Chapter 90
“The goddess, appearing in the form of a woman, spoke.
‘There is something I must ask of you.’
Her voice, so reverent that just hearing it was overwhelming, caused the people to bow their heads.
How could they dare to lift their heads and gaze upon the voice of their creator, the mother of all things?
Hearing this, I spoke to Edel.
“…Aren’t you embellishing it a bit too much?”
“No way! Every child who faces my true form reacts like that!”
“Hmm….”
…Why, though?
No matter how I look at it, she still seems like a goddess with a few screws loose.
“You’re the strange one!”
…In any case, the goddess, standing before her creations, bestowed upon them her divine authority.
The authority of purification, a power that returns what is corrupted to its original state.
“If you have such authority, why not just do it yourself?”
“A god’s position is incredibly demanding, you know. Monitoring to ensure the system is running smoothly, checking if there are any intrusions—just keeping an eye on all of that keeps me constantly busy.”
“But you couldn’t stop it, could you?”
“…Are you going to keep saying that?”
“Sorry. Please continue.”
The goddess, while granting them authority, also gave them a mission.
Their mission was to purify the polluted Mana and return it to the world—an honorable duty to maintain the balance of the world.
Having been blessed with divine authority and entrusted with such a noble mission, the creations shed tears of joy and pledged to fulfill their duties to the goddess.
And, just as the goddess intended, for tens, hundreds, or perhaps even more than a thousand years, they remained steadfast in their roles, dutifully carrying out their mission.
Then, one day, they realized that the divine power they had received from the goddess was weakening.
The authority, once powerful enough to purify any corruption, gradually weakened over time to the point where they could no longer cleanse even the smallest speck of impurity. Eventually, it disappeared entirely from within them.
They were bewildered.
But more than that, they were despairing.
“The children believe they lost their divine authority because of their own wrongdoing.”
They thought the goddess had taken back her gift because they had neglected their mission.
But the truth was different.
While battling the Dimensional Creatures, Edel was pushed into a corner, and her power started to diminish.
The authority of purification originally belonged to Edel.
The strength of the Purifier Clan originated from Edel, and as her power weakened, the authority she had shared with them also diminished and eventually vanished.
It wasn’t until much later, as she was barely fending off the relentless attacks, that Edel realized what had happened.
“I’m truly sorry for what they’ve endured. They suffered because of my inadequacy….”
Laxia, the land where polluted Mana gathers.
When the authority of purification disappeared, and the Mana could no longer be cleansed, Magi gradually began to engulf Laxia.
Ordinary living beings would not have been able to endure it and would have perished.
But the Purifier Clan was different.
Created to cleanse polluted Mana and having wielded the authority for so long, their bodies slowly adapted to resist Magi.
Their hair and eyes turned black as Magi tainted them.
Conversely, their skin turned pale white, and black horns sprouted on both sides of their heads.
The horns, growing darker and larger, helped their bodies to better manage the flow of Magi.
Thanks to this, they were able to survive in the Magi-infested Laxia….
But as time passed and the concentration of Magi deepened, even those who could withstand it began to fall.
Even among the Purifier Clan, there were varying degrees of strength, and those born after the loss of the divine authority were more susceptible to Magi than the previous generations.
With each passing generation, they became more vulnerable to Magi, while the concentration of Magi in Laxia only increased.
At this rate, it was clear the clan would perish.
Thus, the Purifier Clan made a decision.
‘Goddess Edel… please forgive us for abandoning our mission and leaving.’
Leaving behind those who could still endure it and those who would rather die than forsake their mission, they set out on a journey.
They sailed across the sea, seeking a new continent where they could survive.
As a result—
“War broke out.”
This was the start of the First Race War, followed by the Second Race War.
Having heard the full story from Edel, I couldn’t quite understand.
Is a mission really that important, even at the cost of one’s life?
“I told you, you’re the strange one. The children I created can’t help but instinctively revere me when they see me.”
“…I still don’t get it.”
Is it a feeling akin to having a parent?
Thinking of Garid, I then recalled the faces of my biological parents, and my expression twisted.
Edel nodded knowingly, folding her arms.
“It’s an instinct of the soul, so it’s natural that you don’t understand. Anyway, was this explanation sufficient to grasp the overall situation?”
“For now, yes. So what do you want from me?”
“It’s simple.”
She slowly released her clasped hands.
Like a butterfly set free, divine energy fluttered softly from her hands.
“Liberate those children.”
Release them from the heavy shackles of their mission.
“Can’t you just do it yourself?”
“If I could, I would have done it already. Unfortunately, my power has weakened too much to influence Laxia. Besides, if I intervene directly, the situation could worsen, and there’s a chance that they might detect it.”
“…You’re useless.”
“Yes~ Yes~ I’m sorry for being such a useless goddess~ So, wouldn’t the very capable Kana-chan help this powerless goddess out~?”
“…What’s with the ‘Kana-chan’ now?”
“It’s a popular phrase on Earth these days. Isn’t it cute?”
“Ugh.”
“…”
Edel’s expression soured instantly.
***
“Kana?”
“Ah, yeah.”
Lost in thoughts about my conversation with Edel, I was brought back to reality by Da-eun calling my name.
