"Now wait a minute, how is that fair?" Adion was the first to complain playfully, and Valorth almost found himself doing the same.
He had seen the monster in the young boy's memory. Not only was it terrifying to look at, but it also was capable of devouring a fully grown man with ease.
For a moment he considered asking Dante to summon the monster in order to test its capabilities, then, he decided against it. There was a high chance that he would have no control over the monster, and if it ran rampant he doubted his ability to defeat it. There was also the risk of the demon being spotted by others, making it known that they were a group of Hearteaters, or even worse, a group that contained corrupted ones.
Could that be why his ability is so powerful? Is it related to his corruption, similar to the visions that I see at night?
Not wishing to bring up the thought in front of Adion, Valorth clasped his hand down on Dante's back and flashed the boy a smile.
"With you and your powers, not only do we now have more knowledge on the heart types, but we're also much stronger." He spoke truthfully.
The words seemed to bring Dante a slight bit of happiness, as the boy now wore a smile of his own.
The scene was only brought to a close as Valorth's stomach rumbled, reminding him that he had yet to eat his breakfast. The trio headed their way down and ordered some food, which was when they realised that with the new addition to their party, they were running low on money.
Around a table, they stuffed bread and soup into their mouths and chattered about their plans for the day. The Mother's Arms tavern was busy, and the customers were deep in gossip regarding the matters of the city.
Uradesh was still in a state of unsettlement, as the royal family were still being kept out of their own palace due to the Angel of Arms' presence.
It was believed that the Angel still wished to interact with no humans, which meant that the only two people who had seen him in person were Prince Haide, who was now residing in the Vahesh Cathedral, and Black Battalion Commander Thomaes, who was far away defending the rift from demons who tried to escape hell.
People whispered rumours, such as why the Angel would refuse to show himself to the empire who had worshipped him so vehemently. Faith in the Church of Arms was slowly faltering, as well as faith in the empire itself.
"Prince Haide will have to do something soon," Valorth pointed out after eavesdropping on a nearby conversation.
Adion let out a sharp breath through his nostrils. "What can he possibly do? This matter now exceeds the power of royalty. This is an angel we're talking about here."
Dante sat in silence, listening to the grown-ups' conversation as he ate his breakfast.
"I'm not suggesting that the prince force the Angel out of his palace," Valorth continued. "But he at least needs to figure out a way to converse with him, and come to some sort of agreement."
"Hmm, he must be frightened of Armaneus to the point where he's unable to act. He seems like an angry Angel after all, and I've never even met him!" Adion replied.
Those words forced Valorth to recall his memories from last night's vision. He himself, although through the shadows, had witnessed the Angel of Swords shedding tears for his lover. He knew nothing of the situation, but guessed that it had something to do with Kacel's current state within heaven, or wherever her spiritual domain was located...
More importantly, he had learned the type of Angel that Kacel was: the Angel of Melodies. He found it suiting, as even during her oppression, her voice itself sounded like a song.
Then, Valorth's memory turned towards the final words spoken by Armaneus.
"He will pay."
They carried such venom, but that was not what struck fear into Valorth's heart. Instead, it was the distorted manner in which the word "he" was spoken. It was as if, even though the angel spoke no name, simply referring to the unknown being as "he" was too powerful for Valorth to hear clearly.
If this is correct, then what sort of being could Angel Armaneus have been possibly referring to?
Valorth's hands froze halfway to bringing his last bite of food to his mouth. Adion looked up at him from his own plate with a raised brow. "Are you alright there?" he asked worriedly.
After shaking off his thoughts, Valorth returned to his normal self and finished his last bite of food.
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"I'm fine, just tired from using my new ability," he half-lied as he leaned back on his chair. "What are our plans for today?"
On cue, Adion pulled free the brown bag from his servant jacket and opened it, emptying the contents onto the table. There were clearly much fewer coins than before.
"Assuming that our jobs as servants at the palace are gone, we need to find a new source of income. Unless Dante here wants a taste of what it's like to live on the streets?"
Adion glanced down at Dante. The young boy's eyes went wide as he shook his head aggressively.
"I didn't think so." Adion laughed. "I think we should spend the day looking around the city for work. It doesn't matter what exactly, as long as it earns us enough to keep living in the tavern. Later on we can figure out something long-term."
The idea seemed sound to Valorth, as he didn't see any other option. After nodding his head, he rose to his feet. "Sounds good, we should start at theâ"
His words were stopped as Adion held out a silencing finger. "Actually, I was thinking that maybe we should split up. The more areas we can cover, the better chance we have."
