The demon village bore a resemblance to Grassis, though it was curiously different.

Grassis and the demons’ land were adjacent, leading to inevitable exchanges over the years, which must have subtly influenced each other.

“The atmosphere here is strange…” said Daeun, looking around.

“They’re smiling, but there’s this shadow hanging over them… Could something have happened?”

“Who knows.”

Even if she asked, I wouldn’t know.

“Does the all-knowing Kana-sama not know something?”

“…Are you teasing me?”

“No!”

It didn’t seem like she was entirely serious, though. I gave Daeun a suspicious look but quickly refocused on following the man down the street. As we walked, curious and cautious stares fell upon us. Just as we weren’t accustomed to demons, they seemed fascinated by humans.

Sensing my discomfort as I fiddled with my cloak, the man leading us spoke up subtly.

“It’s rare to see a human in good health.”

“A human in good health?”

“Yes. Most of the humans we encounter are either dying from miasma poisoning or fighting desperately.”

“…Ah.”

The man didn’t elaborate on the humans' fate, but it wasn’t hard to guess. It likely wasn’t a pleasant end. Daeun seemed to share my thoughts, falling silent as the air grew heavier.

In the thickening atmosphere, the man stopped in front of a building.

“…We’re here.”

“And this place is…?”

“It’s the Lord’s residence.”

“A manor?”

I looked up at the building. It was larger and more ornate than the others nearby but didn’t exude the grandeur expected of a high-ranking residence. It felt more like the home of a wealthy merchant.

At that moment, the doors to the manor creaked open.

“I told you, it’s not the Lord’s manor…”

A woman’s languid voice drifted out as she emerged. She had the pallor unique to demons, coupled with dark circles that made her look on the verge of collapse. From the ebony of her disheveled hair sprouted long black horns, much larger than those of the man guiding us.

“The horns…”

However, her right horn was broken, barely half the size of the other.

“Oh, this?” When Daeun muttered at the sight of the rough fracture, the woman raised a hand to her head, touching the broken horn.

“It got cut off.”

“…Would it be rude to ask how it happened?”

“It wouldn’t. It’s a proud scar for me.”

Her face reflected nothing but pride.

“It happened in Raxia, fighting a dimensional beast… It was a tough one, but I took it down.”

She puffed her chest with confidence, though she looked younger than Daeun and her drowsy expression didn’t convey much dignity. Much like her manor.

“Lord, why don’t we head inside?” the man suggested.

“Oh, should we?”

The longer we loitered outside, the more the demons gathered, curious about the humans’ arrival. At the man’s cautious urging, the woman gestured for us to enter.

“Come in…”

“Then, I’ll take my leave.”

“Yes, thank you…”

As the man left, only the woman and our group remained in the manor. She led us to what seemed to be a reception room, pausing with a teapot in hand.

“Would you like tea? Though, it may not be suitable for humans…”

“Huh? Why?”

“The tea leaves contain miasma… You seem fine so far, but just in case…”

“Oh, that might be true. I’ll just have water…”

“I’ll drink it.”

“…Huh?”

The woman looked at me, surprised. Her gaze traveled from my head to my toes before returning to my face.

“If you really want to, I won’t stop you, but it’s bitter, you know?”

“…No sweet options?”

“There were, but we’re all out…”

“Then, I’ll pass.”

“Alright… How about you?”

“I’ll accept, thank you.”

Ultimately, Selene was the only one served tea, its fragrant yet slightly bitter aroma filling the room.

Clink.

The woman placed her teacup down with a deep sigh.

“Shall we introduce ourselves?”

“I’m Artisha. Call me Arti or Tisha, whatever you like…”

Slowly, Artisha took a sip of her tea.

“I’m Journey. Feel free to call me Journey.”

“Kana.”

“Selene. Nice to meet you.”

Following her lead, we introduced ourselves, though Artisha barely acknowledged us, pouring more tea and asking:

“What brings humans here?”

