"Father Sir, I suddenly have a question—why are all the Angels I've seen from the Breath of the Sun Church beautiful girls?"

Yes, the Angels of the Breath of the Sun Church also guard the Imperial Capital. I often spot their graceful silhouettes streaking across the sky. And if I recall correctly, every single Angel I’ve seen has been female.

As a healthy young man, I’d occasionally let my imagination run wild about these lovely maidens. How triumphant it would feel to win over one of them…

But such thoughts stayed locked in my heart. They are devoted servants of the great Breath of the Sun. My unwavering faith ensures I’d never be blinded by beauty. My respect for them as Divine Envoys outweighs any admiration for their looks. Well… mostly.

"Ah, that is…" For once, Father Sir seemed momentarily at a loss for words. "Alright, you’re right. All the Angels of the Breath of the Sun Church are indeed female."

I didn’t press further. Though my eyes still questioned him, I already knew the answer.

Divine Envoys are crafted by deities—their genders decided by divine will. The earliest Angels had no gender at all; many weren’t even humanoid. After countless trials and refinements by various gods, they evolved into their current forms.

For beings who serve deities intimately, gender carries deep significance. Women, naturally more attentive and gentle, make preferred attendants. A male deity—unless he’s not into men—would naturally desire beautiful maidens around him. Even a female deity, unless she lacks moral restraint, wouldn’t want male attendants invading her privacy daily.

Thus, whether male or female, most deities favor female Divine Envoys. Females dominate their ranks. Some extreme deities exclusively appoint females—and there are quite a few such gods.

Unfortunately, though Deseri of the Breath of the Sun never explicitly stated his preference, I’d studied church histories and scriptures since childhood. He was absolutely one of *those* gods. Records say even as a mortal, he was famously charming. Upon ascending to the Divine Realm, he took over thirty beauties into his harem. Most disciples he blessed with Divine Power were also women.

I understood this perfectly. But the boy beside me did not.

"Uncle, what does he mean? Are all the Church’s Angels girls? Then how can *I* ever become one?"

It seemed Bishop Corlmo had told Mistflower about the Angel Heart—but omitted the part about Angels being exclusively female.

"*Ahem*. Yes, what he said is true. All the Church’s Angels are girls. But I never said they *were* girls before. Even males undergo the Rebirth Ritual—they’re reborn in a new form. You’d naturally become female too."

My heart sank. I’d suspected this all along, clinging to foolish hope.

"That’s unacceptable! I’m a true man! How could I… become a girl? Absolutely not!"

Mistflower’s reaction was far fiercer than mine.

"Hmph. You’ve already seen the Angel Heart. There’s no turning back. Besides—do you have any other path? Have you forgotten your parents’ murder? Forgotten the Monstrous Beast that slaughtered them? *I* could avenge your little brother. Do you truly wish to live a coward’s life?"

So that was the "family tragedy" he’d mentioned earlier—his parents killed by a Monstrous Beast. Such horrors were common. Entire villages were occasionally wiped out. After all, deities prioritized crowded cities; remote hamlets often slipped through the cracks.

Mistflower fell silent. Bishop Corlmo’s words had struck deep—but the bishop pressed on.

"If you call yourself a true man, show some courage. Look at Wald beside you—he hasn’t objected once. Your little brother wouldn’t want to see you waste your life in despair. As an Angel, you can avenge him yourself. If you grow strong enough, you might even find your parents’ souls, guide them into the Divine Realm, and grant them happiness again. Are you really scared off by such a small condition—becoming a girl? Where’s the ‘at any cost’ resolve you swore when kneeling before me?"

*No, no—I’m not unbothered. I’ve just accepted it.* I had no escape route either. Now branded a notorious murderer, reinventing myself was my only option.

*Impressive.* Bishop Corlmo truly earned his rise from humble origins to Supreme Bishop. His words dripped with temptation and persuasion—utterly irresistible. He must have converted countless souls in his time.

Sure enough, under his verbal assault, Mistflower’s eyes burned with resolve.

"Yes, Uncle. This is what I need. I was foolish to hesitate when opportunity stood before me. Let’s begin—I’m ready."

"I’m ready too."

I spoke with resigned acceptance.

Father Sir and Bishop Corlmo stood facing us. Their hands gestured toward the Angel Hearts, which soon radiated waves of sacred energy, enveloping the room.

"Place your hands on the Angel Hearts. We’ll help fuse them into your bodies. This is only the first step. Next, we’ll proceed to the Church for the Rebirth Ritual—that’s when it truly succeeds. Hurry."

Trembling, I reached for the crystal. Warm and smooth, it channeled Divine Power through my fingertips, flooding my wine-and-women-weakened body with strength.

White light soon engulfed me. The Angel Heart dissolved into milky mist, seeping slowly into my skin.

When the glow and mist vanished, the two boxes before us stood utterly empty.