Chapter 320: The Fallen Angel

While I was captivated by Veles-san, Ren-san pressed further with his questions.

“It may be an unrelated question, but what was the taboo you committed? If you’re a fallen angel, does that make you a bad guy?”

“That’s quite a difficult question. The ‘bad guys’ you imagine—most of them don’t recognize themselves as evil. Rather, I believe the majority think of themselves as righteous. Hehehe, after all, everyone has their own sense of justice.”

“I don’t need your weird preaching! Just answer whether you’re a bad guy or a good guy!”

“From your perspective, I believe I would be considered a bad guy. The taboo I committed was killing one of my own kind.”

“So you killed another angel!?”

“Yes. And after becoming a fallen angel, I killed many other things as well.”

With those words spoken so calmly, the atmosphere in the room instantly grew tense. We had come here planning to just explore some ruins, but things had taken an incredible turn.

“Humans too?”

“Yes, of course. Though it was quite long ago, I killed them at the request of those who summoned me here… Oh my, what a frightening expression. Do humans also feel such strong love for their own kind?”

“I don’t know about love, but it doesn’t sit right with me.”

“But you also slay monsters, don’t you? To me, as a different species, it is the same. Besides, I am not some pleasure killer who delights in murder. I merely killed because I was requested to.”

If this story was true, then back when this place functioned as a temple, rituals to summon Veles-san were performed here, and various requests were made in exchange for offerings.

“We kill monsters because they attack us! Self-defense!”

“I killed because I was requested. It was not self-defense, but there was a reason for it. Moreover, it was humans just like you who made the requests for me to kill.”

Veles-san showed no hostility and possessed intelligence well beyond that of an ordinary person, leaving Ren-san and the others unsure of how to interact with him. Of course, hearing that he had killed people didn’t sit well with me either, but antagonizing him here would accomplish nothing.

“You mentioned that you accept requests—would it be possible for us to make a request of you as well, Veles-san?”

“Yes, of course. If you provide me with food as an offering, I will accept requests according to the quantity and quality. …Hehe, you are the first ones to summon me without knowing anything.”

Saying this, Veles-san smiled as if amused.

To summarize what we’ve learned so far: this altar is a magic circle for summoning Veles-san. The summoned Veles-san is a fallen angel who has killed people. He will basically accept any request, but whether he takes it depends on the quality and quantity of food provided.

From the way he spoke, it seemed Veles-san appeared not just at this location, but at many different places. Additionally, since he had referred to “living beings,” there was a high possibility he also accepted requests from non-humans.

“Thank you for answering our questions. I’d like to make a request right away, if I may?”

“Yes, of course. If you provide appropriate food, I will do anything.”

“Huh!? Sato, are you insane, making a request to a fallen angel!?”

“Yes. He may be frightening, but he doesn’t seem to be a bad person. Besides, wouldn’t it be pitiful to summon him and then send him away without doing anything?”

“Hehe, thank you for your consideration.”

“Well, if Sato-san says it’s fine, I won’t stop you! You’re not going to request someone be killed, are you…”

“I wouldn’t! You said any request is fine, right?”

“Yes, as long as it is something I can do.”

Now then, what should I request? The first thing that came to mind was shoe repair.

I’d been wearing the same shoes since I transferred here, and they were getting pretty worn out. I didn’t want shoes from this world, and buying new ones would be a waste of NP. If I could get them repaired by offering otherworldly food, it would be cheaper than buying new ones.

“Could you repair my shoes? If possible, I’d like to request that…”

“Shoe repair? I can do that, but… hehehe, that is quite a peculiar request.”

“Seriously weird!”

Ren-san and the others had switched to sturdy shoes from this world since they were combat classes. I got laughed at by everyone, but I really wanted them fixed, so it couldn’t be helped.

I operated my tablet, purchased some random snacks, and handed them to Veles-san. I was worried whether this amount would be enough, but after receiving the snacks, Veles-san took my shoes in hand and enveloped them in what seemed like magic power.

“Please wait about one hour. I will be concentrating, so please do not speak to me.”

“That takes quite a while!”

“No, being able to fix shoes in an hour is pretty fast, isn’t it?”

“Actually, you might be right!”

While Veles-san was repairing the shoes, we decided to pass the time with casual conversation. There we were, making idle chit-chat while glancing sideways at a fallen angel repairing shoes atop an altar. The scene was far too absurd, but I tried not to think too deeply about it and simply waited for the hour to pass.