Ch.230Relief complete

The all-out battle against the Lesser Demons ended in an overwhelming victory for the Pioneer & Silver Wolf Tribe alliance, but we weren’t given the luxury of savoring the afterglow of victory.

We needed to move the wounded who had been hit by black magic bullets and were at death’s door into the barrier’s range as quickly as possible.

The battlefield was closer to the Wellord Mine, but in the collapsed ruins, no medical treatment could be expected except for purification of the black magic.

Since our party was the only one with a carriage, the task of transporting emergency patients to the Leatherwork clinic fell entirely on us.

Wanting to rest properly in a safe base even for just one day, we gladly accepted the mission and, after driving through pitch darkness for about an hour and a half, safely admitted the patients to the hospital.

Needless to say, we then dragged our tired bodies to our lodgings and had a good, long sleep.

“Ahh… it’s been a while since I slept so well.”

“Even though the sleeping arrangements at the mine weren’t particularly uncomfortable, it’s nice to be able to rest without worrying about anything…”

“Exactly. Being able to take even a simple shower is something to appreciate.”

While staying at the Wellord Mine, we couldn’t deploy the carriage to its maximum size, so we just laid out mats to sleep on, and apart from washing our faces and brushing our teeth, we relied on Jessica’s Clean Up.

For living in a village devastated by monster attacks, it was a grateful level of comfort… but still, it couldn’t compare to sleeping with your legs stretched out in lodgings with shower facilities.

“So the only thing left is to conquer the dungeon where the overflow occurred.”

“Now that I think about it, isn’t this too disadvantageous for us? Other people might have already dropped off supplies at the mine and set out to find the dungeon by now.”

“Since the dungeon’s location has been revealed…”

A map showing what was presumed to be the dungeon’s location was found on the body of the former adventurer who attacked us at the end.

With over 30 adventurers plus Silver Wolf Tribe warriors rushing in, any ordinary dungeon would obviously be swept through in no time.

Perhaps it would be cleared out even before we arrived at the Wellord Mine… but Jessica seemed to think differently.

“I can’t say for certain, but it’s unlikely that those participating in the emergency quest would head straight for the dungeon.”

“Why? Isn’t that dungeon the most coveted target in this incident?”

“That’s precisely why. The top priority of this emergency quest is to provide aid to the Wellord Mine. If dozens of people rushed there, took no meaningful action, and immediately headed for the dungeon, what kind of rumors would spread?”

“…They couldn’t avoid criticism for ignoring the overflow victims because they were blinded by treasure.”

“Exactly. And the complaints would be much stronger right after we worked so hard to feed them and reinforce the barrier towers, right?”

No matter how much adventurers might be a bunch fixated on striking it rich, they can’t ignore public opinion.

To get good commissions, they need to earn the trust of clients, and no client would trust an adventurer who ignores the purpose of a quest because they’re blinded by profit.

“And from the Adventurers’ Guild’s standpoint, they can’t start dungeon conquest while they’ve sent us this way. If that happened once, no one would ever take on the mission of transporting patients to the rear again.”

“I suppose… Then we could rest more leisurely in Leatherwork and leave in the afternoon without any problems.”

“I think we could even leave tomorrow morning without anyone complaining. With our carriage, it wouldn’t take even four hours to reach the Wellord Mine.”

“Even though I ride in it myself, I still can’t believe it…”

Iris, who has experienced many surprises while traveling with us these past few days, still doesn’t seem accustomed to the Ancestor’s incredible driving capabilities.

In fact, if proper roads were laid in Grantis, we could travel even faster…

“By the way, Iris, how did you find that hidden gunman with magic back then?”

“Thanks to my Elder training, I can sense the flow of magic and the activation of formulas. After becoming a Dark Elf, I only respond to black magic, and that detection ability seems to have caught the moment when the gun was being reloaded.”

“Ah, the bullet inscription… Thanks to you, we were able to catch him before there were more victims.”

“Becoming a Dark Elf wasn’t all bad, I guess. Hehe.”

