Turning
chapter-702

"Hmm..."

"Do you see anything unusual?"

"There's something... in the Second Prince's stomach. Please, give me a moment."

Sunz narrowed his eyes in extreme concentration, squinting then widening them repeatedly. Yuder noticed the faint mist rising from his eyes intensify. Sweat trickled down his forehead, and his muscles tensed to the point of stiffness; finally, Sunz seemed to discern what he was looking for and exhaled deeply.

"Phew..."

"Is it over now?"

"Yes. I've confirmed everything I needed to see."

Saying this, Sunz pointed lightly to the abdominal area of the Second Prince's body.

"Here. Inside the Second Prince's stomach, I saw several pieces of Seaweed and Charloa shrimp."

"Seaweed and Charloa shrimp?"

The knights murmured among themselves. Myra, who had been covering her mouth with a handkerchief, also changed her expression oddly.

"Those from the south might be familiar, but Charloa shrimp mainly come from Charloin, recognizable by their unique head and shell shapes. I could identify them only because of these features. They contain mild toxins, so they're not commonly used whole in cooking. Seaweed often consumed by commoners, but isn't quite fitting for someone of the Second Prince's status."

After this explanation, Sunz concluded with a sharp and careful expression.

"From what I see, the Second Prince's murder didn't occur near the Cavalry branch or its vicinity."

"Can you stand by that statement?"

"Couldn't the Second Prince have eaten those last night?"

"No, that's impossible. Ashrav didn't like seafood."

Myra's low, cold voice interjected among the murmuring knights. All eyes turned to the First Princess, who spoke for the first time since her arrival. She looked palely at the Second Prince's body and continued.

"Ashrav once fell severely ill from spoiled seafood as a child. Therefore, he never ate it in private, even if he might have in public. If he dined alone at his mansion, such food wouldn't have been served, especially something as dangerous as Charloa shrimp."

Then Myra commanded the knights.

"Summon the servants who attended to the Second Prince Ashrav last night. They should know what he ate. That will confirm everything."

"Understood. Bring the Second Prince's servants here."

The knights of the Herne family quickly brought in the Second Prince's servants. An elderly servant, who had been waiting for his master in the mansion, entered in deep sorrow and was startled to see Myra.

"Princess Myra? Why are you here? Could it be...?"

"Don't entertain unnecessary thoughts. Princess Myra is here only to assist in finding the murderer of the Second Prince. Do you remember what he ate last night?"

"Yes, of course."

"Was it a seafood dish containing Charloa shrimp and Seaweed?"

"What? No, certainly not."

The old servant shook his head quickly.

"Our Master Ashrav only had a light soup last night, feeling unwell. Even if he had a normal meal, he wouldn't have touched such food, as he disliked seafood."

Upon hearing the servant's words, which precisely matched those of Myra, a silence fell over everyone.

According to the servant, the Second Prince had been in poor condition, having rushed to Charloin and thus depleted his strength. He had a weak digestive system and had opted for a digestible soup instead of risky seafood, which meant there should have been no remnants of seafood in his stomach.

Seizing the moment to strengthen his argument, Sunz spoke up.

"In truth, I thought... perhaps the Second Prince fell into the sea and swallowed them. The shape of what I saw was too intact to have been eaten as a cooked dish. Knowing now that he didn't like seafood makes it even more certain."

"But when found, the Second Prince's body wasn't wet."

"Not being wet and not having been in the water are two different matters. Remember, it took some time to identify him after he was found. And consider the wounds on his body, seemingly caused by lightning-like abilities. Have you ever seen someone struck by lightning? They burn blacker than if set on fire."

That explained the numerous black marks on the Second Prince's body. Saying this, Sunz reached out and lightly touched the Second Prince's hair, his fingers coming away with a white powder.

"I don't know if they washed off the sea water after death, but I can still see traces. It looks like dirt, but it's dried sea water. Tasting it would confirm, but..."

"That's enough!"

The knights shook their heads with pale faces.

"If Captain Sunz's words are true, then our next step is clear. We must search the coast where one could swallow Charloa shrimp and Seaweed."

Kishiar spoke in a relaxed tone.

"To my knowledge, the nearest to the southern branch of the Cavalry is Sherpen Port. The fishermen of Charloin catch shrimp, clams, and Seaweed in their nets, don't they? We should investigate if there were any signs of a person falling in or any suspicious activity. Kurga, and Sir Radel."

