"There are other matters that must be discussed before you can return home for the evening."
Prudentia watched as the sky crackled with light, the sound of church bells throughout the city marking the end of the workday.
Having listened to her words, Eleanor looked at her curiously, wondering what else they could still have left to discuss.
The Angel of Justice took a short breath before speaking aloud in a language similar to that of Ancient Nordic.
"I summon thee, messenger of spirits."
She raised her hands slightly, palms facing up.
"I implore thy guidance."
Her face turned solemn as she called out to no one, and with one breath, she finished her chant.
"Let your graceful winds carry it afar."
Right then, a light breeze fluttered over the surroundings, nearly extinguishing the candle lit in the center of the table.
Then, unwinding from a single spark from the wavering flame, a raven fluttered into existence, looking between the Angel and the blonde priestess.
"GIVE ME!"
Before Eleanor could even process what was happening, its beak bit down on the mystical paper that the woman was taking notes with.
The golden sheet dissolved into nothingness, devoured by the bird spirit that flapped its wings with joy.
"WHO! WHO! WHO!"
It chanted the words over and over again with an anger the girl could only compare to a demon, its coal-black feathers and milky white eyes staring up at the Angel.
"Bring it to Ariel."
She spoke without care, waving her hand at the feathered creature.
"COIN! COIN! COIN!"
Seeing as it repeated the words for a moment, Prudentia sighed, revealing a single Novar—a smaller denomination of Draughts—in her grasp.
She flicked it over like one would do a coin toss, and the bird caught it with its wings, an expression weirdly similar to a smile creeping along its beak.
"GOOD ANGEL! GOODBYE!"
Then, as fast as it had arrived, it was gone, leaving a single black feather to drift down towards the ground.
Eleanor stared blankly at the place where it had appeared and vanished, not quite able to process what had just happened.
"If you wish to make acquaintances in the Great Beyond, learning how to summon messenger spirits is essential."
Raising her right hand to her mouth in a yawn, she relaxed in her seat, waiting for her student's inevitable questions.
"Do all the souls in Neutrality know how to summon it? Or would they only be recipients?"
The blonde-haired girl traced the edge of her porcelain cup while waiting for the response.
"Most are receivers; however, if you encounter a soul who has retained their memories due to their previous life's endeavors, then it's likely they will be able to summon one of three varieties."
Nodding at the confirmation of her suspicions, there was only one last thing on Eleanor's mind.
"If the raven is one of these three messengers, what are the other two, and what are the differences?"
Noticing the emerald-eyed woman's lips curl up slightly, she listened intently to her answer that came soon after.
"Among the three, the raven spirit Huginn is the one you will be using. He charges a single Novar per message and is relatively friendly to Angels and their interns. Another is the cat spirit Bakeneko that speaks through a tormented soul from Hell. Those who summon her tend to be corrupted and usually fade into nothingness faster than the rest. She charges no price."
She paused, pursing her lips as if unsure whether to continue, but then spoke regardless.
"Finally, the third spirit capable of carrying messages in the Great Beyond would be the great owl spirit Osiris. He should never be summoned by anyone other than Ariel herself, and demands a price greater than even I could pay. To summon him would be to give up a portion of your divinity, something that humans can't even offer, and for True Angels is akin to our lifeblood. Ariel is only capable of doing so due to her mother's extreme surplus of divinity that has been passed down to her."
Finishing her short lecture, she let a soft breath pass through her lips, noticing the blonde-haired girl frown.
Eleanor's mind processed the knowledge quickly, coming to a conclusion based on what she had heard.
It seems that there is only one real option… Bakeneko would only further corrupt me while Osiris…
She paused, a shiver going down her spine as she remembered the owl that had approached her window when she had awoken.
That's just a coincidence… It couldn't have been a creature capable of devouring divinity…
Not able to completely shake the feeling of fear clinging to her, she turned her attention back to her mentor, sensing that she had more to say.
