Chapter 58: A Risky Proposition

“Can this be purified too?” Seeing everyone at a loss over the dark elements in the meat, a sudden idea struck me.

“Purified?” Sally’s eyes lit up at the suggestion.

“You’re right, why didn’t I think of that?”

She immediately cast a Dispel spell towards the food on the table. However, the glowing circle of the spell vanished the moment it touched the cooked meat, leaving not a single ripple in its wake.

“This troublesome?” Sally frowned, then endured the discomfort to cast another spell, but the effect remained the same. After expending two Dispel spells in quick succession, she was physically drained and collapsed onto a chair, panting heavily, unable to cast a third.

“It’s no good, it’s too difficult. We still need your Purification Spell, Flora.”

“But to use a Purification Spell, I’d have to reveal my wings…” I looked at her slumped posture, a sense of dilemma washing over me. The appearance of my wings would almost certainly draw attention, and doing so indoors would risk exposure.

“Then we’ll have to try outside.” After a moment’s thought, Amos decided to pack all the food into his ring and take me out of the house.

“Hurry back! We’re waiting to eat!” Erica called out, just before closing the door.

****

Following Amos, we arrived at a relatively open clearing within the city. We scanned our surroundings, finding no signs of monsters passing by.

“Quick, now’s our chance!”

Amos quickly retrieved the food from his ring and placed it in the center of the clearing. I, in turn, extended my wings and immediately cast a Purification Spell towards the monster meat on the ground. The orb of light shot from my palm, quickly embedding itself into the meat without eliciting any visible reaction.

‘Could one Purification Spell not be enough?’

I picked up a piece of meat from the ground and sniffed it. While the foul odor had significantly lessened, it was still distinctly perceptible.

“A little faster!”

Seeing his urgency, I promptly cast two or three more Purification Spells in quick succession, only stopping when a faint starlight began to emanate from the meat.

“Alright, we’re done here!” I declared, simultaneously retracting my wings.

Upon receiving the signal, Amos swiftly scooped up the food from the ground and stored it in his ring. He then grabbed my hand, and we sprinted back.

‘This felt just like committing a robbery, incredibly thrilling.’

****

Back at our base, after Amos placed the purified food back on the table, everyone gathered around, forming a circle, yet no one seemed willing to touch it.

“Surely no new flavors popped up after purification, right?” Hayden asked, still wary. He scrutinized the meat repeatedly before drawing his conclusion.

“They look pretty much the same.”

“It’s fine… right… I think so…” I had intended to reassure them, but lacking absolute certainty, I decided to be the first. I speared a small piece of meat with my fork and put it into my mouth.

“Mmm, it’s good, it’s good!” With twelve pairs of eyes fixed on me, I quickly swallowed the meat and pointed towards the food on the table.

“You can eat it! While the taste is still a bit peculiar, the foul odor is completely gone.”

“But it wasn’t exactly a foul odor before either…” Erica, seeing an angel like me give such a review, hesitantly took a bite.

“It really is much better!”

Her eyes suddenly widened, and she nodded enthusiastically.

“Even though there’s still a hint of it, it’s negligible now.”

“Really?”

Seeing both of them confirm it, everyone else stopped hesitating and eagerly reached out.

“As expected, Purification Spells are the most effective!” Sally exclaimed joyfully, stuffing a large piece of meat into her mouth like a hamster.

“Mmmph-mph-mph-mph-mph-mph,” Sally mumbled, her cheeks bulging. It was impossible to make out her exact words, but I gathered she was saying, ‘Flora, you finally have a proper use.’

I couldn’t quite catch what she was saying, but I watched as the six of them devoured the meat on the table, clearing it in a flash. Each person took one bite after another, leaving nothing behind.

“We owe you a great deal for helping us solve the food problem this time,” Amos said, looking at me.

“It’s not that big of a deal…”

‘I thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill. It was just a few Purification Spells; there was no need to exaggerate.’

“But it’s also quite troublesome to have to purify the food like this every time we find some and bring it back,” Alfred noted. While he was content with the meal, as their captain, he always considered the long-term implications.

“Could you detect Flora’s wings unfolding inside the house earlier?”

He turned his head and asked Sally.

“It’s difficult, but if one deliberately focuses, a faint sensation can be perceived,” she replied, shaking her head to indicate it wasn’t obvious.

“Normally, I wouldn’t be so sensitive. It’s mainly due to the air being saturated with dark elements. Against such a strong contrast, any anomaly is still noticeable.”

“That’s quite troublesome then; we could be discovered if our luck runs out,” Blanche remarked, clearly distressed by the implications.

“Once in a while might be acceptable,” Alfred said, his expression grave.

