Chapter 890 – There’s a Guy Living Deep Underground

000

“I never thought it would have happened like that.”

In the dark passage of the mine, Bourbon’s voice rings.

Her work clothes, which I hadn’t seen in a long time, made it impossible to tell from the outside whether she was human or dwarf, male or female.

Previously, when Cleon found traces of Gaius in the mine, it had been badly damaged as a result of fighting with the gargoyles inside the mine to help him, but it had now been neatly repaired.

And then, Cleon and Herty follow her as she walks with a large pickaxe on her shoulder.

Bourbon tried to turn her head to check the two people’s faces, but she said ‘Achacha’ and looked in front of her again.

Herti and Cleon’s heads were also covered with helmets similar to the one worn by Bourbon, like a fishbowl with no visible inside, so it was difficult to see what their facial expressions were like on the inside.

＂This helmet… It’s been a while since I’ve worn it, but it’s still a little heavy… ＂

Considering its size and thick glass walls, it would be natural.

When Herti feels that her steps are a little unsteady, Cleon stands by her side and supports her.

“Since we are heading to the depths of the adamantite mine, it would have been better to wear a full-body protective suit like me. Because there is no time to prepare for that. At the very least, you should wear that helmet to prevent adamantite particles from entering your respiratory tract.”

“Yes, I’m glad I have Bourbon.”

Herti nodded her head at Bourbon’s words.

According to the contract between the Chamber of Commerce and the Earth Dragon, the number of people who could enter the mine was limited.

It was inevitable that there were only a few people who could move to resolve the situation compared to the risk of the situation.

Right now, it was impossible to lift Gaius’ magic and barrier hanging over the mine.

Was it just Bourbon who rushed out with his equipment upon being called by Cleon and Herti who returned from the temple?

Time goes back a little while.

001

“So… The adamantite has increased too much and is having a negative effect on the sacred tree, right?”

Bourbon, who joined the two people in the yard of the Dark Dragon Company, heard Cleon’s general explanation of the situation, sighed, and put his hand on his chin, pretending to think about something.

“Ah… It may be hard to believe, but this is a story I received directly from the divine tree.”

Cleon couldn’t help but frown slightly as he answered her like that.

The reason I think she might not believe it is because she might have been somewhat proud of the adamantite she had mined so far.

But Bourbon nodded his head.

“No. Believe it. They are not two people who would lie about something like this, and if they had heard such a story directly from the temple, then that would be the case. Besides, adamantite has long been thought to be an unusual mineral. Now that the principle has been explained, it is not particularly surprising.”

Bourbon responded as he did, calmly accepting the situation.

“… That’s amazing, Bourbon. To be honest, I was wondering if something like that would be possible even after listening to Shin Mok’s explanation.”

“Well, since I was closer to Adamantite than anyone else, I guess I understand a little. I had a vague feeling that adamantite reserves were increasing. Could it be that it was really a mineral that grew on its own?”

“Yes!? But the report doesn’t say anything like that…!?”

When Herty’s surprised voice echoes through the store’s yard, Bourbon smiles and scratches the back of his head.

＂Ahaha… That’s… I thought that the increase in adamantite was ultimately a good thing for the company… It meant an increase in products, right? So I guess there’s no need to report anything-“

＂Ugh…＂

Herti was left speechless by Bourbon’s words.

Certainly, if adamantite had no other harmful properties, the company’s profits would have increased day by day just by leaving it alone.

＂Is this the harmful effect of fieldism…＂

When Cleon said a word from the side, Bourbon smiled even more sheepishly.

＂… Well, well~. Anyway, I figured out the situation. So, from now on, you’re going to stop the proliferation of adamantite?”

“That’s right. And we need to remove the adamantite that has infiltrated the sacred tree and spirit veins. Shinmok and Cleon came up with the method.”

When Herti nods and answers, Bourbon turns to Cleon.

＂Now, ego resides in the veins of adamantite. As he is just born, he continues to grow by doing only what he wants to do without thinking about it.”

“So, does that mean we have to get rid of that ego? … But that would be no different from having to destroy the entire mine?”

In response to Bourbon’s answer, Cleon shakes his head.

