Dantalian no Shoka Vol 2 Chapter 1

1

The slope stretched onward.

This was a risky mountain path covered with wild gra.s.s.

The path had been neglected badly. Its surface was hard, there were uneven b.u.mps and at the same time, wood pieces and sandy rocks littering the path, making it difficult for a person to navigate the path. And there would be differences in the height of the path that were caused by looming boulders that could cause a person to trip.

The path was surrounded by a thick forest. Hoof marks left by horses could be seen if a person scrutinized the path carefully, but the a.s.sumption could be made that not many people would walk on this road.

But on this neglected mountain path, there was a young man and girl walking on it.

The appearance of these two people did not fit their surroundings.

The man seemed to be around twenty years old, he was a youth who wore a leather double-breasted uniform and was carrying his baggage.

Although he walked as if he were a soldier, he did not give off a coa.r.s.e air. Rather, he made people feel that he was a well-taught, serious young man.

Behind him, a young pet.i.te girl followed along. She looked to be twelve or thirteen years old.

This girl seemed like a porcelain doll. She had a mesmerizing beauty.

Her long black hair was tied up with lace ties and her hair fell to her waist.

Her eyes were as black as the night.

Perhaps the reason for this was due to the pure western blood. Her specially-coloured skin was as smooth as honey mixed with milk, it made people think of high-priced porcelain.

Her clothes were as dark as her hair.

It was an outfit that would make one think of the medieval times where the knights had ceremonies, although it was not really an outfit, but it was not a bizarre armoured clothing. There were numerous ruffles on the edge of her skirt, although it looked loose and puffy, her waist that had a ribbon tied around it was surprisingly slim. But the metal armour around her waist and on the back of her hands did not suit with her lacey outfit, and it seemed a little strange.

“I’m bored.”

This girl dressed in black sighed as she said to herself.

Even though this voice sounded like a bird singing, it also felt like she was pouting. Seeing the youth not reacting to her words and continuing to walk, her mouth pursed up even more.

“I’m bored, Huey. And tired. My feet ache and I’m hungry too. Why do we have to suffer climbing this desolate mountain trail? Only idiots and smoke would dare to go against gravity, are you trying to say that you are actually an idiot?”

“The road situation is so bad that no cars can drive in, what else can we do.”

The youth called Huey sighed and turned around. He smiled at the pouting girl.

“And, the one who wanted me to come and investigate this village, wasn’t it you, Dalian?”

“That was because I did not know that it was actually a rural area in the mountains and forests. Is there really anyone living here?”

“Eh, I heard that this is a road where carriages drawn by horses can transport goods to the town.”

“Don’t even mention horses, but I haven’t even seen a monkey on the road, except for one like you.”

The girl called Dalian heatedly replied.

In reality, the condition of the road was actually quite bad. It was narrow and it meandered, and it was quite steep. Although it was day time, it was quite dim, if someone accidentally walked into the forest, they might actually walk until they reached a cliff.

“Don’t tell me we’re lost? How useless is your sense of direction.”

“Don’t say it as if I’m someone who gets lost easily.”

Huey appeared to be unhappy.

“This should be the place. There aren’t so many road junctions that someone would get lost easily, this mountain should be in the territory of Calobos… But the village at the bottom of that mountain seems strange.”

“No matter what, that place only looks like a desolate village.”

Dalian muttered emotionlessly, then she looked over her shoulder.

Although it could not be seen from where they were, there was a small village at the foot of this mountain. At the first glance, it seemed like a normal farming village surrounded by wheat fields and fruit plantations. But there was no one in that village. The buildings and the possessions were untouched, only the people had disappeared suddenly.

“In the town we were in earlier, when the policeman was giving us instructions on how to get here, he did not even mention about this situation.”

Huey said with a troubled tone.

“If that policeman was not lying, then it means that this village has been abandoned recently… But this cannot be explained. There doesn’t seem to be any signs of any plague or catastrophe, even if the village were moved, there wouldn’t be any need for them to leave during the harvesting period, right?”

“Why do you care about that so much, I’m hungry and tired now, think of something to help me, Huey.”

“Where do you want to rest? If the sun sets then it will be even more troublesome, we have to reach our destination before then…”

Dalian shook her head helplessly, then looked to the sky. Although it was still day time, but in this place that was deep in the mountain ranges, there would be two or three hours more until sunset.

“I know. There’s no other way, you’ll just have to carry me.”

Dalian sighed gently, then proudly lifted her head. Huey only blinked his eyes dazedly.

“Ah?”

“I telling you to carry me. Shouldn’t you thank me for my generosity and then bend down to carry me?”

Huey only stared at Dalian speechlessly for a while.

“I say, don’t you know that I’ve been helping you to carry your baggage ever since just now…”

He pointed at the baggage on his back, attempting to rebut her. But Dalian didn’t even look at it.

“What about that?”

Huey frowned unhappily.

“This baggage is very heavy, what did you put in it?”

“Books. Just in case.”

“…Books?! Why do you need books for climbing?”

Dalian stared coldly at Huey who was speechless.

“How foolish you can be. If I don’t bring books to the mountains, what will we do if we run into danger?”

“What can books do when we are in danger?”

“When you are lost, running around with your eyes blinded and wasting energy is not what a wise person would do, don’t you know that?”

“I know that… But what has that got to do with books?”

Dalian had an expression that said ‘of course’, straightening herself and raising her head to look at Huey.

“If there are books, then wouldn’t it be possible to stay in these mountains and not feel bored?”

Huey was frozen for a moment, then he smiled and said:

“That also means that I can throw away this baggage.”

“What foolish things are you saying, blockhead! And you made me explain so much things to you!”

“I know, anyway to carry the books or to carry you, choose one.”

Huey grumbled ‘who is the blockhead’ as he sighed.

But Dalian revealed a rare smile and said:

“Don’t worry, Huey. I’ll carry this baggage. So you can come and carry me.”

Huey only narrowed his eyes in annoyance:

“I say, you’re really taking me for an idiot, are you?”

“Wu… How did you know?”

