"What else is it supposed to be, then?" Morio said, confidently.

"Sorry, sorry!" Jyuzou raised his voice. "I went to the library and got a book for our travels. I'll return it once the test is over!"

"You'll probably forget about it," Morio smirked.

"Shut up, Morio."

"Same with you, glassy idiot!" he yelled out, pointing, repeating the same thing he said yesterday.

Atomu stepped around, looking at the sky. "We're setting out a bit late, though. The sun will set in a few hours."

It was the eighty-second of Yule, and the next five days were the shortest in the year, with the sun out only for about seven hours. Half of Jyuzou's complaints could be attributed to that.

"Oh, right." Morio looked up.

"Thank Morio," Jyuzou added. "We'll make it in time though. Again, a three-day walk from Wendigo to Magna, if we're fast enough."

"We managed to get to Wendigo in two," Morio muttered.

"Two and a half."

The test was to begin on the 87th of Yule and set to end on the first day of Herbes.

Herbes, being the old Manjuno word for nature, as this season was known as the one where the cold temperature faded out, bringing a rather hot front, which allowed for plants, trees and fruit to naturally grow. The entire season was seen as a big fade, each day it got a little warmer, and the colours seemed brighter.

The first days of Herbes in Shimori were still, very similar to Yule. Then, the snow starts melting, and the dark green changed into a stunning purple. Rains started crashing down from the sky, but they were way more common in Gorro.

Eventually, Morio, Jyuzou and Atomu set out of Wendigo, tracing the same path the two Morians stepped into town with yesterday, only now, taking a different turn, following through a small copse, then walking on fields of snow, which gradually became more forested, revealing a plethora of small huts built around the trees

This little neighbourhood was called Wendia. It wasn't part of Wendigo, although stood about five kilometres from the town. It seemed that at least three families lived there, with a horse that would follow them to the shops of the nearby area.

The houses quickly disappeared, however, and they kept treading the uneventful route. Jyuzou didn't find anything too interesting, except for more Shato seeds, so he resorted to reading the book he borrowed from the library.

"Interesting," Jyuzou muttered.

Morio was a little angry, and Atomu giggled a bit.

"Do you know what I've been wondering about, Morio?"

"Callothia?" he turned, with a grin.

"Aw. You remembered the name." Jyuzou smiled.

"Grgh," Morio uttered. "What?"

"Mr Bruno told us that demons don't need to eat anything. So, why did that demon on the Tilted Hill follow us if it wasn't hunger?"

"To seek refuge?" Atomu proposed. "Morio told me about that story when you were sleeping, s-so."

"Well, no." Jyuzou fixed his glasses, with a sly smile.

Turns out, the less intelligent demons follow seeds to find humans that they could murder." he raised a finger. "When a demon can't use its eyesight, it will use its nose for navigation! That's why, when you threw the seeds, it chased right after them!"

"Less intelligent and it still seemed like it was smart!" Morio added.

"Animal-like could be the better w-word." Atomu continued.

"Whatever it is, I'm happy I got that explained! Eureka." Jyuzou beamed.

"I hate when you say that word," Morio said.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." Morio smiled.

As the sun slowly set, the three stepped into a region called Lapida, well-known for its tallgrasses, often unkempt, naturally creating a maze through its insides. Nobody wanted to step into the actual grasses: they were rather sharp, and when snow fell the other day, it stuck to its thin stems. If you were to give it a little swing, it would shoot out right into your face.

Parts of Lapida were owned by Morians, who bought the land where seeds naturally grew in the plants hiding in the grass. The stems protected the reaps from various animals and let in sunlight, so you could plant anything there and let it grow without thinking twice. However, in Yule, it was only full of Bullion seeds, as those were the most profitable for selling, and the ground was too cold for anything else.

The three stepped onto a part of the land, and with a few words from the nearby Morians, they were permitted to step through its rather winding paths, which rested atop a hill. Next to the grasses, was a pretty long forest, which was coincidentally the start of a river, leading to the biggest lake in Shimori.

"Half-Demons." Jyuzou read. "Born from either fusing a Demon with a human or the two... breeding. What's that supposed to mean? What is breeding?" Jyuzou asked Morio.

Morio shook his head. "Atomu, what's breeding?"

"Ugh." Atomu covered his face with his hand. "Don't make me say it."

Jyuzou looked back into the book. "It is said that exactly half of the half-demons are of pure intention, with their human side triumphantly winning over the other. Then, there are ones that are just like demons, with some human features. In towns like Hakh-Nivena, they're not looked down upon, instead, treated like equals. However, many don't trust the mixed race, which has led to conflicts over the years." he read aloud. "Oh, that's on the next page. Neat."

"I think I've heard a story about a half-demon once," Atomu mentioned. "It's an old Paladian tale, at that."

