“This looks bad! What were you thinking? Tell me everything.” Lilith the water priestess scolded Sargon.

While Lilith mended his flesh Sargon spoke about his misadventure.

“… that is how we barely made it out.”

“And your companion? Doesn’t she need healing too? Why didn’t you bring her here?” Lilith slammed her tail to the ground while scolding him again.

“She has reasons and can’t leave the dungeon and she said she was fine. Her injuries weren't life threatening.” He explained himself once again.

“Mhmm… even if she heals naturally it might leave a scar. That is no good, she is a woman after all.”

Sargon didn’t think about that before but Lilith made sense. This was bad. It was partially his fault too for not being able to defend his [Caster] properly.

“She cannot leave and I can’t buy a healing potion since they are too expensive. This is bad.” Sargon realised the weight of the situation.

“Yes, Sargon. Yes, it is.”

“Lilith can you… can you make an exception and come to heal her? You are the only healer I am friends with.” Sargon pleaded with her.

“You know I can’t do that. As a temple priestess, I can’t.”

These temple rules made no sense to Sargon but he knew that to Lilith they were important. However, he didn't want to feel guilty for what happened to Demi-Ura, he had to take responsibility and sort this out.

“Please I beg you, I won’t tell anyone. In return, I will do anything you ask for.”

“Hmm… Anything?” She cupped her chin and looked at Sargon intently, her tail waged a few times before she suppressed her excitement.

“Anything.” Sargon grasped her other hand while pleading.

“That sounds appealing. Okay, I will go with you.”

“Yes! Thank you.” Sargon was overjoyed with the answer.

“Give me a few minutes to prepare and meet me outside the garden’s old entrance. The one we used to sneak out as kids.”

“You are sneaking out now, won't they miss you?”

“NO! I will come up with something to tell them so I can leave the temple.” She wasn’t t allowed to enter the dungeon but leaving the temple was okay.

“I will be waiting for you there.”

Sargon patted a spot where he was injured, the wound had closed up but his muscle still did not feel the same. He brushed it a few times and went to the reception.

There he was met by a small girl who was waiting for him to come back. He completely forgot about her.

“Hey. did it heal alright?” Tasha asked him.

“Amm, yes… about that food I promised.”

“Yes?” She looked at him with sad eyes as if knowing where this was going.

At first, he wanted to give her some of the money for compensation, but it seemed cold. He promised her to get food and he was beginning to feel guilty about not being able to fulfill his promise.

“Is it okay if I get you something to eat later? Something urgent came up.”

“Oh, and I thought you don’t want to be comrades and will shoo me with some coin.”

“I would never. You helped me after all.”

“I'm very hungry but I can wait. I'll come with you, it's the best way.”

“But… But I do not know how long it will take.” He didn't really want Tasha following him.

“It's fine, I'm not busy, let's go.”

Sargon didn't have the heart to turn the girl away.

…

Sargon and Tasha were waiting by what looked like a bush wall. If one inspected it more carefully, he would find an overgrown door frame and if he pushed the branches away the entrance would be revealed.

Lilith emerged from the growth, she was hidden beneath a brown hooded cloak. Only her hands and feet were poking out.

“You look suspicious.” Sargon noticed.

“This will have to do. Remember I am not supposed to be doing this so I have to hide my identity. By the way who is she?”

“Tasha, pleased to meet you.” Tasha stretched her arm towards Lilith.

Lilith gave questioning look to Sargon.

“She will tag along I guess. Not that she knows who you are.”

“Right. Tasha, I am a friend of Sargon.” Lilith shook the kid's hand but didn't reveal her name intentionally.

“Let us go then. I rather not make Demi waiting for too long.”

“Demi is in your party, no?” Tasha asked.

“Yes, Li… my friend will tend to her injuries.”

“Is she a healer or an alchemist?”

“I rather keep my skills and identity hidden. Less talking more walking.” Lilith hissed at Tasha.

Tasha got the hint and stopped prying about the hooded lizard-woman. Instead, she asked Sargon a bunch of random questions. Sargon and Lilith had serious air around them but Tasha was chirpy and talkative, her tail wagged the whole time.

They have reached the Babel entrance and Lilith stopped a few steps short.

“I guess this is it.” The priestess gathered her resolve.

“Do not rush it. If you need time take it.” Sargon wanted to get to Demi-Ura as soon as possible but he also knew that for Lilith this step was also very important.

“No, I am fine, but you owe me big time.” Lilith said as she stepped through the large gate leading to the dungeon.

Tasha looked puzzled and unsure of what the two were talking about for a moment. She shrugged it off and walked just behind Sargon.

Sargon led them to where he had left Demi-Ura.

“Demi-Ura, are you here? Come out, come out wherever you are!” He shouted out of his lungs.

A hooded woman stepped out of the shadows and spoke. “Got cookies?”

“Wow, how did she do that?!” Tasha explained in excitement.

Sargon ignored the overexcited girl and spoke with Demi-Ura “No… But I have something better?”

“What is better than cookies?” Demi-Ura asked sceptically.

“I brought a healer to tend to your injuries.” Sargon pointed to Lilith who was still hiding behind the cloak.

“I am fine. Go buy cookies.” She did not sound too pleased at Sargon.

“What if it scars?”

“Don’t care.”

Sargon almost gasped. He was genuinely worried about it and Demi-Ura simply did not care.

“Amm… Well… My friend put a lot of effort in coming here so it all would be a waste if you refused. Let her look at your wounds, please.”

