"Aria, what are you going to do from now on?"
During leisure time, Axel and Aria were chilling in the lobby. While waiting for upcoming customers, Axel broke the moment silence between them to learn more about Aria's background.
"You don't need to answer if you don't feel like..."
He realized his question touched something personal so he decided to back off the question.
"It's alright. "
Even Aria said so, her face couldn't hide the anxiety.
Axel knew Aria was originally made to serve humans but due to her inevitable situation now, he's looking forward to her next move. Since he met her, Axel expected Aria as an interesting subject to his research.
"I think master has left me a message on the latest update"
"Message?"
[Fragment Downloaded: 1/5 ]
'Am I need to install the remaining four? Is that what I'm supposed to do now? Based on the data, I'm still not completed?'
Aria cracked her mind. She really hopes at least Dean was there with her so he could answer all her questions. What she understands now, she had to find and install the remaining four fragments. That's the goal set in her mind.
Having Aria silent, Axel didn't want to press her any further and take his leave to lay down on the sofa in front of her. He closed his eyes as he's about to sleep.
"Sir Axel..."
"...I told you to drop the 'sir' thing."
"Ahh...so you want me to call you like a friend? Is that okay?"
He just smiled while his eyes were still shut. It's quite silent so Axel took the opportunity to rest his eyes after sleepless nights. He thought it would be fine when Aria was there. She could wake him up if someone's coming.
The customers they have were very few so Axel got nothing to worried about slacking off for a moment. Just when Axel was about to fall into a sweet dream, a loud rough voice coming from outside, made him wide awake. Aria too felt familiar with the voice. The speaker was none other than that demon.
"Like I said, I'm not going to help you! "
Zacharias yelled angrily at a middle-aged man below his feet. He staggered while carrying a bag of herbs and a middle-aged man gripped his leg while begging hopelessly. From the look, Zacharias unintentionally dragged the man all the way back here.
Despite Zacharias's harsh reply, the man didn't fall back and kept asking for help. Looking at how pathetic the man is, Axel just shook his head from inside. He's that desperate for asking a demon for help? Axel viewed him as nothing but an idiot.
Aria, on the other hand, felt pity for the man. Throwing Zacharias aside, why Axel didn't have the urge to help the man like he helped Aria? He just doing nothing by standing there watching Zacharias cursing the man.
"Ugh, you HUMAN disgusted me!"
Zacharias finally reached his limit and about to kick the man but Aria dashed and blocked his kick. The demon leg and iron arm collided and left an unpleasant loud sound.
"...Out of my way"
Zacharias's a little startled and glared at Aria as he warned her to not interfere. The conflict left a surprise to Axel. He didn't expect Aria would step in and protect the man.
"A person is in trouble. It's only the right to help him"
Despite the threatening, Aria spoke so calmly as she rubbed her scratched arm. The kick left a little scar to the iron.
"Are you an idiot? Telling that to a demon is just a waste of time! "
"I'm not wasting my time. Because I believe you're not a bad demon"
As soon Aria said that she left a big surprise to Axel as he starts shivering. His eyes immediately focused on Zacharias who was surrounded by a deadly black aura. The forbidden word that one could never say to a demon, Aria just spit it out. Calling a demon a 'good' guy is no different than insulting them.
"....You said I'm a what?"
Zacharias suddenly raised his hand and tried to land a big impact on Aria's head, she quickly averted the attack and let the ground below her pierced. From her calculation, one hit is enough to turn her head into pieces.
"...I'M NOT A BAD DEMON? I'VE NEVER HEARD A GREATER INSULT THAN THAT!!!"
"That's a compliment, you demon!!!"
She tried to calm him down and at the same time putting her lot of effort to dodge his furious attacks. Assuming the battle was getting nowhere, Axel got no other choice but to interfere. He murmured unknown words and an invisible chain circled Zacharias's body.
