“So… how’s the legs?” When the red left Ryder's cheeks, he laid his hand on the armrest.

“Aside from some annoying kinks, the legs are coming along smoothly. Frankly, I want to add more functionalities to it, but I can do that afterwards. I don’t want to keep you here longer than necessary and cause the Goddess to smite you.”

“Thank you for your concern, my fair lady.” He snickered. “Although, what kind of functionalities do you have in mind?”

She lightly punched his shoulder with a grin. “For starters, the ability to walk on any surface, be it water, lava, or even the air, like that sky-walker. Of course, I also thought about incorporating weapons into my legs, like a tiny cannon at my knees, or transforming my legs into a sword.”

“How about a flamethrower on your heels? You’ll be able to burn your enemies into ashes as you laugh maniacally in the air.”

“I’d be lying if I say I don’t want to give it a try, but then I wouldn’t be seen as a good demon anymore, now would I?” She cackled, which was followed by a sigh of joy. “There are so many things I can’t wait to do. I want to have snowball fights, travel the land, and make new friends before settling down somewhere to open my own shop. Somewhere that’s sunny and near the sea. Ah, to feel the breeze there every day will be a dream come true…”

“That sounds quite lovely.” Ryder’s smile faded. “Say, Estria,” He asked, peering at the blacksmith with his peripheral, “How… did you lose your legs?”

“Hmm? Oh. I… don’t know. My master said when he found me as a baby, I already lost my legs. He couldn’t tell if it was chopped off, or I was born this way. I don’t doubt the former from happening.”

“How… Where did he find you?” The human fiddled his fingers restlessly.

The demon didn’t seem to notice his anxiety. “My master told me he found me in a cave. He was passing through it when he heard my crying voice. He said that I was hidden behind a pile of rocks and a few fresh demon corpses. I guess they were killed when I was sleeping in my hiding spot, which was why I was spared. My master is a kind man, so even though his common sense told him that he should kill me, he took me in instead.”

“He told you he thought about killing you?”

“He didn’t need to tell me. The saying that all demons must be killed had been drilled into my mind when I was only a child.”

“...Your childhood must’ve been harsh.”

“It could’ve been worse. Mrs. Leim, you remember her?”

“The owner of that one restaurant, right?”

“Yeah. She’s a good friend of my master, and she told me he was almost hanged when he brought me back here. Everyone thought he either went insane or was hypnotized by the demons to take care of their baby. She told him to leave the city, but he refused, since it had become his home. When he was about to get exiled, a warrior of the Goddess returned to the city after they vanquished one of the most powerful commanders in Moros’s army. My master crafted a unique weapon for them before, and it was a big reason why they won. So, when they saw my master was in trouble, they declared that if he dies, there’s no one else on this planet who can craft a weapon capable of slaying Moros.”

“They believed it?”

“No.” The blacksmith chortled. “My master was good, but there’s no way he’s capable of creating a god-slaying weapon. Not yet, at least. However, it was undeniable that his weapon was used to slay a tyrant under the evil god. So, the people in the city backed off, and the mayor declared no one was allowed to discriminate against my master or me. She was aware that my master’s newfound popularity will attract a lot of tourists and adventurers, thus more income, to the city. So, of course, she wants my master to stay.”

“But the citizens still discriminate against you two anyway?”

“Not overtly. I had a very lonely childhood according to my master, but I didn’t really feel that way. I was content with simply hanging out with my master and watching him do his job. He speculated that it’s because I’m a demon, which might be true, I’m not sure. Despite that, I was still irked by how the people in the city treated me.” A faint smirk surfaced. “You won’t believe how aggressive I was when I was a kid. I would shout and call out how unfairly they were treating us. It didn’t help to improve my image in their eyes. I was angry because I didn’t understand why they were looking at me like I’m a scourge on the world. A blight that should be removed instead of a child to be loved.

Then, one day, my master had enough of me. He asked me if I truly wanted to understand why people were treating me the way they did, and I said yes. So, he asked the Goddess’s warrior from before for a favor. Their party took me and my master to a village that was recently reported to have been attacked by a group of demons.

When we arrived, I was given a pair of binoculars to observe what real demons looked like as the warrior’s party scouted out the location. I saw the demons eating people as they were still screaming and kicking; torturing them in the most horrendous way possible; and raping everyone, regardless of their age, as violently as they could. Yet, as my master was vomiting, I stared wide-eyed at what I would’ve been, unfazed. Then, a vortex of fear swallowed me whole as a terrifying thought flashed across my mind.”

Estria paused, lowering her head. Her fingers intertwined with each other tightly.

“‘It looks kind of fun’, it whispered. It was then the full realization that I was a demon, a being said to be born from the darkness itself, settled into my mind.

I watched the party slaughtered all the demons there and went home. From that day onwards, I… changed. For a time, I had an identity crisis, but my master assured me that I won’t become like them if I choose not to be. I forced myself to be more tolerant of the discrimination and tried to improve the citizens’ impression of me. Surprisingly, it worked better than my master thought. I even made a couple new friends over the years, though their family and friends weren’t thrilled about it. Whilst there are still many who believe I’m destined for evil, most of them have accepted or tolerated my existence.

It sucks, yeah, but I feel blessed that my master brought me here. I doubt other cities or villages would’ve been this accepting. I don’t blame them. How can I? There’re no way demons who weren’t brought up by a loving parent like my master can be ‘good’. Even I still had trouble suppressing my dark desires from occasionally surfacing." Her eyes shifted. "I’ve long accepted my place in this world. As much as I want to change everyone’s perception of me, it will never happen so long as my race remains a plague on the face of this realm.”

A drawn-out silence took hold of the room. Ryder’s finger brushed past his lips with a solemn consideration of his words. Then, he met her eyes and ended the lull.

“Thank you for telling me your story, Estria. I’m…happy that things mostly worked out for you. I hope that, regardless of what happens in the future, you’ll be able to overcome any obstacles between you and a fulfilling life. If you ever need help when we cross paths again, I’ll be there.”

“I should be the one thanking you for your blessing and your willingness to listen to my story in full. I’d gladly do the same for you if I can ever be your aide.” She stretched her hands out with an earnest smile. “I’m happy to have met you, Ryder.”

“Same to you, Estria.” He shook with a similar expression.

“Since I’ve told you my story, how about you tell me yours?”

The human froze, his expression strained. “I… I wish… I want to tell you about it, but… for reasons I cannot reveal, I-”

She raised her palm. “You don’t need to tell me if you can’t. I understand.”

“I’m sorry.” He lowered his head.

“It’s alright. Still, if there comes a day when those reasons no longer restrict you, I’d love to listen to you talking about your past.”

“Yeah. Hopefully, one day.” The rider’s voice rang hollow.