We live at the foothills of Dragon Peak.
The Crystal Mine.
The black-haired man is Ash. The gentle-looking man is Iwaf. The man with the beard is Yozen. And the red-haired boy who is injured is Aquil.
“I may be saying this ourselves, but when you mention the Styler Family, you’re talking about a famous line of adventurers,” Yozen said. “Dad and Mom have retired due to age. I have another sister below Aquil, but she’s a handful.”
Yozen gestured crudely as he spoke.
“Ah, so you’ve had a child. Congratulations.”
“Tch. For her to fall for some scrawny guy, she’s got no taste.”
After filling a bag with fresh snow and managing to bag a rabbit, the four adventurers returned to the cave and were resting in their own ways. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find any dry wood to gather for a bonfire.
I handed Aquil the bag of chilled snow. He placed it on his swollen ankle, which I had treated with herbs and bandaged, to reduce the swelling. While doing so, we finally got around to introductions.
Yozen, the eldest son, was the most physically imposing. He claimed to have a wife and three children living in Ambis, a secondary capital of the Armēdo Kingdom. The second son, Iwaf, had a charming appearance that would likely elicit excited cheers from women. He was known as a womanizer, hadn’t married, but apparently had three girlfriends and two children. The third son, Ash, wielded a thick, long sword and was the vanguard. Despite his intimidating appearance, he was surprisingly talkative and often initiated conversations. Lastly, there was the fourth son, Aquil, who had sprained his ankle and was unable to move. He had apparently spent the past year traveling alone on a pilgrimage. This meant Aquil was one year older than me.
Wait, what?
Did he say he had a sister below him and that she had a child?! No, no, I can’t think too deeply about this now.
“If Elnea hadn’t appeared, who knows what would have happened…”
“And to have been treated to dinner too, I’m truly sorry.”
Yozen and Ash bowed deeply. Iwaf was using a magic crystal stone to cook the rabbit I had hunted. Aquil had been bowing his head continuously since I returned.
“No, when one is in trouble, it’s only natural to help each other out.”
The four members of the Styler family, who were all related by blood, seemed to be genuinely relieved that they didn’t have to make a tragic choice.
“Wow, speaking of which, Elnea is amazing. To be able to move through Dragon Peak so easily, despite being human,” Ash said, placing a hand on his chin and looking at me with admiration. They had only just experienced firsthand how dangerous and harsh Dragon Peak was. If fate had twisted just a bit differently, they might have lost their injured fourth son, Aquil, or worse, all four brothers could have perished. They, who prided themselves on being skilled adventurers and had come so far, were now looking at me, a person who appeared casually accompanied by a young girl in a land they could hardly navigate. Their gazes clearly asked, “Who are you?”
“My wife is of the Dragon Race. That’s why I know a little more about how to walk in Dragon Peak than ordinary humans,” I explained.
“No, just knowing doesn’t let you travel so easily, not usually,” Yozen said, taking out a small pot from his bag. The pot contained a strong alcoholic beverage, which they planned to dilute with water to drink.
When asked if I wanted some, I politely declined.
In the end, I didn’t reveal much about myself. Only my name, my destination, and Mistral, whom I had just mentioned. I didn’t even use her name. It seemed to be the way of adventurers not to discuss their families or personal lives too much. Without prying into their objectives or specific circumstances, if they met on an adventure, they were companions, friends with whom they could share a moment of solace. This was their pride and their strength in banding together, those who risked their lives on perilous journeys.
When the Armēdo Kingdom’s capital was invaded by demons, adventurers united and fought without seeking reward or recompense. Their bonds became the strength that saved their race.
Tales of one’s past can be heavy. They are not particularly interesting to the listener either. For this reason, I had no intention of asking about the Styler family’s travel objectives.
However, this Styler family seemed a little different from ordinary adventurers. Without being asked, they shared their family structure and casually asked me questions. Ash, in particular, was quite chatty. Perhaps it was the elation from escaping danger and reaching a safe haven that loosened their tongues.
“So, you descended by yourself with a child, I’m impressed.”
“No. This child isn’t mine. We’re family, though.”
“Wife.”
