Little Pink Starfish

<What is that?>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell narrowed his eyes.

“It’s called a broom. Don’t tell me you don’t know?”

Geahrzimen spoke with a sullen expression. In Geahrzimen’s hand was a large broom.

“You weren’t planning to stay at my guesthouse for free, were you, Mr. Angel? I want to believe you weren’t. Unless your brilliant mind is nothing but a flowery field.”<I intended to pay.>

“I don’t want your money. I don’t need that. I can make as much money as I want.”

Geahrzimen snorted.

“You’re the same, aren’t you? Money doesn’t matter to beings like us. I don’t run this guesthouse to make money, but to watch people stay in nature. Humans seem to become especially kind when they’re facing beautiful scenery.”

<So you’re proposing a trade of labor instead of money.>

At the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s question, Geahrzimen nodded.

“Of course. The noble Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell holding a giant broom and sweeping the floor… quite the rare spectacle, isn’t it?”

Geahrzimen handed the broom to the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

“So please become an embarrassing clown for me.”

<Hmph.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell grabbed the broom.<I can clean as much as needed. Keeping this world clean is part of my duty as well.>

“Oh my, is that so?”

A mocking smile curved Geahrzimen’s lips.

“Then I’ll be counting on you. There are a lot of leaves in the yard, so please gather them into one spot. You’ll also need to sweep and wipe the floors inside, so I hope you can work quickly.”

Oh, and—

Geahrzimen clapped his hands.

“Don’t use magic. You only know how to use divine magic, don’t you? I can’t allow such obsessive magic power to touch this place. I’ll break out in hives.”

<You’d better watch your mouth, walking hell. Let me remind you that your staying on earth is entirely by my permission. You wouldn’t want to end up like the Abyssal Sea King, left as nothing but a core deep under the sea, would you?>

“Ah, you mean Muddorok?”

Geahrzimen shrugged.

“I certainly wouldn’t want to end up like Muddorok. But did you know?”

You’ll be working today with Muddorok’s sibling.

Geahrzimen whispered to the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell.

<…What?>

A frown of suspicion crossed the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell’s face. The answer revealed itself soon enough. The door to the guesthouse burst open, and a boy appeared. The boy, dressed for easy movement, was holding a broom identical to the one the Archangel was holding.

<…Hah.>

Looking at the boy, the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell let out a hollow laugh.

A face so very much like Ryu Eunyul’s. But with a distinctly younger impression. The Archangel easily grasped the identity of the boy standing beside him.<Truly a demon who looks human.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell muttered under his breath.

<I’m not a demon. I’m Kkomuli.>

The boy, Kkomuli, looked up at him and said.

<What is that name?>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell frowned.

<It sounds like a name you’d give to a suspicious potted plant raised by a child. You are a demon of the same kind as the Abyssal Sea King. My brother’s creation… that disgusting…>

<Is my face disgusting?>

<No, that’s…>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell gritted his teeth. The Abyssal Sea King Muddorok was a monstrosity created by The Star Hated by All in Hell, a vicious demon made to rule the ocean tainted with demonic energy. Yet, no matter how he looked at him, Kkomuli did not seem like one of Muddorok’s kind.

<Good. Because my face looks a lot like my master’s.>

Smiling bashfully, Kkomuli looked like nothing more than a human of Ryu Eunyul’s kind. Of course, inside his body flowed stems of nauseatingly filthy demonic energy, but that only made it all the more astounding.

‘If I remember correctly…’

It was the core of the Abyssal Sea King, restructured by Ryu Eunyul. In other words, Kkomuli was a demon created by a human. It was obvious that human malice could empower demons, but how human goodwill affected demons had never been clarified. Humans and demons were never meant to bond through goodwill to begin with.

‘Is this the result?’

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell ran his hand through his hair as he thought.

‘…Not bad.’

He couldn’t help but think that.

“Well then, damn angel. That’s enough chit-chat with your senior.”

At that moment, Geahrzimen spoke.

<That’s right. I’m your senior.>

Pleased by the word ‘senior,’ Kkomuli pointed at himself.

