For the hundredth time already, Alexia hoped she’d better be deaf rather than hearing Zefrael’s nonsense. But she had no other choice, as her hearing was still as perfect as ever.

“What the hell are you saying now?” She asked suspiciously.

“I told you, I think it would be him,” the demon lord whispered quietly while taking a glance at the young man who walked a few steps in front of them.

“Huh? The town mayor’s son??” Alexia confusedly raised her eyebrows at Zefrael who grinned with excitement by her side. “What are you implying, shitlord?” She added in a whisper—so that no one would hear her mentioning the shitlord phrase—before she shifted her confused gaze towards the mayor’s son.

He was a young man in his twenties with spiky dark purple hair and blazing green eyes. The left side of his head was shaved with lightning motif and he was wearing a tight leather suit which pressed on his lean body. A crossbow, dangling on his back, indicated his role as an archer.

Alexia already heard his name back there. It’s Merion.

“See? Do you realize the flag yet?”

Zefrael whispered again to her ears and Alexia immediately jolted in surprise. His breath which brushed her earlobe had startled her beyond any words and knocked an incoherent beat to her heart.

She hurriedly stayed away from the shitty demon lord, covering her ears and staring at him dejectedly. “The hell are you doing!?” she screamed in low voice, unconsciously followed his whispering.

“Shh! We wouldn’t want him to hear this,” warned Zefrael.

Alexia promptly stared at him with a dry look. “I’m lost. Are we talking about a secret here?”

“Well, not really…” Zefrael seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, before he turned back to the girl, “but I think, he better not hear this.”

“Ha…” Alexia didn’t know what to say anymore. Whether she liked it or not, this weird and incomprehensible demon lord was her companion, even so, she realized that it was impossible for her to stay on the same wavelength with him. Now, and probably, forever.

In any case, the town with a bell tower in the horizon was a small but lively town. At her first journey to reach Zefrael’s castle, she didn’t even stop in this town even for a second, nor had she planned to. For her, it was only a distraction for her mission to kill the demon lord. That’s why she’d gone straight to the demon lord's castle from the capital.

Not even in her dreams, she thought that this kind of development where she would go to town and town to offer her help would ever happen in her life.

Too coincidental with Zefrael’s opinion that a hero should willingly help people in need, that small but lively town was in dire need of  help from a hero.

Considering that she was the Chosen Hero, 'offering help' was supposed to be her duty, but it was too bothersome for Alexia. To be honest, she rather skipped the hassle and resumed the journey around the world, but then, it would cross the purpose of this second journey offered by the shitty demon lord.

It was, after all, a journey for finding party members.

It sounded stupid, but she realized that Zefrael's theory was right. If she had party members, the chance for her to kill him would increase. So, she finally braced herself to accept this ridiculously shitty plan of his, one step at a time.

This time, in the town with a bell tower, the quest was slaying a dreadful dragon.

One day, an evil dragon suddenly appeared out of nowhere. It had destroyed the town marketplace into rubble, and causing a few casualties within the townsfolk.

With  great effort, the people had succeeded to drive out the dragon to the mountainous cavern not far from the town, but it was only a temporary solution. Fearing that one day, the evil dragon would attack the town and the townspeople again, the mayor of this small town was requesting Alexia to save their home and slay the dragon for good.

During the conversation, Zefrael was her spokesperson. Alexia wasn’t exactly good in talking with people she didn’t know, thus, she left the talking part to the demon lord. Or it was supposed to be.

Zefrael had grumbled his protest at the dragon slaying quest. He had said some nonsense about dragon being a near-ending quest that Alexia shouldn’t tackle in the first stage.

How stupid. She was the hero and she didn't need a demon lord to tell her which one she should do and which one she shouldn’t. She gathered her courage, and successfully accepted the mayor’s request—even if her voice had trembled for a second there. Fortunately, Zefrael yielded without further protest—maybe commending her for raising her voice by her own volition, or maybe he realized that the final verdict ultimately rested on her shoulders.

Then, the mayor sent his son to help Alexia reach the cavern where the dragon was supposed to be. So, now here she was, trudging through mountainous hillside to reach the cavern with Zefrael on her side, and the mayor’s son, Merion a few steps in front of them.

The sounds of chirping birds and cicadas surrounded the forested pathway, singing the tune of a calm melody. The high soaring trees rustled in the warm wind, and their leaves filtered the sunlight into thin patches of calmly swaying shadows on the ground. The scenery was very normal—too normal and too peaceful—which left Alexia doubting if there really was a dreadful dragon lurking around.

She tried to stay vigilant, ready for any ambush from the said dragon, but what Zefrael had said a minute ago actually tickled her curiousness. “Flag?” she repeated what the demon lord said to her, puzzled.

“Yes, the flag. It’s so obvious even I could see it,” he whispered again with a grin on his face.

Still feeling lost, Alexia swept her surrounding, and tried to look for the ‘flag’ that Zefrael was talking about. But, aside from the dense forest with various sized stone cliffs, she didn’t find anything flag-like.

