In the castle of the Northern Demon Kingdom, Velmira sat on her throne with her head resting in the palm of her hand groaning in boredom.
"I'm so bored." She said in a sluggish voice.
She slumped down on the throne allowing her legs to stretch fully out. "And Rivel totally ditched me to fight with that forest spirit alone." She whined out.
The Demon maids who all were currently working in the throne room didn't bother speaking on it, and collectively decided to keep quiet in order to protect their queen's feelings.
She started kicking her feet like a love-struck girl daydreaming about her crush. "I wonder what he's doing right now…"
Velmira started to imagine Rivel bravely fighting some kind of monster with his daggers chanting "This is for Velmira's dream!"
Suddenly her imagination was interrupted when an Imp floated into the throne room in a rush. "Queen Velmira! Queen Velmira!"
Velmira shot upright with a squeal. "You're back," She beamed. "So, how's Rivel doing!? Did he mention me?! I mean… not that I care or anything."
You're not fooling anyone, all the maids thought.
"W-well your majesty… t-the human… uh… He got into a fight with some kind of monster apparently and he was badly injured!" The imp stammered in a panic.
Velmira froze, still smiling like her brain crashed and hadn't rebooted yet.
The maids and the imp all began to sweat in worry as Velmira's silence continued to stretch on.
"U-um… your majesty?" The imp called out.
Then suddenly Velmira started to slowly raise her hand as a crackle in the air started to form in the middle of the room making a portal.
Them imp then started to fly towards Velmira waving their hands in a quick motion. "Wait Queen Velmira! What are you doing?!"
Ignoring the imp flying in front of her face she walked towards the portal. "I'm going to go check on Rivel." She stated nonchalantly.
The imp tugged on Velmira's clothes, failing to pull her away from the portal. "You can't go! He's in the Adventurer's Guild resting, and if you arrive there you'll cause major problems!"
She stopped in her tracks for just a second, "You're right… If I go now then I'll just be causing problems for Rivel, and he'll be angry with me." She murmured.
The imp nodded rapidly. "Exactly! So it's best that you wait here and—"
"So I'll just disguise myself!" Velmira declared proudly, as if she invented something life changing.
The imp stared at Velmira dumbfounded. Then looked at the maids nearby with an expression that was begging for help.
A maid stepped forward slowly, with a scar over each eye, unruly obsidian black hair tied into a ponytail, horns curling as they stood straight from her head, and yellow eyes that shined bright as the sun.
She then came to a stop in front of the portal blocking Velmira's entrance. "Your majesty, that's a terrible plan. Scratch that, it's idiotic." She said coldly.
Everyone in the throne room gawked at the maid in dumbfounded expression for speaking to Velmira in such a disrespectful way.
Velmira began to pout as she crossed her arms. "Sinclair, you're so mean!"
Sinclair shrugged, "It's just the truth."
"W-well…. If you're so smart then what would you do?!"
"I would kill everyone and retrieve the human." Sinclair said calmly, as if proposing tea time.
"That plan is worse than mine!" Velmira shouted.
Sinclair tilted her head in confusion.
The imp whispered into Sinclair's ear. "W-what are you doing? You're meant to dissuade her from entering the portal. Not give her other ideas."
"Oh," she mumbled, crossing her arms to form an X in front of her. "Scratch that, I would not enter the portal."
The imp face palmed, while the maids edged awkward expressions on their faces.
"That's our Sinclair for you."
"She's either the smartest person in the room or well… not the smartest." One maid explained, trying not to offend Sinclair.
"But Rivel needs my help!" Velmira protested.
"If he's in an Adventurer's Guild resting then he's perfectly safe and doesn't require your presence." Sinclair stated coldly.
"But what if he's expecting me!?"
"He doesn't."
"But what if he needs me to heal him!?"
"I highly doubt it."
"But–!"
"He doesn't."
"..."
"..."
"Please." Velmira begged.
Sinclair sighed lightly, "Your majesty as your personal maid—"
"Friend." Velmira interrupted.
"...Your majesty we been over this–"
"And as I mentioned before we're friends, and that your work title doesn't matter to me."
A beat of silence ensued.
