When the priest invited her to the church, Subaru nearly refused on instinct.
Her steps slowed the moment indicates crossed the threshold. The wooden doors stood open, sunlight spilling across the stone floor, dust drifting lazily in the air. To anyone else it looked warm, quiet, harmless. To her it looked like a trap. She could almost feel her skin itching, her breath tightening, memories clawing up from somewhere deep and ugly.
Church. Holy ground. Consecrated space.
She was a demon now. Horns hidden beneath cloth, mana that did not belong to humans flowing steadily through her veins. If this world followed the rules she expected, she should have burned the moment she crossed inside. Turned to ash. Reduced to something small and final.
Her hand trembled as she stepped forward.
Nothing happened.
No pain. No sudden light. No bells ringing, no divine voice calling her out as an intruder. Just the soft creak of wood beneath her boots and the faint scent of incense lingering in the air. She swallowed and kept walking, every step cautious, waiting for the punishment that never came.
By the time she realized she was safe, she was already sitting at a long wooden table near the side of the church, a warm mug cupped between her hands.
Tea.
Actual tea. Steam curled upward, brushing her nose with a mild, calming scent. The mug was simple, carved wood darkened by age, its surface smooth from years of use. Subaru stared at it for a few seconds before lifting it carefully, half-expecting it to dissolve or spill or reveal itself as another cruel trick.
It was just tea.
She took a sip. Heat spread through her mouth and down her throat, settling in her chest. Her shoulders loosened without her permission. Only then did she realize how tense she had been, how tightly she had been holding herself together since entering the village.
Across from her sat the priest, hands folded, posture relaxed. He was older now that she observed him closely, with thinning gray hair and lines around his eyes that suggested laughter came easily to him. His robes were modest, worn but clean, and his expression held no trace of suspicion or fear.
If he noticed anything strange about her, he did not show it.
"I apologize if the invitation startled you," he said gently. "Travelers are not uncommon here, but you looked like you could use a moment of rest."
Subaru nodded, careful not to say too much. Her voice felt unreliable. "I… appreciate it."
She waited. Still nothing happened. No holy backlash. No searing pain.
Either this religion was fake, or whatever rules governed demons here were not as simple as she feared. Or maybe, for reasons she could not begin to understand, she had been spared.
She did not know which possibility unsettled her more.
They spoke for a bit about nothing important. The weather, the village, how long it had been since the last major festival. Subaru let him lead, answering when necessary, keeping her words short. Her gaze drifted around the church. Wooden beams arched overhead, darkened by age. Simple carvings decorated the walls. There were no grand statues, no overwhelming symbols, just a quiet reaffirmation that people had come here for comfort, not spectacle.
Eventually, the conversation shifted.
"You asked earlier about the First Class Mage," the Father said, setting his own mug aside. "I can explain what I know, if you wish."
Subaru's fingers tightened around her mug. "Please."
He nodded. "Magic is regulated in most regions, especially the farther north you go. A First Class Mage is not simply someone powerful. It is a title granted after passing a state-recognized examination held in Äußerst."
She repeated the unfamiliar name silently.
"The exam is held once every year," he continued. "To even participate, one must be at least a Third Class Mage. That is the minimum requirement. Those without certification are not permitted to take the test."
"So," Subaru said slowly, "you need a license to take the test that gives you a better license."
"In simple terms, yes," he said, smiling faintly.
Her mouth twitched. "And if you do not have any license at all?"
"Then you would be considered classless," he replied without judgment. "Self-taught mages exist, though they are rare. Most guilds do not recognize them."
She stared into her tea. "That would give a lot of people trouble."
"It does," he agreed. "But it also prevents disasters."
She hesitated, then sighed. "I guess that makes sense."
He studied her for a moment, eyes kind but sharp. "May I ask where you learned magic?"
She weighed her answer carefully. Lying had become second nature. "I wandered. Learned what I could, where I could."
He nodded slowly. "I see. That explains why you seemed uncertain about the classifications."
"So," Subaru said, changing the subject before he could dig deeper, "there really is no other way to reach the northernmost lands?"
"On foot, the Northern Plateau is the only route," the Father said. "And access is restricted. Monsters are one reason, but not the only one. The mana density changes. Weather becomes unpredictable. Entire parties vanish."
She felt a familiar tightening in her chest. "And the sea route?"
"Safe, comparatively. Also expensive."
She exhaled through her nose. "Figures."
He folded his hands again. "As I mentioned before, a party that includes a First Class Mage is permitted to pass through the Plateau."
Subaru blinked. "Wait. You are saying I would not need to be one myself?"
"That is correct."
She stared at him. "You are telling me to join a party."
"Or to hire a mage," he added.
Her shoulders slumped. "Damn."
The word slipped out before she could stop it. He only chuckled softly.
"You seem very determined to reach the north," he said. "Ende, specifically."
Her head snapped up. "Ende..."
"Of course," he replied. "The northernmost region. Cold even in summer. Few villages remain. And beyond that…"
He paused.
"The Demon King's castle."
She nodded. So that was it. Ende. The place she was heading toward without even realizing what it meant. The end of the map. The place where the world had once almost ended.
