I was blocked by an earthworm while trying to follow Sylvie.
Apologizing inwardly, we blew away the escorts who came to stop us and headed for the outskirts of the town. I wonder if Sylvie, who should be ahead, is safe. Well, knowing her, she wouldn’t be defeated that easily.
Finally, the outskirts of the town came into view. The distant, towering mountain must be the mine. Just then, the ground began to shake with a rhythmic thudding sound.
“I-is this it?”
“Huff, huff, yes, it seems the escorts were telling the truth.”
From here, I could see a giant earthworm peeking its head out from the mountainside. That’s seriously dangerous. I can’t imagine why they didn’t anticipate something like that being there.
“Let’s hurry, Lauren, are you okay?”
“Wheeze wheeze, I’m gonna die…”
“You’re alive, just a little further.”
With a deathly pale face, Lauren muttered “Ogre…” The road to the mine was well-maintained for carriages, making it easy to run. As we approached, the shaking grew more intense.
I wonder if Sylvie also took this road. After advancing a little, I saw tents ahead. A combat unit had set up a makeshift camp there.
“Why did you blow up that area! You should have known it was a restricted zone.”
“We weren’t informed of anything like that. Contact headquarters.”
The mining workers and escorts were arguing. It seemed to be an area where mining was prohibited. Of course, they must have known that such monsters were sleeping there.
They were arguing about why and who didn’t know. I didn’t expect them to reach a conclusion. I dismounted from Philiana’s back and approached the camp.
“Excuse me for interrupting, but did a girl riding a sword pass this way?”
“Hey, who are you, and what are you doing here?”
“Um, I, ah, we were hired to rescue stranded civilians.”
The escorts looked at me suspiciously. Whatever, I was more worried about Sylvie. Because she was riding a sword, there were no footprints.
“No, I haven’t seen her. Is there anyone else? Hey, you evacuated everyone, right?”
“Of course, we did. Please ask headquarters for details.”
“Aaaah!!”
I understand your feelings. Alright, Sylvie has already passed through this mine. I mounted Philiana again.
“Hey, you guys, that way is dangerous.”
I pushed past the escorts’ warnings and moved forward. There was no need to force our way through a dangerous place. From here on, we would aim for Blackwind Forest while taking a detour. The earthworm was rampaging at the summit of the mine. The frequent explosions indicated the intensity of the battle.
As we passed the escort’s tents and the surveillance eyes thinned, Philiana slowed down.
“Is everyone okay?”
Lauren and Elana collapsed with a thud. Pauline quickly handed them water. Lauren, in particular, was so out of breath she couldn’t speak.
“Yes, please drink the water slowly.”
“Gurgle, gasp, cough, ahhh, I’m going to die, my heart’s going to burst.”
Water spilled from Lauren’s mouth. It wasn’t just her; everyone’s breathing was rapid. We should go slowly from here.
“H-hey, we’re okay, but are you alright?”
Flapping her wings, Elana looked up at Veronica. That’s right, the sun was rising now. Although she was wearing a hooded cloak, it wouldn’t be enough.
“Ah, it’s tough.”
“Hmph, it’s because you’re out playing at night.”
“Are you going to say that again?”
Karubene seemed a little pleased. Still, it’s tough, fighting against such a giant monster. This time, it seems there’s nothing we can do.
“Hmm, wait.”
Sharin stopped abruptly. Did she perhaps find Sylvie’s footprints? The ground was shaking slightly, and it wasn’t just one spot. I could feel the tremors emanating from multiple epicenters propagating through the ground like waves.
“Watch out! Get out of the way!”
I was shoved by Sharin and landed in a nearby bush. A small earthworm emerged from the ground where I had been standing. Though small, it was longer than Nina and as thick as the circle my arm could make. Its mouth was lined with blade-like teeth arranged spirally, similar to Pauline’s.
“Why are you here?”
“I don’t know, but there are many more lurking underground. They are probably using sound to locate us.”
Indeed, since they have no eyes, that might be the case. What a troublesome landmine. Have they already noticed our presence? They opened their mouths and lunged. I flew in the opposite direction of Sharin. The earthworm, having lost its prey, crashed into a tree.
The tree’s trunk was more than half-shaved and tilted. As if hearing the sound, its brothers of various sizes emerged from the ground.