Dalian seemed a little frantic, she even scrunched up her eyebrows, but Huey was too lazy to take note of her, he prepared to continue walking—then he suddenly stopped again.

Standing in front of Huey and Dalian, on the winding path, was a person.

It was a young girl wearing an uncommon outfit.

Her hair was pinned up with a head scarf that had a complicated flower pattern, and she wore an outfit that seemed like what the ancient clans wore. In her left hand, she carried a basket woven from vines and it seemed to be filled with freshly-plucked fruits.

“Oh dear.”

Feeling Huey and Dalian’s presences, she turned around and her face revealed her surprise. But this was a normal reaction if she were meeting a stranger.

Huey tried to give her a friendly smile, and greeted her cheerfully.

“Excuse me, Miss, are you from the village?”

“Eh, I’m kind of from there… But our dwelling place is not so big that it can be called a village.”

She nodded her head stiffly as she replied, at the same time her face appeared to be alert.

“What about you? Is there anything that you are visiting our village for?”

“Eh, actually we’re finding someone.”

“Is there someone that you know of in our village?”

“About this, actually, no.”

Huey frowned slightly, troubled and the woman’s expression tensed even further.

“To be more accurate, we’re here to find a book. It should be with someone…”

“A book?”

The woman looked at Huey as if he were a suspicious character. This wasn’t strange, who would believe that he was specially making a trip to the mountains, just to find a book?

Huey looked behind him at Dalian with a helpless expression.

But the girl wearing black had been staring at the woman dressed in traditional clothing for the whole time, as if she were a shocked animal.

And he didn’t know if Dalian’s fear of meeting strangers had spread, but the woman wearing traditional clothing took a few steps back as well as if shocked. The atmosphere was nervous and it made one suspect that if someone talked to her hastily, would she run away screaming?

A nervous silence enveloped the three of them.

What interrupted this silence was a ‘growl’, as if it were the cry of some small animal.

It was a sound that was able to dissipate that nervous atmosphere and make a person collapse. The girl dressed in black suddenly clasped her hands to her abdomen, her cheeks quickly reddening.

The source of that strange sound was Dalian. Dalian who had been saying that she was hungry earlier was so hungry that her stomach had growled. She lowered her quickly reddening face, not moving.

But Huey closed his mouth, trying not to laugh.

The woman wearing traditional clothing only looked at Dalian, dazed, then she started to realize what had happened, and couldn’t help but laugh. It could be seen that she wasn’t successful in suppressing her laughter, but that made her laugh even harder.

The mountain path that was surrounded by the lush green forest rang with laughter.

2

After walking along the slope for a while, their surroundings suddenly opened out into a larger area.

There was no definite boundary between the village and the forest. As soon as they walked out from the forest, the houses of the villagers were immediately there.

It was a village that blended in well with its surroundings. It was slightly bigger than what they had imagined, but from the number of the houses there seemed to be fifteen houses or so.

The houses were dispersed in the village. Every house was surrounded by a small portion of the field. Pastures were found on the steep side of the hill where domestic animals stayed.

There were few level areas in the village, instead there were gentle, rolling mounds, so there were many potholes in the ground. Although this place may not be suitable for dwelling, but this caused no impact on this beautiful scene.

The rays of the setting sun fell on the steep slope that was covered with green vegetation.

On both sides of the narrow path, many different species of nameless wild flowers bloomed.

“What a pretty village.”

Huey couldn’t help but say.

“It’s only a rural area with nothing at all.”

The woman in traditional clothing replied politely in embarra.s.sment.

Because she couldn’t bear seeing Dalian’s tired appearance as she transverse the unfamiliar path, she had suggested that they rest at her house. According to her self-introduction, her name was Thalia and she lived in the village by herself.

Thalia led Huey and Dalian to a mortar house in the center of the village.

This seemed to be Thalia’s house. Although it was not a large building, but it seemed to be older than the other houses in the village, there were incomprehensible symbols of the door and pillars. It was the same pattern as those on her clothes.

“Don’t tell me you are the head of this village, Thalia?”

Huey asked her with an expression of surprise. But Thalia shook her head, smiling,

“No, I am only an herbalist.”

“Herbalist?”

“Yes. Other than that, there are some times where I do some of the work of an official. In this rural area, there aren’t many people who can read the holy scripts.”

“Oh… I see.”

Huey nodded his head, understanding.

Herbalists referred to people who collected plants that were of medicinal value and sold them or prescribed them to patients. And in this rural community, they held the medical knowledge pa.s.sed down from their ancestors, and they were talented, precious people who took the position of doctors in the community.

Most of the time, what they inherited, apart from their knowledge of herbs, also included the ancient cultural beliefs. The strange flower patterns on Thalia’s clothes were most likely remnants of ancient magic.

After they entered Thalia’s house, they were more convinced by the interior that this was a place where a modern herbalist would live in.

On the shelves that occupied one wall, there were many bottles and phials containing medicines; gra.s.ses and roots were suspended in the air to be dried. And ancient texts that holding recordings of knowledge regarding plants were slotted at the shelves, they were covered with dust.

Dalian flitted around the house, interested and she even wanted to reach out to touch those books, but she quickly stopped herself. Because she caught sight of a simple earthenware pot, there was something that Thalia had left there after eating—sugared fried bread.

Just like that, Dalian stared unmovingly at the fried bread. Her mouth was half-open, a pitiful expression on her face, as if she were a dog whose dinner had been postponed.

“That, if you don’t mind… Please eat.”

After seeing Dalian’s actions, Thalia spoke. Dalian’s eyes gleamed momentarily, but she pretended as if nothing had happened and coughed to cover it. Then she picked up the fried bread casually, thanking Thalia and suddenly took a big bite of the bread.

Dalian suddenly took a big bite of the bread.

When Thalia saw how happy Dalian was from where she had been standing behind her, she smiled too.

During this scene, Huey looked out of the window, planning to pretend that he had not seen anything.

“Are you looking for the house of the head of the village?”

Seeming to misunderstand Huey’s actions, Thalia asked carefully.

