On their way back, Fell and Asts took care of a few slimes that came their way, Fell was fortunate to gain a few more card material mana shards despite killing a dozen or so slimes. She did not gain anymore Blueprints.
After they returned to the town the guards said they do not allow monsters into the town so the Black horned wolf was unfortunately placed into the beast tamers interdimensional beast cage. Arriving at the guild the two went towards Lynn so she could process the completion of her quest.
Upon seeing them Lynn smiled. "Look there, it's the cute girl and Asts, seeing you are both here Fell successfully helped you huh Asts.".
Asts smirked. "Yes and she was effective against the slimes, I am here to vouch for the completion of the quest so she can gain some merits and also here to pay her.".
Lynn smiled as she stared at Fell, Fell met her gaze and slowly averted her eyes from her. Lynn chuckled at her shyness then turned to Asts. "All right, the merits gotten from helping a fellow adventurer is only 10, gather 500 merits and advance to the next rank"
"Thanks for the information Lynn, now then my 5 silver Asts" She tapped her leg on the floor.
Asts sighed dramatically, fishing into his coin pouch. "Yeah, yeah, I haven't forgotten." He counted out the five silver coins and placed them in Fell's waiting hand, then, with a smirk, he added, "And because I'm such a generous person, here's the extra I promised." He slid another two silver into her palm.
Fell arched an eyebrow. "Generous? More like barely keeping your word."
Lynn giggled at their exchange before turning back to her paperwork. "The day is still young Fell, do you want to go on another quest"
Fell hesitated, she was not sure if she should so she made up her mind not to. "I can't go on another quest today, I suddenly got an existential crisis I need to solve"
Asts and Lynn didn't really get it, but they gave her a farewell, Asts stayed so he could search for suitable quest to take so he can increase his bond with his tamed creature.
Fell made it out of the guild and went towards Inn and scheduled a room for the day, the lady greeted her happily and even made fell stay where she was and made her some lunch.
Fell was not hungry but she reluctantly ate so the lady would not think she was being ungrateful. After she was done, she found out the lady's name was Yuile. "Thank's Miss Yuile, you didn't have to make me a meal though"
Yuile chuckled. "As I said earlier this morning, you bring about business and you also remind me of my daughter. She is an adventurer like you and she comes back hungry after her quests".
Fell found her reasoning cute. "Aren't you worried she is a bit too young to go on adventures"
Yuile chuckled, she faced the girl in front of her with amusement. "She is fourteen and you're the one to talk, you look younger than her"
Fell faked a cough as a slow heat climbed onto her face. "Y-Yeah but my circumstances are different"
Yuile smiled and didn't question her, the two females continued their talk until Fell stood up and went to her room while saying see you later to Yuile. Once she was in her room, she sat on the bed and sighed.
She closed her eyes and breathed slowly then she opened them again and stared at her own hands. "...I wonder how my mother and my siblings are doing, they are probably looking for me or maybe my body is dead and they are mourning my deaths, I don't really know...I hope they are ok."
Fell hugged her knees, her eyes were slowly watering and her heart felt like it was being torn out by a pack of wolves. Within the next second, she silently lost control of her emotions and cried.
Droplets of tears fell on the bed, staining it slightly with the sadness of someone dragged away from their own world through an unknown phenomenon . It did not get better, soon silent cries turned into sobbing.
Fell couldn't stop crying, she was vulnerable, scared, she wanted to go home and wished this situation was just one big dream.
She curled into herself, gripping the fabric of her clothes as though holding on to something real—something that could ground her. But nothing could change the truth. She was here, in a world she had once written off as fiction, wearing a body that wasn't even truly hers.
Her shoulders trembled. Even as she tried to muffle her sobs against her knees, the weight of everything pressed down on her chest, making it harder to breathe.
Would she ever see them again?
Would they even recognize her if she did?
Then, she suddenly felt someone embrace her. "Don't cry, listen to my lullaby and sleep"
It sounded like her voice but with a slight change to it, Fell did not understand and before she could, a slight souñd entered her eye, it felt like the chimes of a bell, the peaceful pull of a guitar string.
The being could not be seen by Fell but if she could, she would realize..it was her, instead of having orange hair and eyes, they were midnight blue. It was one of the sealed demons that decided to comfort her.
The demon continued her lullaby and Fell stopped crying and her eyes slowly became weak and couldn't be kept open for much longer.
Fell drifted into a deep sleep, the lullaby echoing in her mind like a distant melody. The presence—her, yet not her—remained, watching over her as she fell into a dreamscape unlike any she had ever experienced before.
She buried her face on the demons chest, they were on a large bed with white sheets and blue pillows, near the bed was one big window that allowed for the sight outside of the building.
The building felt like a large tower. Fell did not talk but enjoyed the way her head was being
gently stroked. The demon hummed softly, her midnight-blue eyes filled with something akin to understanding.
