The wind picked up, the gentle zephyr began to sway the trees around them.


    As they silently stared at one another, the sound of the branches and leaves shaking filled the dead air, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. Luka, with his confidence quickly faltering, forced himself to maintain eye contact with the Lamia. However, the grin he had put on quickly became strained with anxiety as the Lamia below continued to just lie there, staring up at him with a questioning gaze.


    ''Perhaps I came off too strong?'' Luka wondered to himself, unsure how to salvage the rapidly worsening situation. The Lamia, on the other hand, silently appraised the odd sight above her.


    The pale purple hair was the boy''s most striking feature; it wasn''t a hair color commonly found in Humans. The only notable example was the infamous Hero named Heinrich Hein, a man that most Monsters had at least heard of, despite him not being around for over five hundred years. However, this Lamia recognized the purple hair from someone else, a less famous purple-haired hero.


    This similarity bothered her, as it stirred up particularly disturbing memories.


    The Lamia sat up, rolling her large tail underneath herself to stand upright. Luka watched as she effortlessly slid up the incline with her tail, finding himself memorized by the movement. They were graceful, but also held power. The Monster stopped just within arm''s length of the boy and stood almost two heads taller than him. Luka stumbled back a bit, surprised by her sudden approach.


    She crossed her arms under her chest once she stopped before Luka. Her eyes glowing dangerously, though she made no move to attack.


    "Where am I?" Her voice was painfully direct, offering no room for pleasantries.


    Luka, having been distracted by the lovely peach flowers he had noticed resting in the locks of the Monster''s hair, missed the question. "Eh, h-h-huh?" The lavender-skinned Lamia curtly repeated, "I said, Where am I?"


    Luka''s face widened in realization, quickly fixing his blunder. "A-Ah, yes. You are on the o-outskirts of Ilias Village!" The Monster''s golden eyes looked at with confusion, a much more pleasing sight than her earlier apathetic stare. "Ilias Village? Do you not mean, Iliasville?"


    It was Luka''s turn to gawk now, not expecting to get this same question again so soon. "U-Um, no..." He began, trailing off into a pause. "...I-I''m quite certain that it is Ilias Village. I''ve l-lived here my whole life, and that''s the only name I''ve e-ever known it by."


    The taller Monster hummed, eventually shrugging off the town''s inconsistent naming. "To be sent all this way just by a single attack..." She murmured while looking to the side, her expression troubled as she whispered. "...Damn, that girl really is that strong."


    Not quite catching the Monster''s final comment, Luka asked, "I''m sorry, wh-what about a girl?"


    The Lamia swiftly turned back the boy, startling him. "Nothing, who are you?" Luka recovered quicker this time, replying swiftly. "M-My name is Luka, and as I said I-I hail from Ilias Village." The Lamia''s gaze fell downward, inspecting the sword in Luka''s left hand.


    The blade was pointed to the ground in his grip as he forgot to grab its holster. Something about the blade seemed to bother the Monster, her eyes narrowing at the weapon. Unbeknownst to him, the sword was as familiar to her as his purple hair was. "I see..." She said before raising her gaze back up to his face.


    "...Are you, a Hero, by chance?" The Lamia asked pointedly.


    Luka answered honestly, "N-Not yet no. I haven''t been B-Baptized yet." The purple-haired boy looked up through the thicket of tree limbs above, having difficulty seeing where the Sun was positioned in the sky but also knowing that it was soon to be time.


    The Lamia watched Luka squint into the sky with a curious look. ''Not yet Baptized.'' She thought, ''That must be why he still smells so nice.'' Luka looked back at the Monster, now aware that the Monster''s gaze was still fully set on him. The look in her golden eyes made him feel very squeamish.


    "A-Ah, well, if you are not i-injured than I suppose I should be going now. Th-That is, if you don''t need any further assistance..." As the woods grew silent, the two simply watched each other again, neither of them entirely sure what to make of the other. Luka bounced on his heels nervously, still not completely comfortable being alone with the powerful-looking Monster.


    The Lamia, however, was unfazed by his aversion.


    "...S-So, I''ll b-be leaving now, if you don''t-" Luka had begun to turn mid-sentence, intent on heading back to the Temple. However, the Monster''s large tail cut him off with tremendous speed, coiling around his small frame in the blink of an eye! "Gah!-" A grunt came from the boy''s mouth as he was quickly coiled around by the appendage, his Father''s sword landing on the ground.


    "Stop." The Lamia uttered, turning him around with ease. She faced him head-on, her piercing golden eyes boring into his. She scanned his worried face, though whatever she was searching for, he did not know. "You say you intend to become a Hero, correct?"