“No, it’s not like that.”

Huey frantically shook his head.

“But I wanted to ask you something, the Lord of this village is John Calobos, right? I heard that these mountains belonged to him.”

Towards Huey’s question, Thalia nodded in affirmation.

“Yes, that’s right. There is also the Lord’s villa in this village.”

“Then, about the case involving Mister Calobos’s house in the city, does this village know of it?”

Thalia tilted her head and looked at Huey, seeming to be troubled. But Huey only lowered his head and said:

“Mister Calobos died six months ago, the cause of his death was because his house had caught fire.”

Thalia who was about to pour hot water for Dalian, almost couldn’t get a good grip of the kettle because she was too shocked.

“It was a huge fire, the whole house was burnt to ashes. Including his family and his servants, nearly twenty people died in that fire. The cause of the fire is unclear although investigations are undergoing, but there are rumours spreading that it was arson.”

“Arson?”

Thalia couldn’t help but swallow, and Huey scrunched his eyebrows, feeling a little startled.

“Do you really not know… Hasn’t anyone communicated with the village?”

“No one came. We only felt that it as a while since we last saw the lord, Missy hasn’t said anything either.”

Thalia’s words surprised Huey.

“Who is the ‘Missy’ that you are referring to?”

“Miss Florence is the only daughter of the lord. She has been staying at that villa for a very long time.”

“The daughter of Mister Calobos? Then is she in this village presently?”

“Yes. Although we do not have many opportunities to meet her, but we can glimpse her silhouette through the windows sometimes. She is a very beautiful person.”

“…”

Huey held his breath, starting to think and not speaking. Then he breathed out deeply.

“Is that so… So that rumour was true.”

“Rumour?”

“The person that I know of has a person he knows, who was a merchant who traded frequently with the Calobos. That person once said that he saw the daughter of Mister Calobos in the village at the foot of this mountain. But this was one month ago…”

“Oh…”

Even though Huey had explained himself, Thalia still had an uncomprehending expression.

To reach the village at the foot of the mountain from here, although it was a dangerous slope, but it was not far away, and if it were by horse, a trip there and back could be made in a few hours. She probably thought that even if it were the daughter of Mister Calobos, if she went to the village at the foot of the mountain to relieve her boredom, it was not a noteworthy matter.

But Huey continued to narrate in a low voice with a serious expression.

“There are people who suspect her to be the arsonist and murdering Mister Calobos.”

“Missy she?”

Thalia couldn’t help but shout in surprise, but she immediately smiled and shook her head.

“How can that be. That is impossible. Missy has been staying here for a few years. And I heard that she came here because her body was weak, so she came here to seek treatment.”

“Even so, it doesn’t mean that she is unable to return to the city, right?”

Huey’s voice was emotionless, and Thalia started to look with him in suspicion and said:

“Are you the police? Did you come here to arrest Missy?”

“No, that’s not it. It’s not like that.”

Huey laughed bitterly, shrugging.

“Let me start from the beginning. We are here for a book.”

“A book?”

Thalia asked with a startled expression. Huey nodded slowly.

“It is commonly known as the Dark Green Book. It is an important book that Mister Calobos bought back from the west. I thought that it had been burnt along with his house… But the merchant that I mentioned earlier saw that book. He said that when he saw Mister Calobos’s daughter, she seemed to be holding on to that book.”

“So for that book, the two of you specially came to the mountains?”

Thalia’s suspicion was not erased.

“Every family has their secrets.”

Huey’s tone seemed helpless.

“Where is the lord’s villa?”

Dalian who had been quietly eating the fried bread suddenly asked.

This cold but sudden voice made Thalia turn around frantically.

“That, it is in the northern forest…”

What the herbalist was looking at, was a window facing the north.

Just as she had said, on a hill near the big forest, was a lonely building.

And the reason why Huey and Dalian had not spotted it earlier was because the whole house was like the trees in the forest, covered heavily with green.

Even if it were the outer wall made of bricks or the tall, large walls of the compound, they had been thoroughly covered with vines.

Because of that, the house blended in with the background, and made the outline of the house nearly unnoticeable.

The plant covering the entire villa appeared to be th.o.r.n.y vines. Although the matter of the lord, who liked aristocracy, planting roses in his villa was not strange, but from this large amount it was very unusual.

“Is that the villa?”

Huey looked at the building covered with th.o.r.n.y vines and asked.

“Yes… But, please try not to go near it.”

Thalia warned them, seeming to be a little troubled.

“Why? Does that Missy have a bad temper?”

“No… Although it is not that, but the layout of the land near there, even the locals would get lost easily. Many people went to that villa but they have never returned.”

Thalia’s words made Huey shake his head speechlessly.

“Why would Mister Calobos want to build a villa there…”

“I don’t know… It probably isn’t because he didn’t want anyone to leave or enter there easily, and Missy herself as almost never come out from that villa… Maybe it is to prevent criminals from breaking in, so he purposely chose that kind of place.”

As Huey listened to Thalia’s explanation, he walked nearer to the window to inspect the house.

Under the light of the setting sun, the grey walls were painted bright red.

Even the top of the clock tower that was covered with vines, had a beautiful pattern. The window of the clock tower was open.

He didn’t know if it was because the interior of the clock tower was dark and could not be distinguished, under the reflection of the light rays, he vaguely saw a girl’s figure by the window. It was a girl wearing an elegant dress with a swan design.

“What a pity, it isn’t sleeping beauty… Is she the holder of a Phantom Book, Dalian?”

Huey asked jokingly. But Dalian did not reply.

Thalia looked at them uncomprehendingly, muttering:

“Phantom Book?”

3

After temporarily leaving their baggage at Thalia’s house, Huey and Dalian began to wander around the village.

The sun had disappeared below the mountains, only a little light continued to stain the sky red. And on the path of the dark field, there was a farmer who had finished working. It was a man whose energetic face was tanned black by the sun.

“Good evening.”

Huey greeted this farmer who was carrying a hammer. Even though Huey and Dalian were dressed oddly, the farmer did not seem be on guard against them, he smiled widely at them.

