Chapter 39 – 40

Chapter 39 – The kid was digging too!!

"Alright, let's start then…"

I went deep into the caves and started to swing my pickaxe.

And like that, the sounds of metal against rock started to echo throughout the cave.

"…Hmm. This sound really does help me relax."

Next to me, Shiel moved its body as if nodding in agreement.

Kamyu came to this island, and then the Leviathan came… There were so many things I had to deal with.

A lot of adjustments would have to be made. And there was still the Leviathan and the remains of all those ships…

That being said, I had only had to stop mining for three days.

And yet it had seemed like an eternity. It just showed that I needed to be mining in order to maintain my sanity.

But now, I should be able to concentrate on it… That's what I thought

After all, now that the island residents had exceeded 500, I had decided to have leaders in every department.

First, there had to be someone who led the island in terms of governing… Someone like the prime minister in the palace I used to live in. And that role was given to Baris.

At first, Baris refused to accept it, but when he saw that the others supported this motion, he finally accepted it.

As for dealing with smaller problems and finding solutions, similar to a judge, that would also be Baris's job.

However, more important matters would still be brought to me.

Next, we needed someone to be in charge of food and clothing. Rienna accepted this post.

In my old country, this would be something like the department of agriculture.

Aside from that, Rienna would act as a representative for me, when I wasn't on the surface.

So if I was the king, she was a regent or governor-general.

Erevan was in charge of the island's defense, which made him the minister of defense.

The Golems and guards would obey him and protect the island from outside attacks.

Ashton and Haines would support him. They would help maintain the peace and also be in charge of hunting the Killer Birds.

I suppose they were like peacemakers for disputes.

And then, there was Kamyu.

As she was very skilled with ships, she had a wide range of responsibilities that concerned the sea.

If a battle ever erupted at sea, it would be Kamyu, and not Erevan who would take command.

In a way, she was the chief of the navy.

Also, due to a strong personal request she made, she was also appointed the Minister of Sheorl Fashion.

Just as before, Mappa was in charge of the smithy.

And while he did not speak, he was able to instruct the other monsters through demonstrations.

And it seemed to be effective, as the others were slowly starting to be able to make high-quality tools.

…Now that I thought of it, everyone was pretty much doing what they always had been, except for Kamyu…

Without me having to say anything, Taran continued to make webs and Shiel continued to transport materials.

As for construction work, I told the others to discuss it and build whatever they wanted.

As for me… I called myself the Minister of the Cave.

As the name implied, it was a random and vague title that suggested I was in charge of matters related to the cave.

Well, such was the setup that now allowed me to dig to my heart's content.

It wasn't that the work related to the surface was too much trouble for me to bother with.

It was just about finding the right people for the job.

Besides, if something did happen, I wasn't going to leave everything to the others.

This was just how things would run when everything was normal.

And so I cheerfully swung my pickaxe.

"It's been so long since I was able to do this without having to worry about anything else…"

The Golems would detect any danger that befell the other miners, and they would protect them.

And Cave King meant I didn't have to worry about the cave collapsing.

The only thing that bothered me a little, was the distance to the entrance.

It was getting longer every day. Currently, it took about 15 minutes to get back.

Going down was fine, as we could ride on Shiel and slide down. However, it was different when going back up.

And while the slimes and Cave Spiders still carried us, I felt bad about making them rush.

They were doing enough already, by making it easier for us to get back.

The first thing I thought of that could help, was a carriage.

If we used donkeys, then they wouldn't have any trouble even with the slopes…

However, there were no donkeys on this island.

I would have to give this problem more thought.

Perhaps I could do something with the Crystals and other ore?

Maybe Mappa and the others would have some ideas.

Either that or I might find a new stone that could help…

Such were the thoughts in my head as I continued to swing my pickaxe.

Just then, I heard a voice calling from behind me.

"Ah, Lord Heal! There you are!"

When I turned around, I saw a pretty girl with short black hair waving her hand at me.

For a second, I was about to ask if I knew her, but then I realized that it was Fule, a former goblin.

