Chapter 412 - Chapter 2: Exploration of the Silver Mine (6)
We ride on medium-sized plates and trace back the path the giant worm took. After flying for about half an hour, there was a place where it turned sharply midway. Was it hard, or did something unpleasant happen? Alex said he was curious, so we decided to land and explore.
Even searching with Sense Living, nothing is found.
“How about it? Flora. What do you think?”
“It’s strange, for it to turn so suddenly, there must be something ahead.”
“Wait here for a bit. I’ll bring my brothers.”
No sooner had he said it than he jumped away, and before I could even count to ten, he returned with two others.
“Is it here? The strange place?”
“Yeah, it’s the trail a Land Worm crawled. It’s far off from the tunnels. Don't you think there’s something to it, turning this much?”
“True. Shall we probe it a bit?”
No sooner had they said it than the two who had jumped here vanished again, and this time they brought iron bars about twice the length of a human’s height, hammers, and pickaxes.
“Everyone except Jeanne, Roberts-san, and Matilda, please step back a bit. Flora and the Goblins, guard everyone’s rear. Eleanor-san and Beatrix, have Wind Barrier ready. If anything happens, deploy it immediately and protect the humans on that side.”
Everyone steps back. Beatrix begins her incantation, and Flora and the Goblins are watching the rear along with Lewis-san. Roberts-sama entrusted his spear to Henry-sama.
Looking closely, the iron bars were tubes. The tips were sharp and pointed, and the opposite ends were rounded as if crushed. After investigating the wall ahead, they applied the tip of a tube to the wall.
“Matilda. Help us.”
“Sure. What should I do?”
“We’re driving this in. Prop it on your shoulder so it doesn't move and support it.”
“Understood. Leave it to me.”
“Then, we’re counting on you.”
Saying so, they placed the long iron bar on the right shoulder of Matilda, who was on one knee. Matilda shouldered it on her right shoulder and held it as if supporting it with both hands. They were adjusting the angle to apply it to the wall, and it seems it was decided. Alex is pressing his ear to the wall, perhaps trying to detect something. The other one moved to the opposite side and readied a hammer.
“Jeanne. Illuminate the wall with Fireflies. Give it everything you’ve got. Roberts-san, we’re counting on you if anything strange comes out.”
“Understood. I shall provide at least one support.”
At Alex’s words, he drew the sword at his waist.
“Then, Light!”
I release one Firefly and illuminate the wall with maximum power.
“Alright, here we go!”
Alex’s brother, who had moved to the opposite side of the tube, swung the hammer and struck the tube with a clang.
The tip of the tube slid into the wall. One-fourth was buried with a single strike.
“It’s fine.”
“No reaction!”
The one watching the tube while checking the angle and Alex, who was detecting the sound? I guess? from the wall, raised their voices.
“Alright, one more!”
He swings the second strike with a clang. More than half is buried.
“The feel changed.”
“Did it go through?”
“Probably. The sound?”
“It went through. But that’s all.”
I don't understand.
Matilda is also dumbfounded. The one who struck with the hammer and the one listening to the sound at that moment had sensed a difference in feel that the human holding the tube could not perceive. They are indeed spirits of the mine.
They slowly pull out the iron tube. Since it came out, there must be a space expanding on the other side. Since half was buried, it’s beyond a rock with a thickness about the height of an adult male.
As they smoothly pull out the tube, they are investigating the tip. Turning the pointed side down and tapping it, rock or soil that had become like a rod came out.
“Hmph. It’s not that the magic power is dense.”
He is holding his hand over the soil. Is it something like magic detection?
“There’s no particular sound.”
In other words, there is no change on the other side.
“Flora, come here. Can you examine the soil?”
“Sure.”
She takes the soil from the tip of the tube in her hand.
“There’s no particular change... no, that’s not right. This soil is a bit different from the soil here. It’s as if some clay that had something added is a bit mixed in.”
“Something like clay?”
“Yes, I’ve seen it somewhere. Let’s see, where was it... I remember! Elves!”
“Elves?”
According to Flora, it’s something elves use when kneading soil, for example, to plug gaps in the walls of a house.
