With fewer people accompanying him, Aiwass's travel speed had increased noticeably.
Although Cardinal Galatea was extremely heavy, utterly unlike her slender appearance... for the pegasus transformed from Helkhin, even twice that weight would be easy to carry.
"You've worked hard, Galatea."
Aiwass sighed. "I know you want to retire... or rather, take a long enough vacation. But given the current situation, I still need you for a while.
"I'm afraid I can't let you go home until at least the Fallen Angel God has been defeated and annihilated."
Part of the reason he had brought Cardinal Galatea along separately was that there were things he wanted to tell her in private.
Otherwise, Aiwass and Helkhin would actually have been enough.
"I don't mind, Your Holiness."
Galatea spoke softly, her voice clear and cool as a spring. "I've already waited several thousand years, so a few more months won't make a difference. Besides, I can't simply abandon the matters here... No matter how tired I am, I could never selfishly leave and let someone else bear the suffering."
She sat behind Aiwass, both arms around his waist.
"Urgh..."
But just then, Aiwass suddenly felt tremendous force clamp around his waist. Galatea had tightened her arms slightly, and Aiwass felt as though he had been crushed in a hydraulic press.
"I have something to say first, Your Holiness. There is one thing I need to make clear right now."
Galatea asked solemnly, "How many people exactly do you intend to take with you?"
Aiwass raised his eyebrows and answered casually, "As many as possible. At the very least, we'll take the entire Spirit Medium Tower—that was agreed upon beforehand. They were supposed to come to Avalon anyway; they've merely been stopped for the time being."
"What about the people from the Spirit