    Luka nodded hesitantly, "Y-Yes..." The Monster''s face became confused as she asked, "If that is so, why did you not kill me when I was unconscious?"


    Luka, not understanding the idea, turned the tables on the Monster by asking his own question. "Why would I k-kill you?" The Lamia recoiled slightly, not expecting the reply. "Because," she started, "Any Hero would jump at the chance to kill a Monster like me."


    Luka frowned at the comment, not finding it in his heart to agree with such a sentiment. "I wouldn''t. I''m only interested in saving people, not killing them. And that includes Monsters." His captor closed her eyes, the words spoken by her temporary prisoner causing her some thought. "You don''t see Monsters as enemies, then?" She questioned.


    Luka nodded his head, using the only movable part of his body to emphasize his answer. "No, I don''t see them as enemies."


    She opened her eyes again, her questioning gaze looking deeply into his face again. "You, someone who doesn''t want to kill, seeks to become a Hero, someone whose ultimate goal is to kill the Monster Lord?" The question had some venom behind it, and he could feel the air around him grow heavy.


    "I-I don''t know about those before me," Luka started, trying desperately to keep his voice under control. "B-But I don''t intend to kill the Monster Lord, no." Luka said with growing vigor. "I just want to end the fighting, to bring peace between Humans and Monsters."


    Luka steeled his gaze, true confidence coming from him for the first time since this encounter started. "I want a World where everyone can live together without bloodshed!" The Lamia listened to the boy speak, her face becoming more and more shocked as he continued. Until her expression was that of complete bewilderment.


    "I see..." She said, feeling as another breeze rippled through the landscape. She blinked, and her expression became dismissive. "...You''re an idiot."


    The Monster''s massive tail quickly released Luka, who landed with a harsh thud on the grass below. Luka shook from both the pain of fall and the Monster''s cold insult. She went on as he lay there, coughing up dust. "Believing that Humans and Monsters can live in peace simply because you want them to, is childish."


    Luka got to his hands and knees, raising his pained gaze to Monster''s scrutinizing one. "Hero or not, if you think everyone can simply live hand-in-hand, then you need to wake up. Coexistence is an immature dream that could only be thought up by someone who is woefully ignorant of reality." Her words struck the boy heavily, more so than she realized as his breathing silently hitched in an odd manner.


    Slowly, he rose to his feet, averting his gaze as he did so. Luka''s blue eyes kept to the ground, as he didn''t want the Monster to see the tears forming in his eyes. Feelings of embarrassment and shame filled him, her words agonizingly hurtful to him. He wasn''t prepared for such treatment, as he had never been talked to in such a demeaning manner before.


    There were many things Luka wanted to say, as his body shook with anger and sadness, but he couldn''t voice the impulsive responses. He didn''t want to say anything that was even a fraction as hurtful as the Monster had just done.


    "O-O... O-O-Okay, I..." Luka lamely trailed off, barely able to wrench the words out of his suddenly clamped-up throat. "...I-I''m sorry if you think coexistence is ch-childish, but I-I think it''s s-something worth f-fighting for." He suddenly spun, turning on his heel and to head back towards Ilias Village. The Lamia behind him watched as he sprinted away, watching with judging eyes.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    In Ilias Village, a small congregation was forming inside the Temple of Ilias in preparation for Luka''s Baptism. Waiting on the second level of the Holy palace, were all of Ilias''s Archangels. They all had their Halos and wings hidden to hide themselves, as they were only there to silently observe the proceedings.


    "This is ridiculous." A stern voice criticized.


    The comment was made by none other than the leader of the group, Archangel Ariel. The silver-haired Angel sat in one of the booths with her arms crossed over chest, her red eyes flaring with impatience. "This boy is supposed to be Ilias''s Prophet, but he can''t even show up to his own Baptism on time? What an insult."


    From a couple seats down rang the melodious voice of the second-eldest Archangel, the golden-haired Runael. Her eyes remained closed as she addressed her superior, "We must have patience, Sister. The Baptism does not begin for another ten minutes, after all."


    Ariel scoffed, though not out of ill will for her spiritual right-hand Archangel. "That doesn''t excuse his absence. Being early is more preferred than being late. The Goddess requires diligence, and nothing is more diligent than punctuality."


    Runael quickly moved to counter, "Yes, certainly. But is it not also true that one should uplift their duties first and foremost? Perhaps, he has been delayed by a desire to pray or to help ease the Townsfolk with their troubles." Ariel huffed, "Maybe so, though this wait is still infuriating."


    A couple rows below the two were the three lower Archangels of the group.


