The two stared at each other for what felt like ages, neither saying a word.
The only sounds that left their mouths were their ragged breaths.
I wanted to ask what was going on, but couldn't find the words during this tense silence.
I was merely a spectator, waiting in anticipation of what would happen next.
Then, out of nowhere, Kia firmly grabbed my wrist and ran away.
"Wait, Kia! Hold on!"
She didn't comply.
In fact, she kept running even faster.
The tapping of our shoes as we travelled on the badly-paved roads echoed through the dark, musky alleyways.
I turned around to check if the man was following us, but saw him nowhere.
And I hadn't even thanked him for helping me yet.
Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched from somewhere.
Not long after that, Kia stopped at a small road.
"W-Who…was that, K-Kia?"
Panting heavily, while the sweat dripped down my face, I asked her what all that was about.
Who was that man, and why did she run away from him?
Kia – like me – was busy catching her breath, before she replied.
"His name is Reath. He is…an acquaintance of mine. It has been quite some time since we last met one another. There were some…parties that did not allow us to stay in touch."
"Let me guess: Azazel."
She nodded.
I wasn't that surprised that he would do such a thing, but for what reason?
Did he not want her to interact with him?
Did he dislike Reath's appearance?
Or was it something completely unrelated?
Despite wanting to know more about this, I didn't want to pry any further in case I would be regarded as rude.
"The sun is about to set. Shall we head back home?" She was clearly trying to steer the conversation to an end.
Nonetheless, there was a lot I had to process and all that walking had made me tired.
So, I accepted her offer and together we walked back to the castle.
Upon our return, we went straight towards the dining hall.
Mr. Luzel had prepared us some fine dinner while we were gone, and Kia was clearly looking forward to it.
Even more surprising, Azazel would be joining us tonight, apparently.
When we arrived, he looked at us with a narrow brow and similar stoic expression he had been carrying on his face for the past two days.
"So, how was your time in Gehenna?"
We sat down opposite him before Kia replied:
"It was wonderful! The beauty of this town never ceases to amaze me."
"Great! And our guest? How was your experience?"
His words sounded spiteful, but I tried not to let it get to me.
Even so, I never expected him to ask me how my day had been.
And because it came out of the blue, I took a while to come up with my answer.
Of course, the experience of seeing Gehenna up-close was fantastic.
Never had I thought I'd be able to witness a place so breathtaking.
This town and its people were so vastly different – yet so similar – to Earth's, I found it difficult to put my amazement into words.
"I, too, had a wonderful time out there. I now see why Kia was so eager to show me around. It truly is just as beautiful as she claimed it to be."
For a few seconds, it stayed oddly quiet.
With a frown on his face, Azazel was sitting deep in thought.
Occasionally, he would exhale loudly from his nostrils, making this situation all the more tense.
If it weren't for Kia sitting beside me, I doubt I would've stayed as calm as I did.
"Wonderful! I am delighted to hear our ancestors' works speak to you the way they did."
Though with restraint, it appeared that Azazel was trying to act more hospitable to me than he did before.
Had the words I said this morning been that impactful, or was this all just an act to please Kia?
Nonetheless, I should consider myself very lucky.
Some time later, Mr. Luzel arrived with our dinner.
The dish consisted of a salad, pieces of breadstick, and a steak coated in a nice-smelling, brown-coloured sauce.
The breadstick also came with a condiment, which was called Dawnberry sauce.
"Have a wonderful supper."
First, I took a bite of the salad.
I am not the fondest of greens or fruits – back home I was quite the picky eater.
Regardless, I knew it would be bad manners of me not to at least taste the salad.
With my fork, I grabbed one of the apple-like slices and a piece of dressing sitting underneath it.
When I took my first bite, I was surprised by the sweetness of the apple.
It was so sweet that I began to question whether it was really healthy or not.
The dressing, however…was just dressing.
Secondly, I grabbed a piece of the breadstick and dipped it into the Dawnberry sauce.
Taking a hopeful bite, another wave of unparalleled flavours filled my mouth.
The crunchiness of the bread accompanied by the taste of the condiment made my eyes water up from delight.
