Red Vortex in the Darkness (1)
A mine glowing with a faint blue light. Even though it was still dawn inside, the miners were already swinging their pickaxes. They dug up mana stones and loaded them into mine carts. Then lizard monsters pulled the carts.
"Hiss. Hiss."
The miners watched the monsters helping with their work, their faces twisted in disbelief.
"The world these days... who knows how it's spinning."
Normally, these beasts would lunge to kill at the sight of a human, but the ones here were a little different.
Crack!Crack! The sound of a whip echoed from deeper in the mine.
"You trying to steal mana stones, you little shit?!"
A harsh voice filled the mine. A woman with sharp eyes swung the whip in her hand toward one of the miners.
Crack!
"Aaaagh! P-please... mercy...!"
"Ha, you think I wouldn't notice? You sneaking bits of mana stone for pocket money, plotting to buy your way out with your family—you thought I was blind to that?!"
"S-sorry! Kaaaaagh!"
The whip tore into his skin, bruising it purple or bursting it open. The miner writhed on the ground, screaming in agony.
"Haa... this is why you don't give money-making power to uneducated trash."
The woman swept her hair back and scanned the surroundings.
"Show's over! If you don't want to end up like this bastard, get those arms moving! Your mana stone output's lower than last week!"
No miner dared challenge her. Mercenaries stood watch.
"Hiss..."
And monsters coiled around her.
"Cute little thing."
The lizard monster felt her touch.
"Take it outside."
At her command, the monster immediately pulled the cart.
The monsters here weren't just lizards. Bat monsters clung to the ceiling, surveilling the miners; toads and wolves guarded the entrance.
"Huff! Huff! Hey, as long as we eat and survive, what's the problem?"
Besides, the miners had no reason to antagonize them. The empire bought mana stones at low prices, but these folks paid more, so whatever.
The work was harder, and even the village watched them closely, but in the end, they lived better than before.
"Alright, next section..."
The woman dragged her whip along as she walked, then paused at an odd sensation and looked up at the ceiling.
The surface. The mine entrance.
"Oogama...?"
She frowned.
"Dead?"
"This... doesn't look shallow at all, does it?"
Senior Ines gaped at the mine's endless depths.
"I heard Aken Village used to produce insane amounts of mana stones. If they've been mining nonstop from back then to now, yeah, it'd be deep."
Airi's words made me shiver as I hugged myself tight.
"Th-then... we have to keep going down, righttt...?"
It got darker the deeper we went. Flickering old mana stone lamps dotted the path. The moment even a sliver of light cut out, the mine would be swallowed by true darkness.
'Please don't let that happen!'
For the record, if I ever had to sleep alone in a room, I'd leave the light on. Darkness was terrifying in itself.
"Hahaha, Yufir, you're hilarious. You were so cool back there, and now you're shaking like a leaf?"
"Th-this is my true nature... I hate scary things more than anything in the worlddd."
"Oh man, the one who massacred those hunters in the forest sure talks big~"
"S-senior! Don't tease me. M-massacre...? I'm not that scary a person!"
"Ahaha! Aigoo, you cute little junior. Of course a tiny thing like you couldn't be that scary~"
Senior Ines wrapped her arm around my head and ruffled my hair wildly. I flailed my arms, yelling to be let go, and realized my trembling had stopped.
'Is this a veteran's consideration!'
She teased me plenty, but I felt a touch moved by her thoughtful care.
"Yufir."
Airi, following behind, called out to me.
"Yeah?"
"Um..."
She tugged lightly at my collar. Then she turned her head away, looking embarrassed, wrestling with some inner conflict.
"I never thought I'd say this to you... ahem, never imagined."
"Huh?"
I tilted my head, peering at her. Her eyes met mine, then darted away.
"What's up?"
I followed her evasive gaze around, and she kept turning her head to avoid me. It was adorably cute.
Mmm, Bina's one thing, but Airi's a total beauty too.
"Thanks to you... I survived back there."
Airi scratched her cheek as she said it.
"Hehe, no biggie!"
I thrust up my thumb.
"We're friends!"
"F-friends...? Really? We were just randomly grouped together. I wasn't especially nice like Bina, didn't look out for you, and my standoffish attitude probably just troubled you."
Did Airi maybe not have many friends? Her gratitude and compliments were awkward... like she misunderstood what friendship meant.
"Airi."
"Y-yeah?"
"You're cute!"
"Wh-what?!"
I clutched my stomach laughing. Why was she agonizing over it so seriously alone? She looked more at ease killing that toad earlier.
"I'm... not really... if we're talking cute, you look like the doll I used to play with..."
"Huh? What do I look like?"
"Nothing! Forget it! Just forget!"
Airi suddenly grabbed my head and shook it.
"Ughhh, dizzy!"
"...Hoo."
She exhaled, seemingly satisfied. As if shaking my head would make me forget.
"Juniors? Cute as your bonding is, we should probably gear up soon."
At her words, we gripped our weapons.
Nothing visible yet, but Senior Ines was on alert for something.
"The scout crow I sent ahead got taken out."
