Ugh… where the hell was he? Elliot opened his eyes, the pain of them opening making him groan in pain. His head hurt. Bad. What the hell happened yesterday for him to become like this… oh. The thoughts came back as he looked at his hands. He had removed the wrappings on his head and right-hand last night, as well as his only good piece of armor. The gauntlet. For a moment he had forgotten who he was, or what had happened in the short while he’d been here.

It was ridiculous to think that he’d forgotten all this insanity.

He chuckled, picking himself up from the bed. At least, he tried. He just cried out harder in pain as the blood rushed back into his head. Dammit. This was why drinking was only a thing for celebrations. He’d always been a bit out of control when he…. Drank. It wasn’t until then that he noticed Lidia, sleeping away on the small recliner at the side of the room. She had taken his bedsheets, he realized, and had used them on herself while he slept.

He couldn’t help but find that a bit rude, despite the fact that she had paid for the room… and his food… and probably for everything he’d drank last night… Man, he was really going to have to work his ass off to pay her back, huh? What even counted as currency in this world? He’d seen them use coins and a couple of metal cards, but he hadn’t paid attention to what it was called or what they meant.

He sort of guessed the metal cards cost more? They were bigger than the coins, so it made sense. Well, not like anything made sense in this new world. His head suddenly burned again, and he had to take a moment for it to calm down. …Wasn’t his demon regeneration doing anything!? If he could take a hit through the chest like nothing then why was some goddamn alcohol finally taking him out?

He looked at the counter and found a pitcher of water with a cup next to it. Lidia must have taken it from downstairs for him. Even if it wasn’t for him, it definitely was now. He took the giant pitcher and brought it to his mouth, ignoring the tiny cup. The water poured down his throat, his dry mouth soaking it up like a sponge. He could feel the water freezing his burning mind, the feeling so nice he almost didn’t realize he needed to breathe air.

He had to pull the pitcher away with both hands, getting some water on his shirt. “Gah! Haha… Hah…” Something was happening. His stomach felt like it was on fire, but weirdly enough not in a painful way. After a few moments, it went away, as well as the piercing headache… Thank god. He ran a hand through his hair, enjoying the moment to its fullest. There was just something so pleasing about the aftermath of a painful experience.

He was so in the moment that he hadn’t even noticed Lidia’s awakening, or the look of disgust on her face. “Dear gods… are all demons such savages?” He turned to her, grinning. “Only when they’re hungover. How the hell are you holding up so well?” She shrugged, snuggling into the bedsheets to get more comfortable. “Purification spell. Before you ask, it could kill you outright if I tried it on you, so don’t ask.”

He laughed nervously. She really could just end him at a moment’s notice, huh? “Don’t worry, I sorted that out myself… Speaking of purification… Your spells, are they like, from a god, or something?” She looked at him weirdly before shaking her head. “Gods only provide blessings or curses. They cannot give you power. I trained for years before I learned how to manifest holy power. Even a demon could learn, though their temperaments make it hard to do so… My back feels stiff. Curse this hard chair…”

She once again shimmied in the chair, before eventually sighing in defeat and getting up. He smiled guiltily. “You… can sleep on the bed, you know? I didn’t really think you would have stayed with me. I thought you were going to just abandon me here, to be honest.” She gave him a look as if he was dumb. “You idiot. Who was going to wrap you back up if I left?” Ah… she was right. He didn’t know how to thank her. “You did all this for me… I’ll pay you back one day. I promise.”

It was something he promised himself already, but he wanted to say it to her just to really solidify it. She looked at him haughtily, before yawning, putting her arms over her head to stretch. “I guess that means you aren’t leaving any time soon?” He nodded, taking the sheets from the chair and reordering the bed. “Yeah. I kinda like it here, and I need a bit of time before I get what I need to travel. I’m thinking of getting a mask, Frederick told me of a tailor-”

He was pulled back around in the middle of making the bed, seeing Lidia’s pissed-off face. “You know, Elliot. If we properly explain to them that you aren’t a bad person I’m sure they’ll come around. You don’t need to run away if you think that’s your only option.” He took a step back, raising his arms in defense. What’s gotten into her? “W-what? You know just how well that worked. I had to let you stab me before you let your guard down, and even then it took you hours before you actually trusted me.”

She scowled. Stepping closer to him. “That was before. You were untrustworthy. Now you have me by your side. If they won’t see reason then I’ll at least stop them from attacking you.” Jesus, this girl was persistent. “L-let me at least gather what I need to leave. That way i can quickly escape if your friends suddenly decide to burn me- Whoah!” She shoved him back onto the bed, her eyes angry.