    Chamael sat quietly in her seat, listening to the other two in her row chatter to each other. At the Moment, the youngest of them, Mariel, was gushing about the proceedings to Valkyrie. "I still can''t believe it! My first Baptism, how wonderful!" The stone-faced Valkyrie was making a valiant attempt to calm the flames of her fellow Archangel. "Yes, it is very exciting, though do try to keep quiet, Mariel. We need absolute silence when it does begin."


    On the inside, Valkyrie was growing as impatient as Ariel was, wondering where the soon-to-be Prophet was.


    Chamael chipped in, "Listen to Valkyrie, Mariel. It won''t be long now until the Prophet will be Baptized, there is no need for further rambunctiousness." The youngest Archangel pouted at Chamael''s stern words, sitting low in her seat as she glared at the ground beneath her.


    Far off to the side, several rows over, was the demented Ranael. The Archangel was currently whispering into her sleeve, intent on keeping the act hidden from her peers. "Yes, soon, very soon. I cannot wait, my heart feels as though it will burst, my Mistress!" Her rust red eyes twitched as her robes ruffled from the bizarre movement going on underneath them, very perverse goings-on happening right in Ilias''s very own Temple.


    Up above the six Archangels, the roof itself began to open, signaling that the Temple''s clergy were now almost ready for the proceedings to begin. Yet, Luka was still not yet there. This elicited another growl from Ariel, but the Leader of the Archangels said nothing more as her gauntlets flared with small red bolts of power.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Halfway between the entrance of the village and the Temple, was the Prophet-to-be in question.


    Luka had noticed the sun''s position in the sky being quite clearly high noon, but he didn''t feel very enthusiastic in his journey to get Baptized now.. He should be thinking, ''Who cares what that Monster thinks, I''ll become a Hero and show her what-for!''


    But he didn''t. In fact, the boy had never felt more doubt in himself before.


    Luka''s mind kept echoing the Lamia''s harsh words, feeling his self-worth crumble away more and more as he went on. He wasn''t even sure why her words had stung him so much; it wasn''t as if they knew each other, they were complete strangers. Logically her words, while hurtful, should ultimately mean very little to him. He didn''t know the Lamia''s name, yet here he was, on the verge of having a crying fit because of what she had said.


    ''Maybe she was right, maybe I am just a kid in over his head.'' Luka found himself at the bottom of the steps leading up to the Temple of Ilias, but he did not begin the climb. ''Maybe I should just turn around and go home, there are surely others more fit to become Ilias''s Prophet, or at least others who can pretend to be more fit. I can''t even do that much.''


    "Hey, Luka!" The boy in question looked up, peering at the top of the marble stairs leading into the Temple. Standing in front of the large entrance was a man Luka had become somewhat acquainted with these last two years. He was the son of the old Reverand and was now the new religious leader of Ilias Village, Reverand Grigori.


    The man was obviously elderly, though not nearly as much as his Father before him. He was very tall, being just as tall, if not taller, than the Lamia that had just harassed him. His wrinkled face was partly covered in a neatly trimmed gray beard.


    The man descended the stairs in a hurry, his blue and white religious garb flailing in the wind chaotically. "What are you doing boy!?" The man''s deep voice was questioning, but not unkind. "Ilias will be here any moment, you do not want to miss your own Baptism, do you?" The relieved smile on the man''s face fell as he noticed Luka''s dour face.


    "Say," Reverand Grigori began as his dark brown eyes assessed Luka''s upset disposition. "Today should be the most joyous day of the year, doubly for you in particular. Yet you look as if you are about to attend your own funeral!"


    Luka sighed, "I-I almost wish that was the case, Reverand." The older man regarded Luka with a concerned look. The boy''s demeanor was crestfallen, his shoulders sagging, and his head hung low. It wasn''t the proper attitude for a boy his age. The Reverand clasped a large hand onto Luka''s shoulders, unintentionally rocking the smaller boy''s body for a moment. "Here, walk with me, Luka."


    The two ascended the staircase towards the Temple''s doors, Grigori attempting to find the source of Luka''s troubled appearance as they went. "So, what is it that has you so down, my boy? You are looking positively sour." Luka hesitated, not wanting to recount the entire tale of his emotional and verbal beatdown.


    "I-I..." Luka began, trying to find the right words as they reached the top step. "...I just don''t know if I''m the right pick, Reverand. Do I really deserve Ilias''s Baptism?" Grigori made a hmph as they passed through the doors of the Temple, clergymen passing them as they entered, closing the large doors behind the pair.


