Chapter 28
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 28
Chapter Title: I Became a Miner Holy Knight
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【This isn't the Northern Continent! Even the Queen needs rest during the day! I'm going to sleep, put up my shield, and recharge my cold energy!】
A, I remembered what Requiya had said back at the sanctuary.
The Ruler of Frost would hunker down in the shade during the day.
That meant the Queen had limitations on her actions away from her home ground.
I asked, dreaming hopeful dreams of dreamland.
'Can I sleep?'
The Queen isn't the only problem!
'If it's because of your cold energy, you don't have to apologize. I've got a way.'
I gave Requiya one instruction.
"Will you wake me up by increasing the time by one hour each time?"
"Understood."
I might freeze to death in my sleep if I dozed off carelessly. That must be why Silver Star couldn't bring herself to say it outright.
Requiya said he could use alarm magic, so no need for a night watch, and he could wake up at the desired time no matter how deeply he slept.
"You've had a hard time. Sleep well."
"Rest well, Captain."
I lay down on the bed, pulled the covers over, and stretched out my legs.
I watched Requiya climb into the bed opposite me and close his eyes, pondering for a moment.
'How reliable is that alarm magic? Any chance of a surprise attack? If someone tries to ambush us, Silver Star will let me know. How should I handle Requiya's revenge? If we're going to keep traveling, I need to save up money...'
Embarrassingly enough, the moment I closed my eyes, I passed out.
It was the sweetest sleep I'd ever had since being born.
And I forgot all about whatever worries I'd had.
Groooowwwwl—!
"Gah!"
I jolted awake and kicked off the covers.
Thunder had rumbled just like that when the Ruler of Frost appeared.
No way she came during the day?
Shhhhhoooo—!
Ah, it was just rain.
I'd fallen asleep as soon as morning broke, but it was already late afternoon.
'Slept the whole day?'
Snore—.
Requiya was passed out face-down on the table, drooling.
On the table, the hippo was sleeping with its tongue lolling out. Looked like Requiya had scrounged up some milk and hay from somewhere and fed it.
That demon knew your guardian heart was getting cold and kept warming it with magic! One hour! Two hours! Three hours! Every time you told him!
I'd asked Requiya to handle the alarms instead of telling Silver Star, on purpose.
I figured if I asked Silver Star, she'd feel sorry for putting me through the pain.
Whether she knew my intentions or not, Silver Star kept frolicking innocently as ever.
I timed it! Four hours should be fine! You won't die sleeping that long! Andre and Bong got a lot stronger too!
'Yeah. Is that right?'
Anyway, I owed Requiya one.
After covering Requiya and the hippo with blankets, I quietly closed the door and headed down to the first floor.
I took a seat at an empty table.
With a clear head, I pondered my plans going forward.
'Long-term goals, mid-term goals, short-term goals.'
Surviving and seeing the world was the ultimate task encompassing all time, so I set it aside from the deliberations.
That was basically the long-term goal anyway.
Mid-term goal: Make Requiya independent. He was a long-lived demon without illness, but he had more naive sides than expected. Dragging him around forever might not be good for him.
Before that, I had to help with his revenge, which included tracking down and tearing apart that Fiore Kingdom court mage.
Short-term goal...
What was it again?
"I'm hungry—."
"Suhes."
"Skipping meals too? You must've been exhausted."
The innkeeper, half-bald, progressing baldie, still the dream and hope of all balding folk.
Seeing Suhes' gleaming forehead jogged my memory of the short-term goal.
"What's down in the mines?"
Straight to the point, as always.
One of these days, I'd take a proper sword to the gut.
"Interested?"
Still, the underground mine probably wasn't top secret.
The dwarf miners coming and going openly, and Suhes' eyes lighting up at my question—that was why.
"This place wasn't originally a mining town—."
The Fiore Kingdom's western border town had started as a small refugee camp.
People fleeing harsh taxes, war, bandits, and monsters settled one by one, pitching tents and surviving.
"There were carpenters among the refugees, blacksmiths, wandering ronin too. I convinced those folks to build a town. That was 30 years ago—."
Suhes had become the village chief himself, built an inn to house and feed the homeless until they got settled.
"Sometimes beasts, monsters, or bandit gangs would raid us. We dug underground to hide the kids at least, and what comes out but something weird? Showed it to the blacksmith Grevare, and turns out it was iron ore."
It wasn't top-quality iron ore, but enough to sustain a small town.
Iron's the most versatile metal, from farm tools and kitchenware to weapons.
"Sometimes weird stuff turns up too. Y'know, 'divine power' this or 'ability' that. We take that to the black market, sell it to mages or nobles, and turn it into real money—."
"Does that stuff come up often?"
"Ohoho—. You look like a merc, but Andre, turns out you're in that line of work huh."
Let's see—. Suhes pinched his brow and counted on his fingers.
"In 30 years, about four pieces. Word is, the earth's energy here makes ability crystals form—."
"What happens if an outsider finds one?"