Prudentia seemed to understand the girl's wish to continue, bringing up the second and final thing on the agenda.
"As I've said, you will begin with your training to combat the corruption of that man. However, during that time, there is one thing I wish for you to try to awaken, as I believe it might be possible for you to do so."
The Angel of Justice paused, watching as the priestess' expression changed to one of intrigue.
"As Angels, we govern the realm of creation and wishes deep in our very existence. Therefore, our abilities follow such desires, and when certain conditions are met, we are able to manifest miracles."
Eleanor instantly understood what the woman was asking her to attempt, a tinge of enthusiasm building within her as she listened further.
"Currently, we are unsure if you will be able to exhibit this trait due to your low standing in the church during your life; however, with the amount of mana you absorbed from gazing upon that deity, there is no telling what could've changed within you."
Hearing about the mere possibility of a chance existing, the girl subtly caressed the place beside her heart where her core resided, excitement over the power thrilling her beyond anything else.
Anyone within the Church of Depths would know of the authority of miracles, the magic of the false Angels that could harness the Mark of Souls into reality-bending truth.
She had once read that decades prior, while the Plague of Despair ravaged the lands, the Pontiff of the Holy Capital had invoked the sole wish of ten million dying souls.
With that power, she had reshaped the structure of all humans born after that day to be completely and totally immune to the disease that had killed twenty percent of the population.
"I'll try to awaken it as best I can."
Even as she said the words, she doubted her abilities, for, regardless of how much mana she had, she wasn't an Angel yet.
Prudentia nodded, standing up from the table in one graceful move and flicking her wrist over the surface in front of her.
In a flash, the dirty dishes became clean, and the waitstaff came over to bring them back to the cafe.
Showing a slight smile to Eleanor, who had stood up as well, the Angel whispered something under her breath.
"The power of minor miracles can never be understated!"
Chuckling after she said the words, she took her leave, vanishing into an array of starlight and leaving the priestess alone in the pavilion.
Gently, Eleanor rubbed her eyes with her hands and stared towards the north, where the massive black castle and Infinium lay.
One more month…
…
That very same night.
After returning to Droskyn St. by nearly 10 p.m., she had made her way slowly up the stone steps, bypassing the locked entranceway with a key provided by Ariel.
Arriving at the second floor, Eleanor walked down the long hallway surrounded by walls of wood, with a floor of crimson carpet.
There weren't more than ten rooms on both floors combined, creating a relatively calm environment for the guests who resided within.
However, as opposed to the tranquility that enveloped the building when she had departed earlier in the day, she heard muffled murmurs from around the corner to her room.
"Madame Jermaine, are you sure there's a new tenant in this room? I wasn't informed prior to their arrival this time, so I wondered if it was merely a rumor."
One of the voices, clearly female and of a considerable age, echoed through the solid halls and into the blonde girl's ears.
What followed was the sound of a door creaking shut, and a heavy-footed individual, likely Madame Jermaine, taking a few steps in the hall.
"Madame Hick, I assure you, our new guest is of exemplary behavior regardless of their Neutrality status. I hear she's even been scouted by the Angelic Order as a possible intern!"
The woman, whom Eleanor suspected to be Jermaine, boasted proudly to the elderly Madame Hick as if Eleanor were her own daughter and not a total stranger.
"B-but ever since that man moved in downstairs without informing anyone only a few weeks ago…"
She trailed off as she noticed the approaching figure in the distance, the young priestess finally coming into view.
Her gray eyes examined both of them closely, trying to determine which voice corresponded to which figure.
The first was a woman who looked as ancient as civilization itself, about 1.45 meters tall, with long, apparently dyed black hair and pure white roots.
She wore a plain white blouse with thick pants that masked her slim frame.
Her light blue eyes pierced Eleanor's carefully constructed mask, trying to break apart any information she could about the new inhabitant of her building.
She's likely Madame Hick. She must be fearful of me, thinking that I'm some kind of criminal like that man downstairs…
Offering a weak smile to appear friendly, she turned her attention towards the one she suspected to be Madame Jermaine.
