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138 Exploring
the Abandoned Mine of the Suzuka Mountains
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Translator : PolterGlast
It has been three days
since the discovery of the monster nest—I call it a nest because only monsters
have been confirmed so far—deep inside the abandoned mine of the Suzuka
Mountains. Laura's research revealed that this abandoned mine was a remnant of
a mine shaft from the early days of the founding of the Oda Kingdom. It has
been abandoned for several centuries. No one remembered its existence. I guess
I should be glad that a record of it came out after digging through old
documents.
We decided to prepare
and begin the exploration.
"I'm off!"
Rosalina leaped into
the hole. It's only because she's Rosalina that she can jump from a height of
over a dozen meters without a safety rope. She landed by crushing the head of
one of the werewolf-like monsters called Kobolds that were swarming the ground,
and with that momentum, she hit the surrounding Kobolds with a whirlwind kick.
"Don't fall
behind Rosalina-dono! Go!"
At Jojok's command,
the assault unit members descended using ropes. They looked cool like rangers,
but after seeing Rosalina's dive...
The Kobolds were Level
10 to 25. The Kobold leaders were Level 26 to 30. We found some higher-level
ones than we had seen before. This means the situation is constantly changing.
The space below the hole is the Kobolds' territory. That's why the density of
the Kobolds is quite high. There must be hundreds, maybe even over a thousand
of them.
"The monster
corpses aren't disappearing."
"Monster corpses
don't disappear outside of dungeons. They just remain, and cleaning them up is
a hassle."
"Anneliese, you
know everything. You are the epitome of beauty and brains!"
She's beautiful,
intelligent, has a great figure, soft and smooth skin, and perfectly bouncy
hips. There's nothing more I could ask for.
"You praise me
too much. I'm not that great."
"That's not
true~"
"It is,
so..."
"Anneliese, you
should be more confident."
"Ahem!"
" "..."
"
"It is good that
you two are so close, but Sir Jojok and the others are risking their lives to
fight below. Please be mindful of your surroundings."
"Indeed.
Gandarvan, you're absolutely right. My apologies."
"I apologize as
well. I'll be more careful from now on."
***
Thanks to the efforts
of Jojok and Rosalina, the Kobolds below the hole were cleared out. Since it's
outside a dungeon, the Kobold corpses remained. Under Barth's command, the
soldiers threw the corpses into wooden boxes, and the transporters carried the
boxes outside. Of course, the transporters brought in materials to build the
bridgehead and then used their now-empty item boxes to carry out the corpses.
Monster corpses can be
dismantled for materials. If they were monsters like cows or pigs, we could
even eat their meat. But since these are werewolf-like Kobolds, we won't be
eating their meat. Detailed Appraisal told me that it's edible, but it's sinewy
and doesn't taste good. Maybe it's a matter of how it's cooked, but since it's
not a meat we can get a stable supply of, we'll just dispose of it. We'll be
sure to collect the other materials, though.
"I never thought
a Kobold's tongue could be used as a fever reducer."
Gandarvan and the
others were dumbfounded after hearing my explanation.
"Their bladder
can be used as an aphrodisiac, and their claws, teeth, and bones can be mixed
with iron to strengthen it. And their fur can be used for cold-weather
clothing."
The Kobold leaders'
materials have the same uses, but they are more potent.
After clearing the
Kobold corpses, we used the materials that were brought in to build a
bridgehead. We had the mages who can use earth magic level the ground, and then
we stacked blocks on top of it.
We built a defensive
wall with concrete blocks that Yamato invented.
Yamato said, "I
put rebar in, so it's durable."
The blocks have
protrusions and indentations so they can fit together. Since we just have to
stack them, we were able to build the defensive wall in no time. This is just a
makeshift defensive wall, so we'll solidify it with mortar once things have
settled down.
After the defensive
wall, we built stairs. We also used the blocks for this. The height is over a
dozen meters, but we can make it work by making it a winding staircase.
***
Around the time we
finished building the bridgehead, Banarji returned from the royal capital.
"Her Highness the
Princess said she is ready to send reinforcements at any time."
"I don't think
we'll need reinforcements."
