10

The next day, we handed the escort mission over to the rest of the crew and were getting ready for our date, just like we’d planned, from morning on.

“Ehehe—what do you think, Eld?”

Ange spun around right there, wearing a kimono-like outfit from the Berjio people.

Not quite a kimono, though—there were Chinese-like touches too, like deep slits down to her thighs, closed with several ribbons.

The sash was thin, and the knot in the back used a wooden clasp, with a decorated cloth draped over it.

Her hair was tied up, exposing her nape—kinda sexy, that. Once in a while, it’s nice to see Ange with her hair up.

“You look great.”

The kimono-style outfit fit right in with the castle’s atmosphere.

Geez, it really feels like we’re staying at a ryokan.

“Thanks. Now, um…”

Ange was slipping her fingers into the gap between the yukata and the sash, or probing the inside of the slits.

“What’re you doing?”

“Huh? Just hiding a weapon. A proper support maid’s gotta be ready for anything, right?”

She demonstrated by twisting her wrist—out popped a knife from the sleeve. She slid it neatly into the sash gap, hidden as if it had never been there.

Probably those slits she was touching earlier have weapons tucked in too…

My wife, fully armed. Honestly, it’s kind of comforting.

“Got antidotes too, so if you’re poisoned, tell me right away!”

“I’ll try not to get poisoned in the first place. Well then, let’s go.”

With Ange all set, we headed out into town.

It was morning, sure—but already past breakfast time, people were out and about, working as usual.

Even in the royal city of Belgio, stalls line the streets, buzzing with life.

“That one’s a food stand, right? That other one’s probably a metal shop?”

“Huh. A metal shop at a stall? That’s not common.”

“Maybe because it’s a town rich in wood and mineral resources? Looks like they’ve got both woodcrafts and ironworks.”

“Huh. So they manage both? That’s rare.”

Most places lean one way or the other. But with so much raw material around, I guess it’s possible.

“Let’s take a look.”

“Yeah.”

Ange tugs on my arm, and we peer into one of the stalls.

Looks like a woodcraft shop. Baskets woven from twigs, bowls with smooth grain, and handcrafted pieces made from different types of wood—all laid out neatly.

Ange’s eyes land on a single carved sphere, ornately detailed.

Inside, there are layers upon layers of self-standing carvings. Back in my old life, those would’ve been made of ivory, one of those multi-layered spheres.

Wooden ones feel kind of rare, though.

“Wow, this is incredible! How do they even make something like this? No seams, no joints—definitely not glued together, right?”

“Said they hollow out a big chunk and carve the layers from the inside, then slowly add the decorations from the outside. Pure craftsperson’s skill, that’s all.”

I’ve seen the method before, online, ages ago. But knowing how it’s done doesn’t mean I could do it. Not even close. It’s not just the technique—more the sheer effort it’d take.

“Should we grab one?”

“Hmm… which one should I pick?”

I remember ivory ones from that era had these wild, frilly decorations—like something out of a child’s fantasy. But these? Surprisingly simple. The carvings look like magic circles, or some kind of strange script. Makes me feel a little… dramatic, in a good way.

“I’ll take this one.”

“Then, sir, one of these, please.”

"Mind the cracks—shake it too hard and it’ll split right open."

"Thanks, old man."

Ange cradled the layered sphere, giving it a gentle shake as she admired the carved patterns.

I kept a little extra watchfulness around her, then resumed our stroll.

As we wandered past the stalls, a savory scent drifted over.

There, a vendor was roasting vegetables and fruit.

It wasn’t even mid-morning yet—but that smell? Instantly made my stomach growl.

"Ange, wanna split one in half?"

"Sure, what should we try?"

We edged closer, eyeing the wares. Pumpkins, onions, carrots—some fruit too, apples and corn.

Smelled like barbecue, not soy. Maybe the pumpkin’s the way to go?

"Alright, pumpkin it is?"

"Yeah."

"Then one pumpkin."

"Thanks."

Handing over the coins, I take the skewer. The pumpkin’s got a nice char, golden and inviting.

Take a bite—sweetness bursts through, rich with that earthy pumpkin flavor. Like dessert, almost.

"Good stuff. Here."

"Aah~"

Ange takes a big gulp, chomping down.

"Sweet! So good. Did you grow this right around here?"

"Yeah. There’s a big farm nearby. They grow all the veggies here. It’s even a walking trail—might wanna check it out if you’ve got time."

"Thanks."

I nod to the vendor, take another bite.