Though she says that, she must want to return to her original body as soon as possible.

The way she occasionally gazes into the distance, lost in thought during quiet moments, somehow looks pitiful.

It’s just regrettable that we couldn’t obtain a sample of the dark sword during her rescue.

Jessica said we could rest until tomorrow morning, but we ended up leaving Leatherwork by carriage around 3 PM that day.

There was no reason to stay long in a place with nothing much to do, and we were also curious about the situation at the Wellord Mine.

After driving for about three and a half hours, we found that the Wellord Mine village had been cleaned up quite nicely in just one day.

The debris and stone fragments that had been scattered everywhere were cleared away, and dozens of tents had been set up in their place for residents to use as temporary housing.

Although small and modest, these tents would be much more comfortable than sleeping on blankets spread over the hard, uneven mine floor.

The Silver Wolf Tribe was planning to return to their village early tomorrow morning.

From the beginning, their purpose was to help me, not the pioneers, and they couldn’t leave their village empty of thirty strong men for too long.

I was infinitely moved by the pride of the Silver Wolf Tribe, who came to help a friend in trouble without expecting anything in return…

But it would be much later that I would hear rumors about how Chief Cyrus had secured quite substantial benefits in negotiations with Mayor Moon Lake using this incident as leverage.

At any rate, the crisis at the Wellord Mine was now resolved.

The Adventurers’ Guild employee in charge of the emergency quest gathered the thirty or so adventurers together and said what they most wanted to hear.

“With this, I declare that the top priority of the emergency quest… the relief mission for Wellord Mine has been accomplished.”

“Woohoo!!”

The adventurers let out a collective cheer in response to the guild employee’s declaration.

The residents of Wellord Mine, watching from a distance, were also applauding and responding positively.

“Their tension is unusually high. I understand the adventurers being excited since they can now go conquer the dungeon, but why would the residents be happy?”

“I agree. I don’t understand why the residents would cheer when their collaborators, who finally came to help, are going to look for treasure instead of helping rebuild the village.”

“Hehe… That’s because of the symbolism behind the relief completion declaration.”

Jessica said this while pointing to the residents gathered on one side.

Smiles were blooming even on the faces of those who had nearly died from sniper shots, those still wearing casts for unhealed arms, and those who had lost family members or acquaintances.

“The guild employee’s declaration of relief completion doesn’t simply mean that supplies have been delivered. It’s a message of hope that says the surrounding monsters have been driven away and safety has been secured, so only good things will come from now on.”

The monster horde has been annihilated. This place is now safe.

When the Adventurers’ Guild employee declares this, the New Continent Pioneer Project Headquarters takes over and proceeds with full-scale reconstruction.

From now on, what comes over the horizon will not be terrifying monster hordes, but massive manpower and supplies to rebuild the destroyed village.

After hearing Jessica’s explanation, I could understand the positive reaction of the mine residents to the relief completion declaration.

Faces that look forward to the hope coming tomorrow rather than lamenting the despair they experienced until yesterday.

That must be the driving force that allows them to live strongly even in this harsh Grantis.

“Copies of the dungeon map will be distributed tomorrow morning at 8 AM. Please rest well this evening and purify the black magic.”

With those final words, the Adventurers’ Guild employee retreated to his tent, and the Wellord Mine village took on a festive atmosphere.

Although some supplies were lost due to the monster attack, a considerable amount of food had been replenished, so people who knew how to cook made large quantities of stew and sandwiches to share.

Of course, I also contributed to the atmosphere with snacks like potato chips and dalgona, using sugar and potatoes I had additionally purchased from Leatherwork.

…Though I had the feeling that quite a large amount of potato chips went into Iris’s stomach.

“Hey, are there any of those potato chips left?”

“I heard we could get sugar candy if we came here.”

“Potato chips this way, dalgona that way. We still have plenty of ingredients, so line up in order.”

The night at Wellord Mine deepens.

With the simple pleasures offered by cheap beer, modest sandwiches, and simple snacks.