“I need time to develop a proper plan in case things don’t turn out well with the negotiations. I don’t intend on accepting no as an answer to our takeover… It won’t be easy, but we have time. I doubt Isolf will come back that quickly… But considering how easily Luna had her dancing to her little tune, he will likely be the most helpful in this situation.” Kazius stated as he began walking back to Vargstam with Damon and Azanor.

“That is true, I was not around for long, but it was obvious he seemed easy to manipulate. I am willing to help with that, but I hope you know… I still won’t lie.” Azanor insisted.

It seemed that he found the need to emphasize that to separate himself from other Demons for his own sake…

Even if he did not eat souls, he was determined to not lie. It was another way to assure himself that he was different, even if the standard he held himself up to was not one even most mortals could pass.

Of course, Kazius could not judge him for it. Even now, Kazius kept assuring himself… He would be a hero in the future… He would save the world from the second rising of The Demon King… And even take down the corrupt Church of The Oracle… So even if his methods were questionable, it would be alright. If he resisted the temptations from The Shadows, he would not become something terrible. He just had to use his own strength… His own Shadow, nothing more. If he did that, he would not change any further.

So… It was okay if he used some questionable methods… As long as it was with good intentions. Then he wouldn’t be cruel for the sake of cruelty.

‘It is The Shadow’s fault for how I have been feeling lately. I will become a hero despite their influence, through my own methods.’

Kazius assured himself…

‘You’re really going to tie a hand behind your back, like that? There is no reason to give yourself such a foolish handicap. You are one of us… But keep blaming us if that makes you feel better. You will see the truth soon enough.’ The distinct voice snickered out, mocking him in a bitter and amused tone.

Kazius ignored the voice, refusing to acknowledge it. He promised himself he would stop trying to respond to The Shadows….

But deep down, Kazius wondered if the voice had a point. He was unsure whether his methods truly were any more of a better influence than The Shadows themselves. All he could really do though was assure himself that he was correct.

Kazius was snapped out of his thoughts by a question from Damon before he could think on the matter for too long.

“Can you really do that without lying?” Damon questioned in confusion, furrowing his eyebrows at the idea.

“Of course you can. You don’t have to lie to manipulate someone, Damon. You should be aware of that. You can always handpick what you say so that it is to your benefit… Or you can purposefully omit certain information, so the other person makes their own assumptions that also benefit you… Not to mention, Damon. You forget one fact.” Azanor explained, a devilish and wide grin spreading on his face at the thought.

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Were he speaking in front of anyone else in such a way, he would be in trouble. Of course, Kazius trusted Azanor and knew him well. They all acknowledge the terrible nature of who they were and or their ideals… So, among themselves, there was no pretext anymore.

“And what is that?” Damon asked in confusion.

“I am a Demon, whether I like it or not.” Azanor stated simply.

Damon’s expression was full of curiosity, clearly, he was interested in seeing what Azanor had in mind.

Of course, Azanor had just expressed how much he disliked being a Demon… But emotions and instinct were different. While Azanor did not like what he was… There was quite the grin on his face in anticipation at the idea of pulling off something devilish.

Kazius supposed that since they had made their agreement, it would be his job to reign Azanor in if he got too carried away. They agreed to be terrible and do good while being so, but they all had lines they did not want to cross.

Soon, they had returned to Vargstam. The town seemed to have settled down despite the explosion from the Vind statue. Some workers were moving about, carrying wood and the like… Likely preparing for the funeral of the scouts who had been unfortunate enough to die before they could reach the town.

Heading inside their home, they headed in the direction of the conference room. As expected, Alice was there. She seemed a bit tired while Eve sat next to her, looking rather saddened.

Kazius could not help but feel guilty for leaving Alice to deal with everything… And even more now for not telling her the truth. She covered for his lies to Egil without so much as batting an eye, it confused him… Alice was an honest person, so much so that her desire for the truth had ended in her family’s execution… So why lie now?

“Welcome back.” Alice told them with a small smile.

Upon seeing Azanor, Eve perked up, practically running up to him. She looked at him hesitantly with this puppy-eyed look.

“Are you feeling better? I am sorry I was not able to cheer you up even though I am your best friend.” Eve stated in dismay, seeming to blame herself for his sadness.

It was weird to think about how different Eve’s personality was from Evesorane's. Then there was the fact she was Caleb’s aunt considering she was Zelphar’s strange Dark Magic-obsessed sister. Not to mention, if she was able to relearn her Dark Magic… Memories or not, she could become quite frightening.

“Yes, I feel a lot better. Thank you, Eve.” Azanor stated softly. He stared at her, his expression softening as sadness seemed to return to his eyes. Forgetting himself for a minute, he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead. Talking about Evesorane so much had mixed him up some, making him forget about the boundaries he had set for himself for her sake.

Eve was quite surprised at the action, her face becoming red all the way to even the tip of her ears.

Azanor was a bit flustered when he caught himself clearing his throat. His own face was a bit pink. From how Azanor described Evesorane… It was likely Azanor had been the one to get flustered before, not the other way around.

“S-Sorry about that.” Azanor stated simply before looking at all the eyes that were on them.

Eve smiled at this, her face brightening quite a bit.

“Don’t be sorry!” Eve exclaimed, hugging Azanor contently. It seemed she was just content that Azanor was feeling better.

Focusing back on Alice, Kazius smiled a her apologetically.

“Thank you for taking care of things, Alice… I’m sorry for dumping everything on you… Can you tell me everything that you were able to do?” Kazius questioned.