He was the first to encounter Aumanas Ilruna, the fallen elf inhabited by Reid Jacob, during an expedition to Kirwell Forest with the Ruined Saints.

How he encountered the fallen elf was no simple coincidence.

The circumstances of Aumanas being corrupted— possibly by the Eclipsed Monarch— and him seeking help from the Celestial Wanderer, led Isetra to be indirectly guided by the Eclipsed Monarch to the fallen elf.

It goes without saying that Isetra is, at heart, a serious man. His outward demeanor serves a purpose.

“Well, he might seem a bit cold because of the soul he's inhabiting,” he casually smiled to the four Ruined Saints before him. “Still, I don’t think he’ll refuse to work with you guys.”

At least, from his conversation with Aumanas Ilruna, Isetra didn’t get the impression that the fallen elf preferred solitude over survival. Using a few words, Isetra was confident he could convince Reid to join in the group.

“He’ll need a few days to get used to himself, though, so you can continue with your usual activities until then,” Isetra continued.

Anastasia nodded. “Is that all?”

“Yep.”

“Why us?” she asked immediately.

Isetra laughed. “It’s because you people are the transmigrators just before him. Your personalities aren’t as bad as some of the other Ruined Saints as well. I’m sure he’ll be more comfortable in your group.”

“Got it,” she snorted. “We’ll take our leave then.”

“Sure.”

As they left the room, Isetra was alone. He sighed.

Here's hoping I won't be completely corrupted before I brought some changes...

***

Under a clear sky, below the darkness dotted with stars, a hill of corpses stood.

Reid couldn’t clearly see the faces of the piled-up bodies; he couldn’t even see his own body observing the scene. All he knew was that they were of various races. Not just humanoids; bird-like reptiles resembling dragons, multi-headed snake creatures, a giant whitish wolf, and many more.

The hill of corpses seemed to be in a location surrounded by tall, steep cliffs with their prominent pale color and excessive height. At the top of the hill, Reid thought he could see the silhouette of a person sitting, cradling something in their arms. Despite the clear sky, it didn’t help Reid to see who it was.

He knew that the figure at the top of the hill had their head bowed, gazing at something limp in their hands.

As if sensing someone’s presence, the figure’s head suddenly lifted and turned towards him.

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…!

Reid thought he heard a mixed whisper from both a man and a woman. He couldn’t be sure. At that moment, the scene before him shattered like glass, pulling him into bottomless darkness.

***

He woke up abruptly, sitting up. His eyes wide open, cold sweat pouring from his forehead. His jaw trembled.

What the hell was that? He frowned.

The innkeeper had already told him about the signs that the Eclipsed Monarch could influence people when they slept during a lunar eclipse. But there was no lunar eclipse—

Before he could think further, there was a knock on the door.

“Ashley’s here!” called a young woman’s voice.

Reid shook his head as he got out of bed, went to the door, and unlocked the simple latch. A young blonde woman appeared in front of him. She had a bright smile on her face.

“My mother has prepared food for you, Sir Reid. Please come down to the first floor to enjoy it.”

“I understand,” Reid nodded slightly, offering a faint smile. “Thank you.”

Ashley widened her eyes a bit. “I thought Sir Reid wasn’t the type to smile easily.”

Reid didn’t change his expression by much. “It’s just an etique.”

She laughed. “Right. A smile has always been a solution.”

Without waiting for a reply, she moved to another door to do the same.

There were options for rooms accommodating two to four people, and it seemed the group Isetra mentioned stayed together regardless of gender. A bit surprising.

Reid didn’t think much more about it and headed to the ground floor where the dining area was.

He had already smelled something quite appetizing. When he reached the ground floor, he saw the middle-aged woman with slightly wrinkled skin cooking behind the counter.

She heard him arrive, turned slightly, and with a smile, asked, “Did you sleep well, Sir Reid?”

At first glance, it sounded like a harmless question, the kind often used on Earth, but Reid knew how complicated life in this new world was.

“No, I was woken up by a bad dream just now,” Reid replied calmly, taking one of the stools.

Ashlyn, the innkeeper, came out with a plate of food and a glass of drink for him.

“You didn’t stare at the contents too much, did you?” she asked somewhat warily.

Reid’s lips almost twitched. “No.”

Of course, he lied.

When he caught sight of a simple wooden and metal wall clock, with a longer hour difference, Reid realized that he hadn't slept longer than he should have.

Ashlyn sighed in relief. “Good. Those corrupted by Him are more likely to have nightmares near the appearance of the black moon.”

Too much curiosity was never great. If you find yourself conscious in a dream, you shouldn't see many things you shouldn’t have. That's the problem with the city.

Reid held back a sigh as he looked at his food with a slightly odd expression.

“Is it not to your taste?”

Looking at Ashlyn, he found her smiling dryly.

He shook his head. “So long as it’s not poisonous and fills my stomach, I don’t care.”

She chuckled. “You’re the sort who eats whatever is given?”

“Yes.”

Granted, its appearance was odd. It was brown, and the mix of small square-shaped food pieces bound together by some kind of soft brown liquid made it look like porridge or something similar. The drink was normal, with slightly carbonated cold water in a fairly large glass.

As Reid was about to try his food, though, he spotted a familiar group of four coming down the stairs with Ashley.