## Chapter 19 — The Sun, the Silence, and Those Who Judge
The village of the envoys still breathed the heat of a forbidden miracle, as if the air itself had been scarred by the violence of a fight that should never have existed. In the infirmary with its simple walls—almost pathetic in the face of what had just occurred—Râ lay with his chest bandaged, eyes fixed on the ceiling. An insolent smirk was plastered on his lips, as if death itself had tried to take him… and gave up. He exhaled, almost amused:
— Well… I hope you have a good payment system here… because clearly, I've gone way beyond the basic mission…
One of the envoys, still trembling, adjusted the bandages, wavering between admiration and confusion. He whispered:
— You… you really fought in another dimension…?
Râ slowly turned his head toward him.
— Yeah. Wouldn't recommend it, honestly. The scenery sucks.
A light laugh escaped him, but the envoy didn't laugh; his eyes were fixed on him with an almost naive intensity:
— And… do paladins… always do that…?
Before Râ could answer, the door opened.
Silence fell.
The White Lady entered first, her presence soft yet crushing, followed by Seigen, whose aura seemed to bend space itself. Then came Himari Harihiho, calm and observant, as if nothing could truly surprise her. Behind them, a man remained slightly in the background, dressed soberly, with no visible aura.
A simple human.
Râ raised an eyebrow.
— Ah… the full delegation. All we're missing is the red carpet.
The White Lady ignored the remark and placed her hands on his wounds. A pure light diffused slowly, repairing the flesh and soothing the pain, as she whispered:
— You exceeded your limits.
— As usual, Râ replied.
Seigen stepped forward slightly.
— You take everything so lightly.
— No, Râ corrected with a smile, I take everything as a game that I win.
Silence.
Himari observed.
Then the envoy, hesitating, looked at the man in the back—the assistant—and finally asked, almost timidly:
— Excuse me… are you… a paladin too?
The man blinked, surprised to be addressed, then shook his head with a slight smile:
— No. I am not a celestial. I don't have a Fumetsu.
The envoy frowned.
— Then… how are you with them?
A brief silence passed.
Râ turned his head slightly, interested despite himself.
— Ah, that… good question. Explain it to us.
The assistant sighed softly, as if he had already had this conversation dozens of times, then crossed his arms.
— The paladins aren't just fighters. It's an organization. A hierarchy. A system.
The envoy moved slightly closer, captivated.
— A hierarchy…?
— Yes. There are four main ranks.
Seigen remained silent but did not interrupt.
The assistant continued:
— The **Angels**. The lowest. They are the newcomers, those still learning to master their Fumetsu.
— The **Archangels**. More experienced, capable of complex missions.
— The **Virtues**. The intermediate elite. Those who can change the course of a battle.
— And finally…
He glanced toward Seigen, Himari, and the White Lady.
— The **Seraphim**.
A respectful silence fell immediately.
The envoy swallowed hard.
— So… they…
— Are among the most powerful in the UAP, the assistant finished.
Râ let out a short laugh.
— Yeah, I figured. They all have the face of a problem.
Seigen stared at him.
— And you have the face of a mistake.
Râ smiled.
— Perfect.
The envoy hesitated again.
— And… the UAP…?
The assistant replied:
— The Union of Administrative Paladins. An organization that oversees all Fumetsu users. Their role is simple in theory…
He paused.
— To maintain the balance between humans… and djinns.
The word carried weight in the room.
— And to purify those who become a threat.
Râ looked up at the ceiling.
— "Purify"… you guys always have stylish words for "kill."
The White Lady answered softly:
— Words exist to give meaning to actions.
— Or to hide them, Râ retorted.
A silence passed.
Then the envoy asked, more quietly:
— And him…?
He pointed toward Arthur, who was absent.
The assistant replied, more seriously this time:
— Arthur D. Blackthorne… is at the top.
— A Seraphim?
— More than that.
Silence.
— He is one of the pillars of the UAP.
Even Râ didn't joke immediately.
At the Frost Temple, the wind blew through a perfect void. The assistant accompanying Arthur stared at the absence of the portal, unable to look away:
— This is… completely insane…
Arthur did not answer.
— Destroying a dimension… that's already impossible… but here… there's nothing left…
His voice trembled slightly.
— He… he preferred to leave, didn't he…
A silence.
— He said he'd never come back to this shitty place…
Arthur answered calmly:
— Yes.
The wind continued.
In the infirmary, Râ gave a long sigh.
— Right… simple summary… I did something impossible, you're all shocked… and I still haven't been paid.
Himari looked at him.
— You still don't understand.
— What?
Silence.
Then she whispered:
— What you did… is not a victory.
Râ smiled slightly.
— Then what is it?
A moment.
— The beginning of something.
And for the first time…
Râ's smile remained… a little longer, uncertain.