“But constantly going out and doing this, I feel like something will go wrong sooner or later.”

I shared his sentiment. Flashing my wings daily within the city felt like a reckless dance on the precipice of disaster, constantly pushing the limits.

Hearing the captain’s words, the previously lively atmosphere in the room suddenly dampened. Yet, if they were to forgo purification and eat the meat directly, it was unlikely anyone would agree.

“It’s fine, our strength isn’t that weak anyway. Even if we’re discovered, at worst, we’ll just find another house.”

Erica, it seemed, was determined to ensure the food tasted better. She was willing to go to great lengths, unwavering in her commitment to purification.

“Exactly! Besides, we have an angel with us, a four-winged one at that. They’re the bane of monsters!” Hayden nodded in agreement. The fact that he, too, was placing such hope on me made my heart sink.

‘I’m actually only Tier 3! And I’m just as vulnerable to those dark creatures.’

Their expectations made me increasingly anxious.

“Silence!”

Alfred, witnessing the scene, could no longer hold back and sharply rebuked them.

“Where do you think you are? This is the enemy’s main stronghold! Just because everyone is Tier 4 and above, you’ve become blindly optimistic? There are plenty of high-tier monsters, Tier 5 and 6, in this city. Who gave you such confidence?”

“Have you grown complacent after too many peaceful days, letting your guard down?”

His eyes swept over everyone present before Alfred issued his command.

“Starting today, Erica and Hayden, both of you will go upstairs to reflect. All outdoor activities are suspended for you. Reconnaissance and food gathering will be handled by Amos and Blanche. We’ll consider letting you down once you’ve truly understood the gravity of the situation.”

“Yes…” Erica and Hayden lowered their heads, pouting in resignation as they answered. They then turned and ascended to the attic together.

It was evident they weren’t entirely convinced, but such youthful defiance was to be expected.

The rest of us on the first floor merely exchanged glances, remaining silent.

****

Evening descended once more. For the seven of us hidden in this small house, it marked the end of the day. Yet, for the monsters within the city, it signaled the beginning of a new one.

Lights began to flicker on throughout the city, one after another, but our house remained shrouded in darkness.

Alfred was on watch again tonight. After resting during the day, his internal clock seemed to have flipped, making night his active period. It was only natural that he took on this responsibility once more.

“Flora, aren’t you sleeping?”

Upstairs on the second floor, Blanche and the other team members had already settled into their respective sleeping spots. As Sally blew out the last candle, she noticed me still sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall, and asked with some surprise.

Typically, I was the most eager to sleep at night.

“I can’t sleep.”

I glanced at her, offering a small smile.

“You go ahead and sleep. I’ll probably drift off on my own soon enough.”

“You seem a little off… You’ve been distracted all day, too.” Sally mumbled softly, then lay down on a bedroll. She closed her eyes and seemed to quickly fall into a deep sleep.

After a few minutes, seeing that everyone around me was silent and presumably asleep, I gently stood up. I quietly made my way down the stairs to the first floor.

“Why are you down here?” Alfred had heard sounds from the moment I started descending the stairs, but he seemed surprised to see it was me.

“Aren’t angels supposed to need rest at night?”

“I wanted to propose something…”

I sat on the chair opposite him, hesitating for a moment before speaking.

“A suggestion?”

Alfred leaned back in his chair in a tactical posture. Though his expression was obscured by the darkness, I could sense his apparent interest.

“Didn’t Amos object to the method of ascending into the sky from within the city? So, tomorrow during the day, let me…”

I gritted my teeth, finally steeling myself to utter the last few words.

“Let me fly up alone first, to conduct an experiment.”

In truth, I had hesitated for a long while before making this decision. As Amos had rightly pointed out, danger was undeniably present. Yet, this was a last resort, as all other paths were blocked. If I didn’t try, we would be forced to remain indefinitely within the city.

“Are you certain of what you’re saying?”

My words seemed to utterly astound him; his voice had deepened considerably.

“What you’re proposing is to risk your own life! If nothing goes wrong, fine, but if something does, none of us can save you.”

“I know…” I had, of course, already considered everything he said, so his words had no bearing on my resolve.

“If I fail, wouldn’t it mean no loss for any of you? Besides, I possess self-preservation abilities in the air; even if attacked, I might still be able to escape.”

After enduring so many battles, both major and minor, I felt that my only truly reliable skill was my ability to escape.

“What do you mean, ‘no loss for us’?” Alfred strongly disagreed with my perspective, his tone clearly displeased.

“Regardless of your angelic identity, even if you only joined us halfway, you are still a member of our team. I cannot accept losing any team member. Moreover, your strength is considerable, and you are the only one who can fly…”