Chapter 37 – Mission Briefing

Grace closed the volume of Eternia’s Chronicles she’d been reading and rubbed her eyes. It felt like she’d spent days in the Archives, reading and re-reading passages that contained everything from Eternia battling mythical beasts to Eternia having sex with everyone and everything she could.

[… My goddess is lewd.]

“Find anything useful?” Mina asked, appearing from between two bookshelves with another stack of books.

“Y-Yeah. Mostly stories about Eternia’s… adventures,” Grace said, her cheeks warming as she remembered some particularly detailed passages. “And a few mentions of relics she created.”

“Which ones?”

“The Crown of Stars, the Chalice of Truths, the Mantle of Whispers… and the Stardust Veil.” Grace touched the silver arm guard she now wore.

[A relic I have, actually… For some reason.]

A pleasant chime rang in Grace’s head.

「Quest Complete: Echoes of Eternia」

「Rewards: +3 to all attributes, New Skill Unlocked: Divine Insight (Level 1)」

「Bravery: 28/100」

「Compassion: 23/100」

「Love: 15/100」

「Divine Insight: Ability to comprehend ancient texts and languages more quickly.」

Current proficiency: Basic.

[Oh! That’s actually useful!]

“I should probably head back,” Grace said, standing up. “Thank you for your help.”

“Come back anytime,” Mina said, already reorganizing the books Grace had left out. “Just don’t put anything back yourself. You’ll mess up my groove.”

“S-Sorry.”

Grace was halfway to the door when a messenger angel flew in, landing right in front of her.

“Grace Lightsinger?” the messenger asked.

“That’s me.”

“Sister Seraph requests your presence immediately in the War Room.”

[The War Room? That sounds… official.]

—

The War Room wasn’t what Grace expected. Instead of some grand chamber with battle maps and strategy boards, it was…

Well, it was just Seraph’s office. A big desk covered in papers, weapon racks on the walls, and a window overlooking the training grounds. It seemed weird to call this place “The War Room” until she remembered this was Seraph she was talking about, who would absolutely give her stuff names like “The Carriage of Destiny” or “The Blade of Destruction” or whatever.

Seraph herself was standing behind her desk when Grace entered.

“Ah, there she is!” Seraph boomed. “Our little demon-killer.”

Grace noticed there were other angels in the room. Diana was leaning against the wall, arms crossed and looking somewhat bored. Mara sat in a chair, as usual her massive chest putting her shirt’s buttons in a fight for their lives. And in the corner, Alia and Zephyr were whispering to each other, giggling.

“Um, you wanted to see me?” Grace asked.

Seraph grinned.

“Yep. I’ve got a mission for you, kid.”

She motioned Grace closer and pointed to a map spread across her desk.

“This is Oakridge. Small village, mostly farmers and traders. They’ve got a demon problem.”

Grace looked at the map.

“What kind of demon problem?”

“The kind where people go missing instead of turning up dead,” Diana said from her spot against the wall.

Seraph nodded.

“Exactly. Five lesser demons spotted so far, hunting in a pack.”

“Is that unusual?” Grace asked.

“Very,” Mara said, her voice gentle. “Demons don’t usually cooperate unless something bigger is controlling them.”

[… Like a Primal?]

“We need to find out what’s happening and stop it,” Seraph said. “And since you can actually kill demons permanently, well, I figured why not put some more work on your plate?”

Grace’s eyes widened.

“You… think I’m ready? I mean, I’m flattered, but I’ve barely started training.”

“That’s why you’re not going alone,” Seraph said. She pointed around the room. “You’ll have a team. Mara will lead, organizing everyone and healing villagers,” Seraph continued. “She’s got the most field experience. Diana will help you with combat. Alia and Zephyr will work on village morale.”

“And, my job is…” She already knew the answer but it was almost like she was hoping the answer would change if she asked.

Seraph’s grin widened.

“Kill demons.”

Diana snorted.

Grace looked at Diana. The warrior angel rolled her eyes before Grace even said anything.

“To be clear, I know, I know, you don’t have much experience yet. That’s why Diana’s coming with you,” Seraph continued, giving Diana a look. “To make sure you don’t die. Again.”

