No More Pain For This Villain.

"Try to grip the fur tightly," I said as I adjusted a bit.

' Don't you think me changing forms in front of this girl is too dangerous and can reveal-' Blaze questioned.

Reveal what? Who's going to believe a lost, traumatized five-year-old girl when she says that she saw a cat change into a big beast with wings? No one.

I looked ahead; the sun was rising, but there was still time for the light to cut through the clouds as I felt the cold wind wash over me.

"Hmm?" I raised a brow as I looked at Lily, who was staring at me wide-eyed.

"What's wrong, sweetheart? Do I have something on my face?" I was trying my best to be sweet. I wasn't good with crying children, so I didn't want to make her cry.

She immediately looked down and clutched her half-torn clothes. Maybe we should stop by the lake first; there was a small pond at the end of Solstice.

"Change the path a bit," I said to Blaze as we began diverting. Blaze wasn't talking much now.

After a few minutes' ride, we arrived at a small pond.

The pond was surrounded by tall trees, their branches casting dappled shadows on the water's surface. The serene atmosphere seemed to help Lily relax a bit, and I carefully set her down on the grassy bank.

"Stay here for a moment," I told her gently, and she nodded, still looking a bit unsure.

Blaze shifted back to his smaller form, a sleek black cat with amber eyes, and jumped off my shoulder. He padded over to Lily, purring softly, and rubbed his head against her leg.

"It's okay," I said, kneeling down beside her. "Blaze is friendly. He won't hurt you."

She tentatively reached out to pet Blaze, and a small smile tugged at the corner of her lips as she felt his soft fur. It was a small but heartwarming sight, considering the traumatic experience she had been through.

While Lily and Blaze looked at each other for a moment, I decided to wash the blood off the robe I had used to cover her. I dipped it into the pond and scrubbed it clean as best as I could, then laid it out to dry on a nearby rock.

And then, an idea seemed to strike me as I picked up Lily and tossed her into the pond with a playful splash.

"Eek?" she squealed as she hit the water, and I followed with a big cannonball, splashing water all over.

"Try to wash off the smell a bit," I said as I grabbed the girl and rinsed her in and out like a cloth before tossing her out of the pond. I took a deep dip myself, washing off the blood on my body and letting the water flow through my hair before jumping out.

"Hm?," I wondered as I saw Lily grinding her teeth due to the extreme cold. Was it too much for her?

'....nah, it was perfect; she enjoyed it. Of course, fucker, who throws kids into the fricking cold pond!' Blaze teased me.

I conjured a fireball; the warmth from it felt comforting as I sat in front of Lily to warm us both.

Once that was done, I turned my attention back to Lily. She seemed terrified.

Now that I noticed, Lily had short raven hair with a button nose and big eyes with raven pupils.

"Do you remember how you got there, Lily? Can you tell me anything about the people who put you in that cage?"

"... m-my.." She hesitated for a moment.

"Look, I am here to help you... look, I am different from those men who put you in the cage, right? I am here to help." I tossed a flame from one hand to the other as I used one to set back my hair that was obscuring my view.

Lily's eyes dilated as she looked at me with an upward gaze, whispering something that I couldn't hear.

'Beautiful, she said beautiful to you, Princess,' Blaze teased again.

"W-we were going to Viceburg, me and m-mommy," Lily began, her voice quivering.

I listened intently as Lily recounted her story, her voice wavering with each word.

"We were on a ship, and Mommy said we were going to a place called Viceburg," she began. "But then... some bad men came. Mommy wasn't there, and... and I was so scared. They put me in a cage alone, and I was so scared..."

She still didn't say it aloud—the part that her mother sold her. Kids are very resilient in their denial, trying to protect themselves from the harsh reality. I understood her reluctance to admit what had happened.

Tears welled up in her eyes as she spoke, and I could see the trauma in her expression. It was clear that she had been through a harrowing experience.

