On one cloudy afternoon, several armored men were standing guard in front of a wall surrounding the dark lands behind it. Their duty was simple. Patrol the area, survey the walls along any nearby areas for incoming guests or intruders, and deal with any stray demons trying to cross the border between here and the lands they couldn't cross. Many were vigilant while some were in their barracks, loafing around and playing games with their fellow soldiers.

However, none of them were the wiser when a dark shadow quickly soared above the wall and the guards didn't seem to notice it for some reason.

To the said "intruder", he was relieved to make it through in one piece. And it was because of his body, which was now transparent as he flew to a forest nearby and landed behind a few trees before a soldier could spot him. Once he noticed no one followed him, his body turned back to normal as his wings retreated into his back.

"Well... That was not as difficult as I thought," the man muttered. "Then again, it's thanks to Master Hyde's advice that I managed to create this [Invisibility] spell. I should teach this to the young Masters sometime."

The demonic dragon in human flesh sighed as he looked around the forest. "Right. Let's see if we can find some clues regarding my mystery guest. I only have a few hours until he notices I'm missing or worse, the sun plans to make another entrance. Better make this quick."

He rushed into the forest without any second thoughts. The forest in question was infamous for making most adventurers lose their way without the right navigational skills and maps on hand. But for Casia, it was no problem thanks to his host's past memories and experience running through it. And because of how the trees blocked the sky and sun, it was the perfect place to duck in and out of the Demon Territory. But it was only a matter of time until the soldiers would be caught on to his little shortcut. He hoped there would be a solution to this soon or he wouldn't be able to go back.

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Eventually, he found himself in a small town nearby as he headed into the only pub without skipping a beat. In this town, there were no guilds to gather information and quests, but a pub was a perfect place to interact with the locals and any passing adventurers. And in this small world of adventurers, Casia walked into it with his hood hiding his black hair and red eyes. While he wanted to talk to the pub owner and the other adventurers here, he had his eyes on one person alone.

This person was also wearing a hooded robe with a mask hiding his eyes and face. No one knew who they really were, but to Casia, they were similar to him. They were also a demon, but they were able to blend themselves in with the crowd of humans, elves, beast folk, and more of the humanoid species. He didn't know their name at the moment, but he already trusted them enough to be the bridge between the light and darkness of this world.

Casia silently sat right behind the figure and he feigned his disinterest as he waited for a few people to disband. It would be too dangerous for them to start talking with many rowdy people around and he couldn't take that risk even if he wanted to. Once most customers left the tables nearby, the dragon closed his eyes.

"Did you hear anything about that village?" He quietly asked without turning around to see the figure.

"As you predicted, it seemed like the villagers were too busy celebrating over their blessings granted from their nonsensical sacrificial ritual with none of them concerned about the boy's health," the figure answered in a distorted voice that anyone couldn't tell of their gender from it. "Two folks who seemed to be his parents didn't seem to mention him as their son. I even heard them calling him an offering rather than his real name."

Casia groaned as he shook his head. "Oh, I pity the young human. I'm surprised he managed to keep his hopes up despite his inevitable despair in our territory."

"Well, it's not limited to demons alone. Elves, beast folk, dwarves, lizard folks... That village never cared about all of them but their god, the "great Brilanta". Their only concern is protecting their harvests first and others second. Although, I suspected there is something more than this year's ritual."

"Oh? Why do you think of that?"

The figure took a sip from their cup and said, "The monsters nearby seem to be agitated for some reason, and other than you and me, none of the demons were nearby to wreak havoc on the village or anything in particular."

Hearing this, Casia hummed as he placed his hand on his chin. "If there is no reason, then there would be no need for a village to go through extreme means to gain a blessing for it," he pondered. "I wish we could investigate this further, but..."

"We don't want to risk ourselves and the young new Master of the Lavender into danger, correct?" The figure finished. "I know how you feel. I didn't leave the Demon Territory for reasons of betrayal and I didn't earn the Demon Lord's permission from nothing, you know. This world is rotting from the inside and our Grace knows it."

"Not only that, the oversaturation of the Otherworlders' appearances complicates the politics and balance of our world. If this isn't dealt with on time, we will fear the worst."

Casia sighed and said, "Two demons can't change the world alone. However, with the right person, I feel like we might be able to bring this world out of its incoming ruin. It may start with little steps, but I believe they will achieve what any humanoid or demons wouldn't."

The figure smiled which was hiding underneath his hood. "You really are confident with the former Master's pupil's potential, aren't you? Are you sure of that by relying on the prophecy our Grace has given you about him?"

Casia chuckled as he took a quick sip of his water. "It's not just that," he answered. "I trust in his potential because of unpredictable growth and creations they will introduce in this world."

