Chapter 78

Amidst the freezing cold, the man wiped his face. The mud that had adhered to him clung tightly, and murky droplets overflowed from his palms. Looking up at the sky, it was as if a bucket had been overturned, pouring down a torrential rain. He ran up the makeshift stairs made of stakes and boards. At his feet, rainwater flowed away like a small stream.

"When will this rain stop?"

Though the intensity varied, it had already been raining for three days. If this were a farming village, there would be no concern about water shortages; it might even be welcomed. However, for the Reifun region, where mining was the main industry, and especially for the man who led the group responsible for excavation, this rain was a detested presence. Even if it was just a small tunnel, it was still a problem.

"Hey, I've brought additional buckets and ropes. How's it looking inside?"

He raised his voice, dried by the dust, to be heard over the pounding rain. A shadow that had blended into the dim darkness stirred.

"Boss Jidore, the water has risen to our knees. In some places, it's even higher than that."

The one who answered while frantically turning the water wheel was a young miner among the excavators. He was Jidore's subordinate, a face more familiar than his own grandson. His entire body was stained with mud, like a pig's mud mask, and the level of dirt on his lower half revealed the water level inside the tunnel.

"I can tell just by looking at you!! What about the water mage arrangements?"

For the unprecedented downpour, a mage who could warp the laws of nature was needed. Those who could generate water with magic were also skilled at manipulating it. There was no better candidate to drain the water from the narrow, winding tunnels.

"Well, the head of the miscellaneous tasks tried, but all the mages from the main tunnels one to five were mobilized. There's no one left to send here. The only one who came was an old man who used to be part of the water replacement team."

As Jidore had feared, this was the case. In the mining community, even within the same mine, different tunnels had different employers and jobs. There was a kind of territorial division. In normal times, it might be manageable, but in this heavy rain, both equipment and personnel were in short supply. If the tunnel collapsed, there would be no food. Few people cared about the fate of other tunnels.

"It's good that he came, even though he's been retired for a long time. Even a dying old man is better than nothing."

Jidore tried to hide his inner anxiety and put on a brave face. Though the old man's body was frail, his ability to drain water using water attribute magic was still intact. His withered body was suitable for a small tunnel. If the tunnel collapsed, it would save on funeral expenses.

"At this rate, even the old man won't be enough."

"Then bring a cat next time."

"Ha, are you going to teach a cat to scratch?"

The young miner's casual remark was hard to judge as a joke or a serious suggestion, which was truly lamentable. Jidore laughed it off, knowing that hitting him or questioning him would be futile, and began to pump water with a bucket tied to a rope.

Whether they were miners, transporters, or tunnel maintainers, on this day, they all had to mimic the water replacement team. The professionals were already covered in dirty water in the areas where the water was surging. While keeping an eye on the future plans, he had already scooped out hundreds of buckets of water. The sound of iron striking from inside the tunnel echoed. The rough rhythm, not quite a rapid beat, was a signal.

"Clear the way, they're coming out."

The miners who had been working on the drainage inside the tunnel emerged like ants. They all showed signs of fatigue. Jidore pulled the arms and waists of those with unsteady steps, guiding them to the surface. The destination of those who had crawled out was one: the blacksmith's shop.

The place where tools like chisels and pickaxes were usually repaired and forged had turned into a fire pit for warmth in this weather. The miners, who usually took breaks in the rest areas inside the tunnels, were now huddled together like winter insects, snoring loudly. It was a scene that would normally take place in the rest areas inside the tunnels, but no one was foolish enough to sleep in a tunnel that was about to flood.

In place of the battered miners, the relief workers who had been resting in the blacksmith's shop rushed into the tunnel. Those who had shed some dirt and taken a nap were in a state where they could be called human.

"Be careful, if you break a limb, it'll be a problem."

As Jidore urged the young miners to enter the tunnel, his shoulder was shaken. His voice had been drowned out by the rain pounding on the dilapidated roof.

"Boss, it's food!"

The warm bean soup and bread were offered, protected from the rain by the miner's hands. It must have been made in the blacksmith's shop, which was being used as a fire pit.

"Thanks, I appreciate it."

Jidore wiped off some dirt with rainwater, sipped the soup, and forced the bread into his mouth. The gritty texture mixed with sand was irresistible. His body was cold, and he could feel the warm soup moving from his esophagus to his stomach. In about twenty seconds, he finished his light meal and resumed his work, pulling the rope.

Fortunately, the rain had started to weaken. If this calm state continued, the water play would come to an end. Just as he was about to pull up the bucket from the water pool, a dull sound echoed. His skin tingled as if it were being licked, and his spine froze.

"This is not a joke."

The young miners noticed the sound after Jidore cursed.

"What's that sound!?"

It wasn't just the sound. Jidore knew the tremor that shook his insides from the soles of his shoes—his worst memory.

"The tunnel has collapsed."

"It, it has collapsed!?"

"No, that's impossible."

He scolded his subordinates, who were frantically peering into the tunnel below.

"Quiet, it's not ours... damn, look at that."

The distant slope was pulsating like a living thing. The collapse of the underground space had triggered a chain reaction, causing a sinkhole. The earth was flowing like water, on a scale that even Jidore, who had worked in the Reifun mine for a long time, had never seen.

"Is it the third main tunnel!? What about the drainage tunnel?"

"It's bad, part of it has even collapsed into the mining town."

"Even with several water mages?"

"What do we do!?"

"Continue the work, but if the tunnel maintainers and water replacement team leaders start to panic, drop your tools and run. Don't get buried alive."

Calming the agitated workers, Jidore continued.

"You, come with me. We're going to help the people in the main tunnel."

"But, Boss Jidore, the situation is..."

The young miner's point was valid. The slope along the tunnel had collapsed, and the muddy flow had turned into a literal river, a black boundary line that seemed to reject people.

"Shut up, you keep working. I don't want a repeat of this."

Jidore wrapped the rope around his body, picked up the excavation tools, and climbed the slope. The closer he got to the collapse site, the more the damage became apparent. Twisted arms extended from the ground, and rows of people lay gasping in the mud. They were the lucky ones; at least they were still breathing, and even those who had died retained their original form.

"Stay away from the flowing water as much as possible. If you have to go, drive stakes and use a lifeline."

With his call, the miners scattered. Jidore followed the faint groans to find the injured, grabbing their collars or armpits and dragging them. Sometimes he patted their backs, pushed his fingers into their mouths to clear the mud, and even pounded the hearts of those who weren't breathing.

"The third main tunnel had solid ground and good equipment."

Jidore's breathing was labored from fatigue, and he spoke his true thoughts. The main tunnel, with its ample funding and personnel, had large-scale horizontal tunnels, water pumps, and water mages. Small cave-ins or accidents were possible, but what he was witnessing was the complete collapse of the tunnel. Even in the small tunnel where Jidore worked, fifty people were working.

"How many are buried..."

As a miner, it was something he didn't want to think about.

* * *

‘What do you wish for with your murky eyes? The Haiselk War Chronicles’

The third chapter of the manga version has been updated on Nico Nico