She realized that I also used to be afflicted with the same disease……