“Ghost Fire? Sandrag, what is this Ghost Fire people are talking about outside?” Anke asked Sandrag.
“It’s the blue flames that rise from graveyards. We’ve encountered them every once in a while since we moved into this cave,” Sandrag replied.
He was about to head out and help extinguish the flames.
“What? You’re saying there’s Ghost Fire in a coal mine! We have to put it out immediately! If it catches, everything will be finished!” Anke cried out in alarm.
“I understand, Your Highness. Please stay here. We’ll handle it,” Sandrag said before rushing toward the source of the fire.
“No, I have to see for myself!” Anke said, deeply concerned.
“Your Highness, that blue Ghost Fire chases people. It’s dangerous. You should trust Sandrag and the others. They’ve lived here for a month and know how to handle it.”
Vera blocked Anke, unwilling to let him put himself in danger.
“Don’t worry. This fire is just a natural phenomenon. It’s not some ghost or spirit at work. It won’t hurt me.”
“No.”
No matter how Anke explained, Vera refused to let him near the danger. To her, “mysterious” threats were beyond her control.
“Fine, fine. I won’t go.” Anke sighed and sat back down.
Vera listened intently to the subtle movements around them, wary of any “ghosts” that might attack.
Fortunately, everything remained peaceful. Soon, a man’s voice drifted in from outside, getting closer. “The fire is out! It’s out! Everyone, go back to your work.”
Sandrag returned, accompanied by a robust man whose clothes were covered in mud and coal dust.
“You must be the new Lord of Hanover Province that Sandrag mentioned, His Highness Anke Hi Meklund, right? I am Brunner, the Chief here.”
Brunner wiped his hand on his trousers before extending it toward Anke.
Vera watched the hand. Even after several wipes, black stains remained.
Furthermore, Brunner wasn’t even a low-ranking knight; he didn’t have the status to initiate a handshake with Anke.
As a leader of over nine hundred people, Brunner surely knew this.
His reason for doing it was clear: he was testing Anke’s character.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Brunner.” Anke shook Brunner’s hand immediately.
This single gesture won the man’s favor and instantly closed the distance between them.
“It is an honor to have you here, Your Highness,” Brunner said, his expression relaxing.
“I’ve heard from Sandrag that you wish to take us in as your subjects. That is a stroke of luck I could only dream of. However, Sandrag and I cannot speak for everyone. Can you give us a little time? We intend to gather everyone for a vote before making a final decision.”
“Of course. You have the right to choose. I have no wish to force anyone’s hand.” Anke nodded. “But since there is some time before the vote, I’d like to ask you about something else.”
“What do you wish to ask, Your Highness? Please, speak freely.”
“It’s about the Ghost Fire from earlier. Sandrag said it appears here every so often. Can you take me to where it happened? I plan to continue mining this cave, so the issue of the Ghost Fire must be resolved.”
“Your Highness… why are you still thinking about that Ghost Fire?” Vera called out helplessly. Why was his curiosity so relentless?
“Don’t worry, Vera. It will be fine.” Anke gave her a thumbs-up.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Brunner agreed.
“This is the tenth time the Ghost Fire has appeared. It looks terrifying, but no one has ever been hurt by it. Still, the fire is an ill omen. If Your Highness doesn’t mind the bad luck, follow me.”
“Great! Let’s go!”
“Your Highness…”
……
“This is where the Ghost Fire appears. Every time, it just pops out of thin air in the blink of an eye. If a person moves, the fire chases them.”
Brunner led them to a tunnel and pointed at a crack in the ground.
“Can a few people dig this up?” Anke knelt to inspect the crack and then looked up.
“Of course. You guys, come over here! Dig this up!” Brunner shouted to some miners nearby.
“Got it, Uncle Brunner! We’re coming!” The miners grabbed their tools and began to dig.
“Did you find something, Your Highness?” Vera asked curiously.
“Just wait and see,” Anke said, keeping the mystery alive.
The miners worked hard, and the layer of soil and gravel grew thinner.
Under the torchlight, white objects began to emerge from the black earth.
A miner holding a torch looked down and suddenly screamed.
“B-Bones! They’re human bones!”
The scream seemed to wake the sleeping dead. Several clusters of pale blue Ghost Fire manifested in midair.
“Ghost Fire! It’s back!”
“A ghost!”
Vera immediately drew her sword and stepped in front of Anke. A miner turned to run, and the flames seemed to find their target, chasing after him.
“Don’t run! As long as you don’t run, this Phosphorus Fire won’t chase you!” Anke shouted to the fleeing miner.
But the miner wasn’t listening. Finally, Vera picked up a shovel and knocked the miner down with it. The Phosphorus Fire slowly stopped moving.
“Don’t panic, everyone. This fire will go out on its own in a moment.” Anke’s calm voice steadied the crowd.
They waited in tense silence until the blue flames flickered out and vanished.
“Actually, this so-called Ghost Fire is also known as Phosphorus Fire. It has nothing to do with spirits. It’s the result of Phosphine, created by the decomposition of human or animal bones, burning in the air. We just uncovered the bodies, which released the Phosphine all at once. That’s why so much fire appeared. Now that it has burned off, it won’t appear again for a while.”
‘Phos… phorus? Phos… phine? His Highness is talking about things I don’t understand again,’ Vera thought with a frown.
Brunner and the miners also looked at Anke with blank expressions.
“In short, those flames have nothing to do with ghosts. It’s because of the bodies buried here. Once they rot, the fire appears. If we relocate the remains outside, there won’t be any more Ghost Fire.”
Anke coughed twice and finished his explanation.
“Ohhh!” After a brief pause, the crowd let out a collective sound of understanding.