Chapter 42
“I think there could be information on a diamond mine… but it’s such a vast area. If you could tell me why you’re curious…”
“They say there’s a diamond mine in the Ezan Kingdom.”
“Really? I thought it was known for its abundance of gold mines, but a diamond mine? That’s fascinating. Normally, the two types of mines can’t coexist—at least, not on this continent.”
His voice moved at a calm, deliberate pace.
Sensing the conversation might be a long one, Ian guided Pri to a nearby chair. Then he went over to a shelf not far away and pulled out a few books.
“I think this will be a long story.”
“I’ve heard only certain people are allowed in here. You seem to know a lot about this place, Ian.”
“I got special permission this time, so I could receive you without inconvenience, Pri. I haven’t located everything, but I’ve managed to confirm some areas.”
By then, Ian had returned with the books and was slowly flipping through the pages.
“Gold mines are indeed plentiful in the Ezan Kingdom, but diamonds, by their nature, are not.”
“What do you mean by ‘by their nature’…?”
“Do you know that a very long time ago, there was such a thing as magic in the Empire?”
“I think I’ve heard something like that before.”
“This is one of those old stories—some dismiss it as nothing more than a children’s fairy tale, while others say it’s a past that should never be forgotten. If you don’t mind, may I tell it to you?”
Pri leaned toward him.
“I want to hear it.”
Maybe the story would connect to what she had seen, and to the words that astrologer had once spoken.
“I mentioned earlier that gold and diamond mines rarely exist together. This is related to that—and to why diamonds are so rare on the continent.”
“Now that you say it, I have heard that diamonds are hard to come by.”
“There are almost no diamond mines. Most of what circulates in the market is actually reprocessed from old stock passed down from the past.”
To confirm his point, Ian spread open one of the books he had brought on the table.
“The reason lies in the diamond’s unusual nature. There’s even a story that the stones once known as magic stones in the past are what we now call diamonds. Back when mages existed, when magic overflowed across the land, diamonds were so common you could trip over them—at least, that’s what many old books tell us.”
“I see…”
“This is only a theory, but a fairly convincing one. As time passed, the magic that once overflowed on the surface gradually disappeared. The magic stones came to be called diamonds, and began circulating under that name.”
“And the only proof of this is just stories?”
Pri’s sharp tone cut into Ian’s words.
“No other mineral exists in so many colors. Only magic stones from ancient times possessed such variety.”
“That’s true, but still…”
“And in some cases, rough diamonds have been found to contain a kind of power no longer present in the world today.”
Pri’s eyes widened.
“I see.”
“I needed to explain that before moving on. In the end, the diamond mines disappeared. With demand still high but supply gone, diamonds became ever rarer. Gold is valuable, but nothing compared to diamonds.”
“In that case… if the Ezan Kingdom really has a diamond mine…”
No wonder Father would go mad.
If they could sell such a mine, even at the cost of hundreds of lives lost… Pri had known diamonds were rare, but having been born and raised in Ezan without ever seeing one, she had no real sense of their value—nor of how much people desired them.
Even Gaia, a princess of Ezan, had only three diamond accessories, all barely the size of a grain of millet.
So they really are that rare.
“Yes. And one day, a diamond mine was discovered.”
“But you just said they were gone?”
“Yes. It was actually an iron mine that had already been completely dug out and abandoned. Then one day, diamonds were found there. The continent went into an uproar. The mine didn’t even look like a diamond mine.”
With a rustling sound, Ian turned the page to an illustration showing a shabby mine entrance—so dilapidated it looked more like a collapsed cliff than a working site. It was a wonder anyone even found the entrance.
“This is it.”
“Oh…”
“Thanks to it, the small kingdom that owned the land made quite a fortune.”
“I see.”
“But human greed knows no bounds. Despite the mine’s instability, the king kept digging, caring nothing for the danger. And the deeper they dug, the more diamonds they found—until, in those depths, a worker saw something he never should have seen.”
By this point, Pri had already drained the tea Ian had brought her, captivated by the story.
“What did he see?”
“A being long forgotten in human memory—the dragon. A creature that despises humans with cruel hatred, that curses them.”
“Ah… D-Dragons actually existed?”
“A terrifying figure from children’s tales, the symbol of evil. But they say it truly existed—right there. The worker lost his sight just from meeting its gaze, and the dragon, in the blink of an eye, soared up and burned that small kingdom to ash for daring to wake it.”
The story had taken a direction Pri hadn’t expected, leaving her unable to close her mouth.
“So… that’s actually possible?”
“Yes. The kingdom vanished, but the cave buried under rubble still existed. Neighboring countries, eager for the diamonds, rushed there—but in the entire cave, no more diamonds could be found.”
“So… those diamonds…”
“It’s believed that the dragon’s strong magic seeps into the earth, saturating the cave, and that’s how a diamond mine forms.”
As absurd as it sounded, the story felt more convincing than any other.
The circumstantial evidence all fit.
“I see…”
“And now you’re telling me something like that was discovered in the Ezan Kingdom…”
“It’s not certain.”
“Still, it’s stranger for Ezan’s king—your father, a man obsessed with gold—to just leave it alone. Ah, forgive me, I spoke too harshly about your father…”
“It’s fine. I also think he’s insane. Just because he’s my father doesn’t mean I can pretend he’s not.”
He’d been so obsessed with money he’d even tried to sell her. Pri’s face soured at the thought, but she didn’t want to disappoint Ian, who had been telling her this fascinating tale. She gave him a small smile and brushed her hand over the book he’d offered her.
“But Ian… did my father really just leave a diamond mine alone?”
“I’m not sure. I didn’t even know such a thing existed. But I’ve heard he tried several times—only to give up after losing hundreds of workers.”
“I see.”
“It’s puzzling… but after hearing your story, I feel like it makes sense now.”
With a gentle expression, Ian closed the book.
There was nothing more to be learned, and a mix of relief and melancholy washed over her.
“I see. But… have you found any clue about the bird yet?”
“Not yet…”
“Something that exists and doesn’t exist… real yet unreal. I hope that’s at least a hint.”
“That’s another difficult riddle.”
“Still, Pri, please keep this doll with you at all times.”
“Because it’s a protective doll?”
Instead of answering, he curved his lips in a graceful smile.
“All right. I’ll carry it always. Just touching it makes me feel at ease…”
“I’m glad. Surely…”
“Yes?”
Ian trailed off, then extended his hand toward her.
“I’ll find whatever book you want, so… how about returning for today?”
“Shall we?”
“I heard that maid from before has returned.”
Ian had only mentioned it because he seemed unusually attentive about Cassie, but Pri merely lifted her head slightly, then dropped it again, looking uninterested.
“Oh… has she?”
“You seem less interested than before.”
His observation hit the mark, and Pri stood up awkwardly, stretching her body.
“Maybe it’s because I used up all my interest on the fun story you told me today.”
It was obviously a lie, but Ian didn’t press her.
Only Pri wore a faintly lonely look.
It doesn’t matter anymore. Pretending to be the bad person for Argent’s sake—that was only until I found out he had feelings for Gaia. Now that I know… I don’t need to play that role for him anymore. I’ll live my own way.
After a quiet moment studying Ian, Pri started toward her room.
At the very least, she’d given up on making Argent look like a good person in others’ eyes.
“Let’s go.”
