Chapter 466 - Seventh Tale: Gnome's Cave (3)
I rode on the thick disc-shaped Wind Barrier operated by the Elder with the Wolf Men, and Fiona caught the earth dug up on the disc operated by the leader. The remaining Wolf Men solidified the piled-up earth and made it into struts so it wouldn't collapse. When I tapped the completed rod-shaped earth, it made a dry 'kan-kan' sound. It's probably as hard as the bricks the Dwarves made. It'll be sufficient building material.
Perhaps they are used to digging holes, as they steadily reinforced it with struts with a practiced feel. The part that becomes the floor is made into steps, making it easy to go up and down. As expected of super high-level.
Fiona is mid-level, but she's a ghost. She doesn't run out of breath. On top of that, the many mini-Fionas are digging the hole together, and struts are completed for the amount dug.
After digging to some extent, we dug a side hole and made it a rest area. Everyone moved there.
"While Fiona-chan and the others are digging there, three of us will reinforce it. The other two will be allowed to rest. Otherwise, we won't be able to keep up with Fiona-chan's digging speed."
Before I knew it, she was being called with '-chan'.
"You all can take it slow while resting. I'm a ghost, so I don't run out of breath."
"Oh! How reliable."
Excuse me. I'm just illuminating with the lantern anyway. Though, I'm the only one who needs the lantern.
I change the candle in the lantern. It's already been two hours since we started digging.
We've dug to about the height of a two-story building and made a rest area there.
Even Fiona is starting to show fatigue, and four Wolf Men, Fiona, and the mini-Fionas are digging in turn. The initial momentum has been lost; one person digs, one solidifies, and one decides the position of the struts and installs them. Fiona and the others are mid-level, so they are either digging or acting as strut-setters. Since they don't know the good positions, they are being taught by one of the Wolf Men. No one says anything, but somehow anxiety and fatigue have become thick.
"Shall we rest for a bit? Someone should sleep one level below."
"A-Ah. That's right. You guys, won't you rest for a bit?"
Except for the Elder and the leader, they are breathing hard. It's not just their age; the Elder must be amazing here. It would be good if Recovery or Refresh could be used, but since beastmen are treated as monsters, that's not possible.
"Sorry, we'll do that."
"Please take this. It's honey and honey wine."
"Ah, sorry."
The two who stood up first try to take the arm of the other one to pull him up, but all three are staggering. There are struts on the sides so they don't tumble into the passage, but they might get hurt before they hit them.
"I'll go with you too. Now, everyone, support the two of them."
"Yes!"
Supported by the Fionas, they somehow walked to the rest area.
"Bishop. Are we going to continue like this?"
The Elder asked. He still seems unable to completely discard the idea of killing each other.
"The opponent is Gnome. We don't know how deep we've been trapped."
That's certainly true. We've already dug to a height of probably over a ten-story building. The construction of the stepped floor has also become quite sloppy.
"Have you ever met Gnome?"
"No, I haven't. Gnome probably wouldn't meet the likes of us."
"Why do you think so?"
"We have a history of conflict with humans."
"Was that so?"
"Yes. Just as you lived with the human you call the Ancient Priestess, beastmen lived with humans in the forest where our settlement was."
The Ancient Priestess lived with humans, lived with the Water Dragon, lived with low-level Demon Race, and lived with beastmen. I don't know how the remaining two Priestesses lived. If the ruins in Medioland or Engrio are residential sites, they might have lived with humans.
"However, humans moved to the plains because they wanted to use the agricultural techniques transmitted from the continent. That was fine. It's just a difference in what we eat. I didn't mind. We should have just lived by seeking the blessings of the forest, and humans the blessings of the fields."
Disputes apparently arose when humans began to reduce the forest with slash-and-burn agriculture and logging because they wanted to expand agriculture. Maybe the humans living in the fields from long ago took the lead. The disputes eventually became conflicts, and finally became war. Humans, who made full use of metal weapons, magic, and group tactics transmitted from the continent, gradually cornered the beastmen using numbers and technology. After repeating several peaces and wars, the beastmen moved to a forest area that maintained relatively friendly relations with humans. That would be the forest zone on the boundary between the east coast and the west coast.
"Then, were there originally many forests in current Engrio and Medioland too?"
"The plains of the south and east? There must have been many wastelands, but the forests should have spread quite a bit too. It seems they've been turned into fields and grazing lands now, though."
I see... No wonder the beastmen and spirits are angry. Monsters don't cut down trees. Humans cut down trees.
But if that's the case, didn't Gnome support the beastmen?
"Gnome taught humans how to use minerals produced by the earth. In other words, they wanted humans to use them. We challenged those humans to war. We attacked many mines, killed miners, and ravaged them."