“Yo, strangers. Are you the scholars that Thalia brought back?”

“Scholars?”

Huey asked, troubled. Even though Thalia had spoke with a few villagers when she took them to her house, but he had never thought that it would spark these rumours.

“Aren’t you scholars? Weren’t you here to find some book?”

“Oh, that’s true… Do you have any information that may be a lead for us?”

“No. The person who can read in this area, other than the people at the lord’s villa, is only Thalia. Although I seemed to learn for a bit when I was young, but I returned everything to my teacher a long time ago. Anyway no one comes here to sell newspapers.”

As the farmer said that, he laughed casually.

“But, you people are strange. Even if it is reading rare books, it can’t fill the stomach.”

Huey shrugged likely, nodding in agreement.

“Eh, that’s right… After all, it it’s something not nice to eat, then only the mountain goats would like it.”

Huey’s lame joke made the farmer laughed exaggeratedly.

“You’re interesting, just the kind of person I get along with. Talking about which, where are you going at this time of the day?”

“We wanted to go and check out the northern forest.”

Huey honestly stated their destination, it seemed that he had no need to hide this.

And in this kind of small village, whatever the strangers did would be noticed. So Huey and Dalian’s movements would be difficult to conceal from others.

“The villa of the lord… That’s right, you’re here to find books.”

The farmer nodded, unsurprised.

“But, it would be best if you stay put for tonight.”

“Why?”

“That villa usually is not lit up. Because the nights in these rural areas are dark, so Missy rests early. I heard that she came to these mountains, was also to let her body rest.”

“I see…”

“And if you approach the villa, there is a possibility that you will never return. After all, that is the castle of the Rose Princess.”

“Thalia also said something like that.”

A wisp of a wry smile appeared on Huey’s face, the farmer narrowed his eyes in agreement and said:

“I thought so. Are you going to stay in Thalia’s house? If you don’t mind, you can come over to my house, although there are no books, but there is wine.”

“Wine? Is it brewed by yourself?”

Huey asked, seeming to be surprised. After all, he had not seen a wine store in the village.

The farmer crossed his arms over his chest, an expression of deep thought appearing on his face as he struggled to recall.

“No, it seems to have been given by someone… Eh, who was it who gave it to me… Forget it. My house is on that hill, if you can still think of me later, then come over and spend some time at my house.”

“Thank you very much.”

Huey thanked him respectfully, the two bid farewell to each other and separated. Then Huey and Dalian continued to walk on the dark path in the field.

“But this village is a little odd.” After the farmer’s figure had disappeared from view, Huey whispered, “I do not think that this population is enough for them to depend on themselves, and we don’t see any signs of interaction with the outside world—it can be seen from the fact they do not know that the village at the bottom of the mountain is empty. Although it’s not enough to be odd, but it is puzzling.”

“It’s not only that.”

Dalian used a hard voice to whisper.

“Have you discovered it? Huey. There are no elderly people or children in this village.”

Huey looked in the direction where the farmer had departed as he understood.

From the state of the buildings, this village had been built some time ago, it could even be said that this village had quite a bit of history. But there wasn’t even an elderly person here, this was very strange. The farmers and Thalia who they had met on their way to the village, they had all been young strong youths.

“Is that so… So this was the odd point about the village.”

“According to the policeman in that town, the village at the bottom of the mountain were made up of old people. So why would a village this deep in the mountains have so many young people?”

Dalian seemed to ask Huey as she muttered.

“But, I can’t tell what the villagers are trying to hide, I don’t feel that they are guarded against us either… Although they seem to be curious about outsiders.”

Huey said with a doubtful face. But Dalian looked to the hill with an emotionless face.

“The princess of the castle of thorns?”

Looking at the clock tower in the evening sky, Huey whispered.

The villa that was covered with thorns, looked like it was already becoming one with the forest behind it. In this silence, it could made one feel chilly.

4

Like what Thalia and the farmer said, the land surrounding the villa was very confusing. It wasn’t because there were collapses in the land, but some huge differences in the ground level that made one halt.

In the end, after spending more time than they had antic.i.p.ated it would take, Huey finally approached the villa.

The two of them stood in front of the door to the villa, both were frowning.

The two of them stood in front of the door to the villa, both were frowning.

It was a huge metal door stuck between two high walls, many th.o.r.n.y vines crawled on it, blocking anyone from exiting or entering.

A few grey glowing things were tightly entangled in the thick mess of vines.

These were corpses.

Wearing clothes whose colours had faded away, suspending in the air, they were genuine human bones. They were white bones that were dry, just like that they were entangled in the th.o.r.n.y vines exposed to suns.h.i.+ne and rain. And from the number, it wasn’t only one person.

“If these are the ornaments for the front door, then this is an impressive hobby…” Dalian said coldly.

“These bodies are fresh. Although the skin and flesh have been peeled off, but the clothes aren’t damaged… It looks like they have only been here for a few years. From the clothes, they probably were servants of this villa…”

Huey calmly a.n.a.lysed.

From the condition of the corpses, it was hard to tell if it were the growth of the vines that suspended them in midair, or were they strangled by the vines until they died.

But it could be deducted that, the person who threw these bones in front of the door, was the resident of the villa, this had to be true.

“What do we do, Dalian? If we don’t deal with these vines, we can’t even enter the villa from the door.”

“Do you need to remind me? Of course we destroy them first. How nice, there is a suitable tool there.”

Dalian said emotionlessly, the axe was dropped by the body she was pointing at. It was probably brought by someone who wanted to save their companions from the vines.

And since that axe was dropped here, that person probably met the same end as their companions, it could be said that the axe was not a good omen.

“You say destroy… You want me to do it?”

Huey picked up the axe reluctantly.

Then he settled into an accurate posture and chopped down on the vines on the door. The blade of the axe was slightly rusty, but that did not affect its sharpness. The vines were quickly taken down, revealing the path to Huey and Dalian.

As what the farmer had said, there were no lights in the villa. Huey and Dalian stepped past the eerie white bones, walking towards the door of the villa.

