{….} {How long has it been…?}

A dark, damp ceiling. A black, concrete wall, written together with something magical-like. At some parts of the wall, there are transparent wall that’s as hard as the wall surrounding the whole room.

Vram was locked here for almost a week without food. Though the place’s quite spacious, there’s almost nothing inside. It was a cell intended to weaken a monster with quite monstrous strength and size, and since Vram’s strength, despite being as small as a normal human, was quite extraordinary, such place was decided as his cell because of those reasons.

{They were planning to lock me up here for at least a month, right?} {I wonder if Josephine could handle it herself….}

For almost every day, Vram spent his whole time doing basic training inside the room. Circling around the whole room for at least ten laps (the room size was about 70m x 45m long as the ceiling was quite high that Vram won’t even bother guessing it. It means Vram was running around 1km per laps), push up, sit up, and squat jump for about 100 times.

[… Aren’t you tired doing the same things over and over again?]

Yohana, whom somehow have been keeping watch since the very beginning, can only watch in both confusion and awe. Seeing a freshly summoned familiar to do some basic training for a whole week was not something she would’ve expected.

[Though I must say, you do look a lot like humans.] [No wonder Josephine gets attached to you in no time.] [If only you’re able to talk, it’ll be perfect as a companion.]

All this time, Vram actually had become Yohana’s talk buddy. Though she was supposed to jail watching him, she was actually trying to comfort Josephine by make sure that Vram’s fine, by initiating conversation with him.

[… It’ll be great if you really could talk, you know?] [But what I mean is… It’ll help me to caught Maria red-handed.] [It’s not that I was accusing her without proof, but I can’t help it since this is already the 57th time it happened.] [To find her at the same crime scene that much is by no means a coincidence.] [But Elder just won’t accept my reasoning….] [Does she not care at all about what has happened to Josephine all this time?]

As Yohana was blabbering, letting out all of her pent up stress, Vram was just listening to all of it.

{I don’t think that was the case with the elder, not when Josephine admires her greatly.} {Then again, I’m surprised that she was able to roaming free that long.} {Guess that explain her high-and-mighty behavior for being able to keep killing a high-familiar summoned by Josephine all by herself.}

[… Really now, what’s the deal with Maria and the Elder….]

***

2 weeks has gone by, and unexpectedly, Maria hasn’t doing something strange at all.

{Though I could deduce the reason of why….}

While Vram was contemplating inside the cell after doing his basic training as usual, he could hear an unusual footsteps coming through the door. About 4-5 people are coming inside the cell. As Vram was wondering who’s coming in, he surprised to see someone he haven’t seen in a long time, as well as she is.

[VRAM!!!] [Are you okay?] [Aren’t you cold?] [Are you lonely???]

Like water bursting out from its vessel after being used to contain too much water, Josephine just went ahead onto the transparent wall, holding against it, and started to spoke out everything she wanted to talk.

[Whoa whoa slow down, Junior~] [He won’t go anywhere, just take it easy~!]

[How could I, Yohana?!] [It’s been too long! Even my previous familiars never have endured such a long treatment like this!] [And how can you expect him to be fine when he almost had nothing to eat all this time?!]

[Well, seeing as how he was able to train despite such hunger and exhaustion, it seems he was fine and well.]

[Isn’t that because he doesn’t want you to worry, that he does something like that?]

From the back, another figure could be seen coming inside. It was the trio senior whom Josephine talked to before, Hildegarde, Christina, and Rosalinda.

[Wait what? You’re saying he’s doing all those things and keep listening intently to my story because he cares for me?]

[Well Vram is a good guy after all!] As Josephine puffed up her chest, proud of her familiar.

[That’s just your delusion, Naked Princess.] But Hilda just scowled and giving Josephine a mean look, making Josephine a little bit depressed.

[He… hey, c’mon, Hilda.]

[Why should I?] As she said so while stroking and waving her hair in the air.

[Uwah…. you’re as annoying as ever….]

[Huh~! You just don’t understand Lady Hilda’s greatness at all~!] Rosalinda tried to support Hildegarde from behind.

But though there are 2 people bickering on the back, Josephine doesn’t seem to be interested at all, as she just keep trying to talk to Vram in front of her.

[Vram…] [I’m sorry….]

[Wait, why are you apologizing?] Hilda just suddenly cut her out as though she just heard something that’s unacceptable.

[But… it’s….]

