[Raul's POV]
We returned to the village in the late afternoon after rescuing the citizens kidnapped by the slave traders. Of the 17 victims, only two were from this village. The rest were residents from the Duchy of Grenaut and the Duchy of Hernant.
However, even though many villagers remained missing, we could not conduct a further operation. The others were exhausted, and it was far too risky to continue at night while the threat of a demon horde loomed over the region. After resting briefly in the village, we made the journey back to the Fortress City of Cataluna to report our activities.
I looked at the members who had participated in the patrol; they all appeared drained, sitting in silence throughout the journey home. For some, this was the first time they had experienced taking a life. Tianna's earlier hesitation had led to Vista being wounded and nearly losing his life. They must become more accustomed to the life of a soldier, for we will undoubtedly face situations far more difficult than today's skirmish.
As for Ariel... I think this is a good start for her. I must temper her further so she is ready when the time comes.
We finally reached the Fortress City of Cataluna as night fell. The members headed straight to the barracks to wash and rest, while I had to meet Emilia to deliver our activity report. Upon arriving at the Cataluna family castle, I spoke to the guard to request an audience with Emilia. He told me to wait a moment while he informed her of my arrival. Not long after, the guard returned and told me that Emilia was waiting for me in her office. I walked into the castle, escorted by the guard.
"Did you just finish a patrol?" the guard asked.
"That's right," I answered. "It was our first mission, so my members were a bit tense and nervous."
"You're lucky to be back. Some patrol teams assigned to other villages have yet to return," the guard said grimly. "I hope they're only late due to minor issues and not because they were ambushed by bandits or monsters."
Hearing the guard's words, I couldn't help but think that the catastrophe had already begun. I needed to discuss this with Emilia now so she could convey it directly to Marquis Fran to prepare for the chaos that was about to unfold. We soon reached Emilia's office, and the guard knocked on the door.
"Come in."
A woman's voice answered from within. The guard nodded, signaling me to enter. I opened the door and saw a woman with shoulder-length brown hair about to sit at her desk.
"Senior Emilia, I wish to report the results of our patrol," I said, standing at perfect attention.
"Sit down first."
I obeyed and sat in front of Emilia's desk. It was covered in documents; it seemed she had been busy with administrative duties all day.
"So, what were the results of your patrol?" Emilia asked, crossing her arms.
I recounted the case of the missing villagers from Virahon, the capture of the slave traders, and the residents who remained missing. Afterward, I handed over a document bearing the Village Head's seal as evidence of our written report.
"Good work on your first mission," Senior Emilia said after reading the report. "You may return to the barracks to rest now."
However, I did not stand up. She looked at me and furrowed her brow when she saw I was still in her office.
"What is it? Is there something else you wish to report?" she asked.
"What is your view on the current condition of the Margraviate of Cataluna, Senior?" I asked, wanting to gauge her opinion on the current state of affairs.
"It is true that the current conditions are the worst they've been in five years," Emilia replied with a sigh. "However, the soldiers and citizens of Cataluna are strong. We will endure this security crisis."
"What if I told you that demons are the cause of this crisis?" I countered.
"On what basis do you ask me that? Have you found proof of their presence here?" she asked, her expression turning serious.
I couldn't tell her I knew the future of this region would fall into chaos because of a few demons. That would only lead to much larger problems for me later. Besides, my knowledge of the future plot had become somewhat blurred after the many changes I had made through my actions.
"The disappearance of villagers leaving no trace whatsoever," I answered, trying to convince her. "From the investigation at the scene, I suspect this is not the work of humans or monsters."
"Your argument is unconvincing," Emilia responded. "Without concrete evidence, I cannot bring this to my father to prompt an action."
I knew my argument was weak... but hey, at least I tried.
"But it will be too late if we wait for evidence, won't it? We must evacuate the villagers to the Fortress City immediately to prevent more casualties."
"We must be careful. An evacuation would cause panic and disrupt life in the region," Emilia said, dismissing my opinion. "We do not want the citizens living in fear and terror. We will settle this matter quickly without involving them."
Hearing this, it was my turn to frown.
"Are you certain that the raid on the monster nest will stop these disappearances?" I asked. "As I said, this isn't being caused by a monster."
"This is a decision made by my father and his advisors. They have reached the conclusion that the security issues are due to monsters nesting in the region."
As I expected, no matter how I tried to convince her, Emilia wouldn't listen without proof. I would have to find a witness or find the demon myself to convince them that the threat was real.
