The Dwarf Mine
Ever since Kir's departure, the Arzen Kingdom had been making thorough preparations for a necromancer invasion.
Armed with the information she had brought, they secretly silver-plated their military weapons and stockpiled holy water.
Of course, seeking aid from other nations would have made these preparations much easier.
However, if rumors spread that they were preparing for war against a necromancer, the Demon King would realize there was a spy within his ranks. If that happened, Kir's safety could no longer be guaranteed.
Edwin knew this all too well, which was why he tightened security to the absolute limit, ensuring not a single leak occurred.
"Sigh... It's nowhere near enough..."
Edwin swept a hand back over his forehead and let out a long, heavy sigh as he reviewed the inventory of supplies needed for the battle against the necromancer.
"We don't have enough silver for the plating, and no matter how much holy water we scrape together, it's not enough to fight a major battle..."
"Can't you get more from the black market?"
"No. Even if we sweep the black market clean and melt down all the silver earmarked for minting coins, it still won't be enough to plate the weapons of our entire army."
Just two weeks after starting the war preparations, all the silver within the Arzen Kingdom had been exhausted. The black market had run dry as well. They were officially out of options.
If the necromancers concentrated their undead forces in one place, I could easily hold them off on my own.
But if they scattered them to launch a multi-pronged attack, even I would be stretched too thin.
"On top of that, because of the war with the Demon King's army, the price of iron ore across the continent has skyrocketed. Now, even procuring basic weapons is becoming difficult."
"..."
"Sigh... If only production at the Dwarf Mine would resume... That would solve a lot of our problems."
"The Dwarf Mine? Is something going on there?"
"I don't know the details, but for some reason, all mineral production at the mine stopped last year. Several kingdoms, including ours, sent envoys to investigate... but you know how those dwarves are."
"I know them all too well..."
Stubborn, prideful to a fault, and utterly selfish. They refused to listen to other races and insisted on doing everything their own way.
Three years ago, when I heard that the Demon King's army was invading the Dwarf Mine, I went to help them, only to be turned away at the gates.
I decided to leave them to their fate, and somehow, they managed to fend off the attack on their own.
When the nations trading with the Dwarf Mine sent investigators last year, the dwarves probably chased them away out of sheer pride, even if they were facing a serious crisis.
"So, the thing is... Carlos..."
Edwin trailed off, looking at me with pleading eyes that practically begged me to do something.
In the end...
A carriage carrying me, Lucia, Irene, and... Clara departed the Arzen Kingdom, bound for the Dwarf Mine.
Rather than joining as a member of the hero's party, Clara was traveling as an official envoy of the Arzen Kingdom, which had long-standing trade relations with the Dwarf Mine.
"...Princess Clara... That's my seat..."
"You sit there every day, Lucia! Let me have it just for today~"
"But still..."
Lucia and Clara bickered back and forth, both trying to claim the seat next to me.
Irene sat opposite us, staring out the window as if she couldn't care less. However, the way her eyes occasionally darted toward us suggested she wasn't entirely indifferent.
"Hero, since Lucia always gets to sit next to you, it's fine if I sit here just this once, right?"
"Ah... Yes..."
"You heard him, right, Lucia?"
I had no choice but to answer Clara, who was clinging tightly to my arm. Hearing my response, Lucia seemed to give up, returning to her seat and hanging her head low.
"Hero, I heard the mutton steak at the inn we're staying at tonight is absolutely delicious!"
"I-Is that so...?"
Clara's voice barely registered.
She was hugging my arm so tightly that it was buried deep in her cleavage, making me too flustered to even formulate a proper response.
"This is the first time we're traveling together without my brother, right?"
"..."
"Ah~ I wish we could travel together like this every day~"
"..."
While Clara was distracted by her own chatter, I tried to stealthily slide my arm out. But every time I nudged it, she only squeezed tighter, trapping my arm firmly in place.
When Lucia sat next to me, she would just sit quietly. If the carriage jolted and our skin brushed, her face would turn beet red and she wouldn't be able to speak for a while.
Clara, on the other hand, seemed to have no such reservations. She held on tightly, completely unbothered by the physical contact, even as her partially exposed chest pressed flush against my arm.
"Um... Princess? Could you please let go of my arm now...?"
Unable to bear it any longer, I spoke up and tried to pull away, but...
"Hmm? Why? Is something wrong?"
Clara looked at me innocently, asking as if nothing were out of the ordinary, all while keeping my arm clamped firmly between her breasts.
"How unsightly."
It was then that Irene, who had been silently watching the scenery outside, spoke up.
"Are you... talking to me, Commander Irene?"
"Yes. It is difficult to tell whether you are the princess of a kingdom or a back-alley harlot."
