Nox crouched down in front of Tessa.

The inquisitor was still tied up, and she looked extremely annoyed.

And she still had his old dirty underwear stuffed in her mouth.

"Mmph."

The woman glared daggers at him.

Nox sighed.

"Alright."

He grabbed the underwear.

And pulled them out.

Tessa immediately opened her mouth.

"PTOO!"

She spat onto the snow.

"Was that really necessary?"

Nox blinked.

"What part?"

"Stuffing your damn underwear into my mouth!"

The inquisitor looked genuinely offended.

"Do you have some kind of weird fetish or something?"

Nox burst out laughing.

"No."

He pointed at himself.

"But it was absolutely necessary."

Tessa frowned.

"Oh, really?"

Nox pointed toward where Audrey was setting traps among the trees.

"If she had to listen to your voice for more than five more minutes, she’d put an arrow through your head."

The inquisitor turned her gaze toward the hunter.

Audrey was driving a stake into the snow.

She looked fairly calm.

But dark energy still occasionally flowed through her arms.

Tessa sighed.

"...Fair enough."

Nox smiled.

"And like I said..."

He leaned a little closer.

"...I need you alive."

The inquisitor chuckled.

"Then you’re wasting your time."

"Why?"

"The Church isn’t going to negotiate with you."

Nox rested his chin on one hand.

Tessa continued.

"Inquisitors are disposable."

The demon raised an eyebrow.

"Disposable?"

"When one dies..."

The woman smiled.

"...another takes her title."

Nox fell silent in thought.

That was interesting information.

So the inquisitor titles didn’t actually belong to a specific person.

They were more like positions.

Or inheritances.

Or something similar.

"That explains a few things."

Tessa let out a small laugh.

"Not as much as you think."

Nox decided to save that question for later.

Because there was something else he was far more curious about.

He pointed toward the missing lower half of her body.

"...And what about that?"

Tessa looked down.

Then back at him.

"What about it?"

"You’re missing your legs."

"I noticed."

Nox sighed.

"I mean, you should be dead."

The woman smiled.

"Doesn’t seem like it."

"Tessa."

Nox pointed at the massive trail of blood she was still leaving in the snow.

"We cut you in half."

"Yes."

"You lost an absurd amount of blood."

"Correct."

"And you’re still making jokes."

"Also correct."

Nox grabbed his head.

"Why the hell are you still alive?"

The inquisitor stared at him for several seconds.

Then she smiled.

"And what do I get for answering that?"

Nox pointed at Claws.

The enormous bear was watching her from several meters away.

And there was quite a bit of drool hanging from his mouth.

Tessa froze.

Claws stared back at her.

As if he were looking at a particularly interesting and delicious sausage.

"..."

"..."

"..."

The bear licked his fangs.

Tessa swallowed.

"...I understand."

Nox smiled.

"If you cooperate..."

He raised a finger.

"...I promise Claws won’t eat you."

The inquisitor looked back at the bear.

Claws was still staring at her without blinking.

"I’d rather not become a bear’s dinner."

Nox nodded.

"Excellent."

He raised a second finger.

"And I might even get you some food."

That seemed to get her attention even more.

Tessa sighed.

"...I suppose we can make a deal."

Nox smiled in satisfaction.

"Perfect."

He adjusted his position in front of her.

"Then answer me."

The inquisitor closed her eyes for a moment.

And finally spoke.

"I survived because of one of my title’s abilities."

Nox waited.

"...And?"

"My title: Phoenix Inquisitor."

The demon’s eyes lit up.

"Ah."

Now it made a lot more sense.

Tessa continued.

"My ability makes me immortal for a period of time."

Nox nodded slowly.

"That explains quite a bit."

Then he looked at the absence of her legs again.

"Though I expected something more spectacular."

The inquisitor raised an eyebrow.

"Spectacular?"

"Yeah."

Nox gestured with his hands.

"You know."

More gestures.

"Reborn from the ashes."

More gestures.

"Growing back."

More gestures.

"New legs."

More gestures.

Tessa looked at him as if he were mocking her.

"...That’s not how it works."

"What a disappointment."

The inquisitor rolled her eyes.

"I simply can’t die yet."

Nox nodded.

"That’s pretty useful."

"Yes."

"And the legs?"

"They’re still cut off and lying around somewhere."

Nox sighed.

"That also makes sense."

Tessa pointed at the empty space beneath her waist.

"I need an expert healer."

"To reattach them?"

"Yes."

"And without a healer?"

"I stay like this."

Nox looked over her situation.

Then nodded.

"That’s unfortunate."

"Very."

For a few seconds, both of them remained silent.

Until...

Nox and Claws’ ears picked up something.

Footsteps.

Movement among the trees.

He raised his head.

And heard a familiar voice approaching.

Audrey.

Probably coming back from checking the traps.

Nox opened his eyes.

"...Oh."

Tessa blinked.

"What?"

The demon stood up.

"I’m sorry."

The inquisitor narrowed her eyes.

"For what?"

Nox pulled something out of his pocket.

Tessa immediately recognized the item.

And her eyes widened.

"...No."

"Yes."

"NO!"

"I’m very sorry."

"DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT—!"

Nox stuffed the dirty underwear back into her mouth.

"MMPHHHHH?!"

Then he adjusted them carefully.

And nodded in satisfaction.

"Perfect."

Tessa tried to spit them out.

Without success.

Nox smiled.

"You know."

He shrugged.

"For the group’s safety."

"MMPH!!"

"Your mom, just in case."

The inquisitor looked ready to murder him.

Then Audrey emerged from the trees.

Several small animals hung from one of her hands.

And she wore a satisfied expression.

"I got food."

Nox smiled.

"Excellent."

Audrey looked at Tessa.

The inquisitor was still trying to spit out the underwear.

"Mmph!"

The hunter raised an eyebrow.

"You put those back in her mouth?"

Nox nodded.

"Yep."

Audrey watched Tessa for a few seconds.

And then smiled.

"...Good idea."

"MMPHHHHH?!"