Chapter Sixteen

“Do you think you could kill the demon?” Ariya asked without warning over breakfast. Her eyes were wide and pleading, but she averted them the moment Lusya met her gaze.

Ariya had continued to contemplate something all through the previous night and much of the morning. It seemed it had been that question.

“I have no doubt that I am capable of it,” Lusya said.

It was all but certain that the demon causing trouble was a low-rank one. The vague description the innkeeper had given did not sound like a high-rank, and a minor-rank would not have engaged in the sporadic, persistent harassment he had implied. Lusya was comparable in strength to a high-rank demon, albeit not the strongest among them. She was still more than powerful enough to dispatch any low-rank demon.

Ariya nodded and squirmed in her seat, looking everywhere in the room except at Lusya. “Will you?”

“I do not intend to,” Lusya replied.

Ariya slammed her hands onto the table and leaned forward, shaking her cup and spilling milk onto the wooden tabletop. “Why not?” she shouted.

She flushed and looked around, though the only other patron was an old man eating soup on the far side of the room who had shown no reaction to her outburst, and settled back into her seat.

“There is no reason it should be my responsibility,” Lusya said. “It will take time and force us to go out of our way.”

It was doubtful it would cause any significant delay, but Lusya saw little reason to accept any. She did not want to set a precedent to Ariya either, that they would go out of their way to help anyone who was struggling. Lusya had already allowed herself to be persuaded to help the caravan. Now she would establish that that would not be the norm of their travels.

Cutting down her father’s forces before his revival would also be a foolish move. Though one low-rank demon was not worth much, she would not needlessly dispatch it.

“But it’s hurting people,” Ariya said in a wavering whimper. “The man said so.”

The innkeeper’s wife approached with a pitcher. “More milk, deary?”

Ariya nodded. “Yes, please.”

“So polite,” the woman said as she poured the drink. “You remind me of my daughters at your age.”

Ariya beamed at the praise, but her smile quickly faded, and she looked at Lusya with that same wide-eyed expression, begging in silence.

“The innkeeper said only a few villagers had been harmed,” Lusya said. Attempting to assuage the child’s fears seemed a wise move. “So long as they do not act recklessly until the Sacred Knights arrive, they should be fine.”

“Is that what my husband told you?” the woman asked, one hand on her hip. “Only a few got hurt because we learned to stop going out after that. You can barely take two steps out of the village without that thing pouncing on you.”

Lusya was not always the best at detecting hyperbole, but this one was obvious. If that were the case, there would be little reason the demon had not already destroyed the village.

“I think the only reason it hasn’t attacked us here is because it doesn’t realize there’s nothing we could do about it,” the woman said. She let out a heavy sigh. “I just hope it doesn’t figure it out before help gets here.”

That may well have been true. In general, low-rank demons were not very bright. Many were idiots, plain and simple. Clearwood’s lack of defensive capabilities was obvious at even a cursory glance, but it would not have been strange for a low-rank demon to miss it anyway. That would not last forever. Even the dullest of low-ranks would at some point realize that its victims were helpless.

“See?” Ariya said. “They’re in trouble. You’ve gotta help, Lusya.”

“Now, now, deary,” the woman said. “If it’s just you two traveling, I’m sure your friend is very capable, but not just anyone can defeat a demon.”

“Lusya’s not just anyone,” Ariya said. “She’s super strong. She even has a Sacred Blade! She’s basically a Sacred Knight.”

The woman turned on Lusya, eyes wide and bulging from her skull. Her mouth opened and closed several times without so much as a sound. It reminded Lusya of a fish struggling to breath. Finally, the woman swallowed and took a deep breath.

“Is that true?” she asked.

“I am not a Sacred Knight,” Lusya said. With a slight tilt of her head, she fixed her gaze on Ariya. “And you will not say that again, child.” Ariya squeaked and seemed to shrink into her chair. Lusya turned her attention back to the woman. “However, the rest of what she said is true.”

The woman went pale and her hand shook, spilling milk onto the floor. Her other hand gripped the apron she wore over her dress, crumpling and distending it. She took a deep breath and set the pitcher down.

“I…recognize that this…isn’t your problem,” the woman said. She spoke in slow, halting bursts. It was obvious she was choosing her words carefully. “But I’m sure we can find a way to compensate you for your services. We don’t have much in this town, but if everybody pitched in…”

“I am unsure you could compensate me for this single task,” Lusya said, “let alone the precedent it would set. I do not wish you harm, but we are on a time-sensitive journey. I must decline your offer.”

The woman frowned for a split-second, then broke into a smile and grabbed her pitcher. “Yes, of course, I understand. I’m sure we’ll manage. Best of luck in your travels.”

“That is appreciated,” Lusya said. “Best of luck to you as well.”

