Chapter 76: Stirrings of the Heart
Located over a hundred kilometers south of Enoch's home lay the city of Hormah, situated right in the heart of the desert—a place humans had dubbed the "Miracle" of Kadesh-barnea.
This was because the waters of the Euphrates River flowed beneath the earth, uniquely nourishing this otherwise arid expanse.
Lakes both large and small converged to form a vast oasis; drawn by the life-giving water, resourceful humans settled there, gradually erecting a magnificent "City of the Oasis" upon the land bordering the desert.
After ten days of enduring the winds of the wilderness—winds that had nearly blinded him with swirling sand—Enoch dismounted his camel. He had no choice; he was required to pay an entrance fee.
"Innocence and purity often stem from a simple life."
After handing over a single gold coin, Enoch led his camel toward the local caravanserai, only to hear the angel hovering beside him suddenly utter this wistful observation:
"Humans of the past were far more endearing than they are today."
She was referring, of course, to the human custom of demanding tolls from their own kind—a practice that, in the eyes of Heaven, would be utterly inconceivable.
That said, whether human or angel, all beings yearn for the vibrancy of bustling life; they quickly cast aside such unpleasantries, choosing instead to focus on the wonders unfolding before their eyes.
Kadesh-barnea sat at the southern gateway to the land of Canaan—a region blessed with lush vegetation and an abundance of grapes, pomegranates, and figs. Even before entering the city proper, one could sense the sheer volume of its crowds and its palpable prosperity; now, having stepped inside, the spectacle was truly overwhelming.
The wide thoroughfares teemed with a colorful array of camels, horses, and wheeled carts. Flanking the roads were dwellings carved into the earth and reinforced with clay—mostly windowless structures featuring only a single doorway for entry and exit, a design intended to provide protection against both the swirling sand and the scorching heat.
Enoch possessed a steady, composed nature and a rather subdued sensibility; to him, one place was much like another—merely a gathering place for humans. Ironically, it was the angel hovering beside him who appeared more like a wide-eyed traveler from a distant land, her pale golden eyes brimming with the curiosity and excitement of one encountering a strange new world. "If only God had given me an extra pair of eyes when He created me—then I wouldn't have to worry about not being able to take everything in!"
"Pfft." Enoch was just handing his camel over to the station master, specifically instructing him to give it plenty of water and fodder. He cherished this camel—which Edna had led back halfway through their journey—even though to others, it simply looked like he'd had a stroke of luck, stumbling upon a heaven-sent wild camel in the desert.
Hearing Edna's endearing wish to have an extra pair of eyes, he nearly burst out laughing but managed to stifle it.
However, Edna paid him no mind, for she had suddenly spotted a familiar face amidst the crowd.
"What is *he* doing here?"
Without a second thought, she gave chase to ask him. Enoch watched her retreating figure, a flicker of worry passing through his otherwise placid eyes.
'What happened?'
He didn't know.
Their bond was simply too tenuous; even as her guardian angel, he had no right to arbitrarily interfere with her comings and goings.
Although he knew full well that this wasn't Edna's fault, being left behind like this still left Enoch with a bitter taste in his mouth.
Would humans and angels ultimately end up as strangers to one another?
He didn't know, but weakness and ignorance certainly wouldn't change the status quo.
He asked the station master for directions to the Andris Academy, then set off in that direction.
Meanwhile, Edna had no trouble catching up to that familiar face.
Upon closer inspection, she confirmed that the figure was indeed the angel she knew—though for some reason, he had taken on a human guise and was trailing behind a young girl.
"Astaroth, are you hungry? Would you like some *nan*?"
"Thank you, but you should just eat it yourself," the human girl replied politely.
She was a beauty, never lacking for eager suitors; yet, the sheer persistence and energy of this particular "bamboo rat" exceeded her wildest imagination.
Even after being rejected, he didn't lose heart; on the contrary, he seemed even more pumped up—positively brimming with enthusiasm. "Then you must be thirsty! I saw them selling grape juice over there."
"Freshly picked grapes, just drawn up from the well, pressed into juice right on the spot... What do you say? Would you like a cup? It's sure to be refreshing and quench your thirst."
The young girl seemed tempted; she didn't refuse immediately, and a look of delight instantly spread across his face.
"Badri!" Edna flew right up in front of him and shouted his name aloud. Badri, however, remained focused on the young girl, his expression completely unchanged.
"I'll go buy it for you right now—just make sure you wait for me!"