Ares-chan’s innocent words made everyone jump.
“Hahaha! Such a little wife,” Ash said, reaching out to pat Ares-chan’s head. But Ares-chan quickly hid behind my back, evading Ash’s hand.
“Oh dear. Did I offend her?”
“She’s just shy around strangers,” I said, placing Ares-chan on my lap. Even Yozen, who had three children, seemed to want to pat the adorable Ares-chan, but seeing how Ash had been rebuffed, he tentatively wiggled his right hand.
As we were chatting, Iwaf finished cooking the rabbit stew and began serving it to everyone. The stew was hearty, with plenty of meat and just a bit of vegetables, served in wooden bowls. It looked delicious. Aquil, who had been cooling his injury, also received a bowl, and we all began to eat dinner. It was a simple dish with a light salty flavor, but it was so delicious and satisfying to our tired bodies after a day of walking.
Iwaf, who seemed to enjoy himself immensely, took the initiative in preparing the meal and attentive to everyone’s needs. Perhaps it was this casual kindness and his sweet looks that won over women. It was good. If Ruisaine were here, she might be smitten with Iwaf. I thought I should also learn this skill to capture everyone’s hearts. As I thought this, I brought a chunk of rabbit meat to my mouth.
Inside the cave, we didn’t start a fire. Everyone was wrapped in thick blankets. While we were moving and eating, our body heat was high, but as the night deepened, the cold would intensify. We were taking precautions against the cold from the start rather than waiting until we were cold. Fortunately, the temperature inside the cave seemed a little higher than outside. More importantly, the lack of a cold wind blowing in was a welcome relief. The bushes at the entrance had been covered again by Ares-chan’s ability after we entered. This blocked the wind, creating an environment inside the cave that was all the more appreciated during this cold season.
And even without a fire, the cave was a little bright. Strangely, the crystal stones visible on the walls and ceiling glowed like stars, providing a slight source of light. As our eyes adjusted to the darkness, we could discern our surroundings even with just that faint illumination.
“Speaking of which, what do you mean by a ‘jewel mine’?” Ash, who seemed even more talkative after having a drink, explained. “You know those jewels embedded in Curse Power Swords, right? It’s a place where you can find the raw stones for those jewels. In places where crystals and gemstones are found, occasionally, jewel stones are mixed in. They are polished, and sorcerers imbue them with magic power. Places rich in crystal stones like this often contain high-quality jewel stones. If the crystals are naturally glowing, it might mean we can find light-attribute jewel stones. If we could find them, we’d be millionaires!”
As I listened to his explanation, I looked again at the wall at the back of the cave. So, it was a light-attribute jewel stone that was somehow influencing the crystals to glow. But why was there a cave in such a location, and why was it abandoned? Even to a layman, it was obvious this was not a natural cave. The entrance was hidden, and the ground where we were sitting had been leveled. It was highly probable that someone, perhaps of the Dragon Race, had excavated this place, but there must be a reason why it was left abandoned. Places where valuable ores and jewel stones can be found are deep within Dragon Peak. The village where the Dragon Kings gathered for meetings also had such mineral resources as its specialty. But who would have thought there was a mine in a place like this? No, there might be many mountains with embedded ores. But Dragon Peak is a harsh place to travel, and new mines aren’t easily discovered. If that’s the case, it makes me even more curious about why this place was abandoned. It’s a location near the entrance of Dragon Peak. Further into the mountainous region, there are surely countless dragon lairs and lurking magic beasts, far more than the Styler family could imagine. In other words, compared to those dangerous places deep within Dragon Peak, this location is like paradise. And yet, it’s abandoned and forgotten. It could simply be that the vein of ore has dried up. I’m probably overthinking things. The people in the nearby village never mentioned such a place existing.
We finished our meal while continuing our conversation. Ash, with considerable excitement, told us about the mine and his past adventures, boasting about finding many gemstones in a similar mine in the past. He had used the money from that to acquire his thick long sword. On the sword Ash proudly displayed, a thin, thumb-sized jewel stone was embedded. Speaking of which, my White Sword also has a jewel stone embedded in it. Although it’s based on a Spirit Tree seed rather than mineral ore. I subtly moved my gaze away from my White Sword, which had a more magnificent jewel stone embedded in it than Ash’s boasted Curse Power Sword.
