"Why do you call me the Dark Hero?" Amon asked, leaning against the windowsill. He had already regained his composure and was now conversing with the priestess, a liaison of the Goddess.
"The Goddess herself gave you that title!" the girl replied fervently, kneeling before him. "For three nights, she has spoken of your imminent liberation and your future wedding. She showed me the way and ordered me to follow you everywhere, to help and carry out all your commands. I can't believe my luck! The Goddess chose me for the most important mission! It's wonderful!"
Amon grimaced slightly.
"Tell me, do the other monsters know about her plans?"
"Not many yet," the priestess answered sadly, then exclaimed with religious zeal:
"But soon everything will change! The good news will spread to everyone! The mamono must know that the Fallen Goddess will return and bring eternal bliss to the world!"
"Right," the sorcerer drawled. Apparently, the Goddess wasn't good at keeping secrets. This could cause unnecessary problems. "Let's contact her again. I have something to say to her about the 'good news.'"
The priestess spread her hands apologetically.
"Forgive me, Dark Hero, I have no strength left. I am unmarried and a very new mamono. It will take a lot of time to recover... Though," her sweet eyes flashed predatorily, "there is one way..."
"That won't work," Amon said, stepping back a little closer to the window. "Besides, the Fallen Goddess would probably disapprove."
"The Goddess doesn't mind harems, Dark Hero. On the contrary, she would be delighted!"
'No wonder the Fallen Goddess warned me to be cautious of her messenger,' Amon thought coldly as he eyed the priestess. He said aloud, "You said you would follow my orders, right?"
The priestess nodded eagerly.
"Then here are my commands: first, not a word about my mission to anyone, neither monsters nor humans. Second, don't pester me. If I decide to create a harem, I will let you know myself. And you are forbidden to mention the 'wedding' with the Goddess."
"As you command, Dark Hero!" the priestess exclaimed, her wide green eyes sparkling with joy. "I am happy to carry out any of your orders. It is my purpose, as ordained by the Goddess!"
"Good. By the way, what's your name?"
"Camilla."
"And mine is Amon. Call me that, alright? And also..."
Amon didn't get to finish. The door flew open, crashing into the wall. Alexandra's tense face appeared in the doorway. The mercenary burst in, sword in hand, and with a leap, she was beside the priestess.
Camilla was just starting to turn, but Amon was already moving forward, pushing off with his feet. The sorcerer knocked the mercenary off her feet, twisting her over his shoulder in a jump. Alexandra's sword flew out of her hands and landed aside. At the last moment, Amon braced himself, gently catching the girl to soften the fall. Alexandra let out a short gasp of surprise, landing softly on the cushions, and Amon immediately covered her mouth.
"Quiet," he said as calmly as possible. "We're not in danger. She is our ally, sent by the Fallen Goddess."
Alexandra struggled to break free, but it was no use; she might as well have tried to move a mountain.
"Relax," Amon said with a hint of irritation. "I'm telling you, everything's fine."
The mercenary stopped trying to get loose, glaring at the sorcerer with anger and confusion.
"If you make noise, the servants will come running. What will they think if they find the three of us together?" Amon continued to reason with her. "Be quiet. Everything's fine. Everything is going according to plan. Will you stay quiet?"
Alexandra gave a short nod. Amon slowly lifted his hand but kept it nearby in case he needed to silence her again.
"Get off me," the girl demanded angrily, still breathing heavily from excitement. Amon stood up and offered his hand to Alexandra. The mercenary ignored the gesture. She got up on her own, picking up her sword first. Keeping her eyes on Alexandra, the sorcerer walked to the door and quietly closed it. Meanwhile, the priestess, who had been observing the chaotic scene with interest, innocently asked:
"Is she your friend, Amon? She's not very pretty. But that can be fixed!"
"You little brat," the mercenary hissed, raising her sword. "Serves you right for getting beaten! Should have finished you off, you wretch... What, come to thank your savior, you succubus?!"
Camilla locked eyes with Alexandra. It seemed the look was so intense that the priestess trembled all over. The mamono grabbed a pillow from the floor and hugged it to her chest like a shield.
"You're misunderstanding everything, madam," the priestess babbled in panic. "I am grateful to the Dark... to Amon, but I came here by the call of the Goddess!"
"That's right," the sorcerer confirmed, stepping between the two women. "Remember, I told you the Fallen Goddess saved my life," he said, addressing the angry Alexandra. "Well, the Goddess sent the priestess to... um, contact me when she decides how I should repay my debt of honor."
Alexandra hesitated. The sorcerer had indeed mentioned his salvation, but the mercenary knew monsters too well to trust that the priestess was acting solely on the will of the Fallen Goddess. Monsters—they always had a reason to get close to a man, no matter the excuse.
"Are you sure about her?" the girl asked distrustfully. "That she was really sent for this. A mamono will lie in a heartbeat, especially for the sake of a man."
"Almost," Amon smiled. The mercenary was calming down, which was a good sign. "Don't worry, I have you. If the mamono deviates from the will of the Fallen Goddess, you'll protect me."
The priestess dropped the pillow and clasped her hands in a prayer gesture. She looked so sweetly naive that a flash of jealousy appeared in Alexandra's eyes.
"I belong to the Goddess in both soul and body! Her will is law. And so is Amon's," Camilla declared solemnly. "He has ordered to wait with the harem," she confided to Alexandra.
"See? For now, there's nothing to fear," Amon remarked calmly.
The girl shook her head in frustration.
"Do as you wish, but I don't trust her. Priestesses from the succubus line love to pretend to be innocent little lambs. But in reality... they're insatiably lustful!"
"Well, I'm not," the sorcerer smirked.
Alexandra looked at him, surprised, noting the absence of any arousal. Amon remained completely indifferent to the girl's beauty. And there was plenty to admire! Straight legs, a full chest, and a pretty face would not leave any man unmoved.
'Iron will,' the mercenary thought with respect. 'Of course, how else? He wouldn't be able to fight dark magic otherwise.'
"Alright," Alexandra said, returning her sword to its scabbard. "What do we do with her?"
"She will come with us, that's all. Perhaps even until the end of the journey."
The mercenary sighed deeply.
"Well, if it's necessary... But keep in mind, having a monster with us will make it hard to get into certain places. Your decision could cost us dearly."
"Honor is more valuable," Amon cut off.
Alexandra spread her hands. The sorcerer acted nobly, wanting to repay the Fallen Goddess for saving him, but nobility aside, a monster remained a monster.
'I'll keep both eyes on her,' the mercenary decided. 'And if she tries anything funny, I'll cut her hands off, once and for all!'