Since then, coexistence with humans ended, and beastmen continued to fight humans by participating in the Demon Lord's army and such. Beastmen were a threat to humans at first, but humans, who equipped themselves with excellent weapons and armor using various minerals taught by Gnome, became dominant.
"But you aren't fighting now, are you."
"True. The one you call the Ancient Priestess came as a messenger of peace. And a non-aggression pact regarding each other's residential areas was made."
Then, isn't it fine already? Five thousand years have passed. The Earth Dragon even sided with the Demon Lord because he was blinded by gold. Even so, he was having a discussion to the point that the Central Mountain Range froze, so it's fine now.
"The pact with humans was made. However, after that, humans obtained a new mineral... silver. Even if we are superior in magic power, we probably can't win against humans if it becomes war. And we beastmen haven't met Gnome since then."
Hmm. He didn't put it into words, but he might think Gnome is involved in humans' use of silver.
"Don't you all use silver weapons and armor?"
"Of course not! You should know the reason if you're a Bishop!"
I intended to ask lightly, but he said it with the momentum of biting my head off.
"In the story I heard, humans used silver about three thousand years ago. It was discovered in Primordia. And it wasn't taught by Gnome, but discovered by humans by chance. Besides, about three thousand years ago is the time when he was with the Earth Dragon, and as a result, he started a discussion that lasted for a thousand years. Besides, if Gnome were truly angry with you all, would they have done something as roundabout as teaching humans the existence of silver? In my opinion, I don't think Gnome holds as much anger toward you all as you think."
He didn't seem to know that silver was discovered by humans. Is that so? he asks.
I told him what I actually heard from Sianya.
"I see..."
"That's right. The spirits I know are all kind. Besides, for a great spirit like Gnome, they are basically neutral. They don't take sides with one party."
In the first place, if Gnome were truly angry, they would have been destroyed long ago.
"What kind of spirits has Bishop Jeanne met so far?"
The Elder, whose expression became somewhat brighter, asks.
Starting with the Goblin I first became friends with, when I conveyed them in the order I met them, the jaws of the Wolf Men dropped at the part about Dune.
"I-Is it true? T-T-T-The Water Spirit?"
"Yes. I've been helped in various ways. We often have banquets together."
"Banquets... with the Water Spirit?"
"Yes. She toasts with barrels with this Fiona, and in drinking contests, she's crushing the men lined up."
"Oh, Jeanne. Don't say such things."
She pulls my sleeve, but it's the truth, so it can't be helped.
"A-Are there others, are there others?"
He's biting quite a bit.
"Um, the Wind Spirit, Elves, the second Dryad, Salamander, ah, the Dryad and Alraune of Northern Gram, the Goblin was earlier. And, just the other day, I met a group of Alraunes in Engrio."
"W-What, you've already met three of the Five Great Spirits and established friendship?"
Five Great Spirits? Not four, which means he knows the fifth one?
I bit back at the Elder instead.
"Isn't it four?"
"In the range I know, it was said to be four. But actually, I've heard there's a fifth one. Do you know anything?"
"The four are the elements themselves that make up this world. The five includes the one who connects those four."
"The one who connects..."
"Yes, the one who brings harmony and establishes bonds among the four on this island they created. It's like the soul of those living in this world, and it's also called the will itself of the one who possesses that soul."
He says something I don't understand well. If I take what the Elder said as it is, it would be someone among the living things on this island.
"Yes. That's right. And Bishop Jeanne has already established friendship with three of the Four Great Spirits, and if she can also establish friendship with Gnome in this land, there's a possibility that one of the five will be born."
"Isn't that amazing! Is Jeanne going to become a spirit?"
Um, I'm just a human.
"The Bishop is and will be a human. That's for sure. The one who becomes a spirit is the Bishop's soul, or rather, spirit, or should I say motto, um, that, that thing."
Did he forget? Isn't he just an old person now rather than an Elder.
What the Elder wanted to say was apparently 'creed'.
"Speaking of creed, is it something like coexistence?"
"Yes, that creed will gain power, take shape, and become a spirit. Of course, the priest remains as she is."
I don't understand well. Fiona is tilting her head too.
Anyway, I remain human. And it's a good thing that the spirit of coexistence becomes a spirit. By all means, let's become friends.
Anyway, it's a good thing that the Elder suddenly became motivated. He seems to have thought that if I meet Gnome and become friends, the spirit of coexistence will become a spirit, and the former peaceful life will return. I feel like we could become friends even if the fifth spirit doesn't appear, but there's no need to dampen his spirits. Magic control is also greatly related to motivation. I'll have them work hard toward the escape.
