“People who touched the black mist slowly died. The cause, reason, and treatment were unknown to us. People who inhaled the black mist died from scratching their necks, and those who the black mist touched their skin started there and peeled off as if they were melting.”
“that… … It’s a scary thing indeed. Was it like a plague?”
Dimitri, who had been listening quietly, asked.
“Well, yes. In fact, it even spread as a plague. There was also a story that if you come into contact with the black mist, you will die.”
Caspal turned to his side and replied.
“Although it was more terrible that there was no minimal treatment method.”
Caspal was somewhat calm about talking about heavy things. He kept thinking about sad things and eventually got used to it, but he had that kind of face.
“Due to the black fog, this village lost 70% of its population.”
“then… … Did Caspal’s mother get hit by the fog too?”
“To put it simply, it would be, but in fact there was no reason to be beaten.”
Caspal gave an ambiguous answer to Dimitri’s question.
“Because my father is a very reserved person. I never had to be exposed to the black mist.”
Basrak, Caspal grabbed the blanket. Then he turned his head and buried his face halfway.
“But my mother was trying to save people.”
“how?”
“Because the magical power of water also has the ability to heal. If it couldn’t save you from death, it could at least ease the pain.”
Caspal muttered in response to Dimitri’s question.
“indeed… … . You were a very nice person.”
“My father dissuaded me, but my mother did not stop helping. Did you say it was your duty as a noble? He must have fallen because he was such an innocent person.”
At Caspal’s words, Dimitri was about to say something, but stopped. Although he has his own pride in being an aristocrat, it seemed that it was not polite to talk about aristocracy in this situation.
“In the meantime, I made a terrible mistake watching my mother use her healing powers.”
“A terrible illusion?”
“yes.”
When I asked, Caspal turned and sat down on the bed.
“My fog might have the ability to heal.”
Then he lowered his head and smiled bitterly.
“Isn’t it? A black fog spreads, and I happen to have the magic of the fog. I fell into the thought of whether this is my destiny, how I should do it, and whether I could drive away those black fogs with my white fog.”
It was a pretty plausible story even now. But when I said it was an illusion-
“I was also naive. It can’t be.”
that it didn’t happen that way.
“… … I think I understand why you underestimate your magic power.”
“Because it is true. It’s nothing but covering, hiding, and getting wet.”
From noble mtl dot com
“All magical power is up to you to use. You can use it better than anyone.”
“Still, I can’t help but think that I can’t think positively.”
Caspal shook his head. I stopped talking because I thought it would make both of us feel frustrated if we said otherwise.
“Anyway, I headed down the mine with such a stupid idea, and my mother died from breathing in the fog trying to save me.”
As Caspal explained his mother’s death briefly and succinctly, there was silence.
“… … In other words, do you resent your father for not stopping you and your mother? I don’t understand that.”
Breaking the awkward atmosphere, I asked a question. Dimitri was flustered and was about to say something, but looked at me and Caspal. It’s like sitting on a cushion of thorns.
I thought Caspal’s story was bad, but I didn’t understand something. I don’t know if that gives me a reason to hate my father so much, and my older brother, who didn’t even appear in the story.
“If that were all, it would end in a simple tragedy. No matter how much I do, I don’t call people rotten or ugly for that reason.”
Caspal shook his head in response.
“What happened?”
“My father used my mother. for your own purposes.”
“Did you use it?”
“My brother knew that. I was the only one who didn’t know.”
If so, how did you use it? It didn’t come to my mind that there would be any benefit from helping patients who suffered from the black mist.
“It’s not just that. It wasn’t just my mother that I used, it was all the dead people.”
“What do you mean?”
Unsure, I asked honestly.
“My father already knew.”
Caspal looked up at the ceiling and answered.
“About black fog, death.”
Again today there was a silence that has been repeated for several times today.
“My father drove countless people to their deaths without knowing it. I don’t know exactly why or why, but I do know that it was.”
Caspal added. It was still somewhat ambiguous, but the general flow was predictable.
“… … I don’t know how the story got this far. It’s like a nightmare.”
“Um… … . What can I say about this? You’ve worked hard, Caspal.”
Dimitri said with a very difficult expression.
“Ha, but! Now, it’s the past after all! If we work hard together, we will be able to overcome it.”
“I know best that this is in the past and there is nothing I can do about it now. But just because you think that way doesn’t mean you can’t control your emotions, right?”
To Dimitri’s cheery consolation, Caspal responded in an unmotivated voice.
“Thank you for your heart, but I mean it. Sorry.”
And he apologized to Dimitri, who was slightly downcast. As much as the basically bright Dimitrini is, it must be rat poison for a story like this. Later, I should bring up the topic of Suin’s coolness and make it exciting.
