"Did you hear? We have to go see Grandpa Violet."
Raymund, who had been contemplating how to make the trip less difficult for Seiana, narrowed his eyes when Aries suddenly burst in and just spoke her mind.
Normally, he would have ignored her as if he hadn't heard anything, but the name mentioned by Aries was one that couldn't be ignored.
"Why?"
"Didn't you hear? They found something strange this time, and they think it'll be hard alone, so they want everyone to go together."
It wasn't an incomprehensible situation, so Raymund accepted it. From time to time, such commands were given to ability users. Like asking them to verify something or go somewhere to do a certain task.
Raymund and Aries were still young, so commands wouldn't be given until they grew up. However, this time, rather than a command, it was a request for help as fellow ability users, so it didn't fall under that category.
He could refuse if he had a reason... but he was reluctant to shirk his responsibility.
'I can finish this before the trip.'
Thinking that, Raymund quickly wrote a letter to Seiana saying he had to leave and it would be difficult to meet this time, then left the Imperial Palace.
"Oh, you've come, kids."
"Oh dear, there aren't enough people, so even youngsters have to work. The Empire is really running smoothly."
"What can we do? Even if we're young, if things are like this, we have to do what we have to do."
The adult ability users, who hadn't yet passed the torch to the next generation, greeted Raymund and Aries.
And in that corner...
"That one's here too," Aries muttered, spotting a small figure crouched in the shadows. Ability Users typically despised each other, but Aries's loathing for this particular individual ran deeper than usual.
The sentiment seemed mutual. The moment Aries spoke, the figure's face twisted into a scowl before they abruptly turned away, as if refusing to even look at her.
In response to this dismissive behavior, Aries snorted derisively and deliberately averted her gaze.
"Now now, friends should get along."
"Hey, would they listen to that kind of talk at that age?"
"True, we also fought a lot at that age, even if we didn't kill each other."
Raymund thought that thanks to the cheerful adult ability users, the atmosphere seemed amicable, yet subtly tense.
'Or not.'
It seemed he was the only one feeling the tension. Was it because he was worried about the task ahead? Or...
A growing sense of unease made Raymund feel restless.
"Ah, I want to go back quickly. I miss Seiana."
Unlike Raymund, Aries muttered with an indifferent expression, showing no sign of tension.
Raymund felt the same desire to finish the job quickly and return, so he asked the other ability users.
"What were we called for today? Is it Purification?"
"Haven't you received the news properly? It's a demon."
At those words, all the young ability users flinched in surprise. They had been told it would be a difficult task, but this was a bigger deal than expected.
Thanks to that, the reason for gathering everyone made sense.
"Numbers?"
"Doesn't seem to be a large nest, but about ten medium-sized ones were seen. Couldn't determine the number of small ones."
Is this what had been causing the unease? Raymund had a growing sense that their schedule might be more prolonged than anticipated.
"Has everyone gathered?"
Just then, the person who had summoned them appeared. It was an old man whose last name was Violet, earning him the nickname 'Grandpa Violet'.
He was an old man with a full head of white hair, but his physique was sturdy, and he seemed very vigorous. It was likely due to his ability.
"We came here to do Purification, you see."
He briefly explained how he discovered the demon.
He had come to purify a place where livestock were dying and the land was rotting, thinking a curse had been cast, but instead, he discovered a demon nest there.
He said he called for help because the numbers were quite high, and he felt he couldn't handle it alone.
"Well done. You're getting on in years, sir, it would be serious if you overdid it."
"This rascal?"
Laughing heartily and joking with each other, they smiled upon seeing the children frozen stiff at the mention of demons.
"Truthfully, we might not have needed to call you children, but I thought it would be a good experience to gather like this, so I called you."
After all, if they were going to live the life of ability users, they would inevitably have to clash with demons. It was better to get used to it beforehand to prevent accidents later than to be bewildered and stumble.
It was a valid point, so the children couldn't express any complaints.
"Alright, shall we go?"
Violet, who knew the way, led the front.
***
The story of demons and ability users goes back a very long time.
A distant past, over a thousand years ago, when the Empire didn't exist. Suddenly, demons appeared in the world. Their mere existence was harmful to the world.
Besides killing people, demons also spewed curses, which caused the land to rot and nothing to grow. Everything that had life lost its life.
