The Traveling Hero Won’t Let the Innkeeper’s Son Escape

"... I guess it's because I was crying. Maybe we should just let him sleep a little bit."

When Ruth holds Ed's body, which has fallen asleep, he lays down on the bed behind him and futons him. And he sat right down to the side.

Ed seems to mistake him for being the same as an adult because of his language, but he seems to remain a small child physically and has tried to sleep well. When I first discovered it, I used to sleep after moving even when I was in the inn.

Besides, I'm sure I didn't have any more physically because I acted like I was going to cry where my emotions were high due to tension and anxiety right now. It should be hard to be forced to wake you up. Better keep your health warm for the future.

"So, while I'm at it, I need to put my mind together and leave something behind for Ed... the most important thing is how I can get out of this mansion and go back to Hashi village..."

I'm pretty sure the cause is fog. But Ed said he can't seem to walk out of the fog surrounding the mansion, so he can't do anything with his guts. When that happens, we need to look for the cause of this situation and try to undo it in some way.

"Ah yes, Grandpa Iban and Mr. Chester need to be brought back too. Those two must have gotten lost in this mansion just like us because of the mist... Oh, but why don't you two remember in Hashi village? I can't keep my memories there, but I do."

Ruth has no memory of what happened in the mansion, but he has a proper memory of what happened until he got here, that is, in Hashi village. I remember Alec and his family properly.

But they both seemed to disappear from their memories.

From Ed's story, it looks like the previous Ruth asked many questions, and I'm sure there's no mistake. I don't know why, but the two of them have completely forgotten about it in Hashi village.

"No way, are you two separate from someone I know? No, Mr. Chester is still here, and Grandpa Iban is..."

Thanks to business in the inn, even Ruth, who is involved with a relatively large number of people in the village, has never had a chance to see someone similar to such an eye-catching old man. Especially a big wound to the cheek would be impossible to imitate. I don't see it as an aerial resemblance to someone else.

(If that happens, why do you remember me? Instead, why do you two have memories? …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. At least if I can keep my previous memories. Though I can think of a few more things)

Ed is a smart kid and has the ability to look around, but from what I've heard, he must have rarely been out there. I mean, I have very little knowledge of common sense, and it's likely that I can't tell if what's happening right now is normal or strange. So something strange from Ruth's point of view may not be discoverable in Ed either.

There is also a difference between Ed, the child, and Ruth, the adult, who can see and hear. Ed can act as a shield for a child's innocence, but it is difficult to gain verbal consent or trust in the people in the mansion. Ruth's explanation will also be flushed with "Because I'm a child".

(But I wonder why Ed can remember. Have you solved any tricks, or have the tools to keep your memory?... If I didn't, I'd say it from Ed... and it's a normal mansion here...)

If it was a witch's hall or an OO temple, it would be an unusual item and a demonic square, leading to a way to keep memories.

But I walked through the mansion and found out, but even if it's big, this is just a private house.

Although there are some things of interest, such as a lot of wall-mounted portraits if done, stone statues of the Spirit King, and a courtyard theater, all Ruth and Ed are watching at the same time, and it's hard to believe that Ed was the only one who was specially affected.

(What's the difference between me and Ed? Age, height, race... it wouldn't matter what bow skill you have... if there was one, magic or something... magic?

Ruth is less than capable of releasing magic. There would be absolutely nothing special about it.

But Ed is pretty special. Although magic cannot be created on its own, it has no other special ability to "absorb it from others".

(Speaking of which, Ed also said earlier that 'sorcery doesn't work well'... maybe this mansion has something to do with magic...?

The moment Ruth began to feel one possibility, the quiet bell-like sound of 'Bourne-Bourne-Bourne' rang.

"Nah...... what? - A watch?

There is a low bell in the mansion. When I stood up slowly, surprised by it, the multiple lamps that were in the room disappeared at once this time.

Though the moonlight is dripping in, it's dark in the eyes that I was used to the lamp's light, and Ruth can barely see around me.

"Hey, what's this? Like simultaneous power outages, breakers falling? No, no, there's no breaker in this world... what do you mean?

