Chapter 63………………………….
Teferi murmured to himself, chewing over my words, then nodded and got down from his chair.
“Really? Then let’s go.”
“Where to?”
“Where else? The mine. Weren’t we going in?”
“Why are you going there, Teferi? It’s dangerous.”
As he led the way, he paused, lifting a small hand to part the tent flap, then turned slightly to look at me. His eyes gleamed.
“The only thing on this land that could threaten me is probably a dragon at best.”
When we were ready to enter the empty mine and stood at the entrance, Teferi checked the number of people lined up behind us and raised an eyebrow. Why? Was it too few?
“What is it?”
“Why are all those people going inside? What would they even investigate?”
“You never know. There could be gaps or defects. Plus, we need to check the wear on the pre-installed supports, so for now…”
“Let’s do that later. Right now, it’s just you, me, and Professor Rodelia. The three of us will go.”
“But Teferi, then today—”
“When are over forty people supposed to go up and down in that tiny mine elevator? You expect to spend the whole day?”
“……”
True. The elevator only fits about five people, so it would have been cramped. By the time we finished preparing, it was already past lunch.
I gave Teferi a reluctant look. He narrowed his eyes at me, then glanced back at the people preparing behind us. His small frame told the bustling crowd to hurry back and rest, leaving them dumbfounded as they dispersed.
With only the three of us remaining, Teferi pointed at the elevator with a satisfied expression.
“Hey, get on.”
“……”
Thanks to Teferi stepping forward, the chaos had significantly reduced. Moreover, since he wasn’t satisfied with the slow, old-fashioned elevator, he used magic to move it, making the ride up and down much smoother.
I looked around in wonder at the mine I was visiting for the first time. Although I had knowledge and information about mines, seeing one in person felt unfamiliar.
Riding the elevator somehow felt like a theme park ride, and I couldn’t help but smile.
Inside, Professor Rodelia examined the walls while Teferi simply stood with his arms crossed, waiting.
Eventually, the elevator reached its destination. The mine had been inactive for some time, and the remaining lights were faint. Since we couldn’t make the fires burn strongly, we had lit them to retain heat, but the light barely resisted the darkness.
I opened my bag in the pitch-black darkness and tried to light a fire with a flint…
“Done.”
“Huh?”
A small hand stopped me mid-motion, lightly clapping.
With the clap, a strange breeze seemed to blow, and a lantern right in front of us lit up. One by one, the other lanterns followed in a domino effect, lighting up quickly. I opened my mouth in astonishment at the magical scene.
“Uh… what is this?”
“Let’s go.”
Is magic always this convenient, or is it just because it’s Teferi? Probably the latter. Even though it was an extraordinary feat, he moved forward casually, as if it were nothing.
Why did his small shoulders and back feel so trustworthy and dependable? After lightly tapping Professor Rodelia’s shoulder, who was staring blankly, I gestured at Teferi and moved ahead first.
Matching my pace to Teferi’s slow steps, a voice came from the front.
“Have you located Zaxsetorin?”
It didn’t seem directed at me, so I waited as Professor Rodelia replied.
“Not yet.”
“Of course. Using spirits to disguise oneself would make it difficult to track.”
“He’s always so eccentric.”
“Eccentric? That’s perverse. Low-class, too.”
I was curious about what kind of person he was.
“What do you think your father meant when he said this place is unsuitable for mining?”
“Well… it’s rare to declare a mine unsuitable two years after it was deemed fine. From what I can see, there doesn’t seem to be a problem…”
“Then perhaps he lied this time for his own greed.”
“Highly possible. He’s quite materialistic.”
Rodelia’s answer was accompanied by a sigh, and Teferi let out a small laugh. He glanced at her briefly and said calmly:
“All elementalists who control land spirits are greedy. They’re fools who think everything in the ground belongs to them. If they’re a high-level elementalist, even more so.”
Teferi shook his head as if bothered, brushed his hair aside, and looked around.
“This should be the place.”
Following his cue, Professor Rodelia took drafting tools and various devices from her bag and carefully placed them on the floor, then looked up at me.
“I’ll handle this area. Lydia, could you check around for any potential problems in the mine?”
In other words, don’t interfere. Professors and researchers often preferred to work alone obsessively. Maybe that’s why Teferi cleared everyone else out.
I nodded, then approached Teferi and took his small hand. Teferi looked at me with a slightly furrowed brow, as if asking what I was doing, but I smiled and moved away from Professor Rodelia, exploring the mine while keeping the small, compliant Teferi beside me.
“This place is amazing.”
“Didn’t your world have mines like this?”
“……”
Hmm. Saying “my world” felt strange and unsettling. Teferi probably forgot I was from another world. His casual manner made him seem like an ordinary person.
“Why so quiet?”
“Oh, I’m just surprised.”
“Why? First time seeing a mine?”
“Not the first time, but I’ve never seen one operated like this.”
“What do you mean?”
I had visited old mines converted into tourist attractions or cafes. This was a completely new style. I hesitated, then explained as best I could. Teferi looked at me with subtle surprise.
“You use an old mine like this?”
“Yes. It would be useless otherwise.”
“True… impressive.”
“What’s impressive?”
“Science and technology are so advanced, yet people live like this? So poor that they need to use abandoned mines for tourism… ironic.”
“……”
Actually, it’s the opposite. Modernization made mining experiences harder to access, so they’re used for tourism. While I was thinking about how to explain this to Teferi, he pointed somewhere.
“There it is. The central point Rosalyn mentioned?”
“Yes, right here. This box contains dry food and water. Everything’s magically processed and can last 30 years.”
“Not a lot for that, though.”
“It’s for emergencies. Enough for twenty people for about a week.”
“That wouldn’t even be enough for a month.”
“……”
It’s probably best that this never needs to be opened. It’s like magical rations. I closed the box with a wry smile and looked at the small maps of the mine’s central room and its sections. Teferi approached a wall, lightly tapped it with the back of his hand, and tilted his head.
“Looks like there’s a lake behind here on the map?”
“Ah, yes. It’s just beyond a large terrain. The cracks are magically sealed, so it’s sturdy. It won’t collapse under normal impact.”
“Magic?”
“If the magic is from inside, that’s different… but who’d be foolish enough to use magic here? They’d know it’s suicidal.”
“Or not.”
Teferi looked at me, a sneer on his lips.
“Many wizards are perverts or lunatics, so anything could happen.”
After finishing the survey and returning, the sky had turned pitch-black. I rubbed my stiff body and observed the leaves swaying in the occasional wind, then lowered my gaze. Unlike Rodelia, Teferi looked calmly outside.
“Shall we eat?”
I asked, thinking our hungry stomachs needed attention. Teferi nodded, but Rodelia shook her head, pointing to a bundle of papers she carried.
“I’ll examine these first.”
“You still need to eat.”
“I’ll eat later. You go ahead.”
I watched Professor Rodelia move quickly, carrying many things despite her small frame. Then I looked at Teferi, who nodded.
“Let’s go.”
Passing through the tents and entering the rest area, Rosalyn was already there to greet us. Whether she had been waiting for us or was already there, she welcomed us just like in the morning.
“You’re back, Teferi, Lydia?”
“Yes. Thank you for your help, Rosalyn.”
“You two did the work. How was it? Ah! Let’s eat first.”
Rosalyn gestured, and the chef nodded and disappeared outside. Being capable of outdoor cooking, he cooked quite well. Rosalyn seemed pleased with the chef’s skills, often calling him for help, and lately seemed to have grown closer to him.
