Kabanata 178: Chapter 8: Naming and Magic Puppet Billy

After leaving the forest, Richard returned to the village with the cage imprisoning the Nightmare Knights. At the village entrance, Richard unexpectedly found several powerful Nightmare Spirits peeking at the forest where the Nightmare Demon Beasts had appeared.

Upon seeing him emerge, the Nightmare Spirits hurriedly shrank back into the corner.

Richard felt there was something odd about these Nightmare Spirits and stepped forward, pulling out a skeletal-looking Nightmare Spirit and angrily demanded,

"What are you running for, don't you recognize your own boss?"

The captured Nightmare Spirit trembled and said, "Recognize! Recognize! Of course, we recognize!"

"Why are you running then?"

The captured Nightmare Spirit looked about to cry, lamenting that although several old fellows had come over, only he had been caught.

Looking at the terrifying figure before him, the Nightmare Spirit said with a trembling voice,