    "Luka, do you remember when I first came to Ilias Village?" The Reverend asked. The purple-haired boy nodded his head, "Y-Yes I do, it was not l-long after the plague hit this village." Grigori nodded, his face turning grim.


    "Yes, that epidemic was the worse I had ever seen. Never before had I witnessed such a depressing sickness. People''s bodies failing themselves, slowly breaking down until all that was left of them was an empty shell..." The man trailed off, his dark eyes staring ahead in deep thought.


    "...I pray to Ilias every night that such a thing never happens to anyone again, so many people lost so much in those short few weeks..." Luka watched as the man''s darkened face began to soften. "...Though when I met you, I swear I saw a bit of Ilias''s Light shine against the Darkness of those uncertain times through you!"


    Luka shook his head, but the Reverand stopped the boy with a hand. "Listen, my boy." The older man stopped, kneeling down to look into the boy''s face with hardened eyes. "There was no one, not even me, who worked harder than you to help during those times. I saw it, the villagers saw it, even my Father had talked to me of how shocked he was at your turn-around."


    Luka drew back, surprise in his eyes at hearing that the old Reverand had spoken positively of him, considering that the man had been just as uncaring of him as anyone else had when he was alive.


    "R-R-Really?" Luka asked. Grigori nodded strongly, "Absolutely, and I know for a fact that he took pride in how you managed to grow so quickly. Though he was not able to voice that in his final days." The man stood up straight, walking the boy deeper into the Temple. "Either way, being a Hero isn''t just a privilege you can be given, it''s an acknowledgement of your very character."


    Luka gave the man a questioning look as they entered the prayer hall. "Wh-What do you mean?"


    Reverand Grigori said nothing as they continued down the long blue carpeting to the end of the room. Ahead of them on the prayer stage - in place of where the sermon podium would usually be at - was a waist-tall marble bowl. It was filled to just below the brim in crystal-clear water, the water Luka would very soon be baptized in.


    "What I mean is that receiving the title of Hero isn''t what makes you one. The traits of being a Hero are already within you; being Baptized is simply, as I said already, acknowledging those traits."


    Luka felt his spirits uplift at the older man''s words. He turned to the Reverand, his blue eyes holding hope in them once again. "D-Do you really believe I-I have those traits?" The man nodded his head with great enthusiasm, "If I did not, I would truly be a fool!" Luka chuckled as the man walked away for a moment as the man disappeared to fetch something.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    When he returned, he held a large blue and white ceremonial robe in his hands. "Now quickly, the Sun is at its peak and Ilias is sure to be here soon. Hurry and change, I am sure you would not want to be caught with your pants down when the Goddess arrives!" Luka blushed madly at the comment, leaving the Prayer Hall to go change into clothes fit for the baptism, both him and the Reverand unaware of the six gazes watching their interaction from the unused top level of the building.


    Luka quickly returned, nearly tripping as he made it to the large bowl stationed at the front of the prayer hall. From the ceiling cascade golden rays of sunlight that bathed the room in its wonderous glow, high noon was now upon Ilias Village. "Finally, I thought you had gotten lost, Luka."


    The older man chuckled at the boy''s face of embarrassment, the sound of laughter echoing throughout the building. "Alright, now if there are no further delays, I will now begin. Luka, if you would please kneel before the ceremonial bowl, I will now begin the prayer." Luka did so quickly, folding his hands together while closing his eyes.


    "O, Great Goddess of Light, hear my call."


    The Reverand''s deep voice reverberated through the room, Luka closed his eyes tighter as the man continued.


    "I call upon you to accept this boy, Luka of Ilias Village, to become your next chosen Hero."


    Luka''s shook, he could feel the Sun''s warmth beginning to fall down upon him as he kneeled there. Everything was starting to become clear to him, he felt at ease.


    "Bless him with your guidance, your wisdom, with Heaven''s Light itself as he begins his quest to serve you in helping heal this wounded World."


    The boy''s breathing quickened, he felt something in the air shift and change. Could it be, was it Ilias descending!?


    "If you are to have this boy as your own, then I ask for you to come now, come and bless him with your love and proclaim him your next Hero!"


    With that, Reverand Grigori''s prayer to Ilias was finished, and now came the descending of Ilias, who would baptize Luka and proclaim him as her Prophet!


    Luka, Grigori, and the Archangels above all waited...


    ...And waited...


    ...But yet, Ilias did not come.


    Luka opened his eyes, glancing warily around the Prayer Hall. He looked up to the Reverand, who seemed baffled himself as he looked up to the hole in the roof. "I don''t understand..." The Holy Leader said to himself, "...Th-This has never happened before to my knowledge..."