It somehow tasted even better than I expected.
The aftertaste was amazing as well, another burst of oh-so delicious sweetness.
Why is it that only after death I got to enjoy such amazing food?
I almost got the impression that whoever sent me here was purposefully taunting me.
But if all they could do was shove a bunch of delicious delicacies in front of my face, perhaps I could bat an eye at it - at least for now.
Finally, there was the steak.
My hopes were set high for this one.
Back on Earth, I never got to experience such a delicacy, but today that would change.
Excitingly, I grabbed my knife and proceeded to cut off a small piece.
"Here I go." I mumbled softly, as I led my fork to my mouth.
When I say the steak tasted divine, I mean it actually tasted divine.
Never in my life had I eaten something so great.
This was even beating the Kakar balls that I ate this morning.
The meat wasn't too chewy, the inside was just juicy enough, and combined with the sauce it was as if angels were dancing at the tip of my tongue.
I must have been making a weird face, because Azazel and Kia were staring confused at me.
"Is everything alright, Shako?"
"Y-Yes. I just… I have never tasted something as amazing as this before."
A small giggle escaped Kia's lips when she heard my response.
Azazel, again, didn't show any signs of cheerfulness nor amusement.
But then he suddenly said:
"I would like to apologize for my…indecent behaviour these past two days. It was rude of me to act in such graceless manners. However, with that said, I would like to clarify something. That I granted you permission to stay here does not mean I am obliged to offer you help as well."
It was surprising to hear Azazel apologize.
For a brief moment, I didn't know what to say.
"If I may ask, Your Highness, I noticed that the people of Gehenna carried a similar feeling towards Wanderers like you do. Where exactly does this hate for people like me come from?"
The look on his face made it seem like I asked something very shocking.
If the people hated Wanderers just as much as he did, there should be some kind of logical explanation for it, right?
Azazel closed his eyes and rested his chin on his hands.
"Ancient tales and legends telling us about harbingers arriving from another realm, with the intent to destroy our world, are a big reason. Then there are also personnel experiences. My people are…scared certain events might repeat themselves."
For a moment, he paused, looking hesitant to continue.
"Ten years ago, our family granted shelter to a Wanderer just like you. He was a kind and respectful man. One that the people of Gehenna grew very fond of. The interest and love he showed in our culture and us as a people was something even I was amazed by. Four years after his arrival, he disappeared without a trace. No one saw or heard anything from him ever since. Only a month later, he returned and, without warning, butchered my people. Their screams and cries for help still haunt me to this very day."
I was at a loss for words.
How could someone, who found themself in a similar position like me, do such a thing?
After everything these people went through to help you, you repay them just like that?
If this was true, I could understand why everyone was acting so hostile towards me.
This also further proved to me why I was so lucky that Kia found me.
Someone who put her trust in me the moment we met, despite having a valid reason not to.
"I… I don't know what to say. I'm sorry to hear that. What… What exactly happened to that Wanderer in the end?"
"After slaughtering my people, he escaped and has kept wreaking havoc across Fira ever since. No matter how hard we try, we cannot seem to capture him.I am not superstitious of nature, yet after what happened, I even believed there to be some truth in those legends. Hence, why I acted the way I did."
"But if everything you said is true, why did you let me stay?"
Kia followed me up and commented:
"The same thought has been bothering me as well. Whilst I am ever-so glad you gave refuge to Shako, I have a hard time believing your only – or should I say, main – intention was to please me."
"*Sigh* Who knows? Maybe I saw the errors of my ways? Or perhaps I did it to repent for my sins? In any case, I argue my answer would be of little value to you."
And with that, we all went back to finishing our dinner.
Once we were done eating, Kia and I walked back to our bedrooms together and left Azazel in the dining hall.
When I returned to my bedroom, the first thing I did was take another refreshing bath in my golden bathtub.
Today sure has been an exhausting day, in more ways than one.
It still felt surreal to believe that Azazel granted me permission to stay here.
A miracle that came at the perfect time.
Was I truly not dreaming?
While I still didn't know what made him change his mind, my joy could barely be contained.