Hazeel looked out of the back of the caravan with disinterest in her eyes. Thinking back to the events that started the day, Hazeel could only twirl her ponytail in wonder.

---

Several hours had passed since Hazeel and Belladonna’s spat after they had left the Clairborne mansion. Hazeel had wanted to get close to Leon and sit next to him as he drove the cart, but every time she got close to the coachman’s seat, Belladonna would detain her in some way, shape, or form, leading to the unrelenting silence that had persisted for hours.

The worst part about it: Leon looked content with the lack of attention from both women. How was Hazeel supposed to win over the moody warrior if he didn’t give her a chance to let her into his heart.

Hazeel stretched and gave Belladonna Clairborne a cautious glance. The girl was currently wrapped up in a bundle of blankets that she had refused to leave at her mansion and staring down at the floor of the empty wagon bed.

“Hey you.” Belladonna ignored Hazeel, which caused her face to redden slightly in embarrassment. Hazeel had never been good with children, and trying to be open with the granddaughter of her mentor was a task that was a high hurdle for Hazeel.

Hazeel gasped. Wait a moment. Belladonna had seemed smitten with Leon when she had arrived at the mansion, and even after when Jane was verifying Hazeels contract with Leon.

Hazeel pouted in spite of herself. So what if she took his blood without his permission? He’s the one who had gone and lit a fire in her that she lacked and yearned for for years. It was Hazeel’s decision to act clingy, and Belladonna didn’t seem to like it, but the man in question didn’t appear to mind.

Hazeel’s face reddened and she clutched at the rose-colored breastplate over her chest. He was the first to excite her since retiring from the frontlines almost a decade ago. It would only be natural to covet him and show her appreciation, although with how vehemently Belladonna opposed it, she wondered if she herself had been going overboard.

She had been out of human civilization for years now, and had never been properly thrust into society as she was a war orphan who found her solace on the battlefield, not off of it. She had never been good at interpersonal relationships, so she just copied what she saw the female soldiers under her doing to the people they loved.

Hazeel continued to stare at Belladonna for a few more minutes, until she finally couldn't bear it and moved closer to the young woman. “Belladonna, listen to me.” Yet again, Hazeel’s inquiry was met with silence and no reaction.

Annoyed, Hazeel slid closer to the girl until she was kneeling in front of the curled up figure and… realized Belladonna was asleep. Eyes lighting up with joy, the annoyance instantly cleared from Hazeels mind as she started crawling towards Leon on all fours. She crept up on his back and pounced, hugging him from behind like she enjoyed.

However, that joy was short lived as the horses reared up and stopped the cart abruptly, causing Hazeel to hit her knees on the back of the coachman’s seat and Belladonna to fall over sideways onto the side of her head.

“Are you alright Belladonna?” Hazeel glanced back at the concealed figure of the demoness, who merely groaned and slammed her fist on the wagon bed.

“Just Bella is fine Hazeel. I don't like my name too much anyway.” Hazeel sighed. She was already off to a bad start with the girl. Oh well, more opportunities to win her over would present themselves in time.

Hazeel peeked her head over Leon’s shoulder and watched as a wiry man in front of them started to pick up the fruits from a basket he had dropped on the ground.

“Watch where you’re going. I don’t know what you were thinking about but running in front of two horses from the forest should have gotten you killed.”

The man stopped picking up the fruits and turned around to face them. Hazeel’s heart tightened in her chest as he looked in their direction… well, look might not have been appropriate as the man possessed no eyes, only holes that bore into Hazeel’s soul.

She jumped as she felt a hand lay on her forearm, only to relax her grip as she realized it was Leon and that she had started to choke him by accident.

“Sorry about that, travelers. It’s just that my village, Treount, doesn’t get much traffic these days due to where we are in relation to Songrande. If I’m being honest, I was thinking that we could house you and your companions for the night in order to shoot a little stimulus into the village’s economy. What do you say?” The man tilted his head, which caused a shiver to run down Hazeel’s spine at the unnatural image.

Leon looked up at the sky and the fading light, before looking back at the crippled man. “Sure, why not. Feel free to hop in our carriage for a ride back. I assume it’s just down this road, right?”

The man smiled and shook his head. “I couldn’t possibly accept a ride. Besides, I still have to pick up this fruit. You are correct about the direction though. Just tell them that Harc sent you when you arrive at the gates. They’ll know where to set you up.”

Leon thanked the man and continued steering the horses down the road, not showing any reaction when the horses stomped on some of the fruit the man dropped.

Hazeel let out a sigh of relief that the man had turned down the invitation and slid back to lie against the tarp of the caravan’s cover.

“What’s wrong?” Leon asked, in a rare moment where he showed interest in Hazeel. “I thought those kinds of injuries wouldn’t bother you. After all, you did witness your champion’s arm get cut off right in front of you.”