To think of Edel calling me ‘Kana-chan’…
It’s still horrifying no matter how many times I think about it.
“So, should I call the Demonic Race by their original name, the Purifier Clan?”
“Call them whatever you’re comfortable with….”
“Oh, okay. So, is the Demonic Race’s long-cherished wish to return to Laxia and fulfill their original mission?”
“Well… for me, yes….”
“For you…?”
Not only Da-eun, but I also questioned Artisha’s uncertain reply.
“Kids these days don’t really have a sense of mission…. Some even hold grudges against Edel…. Who knows what’ll happen to the world….”
Tsk.
Artisha clicked her tongue.
Starting with ‘kids these days’ and leading into concerns for the world—it flowed naturally together.
“You feel oddly familiar.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Ah, no! I definitely didn’t mean it felt like Kana!”
Startled by my words, Da-eun, who was sneaking glances at me, responded in a panic.
As if.
For the sin of making baseless accusations, plus the added sin of lying, I delivered her punishment.
“Gah!”
Da-eun let out a strange scream as she fell to the ground.
Artisha didn’t even spare a glance at Da-eun, who was now clutching her side on the floor.
“If it weren’t for these horns, I would’ve stayed in Laxia….”
The horns are organs that allow the Demonic Race to endure Magi.
Though Artisha still has one intact, allowing her to live in the presence of Magi, the broken one means she likely wouldn’t have been able to withstand the dense Magi that permeates Laxia.
“But… to think that not a Demonic Race member, but a human, would offer to fulfill our wish….”
How curious.
Artisha said this as she took a sip of tea.
“Kana isn’t just any human.”
“A human is a human. What’s different…?”
“She met Edel directly and received a request from her.”
“…From Goddess Edel? She made a request to this little one…?”
“Yes, really.”
“…”
…Little one.
Well, I suppose that makes sense.
Considering how young I look compared to my actual age, I understand why Artisha would react that way.
I decided to forgive her for calling me a ‘little one’ right to my face.
So, what I’m about to say isn’t out of spite for being called little.
“What? Don’t believe me, old hag?”
“…Old hag?”
“Oh, sorry. It slipped out.”
“…What a rude little brat you are….”
“I didn’t get much etiquette training when I was young.”
“…Ack! She’s using her ultimate move!”
Before I knew it, Da-eun, who had risen again, clapped her hands over her mouth.
“….”
Artisha was momentarily at a loss for words, seemingly stunned by my self-deprecating comment.
I wasn’t really bothered by it, though.
There’s nothing to be ashamed of, so why should I care?
“She’s still young, so it’s understandable….”
Artisha quietly backed down.
A single bead of cold sweat trickled down her pale forehead.
“Th-that aside, Kana! Why would you call a young lady like her an old hag! It’s not like you were looking at me that way too, right? Gasp, could it be that you didn’t call me ‘sister’ on purpose…?”
“What nonsense.”
I grabbed Da-eun by the hair and pulled her down from the train of delusions she was on.
“The Demonic Race has a much longer lifespan than humans. They age at an incredibly slow pace.”
That means they only look young and aren’t necessarily young in age.
Although, it might be worth confirming if she’s actually young or not.
“Like you, Kana?”
“Huh?”
“Kana, you look a lot younger than your actual age too.”
“…Yeah. Like me.”
Even with one horn broken, the aura she emitted earlier was quite fearsome.
From that, I could guess how formidable she must have been in her prime.
She was probably among the stronger members of the Demonic Race.
According to Edel, there’s a limit to how strong beings in Silia’s world can become.
That likely applies to the Demonic Race as well, so Artisha must have spent a great deal of time reaching that level.
…Or so I speculated, and judging by how Artisha bristled at my words, it seems I was right.
Once Artisha backed down, the tension gradually eased.
‘…Should we make peace?’
‘Yeah….’
Artisha and I exchanged glances, and we both nodded in agreement.
“It’s still hard to believe, but I’ll trust you….”
“You’re willing to help us?”
“I’ll at least hear you out….”
It’s not like she could accept without knowing what kind of help we needed.
Da-eun, who had been halfway out of her seat, scratched her head sheepishly and sat back down.
“We need two main things.”
“Two things…?”
“A ship to take us to Laxia, and a captain who knows the route and can steer it.”
We can probably figure things out once we’re inside Laxia.
It wouldn’t be right to ask such a thing from someone who fled because they couldn’t withstand the Magi.
“If that’s all, I can help…. We have enough ships, and I can steer one myself….”
“You, Artisha?”
“Do you not want me to?”
“No, it’s not that… It’s just that you’re a lord, right? It’s surprising to hear that a lord knows how to steer a ship.”
“I’m not the kind of lord you’re imagining. I just don’t have a better title, so I’m called a lord….”
“I see…. Still, is it okay for you to leave your position?”
“It’s not like there are many who can withstand the Magi around Laxia anyway….”
Finding someone strong enough to handle it would be difficult.
Finding someone who can steer a ship would be even harder.
Artisha yawned widely as she said this.
“Then, can I ask for your help-”
“Ah, but not right now….”
“…Huh?”
Just when things were going smoothly, her words threw a wrench in the gears.
I tilted my head in confusion and waited for Artisha to explain, watching as her mouth slowly opened.
—
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