Volume 6 Chapter 36 Brave And The King’s Dining Table, The Black Haze
"So, what's with this fog?"
"Well..."
In a quiet corner of the Forest of Soul—
Rangella and Garboros were calmly fishing, having carved out neat little holes in the surface of a frozen lake. With a couple of spare rods in hand, Garboros was already focused on the still water.
It all started when Rangella, with her ice magic, froze the lake over. She then created holes just big enough to fish through. Apparently, Garboros had come prepared—his large cooler box was already half full of tuna. Judging from that, it looked like this lake held normal fish too.
"I don't remember hearing anything about a weird fog showing up," Rangella muttered.
"Yeah, same here," Garboros replied.
The two stared at the strange mist curling over the trees, their casual fishing now interrupted.
"But... looking at the threat level, this thing definitely counts as hostile, right?"
"Most likely," Garboros said with a slow nod.
Rangella narrowed her eyes. "If it's fog, I'll just freeze it and shatter it. No way I'm dealing with a gas opponent directly."
"Smart. I'll just slice it up."
"You can cut fog?"
"My knife's special. Cuts even mist."
"What's it made of?"
"Dunno. Found it stuck under the ship one day."
"You dove under the ship?"
"Yeah. Sometimes."
"With your size, how do you stay afloat?"
"Sometimes the current's strong, but worst case, I use a fart to push myself up."
"That's disgusting."
"The sea's big. It'll handle it."
"...I see."
If any environmental group had overheard that, they might have twitched. But realistically, one person's fart wouldn't harm the ocean. Still, to Rangella, it simply sounded filthy.
Especially coming from someone like Garboros. Some things you just don't say in front of a lady.
"Ms. Rangella! Mr. Garboros!"
"Hm?"
"Eh?"
They turned at the voice. A young man in knight's armor ran toward them through the snow. It was Abel, a member of the Diamante Kingdom's knight squad.
"Whew... made it in time," he said, catching his breath.
"Uh... who are you?" Garboros asked.
"Abel. Vice-captain of the Diamante Kingdom's knight squad."
"Ah, Cain's younger brother."
"We're twins, actually. Though our vibes are pretty different."
Abel clutched a small, palm-sized magic tool.
"I came to ask—please livestream your fight with the dragon using this."
"...Dragon?" Rangella and Garboros both turned toward the fog.
"You mean that thing?"
"Yes. That's a real dragon—Mistborne Dragon Yate Namist."
"A mist dragon... That wasn't listed in the dungeon records."
"It's part of the Bismuth Federation's plot. I also suspect someone else has been operating nearby..."
Garboros squinted. "You got a clue where?"
"Over there," Rangella said, pointing.
In the distance, four large Ice Cores stood frozen—each containing a trapped person inside.
"What are those?"
"Well, to explain... we walked here through the air using Rangella's ice path. She froze the lake right after," Garboros said.
"Ah, so that's why it's frozen. Makes sense with her magic."
"Yeah, and the people who were working in the corner? They got caught in it."
"Didn't you think of, like, checking for safety?"
"We detected only hostile signals nearby, so we assumed it was fine."
"When I froze the lake, they got caught too," Rangella added calmly.
"That's pretty much it."
Abel let out a long sigh.
Still, this was a big catch.
If these people really were involved, then capturing them meant everything. With certain confession potions made from deep-dungeon materials, getting intel wouldn't require force. The truth would spill out on its own.
And sometimes, instead of cuffs or rope, ice magic made for excellent restraints.
It worked, but... something still felt off.
"Anyway, I'll take care of them. You two handle the dragon livestream."
"Sure, but you look exhausted," Rangella said.
"I didn't expect to come this far on foot. Do you two know this spot is ten kilometers from the venue?! I get that Ms. Rangella can handle it, but Mr. Garboros, you're huge! How are you so fast?!"
"We made an ice path and slid here," Rangella replied.
"This is hell..."
The path must've been solid enough to ride, and probably melted clean afterward. Still, all this effort was wearing Abel down.
"I'm counting on you. I'll handle things here," he said, running back to the frozen workers.
"...Are we being treated like maniacs?" Garboros muttered.
"I doubt anyone in the Blood Duel Cup has common sense to begin with," Rangella replied dryly.
She glanced at the magic tool in her hand.
"So, this is the streaming device?"
"Got some trauma?" Garboros asked.
"Yeah... The last one had a nightmarishly complicated setup. But this one looks easy enough."
"Your master's work?"
"Seems like it. Feels like his design style."
Rangella gave a light nod. With this, they could start broadcasting.
"Well then," she said, standing. "Shall we go slay a dragon?"
"Yes. I'd like to get back to fishing soon."
With zero tension in the air, Rangella unsheathed the Dragon Silver Sword: Tel Agatha.
Garboros drew his massive blade—the Great Cleaver: Salvation Whale.
Notes:
• Garboros - Known as the Royal Table. Captain of the Captain of the Five-Star Pirates. His appearance is not described, but he is known for his immense strength, capable of taking down powerful sea monsters alone. He is primarily interested in gourmet food and has little regard for honor or material possessions. His relationship with Horace is one of acquaintance, and he participates in the Blood Duel Cup seemingly for the experience.
• Ran - A silver-haired, busty, and beautiful young girl with a dominating spirit. She is one of the 'Four Source Maidens' and is deeply affected by her mother's disappearance.
• Abel - Cain's twin brother. Works in the castle and serves as the dungeon management supervisor. His role allows Cain to focus on his duties without worry.
• Cain - A 14-year-old beautiful boy with short, light purple hair. Newly appointed Commander of the Diamante Kingdom Knight Order. Highly talented and efficient, tasked with managing the 'Forest of Souls' dungeon and participating in the Blood Duel Cup. Twin brother of Abel.
• Bismuth Federation - A federation of small nations united as a single community. Originally planned to host the Blood Duel Cup but was overshadowed by Diamante Kingdom. Known for its massive debt and desire to maintain appearances.
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