The current situation made two things undeniable: the guild was trying to kill him, and his reputation was not entirely horrible. At least it was positive enough for this child to come to his town to ask for aid. That on its own was not a bad thing. The one issue was that the assistance she was asking for would mean going head to head with the guild. He was supposed to be proving to the hero, to Dmitri, that he was not this evil villain that people seemed to believe he was. That was a massive problem for Myles. 

"So, what you are saying, Miss Jino, is that the guild is using slimes for health potions?" He asked, trying to clarify better what the situation was. It would be easy to see such a thing happening. He did not have a great experience with the guild, seeing as they made it a habit to go into his home and attack him and his people. If he was being frank, the news that the guild was doing something as horrific as killing off slimes for a product seemed quite characteristic for the supposedly 'good' organization. 

"That is correct! I tell you, they are evil!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down. It was clear to Myles that Jino was younger, or at least mentally, she was not much older than a child. "Those mean people hurt Jino's family too. They took a whole chunk out from my big brother! So I came here all by myself! We will be your loyal minions if you can help us, so please, Master Myles!" She bowed her head again. Myles gently bent down and lifted her head so he could make proper eye contact. That is what his sister would have told him to do anyways.

"No need to beg. I can see you have been very brave, coming here to ask me such a thing. Come on. I will try and see what I can do to help. It is a big task, but... I can't let innocent people be hurt." Even if it meant doing extra work, he wanted to do all he could to help her. She seemed like she just needed someone there. 

Naturally, he felt compelled to run away back home to talk with Windy and Aithe about their next steps. Yet this provided an excellent opportunity for something he had not yet been able to do. 

"I am friends with the hero. We can talk to him and see what is going on. I am sure that he would do something about it if he knew. Are you hungry? I can get you some food too." Myles offered his hand, which Jino happily took. Her eyes widened at the mention of food, and she drooled a bit. He didn't think slimes could drool, yet she proved him wrong. 

"I am hungry! Oh, thank you, Master Myles!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!" Jino exclaimed, holding onto his hand happily. She was a cute kid, and Myles blushed a bit. It was embarrassing to think that he had made her so happy by just offering some food, but it felt nice. He was glad that his position was capable of doing some good. 

The two of them walked to the inn Dmitri was staying at, and thanks to the distraction of Jino, Myles barely noticed how anxious he was about seeing Dmitri again. The inn was nice, though nothing special. Upon arrival, the innkeeper welcomed them with a bright smile. He was a round man with bright eyes and an even brighter smile. 

"Master Myles! What a pleasant surprise! What brings you to my humble inn?" He asked, opening his arms in welcome. It was still strange that everyone knew his name, though Myles tried to remember that this was a good thing. 

"Innkeeper, it is a pleasure. I am here looking for uh..." He paused, trying to recall the name that Dmitri would use during his stay. They did not want it out there that the hero was lurking around. It just seemed like it would be bad for PR. 

"Are you looking for me?" Dmitri asked, walking into the room from the upstairs area. "I thought I saw you coming through the window. Ule, can you get us the private dining room set up?" Dmitri asked, smiling pleasantly. He was in disguise, though it was just a sad-looking wig and a cloak. Myles thought it was one of the worst disguises he had ever seen before, and yet it brought a smile to his face. 

"Oh yes, of course! One moment please." Ule the innkeeper said, bowing as he scrambled to get the back room opened up. Dmitri smiled at Jino and bent down, offering his hand. 

"And who is this beautiful girl you have here? If I didn't know any better, I might be jealous." He teased, causing Jino to giggle happily. 

"Uh, this is Jino. She is the reason I came here, actually, but I want to talk about that in private if possible. It is a bit sensitive." Myles replied, trying very hard to ignore the warmth in his cheeks. Thank god Dmitri wasn't looking at him. Myles didn't know if he could hide his embarrassment. 

"I see. Well, it is nice to meet you, Lady Jino. I hope I can help with whatever it is. Thank you too, Myles. For coming to visit. I admittedly have been bored out of my mind." Dmitri smiled, patting Myles's shoulder affectionately. Myles thought he was going to melt. 

