[Interlude] Another Akau Village 3

Starting the next day, investigations into the mysterious water began. Though to be honest, Taro is the one doing the investigating—my role is just to follow along.

Tracing the water with a strong glow, we arrive at a large stone door blocking our way. It's quite thick, and moving it will likely take considerable effort.

But I think it can be broken. Gripping the battle axe tightly, I gather my strength.

Suddenly, Taro rushes over and stops me frantically. He says breaking it isn't good because it has high cultural value. Is something like a drawing really that important?

But how are we supposed to get inside? It seems impossible to pass without breaking it.

The wall is reinforced with metal and wooden framing around it—cutting through here isn't realistic.

As I'm thinking, I'm suddenly shouted at angrily, without reason.

Turning around, I see an emaciated old man approaching me, breathing heavily through his shoulders.

Taro quickly explains why we're here, but the old man pays him no heed whatsoever.

Why is this man so arrogant?

After all, Guild Branch Chief Alan and the villagers have gone through so much hardship! A simmering resentment wells up within me, stirring memories of my time spent in the village.

I can't help but raise my voice. I know it's wrong, but I can't stop myself.

Fortunately, Taro steps in to calm me. He gently pushes me from behind and quickly leads me away from the scene.

Miraculously, the intense emotions that had been boiling up so fiercely now subside.

At the same time, a question arises.

Why isn't Taro angry? He's put in just as much time and effort into the investigation as everyone else.

"Why aren't you arguing back?"

"Alek, you're the one who's surprising me. I didn't expect you to get so angry."

"Of course. Hunting down the beast is a matter of survival for the villagers. If we're all from the same village, we should be working together."

"I suppose that's true, but still, in a crisis like this, you can't let your emotions take over."

"I understand that. But sometimes, people just won't listen unless you speak from the heart. Especially in a small village like this—people tend to be stubborn, for better or worse. You have to push through and make them comply."

Alex seemed to have a strong sense of justice.

You're right, that's true. What Alex said is correct. But I don't think that always leads to the outcome the villagers desire. It's hard to put into words... I think we also need to consider what people truly wish for, just as much as we value what's right.

Taro comes at me with a serious expression, talking about something complicated. Isn't it better to be right?

Is Taro saying that wanting something and doing what's right are different?... It's hard for me to grasp.

He asks me at the end if I can break down the door.

What's he finding so strange about it? It's that simple.

When I answer like that, Taro turns pale. He's really a strange guy.

When we returned to the village, a tall young man was rampaging around.

He has a face I've seen somewhere before. The man is delirious.

For now, we decided to calm him down.

We'll knock him out together with Taro. When the man calmed down, a man arrived from the guild.

The same man from the village who had recently heard about the beast's whereabouts.

The moment I saw his face, I realized.

I left the rest to the village doctor. It's better to leave it to someone capable.

After parting ways with Taro, I went to visit the guild branch chief to learn how to enter the old mine.

"The way to enter the old mine, you say? That mine was already abandoned even before I arrived here. However, I've heard that workers were still inside when the entrance was sealed. Apparently, those people left behind a passage inside the mine so they could come out later. If you use that passage, you should still be able to enter and exit even now."

"Who knows about this passage?"

"There were three people in the village who knew about it. However, one of them passed away from that mysterious illness. The other person is aware, but has recently said they don’t want anything to do with the curse and refuses to speak about the mine at all."

"Then what about the last person?"

"The last person... isn't afraid of the curse. But there might be another reason why it's difficult."

"What do you mean by that?"

After hearing the guild branch chief's account, I felt uneasy. Still, I couldn't avoid talking to Taro, so I called him over.

Around noon the next day, we visited Yoshia, the one who knew the entrance to the work passage—and also knew the way to it.

Taro persistently negotiated with Yoshia, who was initially intimidating. Before visiting Yoshia, we'd decided to leave the negotiations primarily in Taro's hands.

As expected, Yoshia stubbornly refused to show them the entrance to the work route.

As the discussion continued, Taro made his move. Taro's confidence grew stronger and stronger.

But Yoshia kept shaking his head no.

Though Taro was putting up a strong effort, it didn't seem to be working. It looked like they'd have to find the way on their own now.

That was the moment I was about to give up and turn away, taking a deep breath. Yosha, looking away, reluctantly explained.

Is this a victory of Taro's persistence?

Something that couldn't have been drawn out through mere stubbornness. Something that couldn't have been brought out without trying to empathize with the other person.

"Talking things through really is important, after all."

The next morning, we began preparations for exploring the old mine. We took extra care, as there was a possibility that creatures like the sub-beasts might be inside.

"Alek, Taro."

When we left our lodgings, we found Branch Chief Alan waiting for us.

"You're heading to the old mine, right? I'm sorry—I've left everything to you."

"It's fine. We've been able to proceed smoothly thanks to the supplies you've provided. Thank you very much on our part."

Taro is responding energetically.

We're being helped too. We definitely need to bring back results.

We're heading to the old mine where the mysterious water is flowing. We're anxious about what lies ahead... but also excited.

We began walking toward the old mine.

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Our equipment is falling apart from exposure to the monster's bodily fluids. Taro is walking, using his exploration lamp as a makeshift staff.

I never expected there to be a monster here—truly, that was beyond my imagination. Still, since its combat power was low, we managed with just the two of us. But now, looking back calmly, it was an extremely risky move.

We reached the village around noon.

Guild branch chief Alan was shocked by our appearance and panicked for a while, but eventually calmed down and we were able to talk.

After I explained the whole situation to Alan, he seemed greatly relieved.

Moreover, he immediately shifted focus and began thinking about how to resolve the strange illness. After reporting, Taro hardly took a break before starting to investigate the monster's bodily fluids. His level of curiosity was astounding.

Everyone was equally dedicated... I too must do what I can.

After several days, the number of sub-beasts visibly decreased, and the surrounding area gradually regained stability.

I informed the villagers I had become acquainted with about the decline in sub-beasts.

Everyone was delighted.

Moreover, we discovered what was causing the strange illness, and learned that as long as we took precautions, we could resume mining without getting sick—making their joy double.

The village, which had been silent until now, came alive again with voices and energy.

Truly a village of miners. There were even people so bold they made rubber boots that kept your feet dry even if you stepped into water, driven by sheer enthusiasm.

A few days later, the day arrived to depart from the village. Taro said he had suddenly arranged to return to the capital as quickly as possible. When I asked why, he seemed to be planning something quite intriguing.

Since I'm here, I hope Taro's plan succeeds. I'll support the villagers I've met, helping them rebuild their community.

We raced all the way to the capital, giving it our full effort.