Like Rienna, she had used an Ascending Stone and now looked human and could use magic.

She had long bangs that covered one of her eyes, but had well-defined features that I couldn't help but be surprised when looking at her.

That being said, I answered like I always had.

"Fule. What's the matter?"

"Yes. It's about Ril…uh…"

Fule said. Then the small, white kobold baby appeared on her shoulder.

While Ril was small, she was already standing on two legs now.

And in her hands, was a cute, small pickaxe.

To me, it was about the size of a pen.

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However, it was likely made of Mithril and a branch of the World Tree. Which meant that it was hardly a toy.

"Ril. You can already stand up, huh? Did Mappa make that for you?"

Ril didn't nod at this, but Fule did.

"Mister Mappa made it. And she's been hitting the ground with it ever since. And so Miss Rienna suggested that I take her down here."

"I see… Ril. Do you want to dig with that?"

Though, I didn't think she would understand what I was saying.

However, she seemed to have guessed, judging by the situation, and so she nodded.

"…Alright then. Though I do think it's a little early, I'll give you the benefit of 'Cave King' as well."

And then the Advisor's voice rang in my head.

<<There is a tamable monster. Will you tame it?>>

…Do it.

<<Naming complete. You have tamed Ril.>>

Once it was done, Ril looked surprised as she started to look around the cave.

Apparently, the surprise was due to suddenly being able to see white lights all over the walls.

However, Fule was also surprised.

"Huh? It's suddenly become so much brighter?"

As I looked at her with puzzlement, the Advisor continued.

<<As your proficiency in each level has been raised, the 'Cave King' crest has gone up to Rank 3.>>

I had heard similar words when I tamed Taran the Cave Spider.

Does that mean I have more abilities now?

<<As you are now Rank 3, the effects of Cave King have been raised and expanded.>>

Oh. And so what can I do now?

<<The mining assistance feature has improved. You can now use mining optimization outside of the cave.>>

In other words, these glowing white lights should appear outside of the cave as well.

That really was quite useful.

<<Furthermore, monsters that you've tamed will be able to use the Nightvision feature.>>

I see. So that was the reason that Ril and Fule were surprised. Everything looked brighter to them.

Up until now, they had relied on the torches made of the Shining Stones. But it was now just as bright in here as it was outside. So it was no wonder they were surprised.

"It looks like everyone can use these abilities now."

"So this is the 'Nightvision' that you were talking about…it's amazing."

"Right? It's like being outside… In any case, now we won't have to use the Shining Stones anymore."

Though, having them made the area even brighter.

And since there was no shortage, I decided to keep them in place, for Mappa's sake.

Well, he would come down here, even if it was completely dark…

Fule turned to me.

"…Now it will be even easier to dig! In fact, I came down here to do just that."

"I see. Want to dig together? Ril too."

Fule nodded eagerly.

"I want to find something even better than what I did last time!"

"Oh? Have you become addicted to mining too?"

"Yes! So many interesting things come out when you dig here. Besides, father says I should come down here in order to gain favor!"

"Huh? Favor? What does he mean by that?"

"Isn't it obvious? I look like this now. And since you're the king of the island, who wouldn't want to gain favor?"

In other words…he wanted me to consider her as a candidate for marriage…?

No, no. It was impossible to believe someone as tough and strong as Fule would have eyes for someone like me.

However, there was not a lot of room for interpretation, considering what was said.

But more importantly, there was someone else I was fond of…

And so I stood there, looking a little embarrassed.

On the other hand, Fule looked completely unconcerned as she shouted, 'I'm going to do my best!' and started swinging her pickaxe.

As if to try and match her energy, Ril began to hit the wall with her tiny pickaxe as well.

And so I shook the thoughts out of my head and started to instruct Ril on how to mine.

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Chapter 40 – I dug up a winery!

That morning, I was digging in the cave with Ril.

As I watched, a rock that was much bigger than her crumbled away in front of her.

"Woah. You can already dig that much!"

Upon hearing this, Ril hopped around happily.