The door was not locked. Huey gently pulled it, the door opened with a creak. The house was in darkness, Huey pulled out a lighter that he had used during army and flicked it, allowing the flame to illuminate their way.

“I don’t feel anyone’s presence… But this place is very clean.”

After he turned a circle in the hall before the door, Huey commented.

Although there was a thin layer of dust on the carpet, but there weren’t any signs of a fight, the furniture weren’t damaged either.

If anyone had told him that this was a villa that the owner had left for several months, he probably would have believed them. Of course, that would be if he had not seen the th.o.r.n.y vines surrounding the house, and the bodies in front of the house that no one seemed to know about.

Huey dragged the axe as he carried the lighter and walked up the stairs to the clock tower.

The owner of this villa—the Rose Princess Florence Calobos should be on the observatory room of this clock tower. A few hours ago, Huey had personally seen her figure.

But when he entered the observatory room, Huey stopped in surprise.

In front of him was definitely a girl’s figure.

She wore an expensive outfit and she had long hair. She was as if looking down on the village that she owned, standing by the window that was covered with th.o.r.n.y vines. She was about the same age as Thalia. She would have been a beautiful woman—if she were still alive.

“What exactly…”

Huey couldn’t help but moan after his eyes scanned the room.

The girl was definitely standing by the window, but it was only the part of her from waist up.

And her lower body, cut off by someone, collapsed on the sofa.

Her head and arms were cut off from her body as well as her clothes.

And these decapitated body parts, were hung from the vines trailing down from the ceiling, suspended in the air. Although it looked like she was living, it was probably due to the efforts of the vines. Her body parts that were strewn all over the place were like parts of a marionette, suspended by the vines by the window.

“Is she Florence-san?”

Huey walked over to the body by the window, he couldn’t help himself but sigh. There wasn’t any need to check to know that she was already dead. Although the body had become withered, but from the faded colours of her clothing, the time of her death wasn’t too long ago. At most a few months to half a year, the bodies outside the door were probably dead within the week.

“It looks like this can’t be suicide.”

Huey looked at the blood marks on the ceiling and said. Dalian emotionlessly agreed.

“Yes. As long as the dead person’s feet did not walk to the couch by themselves, then this is indeed a murder.”

“Is it the same person who committed the arson at the Calobos’s house—no.”

After muttering to himself, Huey shook his head in denial. He found a basic contradiction.

“Then the other people who saw Miss Florence at the foot of the mountain, who can it be?” From this body of Florence Calobos, it could be seen that she had been dead for half a year.

But one month before, someone had seen Florence in the village at the bottom of the mountain.

The witness was a merchant who had frequent dealings with the Calobos family. It was hard to think that he would seen wrongly.

“Dead people can’t run around living. Unless, this is the power of the Dark Green Book, Dalian?”

“No.”

The black haired girl shook her head firmly.

“Dead people can’t read books. Even if the Phantom Book “The Dark Green Book” really existed, there could be other people other than her holding it.”

“That means, after killing her, someone else took the book?”

Huey said with a stern expression. But Dalian continued to calmly speak.

“There is also a possibility that she was never a keeper of the Phantom Book.”

Huey asked a little dubiously:

“Not Miss Florence? Then who can it be?”

“There is only one person who can fit this, can’t you see that? Idiot.”

“Eh?”

Dalian used a slightly superior expression to look at Huey’s dazed expression.

“Didn’t that farmer say so just now? The people who can read in this village, aside from the people in the villa, there is only one.”

“Yes, it’s Thalia.”

Huey’s voice turned hoa.r.s.e.

“But, why would she…”

“I don’t know that either. But, there is definitely a Phantom Book in this village.”

The girl dressed in black finished speaking, her eyes looking out of the window.

Her emotionless face, had already turned pale.

In the night sky exposed by the sides of the window, there was a small wave.

Those were the vines with thorns. Under the red light of the moon, there were thick green th.o.r.n.y vines wriggling as if they were alive, wanting to envelope the villa that Huey and Dalian were in.

5

The vines had already covered the window of the observatory room, the gla.s.s was shattered too. Many vines invaded the room through cracks in the walls and through the broken windows.

“Is this the power of the Phantom Book!”

There was a thin film of sweat on Huey’s forehead, as he asked Dalian. But Dalian stood at her original position, not moving.

“The Phantom Book that can control plants… this makes me interested. But even so…”

“This isn’t the time to be admiring it! Let’s run out first!”

Huey shouted as he approached the vines with his axe. Then he dragged a reluctant Dalian down the stairs.

“Wu…”

As they reached the hall in front of the door, Huey couldn’t help but groan.

A braided vine rushed towards them with a sound of slicing through the air, grabbing Huey’s right foot.

Huey rolled on the ground, dodging the vines that came within a few millimeters of him. After he cut off the vines grabbing his leg, he finally stood up.

And the place where he had fallen down, there were a few vines wriggling enthusiastically.

If his reaction had slowed slightly, his body would be covered with the vines and he would be unable to move. But what could be confirmed, was that the vines covering this villa, all of them were attacking Huey and Dalian antagonistically.

“I see… So those servants that died in front of the door were killed in this way.”

Dalian seemed to say, understanding.

Huey carried her slim body, running towards the window in the hall. The path leading to the door was completely blocked off by the vines.

Huey found a window that was not blocked off that much by the vines and smashed the gla.s.s. Then he carried the girl as he stepped up on the window ledge, jumping down into the courtyard directly.

Seeing the fierce vines approaching them, Huey angrily threw the axe at them. The axe was immediately covered with many vines, the handle of the axe was immediately crushed into many splinters. If these things grabbed them, the human body would not be able to withstand the pressure. Huey carried Dalian tightly, running in search of an escape route.

Luckily part of the brick wall had collapsed, so jumping over the wall and escaping was not difficult. After escaping from the grounds of the villa, Huey finally breathed a breath of relief.

The vines had completely surrounded the villa, it was as if a large organism was moving. Fortunately, it seemed that it did not have the power to leave the villa for a long distance, so it was unable to chase after the two of them. The vines seemed to be a trap to trap the intruders, it did not have the power to chase after them.

