Chapter 122

Chapter 122

Guardian Angel Z357 returned.

He had been missing for a full day and a half— ever since I had stopped him from killing Arthur. I thought he was mad at me. In fact, I was pretty sure he would have already killed me if he could. But since he couldn’t, he ran away... or more accurately, he flew off on his own.

I didn’t really think I would see him again. Not after our tense confrontation. But now, he was back. And it seemed like he was back with a vengeance.

I stared at Z as he looked back at me with all twelve of his eyes. He held his lance to his side— it was stained with blood and dirt. Like he had just returned from a slaughter. He took a step forward as the crowd of passersby watched on.

And a blonde girl made her way to the restaurant, panting as she raised both of her swords.

“Amelia!” Noeled called out, and I glanced towards her. “What’s going on? Why is he...?”

She stared at Guardian Angel Z357 warily. Understandably so— after he had betrayed her, before willingly leaving her for dead. Now, she no longer looked at him with awe and wonder. The reverence she bore was gone. Instead, she beheld him with distrust.

In response, he fractionally craned his neck to face her. He took another step forward, walking past me, before I raised a hand.

“That’s enough,” I said as I caught him.

Guardian Angel Z357 came to a halt. One of his twelve eyes darted my way, and I shook my head.

“I’m not letting you pass until you tell me why you’re here.” I narrowed my eyes as I reached for the hilt of my blade. “You’re not here for Arthur, are you?”

There was a moment’s pause. Z didn’t give an immediate response. He tilted his head back, before speaking with his mind.

Negative. I am not here for Arthur.

I frowned. I didn’t lower my hand. I didn’t let Guardian Angel Z357 pass. He stared at his bloodied lance, then I looked up at his unchanging face.

“If you’re lying—” I started.

And he interrupted me. I am not lying.

“Then why are you here?” I studied his gaze. He refused to look back at me— not directly. He lowered his head as I pressed the question. “If you are not lying, tell me what you’re doing.”

Guardian Angel Z357 closed his twelve eyes. He took a step back as the lance in his hand vanished with a flash of light. Noele gritted her teeth as the onlooking crowd gasped. A susurration swept over the sea of faces, and I waited.

I am—

Z pivoted to face me. I listened, but he trailed off. He held my gaze, replying slowly. And my eyes grew wide.

I am late for work, Guardian Angel Z357 said.

“What?” I blinked.

“What?” Noele paused.

“What?” The crowd exchanged a confused glance.

But Z just strode past me as he produced an apron out of thin air. I apologize for my late showing, but I must get to work now.

I hesitated. I watched him step into the restaurant, before looking back towards Noele. I exchanged a glance with my apprentice, and she just shrugged. I scratched the back fo my head.

“Well, uh, that’s then, I guess.”

—--

“What’s he doing?” Noele asked with a frown.

She eyed the angel as he swept over the room, serving dozens of dishes to the hungry customers gathered in the room. I turned away from my apprentice and crossed my arms.

He couldn’t protect anyone even if he tried his hardest. He wasn’t capable of... anything. So how could he make up for all the terrible things he had done as Ar’elith the Lich King? What was he...

“What am I even doing?” Arthur asked himself as his eyes fluttered close once again.

And the door to his room swung open as he blinked. He sat up, blinking as he faced Harlan. The younger man strode in with a sigh, massaging his shoulders.

“Sorry for just barging in,” Harlan said as he shook his head. “Amelia told me you were resting, but I need a break too. It’s so busy out there. I am exhausted.”

He chuckled as he glanced back towards the kitchen. Arthur heard the clamor outside— the banging pots and the sizzling flames. Harlan closed the door, before taking a seat.

“Anyway, how have you been holding up?” he asked as he peered at Arthur.

The former Lich King hesitated. He looked back down at himself, before sighing. “I... I don’t know. I thought I could do this— I thought I could... but I can’t.”

He trailed off as he closed his eyes. It was more than just being a [Bartender]. It was about making things right— atoning for his past sins. But, of course, Harlan didn’t know any of that.

“It’s a tough job at first,” Harlan said reassuringly as he shook his head. “I can see where you’re coming from— I was fortunate in that I had some time to acclimate to things. We really didn’t have any customers at first.”

“R-right,” Arthur agreed, even if that wasn’t his main concern. It was certainly an issue. But the realization that he was helpless was far more pressing to him.

Harlan sighed, closing his eyes. “Actually, I was Amelia’s first customer. And I was completely lost when I first met her. I didn’t know what I was doing anymore at that point. I had hit rock bottom. But even though I was completely unqualified for the job— even though I didn’t feel like I was ready for it— she still gave me a chance.”

Arthur stared at the younger man. He had heard this before. He knew that Harlan was a former guardsman. But it was different from what the former Lich King was going through. After all, Harlan could learn and improve, while Arthur could not.

“Well, at least you’ve gotten the hang of it. What level are you now?” Arthur said as he shook his head.

“Actually, I’m still a Level 17 [Spearman].” Harlan grinned. “I don’t even have a Class as a [Waiter] or a [Server].”

And that made Arthur blink. “What?”

“That’s right— that’s what I realized ever since I met Amelia. You don’t need a Class to be able to do something.” The former guardsman waved a hand dismissively.

“But you need a Class to do it well,” Arthur corrected him.

“Not really. I’d say I’m pretty good at my job now.” Harlan shrugged as he got to his feet. “And I’m pretty sure that Amelia isn’t a [Chef] either. If I had to guess, she’s probably a [Warrior].”

“That’s—”

Arthur paused. He had tried some of Amelia’s cooking just yesterday, and he had to admit, she was a good cook. But was she better than Xakor who was a high-leveled [Chef]? No— she was not.

That was why Classes mattered. That was why the World System was important. Because it was what gave the people of Vacuos the power to fend for themselves. Without its influence, Arthur was nothing. Even Amelia, without her [Warrior] Class, was nothing... right?

Wrong. Arthur’s eyes widened as he recalled a faint memory. He remembered when he first encountered the brown-haired woman— back in that forest as he stared into her soul with his [Eyes of True Appraisal]. It had been a very brief meeting, and his recollection of the events that happened were vague at best. But one thing he knew was true... one thing he remembered for certain...

Amelia had no Class.

She had no levels either. Without the World System’s blessing, she had defeated him with a single swing of her blade. It was incomprehensible. Ar’elith didn’t understand it back then, and Arthur didn’t understand it even now.

He just stared blankly at Harlan as he processed this fact. And the former guardsman started back towards the doorway with a chuckle.

“I’m just saying, I know how you feel, Arthur,” Harlan said as he pulled the door open. “You may feel like you’re trapped— like you’re incapable of doing anything right. But when you’re at the bottom, you can only go up. So don’t be too hard on yourself.”

“I...” Arthur hesitated. He watched as the younger man left the room as he tried to work his jaw. He raised a hand, before balling it into a fist.

He was no longer Ar’elith the Lich King. He was no longer the Lord of All undeath. But that didn’t mean he couldn’t become something else— something more. He just had to take the first step.

“I must do this,” he said as he rose to his feet.

And with that resolve in mind, Arthur exited his room to get back to work.