第１０７９堀：鉱山に住まうもの (Part2)
"So, when do you think it will be?"
However, the Zlabul Empire, having been put on hold, naturally wanted to know when the investigation would resume.
"Well, 'normally,' it would be after we're done here. After all, Rogali Continent is the host continent for intercontinental exchange. We can't officially investigate other continents when this one isn't stable."
"I see, 'officially,' you mean. Then, how can we get the investigation done unofficially?"
"That would be when some 'emergency trouble' arises. I can't say what kind of trouble it might be, though."
"I see. Trouble, you say. Well, we certainly have our share of troubles, so we'll be sure to call upon you then."
"I'm sure you understand, but please maintain appearances properly."
"Of course. We wouldn't want to incur resentment from other nations by arbitrarily forcing Weed to come."
As for Yuki, he also wanted to investigate the lands owned by the Zlabul Empire. If he could get permission, he'd want to investigate there too. However, if the reason was as simple as "permission was granted," other nations would naturally complain. Appearances were important.
"Alright, leaving the reason to you. Good, I've confirmed the surrounding terrain. At this stage, I didn't see any problems on our side, but how about yours, Steve?"
"No problems on our end either, boss."
"How about Weed's side?"
"No problems here either. Hurry up and expand our control to the mine. Oh, I'm so excited to see what kind of minerals are there. And monsters too, of course."
Neither the deployed army on site nor Weed's headquarters had found any issues. In that case, all that remained was to expand the dungeon's area of control to the mine as planned.
"Then, let's begin taking control of the mining area. Everyone, don't let your guard down."
However, instead of taking over the mine all at once, they would expand forward one kilometer at a time. Since they would confirm each step, the work would take a considerable amount of time. During this time, Princess Fiora kept returning from the restroom only to go back again, but that was another story.
Nevertheless, an hour later, the mine had been secured... A strange reaction appeared near the summit of the mine.
"A dragon? Wait a minute, do you have a reaction over there too?"
"Yes, boss. We're confirming it here too. It's a dragon, no doubt about it."
"I'm confirming it on my end too. Wow, a real dragon, not a wyvern! It's the first time I've seen one outside of Weed or Elder Gaul. I guess this is what a wild dragon looks like?"
Apparently, Yuki hadn't mistaken anything. It seemed a genuine dragon had made its home in this mine.
"Wait, did anyone hear anything about a dragon being here?"
"Nah, nothing like that came up in any of our investigations."
"How about Kirika?"
"No, absolutely nothing of the sort. Even if the villagers were hiding it, it's too strange for there to be no information from adventurers or survey teams. This dragon hasn't appeared in our intelligence network at all. I'd consider this an abnormal situation."
So, it hadn't even registered in Kirika's intelligence network.
"So, this dragon is the cause of the water shortage?"
"No, that's just because it hasn't rained, isn't it?"
"No, no, for the river, it just needs to rain somewhere upstream, in the mountains. Surely, that dragon has nothing to do with how dry the land is."
Ah, now that she mentioned it, that was true. Yuki had certainly said something similar. More than anything, he had said it because he wanted to escape reality. After all, if this dragon was the cause, it meant they would have to find a way to deal with it.
"You, give up. It's a bit unreasonable to dismiss it as completely unrelated to this water shortage. For now, I'll try to contact Elder Gaul. If they know each other, we might be able to talk."
"Right. Seraria, I'm counting on you. We'll continue gathering more information here."
Well, first, he would use drones and familiars to photograph the actual creature. More importantly, why hadn't it moved at all despite this mine being converted into a dungeon? Dragons were supposed to be sensitive to such changes in magic. Harboring such questions, they continued to gather information about the mine.
"Princess Fiora, are you alright?"
"...Yes. My life isn't in danger..."
According to Rurua's diagnosis, she was to rest for the entire day.
A creature living in the mountains. A dragon. It's too classic, isn't it? Now, please look forward to what they will do about this dragon.