"You guys have tales?" Jyuzou was confused.

"O-Of course we do!" Atomu turned around. "We're not cultureless, what are you thinking?"

Jyuzou shrugged. "I just assumed Paladians are the most basic of races around Errarion."

"Wow." Atomu was shocked. "Rude."

"Will. You. Be. Nice?" Morio smacked Jyuzou's head four times. "That title goes to Erans!" he whispered.

"Sorry, sorry. Tell us the tale." Jyuzou nodded.

"T-There were two half-demons. One, very human, looked like a Paladian but had these small little horns growing out of his head." he signalled with his fingers. "Then the second, barely resembling one. Of course, Paladians focused on the more human one, trying their best to find a way to prove that he had some hidden scheme, but they kept failing that task. It all culminated in them being right, but also subsequently proving that the other half-demon, the less human one, was much more humane. The other killed two families, I think." Atomu snickered. "Classic."

"These are your bedtime stories?!" Jyuzou was shocked.

"What about them?" Atomu squinted his eyes.

"Aren't they a little terrifying?" Jyuzou continued.

Morio looked around, as the three stood against some tallgrass.

"W-Well, how else do you teach children?" Atomu scratched his nose. "They won't listen otherwise!" he explained.

"Well, nothing's of danger with us three!" Morio added. "Now that we've got a Paladian like you on our team.

"Morio." Jyuzou looked at him.

"Oh, please. You spoke ill of him so I'm trying to get his spirits up! Go, Paladian!" he raised his fist.

"Huh?" Atomu shook his head. "I'm not strong."

"You're way too humble! Just proved yourself wrong by answering Jyuzou's burning questions." Morio pointed. "What else do you know that's just blatantly written down in that book, eh?" he snatched the thing from Jyuzou's hands. "Let's check who's the smartest!"

"Give that back!" Jyuzou yelled.

"L-Listen." Atomu clenched his jaw. "I don't want you guys thinking that I'm some guardian of yours, okay? We're just travelling, from point A to point B, and that's pretty much it. I'll try to protect you, but I'd like to think it's gonna be mutual."

"Of course!" Morio raised his fist. "He won't be of any help, though!"

"MORIO!" Jyuzou uttered, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Uhh." Atomu scratched the back of his head. "Just... don't think of me as your leader or anything, okay?"

Jyuzou pushed the hyperactive Morio to the ground and fixed his glasses. "Got it. I assure you, he'd want the title more."

Atomu gulped, before turning around.

All of a sudden, the tallgrass in front of him shifted, and a silhouette appeared, stumbling into him and pushing him to the side with a rather loud shout coming from the Paladian.

The guy breathed in and out, standing up, holding at least twenty Bullion seeds in both hands. "Hi!" he raised one hand, as some of the seeds fell to the ground, much to his surprise.

"Gah!" Atomu immediately turned. "What the hell?! Who are you?!"

"Hold some of these for me!" he passed a few of the seeds into Atomu's hands.

"N-No?!"

"Wait. He's the same guy that caused a ruckus at the bar yesterday!" Jyuzou added.

"Huh?" Morio turned.

"Oh ruckus, I only borrowed a thing or ten!" he chuckled.

"GET BACK HERE YOU THIEF!" A voice yelled out from the tallgrass behind.

"Oh, oh! Gotta go!" the Mirillian raised his voice, pushing the seeds into the hands of Morio and Jyuzou as well. "Y'all, help me out here!"

"Wait, you're stealing the seeds?!" Morio asked.

The Mirillian jumped through the grass in the front. "Borrowing." he raised a finger.

"I'M GONNA KILL YOU ALL!"

"Ah!" The guy blinked and almost disappeared between the shadows.

"Damn it!" Jyuzou dropped the seeds and started chasing after him, Morio followed, and Atomu did the same, after almost sliding his face into the snow. He looked back for a moment, hearing the footsteps of the land's owner. He sped up, catching up to the Mirillian.

"What the hell did you do?" Atomu asked, looking at his face.

"I'm hungry!"

"They're someone's property!" Atomu pushed around the grass, as the snow stuck to his face.

"Oh, then why weren't they signed, huh? It's out in nature!" he explained, before making a sudden turn. "...and nature gives back!"

"You!" Atomu grabbed his long scarf, and the other almost choked.

Morio and Jyuzou struggled to breathe in between the snow.

"We have to keep running, run, run!" he said.

"I'm not in on your action! We'll stop and explain everything to the owner!" Atomu yelled out.

"There's no peace here!" he continued.

"GET BACK!"

All of a sudden, the Mirillian stopped, right in front of a cliff, leading down to the forest below. Atomu bumped into him, causing the two to balance for a moment, but the Paladian quickly grabbed his hand. Then, Morio and Jyuzou joined, destroying the formation, as the four fell down the cliff, following a few screams permeating the area.