“That clay is mixed in just a little. Surely, there’s a space in this back, and they smeared it on the surface of the wall. Surely, it’s for strengthening the wall surface.”
“Elves in this back?”
For a moment, a chill ran down my spine.
Oh no, this sensation is...
“There’s an evil spirit! Matilda! Get away from the wall quickly!”
Alex pulls Matilda’s hand and takes her to where everyone is. Roberts-sama points his silver sword precisely at the hole.
“Jeanne. Please release Fireflies. Let’s block the hole with strengthened Fireflies.”
Told by Eleanor-sama, I place a Firefly to block the hole made by the tube and release another to illuminate the surroundings. Next, I chant the Chant of Exorcism. The humans joined in the chant.
The unpleasant sensation I felt in Morandine gradually fades away.
“Could it be that the evil spirits of the elves from when the accident occurred are in this back?”
Is that why the worm changed direction?
The three dwarves all took on grim expressions.
“What do you think? Brothers.”
“It’s not impossible.”
“Then, it’s a matter of what to do next.”
“Yeah, we should call the elves.”
“Will elves be enough?”
For some reason, Alex looks at me.
“We could have you call my older brothers and sisters, but that’s after it’s certain that we or the elves can't handle it.”
“That’s true.”
In this case, his older brothers and sisters must refer to Dune and the others. That’s why he looked at me.
“First, let’s check the inside. Before that, we’ll let the humans escape.”
“Yeah, starting with the mages.”
It seems the talk was settled. Naturally, everyone is listening.
“Jeanne. Light magic is necessary. Sorry, but please stay for a while. If anything happens, I’ll let you escape immediately with Teleport.”
Alex said this apologetically. This might be quite a serious situation.
“Father, Mother. Please leave this to me and Jeanne.”
It’s Roberts-sama. He intends to stay.
“If the opponent is an evil spirit, it can't be helped. Roberts, I shall return this to you. I’m counting on you for Jeanne.”
Henry-sama hands over the silver spear. Roberts-sama, who received it, returned the sword to the scabbard at his waist. Eleanor-sama hugged Roberts-sama without saying anything.
“I’m staying, too.”
The mage with no experience against evil spirits says something reckless.
“I’m staying, too!”
“Me too!”
Even Bonnie and Lyudmila started saying it.
“You’re quite brave. That’s how it should be. Actually, I have a plan. Let’s form a circle, lend me your shoulders.”
At the same time Alex formed a circle with the four, a magic circle floated up on the ground and they vanished. It was Teleport.
“I’m staying. I’m a spirit, so I’m not afraid of evil spirits.”
This time it’s Flora. After saying it, she’s backing away in wariness of Teleport.
“No. If something happens, what about Glory?”
“The triplets are there, so it’s fine. Besides, even children are spirits. There’s no need to worry.”
He winks at Alex’s brothers. In an instant, they jump right behind Flora and she vanishes in the blink of an eye. Alex returns slightly late. He’s holding his right cheek.
“Lyudmila is quite something. I took a good one.”
“I-I’m sorry. I’ll definitely make her apologize later.”
“It’s fine.”
I apologized in a hurry. Since she punched Alex, I have to scold her severely.
“You are to return as well.”
Eleanor-sama says to Lewis-san.
“I am sorry, but as you know, the Paratroop Jaeger Unit is directly under His Majesty the King. Besides, if it were said that I ran away leaving Jeanne behind, my subordinates would stop listening to me.”
Just how many times do they have to be forcibly transported by Teleport?
“Good resolve. A warrior may stay. In exchange, you must protect yourself.”
“Umu. I understand.”
At Alex’s words, Henry-sama is making a guts pose.
Seeing that, Eleanor-sama handed several scrolls to Roberts-sama, then grabbed Henry-sama’s arm with her right hand and Alex’s arm with her left hand.
Simultaneously, the three vanish.
“One more time, then. Please, just stay quiet.”
When Alex, who returned, said that, he jumped away taking Robinson-san and the Goblins.
The ones remaining are Roberts-sama, Lewis-san, Will, Matilda, and me.
“Will and Matilda, you can go home, you know.”