    Luka felt the warmth and hope in his heart freeze into despair once again as the sun''s light began to fade as it passed through its apex. Luka called out to the Reverand, "Gr-Grigori, isn''t Ilias s-s-supposed to b-be here by now?" The older man looked back down to Luka, pain in his eyes. "Well, yes she is..."


    The man wasn''t sure what to even say, as he was not lying when he had said that something like this had never happened before. ''The Goddess always came down to Ilias Village on her birthday to ordain a new Hero. Why, then, had she not done the same for Luka? This makes no sense!''


    The man snapped from his thoughts as he heard a sharp intake of breath come from the purple-haired boy. Luka''s face was quickly becoming soaked in tears. Grigori moved quickly to the boy''s side, grabbing him by the arm. "Here, here." Luka pulled the man in with surprising strength, burying his burning face into the man''s religious garb, viciously trying to hide his shame.


    The older man''s dark eyes peered at the shaking boy in sadness, feeling each heave of air he took in between sobs. ''This isn''t right...'' He thought, looking about the otherwise empty room for something, anything that could somehow salvage the situation.


    Eventually, the boy pulled his face away, his face now crimson and inflamed from his anguish. The boy took many long breaths, eventually being able to return himself to a more regular breathing pattern. "R-Reverand, does this m-m-mean I-Ilias has denied m-me?"


    The question felt like a dagger to the older man''s heart.


    Truthfully, he was worried that the lifestyle and responsibilities of being a Hero may prove too much for the kind-hearted Luka. He felt as though it might be too much of a burden on the boy''s good-natured soul as he was too trusting, too innocent. However, Luka had also proved himself as an honest, well-intention soul who had a genuine desire to help people. These, above all else in Grigori''s mind, made him more fit to be a Hero than most.


    And so, he made his decision.


    "Come with me, Luka." He grabbed the boy''s much smaller hand, pulling him up to the bowl of blessed water. The purple-haired boy was confused as the Reverand brought him to the stage, leading him to stand in front of the large marble bowl. "Wh-What are you going to do?" Luka asked.


    The older man gently grabbed the back of the boy''s head with one hand, cupping his other hand under the boy''s chin, "I would hold my breath, if I were you."


    "Wait, why-" Without warning, the man dunked Luka''s head into the water, eliciting a yelp from the boy as he very much so did not hold his breath.


    Quickly, the boy''s head was pulled back out of the water, splashing the blessed liquid everywhere as the boy sputtered and squawked from the abrupt Baptism. "There," The Reverand proclaimed, "You are now a Hero, Luka!"


    Luka wiped his soaked face with a hand, fighting to clear his sight. "W-Wait, I thought Ilias had to-" Grigori waved away the boy''s question, not having any of it. "Nonsense, I''ve witnessed the Goddess''s Baptisms many times before. This should suffice."


    Luka frowned at the man''s words, "B-But, only Ilias can B-Baptize people, right?" The Reverand simply shrugged, "Perhaps, though they won''t know the difference." He gestured to the closed doors of the Temple as he gave his reply. Luka, realizing what the man was implying, stared at him with shock. "Y-You are going to l-l-lie to the people about my Baptism!?"


    The tall man knelt down to hold Luka''s gaze, grabbing him by both shoulders. "Luka, remember what I said before. I believe that you can be a Hero, and that doesn''t change because of this. Truly Baptized or not, you can be a Hero and don''t let anyone tell you otherwise." The face of the purple-haired boy turned from one of unsureness to one of relief. "D-Do you really think so?"


    Grigori nodded his head without hesitation, "I know it."


    Luka grinned, not fully feeling better, but the man''s kind words uplifted him a great deal. "Th-Thank you, thank you so much." The Reverand stood up straight, holding up a hand. "No need to thank me, Luka, it is my pleasure. Now, you should go get changed. You have a long journey ahead of you, so do your best, young Luka."


    Luka shook his head up and down multiple times, unknowingly casting more water around the room. "Okay, I-I will!" The older man watched Luka turn and run off to get out of the ceremonial robes, a troubled chill crawling up his back. He could only hope that this was the right decision.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Even after the Reverand had left, the Archangels above were still silent, each of them shocked at what had just occurred. None of them, not even Ariel, had ever witnessed Ilias simply not show up to a Baptism. This situation was even more confusing, when taking account if the fact that this was supposed to be her Prophet''s Baptism, the most important Holy cleansing in the history of Heaven and Earth.


    "Th-That..." A confused Mariel spoke up, "...Wasn''t supposed to happen, right?"


