After agreeing to help Kagali look for Gaien, Ellie returned to her inn. Considering the distance to the Sacred Mountain, it made more sense to leave early in the morning. Tida, who’d been drinking happily, saw her enter and called out to her.
“Yo, Miss Ellie! Glad to see you’re back!”
“Hello, Tida.”
Ellie sent Alice and the others back to their rooms. She sat down next to Tida and ordered a low-alcohol drink.
“You went for the weak stuff,” Tida said. “Do you have important plans for tomorrow?”
“I’m going to dive into the depths of the Sacred Mountain to find a missing blacksmith.”
“I see you’ve gotten yourself mixed up in something annoying again. This is becoming a regular occurrence for you, isn’t it?”
“Yes, I suppose it is,” Ellie replied.
She turned back to the bartender and ordered two glasses of mead. When they arrived, she set one in front of Tida. Tida thanked her and was about to pour it straight down her gullet when Ellie spoke up.
“Are you busy tomorrow?”
“I know what you’re getting at, and no way,” Tida said.
“I see. Well, unlike last time, there shouldn’t be heaps of undead monsters running rampant, so I won’t insist.”
“Good. I’ll stay right here and pray for you, then!”
The women drank together a while longer before Ellie went up to her room to rest for her trip the following day. Tida remained at the table and downed one more glass, then she returned to her own lodgings.
“Ah, the city of the dwarves really lives up to its name,” she slurred happily as she staggered through the door. “Their alcohol’s divine!”
As soon as Tida closed the door, though, the atmosphere around her changed in a heartbeat. She did not look inebriated in the slightest.
“The orders from the Grand Sanctuary were sudden, but I certainly didn’t expect the situation to be dire enough for you to appear,” she said.
There hadn’t been a soul in Tida’s room mere moments prior when she opened the door—or at least it hadn’t looked like it, but suddenly, someone was there. A mysterious, somewhat frightening aura surrounded them. Their face was well proportioned and harmonious, yet so androgynous that it was impossible to tell their gender. That was not even their most striking feature, though: Four large white wings fanned out from their back, and a halo hovered above their head.
“It has been a while, Apostle Tildania.”
It was clear that this was the voice of the being in front of her, but Tida felt as though she were hearing it with her thoughts rather than her ears. Just like their appearance, their voice was completely androgynous.
“It has been very long indeed, Archangel,” Tida replied. She knelt on the spot and clasped her hands in front of her in prayer.
Unlike with spirits, almost no one knew that angels existed. Tida believed that the being in front of her was a servant of the God she revered.
“Heed this divine message,” the angel started.
“Understood!”
“Destroy the cluster of evil that lies in the heart of the Sacred Mountain.”
“As you command! Wait... Huh? The Sacred Mountain?”
“Indeed. If that threat is ignored, the world will be in great peril.”
“So, um...do I really have to go myself?”
“Yes.”
“Can’t I ask someone else to destroy that...um, cluster of evil or whatever on my behalf?”
“No.”
“HUH?!” Tida’s face fell at the archangel’s strict refusal. “I thought this mission was going to be a fun one. Hot springs, drinks, and rest...”
“Carry out your duty, Apostle Tildania.”
“All right, all right. I got it.”
“And stop drinking so much.”
Tida said nothing.
“Henceforth, your snack budget shall be no more than three copper coins.”
Tida’s silence was deafening.
“Do you have a handkerchief with you? Don’t forget your wallet when you go out. Oh, and remember to brush your teeth before bed. Make sure you have enough blankets to keep yourself warm at night too.”
“Why are you acting like my mom?!”
“I shall take my leave now, Apostle Tildania. But remember, cut down on the alcohol, all right?” The solemn voice of the archangel echoed one last time before they disappeared in a flash of holy light.
“Always say the important stuff twice, huh?” Tida muttered with a sigh. She started packing her belongings so she could depart the following day. “Miss Ellie said she was heading to the Sacred Mountain, didn’t she? Guess I’ll tag along.”
Tida was hoping to make the journey as easy as she could.
“But what will I tell her? It doesn’t seem like she believes in God, so she’ll never accept that an archangel gave me a divine mission. Oh well, I’m sure things will work out somehow.”