“A warrior may stay, right?”
“I’m staying. If it’s a silver weapon, I can hit even an evil spirit, right?”
Matilda, that’s only if it hits. You saw the duel between Fiona and the Cait Sith, didn't you?
“Well, it should be fine. It’s just until we check the inside, then block and strengthen this place. Jeanne, illuminate this wall with Light. The remaining warriors will protect Jeanne.”
In the end, I ended up surrounded by four warriors.
All of Alex’s brothers gathered. It’s the first time all seven are assembled. Among them, five have silver hammers and the other two have pickaxes. Even if used as weapons, they are quite atrocious. And Alex brought two elves... the Elder and the Prince.
“The opponent might be the evil spirits of ancient elves. Since we have Jeanne’s light magic, we should be able to fight advantageously even if it becomes a battle.”
“I can leave Jeanne to the humans, right?”
Asked, Alex looks at Roberts-sama.
“Leave it to me.”
Roberts-sama, already leveling his spear, says. To my front-right is Roberts-sama, front-left is Lewis-san, right is Matilda, and left is Will. The other four are all clad in Eleanor’s armor and helmet. In experiments, they should be fine against high-level magic unleashed by humans or monsters, but the opponent might be an elf.
“Don't worry. The elves will block all the elf magic.”
Come to think of it, the currently strongest elves were here.
Five dwarves as the vanguard, two elves and two dwarves as the magic personnel. Would that be the formation? One could say it’s quite powerful.
Since I was told I could chant the Chant of Exorcism, I chant and the four human warriors, starting with Roberts-sama, join in. I don't think my Chant of Exorcism will work on the evil spirits of elves, but it brings composure and courage to the humans who chant.
I chant while illuminating the surroundings with Fireflies. In that light, the dwarves began to crumble the wall with magic. Considering the length the iron tube was thrust in during the probe, it should have a thickness about the height of one adult male. Alex is not crumbling it all at once, but removing it little by little. Simultaneously, another dwarf is taking soil from the back wall as well. Once the soil taken out reaches a certain amount, it is instantly hardened into blocks and piled up. When Alex strikes a block as if to check the result, it makes a dry clink like a brick. Just how hard did he make it?
While crumbling the wall little by little in a circle so that the size of the hole where the tube was thrust doesn't expand, blocks are being piled up. When the one in charge of piling piles them after stroking the surfaces where the blocks meet with his right hand, the piled blocks don't collapse as if they’ve stuck together. It’s like they’re making a wall of stone masonry. Matilda, perhaps because she was too surprised, is staring with her mouth open, forgetting to join the chant.
In that way, while crumbling the wall and fashioning a wall, the wall was dug further and further, and when something like a stone frame was finished, the digging work stopped.
“Roberts-san, is that scroll Holy? If it is, could you strengthen Jeanne’s Fireflies?”
When Alex said that, Roberts-sama winked at Will and Matilda.
There are six scrolls Eleanor-sama left. Three are Heal, and three are Holy. They must have been imbued by a super-high-level mage. Right now, Will and Matilda, who were handed them by Roberts-sama, have three each.
“Wh-which one is Holy?”
“Jeanne, could you tell us?”
Of all people, the two who have absolutely no interest in magic are holding them.
“Sorry. My mistake.”
Roberts-sama apologized, and Lewis-san hurriedly examined them one by one.
“Well, it’s better than being too tense.”
Alex let out a laugh of “good grief.”
The Holy scrolls were, as I thought, log-class Holy Lances. As expected of Eleanor-sama, she chose easy-to-use ones. They might be the ones the Headmistress imbued. When I used one to strengthen the four Fireflies, a somewhat hot light burst forth.
“Then, we’re crumbling it!”
At the same time the wall was crumbled toward the other side with a clatter, the light of the Fireflies shone into the pitch-black space and illuminated the inside.
Perhaps fearing the light of the Fireflies, there is no sign of the spine-chilling evil spirit.
When I threw one Firefly inside, the Elder transported it further and further back with wind magic.
“Wh-what a thing...”
The Elf Elder was speechless.
There, there were a staggering number of skeletal remains, presumably belonging to elves.