"Stop playing dumb, Badri!" Seeing that he was ignoring her, Edna snapped in frustration.
"Shh—let's talk somewhere with fewer people." Badri dashed toward the grape juice stall, sparing a moment along the way to shoot Edna a quick wink. Edna paused in bewilderment, then swooped down to land in front of the human vendor—where Badri was already busy selecting grapes.
"What a coincidence, Lady Edna," the angel Badri greeted his companion telepathically while continuing to pick out grapes.
"Why are you here?" Edna stared at him intently. "At first, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me."
"How could you transform yourself like this—into a human form?" she demanded. It was already outrageous enough that an angel had violated the rules to get entangled with humans; was he now going to take it even further—assuming a human guise in an attempt to pull the wool over everyone's eyes?
"It's like this..." Facing the current authority figure of the Order of Powers, Badri showed not a shred of panic. He was an angel of the Order of Virtues; the Order of Powers held no jurisdiction over him—though, of course, he refrained from voicing that fact aloud.
"Have you heard? About the recent disappearances of young human girls?"
"Disappearances of human girls?" Edna was taken aback; clearly, she hadn't heard about it.
"Yes. It happens every so often—usually it's nothing to worry about; perhaps a wild beast dragged them off..." Badri continued selecting grapes, recounting these grim details without a single change in his expression.
"The Archangels typically wouldn't concern themselves with such matters, but recently, the number of missing girls has skyrocketed."
"Was it the work of Hell?"
"That remains unclear for the moment. Lord Metatron has specifically tasked us with investigating whether Hell has had a hand in this."
Edna wasn't so easily fooled; she eyed him with deep suspicion. "Is this really a valid reason for you to take on a human guise—to run around doing errands at the beck and call of mortals? Is that truly necessary?"
"Ah, thanks for the reminder!" Badrey exclaimed, looking as if he had just had a sudden epiphany. He then called out to the human who had taken the grapes and was preparing to juice them:
"Be sure to add plenty of honey! Granny, Astaroth likes things on the sweeter side!" Only after giving these instructions did he resume his conversation with Edna.
"We've found that assuming human form makes things much simpler. Sometimes you can glean a great deal of information from humans—but you can hardly expect them to just start spilling their secrets out of the blue when they're alone, can you?"
"Only a madman would expect that. If you want to know something, you have to go and ask yourself—make friends with them, and the answers will come naturally."
The angel's logic was sound and well-reasoned. Seeing that his arguments were coherent—and knowing that he was acting under Metatron's specific orders—Edna had no choice but to let the matter drop.
Seeing her rendered speechless, Badrey puffed out his chest with self-satisfaction; when it came to eloquence, who could possibly hope to outmatch an almighty Power?
"You could try taking human form yourself, you know—try immersing yourself in human life. It's actually quite fascinating—far more entertaining than simply standing by invisibly and watching from the sidelines."
Badrey retrieved the first batch of grape juice that had been prepared. Two of the cups contained no extra honey; he downed one himself and handed the other to Edna.
"Thank you, but I'll pass," she said. "Though I must admit, she certainly is a beautiful human."
Badrey gulped down both cold drinks in one go, his spirits visibly lifting.
"You bet she is! Astaroth is the most beautiful girl around here—she's truly as clever as she is adorable."
"Just remember: you are not permitted to fall in love," Edna warned him.
"Don't you worry about that! I'd better head back now; she'll get cross if I keep her waiting too long," Badrey said, picking up the cup of juice that had been heavily sweetened with honey before turning to leave.
Of course, the beautiful girl was no longer anywhere to be seen.
"Wait for me, Astaroth!" he cried out, taking off at a sprint to chase after her.
Feeling a strange, inexplicable sense of secondhand embarrassment, Edna shook her head. Then, remembering Enoch, she returned to the waystation—only to discover that he was no longer there, either. "Honestly, where did he run off to?" She felt a twinge of annoyance; after all, Enoch's consistent, conscious habit of waiting for her had conditioned her to expect that—no matter the time or place—she could always spot his human figure whenever she wished.
Still, it didn't matter if she couldn't see him with her eyes alone. Employing her angelic abilities, she quickly located Enoch; he was standing at the entrance of the Andris Academy, waiting to have his eligibility for admission verified.
For not all humans possessed such qualifications.
Ever since humans first conceived the notion of "branch families," their society had been plagued by stratification and injustice.