Only a day had passed since I taught her, but she was already able to dig by herself.

That being said, it was still dangerous with all of the rocks flying around, and so I had several slimes nearby to protect her.

"I bet you could mine by yourself now… But no, we should probably stick together for a while."

Last night, Rienna had told me to keep an eye on Ril, as she was still small.

Ril wasn't as unpredictable as human babies, but it was still necessary to watch over her for a while.

And so I occasionally glanced in her direction as I continued to dig.

While it slowed down my pace, there really wasn't any reason to rush now. And so I didn't mind working a little slower than usual.

Just then, I heard my stomach grumbling.

…I wonder what's for lunch today…?

I had never really cared for the food that was served back at the palace.

Though, my inability to enjoy it probably had something to do with the looks my brothers would give me.

But now, there was no need for that. I had a great time eating with the others.

After all, Rienna's cooking was delicious.

Not much time had passed since breakfast, and yet I was already hungry. That meant that my body desired more of Rienna's cooking.

And while we didn't have much variety when it came to food, Rienna's skills more than made up for it.

Still, things had improved greatly from when I first arrived here. Back then, I was lucky to be able to catch some fish…

Currently, there wasn't anything in particular that troubled us…

"…Ahh. Peace! So peaceful!!"

As I muttered to myself, the area in front of me suddenly began to shine brightly.

The crumbling rocks were automatically put into storage, and at the same time, a golden wall appeared before me.

"…Hmm?"

Was this…gold?

I was no longer surprised at finding something like gold. However, when it came to something of this size, I had no idea how many ingots it would be.

If everything I was looking at really was gold, it might be more than all of the gold within the kingdom.

However, why was it in a place like this?

After all, this was clearly a man made wall of gold.

What if there were more Golems… Hmm, I was able to sense some magic, although it was weak.

"…I guess I should try digging."

I gestured for the Mithril Golem, Number 15, to come.

I wanted it to protect me, Ril and the slimes if we were attacked.

Of course, I also set up a shield around us.

"Alright… I'm counting on you, Number 15."

The Mithril Golem bowed. And then I swung my pickaxe.

Then the wall of gold crumbled away, and opened up into a very bright area.

As it all happened so suddenly, I had to cover my eyes with my arm.

And then I slowly opened my eyes again…

"…What? What is this place?"

The walls were so bright that I thought I was outside.

The reason for this was the Shining Stones on the walls and ceiling…

And the reflectiveness of the golden floor and walls.

On the right sight, there were shelves that were also made of gold. And they were stacked with what appeared to be golden barrels.

And on the left side, there were metal pipes that looked just like the ones that Mappa had made. And there were also things that looked like glass bottles.

The wall in the far back seemed to be made of glass, and the space behind it was filled with a purple liquid.

Hesitantly, I entered the room.

"Shiel. Can you tell one of the slimes to go back to the surface and let them know I'll be investigating this place?"

And then Shiel started doing gestures to a different slime.

After seeing this, the slime started hopping away.

"Alright, let's go then. Ril, come over here."

I squatted down and offered my hand. Ril nodded and jumped up onto my shoulder.

Then I stood up and started to search the room with Shiel and Number 15.

First, it seemed like the magic was coming from the table near the pipes.

This table had several handles and bumps. And on the other side of the glass, I could see a wheel.

…What is this?

A long time ago, a foreign king had visited the palace in Sanfaris. And he had shown us a strange table.

Apparently, it was used for alchemy, which was an art that was quite different from magic…

And from what I remembered, he had pushed these bumps that he called 'buttons' and created a plant.

However, he had only been working with very small glass bottles.

But the glass bottles here were large enough for a human to fit inside.

Was it for making a large amount of medicine? Also, this shape…

I couldn't explain why, but my hand started to move towards the bump.

It was odd, but it just made you want to press it…

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However, I thought I heard someone telling me not to, and so I pulled away.

I had a feeling that pressing just one thing could lead to a horrible chain reaction.

"…I won't do that now."

I shook my head and moved away. I would look at the rest of the room first.