"Definitely wanna see that place."

"Let’s go."

"For now, we’re just gonna wander around here. Got all the time in the world."

"True enough."

Sorting out our plans, we drift back toward the food stall.

By the time we’d finished our stroll around the neighborhood, we just kept walking, straight toward the path we’d been listening to all along.

It wasn’t far from the square where the Armunale sat.

The entrance was a little park, kids from the neighborhood here and there, and beyond them, a pond and a stream flowing into it. The path along the stream had been laid out nice and smooth.

That must be the walking route.

“Nice place, huh.”

“Yeah. Hard to believe we were fighting each other just yesterday.”

Three days’ ride from here, they say two Armunale clashed. I can’t even wrap my head around that. Not here. Not now.

There was nothing but peace, thick and quiet, all around.

As we walked the path, the field the shopkeeper mentioned finally came into view.

The closer we get to the mountains, the more the fields step up like stairs—each little plot growing something different.

Inside, there were even vegetables ready for harvest—people could be seen working the fields.

Funny thing is, I reckon it was worth the fight—seeing this view, knowing it’s safe now.

In all the battles so far, we’ve just been on the receiving end—by the time I’d get there, the fires were already up, buildings already collapsed. Even when we took back the fortress, the fighting left half the town in ruins.

Maybe I was the one getting worn down, just pushing back the enemy like that.

You’re still coming here, aren’t you—so you can guard all these views, over and over?

Yeah. Just one more push, huh?

Let’s do our best, huh?

Ah.

We wandered along the path until we finally reached the foothills of the mountains.

This seems to be the end of the line, but there’s still a path leading further in. A sign nearby says the way ahead goes into an old mine.

Looks like this path was reused from the old days when they’d roll carts here to haul out ore. They’re thinking about turning the abandoned mine into a tourist spot, too.

Huh. Kinda getting that whole tourist-town vibe, isn’t it?

“Guess we should head back, huh?”

“Looks like that other way’s a detour.”

On the other side of the stream winding along the walking path, there’s another trail—just right here, a bridge connects us to it.

Probably leads to that field we saw earlier.

“Wanna check out the field side, too?”

“Yeah.”

We’ve still got time, so we cross the bridge, and just then, a kid comes running from the other side.

A girl with a straw hat, slinging a leather satchel over her shoulder.

“Local kid, maybe?”

“Never seen anyone come this far before.”

There’d been plenty at the park entrance, but not a soul along the way here.

“Maybe her parents work the fields?”

“Could be.”

I watched the girl pass by, something about her tugging at my attention—then suddenly, she veered off the path and vanished into the forbidden ruins.

“Hey, hey—now that’s just asking for trouble.”

“Let’s go get her.”

“Yeah.”

Even though it was meant to be a tourist spot, the ruins were still untouched, no signs of upkeep.

No telling what could collapse in there—definitely not a place for a kid to wander alone.

I nodded without thinking, and Ange and I followed after her.

Inside the ruins, lamps were spaced at regular intervals, but the light was weak, shaky—barely enough to see by.

The ground beneath my feet was almost invisible, and between the lamps, it was pitch black—completely blind.

A girl wandering alone here? That’s too dangerous.

Just as I thought that, I caught sight of her back.

She couldn’t be running in this darkness either—her hand pressed against the wall, inching forward step by step.

“Hey!”

“Wait!”

I stopped myself from shouting too much, and Ange reached out to grab the girl’s shoulder.

The girl startled, turned around, and her straw hat slipped off with a clatter.

“A-ah… e-eh… s-sorry…”

She looked like she was about to cry. Ange and I just exchanged glances, unsure what to do.

We weren’t about to scold her right away, so we decided to ask what was going on.

“Why’d you come in here? This place is off-limits, right?”

“My mom’s sick… they said I needed cave lilies for medicine… so I came… I just…”

Hmm, I think I get it now.

So you needed ingredients for medicine, right? And since it’s cave lilies, they probably grow in caves—maybe even in the deeper parts of this old mine. Could be there, too.

“Couldn’t you just buy it normally?”

“Said there’s no stock left. All the medicine got snapped up already.”

“Eld, what do you think?”

“Hmm…”

Stockpiling medicine. Could be for the army, or a merchant betting on war profits—makes sense at this timing.

But I don’t know much about the sickness myself. Can’t say for sure.

“Ange, do you know what kind of illness it is?”