<I’m happy to have a junior.>

<…How fortunate for you.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell scratched his neck.

“Alright then. Carry out your duties and report to me afterward.”

I’m busy, so I’ll be off.

With that, Geahrzimen walked away lightly, leaving Kkomuli and the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell behind.

As Kkomuli watched Geahrzimen’s shrinking figure, he soon turned toward the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell. The Archangel silently avoided Kkomuli’s gaze and began gathering the scattered leaves in the yard.

His technique was terrible.

Watching the Archangel sweeping, Kkomuli thought so. Sweeping the ground with a broom was simple labor. Skill was judged entirely by how quickly it was done. The Archangel’s sweeping was no better than that of a child trying it for the first time. He put too much strength into it, causing the leaves to scatter, and his process of gathering them back one by one was painfully clumsy.

Kkomuli sighed.<Angels must not clean.>

Kkomuli approached the Archangel.

<You’re a complete mess.><There is not a speck of dirt in Heaven.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell frowned.

<Thus, I have no experience with such labor.>

<I see. Heaven doesn’t need cleaning.>

Kkomuli nodded sincerely. Then he bent down to pick up the leaves the Archangel had missed.

<But it’s strange. You, who were born in a place that needs no cleaning, work hard to maintain the cleanliness of this world.>

<What are you trying to say?>

At the Archangel’s question, Kkomuli shrugged expressionlessly.

Then he spoke.

<How can one who knows nothing of filth cleanse it? That’s what I was curious about.>

Hearing this, the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell sighed.

It was irritating. What exactly was this creature? With a human-like body yet filled with Hell’s demonic energy, asking such naive questions in Ryu Eunyul’s innocent tone—it made the Archangel feel undeniable chills.

<We…>

Thus, the Archangel opened his mouth.

<It’s not that we don’t know filth. We simply do not permit it.>

<Really? Then why can’t you even sweep up a few leaves?><I do not consider these leaves filth. My Father never taught me that this is unclean. Fallen leaves scattered on the ground are part of nature. What is natural is never unclean.>

The dead mouse lying in the woods would be the same. It is not filth. True filth does not exist in this world. It exists beyond, in Hell. The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell had always believed so.

Thus, sinners fall to Hell. The stains of this world all head to Hell. The Star Hated by All was one of those stains. He had thought that for a very long time.

<…However.>

The Archangel murmured softly.<I now find myself unsure.>

Was The Star Hated by All truly a stain of this world? If the Savior Who Is One and All had judged so, then it must be true. The Archangel had believed that. Yet after meeting his brother, who had lived nearly an eternity, he realized that brother was far too precious to be dismissed as a stain. A precious brother.

<…I think you are a very well-made demon.>

<I’m not a demon. I’m Kkomuli.>

<Yes, yes… Kkomuli.>

Is this creature filthy?

If someone asked, the Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell would answer no.

But why? Was it because of his appearance? Because of his gentle tone? The Archangel couldn’t help but wonder instinctively.<My master never considered me a demon.>

As if sensing his doubts, Kkomuli spoke.

<I grew up by my master’s side, feeding on his emotions. Whenever my master thought something, I licked at those thoughts and learned their flavors. My master wasn’t as smart as you or your brother. He was immature, not knowing much, but full of curiosity.>

Thus, Ryu Eunyul’s goodwill was shallow. At the same time, his malice wasn’t deep either. It could never be compared to the Archangel’s orderly goodwill or The Star Hated by All’s chaotic malice.

<That’s why I turned out like this.>

Kkomuli smiled.

<Can you understand, Mr. Angel?>

<…Ah, yes.>

The Archangel Who Cast Down the King of Hell nodded.

Ryu Eunyul’s clumsiness had completed Kkomuli. The Archangel accepted that. The world might be better off a little clumsier. Heaven, Hell—they didn’t need to be so rigidly maintained.

Thinking so, the Archangel gazed into the distance.

‘He said he would save the Demon God.’

His brother, The Star Hated by All…

‘You are so clumsy, my brother.’

Thinking that, the Archangel moved his broom.

He clumsily cleaned the world.