Chapter 19

The neighboring country, the Principality of Woltar, is mountainous.

Nina's journey, of course, would involve crossing many mountains, but she looked at them with shining eyes, as if each one was a novelty.

"Wow... It's a mystical forest. Twi—did that person live in a place like this...?"

She muttered this softly in the carriage. She had managed to stop herself from saying "Twi Reed" and just referred to "that person" because Emilie and Astrid had persuaded her up to this point.

Twi Reed was a much more important figure than Nina realized, so it was not something to be spoken of lightly outside.

Emilie and Astrid had wanted to ask more about other important figures, but they couldn't press Nina further when she looked so sad after being persuaded.

—Lord Twi Reed was such a wonderful guest, yet we can't even say his name...

Thinking about it, almost no one would believe that a maid like Nina could know a great person like Twi Reed, so there shouldn't be any fear of her being kidnapped or harmed.

The problem was just the knowledge Nina possessed.

(In the end, the only thing we can do is stay by her side and watch over her...)

Emilie sighed softly.

"Hey! It's a pack of stray dogs! Miss Mage, we need your help!"

"Sure, sure."

Called by the driver, Emilie got off the carriage with her staff.

In exchange for using magic to drive away the stray dogs, they got to ride for free.

When they had to camp, Nina would cook, and they would even get paid for that.

If the carriage broke down, Astrid would repair it and reinforce it with magic, increasing their rewards even more.

"A 'permanent travel engine,' huh? I think we met to go on this journey."

After using wind magic to scatter the stray dogs, Emilie returned to the carriage.

"Good job! I'll make some delicious tea at the next break!"

"Emilie, as expected. I wish I could incorporate the beauty of that spell into my magic."

Nina and Astrid greeted her with smiles, and the other passengers praised Emilie's performance enthusiastically.

"...This is just what a mage should do."

Nina's catchphrase had rubbed off on her.

When they were offered a tour of an iron mine—a "who would be interested in that?" kind of offer—Nina was the one who responded.

"I want to see it!"

The Principality of Woltar had many mines, and the "Izumi Mine" was the only one open to visitors.

However, in a principality that offered various attractions like hot springs, mystical waterfalls, botanical gardens, and museums, there weren't many enthusiasts interested in seeing an iron mine. The carriage heading to the mining town had only Nina and her companions as passengers.

"Is it okay, Emilie? You're not interested in iron mines, are you? You could have waited in the capital."

"I'm not interested, but I can't leave Nina alone. If I left her with Astrid and came back to find that two people had become three... I have to come along."

"Hahaha. So, I'm in the way? Emilie, you're so possessive of Nina."

"That's not it! You're being silly! The more people who know about Nina, the more dangerous it is for her."

She whispered the last part to avoid being overheard by Nina, who was sitting on the driver's seat, listening to the driver talk about the iron mine.

After a few days' journey from the capital, they arrived at the Izumi Mine, a place that was the complete opposite of picturesque.

The reddish-brown mountain slopes were exposed, with almost no greenery.

The mining town was large and bustling, but it was a place where people worked in the mines and were supported by the mines. There was nothing to see.

"Hey, maid girl! I'll let them know about the tour! You can go anytime from tomorrow!"

"Thank you."

"It's no problem! See you later!"

The driver laughed and left, having arranged the tour for them.

"Nina is as perceptive as ever..."

"Well, let's find a good inn, shall we? There don't seem to be many choices, though."

"Yeah. As long as it's clean, that's enough. We can buy something to eat... but if I say that, Nina will probably say she'll cook. Hey, Nina?"

When she turned to speak to her, the small maid was already gone.

"..."

Emilie put her hand to her forehead and looked up at the sky. Astrid placed a hand on her shoulder.

"...I understand your struggle."

"...Thanks. I'll go look for Nina."

The two of them set off.

△

"What are you dragging so slowly! You're not excused just because you're a kid! You're getting paid the same as everyone else!"

The foreman's voice echoed through the mine.

In the large excavation sites, magical tools were used, but in the smaller tunnels, miners still dug by hand and carried the ore on their backs or in wheelbarrows.

One girl was staggering.

She wore a tattered leather helmet and ill-fitting work clothes.

Her arms and legs were like withered branches.

Her face was gaunt, but the golden eyes under her damp, dark bangs were not dead.

"......!"

The pack on her back, which was clearly too large for her, wobbled, and she put her hand on the wall to steady herself.

"Hey, are you okay?"

"—Hey! Don't interfere with someone else's work!"

Another miner tried to help, but the foreman's watchful eyes prevented it.

"...I can do this much on my own."

The girl straightened the pack and started walking again.

It took her a long time to carry the ore to the sorting area, where she received a wooden chip with a number corresponding to the weight she had carried.

It was already dusk.

If she went back into the mine now, she wouldn't return until late at night.

"...I'm going home."

With the wooden chip in hand, she started walking.

At the management office at the mine entrance, a line of strong men and women waited. They also held wooden chips, but the numbers on them were several times higher than hers.

Of course, they were of different ages and builds.

"Here is today's pay."

"......"

She received three silver coins. A mere three thousand gold.

She returned the borrowed leather helmet to the return box, and two dog ears appeared on her head, their tips white.

As she left the management office,

"Hey, ghost dog!"

The foreman, who had been yelling earlier, was just returning.

"If you're not motivated, quit! There are plenty of other workers!"

"......"

The girl glanced at the foreman but turned her face away and walked on.

"What's with that attitude? You're so depressing. You're just a ghost dog—"

The girl didn't respond.

What he said was true, and she didn't have the strength to argue.

—Rumble... Rumble... Rumble...

Her stomach growled, like a fierce beast.

"!"

As she entered the mining town, the smell of food wafted from somewhere.

"—Miners, how about a drink?"

"—We have delicious ale straight from the capital today."

"—Freshly caught silver snowfish, transported over five mountains! It's so good, your cheeks will fall off!"

The taverns called out to the hungry miners.

"Ugh..."

But the girl pinched her nose in discomfort and walked past, head down.

She narrowly avoided bumping into a few people, slipping past them.

"Hey, it's the ghost dog."

"Ghost dog?"

"There she is—wait, she's gone."

The sight of a small girl working in the mines was still rare, and many miners pointed her out.

And when they did, they always added,

"Ghost dog."

(I'm not a dog...!)

The girl's face twisted in frustration, but she looked even more pained as she passed through the lively area and finally sat down in a corner of the central square.

"Phew..."

She looked utterly exhausted.

In front of her,

"Are you okay? Would you like some water?"

A maid, not much taller than the girl, offered her a water bottle.