Chapter 17: The Abandoned Mine (1)

“Hey! You guys!”

“Huh? Who are those guys?”

“…Not sure, I’ve never seen them before.”

A stranger appeared in the line of sight of those guarding the entrance to the abandoned mine.

The group backlit by the crimson sunset somehow gave off a sense of urgency.

“What on earth are you doing here? We haven’t heard a single thing yet.”

“Cut the crap. Who the hell are you, huh?”

“Don’t you know who I am?”

“I’ve never seen anyone who looks like you before. Shut up and stay still.”

Through the gap in the hood, the flash of red eyes revealed Nokan.

His appearance was not something easily forgotten.

One of the thieves, on high alert, gripped his spear tightly and stepped forward.

Nokan frowned slightly, and another man beside him spoke up.

“I’m Brunel from the Black Hand’s Vanguard. Do you know us by any chance?”

“Black Hand? Why are those guys showing up here?”

“Weren’t they all captured last time?”

“That kid’s the vanguard leader?”

Brunel quietly felt relieved.

They didn’t know him at all. This was their chance.

“It’s not about that right now. Have you seen any of the raiders who went out on patrol?”

“Well, about that…”

“On my way here, I saw and captured both of them.”

Brunel quickly spoke, and the listeners’ eyes widened.

“What?”

“What nonsense is that?”

“Exactly as I said. They tried to ambush us but got hit instead…”

“Stop talking rubbish! Why should we believe that?”

The man who had stepped forward with his spear earlier now shoved Brunel. His face was still full of distrust.

“The raiders today had numbers, but fewer than thirty actually knew how to fight! You expect me to believe they got beaten by less than half? And who the hell is this guy anyway?”

“…This gentleman is Captain Lepent of the Lepent Guard. He escaped with me and we’re on our way back.”

“What? There are still guards left?”

“The guards were almost wiped out recently…”

Nokan, who had been listening silently for a moment, spoke again with a smile.

“Hey, friend. Calm down. What’s your name? I want to ask you something.”

He slowly approached and naturally pulled out a silver coin, offering it.

Roten, who had been hesitant for a moment, lowered his spear and accepted the coin.

“Ahem, I’m Roten.”

“Alright, Rotten. Have you heard any news from the guard? Our captain is Lacollin.”

“Lacollin? Sounds familiar.”

“The guards who crossed over were all…”

Everyone’s expressions darkened as talk of the guard came up.

“Hmm? Don’t tell me they’re all dead already?”

“Should I say yes or no…”

“Dead, of course. No one’s come out alive from inside. That’s for sure.”

Dead? Nokan frowned once more.

He pulled out another silver coin and handed one to Rotten.

“Well, you seem to have deep pockets.”

Greed flashed in the wary eyes.

“Tell me straight. Are all the guards who crossed over from Lepent dead?”

“I don’t know.”

“What, seriously?”

“No, I really don’t know. I saw them go inside the mine, but I haven’t seen them since.”

That didn’t seem like a lie.

Did he really not know?

The man who introduced himself as the captain fell into thought for a moment.

“Hmm…”

“Why are they looking for them so desperately, then?”

“Ah, it’s because of drugs. The captain left behind some supplies, and I know where they are. I’m thinking about retrieving them.”

“Drugs? You mean Pilaf?”

He nodded as the thief who had taken the coin chuckled.

“There’s a pile of Pilaf rotting inside anyway. Why bother looking for it?”

“Hm? Could Pilaf actually be manufactured inside?”

“No idea. But I know there’s an awful lot of it.”

“Are they making it inside or what?”

The thief’s expression turned sour at the question.

“Everyone who was curious about that disappeared. Watch your mouth.”

The captain nodded seriously at the warning.

“Lots of advice. Besides the guard, did anyone else go in?”

“All those who were brought in went inside.”

“Those who were brought in… you mean the kidnapped people? The villagers or survivors from the caravan attack, right?”

“That’s right… but why do you care?”

Roten’s tone was clearly hostile.

He knew it was reckless to act that way.

The man claiming to be captain sniffed the air near the mine’s entrance.

After that, he puckered his lips and nodded slightly.

“Hmph, I’m getting a general sense.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Finally, Brunel exchanged a few words with Roten.

Roten felt an indescribable strange sensation watching them.

Taking the silver coin and passing it on, he now thought that despite being a guard, Brunel looked too much like a noble.

…What did he say at the start? A counterattack?

“Hey, what was that earlier? You said the patrol got ambushed?”

“Yeah, probably half are dead, the rest captured.”

“What? You expect me to believe that nonsense right now?”

“I personally killed about fourteen of them, so it’s certain.”

“…What?”

“That makes fifteen now.”

Just as someone tried to ask for clarification, a sword suddenly stabbed into Roten’s throat.

“Guhk!”

“Wh-what!”

“A… ambush… ugh!”

At the same time, figures leapt out from the side of the room, each brandishing a sword.

The four thieves guarding the mine entrance fell silent in an instant.

All four turned to Glenn, disguised as the captain.

“You said you were gathering information. What’s going on?”

“There’s nothing different from what we heard before when we interrogated them.”

“Shall we proceed inside immediately?”