After Huey’s frantic breathing calmed down, he released Dalian who he was carrying.

Perhaps because of the fact that she had been taken around like a piece of baggage, Dalian’s face had an expression of unhappiness, but she didn’t complain much.

The girl dressed in black only looked silently at that wide expanse of pasture on the slope.

Huey followed her line of vision, discovering that there was a person wearing a strange outfit there.

It was a young girl who wore traditional clothing and a cloak and had her hair wrapped up with a piece of cloth.

“Thalia!”

After recognizing who she was, Huey shouted.

On this plain that was enjoying the moonlight, the gentle wind creating a wave-like effect on the gra.s.s, the female herbalist quietly stood there.

“Have the two of you seen Missy?”

Looking at Huey’s stunned expression, Thalia gently asked.

“Thalia… you already knew from the start that Miss Florence was dead.”

Thalia narrowed her eyes, revealing a gentle smile.

“Yes. But at the same time, no. Florence Calobos has is still living, but at the same time she is dead.”

Her words made Huey feel troubled, he couldn’t understand this contradiction so.

“Was it you… who killed her?”

“I killed Miss Florence? How can that be. Aha…ha…hahahahahahahaha!”

At this moment Huey noticed, under her cape there was a book. That was an ancient tome with a dark green cover. A western –style décor, the cover had a black and white wording. It could be said that it suited the name The Dark Green Book perfectly.

“That book!”

Dalian released a sharp cry.

“Is that the Phantom Book!?”

Huey’s expression became nervous.

Thalia silently opened the book, gently flipping the pages. Not long after, she seemed to find the page that she was looking for, her fingers stopped flipping the pages.

“What are you going to do with us?”

Huey asked as he looked at Thalia.

On the female herbalist’s face, a warm smile appeared.

“I warned you from the beginning. This land easily confuses people, when they come here they will never return.”

Before she completed her sentence, her figure started to blur and turn white. Not only the person, even the gra.s.s beneath her feet, and the background behind her, everything was slowly turning white.

He could feel the damp air meeting his face, Huey’s expression hardened.

This was a fog.

The fog was unwavering as it appeared from nowhere, their vision was soon claimed by whiteness.

“This fog… is this the strength of the Phantom Book?”

Huey muttered with a troubled expression.

“This is troublesome. This land, if we can’t see properly, it will be hard to walk out of here.”

Dalian said softly. Although her expression was calm, but she clutched Huey’s clothes tightly. It seemed that she was afraid that she would be separated from him in this fog.

“Anyway the best plan is to escape from this place first.”

Huey said with a bitter tone. This fog had already covered Thalia’s figure, they could only hear her laughter from the fog. That laughter was a piercing mad laughter.

“Escape? Where will you escape to?”

Dalian raised her head and used her black eyes to look at Huey calmly.

Then she slowly looked behind her. Huey followed her movements and couldn’t help but swallow. That was a huge forest, a dark forest with dense trees. It was as if the large forest could move by itself, it had already surrounded them since some time ago.

“What is this… putting aside the vines and fog, even the forest can move?”

Huey couldn’t help but be nervous.

“There is no escape route.”

Dalian still announced the truth calmly.

The darkness of the night, the fog that did not suit the season, and the dark forest with trees. Even if they escaped from the village, the situation was still despairing. In addition, the land around here was very confusing, there were sudden cliffs everywhere. If they ran in panic, it would be more threatening to their lives. The land surrounding the village, was Thalia’s weapon. And the power of Thalia’s book, had not been completely a.n.a.lysed. Even her position, Huey and Dalian had no idea of it.

“Dalian, can you lend me a book?”

Huey pulled off the glove on his right hand as he spoke. On the bared back of his right hand, there was a red gemstone that was like crimson blood.

“It’s not that you can’t borrow… The problem is which book do you want to borrow?”

Dalian asked in return. And Huey thought for a while.

“I remember that you have a book that can summon Parcelsus’s four spirits? Use that one that can probably summon the Salamander.”

“You want to burn the forest in this situation?”

Looking at the forest around them, Dalian said helplessly.

“Can it not be done?”

“If you want to burn then it’s up to you, but please do it when I am further away.” “Who would like to do these kind of things.”

Huey shook his head in frustration.

They could still hear Thalia’s laughter now. For the sake of increasing the distance between them, Huey and Dalian had to continue moving. But under this kind of situation where they could not see well, spending much of their mental strength, but reaping little benefit.

“In the end before understanding the power of The Dark Green Book, we don’t even have the option of using the Phantom Books? Or we could take the option of waiting until daylight… Wu.”

Huey who was walking forward as he muttered in annoyance, suddenly his expression became tense, his whole body bent back.

It was a three-p.r.o.nged farming implement. The sharp p.r.o.ngs suddenly came out of the fog, aiming at Huey.

“What…”

Huey’s expression changed, protecting Dalian.

There was a sound of metal hitting metal from the fog, crimson flames appeared in the darkness at the same time.

Again the fork pierced towards them, but it was blocked easily by the back of Dalian’s hand.

Numerous figures appeared in the fog.

They weren’t Thalia, but they were the strong farmers.

The villagers held their farming implements like tools, approaching Dalian and Huey. Despair and fear appeared on their faces, and anger.

“This is bad…”

Huey looked at the forest behind them as he spoke. The fog and the large forest were blocking their escape routes. Now with the ambush from the villagers, they were really in trouble.

“They don’t seemed to be controlled.”

Dalian said after she looked at the villagers’ expressions.

“What is it, everyone? Even if you are drunk, this is a little…”

Huey tried his best to squeeze out a sincere smile, talking to them.

At the same time he reached stealthily into his coat, grabbing his gun. It was a revolver that was used in the army, it had .455 caliber sh.e.l.ls and the bullets fired had great impact. But there were only six bullets, compared to the enemy it was not enough.

And among the villagers carrying farming tools as weapons approaching, there was the farmer that had spoke with Huey and Dalian earlier.

