Chapter 60

I had heatstroke...

It took a lot of effort to schedule this post, so I apologize for the delay.

The tunnel was progressing smoothly without any monsters, and after about ten minutes of entering the abandoned mine, I instructed to stop.

"It's good here, right?"

I cast the earth attribute magic, Mineral Search. This Mineral Search is a high-level earth attribute magic, and because few people can use it, it is not well-known in general, but it is famous among those in the mining industry.

The usual range of Mineral Search is about 20 meters in radius, but I infused a lot of magic power and obtained information on minerals within a radius of about 100 meters. I filtered out unnecessary information like soil, sand, and ordinary rocks, selecting only the information on mineral resources. I spent about an hour on this task and then expanded the range of Mineral Search even further.

This tunnel, though abandoned, still has many iron ore deposits. Unfortunately, they are mostly above the tunnel, so it seems they couldn't find the ore veins. I wrote "↑60I" in red on the wall and instructed Primera to proceed. This "↑60I" means that if you dig up about 60 meters, you will find an iron ore vein.

After about three hours, I still couldn't find the divine silver I was looking for, so I decided to take a break for lunch.

"Sir Christophe, you've been writing something. What does it mean?"

Primera, who had been curious about my actions, asked what I was doing.

"That was the direction and distance of the iron ore deposits I found with Mineral Search."

"Mineral Search...?"

"Mineral Search is a magic spell used to find minerals. Normally, it can only investigate a range of about 20 meters in radius, but I can expand it to 200 meters. So, I can find ore veins that haven't been discovered before. I thought it would be useful for future iron ore mining."

"Sir Christophe, as always, you are extraordinary."

I heard Revis mutter this, but I ignored it and continued explaining.

"There was a significant reaction at one point, so I don't think the deposits are depleted yet."

"That's amazing. With Sir Christophe, the Brutsels family will be safe."

Whether or not they will be safe is another matter, but the Brutsels family's resources should be fine for the time being.

After a leisurely break, we continued further. Since I was using Mineral Search, our progress was slow. After another three hours, we decided to take another break.

"The cold water from Watering is refreshing and delicious. Sir Christophe's magic items are very useful, so they are a great help."

Primera, with her cat tail standing straight, drank the cold water from the glass with a satisfied look.

"This place is about 70% of the way through the tunnel according to the map."

"We will camp at the deepest point, where there is a large open space, and continue our investigation from there."

"Understood."

From the map, it is clear that the deepest point has a large open space that was originally a cavern. We will camp there, investigate thoroughly, and then return. The return trip will have more downhill sections, making it a bit easier, but it will still take about the same amount of time. So far, we have found several iron ore veins and one mithril ore vein, but no other mineral reactions.

We continued to mark the iron ore veins smoothly. We were about to reach the open area where we planned to camp.

"We have walked about 4 kilometers, but the rough terrain, ups and downs, and muddy ground have been draining our energy. I want to take a substantial break soon."

"Once we turn that corner, we should reach the deepest open space."

Thank goodness. My legs are already tired.

Sure enough, when we turned the corner, a vast open space spread out before us. The widest part is probably about 500 meters across, and the height is over 100 meters. We also saw a 40-meter-high waterfall and an emerald-green underground lake formed by the waterfall. In this world, where many monsters live, human habitats are not very extensive. Such a mystical sight is rare even in this world.

However, the humidity is high due to the waterfall's spray, and the temperature is low because it is underground. In other words, it's cold.

Moreover, this space is inexplicably bright... probably because the rock walls are glowing like the walls of a dungeon. Although not many walls are glowing, they emit more light than the walls of the dungeon managed by the Royal Magic Academy, illuminating the entire space. This space is likely in the early stages of becoming a dungeon. ...I've never seen an abandoned mine that has been left for a long time turn into a dungeon.

"Revis, Primera, this space is likely in the early stages of becoming a dungeon. Monsters might appear, so stay alert."

"Understood. However, should we retreat a bit and camp?"

"I would like to, but we won't have enough time. We will camp here."

I would later regret this decision due to what happened next.

"Primera, keep watch. I will set up the tent."

"Understood."

I sat down on a nearby rock to rest my tired body. Of course, I remained vigilant with my magic perception. Revis and Primera, being well-trained knights, still seemed to have energy. Revis, in particular, is wearing armor similar to plate armor, carrying a one-handed sword, a shield, and supplies, so he should be using more energy than I am...

How can he look so cool! The handsome guys should explode!

After Revis finished setting up the tent, he started preparing the meal. Seeing Revis assign the reconnaissance task to the skilled Primera and handle the chores himself, I could tell that Gail's training had been thorough. Primera was checking the surroundings and fetching water from the underground lake.

That's when it happened.

I sensed a flow of magic and turned my eyes to see a magic circle appear and instantly emit a blinding light. Even I, who was caught off guard, couldn't interfere with the magic circle and had to let it activate. I immediately regretted making the worst mistake.

After a few seconds, the light dimmed enough for us to open our eyes. And we saw the worst thing possible.

"What!"

"That's!"

"..."

We froze the moment we saw it, captivated by the sight.

"Hey! Primera, protect Sir Christophe!"

Revis was the first to recover, and Primera snapped out of it at his voice.

"Growl!"

I immediately understood that we couldn't escape. Revis and Primera probably realized the same thing. A door appeared, blocking the tunnel we had come through, and I could sense magic from it. ...We probably won't be able to open that door until we defeat the creature in front of us.

However... something is wrong. I couldn't sense the magic from that magic circle until now. Despite it being such a large-scale magic circle, I couldn't detect it at all... Did I miss it? ...That's impossible!

Damn!

The worst mistake!

Was I being overconfident?

I don't want to think that... it can't be...