“Where are you looking?” Zefrael pulled Alexia's wrist, snatched her gaze away from the forest scenery, and gestured towards Merion, “It’s him.”

Alexia roughly warded off Zefrael’s hand from her wrist, and angrily glared at him. She almost opened her mouth to curse the demon lord for touching her, but then, she realized the sign he had been showing.

The girl darted her eyes to Merion’s back as gestured by Zefrael. “What’s with him?” she asked with sullen look. She never expected the day she talked about someone behind his back, literally, would ever come, moreover with the demon lord.

“Didn’t you see his vibrant colors and gaudy appearance?” Zefrael incredulously peered into Alexia, as if he didn’t understand why she didn’t understand, “He just can’t be the Townspeople A or B, mind you! He even got a name!”

Uh…what?” Alexia only stared at Zefrael with an astonished look. He looked so proud with himself, that it urged her to doubt her own self. How is it even possible that someone doesn’t have a name in the first place??

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Really, sometimes Alexia thought to herself, between her and the demon lord, who actually didn’t have a common sense?

“I’ll bet he will become one of your party members, Alex!” Zefrael happily added, “I told you it would be an archer!”

“Ugh, just stop cutting my name, you sh—!!”

Merion suddenly wheeled back, realizing Alexia that she had just lost her control in her voice, and probably had screamed too loud for him to hear. She promptly closed her mouth, and nervously acted like nothing happened.

But, Merion wasn’t deceived by her act. He was alternating between Alexia and Zefrael, and wrinkled his eyebrows in confusion. “Is there anything wrong? Miss Hero, I heard your scream…is the dragon..?”

“Eh? No, no! No dragon—I mean—” Alexia hurriedly amended and plastered a nervous smile to her face. Her anxiety problem struck again the moment she felt Merion’s eyes on her. She darted her eyes below, watching the sparse grass below her feet, while trying to find appropriate words in panic.

Fortunately, Zefrael helped her. “Nothing happened, Merion!” he reassured the archer in exchange of the girl and instantly changed the topic, “More importantly, are we there yet?”

The mayor’s son glanced at them with a shade of doubt in his green eyes, but soon, he shifted his gaze away and wheeled back to the front. “It’s not far anymore, the cavern is just beyond that cliff,” he explained earnestly and resumed his walk.

Unconsciously, Alexia breathed a relieved sigh. Facing a stranger head on is always hard, and she was kind of grateful to the demon lord for helping her out from the nervous situation.

Actually, she didn't get what the secret between her and Zefrael’s conversation, but the situation and the demon lord’s whispering had dragged her to it.

She moved her sight to the cliff Merion was talking about, accidentally caught the evil-but-happy grin Zefrael had been showing at the corner of her eyes.

It crossed her. She was grateful, but not anymore!

She was so itchy to draw her longsword and slam the blade to his victorious grin he’d been showing her, but she held herself. The situation right now had prevented her rage from bursting out. Apart from her knowledge that she wouldn’t succeed, she didn’t want Merion to be more suspicious about the connection between her and Zefrael.

Since they arrived in the town, she acted like the demon lord is one of her party members, and he did as well. Beating him now would make everything gone to waste.

Realizing that there’s only one option, she pretended that she didn’t see the demon lord’s grin and focused her attention at the cliff Merion had been leading into.

In the distance, rough and large stones covered with moss were protruding from the wall on both sides, narrowing the pathway into a small crevice. The opening was cramped enough only for one person to pass, and they needed to walk through one by one. Merion had gone first, before Alexia followed, with Zefrael walking not far behind her.

“There it is,” Merion said immediately when they passed the opening.

Beyond the crevice, the trees were getting sparse. In exchange, a single stone cliff in the size of a mountain was extending high to the sky, approximately 50 feet from the ground. Having a hard time to see the summit, even if she raised her head, Alexia gave up and focused her attention on the more distinct part of the cliff, a giant sized dark hole in the middle of it.

The cavern.

“Well now, I think my job is done,” said the archer while looking at Alexia and Zefrael, “I’ll pray for your victory. Then....” He bowed courteously, and walked back to the crevice.

“Wait a sec!!” Zefrael exclaimed and stopped Merion right before he passed the crevice. He widened his eyes and stared at the mayor’s son with a dumbfounded look. “You’re not going to help??”

Merion tilted his head in confusion. “I did, didn’t I? You guys wouldn’t reach this place without my help.”

“But I thought you were going to help her with the dragon as well,” murmured the demon lord. For once, his vibrant expression was clouded with disappointment.

“Er...sorry??” Merion said, surprised, “That’s kind of abrupt. I don't have any battle experience. Surely you aren’t hoping I could fight the dragon?”

“No way!” Zefrael exclaimed in horror, “An obvious party member candidate with townspeople trait! This can’t be happening!”

Merion blinked his eyes incredulously without saying a word—even a syllable—to Zefrael’s sudden exclamation. He was only standing there, beside the crevice, not sure on what he was supposed to do.

