Chapter 100
Chapter 100
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 100
Chapter Title: Luron Mining Method
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As dawn broke, Ian led his subordinates to the Monne Mine alongside Romandro. As per yesterday's orders, the entrance was half-sealed, and the mine manager was speaking with some soldiers.
"No way! I left the ledger inside, I tell you!"
"Man, you always do this."
"Just a sec, yeah? I'll pop in and out real quick."
"Ian, sir. You've arrived?"
"Gah! Ah, hello, sir."
At Ian's appearance, the soldiers lined up on either side and saluted. The mine manager also bent at the waist to greet him.
"Cut the crap and follow me. I have questions."
"Ah, yes, yes. Lead the way, sir."
The manager swallowed dryly and trailed behind him. It felt like a bolt from the blue first thing in the morning. The mine shut down overnight, and now the lord himself was entering the tunnels. Something big had definitely happened.
"Any unusual matters at the mine?"
"Unusual matters? I'm not sure what you mean, sir... Nothing special to report."
"About 200 meters in, there's a new vein. You didn't know?"
"A, a vein?"
The manager's steps halted abruptly. His reaction screamed complete ignorance. Ian turned back with a bright smile, and the man paled, dropping to the ground in prostration.
"I'm sorry!"
"...That's not what I wanted to hear."
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Ian was sincere, but the manager couldn't take it that way. Failing to report a new vein? He'd be suspected of siphoning it off. And if he truly didn't know, it was incompetence.
"W-with all due respect, I had no idea about any new vein. The spot you mentioned seems near the tunnel fork, where miners pass by five or six times a day. No one mentioned anything, so no one in the mine noticed it."
Either way, Ian's personal visit meant this wouldn't blow over easily.
As the manager bashed his head against the floor, Ian sighed and glanced at Berik. Berik subtly nudged the man's foot to stop the self-harm.
Thud!
"Stop it. You'll put a hole in your forehead."
"...Pardon?"
The manager's forehead was already smeared black with coal dust. Ian resumed walking and continued.
"I'm not here to assign blame. I need information. If no one in the mine knew, it must be recent."
"Wh-what kind of vein is it, sir?"
Not gold, surely? This dusty coal pit wouldn't yield such treasures. Yet the manager couldn't help fantasizing, eyeing Ian's expression.
"Yes. I know. It's something tremendous."
"Gasp!"
The manager inhaled sharply without thinking. A life-changer exploding like this! As long as Ian didn't hold him accountable for missing it, he'd remain manager. A new resource meant a huge cut of the profits for him too.
"You know I'll be away from the estate soon."
"Yes. Heading up for your title conferment—congratulations, sir. I'll manage the mine without issue in your absence."
"Good. So, I'm closing the mine indefinitely. You'll keep your full pay as is. But settle half a year's wages for the miners and let them go."
"I don't understand, sir."
"Indefinite provisional closure."
Even in the morning, not a sliver of sunlight reached inside the mine. Only the lanterns provided light, but the farther they went, a faint purple glow seemed to shimmer ahead.
"What you're about to see is strictly confidential. Think you can handle that? You can turn back now if you want."
The manager hesitated at Ian's offer. Everything so far was ideal for him. Fewer duties with the mine closed, yet steady pay!
Drip.
Water fell from the ceiling, snapping him alert. He bowed deeply. His resounding reply echoed through the mine.
"I-I'll keep my mouth shut no matter what!"
"Good to hear."
Besides, turning back now—who knew how Ian would deal with him? Send him home? Or cut out his tongue just for hearing the offer?
"Ever heard of mana stones?"
"Mana stones? Ah, no, sir."
"Surprising. Thought you'd know, working a mine."
"News travels slow here. A newly discovered mineral?"
"Something like that. Worth more than gold, probably."
Ian nodded toward it, and the manager reflexively looked.
"Ah, no way. What the hell is..."
He doubted his own eyes. Heavens! What on earth? He'd never seen anything like it. A softly glowing purple ore.
"No, is that really ore? And what's with the corpse?"
"Lots of air pockets inside, but it's definitely hardened solid. Ignore the corpse. In a way, we found it thanks to him."
The lower body crushed, the knight's face was pallid white. The manager froze briefly in shock, then crawled along the floor, scrutinizing rock crevices to find the vein's start.
"There. Hold the lantern here."
"Berik."
"Yes, sir!"
The manager traced with his fingertips up the starting point. Soon, confirming something, he hiked up his shirt and drew a small pick.
Clang! Clang!
"That won't work. Even hacking away with a sword barely scratches it. Looks like we'd need to blast it open."
"You're suggesting we blow up the mine, phrased so grandly."
"Am I? Anyway, no dice. Just wastes effort."