Eventually, they landed on a snowy road in the middle of the hanging trees.

The Mirillian stuck his head out of a snowdrift, spitting out some snow. He stood up, brushing off the snow from his blue jacket and light pants, fixing his headband.

Atomu walked up to him, grabbing him by the scarf again. "You could've gotten us killed!" he yelled out, visibly angry.

"Could've!" he smiled. "But didn't!"

Morio shook his head, as the snow fell off his hair and Jyuzou stood up, surprised at Atomu's sudden change.

"But we didn't. I can call this a shortcut, then."

"To what?" Atomu asked.

"Magna! I have to make it there in a few days, after all." he raised a finger.

"What?" Atomu was confused.

"Are you going to the Demonear exam too?" Morio asked, stepping closer, and putting his hand on the sheath.

"Exactly! So, I thought I'd stop for a moment to get food for the road, just some hawana fruits." he bragged, showing the Bullion seeds and making sure everyone saw them.

"Hawana fruits don't grow in Yule. They're only there in Gorro." Jyuzou stood up, opening Wonder Flora. "See?" he pointed.

"Oh." he scratched the back of his head. "So these aren't hawana?" he looked down.

"They're Bullion seeds!" Jyuzou raised his voice.

"Oh, Belfer!"

"Bullion." Jyuzou corrected him.

"Ah." Atomu looked up. "Oh, my," he breathed out, closing his eyes, as Morio waddled over. "We need to find a way to get back to Lapida." he pointed.

"This still is Lapida, just the forest part," Morio explained. "We were going to step into here either way and just like that guy said, it will lead us through the Shimori Lake and into Magna!"

"So what was the purpose?" Atomu asked, in the same voice that greeted them in Wendigo.

"Well, there was a safer road we could've taken." Morio explained, beaming.

"...and someone caused a rather dangerous change of plans!" Jyuzou added.

"Not just someone! Name's Chyuuichi, and ya?"

"Ya?" Jyuzou squinted his eyes.

"Do ya not understand basic Manpuno, or do I have to learn Thornic?"

"Toric!" Jyuzou smashed his head with the book he held.

Atomu sighed, before turning to the others. "Did anyone get hurt?"

"Nothing a Morian can't handle!" Morio raised his voice.

"R-Right." Atomu smiled awkwardly. "Y-You?" he hesitantly pointed to Chyuuichi.

"I dunno. I think I broke something." he searched around his pockets. "Aww! My favourite stick!"

Disappointed, the Mirillian sat down, eating some of the Bullion seeds. Then, he spat all of them out. They weren't very tasty if they weren't mixed in some stew.

"You can't grow Hawana fruits in the grass either." Jyuzou paced around.

"Oh?" Chyuuichi turned, frowning.

"Were you planning to steal some more?"

"Borrow! That's the right word!"

Suddenly, a wind picked up from behind the trees, and some of the white sleet flew onto Morio's and Atomu's clothes.

"What's that?" Atomu asked.

"I think it's a weird tree," Morio answered.

The two focused on something in the distance.

It resembled a black hood, extending from behind a few of the juniper's branches.

"It's moving," Atomu muttered.

"It is a little windy," Morio replied.

"No. It's moving towards us." Atomu gulped, before taking a step back. "G-Guys?"

"What's up, team?" Chyuuichi squeezed in the middle of Morio and Atomu, and Jyuzou looked out from the side.

"We're not a team," Jyuzou commented.

"Do you guys see that?" Atomu pointed, as the cape-like material around the figure started floating, carried by the same wind.

A black shadow covered its face, and when it came into view, Atomu's eyes shrank.

"What the hell?" Jyuzou asked.

Morio hesitantly moved to the side.

"O-Off the road!" Atomu shouted as a loud screech echoed through the forest.

While the Paladian jumped down from the hill and into the few copses on the side. The three waited for a few seconds longer. Chyuuichi came second, and Jyuzou followed right after, dragging on Morio's cloak.

The four stepped, hiding behind the bigger tree trunks. Atomu sat on the ground, holding his hand over Chyuuichi's mouth, while Morio and Jyuzou breathed heavily.

It's got quiet, all of a sudden. The present wind faded into the sounds of the nearby animals, as the shadows nearby turned into the dark, night sky.

Morio looked up, before putting his hand on the log and peeking out from behind the tree. The figure floated right in front of them, extending its devilish, sharp sword claws from beneath its shadow.

Morio immediately moved back, holding his breath.

Atomu closed his eyes, as Chyuuichi kept eyeing everything around him.

One of the claws changed into a bony hand, which reached towards the trunk, slowly crawling towards Morio's face, before clenching its fist.

Morio breathed in.