What was happening!? “My friends aren’t as shallow as me, Elliot… Sadie, she knows how it feels to be hated for nothing. And Jack used to be part of something… bad before joining us. Frederick… He wouldn’t hurt you after what you did to save him. If the others attacked you then he’d stand in their way. It’s in his code.” Oh, what the hell. Was she feeling guilty about lying to her friends? Now, of all times?

“We can talk this out, Lidia. We… just can’t make any rash decisions right now. It could cost me my life, you know? Remember what almost happened yesterday?” Her eyes softened at the words, he didn’t even need to point out a specific moment. Plenty of times they’d been suspicious of him or had tried to uncover his face. It reminded her just how serious the situation could turn if done wrongly.

“But…” She looked like she still wanted to argue, but nothing came out. Both of them knew he was right. The situation was just too dangerous at the moment. He put a hand on her shoulder, consolingly. “Hey, maybe after I get to know them a little better I’ll tell them what I am. They’re already warming up to me a bit, especially that Jack guy. He’s actually pretty fun.” Despite her obvious worry over the problem, she scoffed.

“Jack is only like that when you get him drunk. You’re going to get shot with an arrow if you treat him like that again sober.” He waved her away. “Nah. We’re best friends now. I’m asking him if he wants to go to the tailor with me. I need someone who knows their way around and he looks like he has good fashion taste. …what the hell?” As he spoke, something in his body felt different. It had happened out of nowhere, but the feeling was similar to when he had first swallowed that demon spirit before. Only…

It felt as if something finally settled inside him.

Instinctually, he let the blood in his hands take over, the black claws just as sharp and jagged as before. Not any different, unfortunately. He turned to Lidia, who didn’t even flinch, surprisingly. “What’s wrong?” She asked him as he inspected his body. “Something… I think I finally digested that demon from before. I think I feel a bit more… powerful.” He looked up to see her face scrunched up in disgust. “...Gross. I forgot you did that.”

He nodded, finding it a bit gross himself. “You didn’t need to say that, but yeah… Can I… try something on you? I don’t think it’ll-” “No.” She crossed her arms, looking at him as if he’d gone nuts. “You’re crazy if you think I’ll let you use some demonic magic on me.” He sighed, defeated. “Yeah, it was silly of me to ask. You’ve done enough to help me for a lifetime, already… Thank you again, by the way.”

She smirked, puffing out her chest smugly. “And don’t you forget it! This room was a good 8 silver pieces! That’s almost a whole C-rank quest, you know?” Despite the complaining, the smile on her face seemed to show just how proud she was in herself. He smiled, realizing just how good of a situation he was in. If he hadn’t saved this girl then he’d have almost definitely been found out or killed. He’d have been just another demon to hunt.

He managed to find the perfect person in the woods to help him with that. Desperate, weak, and most of all, kind. There were always those people in the world who felt good going out of their way to help others, especially when the other has helped them in any way. People that were easy to take advantage of. Not saying he would do that… just that the option was there. He certainly wouldn’t decline anything given to him, though.

“Ah, wait… You were talking about C-rank jobs, right? What are those? Can I make any money off them? Do you know anyone who’s hiring?” If he was able to make money quickly then he’d certainly take the time to do them. She shook her head. “Quests, not jobs. They’re more like contracts than any actual steady money, but people do them because they pay well. People call adventurers lazy because, but considering the danger, it really is a proper cost. A C-rank usually gives a silver card, or 20 silver.”

He nodded along, trying to understand what any of it meant. “…So, 20 silver… is that a lot?” She looked at him weirdly, before sighing in defeat. “Gods… You’re like a newborn. 6 silver pieces can get you a month’s lodging in this room. 20 silver pieces guarantee a good couple of months of easy living, so it’s not like they’re underselling you. Oh, and by the way…” She reached into her robes and pulled out a chain with a small, octagonal piece of green metal engraved with a C on it. “I’m a C-rank, and so is the rest of the group.”

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She stopped, looking as if she remembered something. “Well, Frederick is a B-rank, but only in name alone. He’s only ever completed one B-rank quest on his own… I’m sure you know what I’m talking about.” Elliot nodded. She was talking about last night when the knight had talked about defeating a drake on his own. Even through the big man’s boasting, he could tell luck played an incredibly large role in defeating it. “…bastard took home a gold card for that quest. It’s how he was able to afford that stupid sword of his. It wasn’t nearly enough, though, so he had to ask me for some of my savings… I swear.”