"Still, I wonder what this liquid is?"

I said as I looked at the reddish-purple liquid on the other side of the glass.

There was something about the color that made me think of poison, but it also looked like wine.

Besides, I thought I could smell a hint of grape in the air.

That being said, that smell wasn't coming from the glass, but the very neatly stacked barrels on the shelves.

These golden barrels had bungholes just like the wine barrels I was familiar with.

Surely it would be obvious if I just licked a little…hmm?

I saw that there were some very out of place rocks between the barrels.

They vaguely created the shape of a person, and I saw that there was a Heart Stone.

In other words, this had been a doll.

But there was nothing else of note outside of the rocks and the Heart Stone.

After a little more searching, I found the remains of another doll close by.

"This place must have been abandoned for a very long time."

As for me…being able to make more dolls…I mean, golems, was great.

It strengthened our defenses and they were useful for transportation.

And so I gathered them up…

As I was gathering the Heart Stones, Ril started touching my ear as she clung to my shoulder.

"What is it? Ril? Huh…that…"

What Ril was looking at, was a square glass jar that was placed far back on the right side of the shelf.

And I could hardly believe what was inside of it.

The glass contained beautiful, deep purple grapes.

It was inside of a liquid that was clear like water. And there were grapes of other colors too, including yellow and red.

And in front of that glass jar, there was a smaller jar that appeared to contain seeds.

It was at that point that I decided that this place must be a winery.

"Ah. What an unusual place this is."

I turned around to see Baris standing there.

And an angel with white wings was also there…it was Kamyu, a former orc.

"Oh, my. I do love gorgeous rooms like this!"

"Baris, Kamyu. You came."

Baris nodded.

"Yes. But what a strange ruin… No, can we even call this a ruin?"

"It's much too pretty to be a ruin… But it seems to be devoid of any life as well."

Baris and Kamyu said as they looked around.

Indeed, it was hard to believe that there was no life down here. Everything looked clean and organized.

After a while, I saw goblins and orcs appear behind Baris and Kamyu as well.

Apparently, they were all coming down here.

Just then, Kamyu seemed to notice something as she looked up in surprise.

"…This smell. Could it be wine?!"

"Oh, you think so too?"

"Of course! I do love wine! And this smell suggests it is of very high quality!"

"I see. I don't know much about wine… But I thought there might be wine inside of these barrels…"

"There must be! …Wine! Ahh, it has such a wonderful ring to it! We must taste it at once!"

Kamyu rolled her tongue as she repeated the words. Then she picked up a golden goblet that was sitting on the table.

"Wait, wait. Well, there doesn't seem to be any magic cast on it… But I should still check for poison."

I said as I took the goblet away from her.

"Oh… How kind of you, Lord Heal!"

It was a lot easier to accept compliments from her these days.

After all, she now had the kind of face that would have noblemen all over the country on their knees and asking for her hand in marriage.

It made me feel a little embarrassed.

Kamyu teased me when she saw this.

But then I realized something else.

…This really wasn't something that I should be doing.

Well, it's not like I really didn't want to. But it was still unsettling.

But 'that guy' who was always wandering around was not here this time.

I mean, where was he?

We had discovered such an interesting place. Shouldn't he be here by now?

Well, maybe he was so busy with teaching people at the smithy these days…

And so I held the goblet and was about to open the bunghole.

But before I could…

"Aaaaahhh!!!"

Rienna's scream echoed near the entrance.

"Rienna?!"

I headed towards the entrance with Baris and the others.

And then, I saw that Rienna was looking very pale as she stared at the glass in the wall.

It wasn't just Rienna.

Everyone present. The goblins, kobolds, even the Cave Spiders… Everyone had the same expression as they looked towards the glass.

And so I too, looked at the purple liquid behind the glass.

And…

"…Ma…Mappa?"

There he was, mouth agape and with his eyes rolled into his head. He floated limply in the liquid.

"…Ma-ma-mama-ma! MAAAAAPAAAAAAAAA!!!"

My scream echoed in the golden room.