    Ariel, standing up from her seat, replied "No, no it was not. Something is wrong." All of the Archangels turned to her, "We need to return to Heaven immediately, something must''ve gone wrong." Swiftly, the Leader of the Archangel extended her wings, the light of the act filling the top floor in golden rays. One by one, each Archangel quickly followed, even Ranael following with diligence in her speed, until they were all gone.


    All but one, that it.


    The recently appointed Archangel Valkyrie stood isolated on the balcony overlooking the prayer hall. Like the others, she was troubled by her Goddess''s unusual absence from the proceedings. However, something else was disturbing her, something that had bothered her before that.


    Valkyrie''s issue was the fact that upon seeing Luka''s face, her mind had been flooded with long-repressed memories of the night when she and Cupid watched as Marcellus and Lucifina''s nighttime activities. The Archangel''s face was that of shame, her blushing face turned downwards in embarrassment of the fact that seeing the Prophet had caused her to become excited.


    ''This is appalling! I shouldn''t be feeling such things, especially whilst in a Temple. That is a sin, Valkyrie. You know better.'' Despite her chastising of herself, the feeling of want did not go away as the Archangel flew through the still-opened hole in the ceiling. The troubled Angel flew quickly as to catch up to the other Archangel, her irregular thoughts growing more and more confused by the moment.


    <hr noshade="noshade" size="1">


    Luka quickly left the Temple after changing into his regular clothes. It was customary for a newly Baptized Hero to stay behind and pray, but the boy didn''t have the inclination in his heart to do so. While the Reverand''s words had struck a chord for him, there was still a lingering disappointment in his mind that grew more as he was left alone with his thoughts.


    ''Why, after everything she''s told me, would Ilias not come down to Baptize me?'' His steps were heavy as he walked through the town, his demeanor solemn. ''Did the Goddess change her mind? Does she no longer think me worthy of even being a Hero, let alone her Prophet?'' The depressing thoughts continued to flow through his mind, helping him to ignore the looks of concern coming from those he passed. He did not feel much like talking, so he kept his head facing the ground.


    Luka quickly left the inner hub of Ilias Village, no more than a couple minutes left in his journey. The wind picked up again, blowing the boy''s long purple hair across his face. He turned his eyes upwards to the bright blue sky. Large clusters of white clouds rolled across the sky, surrounding the bright yellow sun ahead.


    ''What am I supposed to do now? Grigori said that I''m a Hero either way, but is that really true?'' Luka considered praying to the Goddess herself, but his heart just wasn''t in it. If she didn''t even show up to his Baptism, why would she want to hear his prayers?


    Obviously, he had done something to displease her.


    Luka practically crawled up to his house''s front door, leaning on it as he twisted the handle and pushing the door open. He swiftly pulled the door shut, letting the silence of the empty house wash over him. He groaned, leaning back-first against the door. ''I may as well just go back to bed, there''s nothing else to look forward to now.'' He closed his eyes, simply resting now. ''At the very least, it couldn''t get any worse from here.''


    "You''re slow." The awfully familiar voice caused him to snap his eyes back open. Slowly - painfully so - the boy turned his neck to the far left to find the Lamia from before standing in the middle of his kitchen. The Monster''s large red tail was coiled on the ground around her, mirroring the impatience in her crossed arms. Her still admittedly enchanting face was expressing severe amounts of boredom.


    Luka stammered out the obvious question, "H-How did you find my house?" The Monster quickly gave an un-obvious answer, "By scent, I could smell your unsophisticated musk all over this house."


    Luka ignored the subtle jab, his thoughts running into overdrive. ''Wait a moment, a common Slime threw everyone into a panic! This Monster is surely titanically powerful in comparison, how did nobody in the village notice her being here?'' Luka opened his mouth for another question, "How did you get in here without anyone knowing?"


    The Lamia raised an eyebrow at the clueless boy, "Tricking Humans is easy for someone like me, what do you take me for?" Luka shrugged exhaustedly, giving an honest answer, "I have no idea."


    The two stared at each other for a while, an uneasy silence festering in the air.


    Luka turned his head at the Monster, "Wh-Why did you come here?" It was a justified question, as the boy was under the impression from their last meeting that the Lamia thought of him as a pathetic child not worth her time. It was painful to reflect on, but he figured from her brutal treatment of him earlier in the day that she''d go out of her way to not see him again.


    Something complex danced in the gold eyes of his intruder, her face showing something he didn''t quite recognize. "I... was interested. There was something I wanted to confirm." There was an equally odd tone in her voice, something that confused him. Her attitude now felt much different than before, more reserved.