She'd sent a crow in first upon entering the mana stone mine. Its destruction meant enemies lurked inside for sure.
Casual chat ended; we pressed on silently.
Then, the sound of an approaching mine cart.
At Senior Ines's signal, we halted and peered ahead.
Rumble. Wheels rolling.
And heavy footsteps—not quite human.
Rumble rumble.
Something huge emerged from the dark. A massive lizard covered in blue scales.
Pulling a mine cart.
"What the...?"
"Why's a monster pulling a cart?"
"It looks like it's... working."
Hiss. Hiss.
The lizard spotted us and stopped, flicking its tongue.
"Hmm, could it be?"
Senior Ines seemed to realize something.
"Guess we head deeper."
"Fight?"
"Yeah, gotta check who's down there."
Whoosh. A crow took flight as Senior Ines formed a sword of inky texture in her hand.
"Juniors, might get dangerous, but stick close. This mission could be riskier than expected."
"Ready."
"I-I wasn't totally ready, but I'll do my best!"
Combat began.
Murphy, the whip-wielding woman, bit her nails.
"Heh... who the hell are these bastards killing my gifted monsters on their own?!"
Monsters weren't meant to be raised or tamed by humans. How could anyone control beings driven mad by instinct and slaughter?
But such people existed in the world.
Human greed knew no bounds, after all.
Quiet back-alley thugs banded together into a cartel. Hidden lunatics emerged one by one, pulling off insane stunts.
—All this for you?
Her employer shoved a fortune into her hands.
—Take over the mine. Route the mana stones our way.
—But just me...
—Take my monsters. With this bracelet, they'll obey you like their master.
They handed over mercenaries and tamed monsters too. What had they done to them? Lifelong man-eaters now followed human orders.
Murphy couldn't fathom it, so she shrugged it off.
With that power, seizing the mining village was a breeze.
Villagers initially fled in terror, but hand them decent pay, and they accepted it quick. Humans were all the same. Give 'em money, and they'd work alongside the monsters they despised.
"Boys."
"Yes, sis."
The mercenaries silently watching the miners gathered around her.
"Looks like guests in the mine. Killing monsters on the way... they must be confident fighters."
"We'll half-kill 'em."
"Yeah, avenge my cute monsters a bit."
As the mercenaries nodded and moved toward the tunnel—
Shrieeeek! Crows swarmed from the distance.
"Wh-what?!"
"This... magic. It's magic!"
"Fuck, why's a mage here?!"
The mercenaries collided with the flock, wounded and stuck in place.
Clang! Swords clashed.
A red-haired girl charged through them, taking one down per clash.
"Goddamn...!"
Crack!
Murphy whipped the ground. Lizards from other passages scaled walls and ceilings, swarming in.
"Rip that bitch apart now!"
Hiss! Hiss hiss!
The lizards sped toward the girl.
"Yufir, you got this?"
Flash! The girl called her friend's name.
Pink murderous intent surged toward the monsters without reply. She charged fearlessly, dagger in hand.
"Haha!"
Murphy smirked. Lizard hides were tough and hard. Some even absorbed ore properties from eating mine scraps.
"Unless you brought some grand knight, you won't even scratch—"
Slash slash crack!
The pink intent spun like a top. A lizard's neck severed clean.
Ceiling lizards plummeted. Wall-clingers tumbled rolling.
Mine ceiling and walls painted with sticky monster blood.
"Hiss... hiss..."
Stab.
The dagger sank softly into what should have been tough hide. The last lizard died.
Murphy, unable to process it, gaped blankly at the approaching suits.
"Senior, mercenaries all down."
"Huff... huff... Senior Ines, monsters all dead too."
A woman clicked her heels between the girls as they approached.
"Good work, juniors."
Murphy recalled her employers' warnings.
—If imperial eyes reach you, remember two things. First, beware uniforms with the golden lion crest—they're empire elite knights. Second, watch for those who approach casually. They seem harmless but always hide blades behind their backs: Central Intelligence agents.
And these were the latter, she realized.
"Oh, I know you."
Ines smiled at her.
"Made a name in the back alleys, right? Murphy... was it?"
All wanted fugitives were memorized by agents, for instant recognition anywhere.
"Didn't expect you doing something above your station."
"You rotten bitches..."
"Surrender quietly. Best for you."
"Fuck off."
Murphy whipped a wall-mounted mana lamp.
"I know a bit about your intel agency's rumors."
Crash! The lamp shattered, darkness seeping into her spot.
"They say you go in fine and come out broken?"
Ines chuckled awkwardly.
"Ahaha... harsh rumors—folks who already gave up being human just get a little roughed up."
Murphy ground her teeth at the shameless tone.
"Think I'll let you do whatever?"
She curled her fingers to her lips and whistled.
Pweeeet— The shrill sound echoed through the mine.
And then.
"Kya■■■■■!!"
A deafening ultrasonic wave burst out. Miners bled from ears and fainted.
The three suits staggered too.
Crash! Crash! Crash! Wall lamps shattered one by one.
The mine plunged into total darkness.
"You're all fucked."