somewhere inside a place unknown to many, there was a guy with a good for nothing face called Edward who was... "having fun" with a girl he took fancy on... the room was rather elegantly decorated and all the curtains were closed with only the light of some small but highly decorated magical torches illuminating the rather softly darkened room with the only visible entrance was a rather big wooden carved double door

abruptly some heavy steps came towards the room before those same doors abruptly opened and a single soldier equipped with leather armor and a single sword strapped to his waist

he quickly closed the distance to the bed were... less than appropriate sounds came from and he placed one knee on the ground and bowed.

soldier- my liege the reports have come and there appears that the crater in the alleyway beside the market might have been made by an unknown individual a lady... matching partially the description of the ex-lady Alice Stoll.

the seconds passed before:

??- I thought that her death was more than confirmed... explain...

an annoyed voice was heard through the room as whoever was behind the curtains spoke.

soldier-hai!! ...it appears that the report might have been incomplete... after your eminence left the room for medical assistance some guard knights that were on patrol on the area heard some strange sounds coming from the room and quickly investigated only finding limbs that looked like they belonged to a female on a pool of blood, the body of a dead wanted man with a small hole on the head, and the body of the now ex duke... after investigating the room and not finding anything the mage in charge of burning it as per your orders arrived and asked them to leave, but when they got to the door of the room strange sounds were heard yet again this time they got to identify a figure with what appeared to be white hair and black limbs roughly over 2 meters in height leaving through a nearby balcony were after the flames were extinguished a crater of roughly 1 meter in radius was found.

soldier- then 5 hours later a report came from the patrol guards around the castle perimeter about an unknown female individual with what appeared to be metallic arms much unlike normal armor that had white-gray hair and roughly 1.92 meters in height and that matched the known ex-lady Alice Stoll on face... but some believe that they were wrong considering that the ex-lady's hight was of 1.75m and had black hair.

soldier- finally there was another report about a "crater" roughly 5.6 meters on a deserted alleyway overlooking the castle and it's believed that it might have been the same individual on the three instances... that's all my liege.

??-I understand...

you could hear a playful but annoyed voice yet again

??- what about the blackmailing material that the slavers are supposed to bring? it's imperative that it arrives if we what to exterminate the filth.

all of this was happening while a single lonesome maid stood beside the massive wooden door that did as an entrance... this maid... well how to say it... she was bad... her eyes had a bit too much makeup to cover up the tears that had come down her face... she was clearly sad...just because a decision she took... that now she is regretting.

??- rose!

the maid jumped to attention and quickly moved beside the bed around the same place that the soldier was who was now heading towards the doors

??- I just got word... it appears that our deal might still stand... don't worry you will get back your name as a duchess... but now I need your's skils as a guard maid to go and find someone that awfully similar to your master and bring her to me... don't worry I'll have the details delivered to your room you are dismissed till they arrive at you.

Rose-... yes... my lord...

---

pov change

/in a low voice/

-...mmm...? it's warm... ...there's a... something... smells good...

---

pov change Alice

I looked towards the tent while I stirred a sort of "paste" made out of "soft vegetables" that I had, it should be easy to eat for her.

Alice-you can come out now, I got something for you to eat...don't worry I won't hurt you.

the little demon poke her head right the curtain and looked at me for a moment before coming out of my tent a few moments later I just pated beside me for her to sit down while with my other hand I took out a wooden bowl.

she slowly sat down a bit far from where I was... she clearly doesn't trust me but it's fine... we are supposed to be in bad relations from a political standpoint... once she sat down I gave her a bowl full of food with a spoon and told her tho watch out, that it's hot, and while I waited for her to finish I went to my horse and gave her, yes my horse is a she, some of the mangled remains of the vegetables that I wrongly tried to cook... what? I have never even tried to cook something more complex than the soup from yesterday, I also got a map that I got from the cart.

when I finished I turn around only to find the little demon finishing her food with a blissful face which made me smile. simile that didn't go unnoticed by the little demon

Alice- I take it that it was good... honestly it was my first time cooking... ...there is more if you want...

she quickly looked at me and presented her bowl to me indicating that she wanted more and I happily obliged and served her another serving leaving enough for later.

I sat down beside her and just stared at her eating her food with such a happy face... that it makes me wonder... she... they are that similar to us? she is enjoying the food as much as "us"... crying for the same things... why is it then that we hate each other so much?

then what has the church and government been telling us... on my territory alone the "demon" attacks were only the occasional corrupted beast... but it has been studied intensively that it only happens when high amounts of magic converge on the ground creating a core and before it becomes magic construct an animal eats it...

it has also been corroborated that the effect can also occur when it's a crystallized mana crystal made by a mage...

I don't understand...

no...

I don't want to understand because I know the answer...

the little demon stopped eating and silently looked at me

Alice-ha...sorry...*sigh...* you see I was thinking about what to do with you now... I mean you must have a family that you want to go back to?

she slowly nodded to me

Alice-ok... here I have this map I'll show you where I'm going... if you know... where I should leave you... so that you can go back tell me.