    "Ah... I see..." Luka responded, although he certainly did not see. The boy straightened, "...Anyways," He began walking over to the nearby window, pulling the curtains shut. "I won''t say that you have to leave, but I can''t have anyone seeing you, either. Most people around here aren''t very Monster-friendly."


    The Lamia''s gaze followed him as he covered the windows enough to keep wandering eyes from seeing in, though left enough light in the house to adequately see. Luka asked a question as he continued to pull the curtains together. "S-So, you said you wanted to confirm something?"


    The Lamia crossed her arms, "Well, since you do not smell as though you''ve been Baptized, one of my questions have been answered." Luka flinched, a look of pain coming to his face. "Ah, yes. Ilias did not come to Baptize me..." Luka begrudgingly turned to look back at his guest, noting the odd smile on her face. It was a strangely pleasant expression, despite the circumstances.


    "I-I do hope you didn''t come by j-just to make fun of me." Luka said. The Monster''s eyes looked to him with that same look, "Oh no, I take more joy in knowing that I was able to pay her back for wounding me so exceptionally..." She muttered something under her breath gleefully, though Luka paid little attention to that, being caught on what she had said at the start.


    ''Pay who back, is she talking about Ilias?'' Before he could ask for any clarification, not that he expected to actually get any at this point, the Monster dropped her smile. "Food." The single word came from her mouth strictly as a demand, the Monster ordering him around as if he was a lowly servant.


    The attitude behind her command was frustrating, but Luka bit down the reply he was bout to give. ''Calm down, no need to anger her now. Be the bigger person.''


    "Okaaay..." Luka said, drawing out the acknowledgment of the Monster''s blunt request. "...I''ll find you something." Even with the Lamia constant prodding and technically breaking-in of his property, Luka was determined to be a good host, as he believed it to be the respectful thing to do.


    That, and the act of cooling may even help lift his mood, if just by a little bit. However, once reaching his pantry, the boy remembered something very important.


    He had cleared his kitchen in preparation for his journey as Ilias''s Prophet. In doing so, he had no perishable ingredients in his house. ''Oh my, that is not good...'' Luka thought as he looked back to the Monster with hesitant eyes.


    She stared at him expectantly, golden eyes glowing as Luka started to explain the situation. "W-Well, I will h-have to w-warn you that I don''t have m-much in the way of food right now. I-I sort of cleared out the kitchen ahead of my journey." The Lamia closed her eyes in frustration, letting out a very long sigh from her lips. "Isn''t there anything at all to eat? I''m so hungry that my stomach is set to devour itself."


    Luka frowned at the comment even though it was likely an exaggeration. He didn''t like the idea of anyone, even this very rude Monster, going hungry. The young boy opened up his pantry, retrieving one if the few things he did have in the kitchen. "I-I''m afraid that it isn''t m-much, but if you really are so hungry than it will have to do for now." The boy pulled out a small bag, approaching the Monster with the item outreached in his hand.


    Inside, was dried meat.


    "Jerky?" The Lamia almost spat, a look of immense disappointment on her face. Luka perked, a sly smile forming on his face as he stressed, "Homemade jerky, mind you." The Monster eyed the meat, before shrugging. "Oh well, it will do as an appetizer, I suppose." She takes the meat and eats it quickly, a displeased look on her face.


    However, as she begun to register the taste if the meat, her expression flipped completely. "Oh..." she muttered, "...This is actually good. You do seem to know your seasonings." It felt like a backhanded compliment, but the boy took it in stride. He gave a nod, thankful that he finally got something other than distaste from the Lamia.


    "I''d hope so, I''ve been cooking for most of my life! A good thing, too, since being able to cook for myself will make setting up camp so much easier for me..." His tone dimmed a bit, "...Even though I now won''t be able to become a Pr-, erhm, Hero." The snake Monster regarded the boy with a curious glance, which morphed into a strangely mischievous grin. "Well, either way you have satiated my hunger. I suppose I will be good without having a main course."


    Luka glanced up at her, "I''m glad, because I have no more food." The Lamia gave the boy a long, hard look. Silence befell the kitchen, as Luka felt a sudden chill go up his spine. He squirmed a bit, feeling a tad bit uncomfortable now. Reflexively, the boy lifted a hand to tug on an errant sting of hair, averting his eyes from the taller Monster.


    "Sooo... Wh-Why else did you come h-here, if not to mock me more?" Luka asked, a bit of pain unintentionally coming out. The Lamia closed her eyes, evidently perturbed by something. Whatever it was, she did not voice it.


    "I suppose I had said more than I had meant to earlier, but you had sounded so childish that I couldn''t help myself. In all my travels, I''ve never heard such things being said so honestly..." Luka felt his frustration build, feeling wounded at her words once. "...Though, I think it is a good thing, even if it is unorthodox."


