After spending a comfortable night at the inn I prepared, we headed straight for the mine the next day. Gonzo’s fists mercilessly shattered the rock blocking the entrance, and we entered the mine through the gap that was created.
“The air isn’t as stale as I thought it would be. Well, this is just the entrance area, so that may change.”
“Ed, how’s the magical device?”
“Ah, yes. It’s working properly.”
What I was holding was a large version of the special lantern that miners always carry. It’s currently lighting up the surroundings with a bluish-white light, but if there’s something wrong with the air, this color apparently changes to red or yellow.
“Why on earth do I have to come to such a gloomy place… and is it even safe here? You were breaking the rocks that were blocking the entrance, weren’t you?”
“Hahaha, there’s no helping it since Rockworms don’t come near the surface. As for the entrance, although the walls and ceiling had collapsed, the mine timbers are firm, so it should be safe for a while.”
“You….. You should ensure our safety more properly!”
Rouge, who rarely protested in such a reasonable manner, complained, but Gonzo looked troubled.
“That’s easy to say, but what I can do is limited to that. Whether it’s reinforcing the walls and ceilings, or dealing with the stale air, if we had a skilled spirit user, we could easily solve it…”
“Since we don’t have such personnel, there’s no helping it. Let’s move on. Ed, can I count on you to lead the way?”
“Leave it to me!”
We, who had been talking in a slightly wider space near the entrance, started walking at the front at Alexis’s words. The passage was collapsing at a reasonable frequency, and every time that happened, Gonzo came forward and broke the rocks. This method of progression was accompanied by a tremendous sense of insecurity, but there was no other way to move forward.
Of course, that’s the case. If we tried to restore the mine properly, it would take years, and more importantly, the silver buried in this mountain is expected to have been mostly devoured by Rockworms. It makes no sense to invest a lot of money, time, and personnel in restoring a mine that is not profitable.
So why were we at such a place? It was to kill the Rockworm that had eaten all the minerals before it moved to another mine. If the Rockworm was left alone, the other mines in the vicinity would also die. That would be a national level problem, but because of the location, it’s not a matter that can be dealt with by a large army, so the request was passed on to Alexis, the hero.
“Hmm, there are indeed many branches… So we just have to go to the furthest one, right?”
The Map of the mine is incomprehensible to an amateur, but having one is far better than having none. Gonzo answered me as I asked while staring desperately at the complex and bizarre map that was written over many sheets.
“That’s right. Ideally, it should be as close to the center of the mountain as possible, and if there is a dead-end mine, that would be the best. We’ll lure out the Rockworm with bait there and hunt it.”
“Then, this way… or this way?”
“What’s with you, aren’t you just carrying the bags and getting lost?”
“No, this is… really complex! And what does carrying bags have to do with getting lost?!”
Ignoring Rouge, who was glaring at me, we forced our way through several collapsed paths and aimed for the deepest part. After about two hours of wandering around, we finally reached our destination.
“So, are we ready to use it?”
Once everyone was prepared, Alexis pulled out a lump of silver from his pocket. It was silver-colored, so it looked exactly like a lump of silver, but it seemed to be shining more than ordinary silver…?
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“Wow, it’s Mithril. It’s a waste to use it as bait for a demonic beast.”
“Eh, Mithril!? That’s a waste!”
“Stop talking nonsense! It’s coming!”
While Rouge and I were expressing the same opinion, we heard a sound that shook the earth from afar. The sound increased exponentially, and the moment Alexis threw the lump of Mithril at the wall and retreated…
“GYUOOOOOOOO!!!”
A Rockworm’s mouth big enough to swallow Rouge in one gulp broke through the rock wall. But before its mouth could swallow us, Gonzo stood in front of it and stopped the Rockworm’s charge.
“Guhh…!”
“Let’s go, Ed!”
“Yes!”
The jagged teeth that can even crush hard minerals bite into Gonzo’s body and blood begins to flow from everywhere. But with the time bought, Alexis and I split left and right of the Rockworm and thrust our swords into it.
“Ha! Ed, how are you doing on your side?!”
“Guh, this…!”
The original plan was to stab our swords into the left and right of the Rockworm, pinning it down to prevent it from escaping. However, no matter how much force I put into it, I can’t cut deep into the Rockworm’s tough, elastic skin.
“It’s no good, my sword won’t penetrate…!”
“Tch, useless! Then I’ll――”
“Sorry, I’m about to reach my limit.” Gonzo said,
“――――Then, Rouge! Fire your magic into the Rockworm’s mouth as it is!”
“Is that okay? Gonzo will burn too!?”
“I’ll take care of that!”
“Uh, I…”
“You… get back to Rouge and protect her! You can do at least that much!”
“Y-yes!”
Gritting my teeth in frustration, I quickly ran back to Rouge’s side. At that timing, Rouge finished her long incantation.
“Red flame piercing the four heavens. Breath of the blazing dance of scorching heat. Turn the dust and smoke to ashes and burn down the enemy in front of me! [Flare Blaster]!”
From the tip of Rouge’s outstretched hand, a bright red flash was fired. Just before it hit Gonzo’s back, Alexis jumped in from the side, hugged Gonzo and got him out of the way… and the magic of Rouge blasted into the mouth of the Rockworm.
“GYUOOOOOOOO!?!!?”
Suddenly, the Rockworm, burned by intense heat inside, started to writhe its huge body and a violent vibration occurred around it. As a result, the mine tunnel, which had been fragile enough, finally reached its limit, and it started collapsing.
“This is bad! Run, Rouge!”
“It’s not over yet! Just a little more…!”
“Do you think there’s time to say that!? Uh, ouch!?”
In front of me in a hurry, however, Rouge closed her eyes and concentrated on something. I tried to forcibly carry her and take her with me, but her body was so hot that I involuntarily let go.
“What are you doing!? Come this way—!”
GOGON! GARAGARAGARA!
Between Alexis and the rest trying to escape earlier and us, there was suddenly a large collapse. As I was shocked that the only road leading outside was blocked, Rouge shouted from behind me.
“I got it, here’s the heart…! Die! [Explosion]!”
GUGOGOGOGOGOGOGO!!!
The Rockworm was long gone from sight. The vibration centered on the other side of the dark hole shook the mountain even more. Oh, this is seriously bad.
“Kid! I’ll—”
“Please escape! Ask for a rescue when things have settled down!”
“…Understood! Then, endure there for a while!”
Before Gonzo could speak, I shouted, and his voice came from the other side of the collapsed rock. That’s right, the worst situation in this case is to die together and be wiped out. If Gonzo and Alexis are safe, they should be able to save us easily. In that case, the rest is…
“Please, God!”
“Hey!? What are you—!”
I held the limp body of Rouge, who had just used her magic, and jumped into the hole that the Rockworm had opened, along with the luggage that had been placed nearby. Right after that, the place where we were just now is also caught in the collapse…
“How long are you going to hold me, you pervert!”
“…ouch.”
Feeling the pain in my cheek that I can only feel because I survived, I was relieved for the time being.