“We have to. They seem more dangerous than expected. But…”

Glenn shifted his gaze to Eredin.

His eyes had settled.

“You’re coming too.”

“Of course.”

Seeing the hesitance in those eyes, Glenn frowned.

“I’d prefer you stayed here.”

“…Any particular reason?”

“You just recently became a formal knight.”

This time, Eredin frowned.

…That sounded like a polite way of telling him to stand down.

“If that’s your logic, then the prince should be the first to back off.”

Glenn had been a formal knight for just under a month. She pointed that out.

“And strictly speaking, I’m here on request from the Northshine family.”

“If you try to resist because it’s dangerous, that would disgrace my family’s honor.”

“I see you know your place…”

“Prince, I’m also someone’s knight.”

He sighed.

Meanwhile, Eredin felt a pang of shame from Glenn’s consideration.

“What if I receive an order?”

“…That would be treason against me.”

Hmph, treason, whatever.

Glenn muttered that quietly, and Eredin naturally bit his lip.

Their gazes briefly crossed before Glenn looked away first.

“Fine. But follow behind.”

“Th-That’s…”

“Enough. This is an order.”

“…Yes.”

It was far from a convincing expression.

Noticing this, Glenn turned his gaze to Tillen.

“Lord Tillen, keep a close watch.”

“Y-Yes!”

Tillen, who had been frozen by the tense atmosphere, quickly responded.

The usually relaxed Glenn now looked sharp and rigid.

“Alright, let’s move in.”

“Sir.”

The four who had been watching Glenn from the mine entrance now fixed him with a gaze full of warning.

“You’re joining us, right?”

“…Yes, I can’t exactly explain why, but it feels off.”

Yeah, it feels off.

That eerie atmosphere of the abandoned mine gave off the same feeling Glenn had experienced in his past life’s dark mage lairs.

An unpleasant feeling he had never felt before.

“Are you really going?”

“There are kidnappings. We have to check.”

Glenn turned and gave a smirk to the eyes watching him.

“If I back off now after making a big show, I’ll lose face.”

“Understood.”

Nodding again, Glenn’s expression hardened.

This smell, this mood, this uneasy feeling.

It was the same as the dark mage dens during the Riclang era.

“Let’s go.”

The dark mages he knew were all better off dead.

***

As they officially entered the abandoned mine, a pungent stench assaulted their noses.

To Glenn, it was a familiar, unpleasant odor.

“Kugh, what’s that smell…”

“Shh.”

Tillen, trailing behind, whispered, and Glenn immediately warned him to be quiet.

Thankfully, the interior wasn’t as chaotic.

Simple illumination magic had been set up in various places.

Noticing this, Glenn raised his left hand and gave a signal.

“Me and the four, watch ahead. Krork, keep an eye on the right passage near Tristan. Eredin and Tillen, watch the rear. Move at a slow pace, full security.”

His expression was rigid with tension, unlike usual.

Glenn was deliberately acting serious because these dark mages were that dangerous.

Thus, Glenn and the four moved to the very front, followed by Krork and Tristan.

As the stench became more familiar, the surroundings began to twist into something grotesque.

Unidentifiable debris, ruins, and the occasional piece of strange flesh.

Then, when they entered a vast, cavernous space—

“Damn bastards.”

Even Glenn, who was on high alert, cursed inwardly.

“Th-That is…”

“Ugh…”

Everyone present looked dazed and ragged.

Rust, blood splattered everywhere—the place looked more like a slaughterhouse.

And on the opposite side, signs of human experimentation.

Bodies strewn about like garbage. Corpses, or people limp like corpses.

They all looked as if intoxicated by drugs.

Glenn quickly scanned the space and urgently sent a signal.

“All units, stand by. Watch ahead. Search for hazardous materials and dangerous individuals. Use discretionary judgment; kill on sight.”

After confirming everyone understood, he moved his hand again.

“Four, follow me. Krork and Tristan, watch the front right at 3 o’clock from 12 o’clock forward. Eredin and Tillen, secure the retreat and hold position. Everyone else, disperse and set up maximum alert.”

Following his orders, they spread out.

Glenn’s target was the massive door visible ahead.

As he and the four approached nearby, eerie laughter echoed.

“Kihihihi!”

Damn it.

That laughter confirmed Glenn’s worst suspicion.

He knew who the source was.

No, he could never forget.

There was only one dark mage on the continent who laughed like that.

“Enemy ahead. Proceed immediately with discretion; kill on sight.”

As the four nodded, Glenn held up three fingers and folded them down one by one.

Just as he folded down two and was about to rush out—

“Well, well! An uninvited guest! Or perhaps an unexpected gift? Oh! I do love presents! Presents, presents! Kihihihi!”

Glenn and the four froze.

“Oh? Are you shy? Then I shall personally welcome you.”

Tukaang-!

With a thunderous crash, the door shattered and something flew out.

What flew at Glenn’s feet was a corpse—a human corpse.

“Damn it! Fall back immediately!”

Memories from a past life flooded Glenn, and he shouted sharply.

“Corpse explosion!”

Pao-ong!

With a booming explosion, the entire abandoned mine trembled under the blast.