[It is true that some of this is your fault.] [But not everything, so it isn’t like you have to feel sorry for him.]

[But….]

[Rather than feeling sorry, you need to find out how to solve these troubles.] [Anything you summon just keeps bringing trouble after all.]

[Hilda! That’s just…!!!!] Yohana was about to protest, but failed to do so.

[And you just stand here, lowering your head without trying to figure it out why such things happened.] [How is that going to help your own familiar after all this time!?]

[I….] Josephine was feeling conflicted hearing Hilda’s statement.

[At least, decide.] [Are you going to hurt your familiar, or are you going to hurt everyone else.]

[Everyone else?] [Are you implying that he will slaughter every single person in this village if he were to be let roamed free, Lady Hilda?] Rosalinda let out a careless remark on behalf of Hilda’s sentence

[What?] [No! I won’t let Vram do that!!!]

[But it would still hurt people.] [Even just by him existing, he’ll bring harm to other people] [Even if he didn’t do anything, just the fact that she was summoned by you, was enough to hurt other people.]

[Why would that….]

[Because fundamentally, we aren’t that much different than humans after all….]

[….]

[Lady Josephine.] Somehow, Christine, the girl whom has been standing silently besides her this whole time has stood up to talk to Josephine. [What Lady Hilda is trying to say is, that you must takes priority to what most important to you.]

[Well yeah!] Rosalinda also butt into the conversation [It’s impossible to make everybody happy after all~!]

[… I….]

[Come to think of it….] As if just realizing something, Yohana pointing something awkwardly [What are you all doing here?]

The awkward question put everyone’s lips closed silently. Even Josephine started to put on a blank face as if didn’t understand the reason of Yohana asking something like that.

{This girl sure had some guts….}

[W… well, we just following Lady Hilda here, right Chris~???]

[Yes, Lady Hilda actually decided to visit Vram here on her own whim.]

[Wh… WHY ARE YOU PUTTING ALL THE BLAME ON ME?!?!]

[So… Hilda, what are you plotting?] [Are you by any chance trying to do something to Vram when he’s weakened?]

Somehow or another, Yohana was asking such a stupid question that Hilda, Chris, and Rosa ended up sighing, whether it was a relief sigh or an expression of disappointed.

[What are you talking about?] [… Then again, I do have something to tell him, though I’m not sure whether he would understand or not.]

Hilda takes a step closer onto the transparent wall, facing Vram with all his might.

[If you really are Josephine’s Familiar, I only have one advice for you.] [Do everything you have to do in order to survive.] [Even if by doing it, it’ll sadden your own master, you just have to do it.]

Vram was quite taken aback at what Hilda has told Vram to. Josephine, Yohana, and the two other confused at what Hilda was trying to say. But what makes them surprised the most was that Vram responded to Hilda’s advice by nodding his head.

[….] [You’ve summoned a good familiar, Josephine.]

[… Thank you, Senior Hildegarde….]

[H… hey, Josephine, did he somehow understand our language?] Yohana asking curiously.

[Hmm… is that how it is, I wonder~❤?]

***

The promised days have arrived. There are only one day left for Vram to left the jail, as Yohana finally relieved of her assignment.

[Well, guess this is it.] [Somehow being told to guard you here all by myself wasn’t as boring as what I would’ve expected.] [You sure are a good company to talk to.]

Yohana then smiled and waving at Vram as she finally went ahead to report back to Elder about his freedom. As Vram just sitting here waiting for Endrossa to come back there and open the lock for him.

{Though this is weird….} {Even if that Maria really has been killing her familiars, Hanna’s ability just won’t suffice.} {Even if Maria had some stronger magic to kill them, that’s still won’t affect the fight that much.} {If my guess is right, then this had happened many times before, which means….}

Vram tried to observe his surrounding, as if trying to ensure his bad feelings all over the room. After observing the situation a little bit, Vram tried to relax a little bit.

{… Wonder if I’m overthinking things….}

Just the moment Vram tried to think that way, he felt that someone has entered the jail. A single footstep.

[Hello there~] [Enjoying your last moment here~?]

It was Mariabelle. It is as Vram had presumed, she finally took action.

[It’s the usual moment I’ve been waiting for, you know~] [Ever since Josephine started calling out a higher-class familiar, me and Hanna had a trouble to kill them~] [Then I was thinking, what if they were weakened then I went straight for the killing.]

As she went closer onto the transparent shield, she keep her bewitching mad smiles all over her face as she keeps looking down on Vram.

