You would do well to stop panicking

" If you don't believe me then….you're free to have a look at the dinner menu downstairs." Mistress Isadora smiled. 

Rumius meanwhile, was aghast at her words. 

" We are prey? What? You're joking." He laughed. " You're joking right?" 

Master Isadora raised a single eyebrow. She brought her legs over the frame of the bed and sat with legs extended. " And what if I'm not. Then what?" She challenged. 

" Then….then.." Rumius couldn't muster the words. In truth, he couldn't think of any. ' What can I even do about this?' He thought. Almost nothing, was the answer.

Master Isadora signed." There's no need to be afraid. They may be our natural predators but that doesn't mean that we're helpless. Why do you think all these demons haven't pounced on us already?" 

Rumius's desperation was replaced with a mild sense of curiosity as the questions struck home. " Master was right, why?' He set a hand to his chin. 

" The hint is in what I'd just said before. Demons have no family or true comrades. What do you think that makes them?" She egged him on.

The answer was obvious once he thought about it long enough. 

" They think they're alone." Rumius exclaimed. " They don't have a sense of teamwork." Then he frowned. " Wait, how is that even possible?" 

Master Isadora nodded approvingly. " You're right. It's not. But their concept of teamwork is very different from ours." 

" Imagine a party where every member's first priority is to maximise their personal gain. They are willing to work together to achieve higher standards but once push comes to shove, they would always, undoubtedly move with the idea of ' every man for themselves'." She explained.

" That's what it's like to work with demons. " 

 Rumius nodded attentively. 

" You're saying that they were afraid that they would encounter competition if they went for our necks in broad daylight?" Rumius asked, to which Master shrugged. 

" Perhaps. Or perhaps it would also be because that they think we're Limians. The peace between the demon realm and Limia has lasted at least 500 years, since the time of the old Demon Lord. And if Limia were ever to turn hostile to the demons, the human race would be in the perfect position to launch a combined pincer attack on the entirety of the demon realm. " 

" Demons may be selfish, but they aren't idiots." Master Isadora reasoned. " They are also proud enough not to start a killing spree with random travelers on the road. If they were alone maybe, but with other demons around? It would be like…stripping buck naked in the middle of the street for them."

Rumius kept his silence as he digested the information dump. 

" Then…what should I try to do? They're still our predators right? And I definitely don't want to be dinner." Rumius said nervously. He was nowhere strong or confident enough to make the demons respect him like master did. She didn't have to say it explicitly, it was obvious from her interactions with the other demons in the line.

His question made master show a rare smile. It was either a smile or a grimace since those tended to be synonymous for her.

" Hmm, just keep close I suppose. Try not to wander off and…oh right." 

Master hopped off her sitting position and opened her briefcase. Her hands flew as she gingerly rummaged through its semi-packed contents until she produced a small crystal that was attached to a simple string. 

" Here." She tossed it to him. Caught by surprise, Rumius fumbled and somewhat juggled the bluish crystal before it landed safely on his palm. It was a beautiful ornament, especially peculiar was how its colour switched between a dark shade of purple and blue when he looked at it from different angles. Yet it was still clear enough that he could see his reflection in it.

" Like it? It's yours now." Mistress Isadora said coolly.

" R-really?...Thank you master." Rumius had never received anything from his master before other than verbal abuse and a slave collar.

" Pfft, don't flatter yourself. I'm doing it out of necessity." 

*" Put it on."* she said. 

" Uh, what?" 

" I said to put it on. Hurry and get it over with! "She snapped.

Rumius complied quickly. The pendant was quite heavy around his neck and Rumius inserted the main jewel into his shirt to hide it from view. 

*" Do you understand me know?"* 

*"????"* 

*" So?"* 

*" Y-Yes Master! Woah…I can speak it too?"* Rumius marvelled. 

Master had a smug grin. " Looks like it still works. Keep it on you and don't lose it. As long as you have it on yourself, you'll be able to speak and understand all the languages I know." 

Rumius was giggling uncontrollably. This was awesome! 

" How many languages is that?" Rumius prodded with a playful tone that probably wasn't very wise to do. 

" All of them." Master replied in a matter of factly. 

' Ah yes, why did I expect anything less?' He found himself asking as Master began closing her briefcase, but not before removing a thick grimoire and flinging it at him. Rumius caught this one cleanly and turned it over to the cover.

" INCANTATIONS AND SPELL CREATION." He read aloud. What better way to spend the time? The sun was still on its way down the horizon and there was about an hour left to spend before the nighttime braziers in the city would be lit. And Rumius wasn't raring to go out anytime today. The thought of facing another demon made his heart palpitate and his legs turn to jelly.

For Master however, it was a different story. Master Isadora swung her legs off the bed and stood up. Pulling the hood of her blue cloak over her head, she made her way to the door. Rumius followed her with his eyes.

" Where are you going Master?" He asked. 

" To settle a few accounts…and get dinner." " You're free to try some of the stew they're serving downstairs of you wish." She smirked. 

The very thought made his stomach churn. 

" No thanks." He said hurriedly. 

" Thought so."

________________________________

Isadora closed the door gently and exited the room. There was a clamour downstairs, sounds of drunk cheering and shouting. " SEAL." She casted on the door, keeping anyone, any sounds, or any smells from entering. Especially the smells. 

There was a strong smell of stew wafting through the halls as she walked down the hallway. It was mouthwatering and Isadora had a look at a menu which was nailed to a wooden beam on the way into the inn's built in tavern.

' SPECIAL: HARODIS BEEF ROAST STEW, 

FREE DRINKS ON THE HOUSE AFTER THE 50th JUG.'

It read. 

Isadora recalled what she had told the brat mere minutes earlier. ' Eating humans…huh.' She stifled smile. 

Walking into the noisy tavern, she looked around and spied a heavily built man wearing aged leather skins sitting on the bar on the far side of the tavern, away from the main clamour and noise. He was alone talking to the bartender about something. 

Isadora made her way over. 

" A jug please, bartender." She said when she got close enough. The man looked up at her voice, nodded and got to work whilst her target seemed to jolt. Even as she sat down beside him, he deliberately pretended not to notice.

" It's been awhile Mauvelai." She started, not giving him a choice in the matter. " I am in need of your services once again."