Spirits can see in the dark.

It was only some time ago that he realized how extraordinary this thing he had become accustomed to was for others.

For the spirits, darkness is not a barrier to obscure vision. For the most part, it's his helper. And, he is well aware that as long as he is cautious, it will always be.

Therefore, he could easily see the shadow moving not far from the faint light from a distance of hundreds of meters.

Mines, shadows. Sounds like a good fit. The ghost thought.

“...... I saw only one person, Carlil. He said.

"Did you see a dark green tent, Spirit?" Carlil asked.

Instead of answering the ghost's question directly, he moved on to something else.

His tone was calm, calm that something was wrong. The ghost thought.

"Nope."

The ghost replied, then keenly asked, "Is this a good thing?" ”

"The dark green tents are where the miners live."

Carlil said calmly, still not answering the ghost's question directly.

His tone grew calmer. Now, it's even so calm that the ghost is faintly uneasy.

"They spend most of their lives underground, and their bodies are devastated by long-term labor. When the pit they are responsible for is finished, the mine owners will not be able to pay any more attention to them. ”

"Still, they have one last bit of use."

“...... What is the value? ”

"Quintus has many butchers, ghosts."

Carlil said calmly. "The dark green tents that the miners live in are issued by the mine owners and will accompany them throughout their lives. However, in the vernacular of the butcher's shop, this kind of tent is also called 'cargo cloth'. ”

The ghost was silent, holding back a terrible urge that rose from the bottom of his heart.

"It's unbearable, isn't it?" Carlil asked softly without looking back.

He was at the forefront and knew the environment inside out. His ability to see in the dark wasn't as strong as that of a ghost, but his familiarity made up for it.

dilapidated houses, alleys, possible potholes in the ground...... Carlil walked through them one by one, looking natural and relaxed.

He's even smiling. And the smile was exactly the same as he had on a rainy night, his skin stiffened by his muscles, his teeth rubbing slightly in the air.

"Yes......" the ghost replied in a low voice. But, Carlil, there's one more person there. ”

"This shows that there are already some butcher shops that have come to pull the goods."

Carlil said calmly. "They're just going to die. Therefore, those who are alive for the time being are left behind...... If there are more of them, they will come again. ”

He stopped abruptly.

"Carlil?"

“...... I'm fine, just a little sorry, Ghost. ”

"Excuse me?"

"yes. I wanted you to meet them, but I didn't expect it to be too late. ”

The ghost heard it, and a chuckle came from ahead. "Looks like we're out of luck, don't you think?"

“.......”

The ghost didn't answer.

Next, there was nothing to say all the way.

They quickly approached the faint light source in silence. It's powered by the wind, and in the Spirit's opinion, the only reason the people who came to pull it don't take it is probably because it's on the verge of being scrapped.

He could see the light flickering, and it was blowing a strong wind. Obviously, the reason why its light is so unstable is not because of energy.

And in that light...... It was a shivering, emaciated man who was paralyzed on the ground.

Extreme emaciation. The ghost thought.

He was dressed in tattered clothes. There was a look of frightening numbness on the pale face that made the ghost give up the idea of remembering it.

The man collapsed on the ground, stretching his limbs on the cold, hard ground, lying there like a toy. The ghost realized after a thousandth of a second that he wasn't lying like this to relax.

Little by little, the ghost looked away.

He didn't want to look at him.

He didn't dare to look.

Carlil was different, he just walked forward and greeted softly, with a natural familiarity in his voice.

"Hakan."

The man's eyes rolled blankly, and he looked at Carlil, silent.

"It's me, Hakan. It's Carlil. ”

The miner shook his neck sluggishly, and his numb and dry face finally fluctuated a little. He opened his mouth and spat out a hoarse tone: "...... Card? ”

"Well, it's me."

Carlil crouched down and asked softly. "Is everyone gone?"

"Yes...... Butcher's shop, come. ”

Hakan answered Carlil's question intermittently with broken syllables. "Tent, no ...... I, cold. ”

The ghost saw that Carlil's head was bowed down.

“...... Card? ”

"I'm here." Carlil replied softly.

"I... Think, die. ”

Little by little, the miner said, and the ghost saw that there were faint tears in those dead eyes. "Tired, me."

The ghost heard a sigh, and then, a word from Karil. His body was healthy, but his voice was as shattered as Hakan's weakened vocal cords.

"I see, Hakan."

“...... Thank. ”

"You're welcome. I'm sorry, Hakan, I'm sorry...... I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. ”

In the darkness, there was a flash of silver light.

