episode_0059

To enter the mine, one had to wait more than half a day.

At least until nightfall when the vigilance loosened could one move.

First, I generously gave the gatekeeper two extra coins and made them wait.

“Um… Do we really have to do this?”

Kona asked at the inn.

“I somehow don’t want to go in there…”

“It might be good to go and see. Don’t you want to know why your parents fled with you from Brigal?”

“Well…”

“It’s probably a reason too difficult for you. Bad things might happen. But it’s necessary. You may not understand well because you’re still young, but someday you will.”

“…”

As someone who experienced the demon war as an Evoni tribe member, it was not something to just overlook.

I thought the chances were slim, but in the worst case, the Evoni tribe might be summoned again to subdue the monsters.

It was a bit regretful for Kona, but I had to take her along.

Of course, no one knew what awaited us…

“…How about you? We have to take a kid with us.”

I looked towards Spect.

“I’m a mercenary. I do everything except what I’ve decided not to do.”

He said calmly while checking his weapon.

“Anyway, I’m not trying to get Kona killed, and I understand that sometimes risks are necessary for a greater cause.”

“Alright… Just make sure to protect her well.”

“Yes.”

“Got it? Stick close to Spect.”

“…Yes.”

And as the evening passed, the sun began to set.

We headed towards the Virello mine we had scoped out.

The security was somewhat vigilant, but not in a state of high alert or special surveillance.

There were two guards at the entrance of the mine.

Spect and I cautiously approached them.

Silencing our footsteps, we slowly advanced from the corner.

Then, we both simultaneously subdued the guards, wrapping our arms around their necks until they passed out.

It takes less than a minute to render someone unconscious by strangling them.

As the guards fell, I took out a cheap bottle of liquor I had brought from the inn, uncorked it, poured some over their heads, and left the empty bottle beside them.

Then, I took Kona and entered the mine.

The interior of the mine at night was naturally dark.

But as long as we avoided light, we could slip back outside if needed, relying on our senses to navigate through the darkness.

Both Spect and I found this task easy.

Perhaps due to her Elven heritage, Kona also followed suit with ease.

After turning a few corners, we lit a torch.

Using magic to ignite the flame rather than oil made it small enough to carry conveniently.

While using magic did have the side effect of attracting monsters, such a small amount was unlikely to cause any issues.

“I hear something.”

Kona said.

“Kikigigik…”

“Kaddddeuk…”

I heard it too.

Spect had already drawn his sword and assumed a combat stance.

“They’re calling me over here…”

“…”

“…”

Upon her words, Spect and I exchanged glances.

We silently agreed to move forward for now.

“Just wait a moment…”

It hadn’t been long since we entered the mine, but Kona was already advancing as if possessed, ignoring even us.

I suspected something would happen, but still…

“Hmm.”

“…”

Finally, the monsters revealed themselves before us.

They resembled insects, moles, bats, much like what Jonis had described.

Creatures that must have mutated from the original inhabitants of this cave.

But… should we continue moving forward like this?

They seem hostile towards us…

“Wait.”

I grabbed Kona’s shoulder.

“…?”

“Kona, can you communicate with these creatures?”

“I don’t really understand, but… I’ll give it a try.”

Kona took a step forward and faced the monsters.

“The men following behind me are not enemies. So please, refrain from fighting.”

“…”

“…”

At her words, the monsters retreated.

Spect looked at Kona with a slightly surprised expression.

I… had some idea.

The inscription on Kona’s chest belonged to a higher-ranking monster.

Lowly monsters obeyed higher-ranking ones without question.

They would willingly die if ordered to do so.

One reason for the escalation of the monster war was that lower-ranking monsters, under orders from higher-ups, charged indiscriminately without caring about their own lives.

If we had had enough firepower at that moment, they would have been easy prey, but unfortunately, we didn’t have such strength.

In the end, we had to flee multiple times from the monsters’ unconventional onslaught.

“…”

Though the monsters had retreated, Spect and I followed Kona into the mine without letting our guard down.

The interior was quite extensive, with monsters lining the corridors continuously.

Passing through them was tense, but not overly worrisome.

In terms of a maze, there were only monsters equivalent to levels 10-20.

Even with Kona as baggage, Spect and I could manage to break through together.

However, as the depth of the mine increased excessively, we couldn’t relax completely.

As we went further, almost losing our sense of direction, a space with almost no monsters appeared.

“Hmm…”

The voice of an old man, worn out and feeble.

“Oh, this is strange. Very strange…”

In the darkness, someone with hands and feet bound to a pillar on the cave wall spoke.

“An ally and a foe coming together…”

Foe.