Although all were descendants of the First Ancestor, those who fared poorly—those lacking ability or means—were left with no choice but to become slaves to other humans, surviving only by clinging to the patronage of a master family.
Once enslaved, one's descendants were likewise condemned to slavery; a slave could never aspire to enjoy the same privileges or treatment as their masters.
Thus, the very first thing Enoch had to do was prove that he was not of slave lineage.
Kadesh-barnea was the territory of the Anakim—a people rumored to be the progeny of elves and humans, and consequently, born with immense stature and strength. Enoch's head barely reached their waists; while he had yet to undergo his adolescent growth spurt, his relative size nonetheless underscored just how toweringly tall they truly were.
The individual tasked with verifying credentials was, naturally, one of these Anakim.
"Hand over your credentials," the man drawled lazily.
Enoch presented his verification scroll, thereby establishing his lineage as a descendant of Mahalalel, belonging to the branch of Cainan.
Two Anakim—each easily twice Enoch's height—spent a considerable amount of time rummaging through stacks of records before finally locating Enoch's family entry. The ancient documents were riddled with holes, gnawed through by bookworms over the ages.
"Ah, son of Jared... yes, the name is indeed listed here," the Anakim muttered absentmindedly. As he spoke, ash from the wad of tobacco leaf he held between his lips fluttered down onto the documents below; it looked as though the smoldering embers were on the verge of burning a gaping hole right through his family's records.
Unable to tolerate the sight any longer, Enoch spoke up: "Sir, you cannot smoke that tobacco here."
If a fire were to break out—even a minor one—the records housed here could be irreparably damaged. And if an applicant's records could not be located, would they not automatically forfeit their eligibility for admission?
"Listen here, kid—are you trying to tell *me* how to do my job?" the Anakim sneered. "Go where you belong."
He tossed the admission papers and qualification assessment back at Enoch. Enoch lowered his gaze to look at them; they bore the official stamp of approval, yet he had been assigned to what was rumored to be the worst class in the entire institution.
However, that was not the worst part.
Just as Jared had feared, Enoch became the target of bullying.
Unlike him—a newcomer who had traveled a great distance to get here—the other students were the children of powerful clan patriarchs from the surrounding region. They were a far cry from minor clan leaders like Jared; by the time Mahalalel began allocating fiefdoms to his descendants, Jared's branch of the family had already fallen into decline. Possessing no exceptional talents himself, Jared had been granted only a minuscule patch of land and a meager population to govern.
The patriarchs of these *other* students, however, commanded populations numbering in the hundreds; consequently, their children behaved with an arrogant, domineering swagger.
Worst of all, Enoch's foundational knowledge was woefully inadequate. He simply could not grasp the material in his textbooks. Although he had grown up alongside angels since childhood—affording him ample opportunity to absorb their wisdom through sheer proximity—Enoch had been forced to suppress his thirst for learning to avoid arousing Edna's suspicion.
In stark contrast, his peers here had been immersed in these subjects since infancy. Compared to them, he resembled a complete simpleton—a novice who had barely stepped through the threshold of learning only to find himself immediately lost within a boundless, unfathomable ocean of knowledge.
If they didn't bully *him*, then who else would they bully?
"Why are you even here? You ought to be out herding sheep!"
Edna watched it all unfold with a furrowed brow, observing as Enoch's spirits sank lower and lower, and his personality grew increasingly withdrawn and solitary.
Suddenly, she recalled something Badruel had once said:
'Perhaps becoming human would make things easier to resolve…'
Indeed, as an angel, she was bound by certain restrictions that prevented her from directly communicating her thoughts and feelings to Enoch.
But if she were to become human, her position—and her options—would become far simpler.
As this thought took root, her gaze grew sharp and resolute.
Edna—who had originally vowed never to entangle herself with humanity in any way—changed her mind. Though she did not yet realize it, from the very day of her birth, it had been her destiny that she could never truly sever her ties to the human world.
Having made the decision to temporarily live as a human, Edna immediately set her plan into motion. Assuming human form was not difficult; by simply retracting the wings upon her back—given the natural resemblance between angels and humans—she needed only to reveal her physical shape. However, she possessed no experience in integrating into human society. Naturally, her thoughts turned to the only companion she had ever encountered who was likewise disguised as a human.
She soon located Badley once again.
This capable angel, it turned out, actually owned property in the mortal realm—along with several dozen servants.
"How can you enslave them?!" Upon witnessing this scene, Edna instantly forgot the very reason for her visit.