---

pov change

I woke up in a warm tent by the smell of recently cooked food... with how little I have eaten it smelled heavenly...

I got out of that tent after hearing someone calling for me I knew it what the person who saved me... but still don't trust her... I accepted her invitation to sit beside her and she gave me a bowl of food that looked like a white paste... it had some pieces of vegetables ... and looked weird... but it smelled good... and my hungry stomach agreed...

after I steeled myself closing my eyes and raised a spoon full to try and when I did my eyes shot open and I couldn't stop it was so good that I just concentrated on the food and just as I fined I noticed the girl looking at me with a warm smile on her face and I thought..."no one evil that can make such a smile" she even offered to give me more of that food so without saying a word I gave her my bowl for her to give me more but this time I could taste it and... it was delicious.

While I was eating I noticed that she sat down beside me and just stared at me thoughtfully.

??-ha...sorry...*sigh...* you see I was thinking about what to do with you now... I mean you must have a family that you want to go back to?

I couldn't help but think about my father... he must be worried... so I nodded.

??-ok... here... I have this map, I'll show you where I'm going... if you know... where I should leave you... so that you can go back tell me.

she then started to explain to me that we were relatively close to a human village but that she wouldn't be going there but to a pond 1 day away from the village... luckily that's the same place that my father told me to go to if we ever got into trouble.

??-do you recognize any place on this map...?

I pointed at the same place she was going while I tried to say with my still kind of dry voice.

-here... father... emergency... in case... trouble...

I said it while holding my neck as talking hurts a bit... and she offered me a waterskin to drink from

---

pov change Alice

Alice-I see... so you need to go to the same place... well, there is just one more thing to take care of now...

she for some reason tensed up as if scared

Alice- I don't think that we have introduced ourselves... so... what's your name...? my name is Alice... the rest... doesn't matter now... and you?

she relaxed and seem less scared before lowering her bowl and looking me in my eyes.

??- i... ...my name... is Xenovia... I can't say... the rest...

Alice- I see... then we are similar... well Xenovia it's a pleasure to meet you

Xenovia- likewise... Alice... thank you for... rescuing me...

Alice- don't thank me yet, we still need to get to where your father told you to go... for now why don't you finish your food? we still have a long way to go and it would be better if we get going soon... we don't know if there were more slavers... I heard that they captured you because of a contract.

she nodded to me before tilting her head to the side

Xenovia- you won't eat...? it's delicious.

she made me smile again she might be small, probably not more than a 12-year-old little girl... and a demon... but I don't feel that we are two different... so I graved myself a bowl and served myself a portion and she was right it was good... the rest was "ravaged" by Xenovia I don't blame her she must have been a few days without eating in there.

While we were eating I asked her about her family and she told me that her father was a pretty important person in her country and that he was the strongest of them all... and the best dad...even if she never has told him that...

afterward, she asked me about my family and I could only look down... she tilted her head... and I told her... about my deceased mother... the idiot of my ex-fiance... my murdered father... and the fact that I might have nowhere to call home now... I don't know why I told her... but I felt better telling it to someone... she understood and hugged me...

after some time, I tore down the camp and we heard out and I must say... this little demon is more resilient than what she looks like. but one thing I did just in case was to give her one of the cloaks that I got from the slavers this way it will be easier for her to go unnoticed, then I got her into the horse I put on the other cloak and also got into the horse.

---

I must say that having someone to accompany me on my path albeit for just a bit is quite nice and allowed us both to know a little more about the other's race.

I mean who knew that demons actually celebrated an event where they would give gifts to one another?

and she got surprised by the concept of birthday parties... apparently, they don't celebrate them on her side and she didn't even know about it.

and who knew that both races celebrated the birth of the goddess on the same day? and have the same goddess for that matter

but I digress... we have been constantly moving toward the village only stopping to let the horse rest and drink some water as well as to stretch our legs and, well... nothing really happened during the trip, thankfully

right now it quite late and we are thankfully close to the village, Xenovia is sleeping inside the tent while I'm watching the surrounding in case of anything... and this is really a good moment to... practice my magic, which surprisingly has been becoming slightly stronger since I have ultima with me... I can feel it... but there is no answer from ultima when I try to ask about it...

anyway, more things about the magic I made the same cube I did some time ago but this time I tried to place something inside the space... like a... stick I found on the ground, and it visually distorted... like... it bent around it before returning to its original shape when I pull it out... curious indeed.

but that only tells me that I need to make a connection between normal space and this compressed space...what if... I fold the space before compressing it with the fold connecting both spaces? it's basically the same principle that uses the hero summoning array so I know it quite well...