    Luka''s face softened at her tone, ''Well, that wasn''t exactly an apology. But I suppose it will do.'' She opened her eyes, a quizzical look about them. "So, what is it that you will be doing now?" Luka shrugged, "Well, I may not be a Hero, but I will leave here nonetheless. Hero or not, I''d like to think I can still do some good for this World."


    He heard the Lamia give out a full chuckle, a wonderfully cute noise to the purple-haired boy. She stopped, fixing a genuine smirk on him. "Well, that is good. In fact, you''ve piqued my interest." The boy looked to her in surprise, "Really?"


    The Monster nodded, "Really, you''re a fascinating person..." She crossed her arms under her chest again, "...You''re able to say such ridiculous things with such confidence, it''s somewhat endearing." Luka''s face hardened, showing his dismay. "I-I don''t think coexistence is ridiculous..."


    The Lamia chuckled with mirth, the sound now furthering his frustration. "Oh, but it is. You''ll see that soon enough, I''ll be there to witness it myself." Luka flinched in surprise at her statement before asking, "What do you mean?"


    She leaned over some, meeting him eye-level. "I was already planning on traveling the World myself; so, if I am going to do so, I may as well tag along with you to do it." At first, the very thought nauseated the boy. Thusfar, while with a scattered moment of reprieve here and there, this Monster had battered and bruised his already diminished ego and self-esteem so easily. His treatment in Ilias Village had been bad, but this was on a different level. However...


    ...The one thing he had been dreading the most leading up to this day, was the idea of traveling alone.


    In the Village, Luka was alone in a different sense. He didn''t interact with many people, the only notable example being the Reverand who he saw every Mass, but at least there were people around. But outside the Village? He knew next to nothing about the people he would meet. So, even if the familiar face was the Monster''s mocking one, it would be better than simply going in alone.


    "Okay," Luka said with tentativeness, "I-If you want to come with me, I suppose I can''t stop you." He paused, looking down to the side before gazing up at her again. "Though, if you are going to be accompanying me, can I at least know your name?"


    The Lamia held up her head with pride, "My name is Alipheese Fateburn, however you," She said whilst extending a hand, "May call me, Alice." Luka appraised the Monster for a moment, his face livening. "Ah, Alice, I quite like that name. It''s very pretty."


    Caught off-guard by the comment, Alice''s normally reserved face broke out in a small blush, one that Luka missed as he turned back to the curtains. He peeked outside, watching as townsfolk walked about in the distance. "I-If you don''t mind, would you leave through the back? I''d imagine the others seeing you would cause a stir."


    Alice agreed with the sentiment, "Yes, that does sound like a good idea. I''d rather not deal with the headache of screaming Humans. I will meet you outside the Village, then..."


    The Lamia started to slither away, though she stopped to look back a final time. "...Ah, by the way, you may want to go and retrieve your sword if you want to properly begin your journey. You left it by my crater." With that, the Lamia disappeared through the back door.


    Luka, eyes wide, looked around his person in bewildered realization. ''You''ve got to be kidding me! How could I leave my Father''s sword behind!?'' The boy ran for the front door but stopped before opening it. ''Wait, this''ll be the last time I''ll see my home for a long time. I should say my goodbyes.''


    The boy spun back around, passing through the kitchen and down the hallway. There was really only one destination in mind, the one place he hadn''t been to since Sofia had stayed with him for that short time.


    Luka slowly pushed the door open, feeling the waves of melancholy wash over him as he stepped into his parent''s room. His eyes fell on the bed first, as it always did. He stood in the middle of the room, a heavy pit settling in his stomach. He breathed in sharply, folding his hands together as if to pray. However, he would not be speaking to Ilias.


    Instead, he spoke to his Mother.


    Closing his eyes shut, Luka began. "I''m heading out now, M-Mother. I don''t know when I''ll be back..." His breath hitched, the awkward sound jumping up and down in the back of his throat. Even after all these years, it was still so difficult for him. Truthfully, he didn''t know if it ever would be.


    "...S-S-So t-take good care of the h-house for me. I-..." Luka lip trembled, though he quickly fought the sensation down, this was no time for crying. "...I lo-love you." Trembling some, the boy opened his eyes, his blue eyes threatening the release of tears.


    "N-No, c-crying now. I need to grow up now." Luka reigned in the emotions, turning away from the bed and leaving the room. He closed the door behind him and walked through the house to leave through the front door.


    Luka never even noticed that Alice had not yet left the house, having heard the boy''s farewell to his Mother.