"They?"

The dragon in disguise responded with a smile to his informant. "Sorry. A slip of a tongue."

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"Achoo!"

I sniffled as I rubbed my nose. Why do I feel like someone is mentioning me? Whatever... I had other issues to deal with. The first one is...

"You look ridiculous in that outfit."

Ridiculous?! I glared at Vander while crossing my arms with a frown. Right now, I'm wearing a black suit that seems to belong to the former master. It's too big for me to wear right now. But I had the urge to try it out to satisfy my curiosity.

"What do you mean? I seemed to look good in our former Master's clothes and maybe when I grow up, it might suit me even better."

I thought that was enough to convince Vandger. But he only groaned while shaking his head. "I don't know if we're even allowed by Casia to wear it all," he said. "Besides, why are you starting to try out Master's clothes in the first place?"

"I don't know," I answered while struggling to take off the jacket and shirt. "I suddenly had the urge to do it and not only that, I want to know more about alchemy like you do with Demon's Physiology or something. Of course, I'm not allowed to do some experiments with it, remember?"

"Well, you made a lot of mess when you made those HC Water Mana Crystals. Don't worry about it, though. We're only reviewing some basics, so there are no worries about repeating everything. We might try to find new info to help us get stronger."

I sighed as I started changing into my clothes again. "I guess... I just wish Casia was here in the mansion again. I don't want to do any gardening duties for too long."

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

"Well, you were busy drawing those...people from your dreams," Vander said. "You seemed too focused on it and I didn't bother popping up without you complaining about it. It's like...you've been possessed by something the moment you picked up a pencil and paper when you thought about them."

He might be right. Ever since I had those two dreams, I never seemed to stop thinking about them. The people they called "Arcana", the items, the story of the Fool... I can't seem to let go or forget them for some reason. When I tried to, I panicked and tried to draw them so I wouldn't forget in the future. Right now, on the floor were drawings of The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, and The Emperor and unfinished drawings of The Hierophant and The Lovers. I wanted to store them, but it's just like when I tried to forget them. I groaned once I finished changing back into my clothes.

"I don't know what's wrong with me, Vander. I'm not like you. I'm not really a demon, I'm just a creation from your head. All I did was learn Alchemy and live in the mansion until we grew up and be like Casia and the former Master. Am I supposed to live as your shadow forever?"

I frowned when I made that thought. I hope it won't happen. But knowing my origins, I doubt I can live my own life without sacrificing Vander's.

"Do I think I care about that complicated stuff? Of course, you can live whatever you want that is different from mine! Sure, it might be tough, but as long we have the same goals in life, having different hobbies and favorites doesn't matter if we work together as one. Isn't that the point behind our [Twin Minds] ability?"

Oh, right. I smiled as I recall that strange ability we found a few weeks ago. "I guess you're right. I don't know what's in store for me, but I want to be the man who will overcome anything that says otherwise. Not only that..." I look down to stare at the right palm of my hand. "I want to do something different other than Alchemy. You know, maybe trying out other affinities?"

"Other affinities? Huh... Never thought of that before." Vander hummed for a while. "I think it's possible, but Casia said it will take years for us to try unlocking another. Even if we can do it, mastering it is another problem that will take another year or so."

"But I managed to combine two different Mana Crystals into one, remember? Don't worry, with you and Casia by my side, I know I can do the impossible possible. That's what I want to do in my new life."

Vander sighs again and smiles at me. "Okay, I won't stop you. Although, I think you need to talk to him to confirm a few things I said just in case."

I nodded. It's not like I want to ignore him. I already learned it the hard way. "Alright, I will."

"Good. Now by the way..."

Hmmm?

Vander suddenly turns and points to our desk. "When will you start organizing your drawings? At this rate, we're going to spend another night cleaning all of this."

Oh, right. I guess I was so engrossed in the conversation that I might have neglected my drawings that were piling on the floor right now.

"Hehehe... Maybe tonight? Thank gods I organized them by Comon number."

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The trip to the village from the Demon Border was brief. While he was only a few miles away from it, Casia could see huts, houses, and farms from afar. As much as he wanted to enter the village while using his moniker as an adventurer passing by, he already knew of its reputation. And with the boy still in his custody, the dragon feared the worst if he asked any questions about him. It would be better for him to stay a few feet away from it than risk himself to confirm his suspicions by himself. Instead, he stopped right next to a large tree nearby and took out a crystal from his pocket.

"[Crystal of Sight], I give you the power of the darkness to hide in the shadows," Casia muttered as he injected his mana into it. "Show me what is beneath the welcoming facade of this little village."

