Chapter 619 – Mines and Passes

000

The first place Cleon and his party headed after coming out of Kanon’s secret base and returning to Asteris was the office of the Dark Dragon Company where Herti was.

Today, as usual, she has the cat Bahamut on her lap, and she is examining her documents eagerly even with her invisible eyes.

Even though she couldn’t see her, she moved her hand and brushed the ink on the paper with her usual calm face, as if there was no discomfort in doing such paperwork.

Cleon then tells her story of how she first met Kanon and learned what happened to Asteris in the past.

Rakshasa and Nayuta, and Gaios and Amryongdang.

It was a story about Herti’s ancestors, now called the Dark Dragon Company.

Then, after hearing all of that, Herti was silent for a while.

“…What’s wrong, Hertie? By any chance, is there something wrong?”

In response to Hertie’s reaction, when Cleon asks her a question, as if feeling something strange about her, Hertie slowly shakes her head.

“No. Quite the opposite. Certainly, in the early days, the Amryong Sanghoe was a workshop group made up of artisans who produced items ordered from the capital and temples – that is, blacksmiths and carpenters, and merchants who prepared materials for their use. That is the content that is announced to the outside, even when explaining the history of our Amryong Company.”

Calia, who was sitting next to Hertie, also nodded her head at her words.

“However, very few people know that ‘adamantite’ is woven into it. That is, the elders of noble families and the royal family who have been cooperating with us for a very long time… I guess. If I hadn’t told you, it’s a history that would be hard for even Cleon-sama to figure out.”

Herti clapped her hands in admiration as she added, ‘It’s great that you figured it out on your own!’

With her attitude like that, you would think that she would positively accept the request she spoke about next.

“—But.”

However, as if she was reading the group’s thoughts, Herti put her hand on her desk and spoke with an unprecedented serious expression.

“It is impossible to allow you to enter the adamantite mine.”

“…”

Layla and Fleur look surprised at Herti’s words. And Artis and Calia, who seem to have known that.

Kshat, for the sake of her master, was trying to hide her emotional agitation as much as possible, while Cleon kept her poker face on the other hand while talking to her.

“Can I hear the reason?”

As carefully as possible, when Cleon asks Hertie a question, she nods her head as if it were natural, and replies with a little relief from her serious expression.

“Of course. …Even if it’s for a really simple reason.”

As Herti said, she took a deep breath for a while, and then she spoke to Cleon and her companions like this.

“It’s simply because the structure of the mine makes it impossible for everyone to enter and exit.”

“…?”

Calia opened her mouth beside her, as if she didn’t understand the meaning of the words, and as if she would make up for what Herti said when the party looked back.

“As you know, the adamantite mine is the highest secret for our eastern country, on which national security is at stake. If unprocessed adamantite is leaked out of the country, that alone poses a significant threat.”

Especially if it is an enemy country.

Hearing Calia’s story, what the party naturally thinks of must be the bomb that Rachal’s brother was trying to make and use.

“For a moment. Then, what about the coins used in the kingdom? Isn’t that the same as supplying adamantite to the kingdom in a way?”

“Adamantite coin is adamantite that has been processed and made safe. We don’t use adamantite that way in our daily life, and we don’t have any intention of turning it into a weapon and processing it. However, adamantite itself still has considerable reserves, and the original purpose of the Dark Dragon Company was to find a place to use them as soon as possible and process them all.”

In other words, the reason why Amryong Corporation has been mining adamantite mines for hundreds of years is not to make the country rich and strong by using the ore effectively, but on the contrary.

They said it was to change all the adamantite that existed in the world into harmless artifacts.

That’s why it was enough to know the secret of adamantite, and only by doing so would the secret and their attitude toward adamantite continue.

Of course, collecting the ore and processing it safely were only possible in the hands of skilled artisans, so it must have been difficult to increase the number.

Calia explained that the proposal to make adamantite coins and use them as assassins’ currency started when the artisans of the East ordered ‘a special currency that only assassins could use’ at the Assassin’s House in the Kingdom. .

It was also an opportunity to earn kingdom gold for the Eastern countries and merchants, and I thought it was a better use than stacking safely processed adamantite.

“…But we already know about the secret of adamantite, right? If that’s the case, I’m going to come and protect you-“

“No. The important thing in terms of entering the mine is not whether you know the secret or not. Really, it’s just that it’s hard for you to get in and out of the mine’s system.”

Saying that, Herti took off the white cotton glove he was wearing on his left hand and showed the palm of his hand.

There was a geometric pattern engraved with magical power that gave off a subtle golden light.