Carlil stood up slowly, and the ghost didn't hear him make any more sounds. He saw Carlil help the miner to his feet, his eyes closed.

The ghost didn't see the wound, not in the neck, not in the chest—Carlil used to like to inflict wounds in both positions, but not today.

"I'm going down to the pit...... Ghost. ”

"The pit?" The ghost asked keenly. "Are you going to bury him?"

"The rats are gone." Carlil said with his back to him. "The pit has been abandoned for at least a week...... They are clever and know where to get food. ”

"Are you going to bury him?"

"Yes." Carlil said, then paused for a few seconds. For him, this is unusual.

"I will bury him. When a person dies, he deserves a small piece of shelter. ”

“...... Do you need help? ”

"No, no. That place is too narrow for you, Spirit, and it's hard to be down there before you're that high...... I'll just go myself. ”

Carlil turned around, and the ghost saw his side face - he realized that Carlil was smiling comfortingly at him.

However, there is no smile in this smile.

He turned, and the ghost smiled a stiff, reassuring smile behind him. Karil didn't see it, and the ghost began to frustrate his momentary hesitation.

What's wrong with you, Carlil?

-----------------

"Hakan?" The ghost asked.

"Yes, Hakan. A person who doesn't like to talk much. ”

Carlil smiled and shook his head.

"He didn't have many friends, but everyone knew him. Because Hakan was a good man, he would leave half of his food ration every day for those who were punished, so that they would not starve to death. ”

“...... Do you know him? ”

"Of course I know him, Spirit."

Carlil replied in a brisk tone. "Otherwise, how would I know what his name is and what his personality is?"

"Have you ever worked as a miner before?"

"I've done it for a while, otherwise, I wouldn't have met you in that pit."

The ghost nodded in silence, he didn't know what to say.

Before meeting Carlil, he knew nothing about Nostramo. After meeting Carlil, he already knows a thing or two about the world.

And just now, he found out that he actually didn't know much about the person Karil Lohals.

He knew almost nothing about him except for his name and personality.

"Mining is not an easy job."

Sitting on the edge of the tall building, Carlil said, his voice soft.

He was rare and talkative, and in the old days, he wouldn't have talked at length if the ghost hadn't asked.

The ghost listened in silence, he could sort out some of Carlil's mood right now.

"The underground environment is very harsh, except for those who are particularly short, and almost everyone has to bend over to work in poor light."

"They have a daily target, and if the amount of ore excavated is not met, they will be penalized."

"Adamantite is precious and can occupy a very high level in the index. But it's not easy to spot. Coal is the most common, but it is also cheap, and then iron. Oh, and there's a pale blue crystal. ”

"It's beautiful, so it can also reach a higher level in the metric. The aristocrats loved it. However, most people spend their lives digging coal and iron. ”

With that, Carlil smiled, and the ghost noticed that he was rubbing his index finger against the blade of the blade in his sleeve, and it was very fast.

"Ah, by the way, do you know how coal is formed, Wraith?" He asked suddenly.

“...... Coal is formed by a complex series of crustal movements caused by plant remains buried underground. The ghost replied in a low voice.

A minute ago, he didn't know about it. But Carlil mentioned coal, and he knew.

These things came to him naturally, like instinct.

No, maybe it's instinct.

"yes, the remains of plants...... This means that, a long, long time ago, Nostramo was not like this. ”

Carlil said softly. "Its sky should be blue, day and night, and the sun will not be obscured by clouds...... And plants. Like trees, like grass. And, of course, the sea and the lake. ”

The ghost listened silently, and it was a moment before he asked.

"How do you know this, Carlil?"

"Sometimes, I dream. Dreams from the past. ”

"Dreams?"

"yes, dreams. People can dream, ghosts. And the scenes in dreams usually don't have any logic at all. Some dreams are warm, some are absurd, and some are terrifying. However, the word dream is not all used to refer to the dreams produced by sleep. ”

“...... Do you dream? ”

"Sometimes, ghosts, sometimes."

Carlil slowly stood up and shook his head. "Also...... I'm sorry. ”

Why do you want to apologize?

The ghost frowned, and he stood up in silence, not knowing what to say. And on his side, Carlil continues.

"I was going to go to the pit and see if there was any iron ore left, and make you a knife. But I forgot about it. ”

“...... I don't care. The ghost whispered. And, Carlil, forging weapons requires a furnace, we don't have it. ”

"yes, we don't."

Carlil smiled slightly, he turned his head, and his eyes lit up with a cold blue light: "But we have this." ”

He took a slow step forward and leaped down the tall building, the ghost following closely behind.