"I haven't enslaved them," Badley replied. "They follow me entirely of their own free will; they are welcome to leave whenever they wish."
Angels, unlike humans, would never stoop to forcing their own kind to sign binding contracts of servitude.
"That is quite true; we follow Mr. Badley of our own accord. The young master is a good man; he saved us."
Stepping forward to vouch for him while serving tea and refreshments, a servant—presumably the butler—spoke up. He appeared to be a man of refined background himself, carrying himself with impeccable courtesy.
"We would never dream of leaving your side."
"See? What did I tell you?" Badley shrugged, popping a shelled almond into his mouth. "If only Astaroth would treat me half as well!"
"I would *never* leave you, Badley~" He cupped his own face in his hands; his chubby cheeks—resembling those of a squirrel—exuded the sweet scent of almonds.
"Aww! You are just too adorable! My little sweetie!"
His thoughts drifted for a moment, until he noticed that Edna was still standing stiffly to the side—like a block of ice radiating a chilling aura—doing a great disservice to the otherwise pleasant atmosphere.
Badley reluctantly snapped out of his daydream. He dismissed the humans, then turned to Edna and asked what business had brought her there.
After listening to Edna awkwardly stumble through her predicament, he offered a cheerful solution:
"What's so difficult about that? I happen to hold student status at Andris myself; you can simply pass yourself off as a distant relative of mine."
Badley quickly produced his forged identification papers. The documents described his persona as a member of an ancient and mysterious lineage—a family hailing from Horeb, a land situated even further south than Gadisbania. "If anyone asks, just tell them you're my aunt's brother's daughter's cousin's uncle... or whatever else comes to mind—it really doesn't matter. No one's going to scrutinize it that closely."
"You truly have a boundless audacity." Edna gazed at the totem of this so-called ancient human lineage—a symbol of the Realm of Venus.
"Relax; no human will ever spot the flaw," Bradley said with a wink and an air of easy confidence.
And so, just like that, Edna—posing as a human—was swiftly enrolled in the academy. Unsurprisingly, she chose to join the very same class as Enoch.
Enoch sat amidst a dozen or so fellow students; when he saw Edna appear, he was undeniably taken aback.
The angel hadn't shown herself for several days, leaving him feeling rather despondent. He certainly hadn't expected her to reappear in such a completely different guise.
"This is Edna, hailing from the distant southern House of Horeb. Starting today, she will be joining you in your studies."
*I wonder where on earth she managed to fabricate that story,* Enoch mused to himself.
Although the branches of their lineage had spread far and wide over six centuries since the time of their ancient forefather—and tens of millions of people now populated the land—tracing their roots back to the source revealed a mere thirty-odd founding families.
As a traditional young man who had memorized the Adamic genealogy until he knew it backward and forward, Enoch was absolutely certain that the specific branch to which Edna claimed allegiance did not exist within it.
His thoughts then drifted to the *Anakim*—the record-keepers responsible for verifying such lineages—and this time, the tension in his brow eased slightly.
There were, after all, certain advantages to a lack of meticulousness; provided one possessed sufficient wealth, those genealogical charts that had—quite accidentally, of course—met with a fiery demise could easily be made to harbor a completely fictitious family line.
He rose to his feet and, for the very first time, formally introduced himself to his guardian angel.
"Hello. I'm Enoch. It's a pleasure to meet you." He had rehearsed this opening line in his mind for over a decade, and finally—at long last—the day had come when he could speak it aloud.
"H-hello," Edna stammered, gazing at him in wide-eyed astonishment. He looked nothing like the image she had conjured in her mind—that of a pitiful, downtrodden boy with a perpetually gloomy demeanor. Instead, his smile was as bright and refreshing as a gentle breeze.
It had been only a few days... yet how was it that he already seemed to have become the very linchpin of this entire group?
It was not merely her imagination. For humans are social creatures; whenever a handful of individuals gather to form a collective, they inevitably seek out—or designate—a leader to stand at their head. After Enoch took the initiative to greet her, the other students—following his lead—one by one extended their welcome to her.
This made it clear that he was the leader of the group.
*Why did I ever think he was a pathetic wretch?* Somehow, she felt as though she had been completely misled.
However, this feeling quickly dissipated as she interacted with Enoch; being a mere bystander is a completely different experience from actually engaging in genuine social interaction.
As Edna attempted to communicate with humans from a human perspective, she discovered that Enoch possessed impeccable manners—at the very least...