The moment he saw something that looked like a dragon’s head somewhere, Cleon knew that the dragon’s ring on his finger reacted instantaneously.

“That’s… An unusual imprint. You can feel the magical power itself, but it’s not an imprint that restricts the owner’s actions like other imprints.”

“That’s right. This is… It’s an inscription passed down from generation to generation in our Dark Dragon Company. Only those who have this engraving can enter the adamantite mine.”

“There was nothing like that in the video we saw…”

When Artis said something suspicious, Calia answered to dispel Attis’ suspicions.

“Hundreds of years ago, it is said that there was an incident where a human who entered a mine arbitrarily took a light beam with him. As a reflection of that time, it is said that the security of the mine has become more strict.”

“──Ah~”

After hearing Calia’s explanation, Artis nodded her head in agreement.

Of course, what we are talking about there will be an incident caused by ‘Raksal’.

“Are you convinced?”

Calia then explained, There are currently seven people who have this imprint. According to the tradition of the Dark Dragon Company, which has been passed down for hundreds of years, it is said that this inscription has been handed down to the well-versed successor who has kept the secret of the mine and inherited the business of the family that manages the mine.

As for the people with the inscription, there are four miners residing in the mine and digging up ore, one carrier who brings the ore mined by the miner to Asteris, and one artisan who can process adamantite. And one manager who integrates and manages them.

“…Calia doesn’t have an imprint?”

Calia nods her head when Layla asks, thinking that by the description she’s heard now, she doesn’t seem to be included.

“Yes. I’m always Herti’s assistant. Even if you know about the mine, you have never been inside it.”

In a way, the fact that Herti’s right-hand man and her agent, even her, had not been given her imprint, showed how strongly they were trying to keep the secret of her mine.

“I’m asking for your reference. What will happen if someone who does not have the imprint goes into the mine by mistake?”

Again, when Artis asked such a question with her doubting face, Herti looked back at her and answered.

“There is a barrier that is cursed with petrification, turning to stone from the part that crosses the boundary line. If a person without the imprint passes through, they will receive that curse all over their body and become a rock statue on the spot.”

“Mu, it’s a trap that can only be seen in some ancient tomb…”

Artis broke into a cold sweat at Hertie’s answer.

If he said he wouldn’t get hit by anything, did he try to sneak in…

“If possible, I would like to cooperate with you to investigate whether there are traces of such a thing inside the mine… But we do not even know who created the barrier that exists in the mine with what kind of magic. I can’t send you guys to such a risk. We will investigate the inside of the mine.”

Herti told his party so that his intentions were conveyed as undistorted as possible.

“…What? Except for the worry that there are no experts, if Herti says so…”

Since Artis had already been denied entry to her mine by her for a long time, she puffed out her cheeks slightly as if she was used to this reaction, but Layla didn’t seem to understand.

“…That’s it.”

And as if Layla had finally sorted out what was in her head, she raised her head and spoke to Herti.

“That imprint, can’t it be transplanted? To someone else.”

“Eh…”

When everyone looks at Layla with an expression that seems to have lost her words for a moment, Layla puts her arms around her and organizes her thoughts.

“That’s right, engravings have been passed down from generation to generation, right? It would be difficult to have an imprint engraved on it from birth… But if the owner dies before the imprint is passed on to the legitimate successor, the imprint itself will be lost.”

“…”

When Calia and Hertie kept her mouth shut for a moment, Cleon looked back at her and shook her head.

“Lyla. The reason the two of them didn’t talk… Must be because there was a good reason.”

“I know that too. At this rate, wouldn’t we really have to investigate Gaius in the mine with just Herty and a few people? It’s one of the most powerful places, but there are so many things that you might miss if you don’t check it yourself.”

It was well known that Hertie valued warfare and wanted to help Cleon and the others, but it was a little different to talk about it on the same line.

The higher priority is to reliably find clues to find Gaios.

If you look at Calia, as if asking how Layla is, she tries to answer something of her to Layla-

“…As expected, Miss Layla. Her sharp insight is frightening.”

As if to block Calia’s words, Herti was the first to open her mouth.

Layla only shrugged her shoulders at the compliment, but Herti then confided in her group.

“Like Miss Layla just said… This engraving can move or ‘extend’ its owner.”

“…! Wait, can you increase it? Then-“

“Of course. It’s not possible for anyone. What increases is blood and blood – in other words, to the family.”

Cleon’s eyes widened and he was about to ask if he couldn’t duplicate the imprint on them, but Hertie spoke as if covering the question.

Of course, none of these people are related to her by blood, so she has no one to whom she can receive her imprint.

“Ha.”

