Refusing My God’s Advances

Finally! We had collected the demons and we were all standing outside the Crystal Cavern. I had felt like the pied piper with all the short demons following us, but Lyra had kept flying back to make sure all of them were keeping up. 

I was constantly impressed during the trip by how well they all listened. Originally, I had assumed they would be almost mindless when Lyra ordered them around, but that wasn't the case. They still listened, but the relationship was more casual, and entertaining to watch at times.

Turning to the group, I looked at Mary. “I think everyone can follow behind, but be careful,” I said, and the fox spirit clicked her tongue at me.

“Do not worry about me. Go play with the monsters and get it done fast if you are so concerned,” Mary growled, and I smiled, turning to the girls.

“Please stay with Mary, no matter what happens, okay?” I asked all of them, but Aria tipped her head at me.

“Don't you think you are being overly cautious?” Aria asked, but I just shook my head.

“While I was blacked out, I met with Garland,” I said, then focused on Shelli, then bowed as deep as I could. “Because of your sacrifice, the God of this world was forced to reveal his evil. I had already suspected as much, but your contract proved to me what I needed to know. I can't thank you enough because I now know what I have to do.”

I felt a hand on my shoulder, and I raised back up to look at a smiling Shelli, with tears in her eyes.

“I have been waiting for you, but I lived in fear that you would be like Garland. I prayed in secret that you would be a good person, but I could have never expected someone like you!” Shelli exclaimed and I smiled.

“I am nothing special, lazy at best. Still, just stay safe. I expect that asshole to make some kind of move tonight after the tongue lashing I gave him,” I said, then turned back to the cave.

I took a deep breath in, feeling time start to dilate, and I burst forward.

---

Mary watched the boy leave, clenching her fist hidden under her crossed arms. Leon had seemed perfect but for her, not the princess. Now she was going to have to follow the same path as she had before.

This child was messing around with a being that had turned the world against her people. Hero, or not, Garland was not a being to be messed with.

"You should give him a break. Leon seems like a really nice person," Aria said from beside her as they started to enter the cave lit with glowing crystals.

"He needs to be more than nice if he hopes to survive. My only purpose is to see you survive and be happy," Mary growled, her eyes still fixed on the entrance of the cave. Aria sighed and put a hand on Mary's shoulder.

"I appreciate your concern, Mary, but Leon has been nothing but kind to me. I trust him," Aria said, looking up at Mary with determination in her eyes.

Mary's expression softened slightly, but she couldn't shake off the worry that gnawed at her. This was her fault for isolating Aria. Now, she had met someone who had treated her nicely for less than a day and had fallen head over heels for him. This was all happening too fast.

Since the wheels were turning, all Mary could do was plan and prepare for the worst that was sure to come. Tomorrow she would make sure to push that boy to his limits! 

---

"Achoo!"

I rubbed my nose, as I picked through the golem body. There wasn't a crystal in the top of its head this time, but I had got my run away from monster quest done. 

The fights this time had felt boring, but I wasn't complaining. I didn't want to get hurt, but that devil fox woman was guaranteed to put me into a world of hurt tomorrow. I wasn't looking forward to it. 

Once I picked everything up from the golem, I was about to leave, but I noticed something. A bunch of rocks that I hadn't seen before were covering what looked to be another cave entrance. I was almost positive that I hadn't been there before, and it looked like a mouth with sharp teeth.

"Nope," I said and then moved to the bouncing slime cave where everyone had gathered. I could check that later.

"Leon!" Shelli called, and ran over, Lyra right behind her. 

I smiled, but then looked at all the demon males that were standing there awkwardly. Then I looked at all the supplies that I had unloaded from my inventory when I had cleaned the area out. 

"Lyra, can you get your children to start making beds and stuff?" I asked as the girls reached me, "You can help them. I could only get so many of each thing, but I have more coming."

"I am on it!" Lyra saluted, and then flew off, starting to give the demons orders.

I turned and smiled at Shelli. "Are you any good at cooking?" I asked, and Shelli returned my smile.

"Yes. I am actually pretty good," Shelli said, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm.

"Great! How about you help me with dinner then?" I suggested, and Shelli nodded.

"Of course, I'd love to. What are we making?" she asked.

"We have a lot of meat, and from what I heard, demons can only eat meat. I don't mind vegetables, but we are going to have to cook a lot of meat. I have all of it in crates over there with a few other supplies," I explained, and Shelli nodded with her cat-like determined look.

"I can take care of this! Just leave all the cooking to me! You must be tired of everything today! You should rest!" Shelli smiled, but then I felt something get closer, and my alarms went off.

Time slowed, and I moved to the cave entrance that led toward the outside, but when I got there, a blonde-haired man was just standing there. He wore a fancy blue suit like nothing I had ever seen, and a black fedora hat that helped his hair cover one eye.

Then his eyes moved to meet mine, and he smiled, but I had time dilated to my max. Everyone else around us had basically frozen.

"Who might you be?" The man asked, suddenly standing before me.

So fast! I had barely even seen him move, and I started to sweat.

"Leave him alone, Daryle!" 

I turned my head, and it moved slower, but I was just in time to see not only Mary but also Aria dart between the frozen demons to come over to me. 

What was going on?! 

"Princess! I found you! Why would you leave your most loyal knight behind! Do you really expect that Ogre spirit is enough to protect you?!" The man called Daryle exclaimed as Aria got between us.

Suddenly, I gasped, then fell to the ground as time snapped back into place. I felt a hand on my back and looked up to see Aria smiling.

"Sorry, I should have told you I was a bit stronger than you, but Mary said it might hurt your pride," Aria explained with an apologetic smile.

I laughed, but then looked at the handsome man in a blue suit. "Is he really a knight?"

"That I am! One of the best in Reshan!" Daryle laughed as he walked over and offered me his hand. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to frighten you! You are clearly new here! A fine specimen, but what does my princess fawn over you so?" Daryle asked, with a creepy smile.

Then there was a loud bang as Mary smashed his head into the ground faster than I could blink. The ground cratered slightly, and I crawled back in shock.

"Know your place, worm knight!" Mary growled, and then threw him back down the tunnel he came from. "Guard the entrance!" She yelled, then turned to me with an annoyed look. "That idiot is going to be another one of your masters. The mouthy moron is already one of my apprentices, so you will be training with him tomorrow under me. You should see that moving at superhuman speeds is a normal way of doing things, and you are nothing special.”

I was still stunned about Aria, but what about that dude!? I rubbed my eyes and then looked at the tunnel. "Are you sure he isn't dead?"

"I am not dead!" 

"He is not a baby like you," Mary growled, but this gave me so many questions, but one stuck out the most.

"What is his relationship to Aria besides being a knight?" I asked and flinched at the awful look both women gave me at the same time.

"Stalker," They replied in unison, making me frown deeply.

"Then why are we keeping him around?" I asked, and Aria laughed.

"Mary has beaten him enough times that he only jokes about it, most of the time. But he is not joking about his skills. I think you should try to get to know him, he is not really that bad of a guy," Aria explained.

I looked over at Mary, and mouthed, "This is your fault."

She glared at me and mouthed, "Shut it. Tomorrow I will make you pay for letting that dimwit catch up to us!" Back.

I understood some of it, none of it, and all of it at the same time. 

This was not part of the plan.