The bright and cheerful expression he had been carrying at first, was already twisted with terror now.

Maybe it was because of that, that this man gave a different impression to Huey. His youthful face had wrinkles carved on it, his face was thinner than before, it was as if he had aged by several years.

“It’s because of you…”

The farmer used a hoa.r.s.e voice to say.

“It’s because you escaped from the lord’s villa… that we will…”

“Oh… Oh oh…”

The villagers let out pained moans.

It was as if the frozen time started to move again, their appearances started to age quickly. Spots appeared on their skin, their hair started to drop, the skin of their small hands started to quickly age, they couldn’t even hold their farming tools.

They could only use the cloudy eyes that elderly people had to stare at Dalian and Huey, the teeth had dropped out of their mouths but they continued to curse.

“These people… What exactly is happening?”

Huey moaned, his expression changing. But Dalian was as emotionless as a marionette, said:

“I’m afraid that they are the people from the village at the bottom of the mountain.”

“Those missing villagers… That means that the people in this village are the younger versions of those villagers from the village at the bottom of the mountain?”

Huey nodded, understanding a little.

That the people in that village would suddenly disappear, was because they were brought to this village, living as Thalia’s neighbours. They had forgotten their pasts, and firmly believed that they were rejuvenated—

“Is this the reason why there are so many young people in this village… then, what exactly is this village?”

Looking at the elderly people who had collapsed on the ground unmoving, Huey muttered.

But they had no more time to stand there and think slowly about it.

The fog became thicker, if this continued, they would be unable to find their way sooner or later.

They were unable to ascertain that Thalia would not attack again. They had to move to a position where they could see better before that happened. Huey grasped Dalian’s hand, walking in the dark forest.

In this darkness that was covered with the white fog, they could only depend on the moonlight as a mark for them to continue moving, and after what they felt like a long time, the darkness suddenly disappeared.

The fog dissipated, and the trees of the forest disappeared in a split second.

What appeared in front of Huey and Dalian, was a beautiful plain where the gra.s.s in the pasture was gently swaying in the gentle wind, and…

“What…”

Looking at the clock tower on the plain, Huey couldn’t help but stop in surprise.

It was a tall clock tower building that was covered with vines—the villa of Calobos.

Confused by the darkness and fog, spending much hard work to leave the forest, Huey and Dalian had ended up walking in a circle and came back to their starting point.

“Thalia…”

Huey was a.s.saulted with exhaustion and in his ears, he could hear that sharp, piercing laughter again.

The herbalist was standing in front of the villa covered with thorns.

She had allowed her hair to be released from the head cloth, giving off a different feeling than before.

Beautiful blond hair danced in the wind, gleaming under the moonlight. Her elegant posture and atmosphere, made it hard to believe that she was a herbalist living deep in the mountains, she seemed more like a missy who was from a rich family and was used to dealing with the society. The beautiful mouth curved, her eyes were wide and she couldn’t stop laughing.

“Ahahahahahaha, ahahahahaha… it’s useless, it’s useless. You can never walk out of here. Since you dared to come and take Otou-sama’s important book, then you should wander in this village forever.”

“Otou-sama’s book?”

Thalia’s words made Huey troubled. The original bearer of “The Dark Green Book” was John Calobos, since she called him ‘Otou-sama’, that meant that she was his daughter.

“Is that so…”

Huey said as he looked at the woman who was laughing in front of him.

“Last month, someone said that they saw Calobos’s daughter here, so it was you! Thalia. No, you are the real Florence Calobos!”

“Ahahahaha… that’s right, I am my father’s beloved daughter.”

The woman clutched tightly at the Phantom Book, laughing madly.

“So Otou-sama’s beloved book belongs to me, too. I definitely wouldn’t hand it over to you!” But Huey frowned.

“The person killed in the villa, that was the real herbalist Thalia…”

“That’s right. But now, I am Thalia. The weak and pitiful daughter of the lord has disappeared.”

The girl who went by the name of the herbalist slowly became excited, it could even be seen that she had a stubborn crazed glint in her eyes. She spoke as she continued to laugh that contorted laughter:

“Otou-sama was here to visit me…He loves me only. That dirty herbalist that lived in such a rural area, how could she be my Otou-sama’s lover! Otou-sama isn’t someone who would come here for a personal love affair, he was here to see meeeeeee!”

Thalia opened the Phantom Book.

In that moment, the world surrounding Huey and Dalian started to distort.

“What?”

The plain separated Huey, Dalian and Thalia became a deep darkness.

What appeared there was a large canyon like a tear in the ground.

Huey’s surroundings also became dizzyingly high cliffs.

There was no way that they could escape from around them. Huey and Dalian were surrounded by the cliffs in a moment; they were trapped on this narrow cliff.

And at the bottom of the cliff, there were numerous vines creeping up the sides. Huey and Dalian who had nowhere to escape to, this time they would definitely drop into its binds.

Towards this dangerous situation, Huey gently breathed out. And Dalian silently looked at the book that Thalia was carrying.

“Huey, I grant you the right to open the gate.”

Finally, Dalian used her beautiful and clear voice to say that.

She reached a hand to the collar of the black dress, exposing her chest.

The white skin laid over delicate bones was exposed.

A lock was embedded in her skin. It was a large and old lock. And it was a lock that was connected to a black leather loop around her neck by a silver chain, resting in the middle of her chest.

“…”

Huey silently raised his right hand.

In his hand, there was a key. It was a golden key that had a crimson gemstone inlaid in it.

There were ancient words engraved on the key.

Huey calmly read them aloud. As if he were a loyal knight swearing to a princess, but like a magician chanting an incantation at the same time—

“I ask of thee… Art thou mankind?”

Towards his question, Dalian replied.

Her voice, was like an old antique.

『Nay. We art the Realm -- the Endless Realm within thine Vase.』

The golden key entered Dalian’s chest, making Dalian release a pained groan.

The lock in front of her chest split open like a door.

And below the lock was nothing. There was a hole bigger than the abyss in her chest.