"Yes!"

"...Understood."

"Send five members each from the Cavalry unit and the Herne knights. Time is of the essence, do it now."

Kurga and Radel simultaneously acknowledged and left. Kishiar surveyed those remaining, his gaze fixing on the Second Prince's servant.

"Thanks to the loyal servant of Prince Ashrav, we've gained much insight. What's your name?"

"Me? I... I'm Mujo."

"Good, Mujo. Can you tell us more about the Second Prince? We might need your help further."

The old servant, well-seasoned in noble houses, was taken aback by Duke Peletta's direct approach. He was unaccustomed to such high-ranking individuals behaving in this manner.

As he hesitated, Myra stepped in to reassure him.

"It's for Ashrav's sake, it's alright. Follow them. If you're concerned, I'll assign knights of the Herne family to accompany you."

"..."

Until yesterday, she had been a rival to his master. But now, with the death of the Second Prince, it would be foolish to hold any grudge against her. The old servant nodded, his expression complex.

"I understand..."

"Thank you, Princess Myra. Then let's move to another location. We can't continue here."

Yuder followed Kishiar, casting a final glance at the Second Prince's body.

Clutched in his fist, unbeknownst to the others, were a piece of cloth and hair strands he had covertly cut from the corpse earlier.

‘This should be enough for Kanna to decipher. I must send it back as soon as possible.’

Kishiar's decision to send Radel ahead on the pretext of investigation had indeed been fortuitous. With the most vociferous among them gone, there was no one left to hinder their efforts.

After entering an empty room within the security force's station, Kishiar skillfully lit a fire in the magic stove. Nathan Zuckerman had disappeared momentarily, only to reappear with the curious sight of tea and a teapot.

As the air warmed, the atmosphere relaxed considerably. Kishiar began to converse with the tense, elderly servant, Mujo.

"What kind of person was the Second Prince?"

Asking first about the kind of person the Second Prince was, rather than his actions the day before, caught Mujo, Myra who had followed, and the knights of the Herne family off guard. Mujo struggled several times, his throat constricted, before slowly beginning to speak.

"Master Ashrav... he was a good man. My late wife was his wet nurse. He was somewhat frail, but had a strong spirit. Even when ill, he never showed it, always working diligently for the Herne family. That he would leave this world in such a way..."

Mujo bowed his head in sorrow, his shoulders trembling.

"I don't know who harmed the Second Prince, but this old man will never forgive them."

Silence followed for a moment. Kishiar gave him time to compose himself, then posed a few more questions. Each inquiry sought to understand the character and reputation of Ashrav, the Second Prince.

After softening the mood with these questions, Kishiar finally broached the main topic.

"I see. But actually... there's a crucial piece of information we haven't discussed yet. Who was the servant that accompanied the Second Prince yesterday?"

[BL] Bermuda

Leonardo Blaine, the true war hero of the Raina Logia Empire and the commander of the Armsilver 11th Squad, is dishonorably discharged for disobeying orders during the final battle that could have led the Empire to victory in the territorial war. People criticize and point fingers at him, and after being released on parole from prison, he disappears without a trace.

Three years later, his name has been forgotten by the world. The Council has been persistently pursuing him, but he has proven difficult to capture. Frustrated by this, Hugo Agrizendro, the commander of the Council's army, decides to personally apprehend him.

"Since when have you been watching me?"

Leonardo was calculative and astute, so it wouldn't be surprising if he had been observing Hugo for some time now. However, Leonardo's answer was something that even Hugo had not anticipated.

"From the very beginning."

[BL] The Mist (Same author as Turning)

In the autumn of his 18th year, after winning the high school kendo championship finals, an unexpected accident occurred.

Due to that incident, Kang Mu-heon lost one of his legs, his closest friend, and his promising future. He closed off his heart and shut himself away alone.

A few years later, the world's first real virtual reality game <THE MIST> was announced, where even those with physical disabilities could play in healthy bodies.

By chance, Kang Mu-heon encountered it and began a new life as the mage Kapros, facing unexpected meetings, reunions, and days of change....