***
[??? POV]
The night wind blew harder, making my body—clad only in thin clothes—shiver with cold. Currently, I and three other villagers were patrolling the outskirts of the village because of the recent disappearances. The trained troops from the center only came when the sun was high; they said they couldn't station men to guard the village yet because of the monster nest raid tomorrow.
"Did you hear what happened at Jeff's place this morning?" asked one of my comrades, Tino.
"I only heard they were killed, that's all," I answered. "Do you have the details?"
"My brother was part of the first patrol team to find that horrific scene," Tino replied with a terrified expression. "He said there was blood splattered everywhere in the house, but they couldn't find the bodies of Jeff and his family."
"Then, are monsters truly responsible for our missing people?" I asked.
"I don't know. There were no monster tracks around Jeff's residence," Tino said, negating my question. "But there were human footprints."
Huh, human? Was it a robber? But Jeff and his family were known to be the poorest in our village. Why would a robber target his house? I also heard that the disappearances weren't just happening here, but in other villages too. Recently, there was news that a patrol caught a group of slave traders near Virahon. Could all of this be their doing?
After patrolling for a while, we saw a house where the lanterns were not lit. The residence was dark, appearing as if no one lived there.
"Hey, want to check that house?" I asked the others.
"Do you know who lives there?" a man named Devon asked hesitantly.
"Ugh... if I recall, it's Giorno the carpenter and his daughter Heidi, right?" I answered, remembering the middle-aged man and his small child.
"Let's check the house to make sure nothing has happened to the carpenter," Devon suggested, stepping toward the dark house. The three of us followed behind him.
Once there, we called for Giorno from outside. Tino was peeking through the window.
"He's not answering. I think he's not home," I told my three comrades.
However, Devon ignored my words and opened Giorno's door.
"Hey, Revin. Come inside with me," Devon said. "Tino and Bastian will stay outside to watch the surroundings."
I followed Devon inside, carrying a lantern to see through the darkness.
- Ciiittt... Ciittt... Ciittt...
The annoying creaking of wood echoed as my feet stepped on the floorboards. We checked the living room, the kitchen, and the hallway, but found nothing. Only one room remained, and it was locked.
"Revin, let's break the door down," Devon said seriously.
"Huh? Is that necessary? If Giorno and his daughter are just out of town, they'll be furious!" I said, trying to dissuade him. But again, he didn't listen and kicked the door hard.
"Hey, help me," Devon said.
I sighed, giving in to Devon's stubbornness. We broke the door down together. Not long after, it swung open to reveal a dark, empty room with no signs of life.
"What did I tell you? They must be out, right? Now who's going to be responsible for the damage?" I asked my stubborn comrade irritably.
Devon just stood there, ignoring me as usual. We decided to head back out to meet Tino and Bastian. Suddenly, my foot tripped on something, sending me sprawling onto the wooden floor.
"Hey, are you okay? Watch your step," Devon said, helping me up.
"I think my foot hit something," I muttered, shining the lantern on the floor.
A door handle was visible on the floorboards. It seemed to be a trapdoor leading to a basement. Devon and I looked at each other and nodded. We pulled the handle and opened it. A staircase led down into a fairly large room.
"...."
"...."
We were shocked by what we saw. There were two corpses—a man and a girl—completely desiccated, leaving only skin and bone. We moved closer to examine them.
"There's no mistake. It's Giorno and his daughter Heidi," I whispered.
"What killed them and left their bodies dry like this?" Devon asked.
I didn't know...
"Aaaghhhh!"
"W-what is that! Noooo! Helppp!"
Suddenly, we heard Tino and Bastian's screams from outside. The long screams slowly faded as if they were being dragged away. My heart hammered against my ribs; Devon's face was drenched in sweat.
- Tap... Tap... Tap...
We heard footsteps entering the house. Devon and I readied ourselves and slowly unsheathed our swords. I held my breath. My body trembled as a sudden, piercing cold washed over me. However, the footsteps suddenly moved away and vanished.
After waiting for a few minutes, Devon and I looked at each other and nodded in unison. We climbed the stairs and ran out of the house. We sprinted toward the center of the village to report what we found. But after running for a bit, I no longer heard Devon's footsteps behind me. I turned around, but he was gone.
"Where is he...? Why did he disappear so suddenly?"
- Tap... Tap... Tap...
I heard footsteps from behind. I turned around and saw a pale-skinned woman smiling widely at me. Her mouth was drenched in blood, her teeth were razor-sharp, and her eyes glowed a bright red.
"Va-Vamp—"
Before I could finish the word, my vision suddenly spun through the air. A moment later, I saw my own headless body lying on the ground, soaked in blood.