[As such, this place will be your end now~]

*SRRRRRT

[KHK!!]

It’s the 2nd time. Vram weren’t able to evade Hanna’s attack the 2nd time, as Hanna’s main ability seems to be able to hide its own presence. As Hanna slowly appearing from the shadow, it can be seen that its tail had already choking Vram’s neck so tight that it seems that Hanna’s going to chop’em off. No, he really is going to chop them off.

[Your awareness of your surrounding is magnificent, as if you have an eye on the back of your head.] [But, Hanna’s ability will render those ability of yours useless~] [Because that ability was the sole ability Hanna had when he was just born~!] [Though useless in a straight battle, at least I can use it to obtain a greater material~!] [THROUGH YOU, THAT IS!!!]

Hanna just keep tightens the choking as the sound of metal clashing together can be heard. Vram, though seemed calm enough, were struggling in order to get away from the grapple. His hands were grabbing the tail that choking him, trying to release himself.

{It’s… no use… unless I go for the killing, I….}

[If you really are Josephine’s Familiar, I only have one advice for you.] [Do everything you have to do in order to survive.] [Even if by doing it, it’ll sadden your own master, you just have to do it.]

Suddenly Vram was reminded of what Hilda has told him before. What actually happened to him right now, is threatening his own life. Though he was a familiar, he was once a glorious paladin whom always known to put priorities of other people than their own life. Vram never had any chance to consider of his own life, nor does he feel the needs to survive.

But this time, it’s different. He has a reason. A reason to keep on living. Something that would put his life on the priorities.

[... You don’t like it…? Being my familiar?]

[Why aren’t you responding me back with another talk?!] [It’s a rare occasion for me to have a talking Familiar, so I want to hear more of your story!!!]

[But then again….] [Losing a Familiar… is not something that I can get used to, no matter how many times it had happened to me.]

[Eeee~??? Why are you being quiet again???]

[Vram…] […. Will you… always stay right by my side…?]

[Why are you leaving me all alone by yourself!!] [You’re my family, so please, stay by my side!!!!!]

{Master… Josephine…!}

Vram somehow let go both of his hands from Hanna’s tail, as the choking keeps getting tighter. This somehow amuses Maria even more.

[Eheheheh!] [AHAHAHAHAHAH!] [With this, you’re mine!!!!]

Thinking that she’s already won, she let out such unsightly laughter that’s not even fit for a lady like her. But Vram, whom have just lowered his hands, suddenly take stance.

{I’m not a human.} {I’m not a Paladin anymore.} {I’m just a monster.}

Somehow Vram’s body showing a bright red line covering his whole body, centered on the chest area. The line started to gets brighter, which makes Maria stay on her toes.

{But even if I’m a monster, I still have a reason to fight!} {For the one whom I love!} {My Master!} {Master Josephine!!!}

[OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!]

*CRASS!!!

It split. A red-yellowish liquid splattered here and there. A fragment of what seemed to be a tail thrown off everywhere. A golden axe dropped on the floor.

*KIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was Hanna’s tail. Hanna’s tail suddenly split up in pieces. No, it was slashed. The tail has been slashed onto pieces. The excessive amount of blood comes from having put too much strength on the tail.

[HANNA!!!!]

While Hanna’s jumping back after having its tail gets chopped off, it finally took a stance. A stance of trying to run away from the dread in front of it.

It was Vram. With a single red vector line covering his whole body, the deadly aura he emitted becomes thicker. It was almost nauseous for Maria, whom has been watching from afar of Vram’s deadliness. In both of his hands was no longer a bare hand. A sword, with Silver-ornamented color on the sharp side. It was a double-edged sword with a short range, hence named the Short Sword. Yet such sharpness was too deadly it could even cut through a gold-coated armor on Hanna’s tail. In the other hands, a shield, the same Black-silverish one he used to repel Hanna’s attack before.

[What… what is that…?] [What are you…!] [WHAT ARE YOU…!!!!!!]

Seeing her familiar getting cut out as well as Vram’s dreadfulness made Maria shivering in fear, losing her cool in the process. She keeps hitting the transparent wall as if trying to break through the jail.

*KIIIIIIIIIII!!

Surprisingly so, Hanna’s started to get back on its two feet. Though losing its tail, it is still ready to engage against Vram.

{You’re surprisingly tough.} {But I need to teach you and your master a lesson…!} {For messing around with my master!!!}