The last hope

Night fell.

Falling Leaf City gradually sank into silence. Almost no one remained on the streets, and even the displaced refugees had gathered inside dilapidated houses. Ever since people had begun eating orcs in Falling Leaf City, strange and terrifying incidents had become increasingly frequent. At first, people had started disappearing at night. Later, even members of the Patrol Guard went missing. These guards were not helpless commoners; every one of them was an advanced professional. Their disappearances made the problem far more serious.

The Noble Council intensified patrols and doubled the number of guards, yet strange incidents still occurred from time to time.

Darkness was spreading.

Overwhelming negative emotions could always nourish evil. Rumor had it that the fallen had appeared in Falling Leaf City, but that was not the worst news. Worse still, undead had reportedly appeared in the city's sewers.

—Ghouls!

No one knew how the ghouls had appeared, but they undeniably existed in Falling Leaf City's sewers.

An aura of darkness and decay was spreading. In this world, where sufficiently powerful thoughts could influence reality, many supernatural events arose from mundane causes.

A certain legend had long circulated among the people.

If someone who starved to death had harbored powerful obsessions and resentment while alive, their corpse might become a kind of undead after death.

A ghoul!

Hunger had begun spreading through Falling Leaf City long ago. The unrest had sent food prices soaring, and they were now nearly three times their former level. Even at those prices, humans were unwilling to bring grain here to sell, because orcs kept attacking caravans near Falling Leaf City. Winter was approaching, and the orcs needed more supplies too. This winter would probably be difficult for them as well.

Stories of devils were brought up again and again.

The