Ten days!
Although the time was still long, in practice, having recovery time meant this person was gradually entering the recovery phase. It was like having a fever or a cold—the illness didn't improve all at once. It took a few days, but during those days, the patient could gradually resume normal activities.
"Where... where am I!?" The soldier, somewhat recovered, stared in surprise at Freya and the others before him.
Freya and Sohana could be considered beauties, the kind that easily stirred desire...
"This is the Rietis City, Prince Philip's estate. Where did you come from, soldier?" Noticing his gaze, Freya's tone carried clear displeasure. After casting one last skill on him, she stood up and walked over to Sean.
"Prince Philip's estate!" The man's eyes widened, a [Shocked!] status hovering above his head.
He looked around, and the nobles and mages nearby were all staring at him. Clearly, his earlier frenzy had subsided...
"It really is magic!" a mage in the crowd remarked.
"How could you tell, Baron Weigel?" The tone toward Sean suddenly became much gentler.
Meanwhile, the mustached noble standing beside the prince seemed quite [Unhappy!], though it was only an internal state, not shown outwardly.
"I didn't tell; I'm just certain of the truth in this world." Sean turned to the questioners with a smile.
"Magic is not eternal—that theory is interesting!" Asher muttered to himself.
All the mages appeared to be in a [Thinking!] state, even Sohana joining them.
But Prince Philip at that moment had no mind for magical matters. He walked straight to the soldier, who was gradually regaining consciousness.
"I am Prince Philip. Where are you from, soldier? Why did you end up like this? And what about the southeastern region?" He fired off a series of questions.
However, for the newly awakened soldier, the [Frenzy~] magical effect still lingered, keeping him in negative states like [Confused!] and [Unclear Thoughts!].
The soldier had repeated Prince Philip's name many times earlier, but still seemed not to grasp it. Sean was all too familiar with this chaotic state—he had suffered similar magical damage before, almost like being drunk. He could see and hear, but it was purely instinctual; he couldn't focus his mind to think. It felt like the world would spin if he closed his eyes, forcing him to stay alert, or he might actually throw up!
"His magical effect probably hasn't fully worn off. Maybe we should dispel it again." Sean glanced at Freya beside him, but she just rolled her eyes.
"I'll do it!"
Asher stepped forward then.
As a mage from the southern Erenta Tower, with the ability of an Orderer Level 11, his magic was formidable. From their previous conversation, Sean felt Asher delved deeper into certain studies than Freya—like the matter of the Chaos Eye, which she hadn't recalled immediately. It was only days later, when Sean brought it up, that Freya hurriedly checked the records... and even said later how lucky he was that nothing else had happened. It had been so long; what did luck or misfortune matter now?
Watching Asher's soothing magic continuously cast, the duration of the [Frenzy~] effect on the soldier gradually decreased. When it was down to just a few hours, the man's mind finally cleared. Aside from some [Hunger!], all the negative states vanished.
"How do you feel now, soldier?"
Thud~
He fell straight to his knees.
His thoughts seemed to be returning, and facing so many nobles and grand mages, kneeling was the only option.
"Get up, soldier. Tell me your situation..." Prince Philip asked with concern, but Sean noticed a [Impatient!] status above his head.
Hmph.
It seemed this prince usually held back a lot.
"I... I'm from Viscount Francis's guard..." the soldier began slowly.
Recalling seemed difficult; he had endured the [Frenzy~] state for who knows how long, and even a few words required long pauses. Many nobles around urged him on, but only the presence of the Grand Duke and the Prince kept them from shouting.
In the soldier's account, the southeastern region had turned abnormal almost overnight in the city...
"What kind of abnormal?"
"It's... it's very unusual..."
The soldier seemed poorly educated, his description lacking. It repeatedly made the nobles feel [Impatient!].
"It's like... everyone went mad. It started in the Katia village, then slowly spread to the city of Tacoma."
Hearing the familiar name Katia village, Sean instinctively glanced at Freya, who was looking back at him with the same expression.
Katia village was where the three girls affected by the [Stiffness~] magic from Cliffpeak City had gone...
"Be more specific. Was there a circus passing through that triggered a series of events?" Freya couldn't help asking.
"A circus?" The soldier thought for a moment.
"That was a month ago. There was a popular circus touring nearby towns, but nothing strange happened... What happened in Tacoma City came later, without any warning."
According to the soldier, in the southeastern city, strange sounds were often heard at night recently. The goats kept at home would make odd noises too... Gradually, people saw goat-like figures walking in the heavy rain on the streets.
"Hearing its cry, many people felt like they were dreaming, muttering to themselves all day, ignoring everything."
"Viscount Francis found it suspicious and sent people north for help, but we couldn't escape Tacoma City. It was like the city was shrouded in mist—no matter where we went, we ended up back where we started." Fear was evident in the soldier's eyes as he spoke.
"How did you finally get out?"
"A group of us kept running until night. The mist was everywhere, and the goat-men appeared amid the screams. I don't remember who put me on a horse..."
His eyes showed [Fear!] and [Unease!] as he looked at the crowd.
Outside, the rain continued, making the room dim...
The light was faint.
Everyone fell silent, listening as the soldier's expression began to twist.
"The last thing I remember is the goat-men tearing apart my comrades' bodies."