Ever since the siege on the Phantom Lord guild by the forces of the Rune Knights Esperia found herself stuck in the unfamiliar town, a town that despite all its pleasant sights to behold made her feel slightly uncomfortable and uneasy. It was understandable, in the end, her fiance had been stuck amidst this conflict between two factions, a conflict where she didn't belong. Esperia would have liked nothing more than to have her pull Fia out of the situation, but she knew that things were more complicated than that. In the end, the fate of Fia's adoptive father's freedom depended on her actions, and if it meant protecting Fia's family... However, the feeling of powerlessness was somewhat frustrating to her.

And so Esperia found herself seeking distractions on the streets of the town, at the very least till her girlfriend was freed from the responsibilities she had as a Rune Knight. It was right after the obsidian-haired lass had heaved out a deep sigh that the grizzled butler behind her inquired in a gentle tone. "Are you feeling bored young master?"

Esperia was quick to answer, a solid nod of her head affirming she was indeed feeling quite bored, and spinning her body around she turned to face the butler while she voiced her opinion on their current situation. "Of course I'm bored Sebastian, aside from that dwarf we met before there has been nothing fun or exciting to do inside this town. Fia is still busy with work and the others are all occupied with their preparations for the Spring Festival."

The man raised a hand toward his face, lightly stroking his chin as he seemed to ponder for a moment. "Your frustration is understandable, in the end you are looking forward to going to the festival with lady Fia, right?"

The mere subject of tending to the festival seemingly instantly ignited a burst of cheerfulness from the young lady, who nodded her head several times with childish enthusiasm. "Indeed~ This is the first time I and Fia will be attending a festival together." She was looking forward so much to the event because the Eisenberg used to live far away from most societies and cared more about their calling as exorcists compared to enjoying social activities like this Esperia had never truly experienced a festival before, so the mere sound of the festivities had left her in an excitable mood.

"Not to mention, I get an excuse to put Fia in pretty clothes! Maybe I should write a letter to Fernando in Baska and ask him to send us some nice clothes~"

That did seem like an excellent choice, the man had been so kind to custom-make her very own dress that she often wore for occasions like this, but she wanted to surprise Fia with something new.

"Speaking of something interesting... Look over there young master." Sebastian gestured lightly with his hand toward a nearby wall, where several posters were visible, a glimpse of their content revealing that they were promotional fliers for an event.

"A contest?" Esperia tilted her head slightly toward the side in confusion, although judging from the glint in her eyes she was clearly interested. "Indeed, it seems that the younger generation of Oak's citizen are trying to cheer up from the gloom of the recent events by holding an event among each other."

A hand raised to her cheek as she tapped her fingers lightly against it and mused on about the details. It seemed that it was a 'storytelling' contest. Simply said, an event where people had the opportunity to weave tales and depending on how the event was received they would get rewards for it.

The event was held at a local establishment called the 'Swineherd Pub' that for the duration of the event would serve only participants of the contest. Even more entertaining was the fact that participants received a free meal by the contest organizers.

"Say Asmodeus..."

Upon calling her name the Demon Lord of Lust stirred in her consciousness, her body appearing as an ephemeral image at her side. "Hmm? What's the matter my dear~"

Esperia turned her gaze toward the seductress and inquired with a smile. "Do you have any grand stories to tell?"

Hearing the question Asmodeus pondered for a moment, seemingly thinking about the idea before she hummed in amusement. "Weaving tales and deceiving the audience's emotions is part of a manipulator's skill~ As the Demon Lord of Lust I can assure you I possess plenty of both, although we'll have to adjust the tale a bit to the audience."

That sounded like a good idea! Although Esperia had her fair share of experiences, she doubted they would match to the sagas and tales the Demon Lord of Lust might have to offer. Besides, free meals were always welcome in her opinion!

However, before she could even figure out where this pub was the young lady turned around to spot an unfamiliar figure nearby. A glimpse at them clearly suggested it was a child, quite a young one.

"Isn't it kind of irresponsible to leave a child alone in the town like this?"

Pondering about it for a moment Esperia decided to do what every responsible adult would do, walk away and ignore their plight---- WAIT THAT'S NOT WHAT A RESPONSIBLE ADULT WOULD DO! No, actually she had decided to approach them, crouching to the height of the child and inquired with a gentle smile. "Are you lost?"

Nonetheless, Sebastian continued to observe the two from nearby, a bit interested in the fact that Asmodeus seemed willing to tell a story. Could it be that she was mellowing down after having been with Esperia for so long? Did she truly start to genuinely care for her vessel? Or was she scheming something mischievously again? Only time would tell most likely, but for now, he would simply continue to follow his master like the humble and loyal servant that he was, for he knew that this would be the start of yet another new tale in Esperia's adventures.

There was something about the girl's tone that caught her by surprise. Was it confidence or arrogance, she didn't know for sure but there was a certain haughty feeling she felt that made it feel like this girl hated the thought of anyone showing concern for her. Or perhaps it was merely because she hated the question? It wasn't like she didn't understand the frustration, being someone who grew up by herself the moment she reached her 14th birthday and lost her family in that brutal siege had left quite an impact on her. "Heh~ Seems we got quite a confident little lass in front of us." Asmodeus hummed in amusement yet Esperia quickly shook off the thought of the Demon Lord of Lust.

"Hmm, I see..." If there was one thing Esperia knew from her past then it was that those who were forced to fend for themselves at such a young age often developed a certain mindset toward the world. One mindset was the one that enclosed themselves from the outside world, distrusting and unwilling to associate with others out of fear of being hurt. The other mindset, the one with which she grew up with involved seeking out a bond to replace the loss she had to endure, and cling to it with all her might. Still, living by yourself was quite a lonely experience. "Then you're stronger than I was at that age~" Esperia mused softly, recalling all too well that even amidst the tribe that took her in she had always kept herself enclosed from the world, clinging to that childhood promise she was given by the one who once meant the world to her.

It was a bit odd, how thinking back on Liana made her feel so different from before. There used to be a time when her heart would be alit with all sorts of emotions whenever she thought about her, but now... Now she wasn't sure what this feeling was. At the very least it wasn't anger anymore, but then again why would she need to be jealous? A hand trailed toward the pendant around her neck, a gift from the one who filled the void in her heart from that one fateful day in Baska. Indeed, if not for Fia she would likely had been an entirely different person.

"Although, I guess it's only natural that a town like this has its fair share of problems." Although Phantom Lord was rumored to be a secretive guild, their members were the embodiment of chaos, unpredictable actions that would no doubt cause grief and complications for the people that lived inside this town. Perhaps that was the reason most people spend their time locked off inside their homes ever since the siege begun? "But my question wasn't to doubt your independence, it was genuine curiosity. As you likely noticed, the streets have been surprisingly empty lately and people rarely leave their homes, no doubt the result of the besieged state of the Phantom Lord guild."

A deep sigh followed as she whispered absently for a moment. "If only they had never called Fia here, then I could had been on another trip with her." But it was no use complaining about that which had happened already, so instead she turned her focus back at the lass and the mysterious creature in her presence, the latter causing a glint of fascination to emerge in her eyes. "So their kin lives outside North Fiore also? That's interesting~ I only met one before who bonded with a human before, but I thought most of their species dwell in cold and snowy landscapes." Esperia explained with a hint of clear interest.

"I have a friend, a feisty but sweet Growlithe called Agni, he is actually taking care of my Fiance's family~ Despite being magical beasts their loyalty to the one they bonded with is immense." She still remembered the day she met Agni, the little pup had even fought to save her from those murderers.

"Considering you're a local, would you happen to know where the Swineherd Pub is located?"

-Exit-