The disadvantage of not being able to be lit simultaneously is also the advantage of not disappearing at the same time. But oddly enough, the lamps that were supposed to have been individually lit disappeared simultaneously.

"And anyway, turn on the lights…………………."

I can't help thinking about it, so Ruth relies on his memory to get close to the wall lamp. And I can magically turn on the lights that were near the entrance - but I don't react at all.

"Funny, isn't this lamp magical? I have no choice but to light a life magic fire...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

I tried to light the lamp with the “fire” of the rare life magic I use, but with all my strength, the magic does not embody at all. Likewise, he tried to illuminate his surroundings with the "light” of life magic, but he didn't respond either.

(Sure, my “light” is a bean bulb class, and "fire” can only be matched to the extent, but it shouldn't react at all like this... maybe magic is hard to react here for sure...)

"But whatever the reason, hey, this is it! ……………… Let's at least open the door"

Walking by hand in the dark, he hits his tibia in some corner and groans painlessly. But without losing, I walked straight and grabbed the knob on the door.

"Okay, I'm out... 'Cause the hallway's dark, too. I thought it was a blackout?

When I opened the door and went out into the hallway, it was dark there, too.

It's moonlight and somewhat bright coming in through the front door, but not enough to walk around without looking very much at your feet. Even the carpet is going to catch my leg.

It also looked like the atmosphere in the mansion, which should have been bright earlier, was changing. The air feels heavy.

(Duh, what's going on with this...? Hmm? Footsteps)

I heard multiple people running down the hallway from afar. Maybe Benno or Dorte, who noticed something strange, are running around the mansion to light the lights.

Ruth tried to make his way to the front door, saying that if he went to them, he would be able to lend them one safe lamp.

"Ruth......?

"Oh, Ed, are you awake?

I could barely see him in the dark, but I heard Ed through the door. It must have happened because Ruth stumbled and bummed to open the door.

"The lights in the room went out all at once. The hallway is dark, and I think something happened. I'll take a look. Just wait there."

"The lamps are at the same time......... wait. Ruth, this is... Wow!

When Ed's voice broke off, a dull sound sounded. Must have fallen out of bed.

"It's okay, Ed? Don't push it because it's dark. 'Cause I'm just gonna see how it goes."

"Stay, stay, Ruth"

Ruth walks down the hallway to the front door before Ed comes out. Besides, it's easier for one person to move when this is the case.

But when I walked down the long corridor to reach the front hall illuminated by the moonlight, I noticed something strange happening on the ground floor.

(Uh... what, that...?

The front door, which should have had a large door with both openings, is dark, and the moonlight should be illuminating, but the dark darkness is spreading. It's like there's a black hole there. There's Ruth. I didn't know what was going on from upstairs.

And there was a big black mass that I had never seen before.

The chunk was close to a human race in shape, but about twice as tall. Although he stands on two legs and has a head with five horny objects apart from his body, his whole body is black and difficult to capture. Of course I don't know what your face looks like.

Ruth bows to the occasion. Slowly moved from the stairs to the railing upstairs. I look down at the ground floor, hiding myself in the railing.

(............... Could it be what I was saying about Ed's "Shadow Demon"?)

Indeed, as Ed says, that was indescribable.

The body is black, so the atmosphere is close to demons. But even though it's 3D, it feels oddly thin.

It may be because of the dark surroundings, but the presence is unclear. You can say you don't feel life force. If you say so, it might be best to compare it to a “shadow painting” of a horned human form.

(Is this also why Ed's explanation was vague...... hmm?

When Ruth was asking him how he was doing, he heard a blunt footsteps. When I turned my gaze towards you, another shadow demon eventually appeared from the back of the ground floor.

(Wasn't the Shadow Demon one of a kind........................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The moonlighted demon had something on his shoulder. That was Ruth's known person.

His urban cock clothes were torn, his slightly fat body bent in a strange breeze, and his face, usually smiling softly, was solidified by fear.

"Che, star,?

A man who doesn't even move with Pickle - Ruth is confused by what Chester looks like.

