Staring into black eyes full of abyss, Hildebrant's face did not change. Sure, there was a person with the same name in his head, the same name uttered by Hemri in darkness, but he could not remember it well.
Icarus meddled with his mind so much that there were still missing links to be connected, and Hildebrant knew it would take the time he did not seem to have, so he answered with sincerity.
"Yes, I heard of him from someone, but you are the second person who asked me about him. Is he important?"
The girl stared at him, trying to find the lie hidden in his words but there was none.
"I expected you to know him personally, in some way both of you are somehow similar."
"In what?"
Hildebrant never saw Gabriel and heard even less about him, but from the way, people were wary of him and from Hemri's description, he could tell Gabriel was a cunning person and one of the reasons why Sanctuary was so dangerous.
Cowering her mouth to try to hide her smile, the girl chuckled.
"In size."
Stunned Hildebrant looked down on the sheet covering his lower body and his face became red.
"I am still growing also it’s not very ladylike for girls to look at naked men without permission."
The girl exploded into laughter, but she quickly stopped herself and then scooped her hair away from her eyes. When her irises again fell on him, she looked more approachable than before. Was it the effect of not knowing Gabriel or something else entirely?
"You are cute Hill, it's a pity you are now part of an exorcist and not a blood demon."
Titling his head Hildebrant asked with confusion.
"Aren’t you also exorcist?"
Girl smiled.
"I am that’s why it's a pity, if you weren’t I could defeat you then tie you up and do whatever I wanted."
Scanning the girl from up and down he could not help but ask himself if this was what teacher Simon meant by cultural difference. In Everlast, if a girl said something similar her mother would give her a long lecture about what it means to be a lady but here it looked like girls or even men let their desire overflow.
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But Hildebrant didn’t dislike it and even understood it. He walked on silent shore, met Icarus, and saw hundreds of bones littered around the corridors. Dangers here were numerous and death was always close.
"I am happy about your confession, but I will need to decline."
For some reason, the girl smiled even wider.
"Don’t worry about it but if you change your mind you can come to my house anytime."
Did he not hear something similar before, why did it sound very similar to Marie's invitation he got every time they sat together for breakfast? Was this girl trying to hint at something similar to his niece?
"I will think about it, but you didn’t answer my question is Gabriel important?"
The girl looked satisfied with his answer maybe that’s why she looked so relaxed.
"He is one of the lords so it's normal for him to be important but the reason why everyone is wary of him is because he is extremely cunning, and ruthless. No one likes him. Another reason is that he holds numerous amount of artifacts he stole from Walldrifters nearly before their disappearance one of them being a great tear artifact black crown that allows its user to control darkness in his visible surroundings."
That ability sounded eerie similar to the anomalies that happened to him while he traversed the corridor with Icarus and even unexplained teleportation at the end of his escape.
Did Gabriel save him?
But didn’t it mean he was close at that time and why would he even help him against the monster known as Icarus?
"Is that also an artifact?"
He pointed at the golden case and the girl grinned.
"The case is not but what is inside is truly an ordinary type of artifact. Oh sorry, I have forgotten you lost your memory. Ordinary type stands for the lowest type of artifact and divine for the highest, but don’t underestimate them even the lowest level artifact is extremely useful if used properly."
Hildebrant nodded understanding what she wanted to say. Weapons could elevate one power, and help people have an easier life but if used unwisely their potential would be wasted and the person using them would eventually wither like all others.
Opening the case girl revealed to him a white marble pearl resting inside of the case glistering as light coming from an oil lamp was reflected on its soft surface.
"This is a marble pearl, and its use is very simple after swallowing it your mind and body will be stripped of any outside influence, and you will also gain a tattoo on your wrist that can be transformed into any weapon of your choosing. It is nothing much, but it should be useful to someone who had his mind so over-exhausted like you. All I want for it is to know what you know about Gabriel and the boy who said his name."
Observing a small pearl in a golden case Hildebrant could not help but compare it to a marble orb in Cecilie's hands. It looked similar to it the only difference being its size and the weak pure aura it emitted as it kept resting in the case.
"Is that all you want for it?"
The girl pondered and her finger kept taping on the arm of the chair. There was no one in the room other than him, a girl, and a painting so each of her taps echoed in the small room as if it was thunder. If anyone now entered the room both he and the girl would know.
Even if that anyone would be fly?
"I wouldn’t be angry if you became my consort."
She said sheepishly and then a white saber materialized in her hands.
"But I think I will take a longer approach to conquer you, so for now it's enough if you tell me what you know, and maybe my lady will be happy enough to call for you."
She then put the sword on her lap and after giving another glance at the painting Hildebrant told her what he knew.
The minute quickly became hours.