Chapter 245 Psychopomp... Van
"That woman that physically separated you and your siblings… was Evangeline?"
"Yes."
"I… never knew the story. Does Hans know?"
"No, of course not. I learned how to use his Skill faster than him when he unlocked it."
The four were now sitting in the benches that Artemis made, eating the roasted meat that they just made. Van and Artemis had kept quiet all throughout Angela's story, not daring to intrude as they listened closely.
With Van's case, it was curiosity. With Artemis, it was the chance to know what has been happening outside ever since she had been trapped in this Fracture World. More than a thousand years since she had been sleeping here, only to wake up and find herself surrounded by humans of another… universe.
She knew a bit of Hermes and Athena's plan through intercepting their messages, but she wasn't aware of what was happening outside of it. But it didn't matter, as soon as she wandered and had been trapped into this world, she decided that this would be her new home; away from the never-ending war of the Olympians against the other Celestials, away from the war of Olympians against each other.
"Wait, so you don't really have a System?"
"…No," Angela shook her head. But afterward, she looked straight into Charlotte's eyes, "Wait, you believe my story?"
"I know when you're lying."
"You definitely don't, muscle demon."
"I can. The beating of your heart changes."
"I can control the beating of my heart."
"Even so."
Just how many things were Angela capable of, exactly? Van thought. But Angela's story truly was… bizarre. Maybe even more tragic than him. A triplet that was joined together, with Angela not having any limbs of her own.
But there was one more thing that caught his attention even more. Evangeline handed Angela a Feather. Angela was dying as she and her siblings separated, leaving her with only her head. But as soon as Evangeline gave her a Feather, she was able to live and gain… powers.
Was that the same Feather as what the spider-human gave him? It told Van that she was ordered by the gods to test and hand it over to him. Van had thought that Evangeline might be the Seraph that he was seeing in his visions, seeing as everything he knows on her all pointed towards that.
The Olympians could have access to feathers since they fought them in an almost never-ending war. Evangeline could have them simply by plucking it from her wings that Van had not seen yet. Was it really that simple?
Knowing Evangeline's schemes, what's stopping her from being the one to hand the Feather to Arachnaea? Maybe she pretended to be an Olympian—
No, but the message that popped out in front of him said that the Olympians were sending him a gift. But that was the first and last time that it happened. If Evangeline was capable of giving Angela her own body and powers, then maybe his System came from her in the first place?
Van's thoughts were in disarray as numerous thoughts entered his mind. Although he kept denying it, the thing that made the most sense was that he was Hermes's counterpart, perhaps a reincarnation.
What is he, really?
"You are Mater Evangeline's son, Mr. Evans," Angela turned her attention away from Charlotte as she looked at Van, "Whatever and who you are after that is up to you. You may have a great destiny laid upon you, but in the end, it will not be Master Evangeline that will choose, it will be you."
"…What am I? And what is this destiny that you and Evangeline have been telling me?" Van once again asked, but Angela only shook her head, once again telling Van that she can't tell him anything.
"Truly interesting. Your story should be told by the bards for ages to come," Artemis took a bite of the roasted meat after clapping her hands, "…So this Evangeline woman that saved you and your siblings, she is the current Psychopomp's mother?"
"…"
"I initially thought that this Evangeline woman was a Seraph, but it seems that is not the case," Artemis said as she wiped the mess on her face with a leaf.
"Do… you know anything, Miss Artemis?" Although Van was still a bit uncomfortable talking to Artemis, his curiosity completely won over whatever misplaced infatuation he was feeling.
"I do not fully know of Athena's plan. But there is one thing I know-- she would never entrust her plan to a Seraph or anything relating to it. Even Ares wanted us to seek peace, but Athena was adamant that should not submit to the angels…
…She loathed them. Are you really not able to tell us what this Evangeline woman is?" Artemis then looked Angela straight in the eyes, her tone was still calm, but there was now a tinge of authority in them.
The three could feel this sudden change of pressure slowly crawling on their skin. When Van met Hercules, he was already weakened, his bones almost protruding from his skin. He couldn't help but wonder how strong Hercules was when he was still in his prime.
But still, even with the pressure building up on her, Angela stood her ground.
"I am afraid I really can't," Angela said, "Even if you threaten to kill me now or torture me, my answer would remain the same."
"Angie!"
Charlotte wanted to cover Angela's mouth, but she was afraid that any sudden movements might trigger the god in front of them.
"Please, there will be no such thing as that happening today," Artemis shook her head as she stood up, "And one more thing, is this also one of your companions?"
Artemis slightly tilted her head, and as soon as she did so, a naked man walked out from the bushes. And although he was no longer wearing his uniform, the three were sure that this was the scout that the Standby Unit sent.
"…He is," Van said as his eyes slightly avoided the naked man. The man seemed sedated, his eyes just roaming around and even petting the animals with a warm smile on his face.
"I see. Then please, take him with you once you leave," Artemis then snapped her fingers, and as soon as she did so, the man let out a loud gasp as he quickly looked towards Charlotte.
"W… White Imvubu! Please… please save me!"
The man quickly rushed towards Charlotte, the thing in between his legs dangling wildly as he did so. Because of this, Charlotte could only move to the side. Even if it has been a very long time since she had made contact with one, doesn't mean she would just let any naked men touch her body, she thought on impulse.
"P… please, White Imvubu. I don't… I don't want to feel like that again!"
"…Feel like what?" Charlotte could not help but furrow her eyebrows as she heard the man's voice. Angela, on the other hand, had a very complicated expression on her face as she read the man's mind.
"There… there was too much light. Too much light that the shadows just wanted to burst forth. As if I was being lured in a cage made of light."
"…What the heck are you even saying?" Charlotte breathed before sneaking a glance towards Artemis.
"That is a normal feeling, mortal," Artemis let out a small smile as she looked at the scout, "Peace has always been a prison for mankind. A prison that cages the innate violence that is mankind's instinct. For without violence and wars, mortals can not grow. Even the mortals here in my universe are the same."
Was it really that simple? Charlotte was starting to think. Although calmness was never absent in Artemis's tone, Charlotte couldn't shake the fact that there was… something off with her. Perhaps it's just what happens when one is more than a million years old.
"For now, let him sleep." And with the wave of Artemis's hand, the scout collapsed to the ground, "Take him with you to your world, for he does not belong here. But before you do, may I ask you a favor, Psychopomp Evans?"
"…What is it?"
"Some of the children here would die of old age soon," Artemis once again waved her hand, and as she did so, dozens of wildlife once again stepped out from the trees and the bushes, "I wish you to send them to the Afterlife."
"Send these animals… to the Afterlife?" Van blinked a couple of times as he scanned the deers, the birds, and even some kind of monster calmly approaching their position.
"Yes," Artemis, for the first time, let out a sigh, "I may have found my peace here, but I can not say the same to them…
…Please, Evans. Send them to the Afterlife so that they may find their own eternal peace there."
"I… can't," Van muttered.
"You refuse to do so? But that is your job, is it not?"
"I mean I can't," Van once again repeated, "Animals and monsters do not have Soul—"
"Mr. Evans!" Before Van could finish his words, Angela rushed towards him, trying to prevent him from speaking any further. But alas, everyone in the vicinity heard enough.
"The children… have no souls?"
Artemis's calm tone slowly shifted; and as if the climate itself was following her tone, the temperature in the lush forest quickly lowered, causing the leaves on the trees to fall. The animals that were also seemingly sedated started to rampage, their cries almost piercing Van and the others' ears.
"You…
…are not the Psychopomp."