During the monster war, intelligent monsters, mainly higher-ups, referred to our Ebony as foes.

“And you… Could it be him? The cunning javelineer who cowardly threw spears from afar where our hands couldn’t reach…”

“…!”

He recognizes me…!

Who on earth is this…?!

“You still remember me?”

Raising the torch higher, I approached.

Under the magical light, his face gradually became visible.

“…”

A complete skeleton.

From head to toe, only bones remained, chained to the wall… no, to some pillar.

“You… No, damn it, insane… You’re still alive…?”

“Hehehe… Can this form be considered alive…?”

“Do you know him?” Spect asked.

“I do… Pale Skeleton. That’s what we called him. His skeletal appearance was so pronounced that we nicknamed him that. But now, he truly is nothing but bones.”

“You might as well call me Rackven.”

“Ah, was that the name? But you’re quite relentless. I never thought you’d still be alive.”

“I did mention it before. I am undying.”

“Indeed, that’s true… It’s truly excessive. It would have been better if you had died long ago…”

Pale Skeleton, Rackven.

He’s someone I’ve fought with occasionally.

While I handled long-range combat from the rear, Rackven was always at the forefront in every battle.

I stabbed him several times, but Rackven never died.

His heart, head, chest—arrows and spears pierced them multiple times, and Stellia even crushed his head with a mace once.

Yet, he never died, always escaping and returning unscathed later.

So, I heard that in a different battlefield, with the help of elves, he was captured alive, chained with mithril, and left to die in a distant land…

Could it be that this mine was the place of his execution…?

“Someone who was buried 400 years ago is still alive. It’s pitiful to think about.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Well, is there another way to kill you off?”

“I don’t know…”

“Alright… then just keep rotting away.”

“That’s harsh… Hahaha, it’s not like we have any affection for each other… but there is one thing I really want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Why is that child carrying our compatriots?”

Compatriots.

Monsters with intelligence referred to other monsters as compatriots.

And Kona is not a monster.

But the emblem on her chest…

“Moreover, she’s not an ordinary compatriot… this… could it be… a princess?”

“…A princess? Me?”

Kona asked.

“You don’t know? That’s unfortunate. If she had grown up properly by her real mother’s side, she could have been a new cornerstone for our monsters to rise again…”

…”

Princess.

At the heart of monsters, there was a queen.

So it wouldn’t be strange to have a princess.

But Kona as that princess?

That doesn’t make sense.

The queen had only one child, whom we killed.

Besides, Kona is a dark elf with proper parents elsewhere.

So why does Rakven recognize Kona as a princess?

It’s probably because of that emblem on her chest…

I should ask the elves like Mistina Oneroi later.

For now, it’s certain that the monsters consider Kona as their monster princess.

Perhaps that’s why they let her escape from Brigal.

“Well, the war must have already ended, so it’s too late now… You probably won, right?”

“Yes.”

“I thought so. You were too… ruthless.”

…”

“You couldn’t even handle a few hundred enemies, and now your race is undoubtedly thriving on the surface. There’s no hope of winning.”

…”

Thriving or not, there are only six of us left.

In reality, we’re facing extinction…

But I couldn’t bring myself to say those words.

“But why did you suddenly reappear? Did those idiots accidentally disturb the place where you were buried?”

“Probably. They must have messed up the seal somehow. Thanks to that, I woke up, but I would have been better off continuing to sleep. How long do you think I’ve been in this state…”

“I heard that monsters are coming out of two other mines as well. Could they be connected underground?”

“Probably. I sense the presence of monsters influenced by my magic coming from three different directions. I’m not sure if they are mines, but they are indeed connected to the other two places.”

So that’s how it is.

It’s now certain that monsters keep emerging from the mines for this reason.

“…I have one formal request.”

Rakven said.

“What is it?”

“With you all as you are now, you could kill me… Please, just kill me. There’s no reason for me to live anymore. I don’t want to continue living like this.”

“Well…”

“Do you not even have that much mercy? Or was it wrong of me to expect that from you?”

“We don’t have the means to kill you right now. Or should I just cut off your head for you to die?”

“Probably not…”

“I’ll introduce you to those who know how to kill you later, so wait here a little longer.”

“Understood…”

Rakven, the one sealed during the monster war even with the cheat of a goddess, whom we couldn’t kill by force.

If only we could give his vitality to Pratia…

Let’s leave Rakven’s fate to Lamiena Rinde, Griam, and other clever individuals for now.

“We’re leaving. We’ll come back to properly kill you later, so wait here.”

“Alright… I beg you…”

And we emerged from the mine.