#023. The Oath Is Too Kind (2)

#023. The Oath Is Too Kind (2)

Gorgon was happy.

To his mother Theresa, projectile defense techniques.

To his son Ian, the mana cultivation technique.

The Theresa family generously imparted their techniques.

What noble family in the world would bestow such precious teachings upon the son of a lowly woodcutter without expecting anything in return, even appointing him as a personal guard?

-Give your life to protect the secret of the mana cultivation technique.

Even recalling it now filled him with emotion.

I can make something of myself.

I won’t be a useless person in this party.

Gorgon always had that anxiety.

‘An incompetent person with nothing but faith can be abandoned at any time.’

He was the most lagging party member in this band.

Nina, a powerhouse archer with incredible agility.

Hanyanya, the cat-beastkin captain of the guard; a skilled warrior both respected and resented within the beastkin encampment.

Yuz, once a messenger, now blessed with a natural talent for thievery.

Compared to these impressive talents, all he possessed was trust.

And a debt that stretched into the realm of gold coins.

If he could ever pay off that debt…

If the day came when Gorgo was surpassed by others, so many that they overflowed, filling both the first and second tier parties with talent…

If Gorgo’s dedication and sacrifice became utterly pointless, blocked by a wall of prodigies, fading into obscurity…

‘It would be disheartening, but I always knew such a future was inevitable.’

It wasn’t just him anymore; every adventurer, every journeyman knew of Theresa’s exceptional nature.

Yet Ian, even now, offered him a chance.

A reason to remain within Theresa’s party.

Ian always lent a hand.

Even if it was the pity of a fellow from the same district, a recognition of his past self, Gorgo wouldn’t refuse it.

Opportunity was the most precious thing in the district.

Some fell before an opportunity arrived, their bodies worn and ravaged by illness.

Others forged the wrong connections, were stabbed in the back, or swindled out of their fortunes.

Compared to that, meeting a good soul like Ian was a stroke of luck worth more than a king’s ransom.

And so, he clung to the chance offered, dedicating himself to learning new skills with fierce diligence.

Training.

And more training.

Witnessing Gorgo’s intense training regimen spurred Nina into action.

“If Gorgo’s pushing himself like that, I can’t just sit around. Tell me if there’s anyone who needs a good thrashing. I’ll take ’em all on.”

Theresa was so strong and brazen that it was easily overlooked, but Nina was an alpha female with a temper of her own.

Upon hearing her bold request, Ian immediately assigned her a task.

“Collect maps from the abandoned mine’s owner and the miners.”

Nina set off with unwavering confidence.

How difficult could obtaining a simple map be?

Area maps or city maps were treated as strategic assets, but mine maps, managed by private individuals, didn’t fall under such strict classification.

Besides, Theresa’s party was leading the charge in conquering the abandoned mine. It would be absurd if the mine owner refused to hand over a map.

But that’s precisely what happened.

“The maps were lost a long time ago.”

“How can such an important map just be lost? It’s your mine, isn’t it?”

“The mine hasn’t been operational for three years now.”

Nina felt a chill creep down her spine.

“You’re telling me you submitted a quest for a dungeon that’s been abandoned for three years? That wasn’t mentioned on the request form!”

“Was that information required? We were under the impression that it wasn’t,” they said.

“Who processed your quest application?”

“Someone named Lost.”

In a fit of anger, Nina stormed into the Adventurer’s Guild.

And then came a tale with an even more unsettling aftertaste.

“Just checked the logs. A receptionist named Rost registered a week ago, and quit after only one day. The request involved the Abandoned Mine Dungeon, by the way.”

“Is this a legitimate request?”

“Absolutely not.”

Teresa’s designated party receptionist, Anna, her face grim, glanced around at the other receptionist windows before leaning in and warning Nina in a low voice.

“I know the Vice Guild Master is from a noble family, so they say that line of connections involves all sorts of loopholes for requests from… *important* people.”

A request involving *important* people.

An unprocurable strategy guide.

A request born from the pressure Teresa’s ex-husband put on the Sodom Guild.

Circumstantial evidence all pointing to a deeply impure answer.

The highly unpleasant possibility that the Guild’s Vice Master, in cahoots with Teresa’s ex-husband – her party’s enemy – was sabotaging their expedition.

“Ian. That’s what happened.”

“I know it’s difficult, but is it possible to contact any of the miners in the abandoned mine? Even a partial map from them, or just knowing how the original paths were structured, could help us anticipate monster traps and find our way through.”

While it might not be the entire map of the abandoned mine held by the mine owner, knowing even a portion of the layout and how the original paths ran could help them anticipate monster traps and find their way through.

Nina inquired amongst the adventurers at the tavern, those familiar faces from the recent party recruitment drive.

