DEMON'S VIRTUE

Eiro could feel the air around him grow colder and colder every single split-moment that the Lady of Winter was looking at the man standing in the center of the four statues, with a few people standing in front of its entrance to try and get Rumia out of there, but he wasn't entirely sure what he had to do.

Considering how Rumia and his soldiers acted so far, he wouldn't be surprised if the people from the Holy Kingdom were to try and attack the four ladies if the Lady of Winter was to kill him right here, practically turning this town and forest into the stage for a war.

And so, the Demon chose to do something that he rather wouldn't have wanted to do, so he figured he might be able to put his own satisfying twist on it. With swift motions, Eiro stepped in front of the Lady of Winter, something which he usually wouldn't have done in this situation, as it was something direspectful to do, and then spoke up with a clear voice so that the enraged Lady would really end up hearing him.

"My Lady, that is the man I spoke of before. If you allow me to, can I take the role of removing him from that space without it costing him his life?" Eiro asked, and the Lady slowly turned her eyes toward the Demon and nodded her head, seemingly holding herself back.

"Do as you please. I will try to play along with your favor even after this disrespect, young Demon. I permit you to enter that space. But do not sully it, will you?" She asked of the Imp, who just ended up smirking underneath his mask and turning around.

"As you ask, my Lady." Eiro replied, and then swiftly turned around, making his way over toward the four statues while the Lady of Winter waited at the entrance to the central place, something that none of these villagers had ever witnessed before in their life. Although, someone standing in the center of the statues was something they had never expected to see either.

And once the Demon stepped through the large open gate in front of the statues, Rumia's laugh could be heard, "What a woundrous sight! She is a Goddess through and through! Sorry for doubting you, young man, seems like you truly are the guide! Now-"

"Can you shut up for a second?" Eiro asked, swiftly interrupting Rumia's conceited speech, while the Demon seemingly prepared for something, "What are you doing there? Is that part of some Solstice Ritual?" Rumia asked curiously, before Eiro made him extend his arm forward, making the man himself think that this was once more part of this 'ritual', although Eiro was just mumbling to himself.

"Well, I wouldn't really mind if this became one, to tell you the truth." The Demon said, and then swiftly twisted his body so that he and Rumia were facing in the same direction, with Eiro's back faced toward Rumia's stomach and chest, while Rumia looked down at him confused.

"Is this some sort of dance?" He asked curiously, "What do I need to do?" He wondered, and was even more surprised when Eiro's reply came.

"I suggest to brace yourself. Now then, how did this step go again..?" Eiro replied, and then swiftly remembered the motions of the Puppet when in its hand-to-hand combat mode, trying to replicate one of the moves that it had been using over and over again to defeat Eiro in their sparrs. Of course, since Rumia was a fair bit heavier than Eiro, the Demon had to cleverly manipulate his Life Force, but once that step was done, Rumia's body was swiftly turned upside down and flew through the air directly out through the gate, making Rumia land on his back and slide across the frozen, snow-covered ground a little bit while Eiro braced himself for the straining pain caused by the manipulation of his Life Force.

But since this wasn't all he wanted to do with Rumia, and since he had the chance, the Demon swiftly stepped past the Soldiers that grabbed their weapons at the ready to try and attack Eiro for this, and grabbed the back of Rumia's armor. With the help of his manipulated Life Force changing the distribution of his physical strength considerably, as well as a little bit of water and ice magic manipulating the snow and water covering Rumia's body, Eiro started pulling Rumia across the ground as if he was nothing but a piece of cloth, swiftly bringing him in front of the Lady of Winter and flipped his body around, pressing Rumia's face into the snow in front of the Lady and her Daughters.

"I excuse this fool's rude behaviour, my Lady. Please keep considering his request even so." Eiro said, doing his best to hold Rumia's head into the snow to make sure he didn't spout any madness in front of the Lady, and then that Lady nodded her head.

"Since you went out of your way to ask for it, I will do so. I will hear him out after the celebration is over." The Lady of Winter explained, and then, together with her Daughters, stepped past Eiro and Rumia and made her way toward the four statues, while Eiro finally let go of Rumia, who just stared at him and was obviously about to yell 'Heresy' or some crap, but Eiro swiftly held his dagger in front of the man's throat before he could do so.

"Shut your mouth. You heard her, you will speak to her after the celebrations are over, which should take a couple of hours. Be glad that she didn't kill you for your complete idiocy." The Demon said, and then slowly moved his dagger away, and then simply stepped over to the sidelines, waiting for everything to start, although it seemed like Rumia still didn't understand what he was just told and started approaching the lady, or at least he wanted to. Luckily, Eiro was able to rather easily trip him up with simply ice magic before pulling him back a bit again.