He watched as she continued complaining about her brother. It must have been nice, having someone like that to take care of and have take care of you. Family really was something strong enough to hold some people together. Her brother cared for her too, obviously. He wouldn’t have been possessed by a demon otherwise… Speaking of which. “Hey, Lidia. Can you wrap the bandages on me? I’m thinking of heading somewhere. Is there a place I can look up on information?”

She looked at him inquisitively, before going up to him and beginning the almost surgical application on the bandages. She was way too experienced with this type of thing for it to be normal. “Try the library. It’s just down the road, with a sign that had the initials A.L on it.” Wow, that was easier than he expected. This place seemed quite old-fashioned, so he had expected to have to buy the information. Well, maybe he’d still have to.

“Do they have any books on demons? Like, what they’re capable of and their weaknesses?” She nodded nonchalantly as if that kind of information being public was the most normal thing in the world. “I thought they’d be a bit harder to get…” She just waved it off. “Of course not, the library is guild funded to prevent idiot adventurers from killing themselves in a quest. It doesn’t really stop idiots, though, since they can barely read… It’s a vicious cycle.”

He laughed at what seemed to be a joke, but when she turned to him seriously, he stopped. Right, people probably couldn’t read in this world, huh? Even in a luxurious place such as this… How insane. “You might have some trouble looking for pure demons, like yourself, not because they’re but I’m pretty sure you can find a book or two.” She told him as she finished wrapping him up. He stood, making sure his clothes didn’t reveal his skin anywhere.

He was okay, probably.

“I’m heading out. The more I learn about myself the more I can… I don’t actually know. Guess that’s another reason to go.” He ignored the way she rolled her eyes at his stupid comment, and went to the door, before turning back again. “Ah, teach me how to use bandages later. I don’t want to bother you all the time with this stuff.” She gave him a dismissive nod and jumped onto the bed he just made. She must have been tired, sleeping without a bed…

She could have at least told him she’d do that before he made the bed, though. With that, he went out the door, looking at the inn one last time before leaving. It looked quite expensive. If it took only six silver to stay in a place like this for a month… then he’d really had it out for him if he wanted to repay what he owed. …How much was a gold card, anyways? He was told one was given when you did a B-rank quest… but he wasn’t told just how much more it was than silver.

…He didn’t even have a single silver to his name, though, so thinking that far ahead wouldn’t do much for him. Eventually, he made it through the streets to the library. He had expected a small, bookshop-like building…. The place was almost as massive as the guildhall next to it. As he entered, he understood why a lot of adventurers hadn’t bothered going to this place… Even if they could read, having to traverse the massive shelves that lined the inside of the building was enough to almost have him turn and run.

Almost.

Luckily, he saw someone with a stack of books, carefully lining them up on the shelves. She was quite short, with thick-framed glasses that drooped down on her nose. She had a thick, blue dress that made her seem fancy. As she lined the books her brow furrowed anxiously and her gaze turned downward, making him wonder what had caused her to-

Ah, he’d been caught staring. A man wrapped in bandages staring at a girl in a completely empty room…

He had to quickly turn the situation. He slouched, looking around with a fake, anxious appearance. “Sorry, It’s my first time being in such an… oppressing room. I guess I was just relieved to find someone to help me.” He lowered his head and scratched the back of his head to look more like a fool. People who preferred to be alone tended to accept others when they fit a certain profile in their minds.

Especially when that profile meant they were dumber than them. He pointed at the books, “I just learned that this place existed, haha… And I heard I could learn some secret way to defeat demons here.”

The girl’s eyes narrowed, before she turned away with a sigh. Good, she was no longer anxious, just annoyed by his presence. Quite depressing that such a thing meant an improvement. “The books are meant to give you proper preparation against demons. They will not give you a way to defeat them easily, but they will prevent your untimely death.” Her eyes were round and sad when she said that, and he couldn’t help but think many other adventurers have heard those same lines.

That was a bit depressing… “Haha, either way… I was hoping to get a book on demons of… pureblood, I think they were called?” She turned to him in shock, her big eyes somehow getting even bigger. She was the one that stepped up to him this time. “Pure demons!? You’re asking for death if you try to meet one of those! They can take out a group of D-rank like they’re nothing, you know? What even is your rank!?”