At a time when the world was heading towards destruction, 10 heroes appeared. Some speculated there were more than 10, but the number recorded in historical documents was exactly 10.
With the help of a god, they gained abilities, defeated the king of demons, and the world found peace. They then gathered the surviving people and founded the Empire – that was the founding myth.
It would have been better if it had ended there...
Sadly, although the demon king was defeated, his subordinates were not completely eliminated.
Therefore, generation after generation, ability users had to eliminate or subdue the remnants of the demon king.
That was the reason why ability users were treated with great respect even in an era of peace.
"Even though we suffer this much, everyone out there doesn't know demons still exist~ People don't even know what we're needed for."
"They would be terrified if they knew about the existence of demons. And only we can defeat demons."
"And yet they even belittle demons, calling them mythological creatures and saying it was just the most evil and powerful human back then. How angry that made me! I almost grabbed the guy by the collar and dragged him here to say hello to a demon~"
"Oh dear, how childish."
Perhaps to ease the children's tension, the adult ability users chatted casually as they followed behind Violet.
They had been ability users for quite some time, but they seemed to have a fair amount of complaints.
After all, they had lost a lot, and their treatment wasn't great...
The reason they could endure was largely thanks to them having the highest authority under the Emperor, according to Imperial law.
"You can't do this job without a sense of duty."
"Right."
The reason they didn't take their own lives, despite considering their lives a curse, was entirely due to that.
Thanks to the chatter, everyone seemed to have relaxed their tension, and their expressions weren't as bad as before. Only Raymund continued to feel uneasy.
"What's wrong? Are you okay?"
"..."
"Are you scared? You're such a baby~ Ray."
"Shut up."
Aries noticed his unease and asked, but it was more to tease him than out of concern. It was just then, as Raymund snapped back curtly.
"We've arrived. Everyone, prepare yourselves."
Just as he said, a boundary was drawn from where Violet's feet stood.
It wasn't that someone had physically drawn a line.
"...Smell."
The forest, which had been full of the scent of grass and trees, was suddenly filled with a rotten smell.
Ahead, only bare ground could be seen, the ground that should have been glossy brown was jet-black like coal. Far from being glossy, it looked dry and crumbly just by looking at it.
And following the rotten ground with your eyes...
"That's the nest."
Something that looked like clumps of insect cocoons were gathered together. And near them, a rotten-looking white and yellowish liquid was scattered around.
The situation included grotesque creatures that looked like demons guarding the area, milling about.
"Disgusting."
Aries crumpled her face and offered her impression. She wasn't the only one; everyone felt the same way.
"Never get used to seeing it."
Even the adults didn't hide their hostility. Raymund felt the same. For some reason, an emotion surged up from within his chest.
He felt only the instinct that these things should not exist under the same sky as him.
"Go!"
One ability user shouted, and the loafing demons sharply turned their heads. As the demons, having spotted the ability users, rushed forward, he took out steel marbles from his pocket and held them between his fingers.
Soon, lightning crackled in his hand, and the steel marbles flew quickly in the direction his finger pointed.
Swoosh—!
The steel marble, flying with a heavy sound, pierced the head of a demon rushing forward. Even at their ally's death, the demons showed no fear.
"Break through!"
Ability users used their respective powers to strike down the swarming demons.
Aries also used her power to push back approaching demons or lift them up and throw them into groups of other demons.
"You, come with me."
Violet grabbed Raymund. While the others dealt with the demons, they intended to lift the curse. On the cursed land, vitality gradually drained away, so it was better to eliminate it as quickly as possible.
Violet teleported with Raymund to the place where the curse felt strongest. Thanks to the commotion outside, there were few demons guarding the nest core.
As Violet twisted his thumb and index finger as if rubbing them together, a demon's neck twisted. He had twisted the space around the demon's neck.
Since Raymund could use other ability users' powers, he imitated Violet's ability, and the nest guardians were quickly dealt with.
"Good job."
Violet grinned. It felt somewhat like raising a disciple. An ability user's ability didn't overlap, and it only passed on after their death, so they couldn't teach anything to the descendant who would become their successor.
He himself had never been taught by anyone, either.
"The cocoons aren't so urgent that they need to be dealt with right away... Ah, there it is, the curse's core."
Violet, who had been looking around, gazed at a certain spot.
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