MTM 95

Swaaa …

Clouds rolled in across the sky all morning, and at some point, a relentless downpour of rain began. As the sun hid behind thick, dark clouds, the world became as dark as early evening.

Five black carriages, heading for the Grenhardt mansion, galloped through the pouring rain. The knights escorting them on horseback, soaked with rain, continued their pace toward their destination without slowing.

Flash-!

Just before the thunder rumbled, a dazzling flash of light illuminated the world in white.

Immediately after, lightning struck with a thunderous roar, as if splitting the sky. A large tree standing tall at the foot of the mountain was struck by the lightning. With a loud crack, the tree split and tilted toward the road.

“Neigh!”

The horses in the lead suddenly halted and neighed. It was due to the sudden mudslide and the felled lightning-struck tree. The carriage lost its balance in an instant, its wheels skidding. The relentless downpour and the sound of the horses’ galloping mingled, instantly engulfing the road in chaos.

The carriages following it stopped one after another. Then, the doors flew open. An old servant, his hair nearly balding, hurried through the rain to the crown prince’s carriage.

“Your Highness! Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

Only after the servant called out several times did the curtains covering the window open. The crown prince, with hazy, drowsy eyes, as if just waking from sleep, looked at the servant and then half-opened the carriage door.

“What’s going on?”

“Your Highness… The rain is pouring so heavily that the road is blocked. It seems we’ll have to take another route….”

Magnus stared at the large tree, engulfed in flames and entangled with mud. Even as the rain poured down, the crimson flames burned unabated. He stared silently for a long moment, then muttered softly.

“…Something is here.”

“Pardon…?”

Before the servant could even understand the words, the sky erupted in a groaning thunder. The rain poured even more fiercely.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

“Haa, haa….”

Harto’s face turned pale and he gasped for breath. Leaving the study, he didn’t immediately return to the annex, but instead sought a quieter spot.

A moment ago, the butler, seeing Harto’s face turn pale upon seeing the portrait, tried to summon someone immediately. However, Harto forced himself to control his expression and shook his head. He didn’t want to create any more chaos with the sudden news of the Crown Prince’s arrival.

Harto said he was fine and would go to the annex alone, then hurried out of the study.

Harto, now alone, walked down a wide, empty hallway, then stopped. Suddenly, his legs gave out, and he slid to the floor, leaning his shoulder against the wall. The portrait of Ares Carseon kept flashing before his eyes.

“… I knew. That Zed… was Ares Carseon…”

He had noticed. All the circumstances surrounding his time with him had pointed to Ares Carseon. Even the fact that Zed had tried to reveal his true identity in the desert. He simply wanted to pretend not to notice, hoping that the brief but precious happiness he shared with him would last just a little longer.

‘Come with me.’

‘To kill Hartiros.’

‘It is not some grand reason. He just seems like a terrifying existence that needs to be eliminated.’

Perhaps even if Zed himself hadn’t yet received the oracle, he already had a vague sense of what fate demanded. Perhaps he spoke those words knowing this.

Harto imagined the pain, confusion, and betrayal Zed would feel if he learned his true identity. Just imagining it took his breath away. The pain in his chest was so intense that he couldn’t even breathe properly.

Plop, plop… .

Finally, unable to bear it any longer, tears flowed out. He curled up into a small ball, staring blankly at the tears falling onto the cold marble floor.

‘This is the curse…’

It was a curse. What else could the curse placed on Hartiros be if not this? It was incomparable to the countless pains he’d endured in his previous life. It wasn’t something he could escape by ignoring. No, he wasn’t sure if Zed would believe him if he found out.

“But… ugh, but….”

Nevertheless,

“I miss Zed….”

Harto longed to be by Zed’s side. Even now, knowing the whole truth, the very act of daring to be by his side felt shameless and repulsive. Even though he knew it was excessive greed, Harto refused to suppress his feelings for Zed.

“Pyupyu….”

Starting with the water drop-shaped Mir, elemental spirits began to squeak without him noticing when they’d arrived. Just beneath Harto’s ceaselessly flowing teardrops, the elements embraced one another, their large eyes gleaming.

Sizzle, hiss….

When a tear touched the solid Krom’s body, it bounced off, and white smoke rose from the fireball Spi’s body. Mir, the water-drop, caught a teardrop with its hand and gazed at Harto. Its gentle eyes clearly revealed its concern for him.

“Yes… uh, I’m fine…. Thank you for worrying….”

Harto wiped his tears with the back of his hand and slowly stood up. The elements slithered up his arms, settled on his shoulders, and rubbed against him. That alone brought him considerable comfort from the small creatures.

‘Yes, let’s stop crying now. Now that I know the truth, I can’t pretend anymore…’

Although he was very shocked, he felt a sense of relief after admitting to himself the truth that he had known but had been ignoring.

Perhaps not telling Isadora about Zed was the right choice. Accepting their fates without meeting Zed might be the least painful path for both of them.

“Ugh….”

The moment he thought that, his heart ached. His head knew it was right, but his heart still couldn’t accept it.

‘I knew I would regret it…’

Harto scolded himself. He remembered when he’d first decided to leave the cabin with Zed and go with him. He’d taken it lightly, thinking he could just run away if anyone noticed his true identity. Even though he knew it wasn’t a simple matter…

Flash!

It was at that moment. A sudden burst of light flashed outside the window. Then came a thunderous rumble, as if the sky were ripping apart.

“Pipit!”

Whoosh!

Then, a startled Spi let out a noise, flared its flames larger before diving into Harto’s sleeve. The other elements looked at each other in bewilderment, then followed Spi and hid.

“Spi? Are you afraid of thunder?”

Just as he was about to speak to the hidden Spi.

“…….”

Harto suddenly turned his gaze toward the window. He slowly approached it. The mansion’s servants outside were dimly reflected, running around in a torrential downpour that had begun incessantly.

“What is it? I have a strange feeling….”

It wasn’t just a feeling of unease or something wrong. His heart began to pound, as if an ominous premonition was approaching.

Something was coming. Toward this place.

Harto stared intently out the window, eyes unblinking. The brightly glowing spirit stone on the bracelet on his wrist was fading, as if losing its energy.

Flash!

The light burst brilliantly once more.

“…Unexpected. To think that a fragment of the Demon God is in a place like this.”

“……!”

It was then. An unfamiliar voice, coming from somewhere, pierced his ear. It was so clear, as if it had been whispered right next to him. Harto froze. His breath caught in his throat, and his heart pounded so wildly it felt like it was going to burst out of his chest.

Tap, tap… .

He knew he had to run, but strangely, his body didn’t move. He just shivered as he heard the footsteps behind him.

“Mister Harto!”

From afar, he heard someone calling desperately. It was Robert. As soon as he spotted Harto, his face lit up and he ran towards him.

“Oh my, you’re here! I’ve been looking for you for a while. Let’s hurry and head back to the annex…!”

“Ah… um, is there… behind, behind…”

Harto pointed behind him, relieved and yet still filled with fear.

“Yes?”

But Robert looked bewildered. When Harto managed to turn his head and look back, there was no one there.