Sinclair sighed heavily, dragging a hand down her face in annoyance. "... as your… friend I am to alert you that you have a pile of paper work towering up that you have yet to finish."
Velmira makes a turn on her heel, sweating as the portal closed. "You guys were right, Rivel doesn't need me. I'll go have the chefs make me something to eat in order to make me forget about the situation."
Sinclair placed a hand on Velmira's shoulder, locking her in place.
Velmira slowly turned to face Sinclair. "Sinclair… is there something else you need." She muttered nervously.
"For you to work." Sinclair declared.
Velmira tried to run away, but Sinclair grabbed her by the horns before she could take two steps and dragged her like a scolding mother.
"Ow—! Not the horns! I'll do it! I'll work!" Velmira shouted, following closely behind Sinclair attempting not to have her horns yanked too hard.
"I know you will, because I'll be monitoring you until you finish. Every. Last. Paper." She claims in a sharp icy tone.
Velmira cries of mercy is drowned out by the sound of the throne room doors slamming shut behind their exit.
____________________
Rivel woke to muffled voices swirling around him as he tried to force open his eyes. "You're too loud." he groaned.
"I did it!" Shouted an unfamiliar voice.
"Please do not shout." Erna requested.
"Sorry!" The unfamiliar voice apologized.
Rivel sat up rubbing his eyes as he slowly opened them to see a strange girl standing next to Erna with a pale, almost porcelain skin with deep crimson eyes that would glow in the dark. Long, wavy white hair tied into unkept pigtails. Wearing a traditional saintess outfit but modified with a gothic aesthetic–flowing black and red robes joined with silver crosses.
"...A gothic saintess?" Rivel muttered, staring at her outfit like it committed a crime.
"You wouldn't be too far off the mark." Erna commented.
"Hey! It's just that white doesn't work well with me." The stranger claimed, defending herself.
"So who is she?" Rivel asked, examining her.
"She's the one who healed you, which wasn't easy for her due to her low level." Erna answered.
The stranger waved her hands around in a panic of reassurance. "It was really no problem! I just wanted to be of use to someone."
"...Thanks anyway." Rivel said.
"Y-your welcome!" She shouted.
"Stop yelling." Erna commanded.
"Sorry." She said, shivering under Erna's gaze.
"Anyway what's your name so I can know the person who I owe a favor too." He asked.
"Oh! You really don't owe—"
"Just give me your name." he demanded, interrupting her.
"W-well if you insist, I'm Lilith Von Canvangh the world's number one vampiric cleric!"
"...Vampiric cleric?"
Lilith nods with pride. "That's right!"
Erna's glare deepens.
"Don't clerics use holy magic?" Rivel asked, puzzled.
Lilith nods.
"... And aren't vampires considered undead?"
Lilith nods.
"...Aren't you in pain whenever you cast holy magic then?"
"Yeah, but I tend to try to ignore the pain. It isn't so bad once you get over the burning sensation though."
Rivel gazed over to Erna in concern and she shrugged, shaking in her head in confusion as well.
"Right… I'll keep in mind that I owe you a favor."
Lilith beams, "Thank you."
Lilith then bowed before leaving the room, leaving Erna and Rivel alone in the room.
Erna gazed at Rivel in silence.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Rivel asked, flinching under her gaze.
"Are you actually planning on repaying her back if she ever needs a favor?" Erna asked, blankly but hiding something underneath her tone.
Rivel eyes narrowed, "I don't know what kind of person you think I am, but if someone helps me in some kind of way, then I'll make sure to repay them back however I can.
Erna stared at Rivel in silence, before a tiny smile formed on her lips.
Rivel flinched, backing against the wall.
She's smiling. The cold ice witch is smiling.
"You're… smiling." Rivel said, recoiling like he'd spotted a rare beast.
Her smile disappeared instantly, and glanced away from Rivel's gaze. "I have no idea what you mean. I did no such thing."
Should I start praying to whatever god exists? Rivel thought, staring at her with disbelief.
And somewhere far away within the Northern Demon Castle, Velmira suddenly sneezed.
"Rivel must be thinking about me," she said confidently.
"...He's absolutely not." Sinclair stated, shutting down Velmira's hopeful fantasies in an instant.