In the late Middle Ages, the supernatural forces on this planet experienced their final resurgence. Although the growing strength of the Demon Hunters and the church made life increasingly difficult for nonhumans and witches, the growing rift between the church and the Demon Hunters gave some reclusive minor families and esoteric sects a chance to catch their breath. According to Vivian's memories, the period from the tenth to the fifteenth century was when the dark forces of this world were divided up anew. By then, the aftershocks of the Mythical Era had completely subsided, and the more powerful nonhumans—including the Ancients—had either died or gone into hiding. After the decline of nonhuman rule, the church and the Demon Hunters engaged in a series of disputes over the new order of the world. The church represented humanity's own power. Although the Demon Hunters theoretically leaned toward "humans," they were still a race distinct from humanity, so it was only natural for the two sides to disagree.
That history of division was unimportant. Hao Ren had merely been moved to reminisce after seeing this exiled, lost town. The entire town had been erased by black magic, and the disturbance back then must have been enormous. Baptiste—the wizard Hao Ren and the others were searching for—had clearly taken advantage of the conflict between the Demon Hunters and the church. Not only had he banished the entire town with magic, he had even studied sorcery under ordinary people's noses. Traces of the magical experiments he had conducted were everywhere in this abandoned house.
All sorts of spellbooks lay scattered at one end of the long table. Without exception, they had a ghastly texture and an unsettling atmosphere. Most were made of black goatskin or special paper soaked in grease, and written in ink made