As we continued our investigations in the town, at least we met some people who did not treat us with contempt. Many of the families who were victims of these disappearances were actually quite warm once we told them that we were there to help end the disappearings and perhaps rescue the people who disappeared.

The situations in which people disappeared were all extremely varied. Some people disappeared while gathering things in the forest, others disappeared while working the fields. Some left the house at night and did not come back. One even disappeared during the harvest festival. Day or night, there did not seem to be a pattern to it, besides that fact that two people would go missing every month. I tried poking around with more specific questions.

“You tell me that your little brother was with you when he disappeared months ago, right? The two of you were gathering herbs and firewood in the forest and at some point, when you two got separated, you never found him again, is that right?”

I can't believe that a young woman like this is connected to some kind of underground slave market, or that she sold her own brother, but I can't help but feel there is something strange about her story. She looks slightly uncomfortable, but answers my question.

“Why, yes. It is a mistake that pains me very much, as not many people had disappeared, many of them of the less social kind kind, like the local drunkard you know, I had no idea that it could happen to us while we were out in the forest.”

That still does not explain why a young woman and her little brother, a child, would be roaming the forest or why she should feel he would be okay if they separated briefly.

“Aren't there any monsters in the surrounding forest? Even weak ones would be a threat for a child. Even if you completely ignore monsters, aren't there any wolves or bears around?”

There has to be something strange going on.

“Well, there used to be some small monsters and a local pack of wolves that was a bit of a problem. However, from a few months back, they completely disappeared. While we found it strange, even after many investigation parties were formed, nothing was found, so everyone assumed the forest must be safe.”

Oh, that's a very important piece of information. The rest of the day we didn't find out anything else that seemed particularly important and eventually returned to Lord Ravenscall's house. There, after we prepared two bedrooms for us, we decided to discuss our findings. To me, there was only one possibility, though it did not get us very close to the actual answer.

“It's some kind of powerful monster, of that, there is no doubt.” Helena and Kardenon seemed to agree with me anyway, but I kept going, delineating my logic. “For the monsters and predators of the forest to have disappeared, it must be something really powerful. Since it hasn't been found yet, then it's likely a monster, probably a very intelligent one.”

Kardenon had something to add.

“I wouldn't be surprised if it's the kind of monster that can manipulate people's perceptions and memories. Maybe some people have seen it, but they don't remember it.”

That was a possibility. I realized something.

“Hey, Kardenon, can you see during the night with your Armor?”

He shook his head.

“No, I would love to add that to it, but I haven't come around to these kinds of utilities, although, if I could use any kind of magic item that has that for reference, I can easily add that functionality to it.”

That was good to know. If that was true, then we could probably do some investigating of the forest at night. Helena looked at me as if she already knew what I was thinking.

“You can't possibly be thinking of walking around in the forest at night when that thing is around, right?”

Well, she caught me there, I probably should have talked about it with Kardenon privately, because now she will probably want to come with us and there is a problem with that.

“Yes I am and you're not coming with us. Before you ask why, there is a very good reason why you can't come with us: There is only one helmet that grants night vision. Even if Kardenon can replicate the effect with his Armor, I doubt that he would be able to craft another helm that does the same thing.”

It might be kind of an excuse, but it is a good and valid one. Yes, I did bring Helena along in the dungeon, but that was a completely different situation. Nobody is sure of what exactly we are up against, but the fact is that it is probably a very dangerous enemy.

It took a while for Helena to accept it, but after almost an hour of arguments, I finally managed to get her to accept being left behind for this. I then took out of the Treasury the helmet with the night vision effect.

“Oh, that's the one! So that's what it was for, I remember back in Probium sort of scratching my head, trying to understand what its use was, since the inscriptions don't seem to be of a defensive nature. Hmm, that's how it is, I can certainly make a night vision effect for my armor with this.”

As we were almost done with it, we heard a knock on the door and heard the voice of Lord Ravenscall.

“We are about to eat dinner, if you are so inclined, my family would love to meet the people who so selflessly decided to help this troubled town.”

Selflessly, huh. We had no reason so decline, so we didn't. Just like Lord Ravenscall, his family, wife and two daughters, had clothes fit for a noble, but which weren't all that well kept. They didn't ask too many questions and the food wasn't too bad. The lone fact that they maintained some sort of decorum made me feel favorable towards them as compared to the peasants who constantly disrespected us. I almost started to wonder if maybe this was my uncle's primary objective in sending me here. I did always hold commoners in high regard due to Virtue's teachings that every person has a spark of the divine in them, therefore not all that separate. No, it can't be that my uncle is that manipulative.

After the dinner, me and Kardenon prepared to leave, it was time for some night-time investigation.