The woman nodded and walked away without a word, though she did sniffle when her back was turned.

Lusya took one last bite of her meal and stood. “We are leaving, child.”

Ariya looked to the retreating woman, then to Lusya. The child was still pouting and her eyes appeared watery. “But—”

“I have made my decision. Come.”

Ariya sighed and nodded. “Yes, Lusya.”

They exited the inn. Although there had been light snow overnight, the village was more active now, much like Lusya had expected the previous day. Townsfolk stood outside their homes and talked in hush tones. A few others walked by on the street.

Like the innkeeper had implied, the people of this village seemed to believe the common, foolish mortal superstition that demons were more active at night. The supposed reasons for that varied, but they were irrelevant seeing as the base claim was untrue. Depending on what one was attempting to achieve, a demon might attempt to use the cover of night to their advantage, but there was no inherent reason a demon would avoid daytime activity.

If the low-rank demon was terrorizing the village for its own sake and did not care for stealth, day or night made little difference. That was assuming it was smart enough to use the night if it had cared.

Lusya led the way to the northwest. She did not know exactly where the proper exit from the village was, but she did know where it would be in general, based on how the road went on the map. It would not be difficult to find the more precise location and continue in their travels.

Then Ariya stopped in the middle of the street. Lusya turned to look back at the child and cocked her head.

“Why have you stopped?” Lusya asked.

“Why won’t you help here?” Ariya asked. She sniffled and let out a shuddering sob. “You said you could.”

“We have a duty,” Lusya said. “If we stopped to help everybody with a problem, it could take years to finish. This village’s struggles are simply not my responsibility, nor are they yours.”

Tears were streaming down Ariya’s face now, even as she tried to wipe them away. “Mama…Mama says that if you can help, you should. Papa too.”

“I do not agree with your parents’ assessment,” Lusya said. “Nor am I bound by their opinions. My only obligation to them is to protect you as I promised. Confronting this demon is not necessary to that goal.”

A strangled whine escaped Ariya’s throat. She stomped her feet and held her lips tight together. They quivered as though something were struggling to pry them open from within. When they did open a loud wail escaped followed by a series of sobs.

“No, you have to help!” she screamed. Lusya’s eyes widened, and she took a step back in surprise at the outburst. Eyes turned to them, and villagers whispered and muttered to each other. “Why are you so mean? If you don’t help it’s gonna be your fault when they get hurt, and it’s gonna be my fault for not convincing you, and I don’t like that. So, you’ve gotta help or I’ll hate you, Lusya!”

That seemed to be her limit for keeping her tirade intelligible. Once again, she trailed off into sobs, eyes fixed on the ground as she rubbed at them. The seed of Malice that had laid inert for so long within her chest bubbled and swelled. It seemed Lusya had not been left with much choice. It would be a shame to have to restart over the life of a low-rank demon and a few hours.

“Child, calm yourself,” Lusya said.

Ariya let out a choked hiccup and looked up, her face stained red both by anger and the tears and snot flowing down it. “You—You have to—”

“I will aid the village, child,” Lusya said.

“Really?” Ariya asked, voice tinged with hope and doubt in equal measure. “You promise?”

Lusya nodded. “I promise. So there is no need to be upset.”

Ariya sniffled. Her tears seemed to have stopped, and she wiped away the last of them, along with the mucus strewn below her nose, on the sleeve of her coat.

“Okay,” she said. “As long as you help.”

The child’s Malice seemed to have stabilized. With any luck, the excess would be gone within a couple hours. Mortals often seemed to see Malice as something that grew without end, but that was untrue. The mere existence of demons showed that one vented Malice over time.

This happened over time, through various mechanisms, with some variance between individuals. Some emotions, such as rage, had a tendency to vent Malice as well as increase that within the person. People also vented Malice passively most of the time, which would accelerate if it reached a certain maximum threshold that varied from person-to-person and could be increased through a variety of methods, such as training in motomancy, obtaining a Blade and its Full Release, or meditation.

In most mortals, this passive venting led to constant fluctuation. However, given that the child’s Malice had been exceptionally stable so far, Lusya was hopeful it would return to its baseline. Whether its behavior was something particular to Ariya or the simple mind of a child at work, Lusya did not know. It may well have been both.

“Come with me,” Lusya said as she reversed course.

“Where are we going?” Ariya asked, though she followed along regardless.

“I am going to ask the innkeeper where we can find this demon. I would like to avoid having to search for it.”

“But you said—”

“I know what I said,” Lusya said. “If necessary, I will seek the creature out.”

Ariya replied with a silent nod.

Lusya did not think hunting down the demon would be too difficult if she was forced to do it. It would be obvious as soon as it got close enough for her to sense. However, it could still eat up time if she got unlucky with where she chose to start. If the villagers could give her a general idea, that would be preferable.

