Still, what Zoemi used wasn’t a pure copy of the teleportation from the light attribute’s array of spells but a copy modified with some of the unstable properties of the shadow jump from the darkness attribute.

Hence, the spell did activate, but the moment that the boy’s mana ran out, he was spat out immediately, landing in bushes by the crystal lake.

Unfortunately, the black-haired boy ended up unconscious, but on the other hand there, fortunately, wasn’t anyone around who could take advantage of that vulnerable state of his.

…truth be told, there certainly was something inside of him that wanted to break free and start a murderous rampage, but that shadow was kept in check by another, much more powerful, shadow lurking in the very core of Zoemi’s being.

The place he ended up in was still well within the Banemor territory and was quite a famous tourist location, that during the night doubled as the meeting spot for lovers – which only make it more popular.

Thanks to landing on the side of the lake that was slightly less picturesque and therefore didn’t have all that many people walking around, the black-haired attendant spent the next few hours in relative peace, but in a certainly uncomfortable position.

Interestingly enough, this time he didn’t wake up immediately despite his mana reservoir refilling completely.

”Let’s make it the last time we’re working with that guy. He pays well but the meeting point he chooses each time suck.”

”…nnn…?”

What did stir him up instead was a voice that sounded as if someone was raking gravel.

”Oh, shut it – it’s not that bad. We can camp out with the boys and considering how many people show up here, we would be getting paid well before our guy shows up.”

”…nn… nnn…?”

Another voice responded to the first one, which was followed by an approving grumble of at least a dozen other voices, that made Zoemi shake his head and slowly start getting up still utterly confused about where he was, or what exactly happened.

”Don’t be stupid – if people like coming here, then it would be all that more probable that some of them will report our presence to the local lord – which if you bunch of idiots haven’t realized, is that Benevirau guy famous for sticking it to the whole kingdom! No shaking the passerby’s – just… just tell them that the lake had been reserved for the night. I’ve heard that this Benevirau isn’t fond of people of our occupation, and he isn’t taking bribes – he kills the ones who bring harm to the territory and its citizens.”

”…what in the world…?”

The first voice scolded the others angrily, finally giving the black-haired attendant enough stimulation to actually wake up.

Zoemi shook his head and adjusted his position in the bushes, casting a muffle spell to not alarm the group of fifteen men that showed up and set out a camp within an earshot of his location.

Judging by their appearance, equipment, and manner of speaking, it was rather easy to figure out who they were.

Bandits.

Commoner bandits.

Groups like that were bound to show up in every territory from time to time, although the ones here didn’t seem to be composed of locals – at least judging by the things they’ve said up until that point.

They all seemed more organized too, at least compared to what Zoemi had in mind when thinking about a ragtag group of ruffians.

”…”

|It’s already late evening, and I didn’t even manage to leave the Banemor territory… I shouldn’t have left Reo like that. Even though I tried to make it seem that I don’t care about him at all so that Benevirau would not try to take him hostage, who knows what someone like that might do?|

The black-haired boy furrowed his brows watching the group of outlaws in silence while thinking back about the green-haired capture target he left back in the mansion.

It seemed that the extended rest had calmed Zoemi’s mind – to an extent – as the hatred he initially felt towards the dark-blue-haired butler now felt like slight disgust.

Zoemi wasn’t a pessimist, but more often than not he tended to prepare for the worst outcome of any situation just in case – and this time that way of thinking pushed him into a rather grim explanation.

In the black-haired boy’s opinion, Benevirau was most definitely involved in the disappearance and death of the young lady of the Banemor family as well as Neramis’s and the lord Banemor himself.

There was no doubt in Zoemi’s mind that the young-looking butler did that to gain control over the territory and he also must have gotten the help from the Ghosts of Bellcephora so that there would be as little evidence linking him to the deaths as possible.

|Makes sense… Aspakeony’s disappearance may also be connected with all of them all… She turned the corpse of lord Banemor and turned it into her puppet, from which she might have accessed some condemning memories about Benevirau’s involvement – so he contacted his friends and made her vanish… As for why is he messing with me…|

The black-haired boy crouched in the bushes and remained motionless as the commoner bandits were setting their camp, occasionally shooing away the lovebirds and other visitors who wanted to take a look at the beautiful lake that truly started to show its multicolored beauty after dusk.

They all seemed to go along with the earlier words of one of them, and weren’t actually aggressive, and neither did they try to mug anyone, further proving that they were more than just any common thugs.

Common thugs with self-control were usually tools in someone else’s hands…

But for the moment, none of that really bothered the black-haired boy who was doing his best to put together all the information he had.

|In the end, it must have something to do with me killing Raseriat. But… the Ghost don’t seem to know that I did that or… ah…! They must have been the ones who killed sir Ludier! That makes sense! That’s why no one knows that he died! But… They killed him but not me? Did… did they actually see only the very last moment of Rasriat’s life and not the whole fight?|

Zoemi furrowed his brows very much taken aback and unsure about the connection the Ghosts of Bellcephora share.

|Huh… maybe that has something to do with why there was no mana left in the body…? Raseriat sent it all back the other Ghosts together with the last image she saw… in that case, I am responsible for sir Ludier’s death…|

The black-haired boy figured out, suddenly feeling a lot worse about using the corpse puppet spell on the shadow of the dead pale-blue-haired man and subduing him – although he was justified for doing the latter part as the going on a murderous rampage wouldn’t solve a thing…

…would it…?