Jeez. Was D-rank really that weak? “Uh, I haven’t joined yet, so… D-rank, I guess?” She looked as if the world was ending before her very eyes. “...D…D-rank is the third-lowest in the guild. There are F-rank and E-rank before you can even dream of becoming a D-rank…” He took a step back from the now trembling girl. How the hell did he always manage to anger anyone he met!? “Pure demons don’t attack, they kill… They’ll do more than scratch up your face!” “Th-then all the reason I should read up on demonic creatures, yeah?”

He flashed a toothy grin, before remembering he was under the bandages. This kind of thing wouldn’t work without the emotions on his face… dammit, it was time to ditch the act.

He decided to just give up the whole fool act for now. It wasn’t working, so he’d try something else. His posture shifted, making himself tower above the girl who was almost eye-level with him before. As they met eyes, she faltered at his intense gaze, looking to the floor despite her earlier statements. “Look, do you see these bandages?” He asked. He waited for the girl to answer, who took a moment to realize just how badly the situation turned.

“Yes…” He tugged on one of the bandages, worming a finger through it. “What do you think caused this scar? What do you think ruined my face? Does this look like a simple scratch, to you?” He made his black blood worm out of his face, forming it to look like a horrible, misshapen piece of flesh on his cheek. He made sure to show it to the girl, not completely, but enough to let her mind wander with ideas.

The girl had acted scared before he’d acted like a buffoon. It meant she was weak, and scared of situations she couldn’t control. The same reason she holed herself up in this tiny library. He’d scare her, make her feel as if she had no control.

And then he’d simply give it back.

His eyes softened, turning into that of a man in shambles. He fell back, pulling the bandages back into place. He tripped a bit going back to act defenseless, even considering tumbling back and falling on his ass before considering it overkill. “I… I’m sorry. I truly didn’t mean to show you something so terrible. Truth be told… I know I can’t defeat such a terrible creature-” hah “-but I still want to at least know if there’s a cure for my… disease. I know these bandages are quite hard to look at… Though it’s better than seeing a few scratches, right?” He barely stopped himself from grinning as her eyes became soft again, guilt plain in her eyes as he repeated what she had said to him.

Make him the victim. Make her the villain. Make them want to be the hero.

“I… I apologize for making fun of your face. I truly didn’t think that such a… rare case would waltz into this library. …You’re quite brave to act so aloof of such a condition before I…” She turned away. His heart pulsed with energy. Exactly, my outburst was your fault. You turned me into this. Now help me or suffer the guilt you…

…you

Oh, what the hell was he doing!?

Something in his stomach settled, and all of a sudden he was back in the library, his tongue no longer as honeyed as before. He looked down at the girl he’d basically manipulated into feeling sorry for him in horror. This wasn’t him. He wouldn’t… well, yeah, he’d lie sometimes but he’d never done… that! He turned away, unable to look at her. She must have taken that as a reason to act, because she suddenly pulled out a notebook. He watched her silently as she scribbled on one of the pages, slowly and methodically writing down words.

When she finished, she ripped the page out. “...these are the places you’ll find books relating to pure demons. If… If you need help with anything please don’t hesitate to ask me.” He reached out for the page with a trembling hand, pinching it with two fingers to stay away from her as much as possible. If he could he’d just have run out of the library already.

His demeanor might have hurt the girl’s feelings, though. “And… I understand if you’d rather not speak to me, after… after what I said.” Fuck. She really thought she was the bad guy, huh? He’d have to man it out and clear this up. He bent down to meet her eyes, making them seem as foolhardy as possible. “As if I’d pass up the help of someone who knows their place around here. I can’t believe you’d still help me even after I acted like such a fool…Thank you.”

Her eyes widened at his once again sudden shift in mood. Shit, he had to be more subtle. “I… I really hope we can get along miss…despite what I’ve done.” He was the one at fault here, and he’d make sure she’d know it. He tried not to think about how much more effective the previous plan had been all the meanwhile. “I… Thank you for forgiving me. I truly don’t hold any ill will against you, as well.” He also tried not to think about how weird the way she talked was.

He smiled, though it was a bit strained. It was a good thing she couldn’t see it. He wished she’d blame him more for what had just happened, but he couldn't deny this was best-case scenario. “Thank you, miss. Would you mind telling me your name? I think I’ll be forced to come here quite a bit, might as well get acquainted with the people here, yes?” Dammit, now he was starting to talk like her, it was infectious.

She didn’t seem to notice, or if she did she certainly hadn’t minded. With a gentle smile on her face, she looked at him with relief. “Madeline. My name is Madeline.” He couldn’t help but worry for the girl, who was so easily swayed. “My name is Elliot. Elliot Dresmr.”