Johannes: Miriam, I want you to know that I'm sorry. What my brothers subjected you to... there's no forgiving it. Miriam: It was their transgression, not yours. You... you always took care of us. Johannes:Obviously not enough.
The first encounter with Gebel after ten years, where Miriam sees first-hand just how different he is from the man he used to be after enduring the ritual used to unleash Hell on Earth, which, according to Johannes, "would break the best of souls". He sounds like an abused victim wanting Revenge on their abuser, dismissing Miriam's claim that he will become He Who Fights Monsters while simultaneously admitting that he thinks himself more demon than human. Miriam invoking memories of the time he saved her from despair at being turned into a Shardbinder, even causes Gebel pain.
After Miriam gets off board the Galleon Minerva, she finds a village massacred by demons. The few survivors have been gathered by Dominique, and have all suffered heavy losses. Harry the Farmer remains fairly positive because his biggest loss is his crops, but the others are traumatized; Susie is an old woman already in poor physical health before the demon attack, which resulted in her mental health declining to the point that she doesn't know why she should continue living, Lindsay has witnessed her friends and family murdered in front of her eyes and has become vengeful, and Abigail the Gravekeeper feels deep sadness at news of the deaths of many of her fellow villagers. Fortunately, Miriam can offer to help each of the survivors with their problems, resulting in Heartwarming Moments; she can cook meals, return keepsakes to the deceased, and provide new crops.
Zangetsu's backstory. A samurai from the East, he travelled to England to fight against the demon invasion. Over the years, he lost his right arm and many close friends. While he acquired a prosthetic right arm, losing his close friends kindled a deep hatred for both the demons and the alchemists that summoned them to Earth. This is why he is initially so hostile to Miriam, due to her gaining demonic power from the crystals implanted into her body by the alchemists. It's not hard to understand his perspective, especially since the "reason" why the Alchemy Guild did what they did was so petty and idiotic.
Alfred's death, on top of the revelation that he was Good All Along. He only wanted to keep Miriam away from the castle because he feared the demons would take advantage of the shards' power she commands while he planned to use the knowledge contained within the Liber Logaeth to banish said castle and the demons back to Hell. He dies asking Miriam to forgive him for bringing misfortune upon her, which she grants.