/experimenting time skip/

it looks weird... it's basically a "foggy" cone sticking out of a cube that's sort of an ethereal cube that can bend light around it... yes I did look it up on the "internet", also inside the cube is smaller compared to the outside relatively from an outside perspective... it also maintains the weight relative to the objects that are inside... so it's space-efficient... interesting, maybe that's why its sent to another plane of existence?

now, how do I send this... into the "rift between dimensions" the scroll mentioned phase it there... if we go by the definition that's on the internet... it means to change it from one state into another... but it can also mean in this case from one place on existence to another...

Alice-mmm... so... how do I do it?

I mean I can move it from one place to another with portals... it isn't hard... what's hard is maintaining them and making the math to position them correctly... but they only work on this plane... but... what if I anchor one here like I would normally do... then... use the normal equation to place the exit on the same place but I change the coordinate number for imaginary numbers? they don't particularly exist...

/experimenting time skip/

this is harder than I thought it would be... mainly because I don't know if I actually sent it to where it needed to go... that's because I lose connection with the magic that I use to power it soon after sending it... even tho... it must be in the right place... I did give it the function to collect magic energy from its ambient while is still able to communicate with me... so... if I can't receive info... and it can't collect energy... then it must be in the right place...

but now I have another problem... how do I power it while being able to send stuff and bring back said stuff... I need a form of communication that's not dependant on something strictly physical... like for example the radiowaves that I found a mention of.

for that purpose, I have been looking at experimental ways of communication and nothing really works...

/investigation time skip/

Alice-it's already morning... I don't feel tired...

and...

I...

have...

nothing...

everything I have found is a derivative from radio communications...

i... better make something to eat

 

/time skip/

Xenovia woke up sometime before I was finished with my simple cooked food that consisted of a simple soup made with some of the long-lasting traveling foods and remaining normal vegetables that I had

it was rather cute to see her half-asleep while moving her nose smelling the fragrance in the air

she sat down beside to where I was cooking and just stared at me

Xenovia- Alice are you ok? you seem troubled by something

yea... her voice is nearly back to normal thanks to all the water and care that I have given her over the past few hours... there is still some stuttering from time to time but I still think that she should refrain from speaking complete sentences... but I don't know how much does the demon physiology differ from human's

Alice-it's just that i... here I'll show you

then I got the scroll with the magic and showed it to her not knowing if she would understand it... she opened it and slowly read it...

Xenovia-this... is... intriguing we never thought of this way of making it...

her face looked as if lost in thought

Alice-...mmm? what do you mean...?

she came out of her thoughts and looked at me

Xenovia- I don't know if... I can... ...do you know that... when some of the more... powerful demons present themselves they float?

I noded remembering some of the stories of some actual demon attacks where the demon actually floated off the ground and some magic scholars were quite literally scratching their heads thinking on how could that be possible

Xenovia-They are actually using the most powerful magic type known to us... Space-Time magic... I know a little because some of my father's friends actually work in investigating this... mysterious but powerful magic, I myself from time to time... help a little... so I know...

Alice- we... another difference ...on our side we consider it amongst the weakest magic as we haven't really found a way to make use of it offensively... only in moving stuff from one place to another... but it uses so much magic that the only practical use is to summon another worlder hero...

Xenovia- you actually managed to get past the world barrier!? so that's... what my father wanted to know...

we kept on chatting even after we started moving on to even more interesting differences between both races like that demons are actually more technologically advanced than humans... like... by a few dozens of years... granted we do have some floating ships... some pretty expensive magical horseless carts... demons actually are...in a way... more industrialized, the same process as us so whatever we have that's expensive, for them is actually quite cheap.

Alice-so you were sent by your father...? why would he send you if it would end up being so dangerous?

Xenovia-he sent me because I am the only one that can get an accurate reading from afar away... I was the first one... feeling the magical spike and we needed to act quickly to assert the strength of the possible magic... who knew that you brought heroes from another world...

Alice-so he ran a really big risk... just for this, his "father points" with me have gone down... but overall he is a good father...

Xenovia-he... is...

she said with a small but beautiful smile

/time skip/

after chatting some more we ate the food and this time I made considerably more expecting Xenovia to eat a lot but she actually ate a more normal portion so the rest we saved for later.

Right now we are closing in on the village. Xenovia has her body covered by her cloak while I only have my head showing up but there is something weird in the village...I even used all the new ways I can see the world now I made a "close up" with my sight... it is as if I had a spyglass always handy.

and...

it's deserted... and after some time finally, those shapes appeared in my vision again some shapes:

the first said to investigate the village

the second signaling some smoke coming somewhere on the other side of the village that said "investigate"

the third was the well also investigate

 the fourth was on the grain fields

finally the fifth was on the... what I imagine to be the village food storage place

there were also a small list on one side of my vision where it said:

"primary mission":

-->  Survive

-->survive the Vandit attack

--> get to where the clue leads you (in progress)

-->get to the village

--> investigate the map location

--> protect the girl Xenovia

it continued with

"secondary objectives"

--> acquire a weapon

-->get resources

-->investigate the village