I woke up to the sight of well-shaped lips right in front of me.
And I could feel another body’s warmth besides my own inside the futon.
My blurry vision gradually cleared, and I finally grasped the situation I was in.
“W-What are you doing? Fina-san?”
That is to say, Fina-san was lying next to me, staring intently.
She wasn’t blinking, which was slightly scary.
“Observing your sleeping face!”
She answered, finally blinking a few times.
She’s energetic this morning.
And while I understand the meaning, I don’t understand the intention!
“Why would you do something like that…”
“Gathering material for a painting, you know? How about the title ‘Sleeping Beauty’?”
“Please don’t!”
Having a picture of my sleeping face spread around… what kind of humiliation is that?
The only kind of person who’d be happy about that is a narcissist who can say, “Even my sleeping face is beautiful.”
And I’m not exactly princess material.
Ugh, it’s morning, my brain isn’t working.
Yesterday, after leaving the workshop, we spent an absurd amount of time at the store choosing a weapon for Neil-san, before returning to the inn.
It was just a weapon to borrow, but he must have been really happy with the blacksmith Van’s weapon.
It’s early morning now.
When I went down to the inn’s dining hall, Neil-san was already at a table.
He didn’t seem to have eaten yet.
Did I make him wait?
“Good morning.”
“Morning, Katia-san, Fina-nee.”
“Good morning, Neil. Guess what! Katia-chan’s sleeping face was so cute!”
“!! Fina-nee! The painting!?”
“Katia-chan said no.”
“Tch!”
“…”
You guys…
To avoid being teased again, I vowed to wake up earlier from now on.
After having breakfast at the inn, we headed to the mine as planned.
We brought our usual equipment, a lantern, and water.
Neil-san was carrying the map we received from Nanashi-san yesterday.
“This is it, right?”
The mine shaft was filled with hardened earth, as if blocked with earth magic.
There was a wooden sign above the entrance with the number six written on it.
It was definitely the Number Six mine shaft we were supposed to enter.
Several mine shafts were connected, which is why the worms had been appearing everywhere from here.
There were two guards stationed there, but after confirming our identities, they removed the earth with magic.
Other soldiers who came with them were being added as reinforcements to guard the opened entrance.
These were soldiers sent through the Information Department.
They were supposed to handle the worms if they appeared.
“Good luck.”
“Thank you.”
The decision of when to advance or retreat when we act as soldiers is left up to me.
Apparently, it’s because I seem to be the most composed during battle.
That was the result of Fina-san and Neil-san pushing me.
I wanted to ask Neil-san to do it, but unfortunately, he doesn’t have any command experience.
It goes without saying that if I make a mistake, danger will befall both of them.
It’s a huge responsibility…
“Then, let’s go.”
“Roger that.”
“Aye-aye.”
The mine shaft was dark, as no one had entered it for a while.
Relying on the lantern we brought, I poured magic power into the first magic tool for lighting, near the entrance.
There are two types of magic tools: one that automatically converts aura magic into a suitable effect, and one that only accepts a specific type of magic.
Since everyone can use aura, the former is more convenient.
However, the conversion efficiency of the former’s conversion mechanism is poor, to the point where it can’t be used in practical combat magic tools, for example.
Therefore, the former becomes a lower-performance magic tool than the latter, which only accepts specific magic.
The lighting in the mine shaft seemed to be the latter type, which inevitably meant that I, who can use fire magic to generate fuel, had to pour magic power into it.
The lighting container is sealed, so there’s no need to worry about oxygen deprivation in the mine shaft.
By the way, the lantern runs on aura.
Its light is dimmer.
“Hmm, it’s nice that it’s bright…makes you happy…”
Fina-san muttered.
It’s true that it’s reassuring when the lights come on.
“If we follow this rail, we should reach the breeding location.”
Looking at the ground at Neil-san’s words, there was indeed a rail running along it.
It was probably for a trolley used for transportation.
The mine shaft’s passage was wider than expected, about three people could walk abreast, and about three meters high.
The area solidified by earth magic was reinforced with wooden pillars.
“Then, if we follow the rails, we don’t have to worry about getting lost.”
“That’s right.”
“Then, let’s proceed in a single file. I’ll be in the lead, Fina-san will be second, and Neil-san will be at the very back.”
“Are you sure, Katia-chan?”
Fina-san was worried about me, but I felt bad giving instructions without being in the lead.
Even if it’s a little dangerous, I’ll be fine.
“Yes. Let’s go.”
This formation should be the best in the narrow mine shaft.
Given the nature of the mine shaft, focusing on guarding the front and back is more important, so it’s okay if the guard to the sides is weaker.
Neil-san will be able to handle anything that happens behind us.
I’ll concentrate on the front.
After that, we repeated the process of turning on the lights and advancing.
The mine shaft was eerily quiet.
“There aren’t any worms, are there?”
We haven’t encountered a single battle so far.
“That’s right. I thought there would be a swarm of them as soon as we entered.”
“They said there was a possibility of an Imperial trap, so maybe they can control the worms.”
Like wyverns.
If they can control multiple monsters with a small number of people, or even one person, that would be a considerable threat.
Still, that doesn’t change the fact that we have to go.
“We have to investigate even if there’s a possibility of a trap…that’s our job…”
“How annoying. It’s all Nanashi’s fault!”
Isn’t that a bit of an extreme statement?
Well, I can understand why Fina-san wants to take it out on someone.
The mine shaft was humid, and my clothes were sticking to my skin with unpleasant sweat.
Even though it’s still spring, it’s also very stuffy, making it quite uncomfortable.
There were also places where there was a strong smell, possibly from gas emissions.
What I’m trying to say is,
“I want to take a bath.”
“I want to wash off the sweat.”
“I just want to change my clothes.”
Something like that.
The environment inside the mine shaft was more harsh than I expected.
The people who work here are amazing.
As we walked, enduring the discomfort, we finally approached our destination without seeing a single worm.
“We’re getting close to our destination… From here on, we shouldn’t make any noise.”
“Understood.”
“Got it.”
Even if we’ll be exposed by the lantern light anyway, as Neil-san said, it’s better to be discovered as late as possible.
We advanced cautiously.
Beyond this point, there’s a natural cavern.
That’s our destination.
We slowly entered, trying to make as little noise as possible.
It was dark inside, but this was the most suspicious place.
!! The moment I stepped inside, I sensed a multitude of presences.
The next moment, all the lights in the cavern suddenly turned on, using some kind of technique.
–What I saw there was a gaunt, white-haired man.
And an unimaginably vast number of worms neatly lined up, a veritable mountain.
It really was a trap!
“Ahahahaha! Welcome to my domain!”
“Neil-san!”
There are too many of them!
We need to retreat–
“I won’t let you escape!”
Earth magic erupted, violently sealing the entrance to the cavern!
A cave-in occurred as well, as there was a loud rumbling noise behind us.
“Damn it!”
“How heartless of you to try and escape… I’ve been waiting for quite a while, and I’m afraid I must insist that you play with me!”
So saying, the gaunt man cackled madly.
There was no longer a way out.
It seemed we had no choice but to fight.