"O-of course! Ah, look, the room is ready." Myles laughed a bit, though it was merely out of anxiety. He ushered Jino and Dmitri into the private little dining room. The innkeeper had already set out some tea and tea cakes for them. Myles thought it was rather lovely of him to have done that without being asked, though almost everyone in town knew of Myles' love for tea. 

"Oh, how nice! Alright, so tell me. What is going on?" Dmitri asked as he sat down, far more relaxed than the last meeting Myles had with him. 

"I think it would be best if Jino told you herself," Myles said, pouring himself and Jino and cup of tea after he sat down. Jino puffed up and looked rather proud she would tell another person about her journey here. She explained everything she had to Myles, including meeting with Myles and coming here. After finishing, she sat down quietly next to Myles and held onto his arm, much like a child would with their parent. Myles felt quite sorry for her if he was being honest. 

"The guild... I hate to say it, but I believe every word she says. I had suspicions that they were up to something when I left, and it matches what you were telling me earlier." Dmitri said after a moment, frowning as if in deep thought. Myles could not help but feel guilty. It was a serious issue, no doubt. He was glad Dmitri believed Jino, though. Many were dismissive of the 'lower' class monsters, slimes included. Myles always thought it was horrible to treat any living being as lesser simply because they weren't born human, but humans did awful things. The guild proved that much. 

"I don't want to cause unnecessary problems with the guild... That is why I came to you. I know right now you are here to make sure I do not do anything nefarious. That being said, it is my duty to aid those who come to me. I want to help Jino, and her tribe, if possible." Myles said, unable to make eye contact with Dmitri this whole time. 

"Myles, I appreciate that. I know I said I was here to make sure you weren't evil and all, but in reality I never thought you were a bad guy. If anything, a title like yours is just that: a title. If a little girl came up to me and asked me to save her tribe, how could I say no?" He smiled as he spoke, his cheeks slightly rosier than before. "We will help you, Jino. Both Myles and I. I cannot stand back while innocent people are being harmed." 

"Dmitri!" Myles exclaimed, a smile forming on his face. "Thank you. Ah, gods, I was so worried that you would get mad at me." He sighed. Jino giggled as she nudged Myles, a suggestive look in her eyes. 

"Master Myles... do you like Mr. Dmitri...?" She asked in a loud whisper. Myles nearly fell over. 

"Jino! N-no, it is nothing like that! Geez, don't say stuff like that aloud." He exclaimed, afraid to even look at Dmitri. "I just wanted to stay on good terms, is all. Dmitri and I were friends back in school, that is all." 

"Aw, Myles~ How sweet. I am glad to see you still view us as friends. I was worried after our last meeting how you would view me." Dmitri said with a laugh, his blue eyes gleaming in the early afternoon light. 

Jino seemed happy. She bounced up and down before she inhaled some of the tea cake. 

"Hee hee! That's okay. I am happy that I am getting help. I knew it was the right move to come here, Master Myles. I knew you would help!"

"Right, well, we have that settled. I suppose we should go back to the house and figure out a plan of action. If possible, I would like to avoid bloodshed, especially since we do not know how many slimes are being held captive. Beyond that, if we aggravate the guild too much, they will declare war. So we have to be careful." Myles said, already thinking about what they would do to fix this mess. The young villain suddenly stopped in his tracks, forced to look up at Dmitri, who had grabbed his face. "D-Dmitri?" 

"You are admirable, Myles. I have made my mind up. You aren't a villain at all." The hero said, smiling confidently. Myles felt as if his heart was going to burst out of his chest. "I am proud to call you my friend." 

"Did you need to grab my face to say that...?" Myles asked though he felt like he would die of embarrassment. Jino was watching intently. She saw right through Myles. 

"Hmm... I just wanted to see you get flustered, I guess!" Dmitri mused as he let go, standing up straight and clapping his hands together. "Right-O! Let's get going then to your house. I don't mind the inn, but it is a bit stuffy here. Let's go plot this rescue mission."