"Stay." Eiro said, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall, but it seemed like Rumia still wasn't happy, so the Demon chose to resort to his favorite method of coercion. Threats of physical harm. Once more grabbing his dagger, Eiro kept holding the weapon directly onto Rumia's throat, the blade actually touching his skin, and then looked forward.

"Now, I hope you will be a bit happier to listen to me for now." Eiro said with a broad grin, hidden underneath his mask, as the celebration unfolded in front of them. And during the whole term of those celebrations, Eiro kept holding the Dagger in front of Rumia's throat, not taking it away for even a split moment, no matter how much Rumia was asking him to.

But then finally, it was time for the celebration to end, at least for the Lady of Winter, and the Lady of Winter looked over toward Eiro with a nod, so the Demon swiftly removed the blade and turned toward Rumia.

"Let's go." The Imp suggested, and then stepped forward while letting the Dagger in his hand drop into his treasury, before the rather pissed-off Rumia followed him toward the Lady of Winter.

"Finally we have the chance to speak after this Heretic held me off from approaching you."

"I literally saved your life." Eiro sighed, and then thought to himself, 'Well, for another nine months...', and Rumia practically just ignored him as the Lady started to speak.

"I will not allow you to speak of my Blessed one in this manner. I would rethink your approach if you wish to receive my aid." The Lady pointed out, and Rumia stared at Eiro confusedly while the Demon himself simply stepped up right next to the Lady, since he didn't want anyone to think he was on Rumia's side.

"Of course, I am sorry to have offended you, dear Lady... and excuse me, but did you just say you blessed this man?" Rumia asked, and the Lady immediately nodded her head in response, "That is not of importance to you. Now speak, before I take away your ability to do so." The Lady told Rumia, who just started to smile brightly, albeit while obviously upset at the fact that a 'Heretic' gained the blessing of a Goddess of Nature.

Either way, for now, Rumia started to explain the situation. It seemed like they really were slowly preparing for a rather large war, or rather an attack, against the King of Monsters. That in itself would have probably been a rather good reason to ask for any help one could get, but Eiro was rather disgusted by the way that Rumia voiced everything.

He kept speaking about what an honor it was for Lady Winter to help them fight against those wicked monsters, about how they had to defeat those that defied their god, and those that 'stole' the Holy Priestess.

Especially that last part was rather annyoing to Eiro. The Holy Priestess was a title given to Avalin. That little, cheerful, although slightly mischievous, child. And Rumia was only speaking of her like a tool, like an object to be used in war. He was literally speaking about how right about now she was supposed to be their greatest war asset.

A young child that literally tripped over with every second step because of how clumsy she was, with a weak body that was probably as easy to cut through as water was. A child like that was supposed to be an 'Asset' if it hadn't been 'Stolen'?

After that speech, Eiro absolutely made up his mind. He would endure his hatred for Rumia for the next nine month, and after the Fall Equinox would kill Rumia and his men in the most horrible and gruesome way that he could think of. Anyone like that didn't deserve to live under the same sky as his children.

Luckily, before Eiro ended up completely losing himself in his fantasies and ending up just killing Rumia right here and now, the Lady of Winter spoke up and he snapped out of it, "I see... So you need assistance in defending your people from the attack of the King of Monsters?" The Lady asked, to sum the far-too-long speech up a bit, and Rumia shook his head.

"Rather the opposite! Our Holy King will use your assistance in the offense toward the King of Monsters." Rumia exclaimed, and Eiro could just barely hold himself back from practically screaming out loud, before the Lady spoke once more.

"Ah, so that's how it is. Personally, I myself am neither opposed nor eager to start a war. But if you ask my sisters and get all of them to agree, or at the lowest have them be neutral like me, I would not mind coming to your aid when it is needed." The Lady said with her hand and robes hiding the lower half of her face, making it seem like she was slightly intrigued at the idea to someone like Rumia, but from his own position, Eiro could tell that Lady Winter's face was one of pure disgust and anger, but she was holding herself back for Eiro's sake.

"I see, of course you would agree with me! I doubt your sisters would mind helping us either!" Rumia exclaimed, glaring at Eiro with a glare that seemed to want to show his superiority, but the Lady swiftly put him in his place.

"Oh, but do not misunderstand, conceited man. You would never have received the chance to make this request if it weren't for my dear Eiro. And if my sisters all take the same stance as me, the final choice will be up to him, so I suggest you do nothing that causes him anger.." The Lady exclaimed, "Or else, you shall regret ever stepping before me."