I have a team of
dungeon exploration experts. Soldiers who have never explored a dungeon would
only get in the way. It's an emergency, so we don't need any dead weight.
"More
importantly, what happened with the ownership of the dungeon?"
"Yes. Here it
is."
He handed me a small wooden
box with a heavy seal on it. As expected of the Royal Family, it was a
luxurious item.
Inside was a document
stating that the ownership of the dungeon in the Suzuka Mountains belongs to
the Footscythel viscount family. The Princess, as regent, has signed it, so no
one can complain.
"This dungeon now
belongs to us. I'll have to present something to the Royal Family as a token of
my gratitude."
"That would be a
good idea."
Dungeons are
troublesome because they produce monsters, but they also bring in wealth.
That's why it's important to clarify ownership, or it will become a problem
later on.
The underground cavity
is shaped like a palm. There's a space about 500 meters from north to south and
600 meters from east to west, with five passages at the back. We built the
bridgehead at the wrist area.
The monsters in the
large palm-shaped space have been almost completely cleared out. We are
currently exploring and clearing the five passages, and at the same time, we
are also making a map.
"Your Excellency.
We have found the dungeon entrance."
"Where is
it?"
"It's at the end
of the middle finger passage."
I've been numbering
the passages from the thumb to the pinky finger. The middle finger passage is
the third one from either the right or the left. The middle finger passage is
the same no matter which direction you approach it from.
"Monsters are
continuously appearing from the dungeon."
"Let's go take a
look."
I went about a
kilometer into the middle finger passage from the palm-shaped area. At the end
of the one-way passage, which was wide enough for about 10 people to walk
side-by-side, there was a small open area. A foreboding vortex was squirming at
the dead end. That's the dungeon entrance.
Almost at the same
time I arrived, a monster appeared. Or rather, it was born from the vortex. It
tore through the vortex and came out.
"That's a
lizard... no, it's not."
When its thick feet
stomped the ground, there was a ground-shaking roar so loud I thought the
abandoned mine would collapse.
--- Rock Dragon.
A huge monster with
scales like gray-brown rocks. Its level is 55.
"It's a Level 55
Rock Dragon."
At my words, Gandarvan
raised his voice and ordered the soldiers to retreat. The soldiers' levels are
in their 40s. They can fight it, but there's no need to force them since we're
here.
The Rock Dragon's
entire body was revealed. It looks like a lizard, but it has countless sharp
spikes on its back. It's about 15 meters long and has a wide body.
"Gulalalalalala!"
The Rock Dragon's roar
in the enclosed space was terrible for our ears. I thought my eardrums were
going to burst.
"Gandarvan.
Silence it."
"Understood."
Gandarvan charged with
his shield. There was a huge impact and a loud sound as he hit it hard enough
to gouge its hard-looking scales. The Rock Dragon's huge body was lifted into
the air.
"Slash!"
Jojok's sword danced
in the air.
"Gyaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
The Rock Dragon's
scream echoed as it was deeply slashed in the abdomen.
"Be quiet-nanodesu!"
Rosalina's fist struck
the Rock Dragon's face. The area was greatly dented, and the Rock Dragon spewed
blood from its eyes, nose, and mouth.
"This is the
finishing blow."
I swung Kokuzan. I
felt something. A line appeared on the Rock Dragon's neck, and it slid down
along that line. The Rock Dragon fell to the ground with a rumble, and I put
Kokuzan back in its sheath.
"Gandarvan.
Organize a dungeon exploration team. Barth, secure the other passages
completely. Jojok, you will explore the dungeon with Gandarvan."
" " "Yes,
sir!" " "
The Rock Dragon's
corpse was in the way, so I collected it in my Item Box.
Dragons are apparently
a treasure trove of materials, with nothing going to waste. The Royal Family
would be happy if I presented them with some of it. I'll also give some to the
Duke for his help.
***
While the exploration
team was being sent into the dungeon, Barth completed the extermination of the
monsters in the abandoned mine.
"Barth, build a
defensive wall in front of the middle finger passage's dungeon entrance. And
make sure the exploration team's supplies don't run out."
"Understood."
I decided to return to
the mansion for the time being.
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