“We’re heading to Raxia.”

She froze.

“…To Raxia…?”

The tea stopped pouring mid-stream.

“There’s only one Raxia I know…”

“That Raxia. Your homeland, the Demon Continent, Raxia.”

“Hmm…”

The weariness in her eyes vanished as she shot me a sharp look. Beside me, I heard a faint gulp.

“Whether you’re capable of getting there or not… Why would humans want to go?”

“You’re cautious.”

“Wouldn’t it be natural to be cautious if someone of your strength wanted to go to Raxia?”

“Hm, fair point.”

It felt like she had gauged my level with that statement. A powerful stranger expressing interest in her… and her clan’s homeland—it would naturally raise suspicion. So instead of protesting, I got straight to the point.

“I’m here to help fulfill your clan’s long-standing wish. Is that answer enough?”

“…It’s not something humans should know.”

Clack.

“How on earth did you find out?”

Artisha set her teapot down, eyes filled with unmistakable suspicion. Dark miasma began to flow ominously from her broken horn. Annoyed, I waved my hand, dispersing the miasma like swatting away a pesky fly, and called for my guarantee of legitimacy.

“Selene.”

“Yes.”

Understanding my intent perfectly, Selene summoned her divine power at an intensity I’d never seen. The golden wave pushed away the miasma in the room. Artisha’s eyes grew as round as saucers as she watched the gentle, holy light dispel the miasma.

“Such divine power… Are you a saintess?”

“Not yet.”

“But you have potential…”

Artisha nodded.

“Yes… That would explain things.”

Bringing Selene was a wise decision. It saved me from a long explanation; just showing her divine power was enough to convince others. Though my original reason for bringing her was to shield the group from miasma and prepare for emergencies, her versatility was a definite asset.

“Wait a second!”

“Hmm…?”

Having been left out, Daeun stomped her feet impatiently before suddenly joining the conversation.

“What exactly is this ‘wish’?”

“Hmm?”

Artisha looked at Daeun as if asking, “What’s this about?” Daeun flinched under her cold gaze but held her ground.

“The other two seem to know… but you don’t?”

“I came along with Kana, but whenever I ask, she just says I’ll find out eventually.”

“It’s rude to speak of others’ matters without permission.”

“…Don’t be so proper at a time like this!”

What’s with the outburst? Daeun does get easily riled up. I asked Artisha for permission.

“Can I tell her?”

“Do as you like…”

Surprisingly, Artisha granted permission without hesitation. Given the demons’ shame over leaving Raxia, I expected her to hesitate.

With permission granted, it was time to tell Daeun before she got more frustrated.

“The demons’ original name is the ‘Clan of Purifiers.’”

“Clan of Purifiers?”

“Yes.”

With that, the next question would inevitably follow.

“And what do they purify?”

Just as expected, Daeun responded with a straightforward question.

“Miasma.”

Purifying miasma and converting it back into mana was the demons’ duty, a mission bestowed upon them by Edel.

In the world of Celia, mana was a vital energy akin to air, essential for life. People often saw mana as a means to grow stronger or a convenient power source, but mana was actually as crucial as the air we breathe. The problem was that, like air, mana could also become polluted.

As it circulated through living beings and over time, mana grew polluted and stagnant, turning harmful to life. Edel created a system to gather polluted mana, purify it, and release it back into the world—a system to sustain Celia’s world.

“That polluted mana is what people call ‘miasma.’”

“Then… the Demon Continent, Raxia…”

“Yes, exactly.”

Raxia was the endpoint in Edel’s system, where polluted mana was purified and restored. In that sense, calling it a “dump” wasn’t entirely wrong, though people didn’t realize the truth.

“And the ones in charge of purifying in that massive purification center were—”

“Our clan, the Clan of Purifiers…”

“Doesn’t sound like a big deal when you put it that way, huh?”

Daeun blinked, processing my words.

“…No, it sounds like a huge deal?”