“Even if the adamantite mine is destroyed, if there is even a little bit of adamantite left, the amount will eventually increase again over time. To that extent, it will suck out the surrounding magic power and devastate the land… So, destroying the veins is not a method we can use at the moment.”

“There is no way to destroy it.”

＂Then, how?＂

“The emergence of the self means that communication is possible. And… If it happens, he can control that mind.”

Cleon spoke as if he was a little reluctant, but Bourbon huffed and spoke as if he understood.

“Ah. So, you either go to the adamantite vein where the ego originated and negotiate… Or if you fail, you’re going to use your abilities as a magic swordsman to control the vein and turn it around?”

“When you say it like that, you sound like a bit of an evil merchant.”

At first they negotiate, and if that doesn’t work, they force people to listen to what they have to say.

Cleon seemed to have been pricked by Herti’s words as well, so he just shrugged his shoulders.

“What. Because it’s to protect the guys of Asteris. It can’t be helped. You can think of the opponents as lumps of metal who may not even be able to communicate, and that forced domination is the last resort.”

Bourbon said that to cheer up the two and patted Cleon on the back.

“Then. Are you leaving right away? Where are you going to talk to him?”

＂According to the words of the divine tree, the core of the ego contained in the adamantite vein is located deep within the mine. He said that because his body is huge, even if he speaks from a distance from the core of his ego, it is like having his voice heard at the feet of a giant.”

“They say you won’t be able to hear unless you go up to where their head is and scream into their ear. It’s annoying.”

“So we need Bourbon’s help to get into the deep end.”

Bourbon nods her head as if she understands what Cleon said.

“What. It would definitely be lonely for two novice miners to get there. This sister should go with me.”

“I’m in good hands, Bourbon!”

＂Hmm haha~. Then I’ll prepare some, so wait for me. I’m sorry for seeming like I’m accompanying the couple on their joint work, but I’ll be keeping an eye on Cleon to make sure he doesn’t do anything strange in the dark.”

Bourbon joked like that and went to gather his equipment with a movement that made you feel like you could hear a clattering sound.

Cleon sighed at the joke, but Herti blushed a little.

002

“Now, we’re going to take this elevator down to the depths of the mine.”

“… There was something like this.”

Cleon looks at a metal elevator with an engine made of magic stones.

I hadn’t seen him before when I visited the mine, but when I thought about it, I didn’t think he’d come around here.

“Ah. Although I don’t use it very often. There is already so much adamantite on the ground, so there is no need to mine it from deep places. I was thinking that I would go someday. I never thought it would go this way.”

“Huh? Have you never been to Bourbon? … Is it okay?”

When Cleon asks that, Bourbon goes crazy! And he hit Cleon’s buttocks with his palm.

When a stinging sensation spreads from his buttocks, Cleon looks at Bourbon inside his helmet.

“It’s not that I’ve never been there, it’s just that I’m going down after a few years. The last time I went there, it was to learn how dangerous it was down there.”

“… Is the depths of the mine such a dangerous place?”

When Herti asked in a slightly worried voice, Bourbon responded by slapping his hand away.

“What. It’s not a place full of strange monsters like a dungeon somewhere. Because it is not a place for such creatures to live in the first place. There is no food, and since it is underground and a semi-enclosed underground space, there is not enough oxygen.”

Shake!

Bourbon continues his explanation and operates the elevator by pressing the button.

Looking at it, it reminds me of the elevator I saw in the assassin’s house, which could be entered using an adamantite coin.

The one installed here seemed even more outdated than that.

“Ah, Cleon, Herti. Hold on to the handle on the railing. Because it shakes quite a bit when going down.”

＂Ah, yes!＂

Herti was embarrassed and fumbled with her hand to find the railing, and Cleon grabbed her hand and guided her to the railing.

“Thank you, Cleon.”

＂Wow, you’re acting cute in front of people. Do you know that you are going into a dangerous place?”

“I was just being considerate. So? Any explanation on the inside?”

Cleon gave a brief reply to Bourbon’s remark, not knowing whether it was a jeering or teasing comment, and then pressed on with the next story.