"What did you say?"
When we first set off, the atmosphere had been pleasant, with everyone discussing what to eat on the way and chatting about the local specialties of the Dwarf Mine.
Now, that warmth was gone, replaced by a freezing tension as sparks flew between Irene and Clara.
"Ah~ I see Commander Irene is jealous. But what a shame. I don't think your... assets... would allow you to do this anyway."
Clara's tone was dripping with sarcasm.
Irene glanced back and forth between Clara's chest and her own. Her brow furrowed, and she abruptly turned her gaze back to the window.
Creak. Crackle.
"Irene... The window..."
Frost was spreading outward from Irene's hand, which was gripping the window frame with white-knuckled intensity.
"Yes? Is there a problem?"
Irene looked at me, her expression warning me that she would freeze me solid if I said another word.
Inside the carriage, Lucia sat despondently, Clara beamed while clinging to my arm, and Irene, having taken a hit to her pride, was slowly covering the interior with ice.
The thought of spending the rest of the journey to the Dwarf Mine in this suffocating atmosphere made me deeply envious of Roman, who was sitting outside on the driver's bench.
The Dwarf Mine was not very far from the Arzen Kingdom. Traveling by carriage from the royal capital, one could arrive in two days at the earliest.
Thus, we stopped today at an inn in a town midway to the mine—the very place Clara had mentioned for its famous mutton steak.
However, getting in was no easy task, as the entrance was packed tight with cargo carriages.
"Hero, it looks like I'll have to find a place to park the carriage. Why don't you head inside first?"
"Do you need any help, Roman?"
"Ah, don't worry about it! It's not like this is my first time driving a carriage. Hahaha."
With that, Roman set off to find a parking spot, while the rest of us got down and walked along the street to find the inn.
"Welcome."
As we stepped into the bustling inn, the owner greeted us, his eyes scanning us up and down to size up our attire and demeanor.
"Are you the guests who booked through the Merchant Guild?"
"Yes. We should have one triple room and one single room reserved."
To keep our journey to the Dwarf Mine a secret, Edwin had booked the rooms under the Merchant Guild's name.
I had also completely disguised my identity, swapping my usual armor for high-quality silk clothing typically worn by wealthy merchants.
"Oh, thank goodness! I was actually worried about how to break the news to you when you arrived."
"What do you mean...?"
"Well, we took the reservation expecting the renovations on the single room to be finished by now. But the work got delayed, and... it's not ready yet. Oh dear, what should we do..."
"What?!"
Edwin had assured me yesterday that he had booked a single room for me and a triple room for the three girls, so sleeping arrangements wouldn't be an issue.
If things were like this, would I have to sleep in the carriage tonight?
"Um... are you not close with your companions...?"
"It's not that, but..."
At that point, I had no idea what the innkeeper was trying to suggest.
"We're in a relationship."
Clara blurted out the lie completely out of nowhere.
"Oh, well that works out perfectly! To be honest, even though it's called a triple room, it actually has two double beds, so it can easily accommodate four people. Would you be willing to make do with that...?"
Two double beds...
That meant I would have to share a bed with one of the three girls.
"No, that's fine. I'll sleep out—"
There was no way I could sleep in the same room as Clara, the princess of a kingdom; Irene, a former Imperial commander; and Lucia, who was too innocent for her own good.
I turned to head outside, but Clara grabbed my arm, holding me back.
"Yes! We don't mind at all!"
"Pri—"
"Shh!"
I almost blurted out her royal title in the middle of the crowded lobby.
Fortunately—or perhaps unfortunately—Clara pressed her index finger against my lips, cutting me off before I could make a slip of the tongue.
Instead, Clara took the key from the innkeeper and dragged me up to the second floor.
It was only after we entered the room, which indeed had two double beds, that I finally snapped out of my daze.
"Princess! This isn't right. I'll sleep in the carriage, so..."
"Oh, come on~ How could I sleep peacefully knowing you're out there freezing in the carriage, Hero?"
"But still... how can I stay in the same room as you all? I'll just go to the carriage, or find another inn."
"Didn't you see how crowded the town is? The other inns will be exactly the same. Besides, what if the Demon King's army attacks while you're sleeping somewhere else? What would we do then?"
"If that happens, Lucia and Irene are here..."
"What about you two? Do you mind sharing a room with the Hero?"
Even if the Demon King's army did attack, Lucia and Irene alone were more than capable of handling one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
But Clara completely ignored my point, cutting me off to ask the other two.
"I... I don't mind..."
"I don't particularly care either."
Lucia squirmed, her face flushed with embarrassment as she gave her answer, while Irene spoke with an air of complete indifference.
Hearing their responses, the corners of Clara's mouth curled up even higher.