The Mist Vol 3 Chapter 40

Vol 3 Chapter 40

Certainly, that outer garment looked like a swallow's shell, all style and no practicality, but Kapros decided not to say anything, thinking Kran might be even more shocked if he told him he always looked like a swallow anyway. Just then, something rolling around at the bottom of the bag caught Kapros's eye.

"What's that?"

Kran, who had been crying while taking off his armor and putting on the new outer garment, showed interest and his eyes sparkled.

"Ah, you bought a mask."

Un-o nodded.

"I'm asking just in case... Is this for me?"

"Yes."

When Kapros asked cautiously, Un-o answered straightforwardly. Kapros examined it with disbelief. This... no matter how he looked at it...

"Oh, it's not bad. It's like an opera mask from the movies."

It was a mask that cleverly covered about half of the face, but it wasn't something anyone in their right mind would wear around. Sensing Kapros's horrified expression even though he didn't show it, Kran laughed and patted his shoulder.

"I heard people wear things like that a lot these days. There are all kinds of masks, aren't there? That one's pretty cool. Now, we have color-changing lenses for your eyes too, so we have everything. Let's go transform!"

"Ugh..."

Kapros frowned and tried to resist, but in the end, he had to take the items forcibly from Kran and go into the side alley.

"Phew. That was tough. How about it, lackey? Doesn't my face shine even with this hair color? Hahaha."

Kapros heard Kran's delighted voice, who had finished his transformation first. Kapros was still in the opposite alley, examining various parts of his body and feeling unfamiliar. Glancing over, he saw that Kran had replaced his armor with fantastical clothes he would never wear in reality, dyed his hair light brown, and was wearing glasses that looked like sunglasses. That appearance, which seemed to have blown away any seriousness he had, looked like a completely molted swallow.

However, Kapros's situation was even worse. Having taken off the robe he had worn for so long, changed his black hair to gray, and put on black gloves, along with the sword at his waist, he had become someone who could never be mistaken for a mage. Although he had only taken off the robe, it felt incredibly awkward, to the point where he couldn't believe how accustomed he had become to something that was clearly uncomfortable at first.

"Kap. Come out if you're done."

"Hmm..."

Thinking he was taking too long, Kran suddenly poked his head out. The moment their eyes met, Kran's eyes widened and then blinked two or three times blankly. Kapros thought it was understandable for Kran to be surprised since it had been a long time since he had been completely without his robe, but...

"Lightning."

Seeing Kran standing there with the same expression, not moving even as time passed, Kapros's hand moved reflexively.

"Whoa, wait! I'm awake!"

Realizing once again how comfortable a robe could be once you got used to it, Kapros passed by Kran and went towards Un-o.

'Now we should stay here for a while and find our next destination...'

"Do you know which way the inn is?"

As Kapros asked while pulling at the tips of his gloves, Un-o nodded with a deeply furrowed expression that Kapros was sure the boy thought was neutral.

"...Yes."

"Lead the way."

"..."

Kapros urged them on, judging that it would be better to quickly go and hole up in a room since it would be uncomfortable outside one way or another, but both of them reacted very slowly.

"What are you doing?"

When Kapros asked with a frown, Un-o quickly walked out after a moment, and Kran hurriedly approached Kapros's side.

"It's that way."

"Yes, it's that way. Kap, let's go. Oh, right!"

Kran suddenly stopped with a face that suggested he had forgotten something and whipped his gaze to Kapros's face.

"Wait a minute. Why aren't you wearing the mask?"

You just noticed now?

"I think it might be better not to wear it if possible..."

"Absolutely not! If there's no robe, there must be a mask! It's common sense! Come on, put it on. Hurry!"

Slap!

Kran, who had been shouting nonsensically loud, discovered the mask hanging like trash in Kapros's hand and quickly slapped it onto his face. Leaving Kapros with his head bowed from the impact, Kran went ahead with a relieved expression.

"Phew. I've done it, world peace."

"...You hit me."

"...Huh?"

Kran, who had turned his head at Kapros's low voice, soon turned pale and stepped back when he saw Kapros's eyes glaring through the mask. Kindness for kindness, indifference for malice. Violence for violence, doubled. This was Kapros's principle.

"Wait! That was because I went crazy for a moment, I was too confused! Aah!"

Seeing Kapros approaching, Kran started to run away, passing Un-o who was ignoring this commotion and continuing on his way. Kapros was about to use magic mercilessly in pursuit, but suddenly realizing where they were, he hesitated for a moment.

Just a little further from here was the middle of that market from earlier. He was already doing this because of that damn magic, and he couldn't use magic again, so he had no choice but to grit his teeth and wait until they got to the inn.

In fact, it wasn't until they had arrived at the inn that Kapros realized he also had a sword, not just magic.

'Am I an idiot?'

****

"It's been a while."

At the end of a winding, deserted alley in Bala Monyak, Caesar spoke to a man blocking his path.

"So you were here."

"...I don't think we're on greeting terms."

The man's eyes flashed blue as he placed his right hand on his sword hilt.

"What are you thinking?"

"I don't think. I just do what I want. Today, I came wanting to face the guy who tricked me twice before, but I saw you first."

Looking at Caesar, who was smiling coldly, the man's eyes widened slightly for a moment.

"..."

His face seemed to say, "Could it be?" Caesar, seeing the expression that suggested the man understood without him having to say it explicitly, opened his mouth with killing intent.

"Yes. I've come looking for that mage you were guarding like a watchdog."

Clang!

No sooner had the words ended than a blue light flashed, drawing an arc.

Caesar, who had drawn his sword in the blink of an eye to block the man's attack, bared his teeth as if amused and immediately counterattacked.