"Wha...??! UGHH! Axel, you IDIOT! Don't stop me!!!"
Zacharias struggled as he tries to break the restrain spell. Seeing the demon stops moving, Aria took the opportunity to check on the man. Fortunately, he got no injuries. That convinced Aria, Zacharias never hurt the man.
"Don't get in the way, Axel! YOU can't stop me!!!"
"No, I can and WILL stop you whenever you went berserk"
Axel clenched his fist to tighten the chain as he got no sign of calm from Zacharias. Aria looking from afar, amazed by Axel's skill, using magic with just a bare hand. Normally, a wizard needs a medium such as a magic stick and wand to manipulate their magic and cast a spell. But the wizard in front of her now casually using magic by just moving a hand.
The tight chain by Axel made Zacharias felt a little pain around his stomach. Based on Axel's serious face, no one knows what's the wizard thinking. He might want to murder Zacharias if the demon's still not calm for the next minutes.
"You think why I started working in Edenwoods? If it's about money, with my skill, I could just open my own business and sell potions and scrolls easily. I could earn tons of money without much effort if I want to. But I chose to work here for reasons and stopping you was one of my reasons. I'm here to stop YOU, Zach. You're dangerous."
His clenched didn't move an inch. Until he confirmed that Zacharias has calmed down, he would never retrieve the chain. Axel assured no one knows better than him about how scary Zacharias is when he went berserk.
Soon after the next hour, Axel lifted the chain as Zacharias back to his usual self. They returned to the hotel lobby where Aria and the man were at. Good thing the man was calmer than Axel expected. The questioning session would be hard if the man is in his panic state.
After sat and apologized for earlier, Axel calmly asked the man several questions regarding the matter. Out of all people, why a human has the audacity to demand a demon. That's the only thing that matter in Axel's mind.
Aria used her scanner and the basic information of the man was displayed in her mind. Good thing her scanner was still usable even after all the incidents happened. The scanner was programmed at her forehead allow her to see through someone's information. However, she couldn't dig in too deep because of personal matters.
Name: Relic Herder
Race: Human
Age: 47
Hometown: McLakes City
Special trait: None
"So...Mr Herder. Why're you asking a stranger demon like him for help? Can't you ask the people from the city instead?"
"I would if I can. But this is a matter that only a demon can do"
Herder said with stuttered voice while glances at Zacharias leans beside the counter.
"Shameless human"
Zacharias murmured silently but everyone in the room could hear him clearly. Axel just grinned and nodded as he requested Herder to give further explanation.
"A few days ago, my wife went out to pick up rare herbs to brew a magic medicine to one of her clients. Due to an urgent matter, she couldn't pick up at the spot where she used to. She went to a different area where the herbs grow. But it's a bit risky since the area was quite dark and dangerous. I tried to stop and told her to just find a supplier but she kept convincing me that she would be alright. I let her go then but... she hasn't come back until now. Two days ago, I learnt the area was like demons territory, I was panic something bad might have happened to her so I requested the city officers to find her. "
"Afterwards...they failed?"
Axel casually jumped to the worst conclusion because he assured the officers of McLakes City were not that strong.
"...The officers who were in charge for the finding...end up dead..."
Herder despondently said with a low voice. Aria and Axel gazed at him with a sad look while Zacharias looked away from them but hearing all conversation.
"That's unfortunate"
Axel stood up from his seat as he understood the whole circumstance though Herder wasn't actually finished explaining.
"You know what they said 'To Catch a Thief, You must Set a Thief'. Something like that, won't you agree, Zach?"
Axel didn't face Zacharias but just moved his eyes towards him at the corner. With a frown gloomy look, Zacharias slowly moves his body to face Axel. Axel sounded sarcastic but he didn't.
"What're you trying to point out?"
Zacharias knew the hidden meaning behind the words but he just asked anyway to confirm his understanding. He's not an idiot like most of the demons are.