What is it, Kim Sae-ne? Lila let out a sigh as if to say.

However, as if Herti hadn’t finished speaking, she continued by adding ‘—and’.

“…Swearing to raise a family together, and to assist those who shoulder their duties. To ‘companion’.”

‘Bar, companion…!?’

When Fleur involuntarily responded to the word, her snort became harsh, and the ‘push-nose’ sound grew louder through the gas mask.

“…If it’s a companion, can you pass the imprint on to the person who later becomes Herti’s husband?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

After asking this question, Artis hears Calia’s answer and naturally imagines in her mind Hertti, dressed in the traditional bridal attire of the Orient, standing next to a man.

“Quaaaaah

Then, Artis screamed and grabbed her head and stood up.

When the group looked back at Artis, who was suddenly screaming, Artis muttered while still holding her head.

“Chi, when I pictured the scene of her friend getting married in her head, brain, brain feels like it’s going to burn.”

“How twisted…”

Though bewildered by Artis’ lines, Lyla puts her hand on her forehead, thinking that it’s the same that she doesn’t get the imprint after all.

Then, Kshat quietly raises his hand and asks a question to both Kalia and Herti.

“Is that imprint able to judge the relationship between humans? Partnership is, in the end, a pairing of a man and a woman who have formed a family based on the family register.”

“Yeah, that’s it! Promises between people like that are too ambiguous, aren’t they? Something more certain…”

When Layla spoke as if Kshat’s point was correct, Herti would alternately look in the direction from which the two voices were heard, blushing and bowing her head.

“That, that’s…”

“The imprint recognizes the person who spends the first night with them as a ‘companion’.”

If Herti hesitated and couldn’t speak, Calia spoke with her mouth open, as if replacing her owner.

“…”

Then, as well as Herti, everyone gathered there had no choice but to keep their mouths shut.

“Ah- that… That’s right. So, in other words… If we want to inherit the imprint…”

Layla understood.

“…Someone says you have to do it with Herti.”

Artis concluded.

“And as a companion, you have to take responsibility.”

Kshat was to put a chasing blow there.

Naturally, being there becomes painful when everyone in the party is engulfed in silence.

Cleon felt exactly that way.

It’s not different, it’s because the women gathered here from earlier have been giving him a quick glance.

Except for Herti, who is blind.

Of course, depriving Herty of a precious beginning in her future life by saying that she would enter the mine was absurd, so Cleon shook her head and was about to end the story.

“Then there’s nothing you can do about it, the mine side is for you-“

“Excuse me!”

However, as if to cut Cleon off, a voice came out from Hertie’s side.

Once again, as her group looked at her, Herti was still trying to say something with her red face.

“I—I, if, Cleon-sama—”

“Herti. It’s time for the afternoon schedule. For today, let’s end the meeting here.”

Calia cuts off Herti’s words once again.

Then, hearing Calia’s words, Herti was startled by her, fanning her heated face with her hand and talking.

“That’s right. Huh. Okay. Then, let’s start right away.”

At the same time, the group sighed as they watched the two of them leave the office, bowing down to apologize repeatedly.

“I guess mine won’t work.”

“Then, we’ll go to the temple next…”

And, without leaving their seats, they sat down and started talking about Artis and Layla.

Cleon looked at the two for a while and was only a little concerned about Herti’s remarks, which were about to say something before leaving.

001

Morning that day.

The party, who had been able to obtain permission to investigate the basement of the temple before evening, had to disperse and return to the place where they were staying, saying that the investigation would be done tomorrow.

And the moment Cleon threw himself on the bed, remembering that day was a tiring day, he felt as if he was slowly sinking into a sticky swamp, and he passed into the world of soma.

It was the other colleagues who couldn’t bear to wake him up after he had not eaten dinner and had just washed himself and fell asleep.

And while everyone else, including Cleon, was asleep, Cleon woke up to the sound of rustling in his bed without realizing it.

“…Sasha?”

He called out the name of Sasha, who was presumed to have always been hiding under his blanket. The one who came into the futon flinched, but did not respond.

In the end, Cleon sighed and turned around to check on Sasha, but-

It wasn’t Sasha who was there, but someone else.

It was also someone I talked to a lot during the day.

“…Herti… Are you sleepwalking again?”

He thought so because it was Cleon who had experienced walking in while sleeping many times, but-

“…Ah, no. I’m awake.”

When he heard Hertie’s voice, he involuntarily raised his upper body and looked down at Hertie, who was lying next to him.

“…Ah, hello…”

With her eyes still closed, she was wearing her usual pajamas and waving her hand at Cleon.