This hole that was surrounded by a swirling whirlwind of light, entering the deepest parts of her small beautiful body.

“What is… going on…”

Thalia used a hoa.r.s.e voice to moan. Her voice was no longer filled with madness, but it was filled with fear.

“I heard Otou-sama speak of it before… the Vase… the other-worldly library sealed in the Vase… Dantalian’s Bookshelves!”

“The labyrinth library, which seals 900,000 and 666 Phantom Books. The gate to knowledge hath been opened—”

Dalian narrated with an unnatural voice.

Huey reached into the hole in her chest, when he pulled it out, his hand was holding a book, an old book with a faded cover.

“Actually changing the land before us, you are too unfair. But because of that, I know the true origins of The Dark Green Book.”

Dalian looked at the cliff at her feet as she announced.

“That Phantom Book’s real name is The Boat Plans of Mountains and Rivers—it is able to create illusionary landforms, a precious map that could confuse the intruders and have them within their hold. That was in the legendary times, a fantasy phantom book given by the eastern G.o.ddess.”

Huey breathed softly.

“A Phantom Book that can create illusionary landscapes… that means that these fog, forest and the vines in front of us are all illusions?”

Dalian nodded her head.

“To the people who have been ensnared by the magic of the Phantom Book, even if it is an illusion, there is no difference from the present landscape. If you’re touched by the vines you will be hurt, if you drop down from the cliff you will die.”

Thalia flipped open the book in her hands and laughed.

“Ahahahaha…ahahaha…That’s right, isn’t it amazing? As long as there is this book, no one can hurt me. Because this is the book that Otou-sama left for me.”

Every time she flipped the pages of the Phantom Book, the scenery surrounding Huey and Dalian would change.

It would be able to create hallucinations including a whole world according to the bearer’s wishes, that was the true power of The Dark Green Book.

The old people living at the bottom of the mountain, they had been drawn in by the illusion that the Phantom Book had created, and they had become part of the illusion. If Huey and Dalian had not come to visit, they probably would have been trapped in this illusion forever.

“When I can have a deeper understanding of this book, I will resurrect my dead Otou-sama! That is the real Otou-sama that will definitely belong to me, not going to find that dirty mistress!”

Thalia said dreamily as if she were a young girl engrossed in her dream.

But the girl dressed in black looked at her and calmly announced,

“You don’t have that right.”

Huey opened the book that he had retrieved from Dalian’s body.

It was a book that had been written using the eastern language.

On the leather covering, there was an ill.u.s.tration that was like an eye, it was similar to the drawing of the Stupa drawn on the Tibetian Buddhism, it had a mark called the Eyes of Truth.

Huey started to read the first chapter of the book with much difficulty.

In that moment, their surroundings started to move as if it were broken gla.s.s.

The world that had been invaded by illusions, as if experiencing a kaleidoscope change, returned to its original appearance.

“The Mantra of Reality comes from Western Asia—it is an original Buddhist text that can dispel all evil and break all illusions.”

Dalian looked at Thalia sadly. But Thalia only stood there, dazed, looking at the crumbling scenery that was an illusion.

“That Phantom Book did not choose you. So, the illusion was easily broken through.”

Hearing Dalian’s cold words, Thalia stepped back wavering, the book slipping from her hands.

“You’re lying…”

The large chasm between Thalia and Dalian and Huey had disappeared, only leaving the gentle slope of gra.s.s. Huey walked to Thalia’s side, gently picking up The Dark Green Book that had been dropped on the ground. With the loss of the power of the Phantom Book, the illusion covering the village disappeared too…

“You lie… this is what Otou-sama did for me… for me…”

Thalia looked behind herself, her heart wavering.

What appeared in her eyes was the lord’s villa under the night sky. Perhaps this building without the vines, made her think of the time when her father was still alive, Thalia turned and ran towards the villa, then—

The real villa appeared under her unprepared feet.

“Thalia!”

Huey shouted.

Her cape fluttered in the air, after that long moment, her body fell directly down the cliff. In the end there was only a cruel sound like a over-ripe fruit had been squashed, then the village fell silent.

6

The next day, Huey got up at dawn, and made a grave for Thalia.

It was a simple grave that they made, digging a hole near the lord’s villa and covering it with dirt.

There was no grave marker on that grave, because he felt that, no matter “Thalia” or “Florence”, they did not seem to fit.

The real Thalia, and those elderly villagers, all of them had disappeared. Perhaps, until today, they were wandering in that illusion created by the Phantom Book.

“This village has been deserted a long time ago… not long after Calobos’s house caught fire.”

After the power of the Phantom Book was lost, the illusion covering the entire village had disappeared at the same time.

Leaving only the signs of a dilapidated village. The well-tended fields and the small path with flowers had become barren, the residences had also become desolate. That beautiful village, was only an illusion created by the Phantom Book.

“Mister Calabos came here every month to this village deep in the mountains. Everyone thought that he was here to visit his daughter who was recovering here, calling him a good father that looked out for his daughter.”

Huey looked sadly at the barren villa of the lord, narrating softly.

“But, visiting his daughter was an excuse. His real motive, was meet his young mistress that he kept away from his wife’s notice. And his daughter knowing of this, killed her father and his lover in a fit of anger, stealing the Phantom Book. Then lived as her father’s lover—so that she could continue to firmly believe that her father loved her the most.”

After the daughter killed her father, the lord, she had lived as her father’s lover, the herbalist, for half a year. All the mistakes she made, could be covered over with the power of the Phantom Book.

“I slightly… understand the daughter’s feelings.”

Dalian who had always been quiet, spoke softly as if talking to herself.

Huey looked at her silently. There was a large library sealed in the girl’s body, the soul of a young girl that was like Dalian, had always been waiting for the day of freedom alone—

“That is?” Huey looked at the small seed that Dalian placed on top of the grave and couldn’t help but ask.

“That is the seed of a wild rose. Although the illusion disappeared, but this seed still remained.”

Dalian said with an emotionless voice as she covered the seed with soil.

Dalian spoke with an emotionless voice as she covered the seed with