CHAPTER 487: ARACHNID VILLAGE

"Uh... This is awkward. Sorry to barge in, we kind of lost our footing..."

Sera halted her speech and turned towards Bea. She still lay atop Sera, and with a pointed look she tried suggesting for Bea to move, but the magnificent woman froze under the giant spiders’ gaze.

"Hey, Bea. Could you get off me? I would like to—"

Before Sera could’ve finished her sentence, Bea cut in...

"Why are there spiders here? I thought this was a human settlement!"

The spiders glanced at each other, and back towards Bea in confusion. Sera stopped struggling to stand and instead fell back to the ground with an exhausted sigh. She held the bridge of her nose while shaking her head at the obvious mistake she made.

Both Sera and Faith forgot to share an important piece of information with Bea. This village wasn’t a simple human settlement, but something much stranger and special...

"How rude! You fall into our home and dare to question our presence?! You could learn some manners as well as the ability to knock before entering someone’s house!"

Bea raised an eyebrow at the spider’s words. She snorted to herself while glancing up into the cave entrance. Sera continued trying to push her away gently, but the magnificent woman was in her own world.

"Knock? On what door exactly? I don’t see any. Also, we fell down here by accident, so how should we knock while rolling down the very long slope leading into your home?"

A chittering noise echoed as the spiders moved their fangs nervously or with annoyance; Sera couldn’t tell. Either way, they weren’t happy with Bea’s words, and neither was Sera.

"Bea, stand up already and stop this dumb bickering! I would really like to solve the bloodlust sooner rather than later!"

Both Bea and the spiders ignored the Angel’s pleas and instead continued their argument...

"The audacity! We might’ve had a door! You could’ve busted it down while breaking into our home! You dare blame us for your own stupidity and clumsiness?! But enough talking! Both of you surrender, or perish—your choice!"

Bea finally got off Sera’s chest. She jumped to her feet and summoned her signature wooden longsword. The spiders interpreted this action as a threat and each took a defensive stance, while keeping their black eyes focused on Bea.

Down on the floor, between the rubble, Sera tried struggling to her feet, but her leggings still couldn’t bend. With an annoyed groan, she reached forward and forcefully removed the knees of her armor.

She lost a few precious seconds in her struggle. Bea lifted her sword while the spiders prepared to attack. Tensions grew higher with each passing moment, but just when Bea took an aggressive step, a loud feminine voice echoed along the cavern walls.

"Everybody! Stop this foolishness!"

The spiders immediately froze, and even Bea stopped in surprise. From a side passage, a young woman waltzed forth.

She wore a plain, modest dark dress and a pair of slippers. A veil covered her face, but even through the fabric, her beauty was evident. Her long black hair, adorned with wooden ringlets, fell over her petite shoulders. A pair of brown eyes gazed at Bea and Sera with warmth, while a small, honest smile graced her face.

However, while her expression stayed calm and kind when looking at the women, it became disappointed and annoyed upon gazing at the spiders. Like a mother catching her children doing something mischievous.

"You foolish Arachnids! Is this how we treat our guests? How long ago did you meet an intelligent being willing to communicate? And you attack them after a few sentences? Did you perhaps stay Mad after Qinrir brought you back?"

The Arachnids shrink under the woman’s scolding. They weren’t terrifying enormous beasts anymore, but meek creatures, afraid of a petite woman’s wrath.

Her anger didn’t last though, as moments after the scolding, her gentle smile returned. She reached out and patted each Arachnid’s hairy head. The beasts made a strange chittering noise, which probably translated to something akin to purring.

Bea watched all this happen, her eyes jumping between shock and confusion. The sword retracted into her arm, since fighting wasn’t necessary anymore.

Beside her, Sera climbed to her feet. She summoned a tiny layer of golden flames over her skin and armor. The purifying flames burned away the dust particles, leaving her skin pale and sweat-beaded, and her armor shiny.

This light show brought the Arachnids and the lady’s attention back to Sera and Bea...

The Angel cracked her neck and shoulders with her eyes closed. She also spread her wings slowly, so she wouldn’t raise another dust cloud. The joints cracked as a small sigh of satisfaction escaped Sera’s lips.

When her golden-green eyes opened, she saw the stunned expressions of the Arachnids and the lady. They weren’t looking at Sera exactly, but right behind her.