“Jewel stones have attributes,” Yozen and Ash said, continuing their conversation with a bit of alcohol and dried meat as snacks. Iwaf, with a smile that could likely win over any woman, was cleaning up. Aquil, perhaps due to his injury, mental fatigue, and general exhaustion, had fallen asleep after eating. I listened to Ash, who was speaking animatedly. “Due to geological influences, the jewel stones extracted often have attributes. Those obtained by nobles and wealthy merchants are usually these attribute-imbued jewels. Even without sorcerers infusing them with magic power, one can faintly benefit from their attributes. Unlike disposable items like magic crystal stones, they can be possessed as a blessing, making them extremely valuable. We also have jewel stones with blessings. They aren’t the kind used in magical weapons, but rather worthless scraps. Once we’ve equipped ourselves with weapons and have some spare money, adventurers tend to acquire these ‘scrap’ jewel stones with blessed attributes. However, what’s truly valuable are the stones without attributes. These are the jewel stones that sorcerers imbue with magic power. If they can obtain them, sorcerers will go bankrupt to acquire them.”
As I listened to Ash’s explanation, I considered replacing the jewel stones with Spirit Tree’s jewels. I had also noticed during the year-end trial that the Spirit Tree’s jewel stones faintly held the power of the Spirit Tree. It’s a hypothesis, but perhaps the reason why the Twin Princesses’ throws of Spirit Tree jewel stones resulted in massive explosions exceeding the power imbued was due to this Spirit Tree attribute. Just as my power increases when I merge with Ares-chan, perhaps the faintly existing power within the Spirit Tree jewel stones reacts with the imbued power.
As we continued talking, the night grew late. By mutual agreement, we decided to take turns keeping watch during the night, leaving Aquil, who was injured and couldn’t be burdened, behind. I was scheduled to be on watch after Ash, so I gratefully accepted the offer to sleep. Wrapped in a blanket with Ares-chan, I drifted into a light sleep.
And then, the next morning. Aquil seemed like he would be able to walk in another day or two if he rested. I was on my way back to the capital, and the Styler family’s objectives were different. So, I hesitated for a moment, wondering whether to take my leave or, considering our encounter a matter of fate, accompany them to a nearby village or down the mountain. Even if Aquil could walk, he probably couldn’t fight. In that case, Ash and the others would still have to continue their journey with an injured member. They were top-tier adventurers, and perhaps I didn’t need to worry about them, but I didn’t like the idea of parting ways and continuing to worry about them.
“What are your plans from here on?” I asked as Iwaf reheated the leftover stew from last night.
“That’s the dilemma. We entered Dragon Peak for a specific reason, but it seems difficult to operate here. On the other hand, we can’t simply descend empty-handed as adventurers.”
“However, if it’s a matter of life or death, choosing to descend isn’t wrong. By the way, if you go about half a day further in this direction, there’s a Dragon Race village. If you ask the Dragon Race people, they might be able to help you descend.” I would be fine with them descending Dragon Peak with me. It would be a difficult journey, but I had experience as a bodyguard during dragon warrior trials, so I was sure it would be alright.
The Styler family exchanged glances, contemplating my suggestion.
“Actually, I was hoping to find something rare in Dragon Peak for my sister…” Yozen’s gaze turned towards the back of the cave.
“She’s a troublesome sister, but I want to bless her. And when she has a child, money will be tight. The guy she’s with isn’t exactly a strong earner yet,” Ash’s gaze also naturally turned towards the back of the cave.
“This cave seems safe. We’ve been lucky to find a vein of ore,” Iwaf also looked at the faintly glowing crystal stones in the back of the cave. Then, the three of them looked at me and Aquil.
“It’s a long shot, but…”
“Rejected!” I declared my refusal before Ash could even finish his sentence.
You can easily express your support by clicking the heart icon. (Login required)
Support
Log in if you have an account.
Learn more about the reading experience on Kakuyomu.