＂Sheesh. Well, the deepest part of the mine is dark. This is natural because, unlike on the ground, no lighting has been installed. So, you have to move forward while relying on the portable lantern like this.”

As Bourbon says so, she shows a magic lantern the size of her fist attached to her protective suit.

“If you use this guy, you can see to a certain extent, but you still have to be careful. Dark places cause people to lose their sense of direction. Plus, it’s cramped, humid, and sometimes makes strange noises. It’s true that it’s hard to stay sane if you stay in a place like that for a long time.”

＂… Indeed.＂

Thanks to her explanation, I was able to clearly understand that it was a place where I would probably develop claustrophobia if I stayed there for a long time.

“Ahaha… I’m lucky that I don’t have to struggle with not being able to see at least because I was blind to begin with.”

Perhaps he was trying to relieve the tension, but when Herti spewed out self-deprecating words, neither Bourbon nor Cleon showed such subtle expressions that they didn’t know how to respond.

＂No… Well, it was just a joke to lighten the mood a little… ＂

“Yeah, I guess I should say it’s hard to respond to that kind of self-torture… Anyway, that’s not the only danger deep in the mine.”

When Herti, who sensed that the atmosphere had calmed down further, spoke in embarrassment, Bourbon continued talking about the dangers deep in the mine.

“As I said before, there are adamantite particles floating in the air in the mine. If you inhale it into your respiratory tract, metal fragments will build up inside, causing your lungs to rot. Thinking about it now, this may also be a disease caused by the proliferation of adamantite that enters the body.”

“It’s okay to not wear a helmet on the ground, but that’s not the case underground.”

Bourbon nodded his head again at Cleon’s words.

＂What? What remains is that there may be places where the ground is weak, or there is a risk of something falling from the ceiling. Anyway, the place we are heading from now is an area that seems to have concentrated the dangerous parts of this mine. Be prepared.”

＂… Yes!＂

When Herty nodded vigorously at Bourbon’s words, Bourbon slammed his fist down on the biggest button on his elevator.

Then, the moment I thought the elevator shook again.

Kikigeek, Kikigigigeek… Kikigigigeek-!!!

＂Ugh…!＂

＂Aaaaah!＂

The acceleration was so strong that Cleon and Herti made sounds come out of their mouths, and the elevator almost fell.

It wasn’t so much that it was shaking, but if I didn’t hold on to the railing, it felt like I would fly upwards due to the lack of a ceiling.

＂Oh, it’s been a while since I rode it, but it’s no joke…! Dwarves say this is average…!”

＂What kind of life are you living, that race…!＂

At that time, Cleon notices that Herti’s hand is slowly coming loose from the railing, and quickly covers her hand from above, fixing it to the railing.

Of course, if one hand is like that, the other hand could have been like that too…

If you hurry and cover both of her hands, they will naturally end up clinging to the railing like two people overlapping their bodies.

＂Sorry Herty. Please be patient…!”

Cleon stood there as if pinning Hertie down with her own weight, and after less than a minute, her lift came to a halt, landing with a thud in the deepest part.

＂…＂

I couldn’t hear anything like the friction sound of the rusty machinery that had irritated my ears earlier.

Cleon and Herti take a deep breath of their own accord.

Although they were hiding their heads with helmets, they could clearly see what kind of expressions each other had.

If the two of you don’t say anything for a while-

Paang!

And once again, Bourbon hits Cleon’s buttocks with his palm.

“How long are you going to stick around? It arrived.”

“It hurts…! You from earlier…! Say it with words, with words!”

Cleon freed Herti by raising her voice, and Herti carefully got out of the elevator, even though she felt her heart pounding.

And – the surrounding scenery that comes into view thanks to Bourbon’s lighting.

When Cleon saw that, he had no choice but to swallow his breath.

“… Indeed. “This is what it feels like to be almost blind.”

A black space that extends forever.

The primal fear of not knowing what was waiting inside weighed heavily on Cleon’s body.

＂You didn’t get scared by coming all the way here, did you?＂

＂… No way.＂

However, when Bourbon asked Cleon as if he was provoking him, Cleon also shook his head.

Fear can be overcome.

The important thing was to think about how to deal with what was waiting inside.