Chapter 38: The Hypnotist’s Scheme

Deep within the forest, a small team cautiously made their way through the dense woods. The group numbered approximately five—three men and two women.

They, too, had faced the onslaught of monkeys, though these creatures were markedly weaker than those Lilia and her companions had encountered.

After nearly half a day’s journey, the sky had begun to dim, prompting the group to seek out a relatively flat clearing where they could establish their camp.

Two of the stronger young men ventured out, tasked with gathering kindling and provisions for roasting their evening meal.

Back at the campsite, the remaining young man and the two girls busied themselves with pitching the tents. This particular young man was none other than one of the individuals Gern had overheard discussing loudly earlier.

While not strikingly handsome, his presence exuded an extraordinary aura, as though an inexplicable force compelled others to gravitate towards him.

He stood alone in the center of the camp, feigning an attempt to build a bonfire, all the while silently counting in his mind.

“Five~”

“Four~”

“Three~”

“Two~”

“One~”

****

“Leon, how exactly do I set up this tent? Could you please come and lend a hand?”

At the sound of the voice behind him, Leon’s lips curved into a sly, triumphant smile.

“Yes, I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Leon turned, his smile vanishing as he quickly moved towards the girl.

The girl appeared quite young, yet possessed a striking beauty that immediately marked her as a child of nobility.

‘Noble children were even better. He particularly favored noble children.’

Leon’s demeanor was overtly enthusiastic, radiating the vibrant energy of a sunny youth.

“This peg needs to be driven in right here. You’ve hammered it too shallow and too close. You have to stretch both sides out, like so.”

Under his patient explanations and demonstrations, the girl swiftly mastered the art of pitching the tent.

Simultaneously, Leon’s figure seemed to grow taller and more imposing in her eyes. Her gaze, fixed solely on him, held nothing else.

Witnessing this, the smile playing on Leon’s lips became even more audacious.

“My dear, now that I’ve finished helping you, might there be a reward for my efforts?”

“Mm-hmm, yes… I… must… give a reward…”

Though a flicker of hesitation crossed the girl’s face as she spoke, she nonetheless continued to follow Leon’s instructions.

“I… I must… give… Big Brother… Leon… a reward, I must give…”

The girl’s eyes became increasingly vacant, and then, as if compelled, she instinctively leaned towards Leon.

“Oh, is the young lady quite so careless? Allow me to assist you.”

With those words, Leon extended a hand and gently tapped the girl’s forehead. A barely discernible wisp of black energy vanished into her brow.

Subsequently, the girl grew even more listless, as though she had transformed into a mere puppet, capable only of following commands.

“Excellent. Now, you will forget our recent interaction. Return to your duties, and you shall only reappear by my side when I summon you.”

“Alright… I will… forget…”

Dazed and vacant, the girl shuffled into the tent, and then silence fell.

The smile on Leon’s lips grew increasingly brazen. He did not remain idle for long, immediately shifting his attention to his next target.

Employing the same routine and tactics, the other young woman was similarly guided by Leon back to her own tent.

Within minutes, both girls appeared to have genuinely forgotten all that had transpired, resuming their tasks as if nothing had happened.

****

As twilight fully descended, the two who had ventured out returned, laden with an abundance of firewood and an iron pot they’d scavenged from an unknown location.

The iron pot, already filled with water, settled perfectly over the crackling fire.

The five of them gathered around the fire, chatting and laughing. The two who had been out gathering supplies seemed to notice nothing amiss, allowing Leon to slowly exhale a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding.

With everything proceeding as planned, his scheme could now be executed flawlessly.

Once they had finished their meal, the group dispersed, each returning to their own tent. Knowing the forest was perilous at night, they had arranged a rotating schedule for watch duty.

This arrangement filled Leon with a surge of ecstatic triumph, for it meant he could now hypnotize the remaining two individuals and plant his insidious seeds.

The first shift belonged to the sturdy young man, and Leon felt an almost unbearable urge to act immediately.

Yet, the young man on watch possessed the strength of at least a third-tier mage, and attempting anything under the watchful eye of such a formidable individual would prove exceedingly difficult.

After considerable deliberation, Leon resolved to bide his time, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

He considered the shift change, a typically dull and uneventful process, as an ideal opportunity. In the interim, Leon decided to cultivate within his tent.

He lost track of time, but eventually, the sound of approaching footsteps grew louder. Leon quickly feigned a deep slumber.

“Leon, it’s your turn for watch.”

“Hm? Ah! Is it my turn already? Just give me a moment.”

Leon’s act was utterly convincing, and with the poor visibility of the night, the sturdy young man harbored no suspicions.

He waited outside for a moment, and once he saw Leon emerge from the tent, he retreated into his own.

His consciousness slowly grew hazy, and he hadn’t been asleep for long before a sudden urge to urinate roused him.

He forced himself to sit up, shook off the lingering grogginess, and then stepped out of his tent.

“Hmm? Where did that Leon fellow go?”

Upon emerging, he found no sign of Leon. The young man didn’t give it much thought, merely assuming Leon had ventured off to scout the surroundings.

Just as he was returning from a brief foray into the forest, he happened to glimpse Leon emerging from a tent.

Having only recently woken, his mind was still somewhat muddled, preventing him from realizing that the tent was not, in fact, Leon’s own.

Leon, upon seeing him, was likewise startled, a chilling suspicion forming that he had been exposed.

He had waited for such an extended period, and this fellow chose not to emerge at any other moment but precisely when he was implanting his seeds into another. To call it a mere coincidence would be utterly unbelievable.

However, a moment later, seeing the young man walk towards his *own* tent, Leon slowly let out a breath of relief.

‘What was that all about? Just a false alarm, then.’

Leon patted his chest, his eyes slowly narrowing into slits.

‘Since this fellow was already awake, he would, with a slight reluctance, employ his hypnotic potion once more.’

With this thought, Leon retrieved a small bottle from his ring, from which a faint, subtle fragrance began to emanate.

He tilted his head back and swiftly drank the potion, and instantly, the very aura surrounding him transformed.

A delicate fragrance seemed to waft from his person as Leon, a faint smile playing on his lips, slowly approached the tent.

Inside his tent, the young man, who was just settling down for sleep, suddenly detected this faint, peculiar scent.

He frowned, finding the fragrance distinctly odd. Instinctively, he searched within his tent, yet discovered nothing.

The scent, it seemed, was wafting in from outside.

“Something isn’t right. In the dead of night, what could possibly smell so… fragrant…”

Gradually, his awareness began to falter, as though an unseen force was dragging him into a deepening abyss.

“This is bad!”

He had already recognized the danger, but his attempts to resist were futile. For his tent had already been opened.

****