“We leave at dawn,” Mara said, standing up. Grace’s eyes went down to her wobbling boobs before going back up to her eyes. “Pack light. We’ll be staying in the village for a handful of days, living among the people, making sure they’re alright.”

“Wait, will be living with them? Oh, that’s even better!” Alia perked up.

“Yes, yes, just remember your duty is to make them feel better, not yourself,” Mara sighed.

“Why not both?” Zephyr asked, winking at Grace. “Nothing boosts morale like a good f—”

“We know,” Mara cut her off. “Save it for the mission.”

Seraph clapped her hands.

“Alright, everyone out. Except you, Grace. I need a word.”

The other angels filed out. Diana was last, giving Grace a bit of casual side-eye before she left.

“She doesn’t like me,” Grace said once they were alone.

“Meh, Diana doesn’t like anyone,” Seraph said, sitting on the edge of her desk. “She’s been through a lot.”

“What happened to her?”

Seraph’s usual smile faded.

“She faced a Primal Demon once. It killed her entire team and a lot of the villagers she’d been sent to protect. Then… she ran.”

“She ran?” Grace’s brows shot up. She couldn’t imagine the fierce warrior running from anything.

“Well, it was that or die, so I don’t blame her,” Seraph said. “But, we angels have pretty good memory. She…” Seraph looked away with a wry expression. “She probably won’t be forgetting how she felt at that moment for a while.”

[So that’s why she’s so bitter.]

“Anyway, this mission is important, kid,” Seraph continued. “Not just for the village, but for you and for Diana. You need experience. She needs to get over this incident.”

“What if I mess up?” Grace asked.

“You won’t,” Seraph said confidently, throwing a thumbs-up. “I believe in you.”

“Why?”

Seraph reached out and tapped Grace’s chest.

“Cause you got this.”

“Small boobs?”

“No, HEART!” Seraph laughed in her usual boisterous way. “You’ve caught on fast in training, even if you’re still a twig,” she pinched Grace’s non-existent biceps, “and you’re a natural survivor.”

“But… I became an angel because I didn’t survive.”

“Details, details.”

Grace wasn’t sure what to say to that.

“Plus,” Seraph added, her grin returning, “you’ve got killer instincts. Literally.”

“I hope you’re right,” Grace said.

“I’m always right. Now go get ready. Dawn comes early.”

—

Back in her room, Grace packed the few belongings she had. Her divine light blade didn’t need packing since she could summon it at will, but she made sure the Stardust Veil was secured on her arm.

[One of these days I need to tell Celestia I have this thing.]

There was a knock at her door. It was Alia and Zephyr.

“Ready for your first real mission?” Alia asked, bouncing on her toes.

“Not even a little bit,” Grace admitted.

Zephyr laughed.

“No one ever is. But that’s what makes it exciting.”

Alia flopped down on Grace’s bed.

“I can’t wait to meet the humans. Feels like I haven’t been to the mortal realm in ages.”

“What exactly are we supposed to do in Oakridge?” Grace asked. “I mean, besides killing demons?”

“Come on, Grace. You’re still asking that?” Zephyr raised a brow and smiled.

“Well, it’s just hard to believe that all our duties can be summarized with: ‘kill, heal, and… have sex.'”

“We lift spirits.” Zephyr rephrased what Grace just said. “When people are scared, their faith weakens. Weak faith means less power for angels. All we’re trying to do is bring that faith back to them. Anyway, your job is to focus on the demons. Let us handle the villagers.”

“And let Mara handle the wounded,” Alia added. “And let Diana handle being grumpy.”

That made Grace laugh.

“Guess everyone has a role.”

“Exactly,” Zephyr said, standing up. “Now get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be interesting.”

After they left, Grace lay in bed, staring at the ceiling. Her first real mission. Her chance to prove she belonged here.

Just as she was drifting off to sleep, a chime sounded in her mind.

「New Quest Activated: Protect Oakridge Village」

「Category: Combat」

「Objective: Eliminate all demons threatening Oakridge」

「Reward: +5 to Bravery, New Skill Unlock」

[Oh boy. Here we go.]

She closed her eyes, trying not to think about what would happen if she failed.

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