"Can't let it shake our main purpose. Ours is iron ore anyway—. We don't get greedy for stuff above our station. Think of it as a fee, price it fair, and that's it—."
Share a little cut, basically.
"Folks coming specifically for that kinda thing ain't small fry, right? Get too greedy, and we'll end up the ones hurt—?"
That was the wisdom of running an inn for 30 years, meeting all sorts.
The leisure to guide the conversation like flowing water.
I nodded along to Suhes' words.
Plenty to learn from this guy.
"Ah, but it doesn't pop up just 'cause you want it to—. Nice if finding one meant cash right away, but plenty give up after mining iron ore—."
Like going to the lotto store a few times, striking out, and never coming back.
"Some might've pocketed one without saying a word—. Happens in any mine, right?"
Yeah, folks who wipe their mouths clean after eating.
Made me think how similar human society is everywhere.
Anyway, from the mine owner's perspective, no loss no gain.
I had a rough idea of how the mine operated.
So, right now was the time to decide and act on my short-term goal.
"I'll start tonight. Lend me gear?"
"Young folks are so bold—. Work hard, and I'll forget you beat my boy—."
"Your son?"
Aah—.
That drunk horseback-riding punk?
"He deserved it. No, he deserved death. If your son's a wastrel, say the word. I can kill him even now."
Suhes shrugged and waved his hand dismissively.
The gesture saying not to talk nonsense.
"Bad luck running into you folks, but he's city security—."
Figured as much.
Testing me and Requiya on orders.
"No regrets about it. But if he comes to apologize, I'll accept it."
"That's our town law. Take in one bad stranger, and the weak suffer—."
"Some law."
While I was at it with the blunt talk, I asked about something that'd been bugging me.
"Prices seem high. Was the room gouging?"
"First night's on me—."
Dodging admission like that, classic sly half-bald uncle. Send Suhes to Congress!
Anyway, I was the one short on cash, so no reason to refuse.
"Deal."
That's how cool your Holy Knight is.
I explained the plan to Requiya, who came down looking for me with the hippo in his arms.
"Gonna mine iron ore every night for a workout for a while."
"I'll follow. Holy K—Captain."
The kid's smart and quick on his feet, but sometimes a screw comes loose.
'Maybe everyone who bonds with me goes a bit mad.'
Just look at Silver Star spouting nonsense that doesn't fit the mood or situation.
'Even that proper master senior would stick chopsticks up his nostrils when drunk.'
Thinking back, friends from school and my firefighter days all slowly went nuts around me.
"I'm the one blabbing about being a Holy Knight anyway. Call me Captain or whatever's comfy. Hold your breath a hundred times, then follow."
We packed soup, bread, and water for dinner in the mines and headed underground.
"Light—."
I infused divine power into the glowstone and ventured into the winding tunnels.
Each tunnel had thick iron doors—not just for opening and closing, but also serving as supports.
Holes at the four corners ensured airflow.
After passing a few bends, I released the power I'd been focusing on to seal away Silver Star.
Moments later, Requiya followed.
"Did you sense my ability's aura?"
"No. I didn't feel a thing."
Good, good.
Requiya really doesn't lie to me.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
This too.
I'd tested it hoping the mine would hide me and Silver Star from detection, and luckily, it worked.
If I want to sleep at night, just crash in the mines.
Not every day, though.
Clang—, clang—, claaang—.
And so, I went from traveling merchant Holy Knight to miner Holy Knight.
The underground mine wasn't just dwarves—plenty of humans too.
Most were town residents.
They worked for pay and to contribute to the town economy.
"Gonna live and die here. Why not you guys too? No real taxes. After deductions, still enough to raise kids. Better than Fiore Kingdom. Conscription this, that—always dragging folks for training, whippings. Think they pay proper? Lucky not to die—."
"Pay? Gotta bring my own armor, weapons. Grateful if they feed you full."
New faces got the miners chatting excitedly.
Yet they never stopped swinging picks—their skill at breaking rock was top-notch, clearly experienced.
My competitive spirit flared. Requiya and I swung our picks like madmen.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
"Young blood thinking brute force mining won't hurt ya."
Split!
Boom boom boom boom boom boom!
"Requiya, at it. Gotta fight with any weapon."
"Understood."
We even sparred with picks.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
Double-headed picks have weight forward-loaded.
Swinging while keeping my balance strengthened my core, waist, and legs.
Can't ignore how it loosens tired mining muscles.
"Mad bastards! Why fight with picks?!"
"Where'd these weirdos roll in from—."
I picked up mine workflow in the downtime.
"Rocks from the mine go that tunnel to the stonemasons. They're gathering to build stone walls instead of log palisades soon. Real fortress, real city."
"Iron ore goes this way. Smelters and forges clustered there. Go near, sweat even in winter."
No plans to stay long-term, but good to know.
'Not staying short means no slacking.'
Fun! Silver Star thinks everything's fun!
Wage Lupin shit is for wage Lupins.