She connected the dots. Hero Himmel. His party. Eighty years ago. Humanity saved, demonkind shattered but not erased. A broken power structure instead of extinction. It fit too well.
"That is a dangerous destination," the Father said carefully. "Most people flee from that direction, not toward it."
She met his gaze. "I have my reasons." Yes, it was to run away from the murderous team.
He did not press her. Instead, he nodded once. "Everyone does."
Silence settled between them. The church creaked softly as the building adjusted to the wind outside. Subaru finished her tea without tasting the rest of it.
"So," she said, setting the mug down. "If I want to go north without money, without certification, and without dying immediately, my options are… limited."
"That would be an accurate assessment," he said.
She stood, adjusting the cloth around her head. Her horns felt heavier than usual, like they were listening. "I will figure something out."
"I believe you will," he replied.
She bowed, a habit she had never quite lost. "Thank you for your time, Father."
"You are welcome here anytime," he said. "May your path be clear."
Subaru turned toward the door, every step steady even as her thoughts churned. First Class Mage. Äußerst. Ende. Demon King. Parties. Exams.
None of it was part of her original plan.
But plans, she had learned, meant very little in this world.
She pushed the door open and stepped back into the village, the church closing quietly behind her.
───✧───
Subaru had just left the village behind when the forest path began to narrow. The sounds of Alt Woods faded gradually, replaced by the quieter language of trees and undergrowth. Leaves rustled under her steps, and somewhere in the distance, something small scurried away. The air was cooler here, shaded by tall trunks and interlocking branches that filtered the light into scattered patches.
She kept walking north.
Her pace was steady but cautious. After everything that had happened, caution had become second nature. She could feel the faint pulse of mana around her, not in a way she fully understood, but enough to tell her when something felt wrong. For now, the forest was calm. Too calm, maybe.
Then she heard it.
"Help! Someone, please help me!"
The voice cut through the quiet sharply, male, strained, and unmistakably panicked.
Subaru stopped.
Every instinct from her old life screamed at her to run toward the sound. Someone was in trouble. That was reason enough. But another set of memories rose just as quickly. Blood on the ground. Pain that reset the world. Smiling faces that had killed her without hesitation.
She clenched her fists.
Don't be stupid, she told herself. You don't know this world. You don't know people here.
Still, the voice came again, cracking at the edges. "Please! I'm sinking!"
It did not sound rehearsed. It did not sound calm. It sounded desperate in a way that was difficult to fake.
She let out a slow breath and adjusted the cloth wrapped around her head. "Damn it," she muttered under her breath.
Carefully, she moved off the path, following the sound through the trees. She kept her steps light, her senses stretched outward as much as she could manage. No sudden spikes of mana. No obvious presence lurking nearby. That did not mean it was safe, but it was something.
The ground grew softer as she moved, her boots sinking slightly with each step. The forest opened into a small clearing choked with tall grass and uneven earth. At its center was a patch of dark, wet ground that looked wrong even at a glance.
Quicksand.
Half-submerged in it was a man.
He was chest-deep, arms flailing uselessly as the ground slowly pulled him down. His face was pale, hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. His eyes locked onto her the moment she emerged from the bushes.
"Thank God!" he shouted, relief flooding his voice. "Please, help me out of this!"
Subaru did not move immediately.
She stood at the edge of the clearing, eyes scanning the surroundings first. Trees. Grass. No movement she could see. No hidden figures. The man himself looked… normal. Too normal, maybe.
She tilted her head slightly. "How did you get here?"
The question seemed to catch him off guard.
"Huh?" he said, blinking. "Uh… is that really important right now?"
"Yes," Subaru replied flatly. "I need to make sure this is not a trap."
His eyebrows shot up. "A trap? Why would it be a trap?"
She shrugged lightly. "I have trust issues. No offense, mister."
He let out a short, breathless laugh that sounded more nervous than amused. "Well, that's new. I'm Sein. Uh… I would have shaken your hand if I could."
Subaru watched him for another few seconds. His struggle was clumsy and inefficient, the kind that only made things worse. He did not seem particularly strong. If this was an act, it was a strange one.
"Alright," she said finally. "You look okay, I guess."
She stepped closer, careful to test the ground with each step. When she was within reach, she leaned forward and grabbed him under the arms. She braced herself out of habit, expecting resistance.
There was none.
She pulled.
Sein came free with surprising ease, the quicksand releasing him as if reluctant but unable to hold on. He tumbled forward onto solid ground, coughing and spitting mud, staring up at her in disbelief.
"Wow," he said after a moment, still catching his breath. "Thanks. You're… really strong."
Subaru brushed her hands off against her dress, already turning away. "No problem. See ya'."
She did not wait for further conversation. She had done enough. Lingering was how bad things happened.
She returned to the forest path and continued walking north, her pace picking up slightly. She did not look back.
Behind her, Sein sat up slowly, mud-stained and exhausted. He watched the strange girl disappear between the trees, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. The turban stood out more now that he had time to notice it. An odd fashion choice, especially out here.
He sighed, rubbing his temples. "What a day."
After a moment, he pushed himself to his feet, wobbling slightly before finding his balance. The village would be the safest place to clean up and rest. With one last glance in the direction she had gone, he turned back toward Alt Woods, unaware of how close their paths were to crossing again.