"The main culprit here was the demon correct? Mrs Herder might get into a fight with demons and you know...went missing. So it only makes sense if we send another demon to get rid of a demon?"
"Hold on. I told him I'm not going to help! If someone wants to help, why don't you do it, Axel?"
The rescue team before was a failure because they were not strong enough. But a powerful wizard like Axel could easily destroy them but Axel refused to. When he learnt Mrs Herder was a wizard, he set his mind to not let himself to be a saviour. Due to his dark past, he wants to avoid from getting involved in a matter concerning the wizard race.
"I can't leave the premise when the manager entrusted me to look after. Moreover, we can't let Mr Herder alone here at this state. It's too dangerous. Worry not. Aria will accompany you, Zach"
"...! "
Both Aria and Zacharias were left surprised on their face. Aria thought she wouldn't get involved in this matter and she could aid them from the back. But instead, she needs to work as a front line? Zacharias was against the idea to help a human from the began with. And to be paired with a human girl, it's just too much to handle.
Aria didn't want to work with a demon but she couldn't bear to see another human suffer, she remembered her home every time she saw human. Zacharias from the other hand genuinely refused to help someone weaker than him but he considered his refusal due to Axel. He was neither scared nor obedient to Axel, he agreed to help because Axel kept pressuring him which he found annoying.
Soon, they reached the agreement to go investigate and find Mrs Herder ASAP with the hope, she's alive.
"Five days after the disappearance. She was last seen at the bottom of Sky Mountain. I've never been there before but based on my calculations, you can reach there if you walk from here towards the west in 3 hours."
Aria and Zacharias gazed at Axel while he's explaining necessary things before their departure. For Zacharias, 3 hours walk is nothing but just a quick stroll in park. The same as Aria, she's a mecha and she got high stamina to last longer.
"The mountain might be demons' territory so you two, be careful when you approaching them. Don't die on me okay?"
Seconds before they departed, Aria retrieved a map and a compass from Axel. She thought it's unnecessary for them to bring such things because Zacharias has a good sense of direction and Aria got no problem finding ways with her system, keeping them just in case.
In the amid of woods far away from the city, two figures were walking on the west path for the straight 2 hours without breaking a sweat. None of them ever showed tiredness on their face, and none of them lost breath.
"...Hey, you're not tired?"
Aria startled by the question escaped from Zacharias's mouth. Though he didn't sound like care but more like an obvious harsh insult, Aria felt a little pleasure deep inside her heart.
Looking at them both, they didn't lose their composure and lose speed of their steps. They walk like they're taking a stroll during free time. The soft wind gushed through her blueish hair, she's indeed felt like she's walking along the sand path near the beach.
"You're one of weird human"
"Huh, come again?"
Aria was half-heard Zacharias. She thought she heard like he's calling her a human, she's happy as she's more life alike now.
After a seconds thought, Aria remembered that she didn't thank Zacharias properly for saving her life. If he didn't bring her to Axel and left her alone in the forest, she would have been dead. But she seemed more awkward to talk to him as she's not used to yet.
"...um...Z-Zach..."
As a colleague, Aria felt like she must talk more often since most of her next life would be involved around the hotel.
"Bitch"
Before she could speak further, Zacharias suddenly cut off.
"Huh, did you just call me a bitch???"
Aria raised her voice but then she realised Zacharias was talking to someone behind her. There's a mysterious figure moving behind the tree.
"Leave, bitch!!!"
Before Zacharias could throw a tantrum, the figure quickly moved away from the scene, intimidated by him.
"What was that?"
Aria was looking at the tree and then turning to Zacharias's serious face.
"I believe that's just another stray demon looking for a prey."
"Heh?"
"By a prey, I mean YOU, human. Don't ever let your guard down in a place like this. You will lose your head in no time if you do"
"Oh..."
She had no idea how dangerous the outside world is. Since this was the first time she left the city, she has the very least knowledge about survival skills.