"This is wonderful, you two! Gantrian specialty?" Casmere munched on the roasted ghoul leg, his skeletal mouth gnashing against the supple, roasted meat. Bie happily ate as well, content that he had learned how to...season (?) his food. Wanxi carried around some spices, bringing them out from her Inner World as she cooked.
"Nope, my specialty!" Wanxi's ears waggled in pride as a cloudy stream was snorted out of her nostrils. The three sat around the campfire, while Gyuho took a piece of meat to a struggling Lulac and poked his face with it.
"Hmm...well, you are an excellent chef. Hoping to make Bie your protege?" Casmere's eyes were closed into a gentle bridge, his only "nice" expression of happiness since you know...he had no mouth. His eyes slid over towards the indent in the ground, before returning to Bie, who's small bites were rapidly depleting the haunch he bit into.
"Yep! He's a good learner, very patient~" She hummed along without a care in the world, content with the alone time she had received. Casmere's eyes alternated from the collapsed Lulac to Bie, back and forth again and again.
"Normally, that is?"
"Yes! He's been calm and collected most of the time I've- oh..." Casmere had heard enough, his gaze fixed firmly on Bie as Wanxi realized her mistake. She seemed to visibly deflate, unknowingly being tricked by Casmere into giving him a clue as to what happened.
"You really are a child...what did he say?" Casmere's voice seemed to have an understanding tinge to it, though his eyes remained firm. Bie was nonchalant, though, his eyes meeting his as he briefly contemplated answering. It didn't take him long.
"Has anyone of your kind told you that you don't belong?" Casmere laughed, his bones rattling after hearing this question.
"Yes."
"Then did they use that to assert they should be better than you?"
"Yes."
"Even if they were related to you? And even if you weren't, the fact that you didn't know as much as them hurt you, that you already felt like an outsider?"
"Harder question, but ultimately, yes. I have one for you," He paused, his eyes sharpening. "Why should you care? That isn't to say you're wrong, or that your feelings are unjust."
"No, my question is, why do you care? This energy you're using, the pain you're feeling, the pain you can inflict on others...did you consider it?"
"..." Bie's eyes flickered, knowing that he really hadn't. His patience was shot, and fused with his violent tendencies...well, fighting was the quickest resolution, his instinct. Casmere waved, biting into his portion again before continuing.
"Do whatever you see fit. Even if you can't reason, even if you're overcome with anger, even if you're insane. But you should always know precisely WHAT it is you want to do, the confidence behind what you want to achieve. You could be madder than a demon, but it is a lesser hell then being aimless."
"Did it feel good when you beat him? Or do you feel nothing of it. What did that do? Are you sworn enemies, or can you find it within yourself to reconcile one day? This is a lesson I have to engrave within my mind each and every day when I see those...people...at the Autumn Parish. Whatever I do, consider what it is. Whatever I do, accept the responsibilities of what it has wrought."
"You get what I'm saying, right?" Casmere's rant ended, his message delivered. Bie did not immediately nod, but it was clear by the look on his face that he was mulling it over. Time passed before the squadron finished their food, Casmere leading the way back to their room in the Hunter's headquarters.
Gyuho slung Lulac over his back before placing him in bed. The day still had light, so Casmere led the conscious three over to the rewards counter, where a woman with an owl mask stood, hands folded behind her back.
--
Reverend Juther was absolutely fuming, upset that he had lost such a powerful young prospect. That girl had taken to the Thane Quality in a mere day, something completely unprecedented! He had lost his chance to reap merit under her service, and he had absolutely no changes to his position on the horizon!
So it was no surprise that this old man dragged himself across the ruined bricks, veins bulging on his face as he brought himself up to the Hunter's association. 'These backwater beasts...', that was a mere glimpse into his thoughts, the prejudice simply protruding out from his mind and into his countenance.
"...and that's what you can exchange the heads for! We have a lot of weapons, if you want em, and the raw materials of import can be made into custom ones if you so desire." The tall woman in the owl mask spoke with excitement as she looked at the heads, drool welling up within her mouth. With a heavy gulp, she picked up the sound of stormy footsteps as she turned towards the doorway.
"Is there something you'd like, dear reverend?" The woman's voice turned from inviting yet hungry to surly and disdainful. Wanxi turned to see the old man's chest burgeon with heavy breaths, hiding behind Bie in shock.
"I want my maiden back, owl-head. It would behoove you to do as I ask, I can make it...worth your while." His voice was laden with scorn, obviously making a mockery of the morals of Demon Hunter kind. In his eyes, they were nothing more than animals who would feed on whatever landed on their plate, evidenced by their distorted forms that didn't even look human! He knew that even that receptionist, whose whole body was covered, was a fearsome demonic entity underneath, deprived of all that was good and holy in this world!
"How about...no?" Bie spoke up, sending an icy glare with a smile on his face. Juther threatened to get right into his face, telling the kid exactly what his rebuttal was, but Casmere quickly stood in front of him.
"Reverend Juther. This is a grant signed by Hunter Balir, head of the Fall Brigade and of a higher rank than you. Another signature rests on this sheet, though..." He shifted his finger to another scrawled-on piece of text, his finger lining the entirety of it.
"...Mine. As the disciple of Hugo Iberrfal, current presiding Holiness, I concede that if you want to question this matter, we will bring it to my master. Would you like to?"
Juther's eyes bugged out of his skull, surprised by the sudden reveal! He hadn't even heard of this...thing coming up to the Autumn Parish, and he was to hear everything that happened within the temple halls! His face near turned purple with fury, his robes fluttering as they juxtaposed with the general disrepair of the place.
"That's an unhealthy tint. Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" Gyuho spoke up, causing his fellow Guides to snicker.
"My oh my. I thought you hated Demon Hunters?" Said Bie, his giggles akin to cackles. The receptionist in the owl mask soon joined in, and it wasn't long before Juther was laughed out of the room.
"See that? I wanted to humiliate him, but I didn't want to ruin our standing. It's all about opportunities, Bie." Casmere then sidled up to the counter, pushing forward five heads while he pointed to a tacked-on illustration on a large board.
"Hmmm...the Unpromised Maiden sighting? For this fee, I can give it to you, but won't it be too much for the children?"
"No, they can handle it. We'll be back tomorrow." Casmere took the Guides and left, the meat consumed prior enough to revitalize the three to undertake another case.