First, for two hours, Fiona, who has the most endurance, will dig slowly with the leader. During that time, the Elders will be allowed to rest to cultivate their energy. Next, Fiona and the leader will rest and the Elders will dig. We decided to challenge it with that repetition.
Furthermore, time for two candles flowed, and apparently even Fiona can no longer see the place covered with the original moss well. Anyway, to extend the distance, the diameter of the hole gradually became thinner, and the interval between rest areas also extended to more than three times what it was before. The rest area itself is a hollow rather than a room. Since the diameter of the hole became thinner, the danger of collapse decreased, and fewer struts were needed.
However, the ceiling and walls are close, so the sense of oppression is no joke. In fact, it's suffocating. I can only see the area around the lantern, so the change in appearance isn't that much, but Fiona and the Wolf Men can see. I feel frustrated with myself for only being able to call out occasionally. If only I could cast Refresh or Recovery, I could be of some help, but that's not possible.
However, at this rate, their physical strength might run out. If we had more food, we could settle in and go, but there's no more food. It's a contest of whether they become unable to move first or whether we dig through first. If only there were at least one more earth mage...
Even though it's frustrating, I'm trying not to let my anxiety or irritation toward myself show in my voice, and perhaps Fiona sensed it, as two mini-Fionas came near and are supporting me together. When I say thank you, they smiled only with their mouths. They have no more leeway. I'm truly grateful.
At that moment. The leader raised his voice.
"We did it! I saw a tree root!"
A tree root... The surface is close!
We all rejoiced, "We did it! We did it!" and the mini-Fionas went to call the resting Elders.
"Did we finally break through!"
The Elder also came in a hurry. Since the slope is steep, he's on all fours.
"Leader-san! From here, please dig a hole that one human can pass through. I'll go see the situation outside!"
"Understood. Fiona-chan, I'm counting on you!"
I can tell that the more we dig, the more the earth is soft and crumbling easily.
The Elders also raised cheers and began to pile up the dug-up earth to use as a foothold.
"Dig leaving only enough for the final Wind Barrier!"
"Yes! Elder!"
Fiona is already digging straight up. Since she's a ghost, she passes through everything. The Wolf Men are all solidifying it and piling it up behind them.
And finally, light shone in.
"H-Has it been dug through!"
"Yes! I've dug through. Please wait a bit. I'll go see the situation outside."
"Fiona, be careful!"
We can finally escape. Since light is shining in, it's sunny outside. In other words, we've been digging all night... No, wait, from the number of candles, it's too early for sunrise. It should still be midnight. Then, the light shining in is...
"Fiona! Come back!"
I call in a hurry, but she disappeared just like that.
"Everyone! Please dig. Dawn hasn't come yet. That light might be a trap!"
"W-What? Is it true?"
"Yes. Fiona is in danger. We have to help..."
"Fiona-chan? Understood! Leader!"
"Oh!"
The Elder deploys a Wind Barrier. It's to catch the earth the leader is digging vigorously. We dig desperately as if this is the moment. Earth is falling in pieces from the edges, but this is no time for that. I have to go to Fiona's place quickly...
"Ba!"
"Uwaa!"
Suddenly, a blue-glowing Fiona appeared in front of me.
"F-Fiona-chan! Were you safe!"
"What's wrong? Everyone. Digging a hole with such pale faces. Won't you run out of breath if you become so earnest?"
"What do you mean 'what's wrong', the Bishop said there's a trap above."
"A trap? There's no such thing."
Everyone looked at me at once.
"Um, the time, you see, didn't match... so, um, I thought it might be a trap..."
When I explained the circumstances, Fiona laughed and came to cling to me while taking my arm.
"You were worried about me. Thank you, but it's alright."
Everyone sighed with relief, but they were smiling. Fiona is safe and an exit was found. It must have been good.
According to Fiona's story, the top is a place like where the secret books are kept, filled with light emitted from the ceiling. However, there are no bookshelves where secret books are placed, nor is there an altar.
"Somehow, you know, tables and chairs are lined up, and there are shelves where dishes are lined up and barrels and bags where food and water are stored. It's a place that looks like people live there."
This development happened before too. However, it wouldn't be the Earth Dragon who set it up. It would be Gnome. If things go well, we can achieve not just the escape but also the initial goal of meeting Gnome.
"Food and water... we're saved..."
"Bishop Jeanne, it's thanks to you."
The Wolf Men slumped down. Everyone was already at their limit.
"Thank you, Fiona. Thanks to you, we were saved."
"It's fine. I'm Jeanne's scout, after all."
Stop it, I'm going to cry.