She threw open the door to the inn and entered the dining room. Save for the old man from before, who had moved to the counter to drink, the place was deserted. Excepting the innkeeper and his wife of course.

The innkeeper looked up with wide eyes as she entered. His wife came out from the back area a moment later. It looked like she, too, had been crying, and her Malice had elevated from before, though Lusya was not sure why. She supposed it had been her refusal, but that was not very illuminating. Said refusal had left the woman exactly where she had been, and she had not had any reason to believe or expect that Lusya would agree. Disappointment, perhaps, would have been reasonable, but sorrow to the point of crying was bewildering.

“Did you forget something, deary?” the woman asked. “I didn’t see anything when I checked your room just now.”

“I would like to know where I can find the demon threatening this village,” Lusya said. “Do you have any idea where it might be hiding?”

“Did you change your mind? Will you help us?”

Lusya nodded. “I was persuaded to aid you.”

The woman cleared her throat and smiled. “We know it’s to the northeast of the village, but we’re not sure where.”

Back the way they had come, at least in part. Unfortunate, but Lusya supposed she could do nothing now but keep her word and mollify the child.

“I have a hunch, actually,” the innkeeper said. “Can’t say I have any proof it’s right.”

“That is fine,” Lusya said. “Tell me.”

He nodded. “I used to be a hunter, until I got gored real bad by a buck. Barely survived, couldn’t get back out there. Luckily the old innkeeper didn’t have any kids to take over, so he sold the place to me for cheap.” He coughed into one hand and blushed. “Sorry, got a little caught up in the memories. Point is, there’s a pretty big cave around half a day’s hike due northeast. If I was a demon the size of a house, that’s where I’d want to hide out between rampages.”

“I will start my search by assuming it is there, then,” Lusya said. She returned to the door with Ariya in tow.

“I’ll call everybody together, see what we can scrape together to pay you,” the innkeeper said. “I can’t promise much, but we’ll have something by the time you get back.”

She looked back at him and shook her head. “I do not require payment and I will not be returning. Rest assured that the threat will be taken care of.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to leave the girl with us?” his wife asked. “I’m sure it will be dangerous.”

“The safest place for her is with me,” Lusya replied.

Without waiting for any response the innkeeper or his wife might have given, Lusya turned to walk out of the inn with Ariya. Though leaving the child behind might have kept her safe, it did come with risks of its own. Left unsupervised, Ariya might let enough details slip to make others suspicious. Since Lusya was sure she could protect the child, there was no need to take such risks.

However, Lusya paused at the door as she remembered something she wanted to know. She turned back to the innkeeper.

“As my reward, you will answer one question for me,” she said.

He raised an eyebrow and shrugged. “If that’ll do it.”

“Why is your inn named the ‘Feral Rabbit?’” she asked.

The innkeeper blinked with a blank expression, then burst into a fit of booming laughter. He slapped the counter twice, then took a deep breath and managed to speak. “Sorry it’s just…That’s all you need? After you didn’t even want to get involved?” He chuckled and shook his head. “But, if you’ll be satisfied with it, fine. I made a bet with Milon. He was the best carpenter in town. If I won, he made me a new sign for free. If I lost, I paid and he got to rename the place. I lost.” He shrugged. “I have no idea why he thought ‘Feral Rabbit’ was so funny, though.”

Lusya cocked her head. “Was?”

“He died last year,” he said. He hurried to continue, as if it mattered to Lusya how the man had died. “Nothing to do with the demon. Fever took him.”

“I see,” Lusya said. “Thank you for satisfying my curiosity. Farewell.”

The innkeeper chortled and nodded. “Good luck out there.”

That matter settled, Lusya left and began making her way out of the village.

“Why aren’t we coming back?” Ariya asked. “Shouldn’t we let them know when we’re done?”

“I am already sacrificing time for this,” Lusya said. “I do not wish to waste any more.”

“I guess that’s fine, as long as you beat up the demon.”

“I will attempt to reason with it first,” Lusya replied.

That was part of why she did not want to return. She doubted she would be able to explain her decision in a way that would satisfy the villagers.

“You can do that?” Ariya asked. “In the stories, the heroes always have to fight the demons.”

“It is not impossible.”

Ariya gave an impressed hum and was silent for a moment.

“Okay, but why?” she asked.

Lusya tilted her head just a bit. “Depending on the demon’s strength, it may be more efficient. Does it matter how I neutralize the threat?”

“How you what?” Ariya asked, her brow knit in a confused scowl.

“How I stop the demon.”

“Oh.” Ariya pursed her lips, seeming to consider that for a moment. “I guess not.”

“Good, then come along. I would like to finish this as quickly as possible.”