Hoping to keep the conversation going, but also reluctant to do so, Hazeel grabbed her trembling left hand with her right and steeled her nerves. “It… it was during the war with the Gold Continent, and the first time any of my soldiers had been captured by the enemy. Their commander tortured my men and women for ten days on and off before returning them to me.

Some of them had their eyes taken, like that man. Others had their noses cut off, some with their ears, and still more with their lips. Bodily maiming does not phase me, but facial ones will always remind me of my incompetence and the lives of those who I ruined.”

Hazeel shuddered as she realized that Leon had come to the back and started hugging her. She quickly glanced up and saw Bella on the other side of the Caravan, who huffed and averted her piercing gaze. Hazeel smiled, thankful to the girl and let herself be comforted by her lord as the tears flowed freely from her face.

---

Hazeel’s head was hidden by her hands when they finally reached the village. “We’re here Bella, Hazeel. Get out of the caravan so the guards can take it to the inn.”

Hazeel was too ashamed to look up, embarrassed that she had broken down like that on only the first day of travel. As it turned out, even after leaving everything she had known behind in Songrande when she had first become the Goblin Chieftain, having to do it a second time had a strikingly similar effect on her psyche.

Hazeel quietly got up and left the caravan, stalking slowly behind Leon as he followed one of the guards through the town. “Is your town going to be alright? You don’t look in the best of shape at the moment.” Leon’s comment visibly annoyed the malnourished guard, and he plastered a smile on his face while his eyebrows scowled.

“We’re fine, thank you. Please, the inn is this way.” The guard pulled ahead of the group, and Leon hung back with Bella and Hazeel herself, who had just started to really look around the village.

She gasped as she realized the living conditions, or lack thereof. Gods above, they were even worse off than the Goblin Village she had left only a day before. Old men and women lined the streets with no more than several blankets each, and the filthy clothes that lined their backs. The rest of the adults worked on constructing houses off to the side, but with the work for several houses split to only one or two people per building, construction was moving at a snail's pace.

“Ugh, the smell is unbelievable.” Bella inched closer to Leon and farther from the side of the road. Hazeel felt a pang in her heart for these people’s living conditions, but she soon reminded herself that it wasn’t her village to govern and also moved closer to Leon.

The only signs that the village was even established was rickety short fences lined with barbed wire that designated each property. However, one building stood tall amongst the rubble, and that was where the guard had stopped.

“Welcome to Treount's one and only inn: The Rising Dragon. Please book a room through Misses Vayne’s services at the front desk. Thank you for your stay.” The guard left in a hurry, leaving the three of them standing outside the building for what felt like a good five minutes.

“Well, no use standing out here I guess.” Leon was the first to walk into the establishment, followed by Bella with Hazeel bringing up the rear. They walked down a dimly lit hallway and finally came to a booth that lay in the middle of two staircases.

“Oh my, guests for the first time in so long! Welcome travelers! What kind of reservation would you like to book tonight? We have-” Leon cut her off by throwing a handful of coins onto the counter.

“Give us your most expensive treatment. The ladies here have been sitting in a hard caravan all day, so give them your best.”

“Thanks Leon!” Bella beamed at the apathetic warrior as the lady at the desk’s eyes widened beyond what Hazeel would have believed possible.

“Y-yes my lord! Please, help yourself to some tea at the front desk while I prepare the rooms!” The woman rushed out and up the left staircase, while Bella got to serving them the purple liquid that was in the transparent teapot.

“Hey Bella, I don’t think-”

“Mmm! This is so good!” Hazeel frowned as she got cut off by the young demoness, and warily accepted the cup Leon handed her.

Leon shouted up at the stairs after Misses Vayne, “Can we make our way up there? I’d like to put our belongings someplace while you clean, if you don’t mind.” There was a loud thump from the second floor of the establishment, and the face of the hostess, Misses Vayne, appeared at the top of the stairs.

“Please, feel free to wait in the dining room downstairs. It is absolutely unacceptable that I show you the conditions up here. The chef will take your order off of our menu, although I’m afraid all we have are fruit and vegetable dishes at the moment.”

Leon flashed her a smile which set Misses Vayne’s cheeks ablaze and made Hazeel’s heart tighten up in jealousy. “Don’t worry about it, just let us know when you’re done.” He took a sip of the drink Bella had poured him, and seeing him do so, Hazeel involuntarily followed suit. Misses Vayne’s face retracted back to the second floor, and Leon turned to look at Hazeel.

Her eyes narrowed as she tasted the liquid in her mouth. This is…” She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up as Leon put a finger over his lips and shook his head. She shuddered, her body telling her not to further resist his command lest the contract start taking its toll.

But why? Why would Leon drink poison voluntarily?