***

"Why was someone like you born into this world to make me so miserable? Do you understand when I say it like this?! You were born with talent for the sword, a bright personality, everything - you must have been laughing at me always lagging behind! Did you even know how pathetic I felt because of your stupid hypocrisy? A genius? What does any of that matter!"

Seung-jo's cries stabbed at his heart, wailing as if he were crying even though he wasn't, but there was no time to think further. He quickly clutched my stomach, got up, and ran towards him.

He looked surprised for a moment, but he was desperate.

Just as the car was about to reach us, he shoved Seung-jo hard. Right after Seung-jo fell and rolled away with wide, startled eyes—

Screech!

Bang! With an impact that felt like his whole body was being shattered, he flew through the air.

And in that brief yet long moment of floating in space, he remembered his reflection in Seung-jo's eyes for the last time.......

***

[ Then in THE MIST, may you become the master of infinite possibilities. ]

Whoosh!

When his vision returned after everything went white, he was standing in the middle of a bustling town. Amidst the clamor, countless people were busily going about their business here and there.

He looked down at himself, standing dazed and wearing clothes of unknown origin. When he touched the sleeve, he felt the texture of fabric as real as reality. His hair felt the same, and even when he touched the wall of a nearby house, he could clearly feel the solid, cold surface.

Is this... VT?

It seemed like a joke. It truly felt as if he had come to another world and was touching everything.

As he stood there unable to think due to the shock, he suddenly remembered the biggest reason he had decided to play this game, and snapped back to attention. His two legs were still as they had been when he first stood.

'Can I really walk?'

He first stepped out with his left foot, then very slowly put strength into his heavy right foot. It felt like cold sweat was running down his spine.

And then,

He lifted it,

Moved it,

And took another step to touch the ground again.

So easily. As if there had never been any problem with this leg from the beginning.

"Ah..."

At that moment, something that was neither joy nor emotion shot up his spine. Suddenly feeling a lump in his throat, he lowered his head and leaned against the wall. His right foot, bearing his weight, was doing its job perfectly.

"..."

Holding back the tightness in his throat, he took another step.

It didn't hurt. It wasn't heavy. His leg was no longer a useless piece of wood that ached.

Damn it, to be able to walk so easily like this.

To be able to run so easily like this.

He had wished even in his dreams for the day to come when he could walk and run like this again.

And so he walked again, kept walking, slowly getting faster, until finally he started running like a madman through the entire town.

***

"Kap. ...There seems to be a misunderstanding. That's not what I meant."

Just as he was thinking he should throw a punch, Yu-wan sighed with a troubled look and said.

A misunderstanding? How could it be a misunderstanding when he said with his own mouth that he didn't think of me as a friend?

"I didn't expect to receive such a question suddenly, so my explanation was probably too brief. Let me rephrase."

Yu-wan reached out his hand, his face completely changed from before - intense yet resolute - as he stared at him. As he didn't reject the hand suddenly approaching his face and kept his gaze fixed, his cool large hand touched his cheek completely.

A shiver ran down his spine at that moment.

"I'm sorry to say this to you, but I don't see you only as a friend. ...This is the complete answer."

Check out the new project 2:

[BL] Cloudless Sky

Jin Soram, the top-ranked hunter representing South Korea's Rift Phenomenon Management Headquarters, is stronger than anyone else and lazier than anyone else. As soon as he arrives at the office, he buries himself under a blanket and falls asleep. When he goes out on a mission, he causes accidents and returns to the office, often shirking his duties.

"Do you know how it feels to play a game that's already messed up? ...Anyway, the next round will come, so this time, I'm just going to play it recklessly."

In fact, his true identity is someone who has regressed through three lives, trying to save the world from the Great Rift but failing each time. After repeating a life where he couldn't sleep peacefully even for a day, he became completely exhausted before this life even began.

"I know. You worked hard, Jin Soram."

And then there's Han Tae-un, the man who saved Soram and died in all three previous lives. As he did in every life, he comes to Soram's side once again. The Great Rift is approaching soon. It's impossible to resolve it in this life without any preparation. Soram vows to save Tae-un in this life and die himself. At least, he won't let Tae-un save a failure like himself again.

"For now, until then, let's sleep..."

As Soram sluggishly lives his life waiting for that moment, a gradual change occurs in his heart.

'I thought this was a messed-up round... but I want to live a little longer here.'