“She healed you too?” Demi-Ura pointed at Lilith asking.

“Yep, She is very good. I trust her, there is no need to worry about her, that is if you do worry.”

“Ok. Heal.” Demi-Ura stepped to the light and took off her hood.

“Wow! I knew you were a demi-human, hooves and all, but what are you exactly?” Tasha asked excitedly.

Lilith too took off her hood revealing a dissatisfied face with hits of visible disgust.

“A demon is what she is.” Lilith almost spat pronouncing the first half of the sentence.

“Eh? What sort of demi-human is that?” Sargon asked revealing his ignorance.

Lilith knew that demons should not be lumped with demi-humans at all, they were completely separate existence. The text she had read described them as evil and heretical existence who wants to watch the world burn and other races suffer.

“Is she really your partner? The one you told me about?” Lilith asked with a huge scowl on her face.

“Yeah, what is the problem? Can you heal her?” Sargon noticed Lilith’s odd behaviour and thought that she might be unable to tend to her wounds.

“I will tell you later”

It was heresy for a priestess to heal the demon, but Lilith already knew that Demi-Ura was very dear to Sargon, and Sargon was very dear to her. Being in the dungeon Lilith was already breaking her vows, breaking another one was a little matter if it was for Sargon.

She came closer to Demi-Ura stretching her arms.

“I assume this is your first time, I will be gentle. It will only tingle a bit.” Lilith explained to Demi-Ura.

Demi-Ura nodded twice and observed Lilith doing her work. The priestess' arms moved from a scrape to graze, slowly healing them all.

“Here it's done.”

Not even a thank you was said to Lilith from Demi-Ura, but Sargon had it covered.

“Thanks, Lilith, I really appreciate this. When you know what favour you want from me, tell me. I am all yours.”

“I already know, but I will collect the favour when the time comes.” Her frown was gone and the tail was wagging again.

“Demi, I can’t stay today.” He still needed to sell their loot. “I will get the cookies tomorrow.”

She nodded to him in understanding.

“Eh, we're going already?” Tasha asked but got ignored again as the two were already leaving the dungeon.

Once they were out Lilith spoke in a hushed tone wary of Tasha.

“Sargon I know you trust Demi-Ura a lot, but you should be more wary of her.”

Sargon looked at her unsure of what she was trying to say. Lilith was expecting he will do that.

“Ah… there is no point explaining it to you. I am sure it wouldn't change your mind anyway, you would still be her companion.”

“Are you against us being a party?” Sargon asked Lilith accusingly.

“Ha, she must be jealous of her.” Tasha butted in rudely.

“NO! That is not it!”

“She totally is. The healer lady has a complete crush on you Sargon.” Tasha teased.

“WHAT, No!” Lilith became flustered.

“What are you talking Tasha? We are only childhood friends.” Sargon tried to reason with Tasha so she stops teasing Lilith.

“And so? Does that stop from having a crush?”

Tasha’s words made Sargon realise that friendship, even as strong as his and Lilith’s, can change and become something more with time unbeknown to one person or other. He wondered if this was this the case and thought about his feeling towards Lilith. He had to admit to himself that regardless of her being a lizardkind he did find her attractive. Ever more so after she grew and became more woman-like. However, he was unsure if there was more besides deep friendship and attraction.

As always, his thoughts were interrupted.

“Eh… Amm… I need to wash the demon away from me. Talk with you later Sargon.” Lilith picked up the pace to running speed and disappeared in the general direction of the temple.

Sargon could not exactly understand what she needed to wash off but he was fine with that. It was for the best if Lilith returned to the temple before the temple staff got curious where she actually was.

“Where now?” Tasha asked.

“I guess I will get my stuff.” Which was still at the temple and will make things awkward. “Sell it and get something to eat.”

“Finally! I am starving.” Tasha waged her tail in anticipation.

“Me too.” Sargon had to admit it. It was a long stressful day and he barely had a chance to eat.

He got his stuff from the temple. He didn’t meet Lilith again even though he expected it; she probably was still bathing. Tasha helped him haul all the stuff to the guild to exchange monster cores to Shekels.

The only thing left was to find a good place to relax and eat. Sargon wanted to invite Lilith too as thanks but he knew that she probably would not be allowed to leave today again, not this late at least.

“Know a good place to dine out?” He asked his self-proclaimed comrade.

“No. Never been taken out for dinner before.” She admitted putting a sad tone, but her tail was moving from side to side as it always did.

“Not even in an inn or a tavern?”

“Especially tavern. Us in this class don't make much money, especially rookies. You might be an exception. I didn't expect you to have only one party member and get so much loot. Your partner must be a veteran adventurer.”

“No, not really, we are more or less newbies. Well, she is quite experienced but definitely not a veteran. The furthest we been was only the fifth floor.”

“You did very well for the fifth floor. Deepest I was fifteen and It was so scary I thought I will die.”

Sargon too wound think that if he was in [Burden] class and taken so deep. Quite often people in this class were treated just as they were referred, like a pack-mules. A complete newbie would find himself carrying the stuff from experienced adventurers since that was all they were good for. And adventurers didn't really need experienced pack-mule so long so he could carry sufficient load without complaint.

“I feel for you. I heRard of a good tavern, the one for adventurers. People spoke highly of it and the stuff is quite good and cheap there. I have never been there myself but I want to check it out. What do you say?”

Sargon asked without giving a thought that he would be taking a minor with him, not that it was forbidden.

“A real tavern, sure.” Tasha jumped in excitement.