"What happened after that?" I asked gently, trying to encourage her to continue.

"We were in the dark... and it was so cold," Lily continued, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sometimes, they would give us food, but it wasn't enough. I missed Mommy so much... I didn't know what to do."

Her story was heartbreaking, and I couldn't help but feel a surge of anger towards those who had subjected her to such cruelty. But for now, I needed to focus on comforting and helping Lily.

'Damn soft hearted nanny,' Blaze chuckled.

"You're safe now," I assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. "We'll make sure you get to a safe place, okay?"

Lily nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Blaze nuzzled against Lily's leg, offering her some comfort and companionship. It was heartwarming to see how he was trying to ease her distress..... he's not a complete asshole I guess.

"We should head now," I said, thinking of the nearest town. "We'll find you some dry clothes and a warm meal there, and then I'll take you somewhere safe."

Lily gave a small, trembling smile, and with that, we began our journey to find her the help and safety she deserved.

...

"Feeling better?" I asked, crouching down to her level.

Long story short.

I found a small clothing store and purchased a set of dry clothes for Lily, making sure they were the right size. As she changed into the new attire, her shivering gradually ceased, and a sense of warmth seemed to return to her.

Lily nodded timidly, her eyes still somewhat guarded. She was starting to trust me, but it would take time for her to fully open up.

"Great," I smiled reassuringly. "Now, how about we find a nice meal for you? You must be hungry."

Her eyes lit up at the mention of food, and she nodded eagerly. And yes, I am still carrying the corpse along with me as if it's a parcel; it hasn't started decaying yet.

....but still, we are near the church now.

After a long walk from that shop that we found to the church, we didn't talk at all. But as we got near, I said, "Listen, Lily, this," I pointed at the corpse, "-is your brother."

"Huh?" She startled. "I- don't h-have a-" she stuttered.

"No, I meant that this is-" well, I can't tell her to lie for no good reason, but "-listen, this is a friend of mine who died in there while fighting the bad guys before we were able to save you."

Her eyes widened as she stared at the corpse intensely.

"One must have a proper burial for their soul to be at peace after death, and they can go to heaven," I hunched a bit forward and whispered, "But the church here won't let us bury him if he doesn't have anyone to claim to be his relative.....so you pretend to be his sister, and then we can bury him with ease and let his soul be at peace," I explained.

"...." she went silent.

"You don't have to do it if you want him to be a wandering ghost; I'll just throw him in those bushes over there," I pulled my hand back a bit before I made an action that'll make it seem I was about to throw.

Lily hesitated for a moment, her young mind processing the situation. It was a heavy burden for a child to bear, pretending to be someone's relative just to ensure they had a proper burial. But I wanted to give her the choice, to allow her to decide whether she wanted to take on this responsibility....well I did guilt trip her a bit.

I watched as she glanced at the lifeless body of "my fallen friend." Her eyes filled with a mix of curiosity, sympathy, and perhaps a touch of fear.

"S-stop," she finally said, her voice soft but determined. "I'll pretend to be his sister."

I smiled, relieved that she had made the choice herself. It wasn't an easy thing to ask of a child, but I believed in her strength.

"Thank you, Lily," I said sincerely, patting her gently on the head. "You're a kind and brave girl. Now, let's go inside the church and make the arrangements."

Together, we approached the church.

The church was a solemn structure of aged, gray stone, rising to a peak with a towering spire. Its sturdy wooden door, worn smooth by countless hands, stood as an invitation to the faithful. The stone walls bore intricate, weathered carvings depicting religious scenes.

Haha, never thought I'd be here... gods, huh? In my past life, I don't think I ever believed that there was someone above the clouds looking at us, but in this world... there are certainly a few of them.

I passed by the large statue of an angelic-looking woman who held a sword in her hand as she sat on her throne.

These are the followers of the goddess Ellora.

.....hope they aren't as extreme as they were in the game.