Snore. Snore.
Ethan had fallen completely asleep.
Rustle. Rustle.
The Shadow Ghouls were also released one by one as Ethan's consciousness disconnected.
Screech..?
At that moment, the last remaining Shadow Ghoul shuddered.
Crackle-
The atmosphere suddenly became heavy, as if the surrounding air had frozen.
Eventually, the Shadow Ghoul's trembling stopped,
"...."
And it began to move like a being with self-awareness.
The Shadow Ghoul quietly clenched and unclenched its skinny black hand.
"It's a workaround, but I managed to connect somehow."
The Shadow Ghoul, or rather,
Some entity that had taken over its body, muttered.
It turned its head and stared at something.
At the end of its gaze was Ethan, sleeping as if dead.
"Is this person the one who will become the 'paradise' for all demons?"
It approached the sleeping Ethan and slowly knelt down.
It was a reverent posture filled with respect and awe.
"Weak. Infinitely weak. Taking the form of a human. But the rank within is extremely deep and magnificent."
The Shadow Ghoul's head turned backward.
There was a stealthy movement approaching from not far away.
"Such a workaround as invocation through a 'medium' only works now. Time is running out. If left like this, this person will die here."
If that happened, their only 'hope' would disappear forever.
The entity borrowing the Shadow Ghoul's body carefully lifted the cloth covering Ethan's body.
***
Thud thud thud.
Eventually, a group appeared at the ruins.
Like the previous three, they were all covered in blood on their armor.
Upon arriving at the scene, they found the bodies of three assailants scattered in a horrific state.
".. What is this..."
The assailants clicked their tongues while staring at the bodies.
It looked like they had been mutilated by something.
"Step aside."
Just then, a figure in a black hood appeared among the assailants.
'The bodies are too damaged.'
Although they weren't as powerful as knights, each assailant was skilled enough to use a bit of magic power.
To leave such men in this state.
'There was no one strong enough in this village to do this. They were all ordinary people.'
Even if the villagers had resisted, there was a huge difference between those who could use magic power and those who couldn't.
Before the power of magic, their farming tools and weapons would have been mere twigs.
The black hood closely examined the wounds on the corpses.
They looked like traces of some kind of claw or blade.
'A monster?'
It was entirely possible.
This was the northern mountain range, known as the land of monsters.
'But that doesn't make sense either.'
The black hood looked around.
The bodies of the villagers, relatively intact compared to the three assailants.
No matter how they were corpses, monsters tainted with magical nature would never leave humans alone.
'Especially a monster with such strong power.'
Suspicious, the black hood immediately cast a spell.
'View Mana Force.'
With the incantation, the magic detection spell spread around.
'...!'
Soon, the black hood's eyes gradually widened.
'I can't sense any trace of magic power..?'
Normally, battles between magic power users would leave traces of magic in some way, and monsters would also leave traces.
However, there was no trace of magic power to be felt at the scene.
Just then, other assailants approached and said,
"There are no traces of anything in the surrounding area either."
Hearing those words, the black hood felt strange.
'.. This is most peculiar.'
But there was no time to waste.
Although it was a remote place, nearby was the Barret Viscounty, a prestigious northern family.
'It would be a disaster if we were discovered. Although those people are backing us, the moment the viscount's family catches our trail, they will cut us off without mercy.'
It would be a miserable end.
The black hood immediately directed the assailants.
"Collect their bodies and let's leave this place immediately."
"Yes!"
The assailants began to move in unison.
Seeing them move, the black hood turned around.
Growl..
Hiss.
Orcs, goblins, kobolds, and more.
A considerable number of monsters stood blankly, chained, as if their consciousness was clouded.
".. This might be for the best. At least it's not a lie that monsters were here. Well then, let's begin."
The black hood muttered while raising a staff.
While complete destruction was difficult, this level of evidence manipulation was well within their capabilities.
"-----.-------..."
With the spell, magic power gathered around the black hood,
Growl...!
The dull eyes of the monsters became filled with ferocity.
***
In the quiet forest.
Rustle. Rustle.
Something quickly crossed the forest and then stopped.
It was the entity borrowing the Shadow Ghoul's body.
It looked back at the path it had taken.
"This should be far enough that they won't follow."
It had manipulated all the traces at that place.
Even all the minute traces of magic power.
Thanks to moving a great distance?
There was nothing following them.
Rustle.
Just then, the Shadow Ghoul's body began to fade gradually.
"Is my time running out?"
It muttered in a monotone voice, watching its disappearing body.
But it had a plan.
It left the forest and headed somewhere.
After walking a bit, there was a paved road full of human traces.
Clatter. Clatter.
The faint sound of wheels.
It looked at the approaching figures in the distance.
A large carriage pulled by two horses.
Around it were a knight and several soldiers escorting the carriage.
It carefully placed the sleeping Ethan down on the road.
Although in a 'sealed' state, it was one of the 'Pillars of Apocalypse'.
It couldn't reveal great power because even casually leaked energy could cause some butterfly effect around, as it was so powerful.
'A dust-like amount of power shouldn't greatly affect this person.'
The skinny, sharp fingers of the Shadow Ghoul touched Ethan's forehead.
"Forgive me for committing this sacrilege."
Whispering softly, it injected a weak energy.
Rustle.
Dark red energy spread from the Shadow Ghoul's hand and quietly seeped into Ethan's forehead.
'With the 'mesmerize' spell cast, at least his life should be guaranteed. The rest will have to be left to luck.'
Soon the Shadow Ghoul's body quickly began to disappear.
'There's nothing more I can do.'
It looked down at Ethan sleeping on the road.
"Please survive."
Rustle.
The Shadow Ghoul's body completely disappeared.
Clatter.
A moment later, the approaching carriage stopped.
"Hmm?"
"What's the matter?"
"I'm sorry, my lady. There's a baby abandoned on the road..."
".. What? A baby?"
Thud.
Along with the conversation, the carriage door opened.
***
When Ethan regained consciousness, he was in an unfamiliar place, not the ruins.
'Where am I now?'
A warm indoor place.
Ethan looked around with blurry eyes.
"You're awake."
With a woman's voice, he felt hands holding him.
'Who is it?'
Ethan looked up with curious eyes.
A refined-looking woman with brown hair was looking down at him with pitying eyes.