...
Althea gently tended to Leben's wounds, skillfully applying bandages to treat his injuries.
"You should be fully healed within a few days."
She assured him with a soft smile, conveying both competence and warmth.
Leben responded with an annoyed expression.
Tch.
"Whatever, just bring me something to eat. I'm hungry."
She responded with a cute, carefree smile. However, Leben remained unfazed, refusing to be swayed by her charm, his expression remaining disinterested.
"I'd be happy to fetch something. Please wait a moment."
He slumped onto the bed, running his fingers through his hair.
"I hope they finish him off soon. I don't want him coming after me next."
"Yeah, that Dreizack devil mentioned that they've been banished as well. I wonder what they're up to now."
He smirked as he looked up at the sky, his gaze filled with curiosity.
"And that guy... I wonder what he's doing at this moment."
Althea returned, carrying a plate bearing delectable-smelling dishes — a generous helping of perfectly cooked bacon and eggs.
"Here's your food. Um... May I ask what's your name?"
Leben huffed impatiently as he demanded the food.
"Leben. Leben Haineux."
As if to accentuate his name, his stomach betrayed him with a loud grumble.
Althea chuckled warmly, placing the plate into his hands.
Now, her expression took on a hint of curiosity.
"Leben Haineux? That's the name of the Angel of Mysticism, right? Are you a fan of his?"
Leben maintained an air of unshakeable pride, yet his modesty prevented him from admitting his true identity.
"No. I simply chose this name myself."
She replied with a reassuring smile.
"No worries! I won't pry any further about your real name."
She gave him a friendly thumbs-up, signaling to him that he didn't need to reveal the truth.
He rolled his eyes at her cheerfulness, his question betraying a hint of curiosity he tried to suppress.
"You're quite like a golden retriever. Hey, any chance you have a Virtue?"
He asked the question while simultaneously scoffing, as if to downplay the act of inquiring, which contradicted his natural prideful nature.
She was momentarily taken aback by the interruption, her cheerful smile faltering for a split second before regaining composure.
"Yeah... My Virtue is Charity. I can share my energy to support and uplift others. Oh! And I can heal too! Sometimes, I can even---"
Suddenly, Leben's finger landed on her lips, silencing her mid-sentence.
"Stop prattling on, I'm familiar with the concept of Charity."
Leben inquired further, withdrawing his hand from her lips.
"Tell me about the others. Any idea what their Virtue might be?"
Althea was initially taken aback by his interruptions, but she continued to speak nonetheless.
"Well... Verdadero has the Virtue of Diligence. Whenever he feels determined to do something, the Virtue can augment his strength and spiritual pressure - making him stronger. But, his diligence is likely born of his loyalty to Captain Seele and her late brother — Älter Copain."
Leben's curiosity piqued, and he pressed for more information.
"What about the others?"
Althea paused briefly, contemplating before continuing her explanation.
"Captain Seele, she possesses the Virtue of Humility, embodying a genuine leader who appreciates the worth of her soldiers. When a sense of Humility arises within one, they gain the ability to manipulate certain psionic and kinetic forces. Despite my time serving under her, I've never witnessed Captain Seele wielding her ability firsthand, as she's rarely ever fought in front of me."
Leben placed his hand on his chin, briefly contemplating.
"A rather useful ability, I never imagined Uriel to be the humble type, but I've personally never witnessed their ability in action either..."
He muttered under his breath, his gaze fixed on the horizon.
Althea, having overheard him mumbling, inquired further.
"What's on your mind?"
He shook his head, dismissing the thought, and responded gruffly.
"It's nothing. Continue with the information."
Althea nodded, pausing for a moment before resuming.
"Kämpfen, unlike others, does not possess one of the original seven virtues. Instead, he wields the Cardinal Virtue of Fortitude. Much like the Virtue of Diligence, this Fortitude enhances his physical and spiritual power, and it is as if he is guided by an inner spirit."
Leben pondered for a moment, muttering quietly to himself.
"Fortitude, eh? Never really came across that one before..."
Leben quickly shook off his musings, redirecting his focus.
"When chatting with your boyfriend, you mentioned some other members of your division. Could you tell me about them?"
Althea flushed at Leben's mention of Verdadero as her boyfriend, hastily denying the claim while shaking her head vehemently.
"No, no, no! He isn't my boyfriend!"
Leben let out a small sigh, visibly irritated.
"Alright, alright. Forget about the whole 'boyfriend' thing. Just focus on answering my question."
Althea was still flustered, unable to shake off the 'boyfriend' comment.
"Well... It's just that... you said Verdadero is..."
Leben interrupted her, growing more irritated.
"Ugh! Seriously, I don't care. Just answer the damn question."
Althea winced at his growl, but continued nonetheless.
"And there's Fals. I'm not overly close to her personally, but I heard that she possesses the Virtue of Kindness. She has the ability to form bonds with animals or even monsters."
Leben pondered for a moment before turning to face her.
"Can you sense any kind of Virtue or Sin?"
She shook her head
"No, I can't.."
She continued speaking,
"Only those with considerable experience can sense it. Captain Seele, Fals, and Vice-Captain Fidel are among them."
Leben's expression shifted to confusion, as he inquired further.
"Vice Captain, huh? What's his Virtue?"
Althea shook her head.
"I don't know either. He's usually quite busy with missions, and I've scarcely seen him before."
Leben sighed, shaking his head before posing his query.
"Just out of curiosity, what country are we currently in?"
Althea proclaimed with pride for her homeland.
"Tankoa, the Land of Bravery! And here I am, just answering all your questions."
Leben stared at her for a moment, irritation evident in his gaze.
"I don't care. Now, go away. I'm going to rest for a while."
Althea smiled and nodded, acknowledging and understanding him.
"Alright, then. Make sure you eat your food. Farewell."
She turned, heading out the door and leaving Leben alone in the room.
Leben looked at the food, hesitant yet intrigued.
"Ugh... I hate to admit it, but this thing actually looks and smells great..."
He took a spoonful and brought it to his mouth.
As he chewed the food and swallowed, his eyes brightened as if he hadn't tasted something so delicious in ages.
His pride surged, and he couldn't help but boast.
"I bet I could cook something better... but this is still pretty good..."
His mind wandered back to the interrogation room, replaying Seele's words.
'An ominous evil aura, one of the seven deadly sins. A Sinner.'
The words echoed through his thoughts.
He pondered, his expression contemplative.
"I'm not a Sinner, but what if there's a chance I am? I wonder what Sin it could be?"
He looked down at his palm, his expression filled with uncertainty.
"I wonder if I even have a chance to return to Heaven anymore..."
He sighed, his gaze fixed on the cloudless sky above.
"Well, I did make a serious mistake. But let's be honest, those wretched humans are to blame. They're the reason I was banished in the first place."