Ignoring Berik's dissuasion, the manager kept striking. But it was more like tapping smartly with snaps than full swings.
"Not trying to break the mana stone—I'm cracking the surrounding rock. Seems connected here; more moisture rising than elsewhere."
Clang!
A shard flew with a sharp crack. The manager flattened himself; Berik rushed over, peering in.
"Huh?"
"What? What is it?"
But the manager just frowned, as if he'd seen something he shouldn't. Berik paced irritably, but he didn't budge.
"What's wrong?"
"No, definitely coming from below here. There was a pool of liquid the same color. But the moment you approached, Berik..."
"The moment I approached?"
"It solidified. Can't dig deeper without interlocking rock. Unless we smash this outright."
Ian and Romandro eyed Berik simultaneously; he raised his hands innocently. It looked exactly like he'd caused the mana stone to harden.
"I didn't do anything!"
"Berik."
"Really. I swear."
"Come over here again."
At Ian's words, Berik promptly backed away from the manager.
"Still the same?"
"Yes. Unchanged."
"Ian, do you know something?"
Romandro looked at him, utterly baffled. Ordinary folk rarely knew such lore unless special circumstances.
Even Derga, with the mana stone brooch, likely only knew its use, not details like names, effects, or mechanisms.
Ian had a hunch.
"Mana stones fundamentally respond to mana."
"Respond to mana?"
"Exactly— their basic function is reacting to external mana."
Derga's brooch was the same.
Replaying voices required a special solution, graded by mana content during crafting.
"Looks like this one..."
"This one?"
"Solidifies when external mana nears. Berik, yesterday chasing the knight, you got close and it turned to this, right?"
"Yeah. Thought I'd sunk in mud at first. Got harder to flail as it worsened."
Berik the sword-mage. Faintly, but he held mana inside. Approaching could have triggered gradual solidification.
Vague memories solidified into certainty.
'High chance it's Luron.'
Likely an advanced mana stone. What was it used for?
Even the Magic Department had a dedicated division for mana stones—specialized knowledge. Ian frowned, waving them back.
"Step back."
"Why? What're you doing?"
"Gonna try breaking it."
"Barehanded? You're nuts!"
Berik startled, yanking Ian's arm and shoving a sword into his hand, nodding proudly.
"Man's gotta use tools. Right?"
"Forget it. You hold it."
"Huh? Regrets? Wanna eat with your toes?"
Ian ignored him lightly, placing his hand on the mana stone. The bisected knight's corpse stared blankly upward, pupils crossed.
Zing.
Shiiiiek!
Gathering mana slowly, the stone's purple intensified. Bubbles inside seemed to dry taut, heating up.
Berik and Romandro recoiled in horror; the manager prostrated, shielding his head.
"Ian, Ian! It won't explode, will it? Be careful!"
"Whoaaa! If it blows here, we're all toast!"
"Spare us, sir! Mercy!"
"Ian, it's dangerous! Oy, I'm a newlywed!"
"Uwaaaah! Can't you do this after I leave?!"
Their simultaneous shouts made his head throb. But Ian held firm, channeling mana slowly...
"Huh?"
"...Huh?"
"Ian, did you just say 'huh'?"
Silence fell at Ian's small exclamation. The blink felt eternal—surely an illusion.
Crack!
Boom! Shatter!
"Uwaaaah!"
"Crazy!"
The mana stone split and burst instantly. Chunks flew everywhere; Romandro and the manager huddled, screaming.
Berik whipped out his sword, batting fragments from his face, then checked Ian.
"Ian! You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah. Fine."
Ian's hair fluttered slightly. Explosion's force? Or mana? Unclear.
"Exploded in your face and you're fine?"
"Guess I threw up a shield instinctively."
"Nice one. Good call."
Ian brushed dust and powder from his clothes, smiling oddly. He'd gone very slow and faint, yet it reacted violently.
Swoosh.
The halved mineral dropped the knight's corpse. Ian eyed his hand, tilting his head.
'Weird.'
Mana more sensitive? He couldn't tell.
Berik approached, hefting a fist-sized chunk and chomping it.
"Won't budge no matter what, but it broke. Magic's handy, huh?"
Romandro scanned around. Mana stone fragments littered the area. Forgetting dignity, he swept the floor with his sleeve.
"Quick, gather 'em, Berik."
"Tedious. Can't we just grab the big ones?"
"Think of each pea-sized as one gold coin."
"...Broom outside?"
Berik bolted out, yelling for help. Ian placed his hand on an unbroken section, muttering.
"Everyone, back way off."
"Ah, Ian! Wait, wait!"
Zing. Zing!
Boom!
"Oof!"
Soldiers waiting outside turned toward the entrance, curious gazes wondering what was happening inside.