The Laughing Swordsman

Everything was cleaned up, more or less. Floors and furniture were no longer covered by wood chips and dust. Apollo and Eden had a fresh pair of clothes. They were also no longer covered by debris. Eden was pretty good at cleaning.

The room was as good as new, save for the hole in the roof.

Apollo was sitting on the side of the bed, not because he wanted to but because of Eden's insistence. As for Eden, she stood close by and was fully convinced that he was indeed an angel.

Apollo scratched the side of his head.

"What is the city like?"

Eden excitedly clasped her hands together with a smile.

"Ah! The holy messenger is interested in the state of our humble city?"

Apollo blinked a few times before looking around himself. He was a bit confused.

"Who are you talking to?"

Eden giggled sweetly.

"Why, you of course! Who else could be referred to as the holy messenger but an angel?"

Suddenly, she raised a finger.

"Ah, I see! You must be jesting! Your sense of humor is amazing, as expected for an angel."

Apollo continued to blink awkwardly, a little overwhelmed by this woman's strange attitude.

"Um... ok?"

Apollo looked up to the hole in the roof and pointed towards it.

"Did I do that?"

Eden nodded several times enthusiastically.

"Ah, yes! You fell from heaven, didn't you? It's natural for you to hit something on your way down."

Apollo pouted.

"Oh. Sorry."

Eden frantically waved her hands in front of her.

"No, no! It truly isn't a bother! Blessings fall from the sky all the time, though you must not be used to that in heaven."

Apollo tilted his head to the side.

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

Eden began stuttering, unable to form the words in her head for a moment.

"Oh dear, those terms were created by humans, so of course you don't understand what it means!"

Her eyes drifted upwards as she anxiously tried to formulate a proper response.

"Blessings are the things that fall from the sky, bestowed by the angels! Most of the time they are chunks of fertile land, allowing us to grow the food we need to survive!"

Eden smiled brightly.

"You probably know this already as an angel yourself, but sometimes the sky will bestow us with other gifts such as clothing, refined metals, or even tools!"

She crouched over in an attempt to make herself look shorter.

"As for heaven, I was simply trying to say the place you live. It probably doesn't have any blessings that fall from the sky because they are always there!"

Apollo put a finger on his chin. It was indeed true that people didn't randomly crash down from the sky.

"...I don't remember any blessings falling down from the sky."

Eden clapped excitedly.

"Of course, of course!"

The misunderstanding went a little deeper.

Eden sat down on the ground with a smile on her face.

"Angel... no, that is simply the term we humans created. What should I call you?"

Apollo scratched his cheek with his index finger.

"By my name? If you forgot, it's Apollo."

Eden nodded hastily.

"Apollo, Apollo! Sorry for that. I'm just a little startled after seeing an angel fall from heaven!"

She gasped.

"Oh no, I forgot to ask you, are you hurt? Do you need any care?"

Apollo shook his head.

"Not really."

Eden let out a sigh of relief and put one hand over her heart.

"I'm glad then. Are you here to send us a message?"

Apollo scratched the side of his head.

"Message?"

Eden tensed up.

"Oh no! Did an accident occur that made you come here?"

Apollo rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger.

"Um, I think so."

Eden gave a salute as though she were a kid pretending to be in the army.

"I understand! As one that has received many of your blessings, I will help you find a way back to heaven!"

Apollo hummed.

"Can I see the city first?"

Eden smiled delightedly.

"Of course, of course!"

She then held out her hands, in a position that would let her cradle Apollo.

"Would you like to be carried?"

Apollo shrugged his shoulders.

"Walking is fine."

Eden tensed up as a guilty expression appeared on her face.

"My apologies! Surely you wouldn't want to have too much contact with us lesser beings."

Apollo looked at her a little strangely.

"Eh? I don't mind that."

Eden blushed a little.

"Then... then you wouldn't mind me carrying you?"

Apollo looked at the woman strangely.

...

Eden walked out onto the streets with Apollo cradled in her hands, like he was a baby. Given their matching hair and eye color, they really did look like siblings. If Eden was a little older, she would look like Apollo's mother.

From this position, Apollo laid his bokken on top of his waist and curiously looked at his surroundings. The city wasn't bustling by any means, but was still quite lively. There were many people chatting with each other. They were quite loud, meaning many people could overhear.

However, nobody minded. In fact, they seemed to enjoy that.

The passerby consisted of people of all ages. Though nobody was wearing anything luxurious, their clothes were undamaged, just like Eden's.

As the two of them went out onto the street, someone immediately recognized them. It was a middle-aged man with a friendly smile on his face. He was fairly tall and slim. The man had black hair with a few grey strands and a modest beard.

He walked up to the two of them.

"Eden! Good day to you."

Eden jumped slightly. She had been in a minor trance thinking that she was holding onto an angel.

Eden turned to the man.

"Good day, Bernard."

Bernard laughed.

"You had a younger brother all this time, how come I never knew?"

Eden shook her head with a bright smile.

"No, no. This is not my brother, but an angel!"

Bernard furrowed his brows.