"You have questions," the demon murmured, breaking the silence. "Ask them."
Fell hesitated, her fingers curling into the soft fabric of the demon's clothing. "Who... who are you, really?" she whispered, her voice small.
The demon chuckled. "I cannot say my name but, I am the demon that enjoys peace, The demon that built a tower near a star so I can sleep anytime I want and I am a demon who hates seeing people suffer"
Fell slowly lifted her head, her orange eyes searching the demon's midnight-blue ones. There was something oddly familiar in the way she spoke, like a forgotten memory on the edge of her consciousness.
"A demon that hates seeing people suffer?" Fell repeated, her voice soft with disbelief. "That… doesn't sound like what demons are supposed to be."
The demon let out a breathy laugh, her fingers still gently stroking Fell's hair. "Who decided that demons must be cruel?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. "Are they not just creatures of mana, shaped by the world's will? Some of us destroy. Some of us protect. Some of us… simply wish to sleep peacefully without the weight of the world pressing down on us."
Fell stayed quiet, letting the demon's words sink in. "...Then, can I sleep with you until this feeling disappears"
The demon's midnight-blue eyes softened, as if she understood the unspoken weight behind Fell's words. Without hesitation, she pulled Fell closer, wrapping her in a comforting embrace.
"You may," the demon murmured, resting her chin lightly atop Fell's head. "Sleep as long as you need. For now, let the world wait."
Fell closed her eyes, pressing herself against the warmth of the demon's presence. The steady rise and fall of the other's breathing, the gentle strokes through her hair—it all felt so grounding, so safe.
For the first time since arriving in this unfamiliar world, she didn't feel completely alone.
Her breathing evened out, her tense muscles relaxed, and slowly, the storm of emotions within her quieted.
The demon hummed once more, the soft lullaby filling the space between them.
The space song broke, it slowly dissolved until the image of Fell back in the room remained, there was a slight smile of satisfaction on her face, she looked peaceful for the time being, just like a child, what is she saying?, she of course Is a child.
The demon was relieved it that it was able to intervene ar that moment or it would have been a rough time for fell, thankfully she was the first to awaken before the other five.
Fell slowly opened her eyes, the warmth of the dream still lingering in her chest. For a brief moment, she could almost feel the presence of the demon—the gentle strokes through her hair, the soft hum of the lullaby. But as her senses returned to reality, she was alone in the dimly lit room of the inn.
She sat up, rubbing her eyes. Her heart still felt heavy, but the crushing loneliness from before had dulled, like a wound wrapped in bandages. Was that real? she wondered. Or just a dream my mind created to comfort me?.
She has those kind of questions in her mind, she sighed and then looked out the window. "Oh, it' evening already"
Fell stretched her stiff limbs before sliding off the bed. The cool wooden floor sent a small shiver up her legs as she made her way toward the small washroom connected to her room.
After freshening up and drinking some water from the jug on the nightstand, she leaned against the window frame, staring at the darkening sky. The town was still lively, lanterns flickering along the streets as adventurers and merchants bustled about.
Her stomach grumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten much despite Yuile's efforts. With a sigh, she decided to head downstairs. Maybe some food and warm company would help clear her mind.
As she stepped into the inn's common area, Yuile spotted her immediately. "Oh! You're up, dear. Feeling better?"
Fell gave a small nod, offering a faint smile. "Yeah… Just needed some rest."
Yuile's knowing look said she suspected more, but she didn't push. "Good. You should eat something before heading out again."
Fell hesitated but eventually relented. As she sat at the counter, a bowl of hot stew was placed in front of her. The rich aroma made her realize just how hungry she actually was. She ate in silence, the warmth of the meal easing some of the lingering weariness in her chest.
Just as she was finishing, the inn's door swung open. "~ Mom I am hungry"
A girl entered, she had white hair and a pair of white cat ears, Heterochromic eyes one blue and one purple, she had a long tail with black dots on them.
Yuile turned with a warm smile. "Ah, my little troublemaker is back. Welcome home, Nya."
The cat-eared girl pouted. "Mooom, you don't have to call me that in front of customers!"
Yuile chuckled, but her hands were already moving, ladling a fresh bowl of stew for her daughter. "Fell, this is my daughter, Nyla. Nyla, this is Fell, the young adventurer staying here."
Nyla's ears twitched as she turned toward Fell. She sniffed the air slightly, then grinned. "You smell like Wild flowers, hello my name is Nyla and I am a White furred Lynx-Kin and a Silver ranked adventurer, I am an avid martial artist"
Fell was startled at the girls introduction and giving out information about herself to her. "H-Hello, my name is Fell Drawn, nice to meet you."
Nyla smiled, giving Fell a gentle pat on the head. "You're cute, Let's be friends."