“Well, anyway, that’s how it happened. How do you feel about what you heard, Crown Prince?”
“It is interesting in many ways. I’ll give you sad words of consolation. Still, it’s fortunate that it’s less violent than when my father slapped my mother in front of me.”
“Is that rumor true? Although I vaguely thought that might be the case.”
Caspal and I looked at each other and smiled bitterly.
“Our goal is always a quest. I just want to fix that and go back. From a while ago, did the Crown Prince know how dangerous abandoned mines are? It’s pretty tiring to see them face to face.”
“okay. Listening to it, it definitely smells dangerous.”
“I’m glad you understand. Then finish the quest as soon as possible by tomorrow-”
“But it just got more interesting.”
I interrupted the relieved Caspal and said.
“yes?”
Caspal looked at me with a face that said, “What are you talking about?”
“Did you say it was a nightmare?”
I sat next to Caspal.
“I can’t stay still when I see my best friend suffering from nightmares.”
In Caspal’s story, I found out one thing I can be sure of.
“And the nightmare won’t end unless the cause is removed.”
What we can be certain of in the current situation, inferred from Caspal’s father’s behavior-
“The cause of your nightmares, the ‘death’ that lurks in the abandoned mines-”
Obviously, the ‘death’ of the abandoned mines is that it is something that can be obtained or used.
“Don’t let me personally usurp it.”
Caspal,
“… … Wow.”
He was staring at me with a really bored face.
“I’ve always thought you were a dangerous person, but you seem to have a lot more flavor than I thought, Crown Prince.”
“How can I become the Iron Blood Prince without going crazy like this?”
I smiled and answered Caspal’s selling. And I met Dimitri’s gaze that I had felt before.
“Taking away… … . That’s a great expression.”
Dimitri’s eyes were twinkling as if he was moved for no reason, which made him very embarrassed.
Late at night, in the study of Caspal’s father, Ibrahim.
“father.”
“Are you Felix?”
Caspal’s older brother, Felix, opened the door and entered. It was a very different atmosphere from when I greeted my younger brother and friends a while ago.
“What do you think about this job?”
“What do you think and sleep, and I’m just happy to see Caspal after a long time. How many years has this been? I never thought I’d be friends with the crown prince.”
Ibrahim smiled and answered Felix’s question.
“I will ask again. What do you think?”
“… … .”
However, soon the face hardened.
“Felix, stop exploring death now. I am afraid that you too will be swallowed up.”
“I can’t give up on myself just because my father gave up.”
Felix responded calmly to Ibrahim’s words.
“Even to make up for the sacrifices made.”
I couldn’t fall asleep and tossed and turned.
The fog is said to have disappeared from the ground one year after the abandoned mine incident. However, access to the mine is still restricted, and most villagers do not even go there.
‘I’m going to a place like that… … . Will it be all right?’
There were a lot of plausible things about usurping death, but to be honest, I felt uneasy. After I went there, I drank something I didn’t know whether it was a black mist, toxic gas, or radioactivity, and I became anxious that I might end up dying terribly.
‘I think I can discuss that part with Ethel somehow.’
No conclusion has been reached at all.
“… … Ha ha.”
So I couldn’t sleep at all. I got up from bed
“… … .”
“Ugh, ok… … .”
Caspal was sleeping dead next to him, and under the bed Dimitri groaned from time to time as if from a nightmare, with the covers half rolled up. It’s better than snoring, but it’s just as bad as it is.
‘Maybe there’s some wind.’
I carefully got out of bed and opened the door.
“Ugh?!”
And I came face to face with the girl’s shadow in the dark. While I was perplexed, the shadow strode towards me-
“I was waiting. You are coming out now.”
He smiled and said hello.
It was Ethel.
“… … Really. Don’t scare people.”
I was honestly surprised. I thought it was the ghost of Caspal’s mother, whom I had never seen before. Have you been waiting in front of the door? That fact is quite frightening.
“sit down?”
“I’ve been asleep for hundreds of years, can you still fall asleep?”
“You sleep well behind my back.”
“That’s because your back was so comfortable.”
Ethel smirked. appearance is
“I really… … . How are the other kids?”
“I sleep in my pajamas. Before going to bed, there were a lot of exciting stories about the girls.”
“… … What are you talking about?”
“If you have any questions, ask yourself. Because I am not a girl.”
Annoying granny. I’m not too curious, though. … … I’m a little curious though.
“Well, I like that kind of story. Do you know anything about the Black Mist?”
“Black Mist?”
I was expecting that he might have listened carefully, but he didn’t notice at all. I thought it would be too long to stand and talk, so I moved with Ethel.