Chapter 91
To be honest, I never planned on dragging Shiz all the way down into the mine.
I only brought her close to see if she sensed anything.
But since she hadn’t said anything so far, I guess it was useless.
“Let’s do this.”
Aska, who had been quiet, looked at me and Felix.
“You two stay outside with Shiz. I think I can check the inside alone.”
I almost nodded without thinking—but then I remembered.
No, wait—my diary!!
I hurriedly stepped forward.
“Why? Let’s go together! Aska, you’ve never handled a crack before. You need someone with experience like me!”
“Do whatever you want.”
With an uninterested expression, he stepped onto the lift first. Phil followed behind him, and now it was my turn.
Naturally, Felix was left with Shiz.
“Investigator Guffero, please take care of Shiz.”
“If you go to that building over there, you’ll find the miners’ rest area,” Phil said. “Wait there.”
“Fine, go on, Magician.”
Felix picked up Shiz, who was making a crying face.
“You’ll stay with Uncle, okay, kid?”
“Ngngng…”
“Don’t cry. Say bye to your mom.”
“Baaaiii…”
Crying but obedient. It was kind of funny.
Right then, Phil pressed something, and with a loud CLANK, the lift began descending.
***
The lift shook and rattled as it went deeper down.
I held the rail tightly, doing everything I could not to look below.
Under my feet was nothing but darkness.
What if this rusty scrap metal broke and we fell?
Ugh… I don’t even want to imagine it.
My whole body tensed up. Aska, who had been quietly watching me, lifted one corner of his mouth.
“Rel, are you scared?”
“N-no? I-I’m not scared at all!”
“Hmm, really?”
Then he suddenly stomped his foot.
The lift shook violently and I grabbed the rail in pure panic.
“You jerk! Don’t do that! Are you trying to get us killed?!”
“Hahaha! It won’t fall from something like that. But this might!”
Phil burst out laughing and started rocking his entire body side to side—which made the lift also sway side to side!
“W-WAIT! PLEASE STOP!”
The shaking was bigger than I expected, and I stumbled.
Aska reached out and grabbed my arm. His hand was large and completely wrapped around mine.
The shaking didn’t stop quickly, so before I realized it, I had grabbed his clothes tightly.
Our eyes met for a split second.
‘He… he’s really close.’
Maybe he thought the same thing, because Aska’s face stiffened abruptly.
I quickly pulled away just as Phil suddenly asked:
“Are you two married?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
“Then what are ya?”
I froze.
Right. How exactly do I describe my relationship with Aska?
We aren’t enemies anymore, but we definitely aren’t friends either.
After thinking hard, I finally answered:
“Uh… we were academy classmates.”
“Ohh, so friends?”
“We’re not friends.”
Aska answered instantly, too fast and too firmly.
Some weird competitive fire lit up inside me.
“Right! We’re NOT friends! Never!”
“Really? But ya look pretty close.”
“You saw wrong!”
While I fumed, the surroundings grew darker and darker.
When sunlight no longer reached us, Phil took out a small lantern from his belt and lit it.
“Alright, let me explain yesterday’s incident while we’re goin’ down.”
At that exact moment—my ears felt stuffed.
I don’t think I can listen to anything right now!
But with Aska standing right there, I couldn’t say it.
Damn pride. I swallowed hard.
“Yesterday afternoon, while working, we suddenly heard a strange sound and felt vibrations deep inside the mine. So we stopped all work and pulled everyone out. We couldn’t check deeper because if it collapses, we’re all dead. Looks like somethin’s wrong with the support beams.”
“Sorry, what are support beams?”
“Oh, the wooden beams we put up so the tunnels don’t collapse.”
Ah. So the supports might be unstable, and mining has been stopped.
“Is there a reason Tilbon is convinced it’s a crack? It could just be a safety issue.”
At Aska’s question, Phil’s usually friendly expression tightened a bit.
“Well, I’ve never heard a sound like that in decades. And besides, the mine owner insisted it’s a crack. Hard for us to argue otherwise. Anyway, we need ya magicians to check. If it’s a crack, we gotta know before we reinforce anything.”
The lift kept descending—
the air grew hotter and more suffocating.
“What kind of person is the mine owner?”
“Michael Lumen. Heard o’ him? Marquis Lumen.”
“Mm, not really.”
I glanced at Aska, but he didn’t seem to know the name either.
I had no social connections, and Aska had no interest in anything.
“That bastard controls all of Tilbon. Owns a bunch of mines, makes tons of money. With what he’s earned, he could probably build a palace.”
“What kind of person is he? A good one?”
Phil gave a very sarcastic smile.
“Not at all.”
Right then, the lift finally slowed down after what felt like forever.
Phil handed each of us a lantern.
“We’re here. Get off.”
Pitch-black darkness stretched before us like an open mouth.
I can’t even use magic… and I have to walk into that?
But if there was a crack, we couldn’t turn back.
And I desperately needed a new diary, since my magic formula restoration had stalled.
“Let’s go.”
The entrance to the tunnel yawned open, waiting for us.
***
Meanwhile…
Felix carried pouting Shiz into the miner’s rest building Phil mentioned.
Inside were miners taking an unexpected break since work had stopped.
They looked surprised at the tall outsider and the small girl.
“Hmm? Never seen you before.”
“What brings you here?”
Sniffling, Shiz saw big adults approaching and immediately clung tightly around Felix’s neck.
“Scared, kid?”
“N-no, I’m not scared.”
“Then what’s this?”
“Th-this is because I’m cold.”
“It’s summer right now.”
“Y-you can be cold in summer!”
“You can be cold in summer~”
“Stop copying me!”
Felix teased her and then explained the situation to the miners.
He barely said Phil’s name and everyone instantly understood and went back to their spots.
“So you’re from the capital?”
“My daughter’s this age too.”
“Aigo, she’s pretty. Where’d ya get these fancy clothes?”
The barrage of questions made Felix’s soul leave his body.
“I—I don’t know! Ask her mom when she comes!”
“Where is her mom?”
“She went into the mine with the team leader to investigate.”
“Oh? Alone?”
“No, with another magician.”
“Well, the dad has to watch the kid, after all.”
Felix blinked in shock.
“…D-dad? Me?!”
“Why’d ya bring your daughter to a place like this? Not much to see here. Didn’t wanna buy her toys, huh?”
“Yeah right, stingy dad~”
Felix’s face turned bright red.
“She’s NOT my daughter!”
“Right! He’s just an uncle I know!”
“Ohhh, that makes sense! No resemblance at all! Hahaha!”
“S-stop assuming weird things…”
While Felix tried to cool his burning face, the miners gradually lost interest and returned to chatting.
“Can’t work today… no allowance, then.”
“Hah! When have they ever paid us on time? Money doesn’t matter—your life does. If something happens down there, you’re done for.”
Shiz flinched at the gruff voices.
The big, rough men sounded scary.
“Scaredy cat, aren’t ya? ’Cause you’re tiny?”
“Uncle, be quiet.”
“Ow ow.”
Felix laughed as Shiz pressed into his side.
She pinched his cheek with all her strength—though since she was only six, it didn’t hurt at all.
“Doesn’t this hurt, Uncle?”
“Nope. Not one bit. You wanna be an investigator? You’ll need more strength than that.”
“What?!”
Shiz puffed up angrily and pinched his shoulders and arms too.
But his muscles were too firm—her tiny fingers couldn’t even get a proper grip.
“Uuuugh…”
While she struggled, the miners’ conversation continued.
“So what does Marquis Lumen plan to do with the mine?”
