Neia instinctively felt that something was wrong.

Samur getting angry during a small argument was out of character for him, especially when one considered that he didn't even bat an eye after she did to him back when they went on that dungeon expedition.

The only way that could happen was when something in what Arteria said to him rubbed him the wrong way.

Something which, for him, was worse than being beaten up when he was crippled and being left alone in a forest full of monsters.

A vital piece of this puzzle was missing, and the one who had that piece was Arteria.

"Was he really angry?" Neia asked.

"Oh, he was very angry," Arteria replied.

"Hmm…" The Dragon cupped her chin.

"Is something the matter?"

"It's a bit odd that Samur was enraged at you."

"Well, anyone would be angry at what I said."

"What exactly did you say to him?"

"That is…"

"I'm not judging you. I'm just curious," Neia reassured.

"Hmm…" Despite the reassurance, Arteria remained silent.

It wasn't that she was afraid of being berated by Neia; she knew that she deserved it.

Not to mention that this wasn't the first time Neia was helping her resolve such a situation.

'Shit, what have I been doing till now,' Arteria sighed in her heart as she was reminded that this really wasn't the first time they were in this situation.

Maybe she should strive to improve herself.

Anyway, the problem was that if sge divulged the content of their argument, she would also be forced to explain the context behind it.

In other words, she would have to tell Neia that Samur developed a Dragon-Vampire-Shadowlord Hybrid Heart and transplanted it in her body.

And because Neia is a bit too perceptive, Arteria would also have to tell her that she helped Samur transplant a heart in his body, through which Neia will also learn that Arteria helped Samur lie when she and Noelle investigated his room.

'All in all, why the fuck did I help him transplant a heart?'

She really needed to take a tactical decision-making workshop or something.

"Hmm…" Neia scowled as she saw Arteria's turmoil through her eyes; as they said, eyes were the window to the soul.

Not literally, of course. Would be weird if someone scared you as a prank and your soul escaped through your eyes and you dropped dead.

Unlike what the movies may make you believe, disposing off bodies is not that easy.

"Okay, so can you tell me what made you think he was infuriated?" She asked.

If Neia couldn't get Arteria to give her the full details of the incident, she might as well get the crucial ones.

"It was his tone," Arteria immediately replied to make use of this welcome change of topic. "His gentle and calm tone had suddenly turned cold."

"I see. And what did he do when he got angry?"

"Well, he just scolded me. I think it was a scolding, anyway."

"How did he do it?"

"He told me that he felt quite insulted."

"Insulted? Why?" Neia frowned.

"I… kind of misinterpreted his words and actions," Arteria averted her gaze as she replied with a quiet voice.

To be more precise, she had asked him whether he was trying to turn her into a weapon like Vafferan. And Samur seemed really offended that she compared him to those 'incompetent pieces of shit'.

She was still a bit miffed about how he had claimed that Vafferan's suffering could have been reduced significantly if the one handling here was competent, but deep down, she understood that was the truth.

No, it had to be the truth. Because if it wasn't, and the ones who turned Vafferan into a weapon deliberately subjected her to so many horrors, then-

"Okay, and what did he say to scold you?" Neia's question brought Arteria back from that dreadful thought.

"I'll have to give you the context first," Arteria took a deep breath to prepare herself. "During our argument, I told him that he had no right to just write off Vafferan's suffering like that, and that a mere child like him could not even begin to imagine what she had gone through."

"Oh," Neia furrowed her brows a bit.

This was a tad too much, even for Arteria. Samur must have really angered her.

He seemed to have a real talent for it, anyway. Too bad annoying others wasn't a job in their Guild.

"So, he advised me that I shouldn't assume things about people I have only known for weeks. He also said that I don't know shit about him, and I never will, and that I have no idea what he can and cannot understand."

"Don't know shit about him, and never will, huh? That's so like him," Neia smiled wryly.

"Excuse me?" Arteria raised her eyebrows.

"Oh, nothing," Neia shook her head. "Anyway, him saying that we don't know anything about him makes sense. After all, it has only been a few weeks since we've known him."

"Right," Arteria nodded.

"However, for him to claim that we will NEVER know anything about him is…" Neia cupped her chin again.