He gingerly tossed the crystal and it suddenly sprouted crystalline wings as it turned purple before fading into the shadows below him. He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath and opened them to reveal his yellow eyes turned purple. When he did, his vision changed to a scene of a village where he saw two men chatting with a couple inside a small cottage.

"It's been a while since the ritual, you two. How are you holding up?" One of the men asked with his voice echoing through Casia's mind.

"A bit better now that it's over," the man said while comforting his partner, who seemed to bury her face in her hands. "I'm sorry you two have to go out of your way to visit us at a time like this."

"Hey, we're all friends here," another man said with a smile. "Besides, I thought you might miss the young sacrifice after the ritual. Don't tell me you already miss the product?"

"The product?" The woman removed her hands to face the visitors. "What are you talking about? He's not a product, you monsters!"

Casia was surprised at her reaction. From that tone alone, she seemed furious at them for the ritual that lost their child in the process. He would have commended and called her out for letting it happen. However, it wasn't the case as he felt no sadness in her tone.

Instead, he watched her smile and said, "He is nothing but an annoying shit doing nothing but going out and messing up our gardens. He even had the gall to hurt one of my neighbor's kids because he blamed them for bullying him. Can't you believe that? I wish I hadn't let that brat born in the first place."

"If you didn't, however, we wouldn't have a sacrifice ready for this year's ritual, Your contribution is greatly appreciated."

The woman's husband grinned and said, "I'm more interested in what the God of Abundance will grant us for this year. It would be great if they granted us a big harvest enough to grant our village riches. Or maybe something to drive out those pesky elves and beast folk who keep on eating up on our harvests."

"Oh, those cretins? Maybe you should ask them to turn them into demon bait so we won't have to worry about our farms being ransacked by those hungry bastards!"

"Hahaha! Maybe we should have asked them to let the demons and monsters eat them instead. Then we don't have a problem with some villagers corrupted by their shitty demon blood."

Casia had enough. He mentally recalled the crystal before it was found.

Hearing all of that made his blood boil in rage. Most of them were speaking lies not only about the demons but also to the humanoids they saw as "corrupted". He would have burned down the village for all he cared. But he wasn't the type to let his rage control his actions nor the type to let them die without facing retribution. Not only that, Vander and Aster wouldn't let him do it without their thoughts on this situation.

Vander and Aster...

If they were here to learn of this discrimination, what would they say? They wouldn't accept what they did for their selfish actions, but what they do afterward?

There were a lot of variables he couldn't risk to ignore. But he knew what to do next after learning of the village's true nature.

And the first thing he needed to do was to go back to his lair.

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"WAAAAHHHH!!! Why did you leave me, Casia?!"

The dragon laughed sheepishly. He almost forgot that this young boy was a light sleeper who surprisingly slept well through his draconic snores. So it was a miracle that he managed to avoid waking up while he was out of the territory for a while.

"I'm sorry about that, lad. I had some business that requires my attention for a while."

The boy tilted his head and asked, "Bis-ness?"

Casia sighed. "Never mind about that. How was your sleep?"

The boy frowned as he turned to his "bed", which was a rocky platform Casia made at the last second. "It's okay. But it's too hard to sleep on and it's not like my bed at home. I still can't believe you can't let me go home. I miss my parents. I miss my house..."

Casia frowned. He already knew the truth that his parents wouldn't care for their own son they called him "trash". But he didn't have the heart to tell him that. Rather, he wanted to tell him something else.

"I do agree that my lair isn't for a young lad for you. So I have a suggestion for you," Casia said with a smile. "How about you stay at my pupil's place? It's not like your village, but it may give you the bed and other amenities for you to enjoy."

He might not understand what he meant, but with a mention of the "bed", he had a feeling he might be interested.

"Really? That's great!"

As expected, the boy's eyes light up with the hope of sleeping comfortably again.

"But my pupil not only has a strange quirk but has a hard time befriending humans," Casia warned. "I may need his permission to let you stay there for the night. Is that okay for you?"

"I don't mind. If you're nice to me, then your pupil is nice as well! I bet he might be the first nicest grown-up I will meet since the ones in my village aren't. Don't worry, I won't bother him too much. I promise!"

Well, the boy was a bit of a nuisance, but that was normal for a human of his age. It was enough for him to be convinced to let him stay at his pupil's home.

"Alright. I'll believe you. But if you want to be a good guest, then you should know the dos and don'ts of the young Master's mansion."

"Mansion? Young master?"

Right, he forgot to mention that the current Master of the Lavender was the same age as him. Either way, he decided to tell him everything he knew about him and what were the rules when staying in his mansion. Maybe if it all goes well, then he might become a permanent resident. Although, the problem was not the master himself...

He needed to shed his humanity if he wanted to live in the Demon Territory.