As I listen to Alexia explain her experience in the tavern, my previous understanding of her mark of Baal becomes even more vague. "So, are you saying that Miss Bell randomly became obsessed with you?"
She was sitting on the ground, legs crossed while looking up to me. "Yes, Miss Bell knows us since we first moved here, she even thinks big sister as her friend!"
"Friend of Helen?"
"Exactly, they would often share gossips and offer advices to each other as newlywed wives."
I put my hand on my chin before delving into my thoughts. 'This is strange. Normally the mark should affect someone of opposite gender by tricking their mind into having impure thoughts of Alexia. But it should not work on Miss Bell, I don't even think she had any sexual attraction towards Alexia. From what I heard, it was just pure obsession… But why?'
Alexia tilts her head and observes me over frying my brain. "Altaris?"
"Ugh, I wish that bitch witch was here." I give up and mumble in the end.
"Who?"
I clap my hands together to quickly change the topic. "Alright, let's begin your training."
Alexia's eyes sparkles as she gets excited. "Are you going to teach me some powerful spell? Oh! I want to learn fire!" She imitates a wand in her hands and starts to shoot imaginary fire balls everywhere. "Phew! Phew!"
I smile at her as she really has started to show her childish side to me and I like it because she looks cute.
With bit effort, I jumped down from the edge of the well and stand in front of her. "Before all that, I want to lay down few important rules which you are going to follow at all times when we are in the dungeon."
With all seriousness, she nods her head at my words. "Ahem! First I want you to understand what a dungeon actually is, it is place where all the high quality stones form, mostly due to high concentration of raw mana trapped in the earth." I stop midway because Alexia looked like she had questions.
"But isn't dungeons passage of other side from Alterums invade because they hate us and want to exterminate us, all beings of light."
'Beings of light. Heh. How long has it since I heard this term?' I let out a subtle chuckle before turning serious the next second.
"Listen closely Alexia, I am about to unveil this kingdom's biggest lie."
She actually crawls forward to me, with eyes full of anticipation. "Hmm. Hmm."
"The Alterums are actually not bad people."
Alexia quickly flashed a disappointing look at me with a sigh.
"No, no. I am serious, if anything we are actually loved by the Alterums because they need us to survive. Are you following me?"
I completely lost myself in the explanation, my tone changed into one of those cracked philosophers and pace turbo charged.
"This is the neat part, all humans are actually tied to one core element, that must be common knowledge, right? But whenever we, humans intake mana we actually filter out raw mana. That means we are constantly exerting raw mana and Alterum needs them survive, they need to live, without it they will-"
All of sudden, Alexia begins reciting one of the church's doctrines. "Oh holy, messiah. Please bestow your eternal knowledge upon thee. May the emperor protect us all."
I immediately get offended by her words, a vein on my forehead is on verge of popping as I grit my teeth tightly, trying not to smack Alexia. "Did you just read one of church's prayers?"
Alexia calmly brushes both of her open hands through her hair as she concludes the prayer and looks at me with a smile. "Yes, I did."
"So, you don't believe in my words?"
"Why should believe a child's words who is clearly younger than me and is yet to be graced by the church's holiness. What do you think? We can make an early round visit in the church in the other village at morning. It has been a while since my last visit."
I clearly understood the meaning behind her words, even during my times church fanatics were running wild trying to elope every single person into their faceless life essence stealer cult. 'How funny it would be, if I just reveal to her that her beloved holiness had his direct share in majority of her traumatic experiences.'
While I am menacingly grinning, completely occupied by my thoughts, Alexia stands up and lets out a loud yawn. "Heghhh!" Her face heavily resembles that of a cat with her lips licking and stuff.
I snap out of my thought trail and decide to continue. "Okay, for now we are going to keep the important theoretical stuff aside."
"You mean the useless stuff." She says with a smirk.
I show my fist to her while debating myself not to hit her in the head. "Calm down, church fanatics are like that. Remember she is just a girl, just a girl."
Alexia lets out her second yawn. "Heghhh! Are you just going keep on babbling or actually teach me something."
I flex my jaw so tight while uttering my next words. "Ahem! As I mentioned earlier, there are few important rules that you have to follow."
I put up three fingers and close one of them. "First rule of dungeon diving, be objective efficient. You are not going on sightseeing or picnic, there will be foreseen circumstances down there, but if something unexpected happens or an alluring opportunity presents itself. You, always need to avoid it."
"What?" Alexia makes an complicated expression. "You mean if I found an treasure or something rare, my action should be to avoid it?"
"Yes. Dungeon has created countless wealthy people but remember none of them were your average adventure, if you encounter a deal that's too good to be true, than it is too good to be true. Run, coins can be earned but life cannot."
Alexia slowly nods at me while maintaining eye contact.
"Afterall, Alterums are not the only enemy you will encounter. Moving on, second rule!" I close my second finger. "Know your place."
Alexia visibly gets uncomfortable as her mind jumps to conclusion.
My gaze turns soft for as second. "No, I am not saying that you are burden but to know your place in the party. Answer when only asked, move when others move and more importantly never argue with party leader."
I stack few stones together on the ground for better demonstration.
"A leader." I place the bigger rock in between few smaller ones. "Is chosen to because he is more knowledgeable and better fighter, often someone a veteran. Majority of expeditions fail because new cadets doubt their leader's tactics and refuse the orders. Most panic, few actually think that they better and some dumbasses actually lust after overall profit."
"Result?" I quickly sweep all the stones away. "The entire party gets killed because of them."
Alexia stares at the scattered stones for a second, before asking the next question. "Who is the leader of our party? Is it you?"
I quickly avoid eye contact with her close the last finger. "It is undecided. Lastly, third rule. Experience and trust. If hypothetically, you found yourself separated by the main party and surrounded. Do not lose hope. Trust is the biggest surviving factor in the dungeon, never lose trust in your comrades. If such situation occurs, they will come to save you, I will come to save you."
Alexia's heart skips a beat as I say those words, she smiles widely and asks. "Will they never abandon me?"
I want to say yes but Myleane's face appears in my mind and I change my answer. "I don't know about them but I will never abandon you."
Alexia looks down and smiles, pulling her legs closer as she blushes.
It appears that I have given the perfect answer.