“If the cave lily’s the ingredient, then it’s mine-vein sickness. A disease caused by exposure to the magic in the ore stones deep in the mines. Weakens your body—muscles, sure, but your immune system too. Leave it be, and it gets nasty.”

“Knew that one, huh?”

“Support maid, remember? I’ve checked every illness and injury that might crop up where everyone else goes.”

“Honestly, you’re a lifesaver.”

So the army buying it all up seems unlikely then. Probably just merchants chasing a profit.

Still, knowing that doesn’t change a thing we can do about it.

Right now, the real question is—

“So, is there a cave lily up ahead?”

Just that. Whether it’s there or not.

“My dad used to work here. Said back then he’d seen a subterranean lake with cave lilies blooming.”

“Ah, so that’s why she made it alone.”

I send a glance toward Ange. She nods back.

After hearing all that, there’s no way I’d say something like “let’s go back” now.

“Can’t come here without a guardian.”

“Sorry… but my mom—”

“That’s why we’ll be your guardians. You know the way to the underground lake?”

“Huh? Oh—yeah!”

She looked dazed for a second, then her eyes lit up with realization, and a smile bloomed on her face.

“I’m Eld. And this older girl here is Ange. What’s your name?”

“I’m Colleen.”

“Then it’s your turn to guide us to the underground lake. Got it, Colleen?”

“Yeah, leave it to me! This way!”

With her smile back in place, Colleen tugged on our hands and led us deeper into the old mine.

After walking through the old mine for about thirty minutes. No monsters popping up like in an RPG, no entrance collapsing like in a movie, just… nothing. We arrived at the underground lake.

Well, unless we start fighting or causing a ruckus, there’s no way the well-maintained tunnels in an abandoned mine would suddenly cave in, right?

That’s how we got there. And what met our eyes wasn’t some mystical scene—no, not at all.

“Uuuuh… mud water.”

Ange slumped her shoulders, disappointment clear in her voice. I guess she’d imagined something dreamy, like a stalactite cave, when she heard “underground lake.”

But reality? This.

The “underground lake” was just water seeping up from underground, mixed with dirt from mining, forming a thick, soupy mess.

No stalactites. No glow. Just darkness—endless, quiet, and thick with dirt.

I wouldn’t’ve seen a thing without my light magic shining. Then again… maybe it was better that way. Kept the image intact, didn’t it?

“So, where’s this cave lily thing, then?”

"Um, I heard it grows out of the cave wall like a stalk—wait, that’s it!"

Ange must’ve spotted it right away. Following where she pointed, I saw a small lily blooming on the cave wall—right near the ceiling.

“Is that the cave lily?”

I can’t reach it…

We came at the right time, huh? I’ll go get it—just wait a sec.

Uh-huh.

Nods, a little disappointed.

I laughed to myself, then launched myself with magic toward the wall, hooking my fingers into the cave’s stone.

"Can I just pull this whole thing out?"

Twist the base of the flower, and it’ll come off like a loose stone.

"Got it? Oh, pulled it off."

As Ange said, it comes loose from the base of the flower with a little tug.

I made my way back to Colin and the others with it in hand.

“Here, this should do it.”

I offered the flower to Colin, palm up. He took it with trembling fingers, careful as could be.

“Brother… thanks.”

“Take good care of it, now.”

“Yeah.”

“Alright, let’s go back.”

We’ve done what we came for. Better to be out of this place quick. It’s strictly forbidden, after all.

So we hurried back to the entrance of the abandoned mine. I checked outside—no one in sight.

“Good. Now’s our chance.”

On my signal, Colin and Ange bolted out of the mine and back onto the walkway.

“Finally out! Being surrounded by dirt like that? My shoulders are killing me.”

“Kinda suffocating in there. I mean, the cockpit’s cramped, but that’s kind of nice.”

“Yeah, well… that’s probably just Eld.”

“Is it?”

“Kusukusu. Big brother, big sister, thank you.”

“Till you get back’s the real adventure, huh?”

“Be careful, okay?”

“Yeah, thanks a lot!”

Colin waved his arms wide and dashed down the walkway.

So… that’s settled, then?

“Alright, let’s head back. It’s getting close to noon—let’s grab a bite somewhere and come home.”

“Yeah.”

Ange wrapped her arms around my arm again, and we strolled slowly down the path toward town.

Next time…

As negotiations with Belgio reach their climax, far to the south, in a forgotten port, two Armunale stood waiting.

The Elshard mercenaries were heading to the mercenary nation of Paydimer, to repair and upgrade their machines.