Such a thought had never even crossed Valorth's mind, especially with the danger of demons lurking throughout the streets. However, on closer thought, he realised that it made sense.
"Okay. But I'll take Dante with me. He can't be left alone," he said, flashing the boy a wink. From Dante's sly smile, it seemed to be his preferred option.
"It's settled then," Adion replied. "I'll check the southern districts whilst you guys check the north."
He then glanced up at a clock, seeing that the time was still eight in the morning. "Be back by two in the afternoon. But only if you manage to find us a job."
Afterwards, the two groups split up and headed out on their respective journeys.
---
As they were low on funds, Valorth and Dante decided to travel on foot rather than by chariots. Luckily for them, most of their destinations were well within walking distance.
With Uradesh being the capital of Vahesh, and one of the largest cities in the empire, there were hundreds of workers needed throughout the many districts.
Or at least that's what Valorth thought.
At first they tried their hands at entering small stores, asking if they were in need of any extra hands. After having no luck, they turned to searching for delivery jobs, such as delivering the post, and even trying at a factory, which was one of the most undesirable jobs of the current age.
Hours of searching had already passed, and neither of the boys had had any luck. As they leaned up against a nearby lamppost, resting and watching the city residents go about their days, Valorth realised where they had gone wrong.
"It's because of the events that took place at the palace," he pointed out to Dante. "The palace gave jobs to hundreds of city residents, and with its temporary 'closure,' the staff would have had to seek out jobs elsewhere. This has caused all empty job positions to be filled within the last few days."
He looked to the side to find Dante squinting his eyes, as if it helped him process what he was being told.
...
"Does this make sense to you?" Valorth asked, feeling like a teacher.
"Y-yes. I think so."
With a smile on his face, Valorth ruffled a hand through the boy's short hair and stepped away from the lamppost, heading back down the busy street.
"Come. There's just one more place that I think might be looking for workers more than anywhere else."
---
In the south side of Uradesh was a well-known district named Flowbury. Despite being one of the smallest districts of the city, it was well known for being home to one of the city's oldest churches.
Very few people roamed this district, and those that did were all devout followers of the Angel of Arms. Men, women, and children all wore weapons on their waists and backs to show their devotion to their patron.
As Valorth and Dante arrived, they realised that this was still the case. Although the streets were currently quiet, due to the ongoing service taking place at the church, those that did still walk the streets were equipped with the finest of weapons.
They reached the heart of the district on foot, where a wide, open square framed a single landmark: Saint Lucyâs Church.
Though ancient, the church was immaculately kept. Its limestone walls, polished so often they seemed to give off a soft white glow, rose majestically.
Intricately carved window frames and jewel-bright stained glass completed the scene, making Saint Lucyâs one of the most beautiful churches in the land.
As it was originally built only for residents of the district, it was smaller than other churches in the city, yet it more than made up for it.
"A church?" Dante asked in confusion as they made their way towards the double doors.
Valorth chuckled to himself. âIn these times, churches will either see a rise in worshippers, or lose workers who no longer wish to serve in the worship place of a descended angel who seems not to care for them. Either way, it opens up job opportunities.â
A light shone in Dante's eyes as he understood Valorth's thought process. The two then quietly entered Saint Lucy's Church to find that a sermon seemed to be taking place.
The church's interior was just as beautiful as the outside, with murals and paintings spread across the walls and ceiling. The rowed pews were made from polished oak wood, facing towards the far end of the church where there stood a raised stage and a pulpit for the speaker.
In the stands were roughly a hundred people, all with weapons spread across their laps to use in prayer. Carrying no weapon, Valorth and Dante swiftly tucked themselves into the back row so that they would not be noticed.
Afterwards, Valorth finally looked up at the man speaking on the stage.
"Now descended, the Angel of Arms stands closer than ever. It is during these times that we must remain steadfast in our prayers. Although he has yet to show his face, he has not forgotten us, nor denied us. In his timing we will be strengthened by his will."
"Praise the Sword."
Halfway through the speaker's speech, Valorth's body had frozen. Not because of what the man said, but rather who he was.
The priest was a chubby man, wearing a black long-jacketed suit, and a golden chain depicting the sword symbol draping down his chest. Beneath his suit he wore a white high-collared shirt that just about covered his neck.
The neck that Valorth had long since stabbed and slashed open, using that very necklace.
Priest Yadon! Valorth cursed to himself, as he ducked his head low and hid in the stands.