Chapter 26

The countess looked surprised.

"Huh? But... the mine will have a lot of smell. It’s not clean either."

"......Is it not possible?"

When I spoke in a dejected voice, the countess's eyes wavered.

"Actually, my husband doesn’t like me going to where I work. So I... hesitate a bit."

The countess hesitated.

She probably doesn’t want to be a burden to her husband.

I stared at the countess for a moment, then said in a natural voice.

"Um, then let’s go later. I’ll play with you here!"

"Oh my. Lord Eli, aren’t you tired of playing with me?"

"Not at all! I think it will be a memorable experience!"

When I said this with a bright smile, the countess paused.

"Memorable experience......"

Muttering, the countess smiled faintly.

"......If Lord Eli comes with me, it might be alright."

"Really?"

"Yes. I also want it to be a memorable experience."

The countess gently took my hand.

I didn’t ask who she wanted to be remembered by. I felt like I already knew.

* * *

Amandta’s son, Jerit, sighed deeply.

It had been several months since the mine was discovered, yet there was still no significant development.

'I need to produce results quickly.'

Time was running out. He focused on the minerals in front of him with a worried expression.

In his hand was a dagger that emitted a blue light.

The dagger made from Blue Hope could hold mana, making it useful during wars.

Thus, the people of Schwaetz had each of these daggers.

The mineral they discovered had the property of hardening immediately upon contact with body heat.

Once it stuck, it wouldn’t come off easily, and if held for too long, it would even release a strange substance, requiring it to be scraped off with a sharp object like a dagger.

How should we develop this?

There must be a better way......

Just as Jerit was sighing at the mineral in front of him,

"Is this the umpteenth sigh?"

"......My lord."

Standing before him was his father, Count Amandta.

"What brings you here?"

"Do I need a reason to come to my own mine?"

Slightly irritated, Jerit closed his mouth.

The count glanced at Jerit and then cleared his throat loudly.

"......Have you found anything?"

"I’m sorry, not yet."

"Hmm......"

The count exhaled deeply. Though it was just a breath, it felt like a reprimand to Jerit.

I might be able to help my father.

With this thought, he had been focusing on the development instead of his father.

So he needed to produce even a small result.

"You don’t have to rush. Take your time......"

"No."

Jerit firmly cut off the count’s words. The count paused.

"I’ll work hard so as not to be a burden to you, my lord. Don’t worry too much."

The tone of his voice drew a line, and the count’s face hardened.

Anyone listening would not mistake it for a conversation between father and son.

"......Alright, do what you can."

The count turned away with a slightly gruff voice.

Thud!

Something from behind hit Count Amandta’s stomach.

Startled, Count Amandta flinched.

"Ouch......"

"......Lord Eli?"

What he had bumped into was a small girl, no more than half his height, who was pointing out that he shouldn’t be angry at his wife.

The girl was with his wife, Viera.

"Hello, my lord."

Eli, rubbing her red forehead, curtsied politely.

"Lord Eli. What brings you here......"

And Viera, you too...... The count’s face turned to one of confusion.

This was the newly discovered mine. A place where someone as frail as Viera shouldn’t be.

The count’s face twisted in anger.

He grabbed Viera’s arm forcefully.

"Leave quickly. This is no place for someone like you......"

"Wow!"

The little girl exclaimed.

"What’s that blue thing in your hand? A weapon?"

Eli’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the dagger in Jerit’s hand, which was stained with minerals.

"A weapon?"

At Jerit’s question, Eli nodded.

"Yes! The one in your hand, it’s so pretty and shiny!"

Eli’s words drew the attention of the three to the dagger.

Jerit’s dagger glowed blue with mana. It was understandable that a child would be fascinated.

"......But it’s dangerous to touch the dagger."

After a brief pause, Jerit shook his head firmly.

Even though it was a small dagger, it was still a weapon. He couldn’t just hand it to a child.

The bright face of the child quickly turned dejected.

"Yes...... I’m sorry for asking......"

Eli bowed her head dejectedly.

Jerit shuddered.

For a moment, he felt like the worst person in the world.

Her drooping shoulders and downturned mouth kept pricking at his heart.

"......Instead, I’ll show you something else."

"Really?"

Eli smiled brightly, her flushed cheeks soft like marshmallows.

Jerit cleared his throat unnecessarily and took out a monocle from his pocket.

It was made using a mana stone, so it was used more as a magnifying glass than glasses.

"Put it to your eye and do this."

When Jerit winked and showed her, Eli put the monocle to her eye.

"Uh, it’s dizzy."

"It’s better to close one eye."

"Like this?"

Eli winked. It naturally looked like a wink. The countess said "Oh" and laughed, finding it cute.

"Ahem. Yes, that’s right."

"Wow, it’s amazing!"

The little girl in front of him looked around with the monocle, clearly fascinated.

She looked like a puppy on its first walk.

If I had a granddaughter, she might be just as adorable.

Thinking this, the count forgot about sending his wife away.

"Hey, what’s this?"

Eli, who had been looking around with the monocle, pointed at the mineral.

"Ah, you shouldn’t touch that."

"Why not?"

"It’s a special mineral we discovered recently. It hardens immediately upon contact with body heat and is dangerous."

"Yikes, it sounds like a monster."

Eli shivered like a scared child.

"Have you seen a monster?"

At the count’s question, Eli shook her head.

"Um, no, it’s Demian. Before coming here, he met a monster and said it was really scary. Once it grabs you, it never lets go."

"Haha. That’s true. Once it grabs you, it never lets go...... Wait, a monster?"

Eli’s words made Jerit, who had been smiling faintly, pause.

Come to think of it......

Jerit looked down.

'Have I seen this before?'

Living in the north, one naturally sees many monsters.

Monsters vary in appearance and nature, but over time, one becomes familiar with them.

There was one that he remembered.

'Could it have similar properties......?'

Jerit tried to recall.

In his childhood, he had participated in a monster hunt with his father.

After the hunt, something silver caught the young Jerit’s eye.

He thought it was leftover debris, but a passing villager stopped him.

"Oh, sir. Don’t touch that. It’s a monster."

"A monster? But it looks like a mineral."

To Jerit’s words, Count Amandta, who was organizing supplies, approached them.

He was worried that his son might be harmed by the monster.

However, the object in front of them clearly looked like a mineral.

It didn’t attack and was just lying on the ground.

The villager nodded, understanding the father and son’s confusion.

"It’s a rare species with no intelligence. It makes its surface shine like a gem to attract people. But once you touch it, you can’t remove it. It looks beautiful, but it’s a monster that digs into human flesh, a monster."

Monster.

Chewing on the word, Jerit’s face hardened.

So, what we discovered is not a mineral but......

Jerit’s face was blank, as if he had been hit.

"My lord."

"Jerit."

Jerit and Amandta looked at each other simultaneously.

The same realization was reflected in their eyes.