"Huh, I never thought about that," Arteria's eyes widened.

Right, it was a bit weird for him to declare that they will never know anything about him.

"Hah, I was right," After some time, Neia scoffed as the pieces clicked in her head and formed the complete picture.

"About what?"

"Well, the first thing that you need to know is that Samur was never really angry at you."

"That can't be possible."

Arteria still remembered that ice cold tone and those eyes; they couldn't be fake.

"No, trust me. Samur is simply not the type of guy to get angry at such a small thing."

"I don't think it was a 'small' thing," Arteria frowned.

"Right, you might think that," Neia smiled derisively.

"What do you mean?"

"Let me put it in this way. Back at the dungeon expedition, I also had a small argument with him."

To be more precise, she beat the shit out of him when he had just sacrificed both of his arms to save her.

Yikes.

"Ahh, so you also said some similar things?" Arteria's eyes widened.

She couldn't really imagine Neia losing herself to her emotions and doing such a thing, but she felt that it was possible with Samur.

"Mm-mm," she shook her head.

"No? Then?"

"I did something far, far worse."

"Really?"

"Yeah, but that's not all. Even after what I did to him, Samur didn't even show a sliver of anger. In fact, he had forgotten everything about it in a few hours."

"Huh, well if he really forgot about it, then it can't be that bad-"

"No, you don't understand!" Neia exclaimed.

"…" Arteria was taken aback by this sudden display of emotion.

"I-I'm sorry about that," Neia felt shame building up inside her as she realised what she had just done.

"Ah, no, don't worry about it."

"Thank you."

"So, you were saying?"

"…"

"…"

Neia suddenly reached out for the cigar in Arteria's hand, brought it to her lips and took three deep puffs.

"This really does calm me down," she smiled dryly.

"…" Arteria was still staring at her empty hand.

"As I was saying, you do not understand. What I did was so bad, so… evil," she took another puff.

"…Really?"

"Yes. I never knew I had it in me to do such a thing."

"Just what did you do?"

"I can't tell you, even if I wanted to. I'm under a pact with Samur," she sighed. "What I can tell you is that it still haunts me, and it will continue haunting me for years to come," Neia bit her lips as her eyes trembled when she remembered the figure of Samur as she was punching him.

Neia's guilt was far greater than what Samur had calculated. It was so big, in fact, that it might not be resolved with just being a minimum wage chef.

In other words, Samur's actions might've had the opposite effect; he had shot himself in the shoot.

"…" Arteria couldn't bring herself to say anything upon seeing Neia's state.

"And forget forgiveness, Samur didn't even think anything of it. He acted like it was something normal, as if he was used to it."

Well, Neia had gotten one thing right.

"And that's exactly why it's impossible for him to be angry at you for such a small thing."

"If it is as you say; if he really was not furious at me, then why did he act like it?" Arteria asked.

"Probably because he wanted to push you away."

"What?"

"That's what his words imply; we don't know shit about him, and we never will. It means he will never let us get close enough to understand him. And true to his words, that's what he has been doing since the beginning."

"The beginning?" Arteria frowned, then her eyes suddenly widened. "Don't tell me…"

"Yes. That's why he had that argument with Noelle. That's why he manipulated me into doing what I did to him, and that's why he deliberately insulted Vafferan. It was all to prevent us from getting close to him."

"B-but why would he do that?"

"I have no idea," Neia shook her head as she took another puff of Arteria's cigar. "How did your argument with him end? That might give us some ideas."

"Well, he just said, 'Fuck this shit, I'm out," and left. Oh, and he also asked me to clean up the room."

"Huh. And did you?"

"I thought I owed him that much, so yes, I did."

"I see," Neia nodded.

"So, does this tell you anything?"

"No," she shook her head. "I still have no idea why he's so desperate to push us away."

"Why don't we ask him?"

"It won't work. He'll just play innocent."

"Then what can we do?"

"Hmm-"

"How about kidnapping him and forcing the answers out of him?" Someone asked.

"I doubt that would work-" Neia stopped and did a double take at that familiar yet out of place voice.

The figure that greeted her bewildered eyes was Vafferan.

"Hello ladies," She greeted the two.