Chương 240: Obedience
"I'm so sorry, Nee-chan, for worrying you," Gabriel said meekly, acting as obediently as possible. Now was certainly not the time to test Zelel's patience.
Zelel released Gabriel and pinched her cheeks, scolding, "Gabriel, since when did you become so rebellious? You ran off to another universe without a single word..."
After seeing Gabriel through clairvoyance, she had used teleportation to arrive on Earth. She had overheard Eriri and Vignette's conversation as she descended and now knew where Gabriel had been these past weeks.
Zelel understood the concept of "universe" very well. During her time training on Earth, it had only taken her two days to absorb most of human history and knowledge. She knew that Heaven's subordinate worlds were merely life-bearing planets within this vast universe.
But about what lay beyond? Zelel was as clueless as anyone. Even gods had no means to break through the barriers of this boundless universe to glimpse other realms. So now, her curiosity about the "other universe" Eriri mentioned was overwhelming.
"You see, I figured I could learn a lot more in other universes! Just look—I'm so much stronger than before! That's the result of my training out there," Gabriel said proudly, showing her true angelic form as her energy surged through the room.
Both Eriri and Zelel were utterly unaffected by the pressure Gabriel exuded, as though they felt only a gentle breeze. But Vignette, on the other hand, was beginning to struggle for breath under its weight.
Being a fellow graduate of the demon school alongside Gabriel, Vignette's strength had once been comparable to Gabriel's. But compared to the current Gabriel, she was vastly outmatched.
Seeing this, Eriri casually waved her hand at Vignette, dispelling the pressure Gabriel's aura imposed on her. Vignette immediately collapsed to her knees, breathing heavily.
Gabriel finally noticed Vignette's discomfort and withdrew her aura, giving her an apologetic look.
"Sorry about that, Vignette."
"No problem, no problem! Gabriel, you're so powerful now!" Vignette replied, brushing it off. She looked at Gabriel in awe and wonder.
Although Vignette didn't care much about strength or really have many opportunities to use hers, she was genuinely curious about Gabriel's progress.
Zelel, on the other hand, was quite pleased. "Not bad, Gabriel. Your progress over the past few weeks is greater than in all your years in angel school."
But then her gaze turned a bit scrutinizing as she gave Gabriel a once-over. "I just hope your Angel's Heart has kept pace with your strength."
Gabriel's eyes lit up at Zelel's words, hiding her relief. Her claim to have gained strength through her time away was meant to feel her sister out.
Thanks to Arifureta's memory-sharing feature, she knew that Zelel frequently used her clairvoyance to keep an eye on her from Heaven. Gabriel was betting that her sister hadn't done so for the first half of the month and wouldn't know she had devolved into a lazy gamer.
If her gamble failed, she could still rely on Plan B and have Eriri negotiate with Zelel.
But it was now clear that she had won the bet. Zelel's response showed she was completely in the dark about Gabriel's fall from grace. From here on out, everything would be a lot easier to handle.
What Gabriel didn't know, however, was that the memory Arifureta had shared in the chat was based on the animated version of Gabriel DropOut. The anime had omitted certain plot points, including that Zelel had never used clairvoyance on Gabriel. Zelel had always trusted her sister implicitly.
And from the time Gabriel had been living at Eriri's house, Eriri had strictly required her to clean up after herself, so now Gabriel appeared as bright and respectable as ever.
Therefore, in Zelel's mind, Gabriel was still the model angel who had graduated at the top of her class.
"Of course, Nee-chan! In the other world, I made sure to shine the light of angelic guidance wherever I went. I led humans to the right path and even saved several nations!" Gabriel said, trying her best to look innocent and sincere.
Seeing Gabriel's act, Vignette looked away, not knowing whether to laugh or sigh. She already knew that the perfect angel she'd first met was long gone.
Eriri, on the other hand, found the scene quite amusing. She silently saved it to her memory so she could upload it to the chat later and let everyone see just how shameless an angel could be—even if most already knew Gabriel was a lost cause in that regard.
"Hmm, very well done," Zelel praised, fully convinced by Gabriel's act. She didn't question her sister's story for a second, and her eyes showed an even deeper sense of pride.
With a fond smile, Zelel gently tapped Gabriel on the head. "Still, I have to scold you a little. If you're going to other universes, you need to let us know! Disappearing for a month without warning—do you realize how worried we were? Haniel has been beside herself!"
"Ehehe, I'm sorry, Nee-chan," Gabriel said, clinging to Zelel's arm and swaying it, pouting cutely. "I came back this time specifically to let you know I'm fine, so you don't need to worry. I'll come back often from now on."
"So, does that mean you're planning on visiting other universes regularly?"
"Of course! Isn't it a great opportunity to spread our faith across other universes?" Gabriel replied with enthusiasm.
"Hmm, I suppose you're right. How about this? Why don't I join you, Gabriel? Together, we'll spread our faith even more efficiently. Plus, I can protect you."
Zelel's suggestion immediately threw Gabriel off. That was not the outcome she was hoping for! If Zelel tagged along, how would she have time to game and slack off?
Gabriel quickly interjected, "Oh, there's no need, Nee-chan. Heaven still needs you. Plus, Haniel is young and needs your guidance. As for spreading the faith, I can handle it myself! I'm pretty strong now, and I'll keep getting stronger! Besides, with Eriri around, I'm perfectly safe."
With that, she dashed back to the bed and clung to Eriri's arm.
"Gabriel..." Vignette murmured, glancing at her, as if about to say something.
