Fiery red skin similar to the color of tomatoes, crimson red eyes like rubies, and two small, almost three-centimeter-long black horns coming from her forehead. Ears that were slightly long and circular at the end, unlike elves, which were how dwarves had their ears. Her height also indicated she was a dwarf, yet her appearance...

"You’re a demon?!" asked Celica in surprise.

"Red skin and horns, she’s definitely not an Anima with those features!" said Celeste.

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about?" wondered the girl, as she took off her helmet, revealing her long, blonde hair, which ended on red-colored tips.

Her body was strong-looking, big arms and legs, muscular, yet she had a feminine charm, despite her slightly manlier voice, she was definitely a girl, she was even wearing beautiful black thighs and a red skirt.

Actually she had really good fashion sense, her face had makeup over, and she was really good at keeping it despite the heat, her eyelashes were long and nicely taken care of, her skin looked soft, and so her red lipstick.

Also, her hands looked so beautiful and delicate! And she had long nails, painted pink, she was really feminine despite the slightly manlier vibe she gave off at the start!

"I-I mean, your appearance..." I muttered.

"What’s wrong with that?!" she asked angrily. "Have you never seen a half demon before or something? Actually, well, my mom was half Red Oni, so I’m quarter demon? Well, whatever the case, what do you want anyways? Did you really come here to buy from me?"

"I... I mean, sure, why not?" I asked. "What’s your name?" I wondered.

"Name’s Ruby, duh, it’s in the damn name of the shop!" she said angrily, crossing her big, burly arms.

Damn, she was harsh...

"Come on lady, you don’t have to be so rude with them, you should treat your clients kindly, or you won’t get sales," my father tried to comment.

"And who are you to say that old man? Never seen you around! Screw off if you are not buying anything!" she said angrily.

"Eeeh? Old man?!" my father looked devastated. "D-Do I look that old already? I even shaved my beard recently...!"

"You’re fine dad..." I sighed. "He’s my father, sorry... But um, so you’re Ruby, huh?"

"Yeah, that’s my name... Wait, you are all really weird and suspicious. Nobody comes here, like, ever, unless they’re looking for me!" she said angrily. "Are you working for that bastard of Eustace by any chance? I already told you guys I don’t have money yet! I can’t pay the debt if I don’t make any money, simple as! Just tell your boss to wait a bit! I-I’m just getting the hang of it but I’ll surely make a big sum once I figure out my Blacksmith Magic!"

Huh? What was she talking about now?

Debt? Is she really on debt?

Damn...

Maybe we should really help this girl then.

"Okay that’s enough, calm the fuck down, we are not the people you’re talking about!" said Celeste, stepping forward. "Also, you’re acting really rude with us, clients! If you’re not getting any money, have you ever wondered why that’s the case? Perhaps treat your damn clients better?"

"HAH?! And who are YOU to tell me how I should fucking behave, you blue-haired

Pipsqueak?" asked Ruby angrily, clashing against Celeste, even if she was much smaller than her, she just looked over her defiantly.

"Pipsqueak? Have you seen yourself in the mirror? You’re the only one that’s as small as a goblin here!" Celeste barked back.

"You fucking bitch! Say that again to my face! Come here, I’m going to give you a nice knuckle sandwich!" Ruby rushed towards Celeste.

"You really don’t know who you’re trying to fight here!" Celeste was about to beat her down.

They were getting a bit ahead of themselves.

Celeste was not a good match for Ruby at all!

"Okay, okay, no more, please..."

I dragged Celeste back while Ruby stopped her charge and looked at us.

"Hey, she started it!" said Celeste.

"Yeah but she’s not well, she was having a hard time," I sighed. "Leave her be."

"Hmm..."

Celeste stood behind me crossing her arms, glaring at Ruby with a seriously angered expression.

"Sorry for disturbing you today, Ruby. My name is Sylph, but you can call me Sylphy if you want! This is... Celeste, as you might have already heard, and this cute girl over here is Celica," I said. "Dad’s name is Allan."

"Nice to meet you..." my dad looked at Ruby with a saddened expression.

"Ok, and?" Ruby wondered.

"And... Well, I am someone blessed by a god, like you! And dad too, he’s actually the Hero of Blazing Sword... I am surprised you haven’t recognized him? There’s a statue of him in the plaza..." I said.

"Hm?! Wait, huh?!" Ruby gasped. "Y-You’re... And he’s... EEEH?!"

She screamed in shock, shaking the entire foundation of the smithy, which was already lackluster to begin with!

"Sorry about startling you before," I apologized. "Right dad?"

"Ah, yeah, my daughter here is the new generation of heroes and everything... she got a few hero friends too, they’re not here right now, went on their own separate journeys to get stronger for a year or two," dad said. "But we came here mostly because we wanted to see how you were doing. We’ve already helped others that have been blessed... or perhaps cursed by the gods before."

"Y-You’re really...?" Ruby muttered. "A-And what sort of help are you going to offer me? Are you going to drag me into a war or something?! I’ve been keeping the fact I’m a hero hidden this entire time! If somebody were to learn, they would force onto me so many responsibilities... And I don’t want any of that!"

"No, Ruby, we don’t want to force you anything, really!" I said. "We just want to help and maybe.. I don’t know, be friends?" I wondered.

"Friends?!" she asked angrily. "You’re only going to spread that I’m a hero and then everyone

Is going to come here asking me why I’m such a useless piece of shit, aren’t you?!"

"N-No! Please, Ruby, calm down!"

"Leave... Leave my smithy! I don’t need anybody’s help! LEAVE!"

Then she screamed at me and pushed me away strongly.

She was really strong, actually.

"Ah, please... just don’t be aggressive, there’s no point in violence..." I sighed.

"Just leave me alone!" she cried. "Why would I ever want to be a hero?! You’re... you’re all just slaughterers! How many demons have your father killed?! The demons have been victims of genocide through all of history, all because of them! Do you think I would go and kill my own people because those fucking gods told me to do so?!"

"I-I didn’t know you were a quarter demon- And no, I don’t intend to force you into anything!" I said. "We just want to help!"

"Help?! Nobody would ever want to help somebody without expecting anything in return!" she said furiously. "You’ll do all kinds of nice things for me, and it’ll be all to force me into doing something for you later, right?! You’re going to guilt trip me into killing demons later! I am not going to kill demons, nor kill a demon king, and I am going to become a blacksmith

Like mom!"

"B-But there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s perfectly fine! We don’t want to force you into any of such things, we don’t kill demons either!" I said. "Look, I got two friends that are

Demons-"

"I don’t care! LEAVE!" she screamed angrily. "The Demon Community doesn’t like the heroes! We don’t like the gods either! You’re not in the right neighborhood! Go act like you’re a goody

Two shoes somewhere else! LEAVE NOW!"

At the end, we couldn’t do a single thing, and we were kicked out.

For her to become like that, just how much has she suffered through her life?

"...She’s not wrong, we, the heroes, we are all slaughterers," dad sighed. "There are horrible

Sins we’ve committed, that we’ll carry to our graves."

"No, dad, don’t say that!" I said. "Y-You regret that... You’re my dad, and you’re... you’re a good person. You did those things because they forced you!"

"But... I still did them," he said. "I am just as guilty as those that forced me, that girl’s right, I

Don’t deserve any monuments, nor even recognition. The only thing I’m famous for is...

Killing."

Even dad got depressed...

Fucking hell, what do I do now?

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