Chapter 14

“Then, I’ll help you.”
Haru said with a bright smile. That smile carried both ease and confidence, yet the careful caution hidden within it was hard to miss.

“Oh… Thank you for your dedication, Lady Haru.”
Priest Dominico bowed his head, expressing his sincere gratitude. However, the moment of relief he felt did not last long.

“But not right now.”
As soon as Haru spoke, the air in the room grew heavy. Not only Dominico but also Sian and Ailia widened their eyes at the unexpected response.

“I will assist you once you have gathered enough information about the enemy’s identity and scale and when there is a reasonable chance of victory.”
Haru continued calmly, but her gaze was resolute.

“Tiamat almost died. If the battle had not taken place inside the labyrinth city, or if Beelzebub hadn’t been weakened, we might have really lost her.”
At Haru’s words, I flinched slightly. Just remembering that moment made my tail tap anxiously against the floor. Haru glanced at me before continuing in an even more determined voice.

“We need more experience. We need time to grow stronger. Facing the enemy recklessly now would only endanger not just Tiamat, but all of us. I will never allow that to happen.”

“The demons can always—”
Priest Dominico started to say something but stopped midway. Haru’s gaze had turned ice-cold. The words that nearly left his mouth were likely, ‘The demons can always make a new contract,’ but he remained silent. Haru’s expression was as sharp as a warrior wielding a weapon.

—Wow, Haru’s face just now was terrifying.
—He’s treating Tiamat like an object? That’s so messed up.
—If I were Tiamat, I would’ve thrown water at that priest.
—Haru’s shield is no joke.

I glanced at the chat window floating over Haru’s shoulder and frowned slightly. My tail twitched anxiously once more.

“…Understood.”
Priest Dominico sighed. After a moment of hesitation, he bit his lip before making a new proposal.

“Then, how about this? According to our investigation, one of the priests who might have betrayed us is currently missing. Based on our assumptions, they have not left the labyrinth city. If they had, there would have been a record of it. Most likely, they ventured deeper into the labyrinth.”

“You’re asking us to search for the missing priest during our labyrinth exploration?”
Sian asked sharply.

“Yes, that is correct.”
This time, Priest Dominico bowed his head with caution. His desperation was evident. The temple’s powerlessness and fear were clearly reflected in his eyes.

“Our temple has no resources left. Most of our knights have already gone on expeditions outside the labyrinth city, and we have lost contact with them for a long time. They have most likely… become sacrifices for Beelzebub’s resurrection.”
Dominico’s voice trembled. His hands, hidden beneath the table, were shaking lightly.

“We can no longer tell whom to trust and whom to suspect within the temple. Lady Haru, please… help us.”

A heavy silence filled the room. Haru gazed deeply into Dominico’s eyes, as if trying to discern his sincerity. Beside her, I curled my tail tightly and swallowed a small breath.

Sian still wore a skeptical expression, but even he seemed to understand that the situation was dire.

“Alright.”
At last, Haru spoke.

“We were already planning to enter the labyrinth, so we’ll conduct the search for the priest as well. However, let me make one thing clear.”

Haru raised a hand to prevent Dominico from saying anything further.

“We will proceed at our own pace. Finding the missing priest is only a secondary objective. We will not take unnecessary risks that endanger our team members.”

“Of course. I would never ask for anything reckless. Even this much is already a great help to us.”
Priest Dominico bowed deeply. His voice carried the weight of relief.

Haru nodded and swept back the stray hairs on her forehead. Behind her, I let out a small breath. Sian, arms crossed, remained vigilant, watching Dominico with wary eyes.

And so, we took our first step toward the labyrinth—toward yet another darkness.

Just as we were about to leave the room, a desperate voice called out from behind us.

“Wait!!”

It was Ailia. Her voice rang sharply through the quiet halls of the temple, enough to shake the silence. Instinctively, I flattened my ears and slightly raised my tail.

Had she sensed something ominous?

Here’s the English translation of your text:

Haru turned her head away as if annoyed. Her gaze made it clear that the conversation was over, but Ailia showed no signs of backing down.

“What is it?” Haru asked, her voice tinged with irritation.

Ailia took a quiet breath. Her shoulders trembled slightly. Then, she lowered her head deeply—so much so that if she went any lower, her forehead would touch the cold stone floor.

“I apologize. And I will also apologize to Lady Tiamat.”

I froze for a moment. An apology? To me? Since when did the world become a place where humans showed such courtesy to demons?

— At least she has some decency.
— Pretty people are usually kinder.
— Nope. The ones I confessed to weren’t kind at all.
— That’s because you’re… Yeah, I’ll stop there.
— But why is she the one apologizing?
— The priest probably made her do it.

Haru seemed just as taken aback as I was. Her eyes wavered slightly.

“T-This is a bit much all of a sudden.”
She stammered, clearly flustered.

Ailia bit her lip while keeping her head lowered. Her long eyelashes cast faint shadows over her face. In that moment, her sincerity was palpable.

“Many of Priest Dominico’s comrades were killed by demons… That’s why he was overly wary of Lady Tiamat. If that made you feel uncomfortable, I apologize on his behalf.”

At Ailia’s words, my tail drooped slightly. I couldn’t say I didn’t understand. Demons had always been a source of fear for humans. But something about the phrase ‘apologize on his behalf’ left a bitter taste in my mouth. I didn’t want to doubt her sincerity, but the bitterness lingered nonetheless.

“Ailia, was it?”

Haru spoke, her voice calm but sharp.

“Tiamat has done nothing wrong. In fact, she minimized the damage as much as possible. And an apology is not something someone else can give on your behalf.”

There was certainty in Haru’s voice. From behind her, I silently watched her back. I might just be her ‘hunting dog.’ I might just be an NPC. But even so, she treated me like a person. That warmth was sometimes so overwhelming that I wanted to close my eyes and just bask in it.

“I know.”

Ailia’s quiet response was barely above a whisper, fragile as if it might vanish at any moment.

“But that doesn’t mean I intend to change my plans.”
Haru was firm.

“I’m not apologizing for the sake of convenience.”

Ailia’s voice hardened slightly. She lifted her head and looked at us. Her emerald-green eyes carried nothing but sincerity.

Haru studied Ailia for a moment. There was both fatigue and wariness in her gaze. The two stared at each other for a long time before Haru finally let out a small sigh.

“Haah… I’m sorry, too. I reacted too sensitively.”

Ailia shook her head at Haru’s apology. Her long golden hair shimmered with the movement.

“No, it’s okay. I understand. I just hope you won’t think too badly of Priest Dominico. He’s dedicated his entire life to changing the temple.”

Hearing that, I recalled Priest Dominico’s face—his cold expression, his careful words, and the complicated emotions hidden beneath.

Maybe he really was someone who worked for the good of the temple. But the way he looked at me was more than just wariness. Whether it was prejudice, past wounds, or simple fear—I wasn’t sure.

“Alright. We might be seeing each other more often from now on. Next time we meet, let’s clear up any misunderstandings.”

Haru smiled gently.

“For now, we need to go collect our payment.”

“Thank you.”

Ailia bowed deeply once more.

Leaving her behind, we walked slowly down the temple’s corridor.

At some point, my tail had relaxed again. My emotions were still tangled, but at the very least, I could tell that her apology had been sincere.

An apology, huh…

I let out a small breath.

There are humans who would even apologize to a demon like me.

Step by step, I matched my pace with Haru’s. Her back was always ahead of me. But no matter what, she never walked too far ahead or too close—always keeping the perfect distance by my side.