She deeply cherished the first friend she had made since coming to the human world, so hearing that this friend would be leaving again left her feeling a pang of reluctance.
Yet she knew she was in no position to ask Gabriel to stay. In her view, being with the person you liked was only natural.
If she wanted Gabriel to stay, that would mean Eriri would also have to stay, but that clearly wasn't likely.
Although Vignette hadn't voiced her thoughts, Gabriel could already see what she wanted to say.
So she comforted Vignette, "Don't worry, Vignette. When I come back, I'll make sure to visit you."
Even though she couldn't compare Vignette to Eriri, Arifureta, and the others, Gabriel still genuinely treasured her as a friend.
Although they had only known each other for half a month, Gabriel had taken to heart all the little ways Vignette had taken care of her.
Because of that, Gabriel decided that if there was ever a chance, she would find a way to bring Vignette into the chat group so she wouldn't have to lose her friend.
Gabriel's original plan was to bring her sister, Zebel, into the chat group and tell her about her situation, so that she wouldn't have to return.
If it came to the point where Zebel tried to use the chat group to forcefully bring her back, with Eriri's support, Gabriel wouldn't have to worry at all.
But now that she had managed to fool her sister with this obedient act, she naturally wasn't going to risk pulling her into the group and exposing her secret as a gaming shut-in.
Even if she did invite Zebel into the group, it would only be once her power surpassed her sister's.
As for breaking through to Level 7, Gabriel knew that wouldn't be happening anytime soon, so her sister's chance of joining the chat group was slim—unless Eriri wished it.
So Gabriel planned to keep drawing from the group's monthly invitation ticket pool. If luck was on her side, she'd invite Vignette in first.
If she still hadn't drawn a ticket by the time she broke through to Level 7, then it couldn't be helped.
But Gabriel didn't believe her luck could be any worse than that of Chika Fujiwara, who even managed to get the first invitation ticket. There was no way she, an angel, wouldn't be able to get one herself.
…
Hearing Gabriel's reasoning, Zebel didn't insist on joining her on her journey through other universes.
Although she worried about her younger sister, she knew the time had come for the fledgling bird to leave the nest. She couldn't always keep her protected within her embrace, and it was for this very reason that Gabriel had come to the human world in the first place.
This was simply a matter of moving her training from Earth to a different universe. As long as she could return, there was no problem at all.
At this moment, Zebel finally turned her attention fully to Eriri.
In truth, during this entire exchange, she had been keeping Eriri in mind, and she had seen the intimate way Gabriel sat in her lap when she used her thousand-mile vision to check on them.
Moreover, from the earlier conversation between Eriri and Vignette, Zebel understood that Eriri was the one who had taken Gabriel across universes.
Not being able to detect any aura on Eriri made Zebel realize that Eriri's power vastly exceeded her own.
As for the possibility that Eriri might be an ordinary person, Zebel hadn't even considered it; how could an ordinary person freely traverse the universes?
This was something even the God they worshipped could not do!
So Zebel's curiosity about Eriri only grew—not only curiosity about her strength but also about her relationship with her sister.
However, having been too caught up in the excitement of reuniting with Gabriel, she hadn't asked about Eriri's background yet.
Now that Gabriel had brought the conversation around to Eriri, this gave Zebel the perfect chance to gather some information.
Turning her gaze to Eriri, Zebel gave Gabriel a meaningful look. "Gabriel, aren't you going to introduce us?"
At this point, Eriri couldn't just sit back and watch any longer. Before Gabriel had the chance to introduce her, Eriri raised her right hand and greeted Zebel with a warm smile.
"Hello, Zebel. I'm Eriri Spencer Sawamura, but you can just call me Eriri, like Gabriel does."
"Hello, Eriri. Could you tell me what your relationship with my sister is?" Zebel asked, cutting right to the point as she looked at Eriri and Gabriel nestled together. This was, after all, a matter that involved her sister's feelings, and she needed to take it seriously.
For men, it might seem repulsive to be so physically close to a friend, but with girls, this was perfectly normal; close friends tended to be like that.
However, Zebel could tell that Gabriel's expression didn't match that of someone merely with a good friend.
While Zebel herself had never been in love, she was well-versed enough in the ways of the world to understand the difference between love and friendship.
It wasn't that she was opposed to romantic feelings between girls; as angels, they were free from the constraints of mortality, so human norms didn't apply to them.
To an angel, so long as it was with the right person, it made no difference whether one's partner was male or female.
Of course, over ninety percent of the angels in heaven were heterosexual, so such same-sex relationships were rare.
But, truthfully, Zebel's first impression of Eriri was rather good. First, there was her flawless, enchanting beauty, which possessed an inexplicable allure, compelling Zebel to feel an instant fondness for her.
Moreover, Eriri did not radiate any arrogance or sense of superiority; rather, her aura was like a gentle breeze, making Zebel feel comforted and warm.
She only asked about this out of concern as Gabriel's sister and wanted to understand her feelings.
If her suspicions about Eriri and Gabriel's relationship were confirmed, she would simply smile and bless them both.
What Zebel did not realize was that this attitude Eriri displayed was one reserved specifically for her. If Eriri were dealing with strangers, her manner might well be far more imperious than Zebel could imagine.
Eriri was never a saint; she simply walked the path of an independent observer, engaging only in the things that interested her.
If Eriri was fond of you, she could effortlessly grant you a favor that would let you reach the top with a single step.
But if you did not please her, even if an entire universe of life were obliterated before her eyes, she would remain utterly unmoved.
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