Alexia felt pity for him. The demon lord was spouting nonsense again, and there was no one else to help beside her. She realized that she still wasn’t comfortable talking to Merion by herself, but she couldn’t let the shitlord keep pestering him with his twisted common sense.

She swallowed her nervousness and forced herself to be brave, even for only a minute or two. “Please, just ignore him,” she said to Merion, pushing her voice to sound louder than just a mumble, while her brain tried to weave the right words. “We are—um, grateful for your guide, and we’ll take it from here…err, you can go back and…be careful…”

Being anxious, Alexia felt her voice trail off into a whisper and she lost the courage to repeat them. Fortunate for her, Merion caught on her point loud and clear.

“Yes, I’ll do that,” Merion immediately replied with a smile, “Thank you, Miss Hero, and good luck with the dragon.”

After that, he bowed again and turned back to dive into the small crevice. Zefrael was pouting on the side, but he wasn’t saying anything to stop Merion’s leave.

When the mayor's son was out of her sight, Alexia couldn’t help but feel relieved. Her nervous breath slowly returned to normal, and anxiety was finally wiped away from inside her.

“How incomprehensible…”

Beside her, Zefrael mumbled with a baffled look. His purple eyes drilled into the crevice Merion had disappeared, as if he’d seen an impossible happening in front of his eyes.

“You’re the one who's incomprehensible. Don’t pass that to another person,” Alexia commented with a sigh.

“Why? I’m just stating the obvious truth.”

“Your truth is twisted,” Alexia answered curtly. Having no interest to drag the topic longer than it should be, she coldly stared at the demon lord, “Just leave it at that.”

Zefrael exhaled his breath with a resigned look on his face. “What a bummer…I thought he’s really the one…”

“He isn’t. Just accept that you lose your bet!”

“No battle experience,” Zefrael muttered again, “Do you think his crossbow is only for decoration, Alex?”

“Like I care! Just stop cutting my name!”

Zefrael threw a short blank stare at her, before he sighed again in disappointment.

To be honest, Alexia was kind of happy with this development. True, she wouldn’t get any help from Merion for the dragon slaying thing, but it paid off already if she could see Zefrael losing. Serves him right!

Alexia didn't feel like she needed the archer’s help. Slaying dragons was new for her, but there’s always a first for everything.

“Oh well.” Finally the demon lord shrugged and turned his eyes back to the girl, “Should we leave too, then?”

“Excuse me??”

Alexia blinked her eyes, too surprised with Zefrael’s sudden words, but he just stared at her as if everything was already obvious.

“I thought this quest would present Merion as an archer in your party member, but it doesn’t seem so,” he said, “Doesn’t that mean we don’t need to waste our time here any longer? The journey is for finding party members, right?”

“Haaa? You’re insane, shitlord!” exclaimed Alexia. She glared at the demon lord with spite and opened her mouth again, “What do you say about the dragon, then!?”

“It won’t grant you party members, I suppose,”

His answer only made Alexia rage out even more. “Ugh! Is your brain stuck in that shitty word of party member!?” she shouted loudly, hoping this common sense of hers could pierce his twisted way of thinking. “This has more pressing matters!!”

“What matters?” he asked innocently.

“THE! DRAGON!!” Alexia screamed her lungs out in irritation, “Are you suggesting to leave it as it is now, leaving the dragon to attack the townspeople!? You son of a b*tch!!”

Unconsciously, she cursed again. She thought at first that the demon lord would reproach her again, but he just stood there quietly, thinking.

“…don’t think he would…” Zefrael murmured quietly while turning his face towards the gigantic hole in the cliff.

Alexia tried to hear his words more clearly but she was having some difficulties. Her eardrums were still ringing because her loud scream of fury just now, and she failed to understand the demon lord’s point.

Zefrael darted his eyes away from the cavern’s entrance, and glanced at the girl with concern, “It’s going to be hard, are you sure you want to tackle the dragon?”

“For the safety of the townspeople!” Alexia said defensively.

“Huh, so you do care…”

“Why shouldn’t I!? I’m not you, shitlord!” Alexia promptly protested. As usual, she couldn’t understand this shit of a demon lord. Who in the world would not care if people's lives were in danger? He is, obviously!

“I thought you’re a hero who has none of a real hero traits, you know,” Zefrael mumbled while rubbing his tusked pendant in his neck—which wasn’t slanted anymore after he cleaned himself—before he threw a grin to the girl, “but if you care about the wellbeing of the townspeople, honestly, that make you sounds like a real hero.”

“I’m the real hero!!”

“No one said you’re not, Alex,” he replied with a teasing smile.

Zefrael kept getting on her nerves, and she had enough already!

“GRR!!! YOU—”

Suddenly, a deep roar was reverberating through the air. Alexia's words stopped in an instant. She lost all the will to be angry to the demon lord, and it had flipped all over into vigilance.

In her anger, she probably had awakened something up from inside the cavern. How careless of her.

Alexia darted her golden eyes to the entrance and warily weaved her words into a whisper, “It’s the dragon…”

Zefrael nodded and followed her gaze towards the dark hole in the middle of the cliff. “Yes, it is the dragon,” he quietly assented.