Kazius had not realized it, but he had been staring at Alice. He just didn’t know the sensitive way of asking how she wasn’t dead… He also knew she was recovering from the shock of the surge of mana in the air. Thankfully, he didn’t have to ask anything.

“I know you probably have questions.” Alice admitted with a sigh.

“I don’t mean to intrude… I know I said I was fine with not knowing, but I figured we should understand how to best help each other… All of us…” Kazius admitted, giving a side glance to Eve and Azanor.

“Questions? Sure!” Eve chirped giddily. Then again, the woman was almost too eager to share just about anything. “I would love to know more about my friends.”

“I am curious about what the so-called hero’s bloodline has been up to…” Azanor admitted.

“He kicked your ass, so he is very much a hero.” Alice huffed out with a frown.

“Anyway… It isn’t so grand of a story… Not really… The execution of my family… It is my fault.” Alice admitted with a solemn look. “My family hasn’t actually been in charge of the kingdom ever since Ratier died… The church… They… They had been using my family as figureheads, puppets… And kept us under threat to do as they wished… They passed the laws, they enriched themselves by embezzling money meant for humanitarian aid. We couldn’t do anything about it, we had a say in nothing… I found out when my father taught me what I had to do as future queen… Of course, I was shocked… I never expected the church to be so vile and corrupt… I refused to be some ornament… An accessory to their crimes… I thought their threats were empty… That as the hero’s descendant, the people of Ratier would side with my family… The kingdom is called Ratier, for crying out loud! Instead, the church said my family had become heretics and everyone followed in line in believing them… You have no idea how betrayed I felt… My people… I loathe those that cheered for their executions… More so than the church itself.”

‘That does explain why she was willing to help me and have a monster at her side… But to hate everyone in Ratier… Was that taking it too far? Then again, I hate the church as well… And now that I know this, even more… And the people are their enablers…’

“That is terrible… Then how did you escape?” Kazius questioned.

“My handmaid… Ivy… She was the only one that did not believe the lies. She grew up to be my lady in waiting. We were like sisters… She was my best friend and acted like a guard. She overheard knights talking and knew they were going to come to me. She told me to run… She was skilled in magic, she used it to disguise herself to look like me… And then made me look like her… To fool the guards… She… Was the one that was executed in my place.” Alice admitted, her hands tightening into fists.

“I… I see… At least her sacrifice is appreciated by you… You are a good friend to her, to remember her after so long.” Kazius stated, feeling guilty over making her share such a tale. He decided to try and lighten the mood, maybe ask Eve something.

“Eve, what about-”

Kazius began only to freeze when he looked at Eve, who was a mess. She had tears streaming down her cheeks, snot coming down her nose. She was a really ugly crier.

“Alice… *hic*… *sob*…. It is okay… I will be your friend… *hic*… *hic*… FOREVEEEEEER.” Eve sobbed out, clinging to the human woman.

“Eve, I am okay, it is okay.” Alice assured, losing her tenseness. She attempted to try and stop the elf woman from smothering her.

Eve would keep crying even once she was done attempting to comfort Alice… Though honestly, Eve looked like she was the one that needed comforting. Surprisingly enough, Azanor would rub her on the back. “She is fine, Eve. It is just some sob story.” Azanor dismissed, clearly unmoved by the tale. “I suppose that is less from your family I have to worry about trying to lock me away.”

“Can you not be an asshole for just 10 minutes?” Alice questioned with a frown.

“I am a Demon. You know this. Why are you so surprised when I’m a dick?” Azanor would retort back with an eyeroll… Of course, he said this, yet he was still rubbing the back of the sniffling Elf that was getting snot on his clothes. “Anyway, are you certain there are not more of you? Distant relatives?” He questioned, clearly weary of her family. Not having a grudge against Alice and being careful around her were two different things after all. That is what Kazius figured was his reasoning at least.

“As if I would tell you that for free.” Alice mocked, using the Demon’s most common response against him.

“Touché…” Azanor grumbled out.

“She got you there.” Kazius would chuckle out.

‘Perhaps this was the best way to deal with him… Use his own methods against him…’

“Fine… Let’s trade… I will answer a question of yours, within reason.”

“You go first then… Who are you? You came here on your own… I know you Demons only listen to power, yet you seem not be here because of your king. Or are you actually here for him?” Alice questioned.

“That is basically two questions, you know? I will pick the one I want to answer.” Azanor would respond, clearly a bit salty so he was being particularly nitpicky.

“Fine.” Alice stated, figuring one question was fair.

“I am not here because of our king… I quite simply actually despise him… I am acting on my own… Though I will admit… He quite hates your family… If I were under his orders, I would have killed you the moment I recognized you. Though he is trying to get out… And when he does… I know for a fact his first act will be to track down all descendants of Ratier… Meaning you. How long that takes him determines how long you have left to live. A fun little surprise for you to look forward to.” Azanor chuckled out, avoiding his own personal information.

“Oh, how fun…” Alice responded sarcastically with a scowl. “Anyway, that does answer my question… As for me… I spent the past two years checking… My entire family was rounded up in Ratier and killed… Only I got lucky… So, there is no one else that would come seal you, that I know of. Not like I know how… As you already figured out.” She admitted.

Kazius would perk up, he knew the Demon King would be free… He saw it after all… “I don’t know how long we have… But… He will be free soon enough… I saw it when I looked into the Oracle.” He decided to reveal.

“What!?” Alice exclaimed.

“Yes… I saw him come back… But… I also saw myself fighting him… It is how I first learned that I wasn’t human.” He admitted.

“I see… In that case… I don’t know what you plan to do… But… Consider me a friend… No matter what you are. I will trust you.” Alice admitted.

“Me too! I will help!” Eve chirped. It seems she had calmed down by now.

“Are you sure, Eve? You were a holy maiden.” Kazius reminded her.

“I am, those people were not my friends… They were not very nice to me. I will help you, even if it means I have to break their spirit.”

“Yeah- huh? What was that last part?” Kazius questioned. Eve said so many silly things, so sometimes her words did not register fully… Yet that last part did not sound so innocent.

“I was just saying that hopefully we won’t even have to fight. I will be so kind to them that they will lose their spirit to fight. Maybe they will want to be friends, but if not, won’t let the hurt my actual friends.” Eve would giggle out.

“Ah” Kazius stated. Eve was silly, she likely just misspoke.

“In that case… How did you even end up in the church anyway?” Kazius decided to ask.

“I don’t know.” Eve admitted in confusion. “I woke up near the chapel with no memories one day and then they took me in… It was supposed to be until I got my memories back. I was already dressed like a holy maiden before that. I don’t remember anything else. None of the people at the church wanted to be friends though…” Eve admitted seeming very happy despite her own words.

“Does it not bother you?”

“No, I have friends now.” Eve responded, clearly not seeing he was addressing her memory loss, not her lack of friends. It seems her priorities were… Well Eve was just Eve after all.

“Right…”

“The fish is ready… We should eat and then get some rest… I am sure we are all tired… We worked hard… Unlike someone.” Alice stated, glaring at Azanor.

“I caught the fish you cooked.” Azanor pointed out with a grin.

Alice would only give him a side glare

“Alright alright. Let’s get along. We have to eat and sleep. We all need our rest.” Kazius stated. It really had been a long day… But he felt like he understood his team better now… Whether they all would get along though was another story…