I turned white for a moment and spoke out unexpectedly to the less crippled figure I knew.

- But as soon as the head of the Shadow Demon moved, it looked bent in the direction of Ruth and pressed his mouth.

"Huh……………!

Ruth hurried down to the spot. If you're in a position to stick to the floor, you shouldn't see it from the ground floor.

(Have you noticed………?

The black face is hard to understand where it is pointing because you can't even see your eyes or nose. So it was also possible that the head, which seemed to turn around, just moved it.

(No reaction………)

Ruth leaves her down position and peeks through the entrance hall again over the fence upstairs. The demon, who looked up at Ruth, moved straight to the front door without coming to this side. Nor does he seem to be aware of Ruth's existence.

The demon in charge of Chester threw him straight down from his shoulder and into it as he came to a black spot like a black hole in front of the front door.

(Ah………)

Ahead from the front door, the ground seemed hollow, and when the Shadow Demon threw Chester, he tried to fall and disappear from the spot. Maybe the dimension is going crazy.

(Those guys, oh so they kill us, are they throwing it in there... but why bother going into that hole?

If I kill him, that's not the end of it, and I don't know why I bother putting that body in a hole - so much so that when I remember questioning the demon's behavior, the footsteps rang from the back of the ground floor again.

A third black demon appears in the entrance hall as Ruth glances over there on guard. And in its arms, a powerless Dorte was held.

(Eh, Mr. Dorte too......! What, is that, is she alive?

Dorte, held in the arms of the third demon, did not appear to be dead, although it was the movement that was dull. He looked like he was moving his head and looking for something, held disappointed by the demon's arms.

Observing her like that, a new shadow demon emerged from the front side this time.

(Are there as many as four shadow demons......?

When I was surprised by the number, I noticed that another human being was also held in the arms of that demon.

"Oh, Benno!

Earlier than Ruth, it was Dorte who noticed the human Benno held by the fourth shady demon. Apparently Benno is already breathless and does not respond to Dorte.

"Benno, Benno............ Huh! Ah, ah... Ah, ah, ah, ah - no, no! Ah, you! You!"

Seeing Benno immobile, he panicked, Dorte rumbled with the arms of a shadow demon. He slaps his black arm, wields his legs and moves around trying to escape. I'm sure he's about to rush over to Benno's.

But it seems that the power of the Shadow Demon doesn't even freak out about that, and he wasn't able to move at all.

But after a while, the demon's hand moved unexpectedly as if he had felt nothing of Dorthe's resistance. And...

- Boki.

The Shadow Demon waved down to slap even the bug as it was when he brought his hand directly over Dorthe's head. At that moment, a dull sound sounded, Dorte's neck bent in an odd direction, and the area became quiet.

(- Oh, that guy, Mr. Dorte's neck!? Why now!?

Dorte was dead until he got here. Instead, he didn't even look injured. In other words, the Shadow Demon didn't touch her. Yet as soon as I saw Benno's body and made a scene, I broke my neck lightly. I don't understand why you did that.

Even while Ruth was thinking, the two with Benno and Dorte threw the two into a black hole just like they did at Chester's. And it stops moving side-by-side, just like the first two. It's like you've become a stone statue.

(…… I would like to ask you a few more questions…… it would be difficult if there was an array here as well. Let's go back)

If it was the only one, there would still be more shadow demons if four bodies had emerged. The mansion is already quiet, but it doesn't necessarily show up to Ed, so we should rendezvous once.

(... I guess I'll end up in that hole too)

There may have been unforeseen circumstances and accidents, but if I had done it nine times, I would have tried desperate resistance once. Still, Ruth is starting his tenth time, so it must be pretty hard to beat that demon.

(I also need to ask Ed more about that area)

Ruth will come to an end without connecting anything to the next as it is. To gather some information, I turned my gaze upstairs in the hallway to get back to Ed.

"- Ruth, dangerous, behind you!

When I noticed that voice and turned around behind me, it was supposed to be a wall, and there was a fifth shadow demon just like downstairs.