“Anybody know folks who used to mine around here?”

“The blacksmiths buy ore at the smithy, so they’d probably know. Or maybe the village headman.”

“Oh, you’re quick on the uptake!”

“Hmph. Just because that Ring of Wisdom was difficult doesn’t mean I’m stupid, got it? If you find anything out, slip it to Ian. I want another shot at that ring, on the sly.”

“That much I can do.”

Nina headed for the blacksmiths.

And was chased out every time she mentioned miners.

“Get out of here with that nonsense!”

“Don’t know. Get lost.”

On her way to the last blacksmith in town,

a suspicious figure lurking in the shadows blocked Nina’s path.

“Centaur. Don’t interfere in human affairs.”

“What? Who are you?”

“Someone who might cut you down. If you don’t want to see blood, back off. Don’t go looking for miners, and keep your head down.”

Nina, watching Teresa, learned one good thing about human society.

When things go south, strike first.

*Thwack!*

Nina, having fired an arrow, clicked her tongue.

Nimble fellow.

She knocked the incoming arrow aside with her arm.

The metallic clang indicated a high level of armor.

Whether the aim was just a warning or not, the figure vanished just as quickly, but the unsettling feeling lingered.

Even after arriving at her destination, the smithy, the feeling didn’t dissipate.

“Master craftsman, is this place done for?”

“Practically. Some adventurers keep beating the smithy users and causing problems for us.”

The forge held the scent of kindled fire and worked steel, yet it was old, broken, and scarred by battles.

Not exactly a welcoming atmosphere.

“Right. Say, you know any miners from the closed-down mine?”

“…Heartless wench. I’m losing business thanks to those meddling adventurers, and you can’t even offer sympathy before getting to your business.”

“If I could handle it alone, would you be suffering this much?”

“True enough. Still, seeking out miners… I reckon the lads wouldn’t take kindly to that. Most froze to death in winter, or drank themselves to death in some alley brawl, but there’s one still kicking. He came in looking for a reduced sentence, so he’s got some skill.”

News of the miners, all dying off in the three years since the mine closed.

For all that, it seemed there weren’t that many actual miners boasting about the mine, which made Nina suspicious. She subtly probed a few familiar faces around town.

“Tell me. Those fellas spinning yarns about the mine. Were they real miners?”

“Nah. Those are bards.”

“Bards?”

“Saw them in the next town over. Master storytellers, they are. Spouting tales of some village madwoman who bedded a nobleman’s son, or saving a man from drowning, building a fire to raise his temperature, cuddling in a cave, and even getting busy in there.”

“Ah. Not real miners, then?”

Now it was simply a certainty.

The Adventurer’s Guild, the client, shadowy powers, mineral buyers, the miners dying off, and the fake miners, too.

The high-ups had their hand in this.

This dungeon raid request.

A heavy sense of malice hung in the air.

Could the power a second-string mage from a hero party wield be this great?

“Ian. I’ve gathered information.”

Nina was worried.

What expression would Ian wear, knowing his father’s power was this strong, that he was using this immense authority to torment his mother?

How deeply would this dutiful child be wounded, how much would he suffer?

“I suppose it would be like this.”

“I suppose…? You expected all of this?”

“To some extent, yes.”

Ian’s reaction went beyond Nina’s expectations.

This child had already anticipated it.

His father’s cruel, power-driven crimes and oppressive tactics.

Not even a sliver of common sense.

Not even a shred of hope.

He didn’t harbor such foolish notions.

It was a sad thing, indeed, that the one person against whom this good-hearted child, who had given so many others dreams and hope, held no dreams or hope, was his own father.

“One miner remains. If you try to approach him, you’ll have to fight the killer your father planted.”

“I wouldn’t want to force you, if it’s too difficult, Nina.”

“If I don’t get involved, what will you do then?”

“I’ll manage somehow. I’m sure there are adventurers who will hear my plea.”

“…Adventurers aren’t so quick to jump into a fight against a dangerous killer like that.”

“I’ll have to offer everything I can.”

Everything a young boy could give.

It was a sound that crumbled the very core.

Nina immediately adjusted the bow strung across her back.

“Ian. Don’t you dare.”

“Pardon?”

“I may not be quite your mother, but I’m strong in my own right. Did you think I, Anna’s old nanny, would let you waste yourself? You are just as precious as Anna. I will absolutely not let you do something like that.”

Nina resolved.

Just as Gorgo had risked everything to throw himself into intense training for Ian’s sake, she, too, would gamble her life on this meeting with the Last Miner.

Ian, of course, was bewildered.

He had planned to lend Gorgo his strength in exchange for useful information for his adventurer activities, just like when he taught him the Mana Cultivation Method.

Was this really such an unacceptable thing to do?