Confused by their shock, Sera glanced behind, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. She turned to Bea with a bewildered face, but she wasn’t helpful. The moment their eyes met, she burst into laughter.

"How can you be so oblivious! It’s actually impressive! Glance at your back again, and you might understand their awe!"

Sera listened to Bea’s words, albeit they weren’t too helpful. She saw nothing behind her, just a bunch of rubble, the slope they fell down from and her pristine white wings, creating a stark contrast with the gloomy surroundings...

The Angel’s eyes went wide. A small blush grew on her cheeks as she coughed from embarrassment.

"Oh... I see..."

Bea continued chuckling so hard she nearly fell over, while Sera took a deep breath to control her awkward expression. With a bit of struggle, her face returned to normal, and after elbowing Bea’s with enough force to break a few ribs, she stopped laughing too.

"Y-you... You aren’t one of... You aren’t one of Michael’s angels... Which means... You’re the Last Angel!"

The tension reappeared inside the cave. The silence grew thick and uncomfortable, as neither side was certain how to react. The lady’s face didn’t show any signs of aggression or anger; she simply looked shocked.

"Maybe I am. Will that be a problem?" The Angel inquired without taking her eyes off the Arachnids. Unlike the lady, they weren’t afraid to show their anger... or fear...

However, moments after Sera spoke, a light chuckle echoed through the cave, full of warmth and comfort. The lady smiled and placed a hand on her heart. She bowed from the waist, low enough to be respectful, but not subservient. Her manners were perfect, like a kind host welcoming an honored guest.

"It won’t be a problem. Not everyone hates the Angels of Aerin, me included. Let me introduce myself..."

The lady straightened from her bow as she continued speaking.

"My name is Hestia, one of the primordial deities of Earth. People worshipped me as the Goddess of Hearth, Home, Family, and Hospitality. I never asked them to worship me, but I’m guilty of not deterring them either. I helped my followers, unlike those jerks I’ve been locked up with for the past few thousand years."

The smile left Hestia’s mouth for a moment, as an unpleasant memory jumped into her mind. She quickly regained her polite sensibility, and the warmth returned to her brown eyes.

"May I ask your name and the reason for your arrival?"

Sera tried reflecting Hestia’s smile, but as time passed, controlling the bloodlust became more difficult. Her smile appeared strained and a bit terrifying.

"My name is Seraphine, and this is my... friend, Bea. We came in search of an individual who might help with a troublesome matter. You see, I’ve a Seed of Madness in my mind, and I would like it removed, sooner rather than later!"

Hestia took a few steps closer, which the Arachnids didn’t approve of, yet none dared to stop her. Her brown eyes stayed focused on Sera while her smile became a bit strained too. She must’ve felt the emanating danger and bloodlust oozing from the Angel’s body.

The petite lady stopped a meter away, then reached upward. Her hand lightly brushed against Sera’s cheek. A gentle, warm glow appeared in her palm, and a wave of calm washed over Sera, drowning out the bloodlust.

A few seconds later, she removed her hand. Hestia’s smile became genuine again, since Sera’s golden-green eyes weren’t staring at her with uncontained hostility anymore.

"I pushed back the bloodlust plaguing your mind, but it’ll only last a few hours. I felt the Seed inside. It’s stronger than usual, but I’m sure Qinrir can help you. When did you start feeling the symptoms? A week or month ago? Few could last that long against Madness."

Bea and Sera glanced together upon hearing Hestia’s statement. They both burst into laughter, which confused everyone. However, it was simply too funny how drastically Hestia underestimated Sera’s power and perseverance.

"It’s been a bit more than a month... It’s actually over two years since I first began experiencing symptoms..."

Hestia began walking back as Sera spoke, but upon hearing her words, she stumbled on a piece of debris and began falling. She couldn’t recover in time, but instead of the hard stone, she fell on a bed of lush green grass, moss and flowers.

Her brown eyes moved to Bea as she climbed back to her feet. She bowed to the World Tree while speaking...

"Thank you for your assistance. These slippers aren’t the most suitable for living inside a cave... Anyway, we should hurry then. I’m sure as the Last Angel you hold vast power, but clearing the Seed of Madness becomes harder with time... Let’s hope Qinrir can still help..."