[If Liem had been left to guess himself, he would have supposed Calcifer was a very small fire elemental. Perhaps that’s not so incorrect, even; he doesn’t know what fire demon really means in this context, when Howl is from another world where the rules Liem grew up with don’t apply. What he does know is that he has never had reason to suspect Howl of being a bad man, and he has introduced Calcifer as his close friend without reservation. For now, he will accept that as enough.]

I strive to be trustworthy. It’s a pleasure to be considered so.

[He admits this freely, looking curiously between Howl and the little being in the hearth.]

He said he wanted to show me something. I didn’t know that was going to involve introductions. Are you… Howl’s partner?

[Familiar seems like a loaded and possibly insulting word considering how Calcifer has already been introduced, but it’s what comes to mind, given his knowledge of wizards and their magic.]