She was extremely plump, resembling more a pig than a human, with a nose that curled up, making one believe she would oink if offended.
She wore a revealing dress, attempting to showcase feminine charm, which, regrettably, only looked distasteful and was more likely to offend than charm the other people in their building.
Sporting thick blonde hair that had clearly been sapped of its natural color and blue contact lenses that obscured her original pupils, every aspect of her appearance shouted fake.
Resisting the urge to wrinkle her nose in disgust, Eleanor instantly guessed the time period the pig-like woman had come from based on the style of her clothes.
A noble from the Sea of Wishes that likely died during the plague… Yes… There appear to be black pustules hidden beneath the patches she is wearing to conceal them.
Nodding her head slowly while maintaining her joyful expression as convincingly as she could, she approached the two women, giving them a slight tip of her head.
"Would you happen to be my neighbors?"
Posing the question out of genuine interest, she watched as Madame Jermaine laughed, huffs escaping from her mouth, and her spit shooting out at every word.
"Yes, haa… It does appear that way, heh."
She took a step forward.
"Now, who might you be? I don't allow any unruly figures inside my apartments."
Scanning the small girl up and down, she sneered, eyes gleaming with envy, clearly displeased with how beautiful Eleanor appeared when compared to herself.
The girl's brow twitched in annoyance, her lips muttering out a response so quiet that neither woman could hear.
"The only unruly figure I see is you, Madame…"
Chuckling quietly inside her head, she heard the landlady scoff at her.
"What was that?"
Fear instantly filled Eleanor's form as she contemplated whether she had said it too loudly; however, based on the fact that the pig-like woman hadn't hit her in the head yet, she judged herself safe.
"I'm Eleanor Lynn. I was a priestess in Sea Fallen during the disaster that befell it a few days ago."
Madame Hick gasped, her eyes full of curiosity as she disregarded the previous worries that had filled her mind.
"What happened there? We've been hearing such awful things about my former home that we can't bear to wait any longer to learn the truth! The idiots who've wandered in recently lose their minds faster than we did back in our day!"
Nodding along with what the extremely elderly woman said, just to be polite, the girl began to recount the events for her new neighbours, explaining the general situation while disregarding any personal details.
"How awful!"
Madame Jermaine pressed her large hand against her chest, a tear falling from her left eye as she withheld the urge to sob.
Eleanor watched this silently while lamenting her own city's destruction.
She seems as heartbroken as I am, even though she couldn't have been born anywhere near Sea Fallen…
Watching as the woman collected herself, Madame Hick spoke up, posing a question that the blonde girl had already expected to hear.
"Are you really an intern with the Angelic Order? I've never encountered an Angel before, but if you were to become one, these old bones would truly believe in miracles again!"
She cackled like a witch, a sentiment that Eleanor quickly repeated to make herself not seem rude.
Noticing Madame Jermaine abruptly shaking off her previous sadness and eagerly awaiting the young girl's response, the girl started to speak.
"I'm not an intern."
Madame Hick scoffed, beginning to turn around and walk back towards her room, obviously disappointed by Eleanor's words.
The pig-like woman did the same, sighing hard and shaking her head.
"However, I was personally scouted by her ladyship, Ariel the Gentle, to become an Angel Candidate under the teachings of Lady Prudentia."
Both women froze, their eyes drifting towards the young priestess once more, the one whom they had believed to be a good-for-nothing only moments before.
"W-what?"
Madame Jermaine appeared the most shocked out of the two, nearly falling backwards against the wall at the girl's words.
Eleanor smirked, pulling out her room key and slipping it into the lock with a nimble movement of her hand.
"I'll be heading in to sleep now, so if you have any more questions, I'll be back tomorrow at around the same time."
Opening her door and sliding inside, she didn't allow them any further time to speak, entering the darkness of her room and shutting the door tight behind her.