In the week that followed, Ryan purchased many items necessary for exploring the mine, including but not limited to tents, dry food, candles, and other essentials.
He even sought advice from professionals, only to receive suggestions that left him bemused.
One expert, a devout follower of the mining deity Gagali, advised Ryan to tie a prayer strip to a sparrow's leg before entering a new mine shaft and to carry the bird in a cage. If the sparrow died during the excavation, the miners would take it as a sign that they were close to a new vein.
Ryan thought this method sounded unreliable...
He had never heard of a deity specifically for mines before.
Additionally, Ryan spent money on mercury bullets and some magic scrolls.
With preparations and research, the week flew by quickly.
In early January, at 53 Amber Road, Marlinburg, as night fell.
For the dark elf, it had been twenty days since she arrived at this house. After some time to recuperate, Orica's physical health had improved, but due to the malicious spells of the high elves and the effects of the slave contract, her soul remained very weak.
What surprised her was the human seemed to have no designs on her. For twenty days, he had never asked her to do anything, only having the pre-existing maid train her.
Dressed in a black and white maid outfit, her long black hair tied back with a white ribbon, Orica's stunning beauty was fully revealed to everyone in the house after the scars and frostbite on her face had healed. It was a beauty mixed with wildness and pride, especially highlighted by her prominent chest and the slender legs beneath her maid skirt. This entire maid outfit was custom-made at Quinsberry Tailor, complemented with white stockings and black short boots.
Ironically, as a slave to this human, she was living the best life she had ever had. She had never eaten such good food or worn such fine clothes. The dark elves were always in a state of scarcity and internal conflict, all to please Khaine, the elf god of war and murder.
Yet, it seemed that because she had become a captive, Khaine had abandoned her.
As it snowed outside, Orica stood idly with a broom in hand, gazing out at the snowy world through the glazed window.
"Orica? What are you looking at? What's so interesting about snow?" A male voice sounded from behind her, and the dark elf instinctively pretended to focus on sweeping.
Ryan, feeling somewhat snubbed, didn't mind and continued, "You must be wondering why I've never done 'that' to you."
The dark elf refused to answer, as Emilia said she hardly ever spoke.
"That's because you were an unplanned acquisition. I never intended to buy a dark elf maid," Ryan said, unbothered whether she listened, "I always heard that dark elves had skin black as ink and stank like they came from underground..."
"Ignorant... human!" Orica couldn't maintain her composure any longer, looking at Ryan with disdain: "You know nothing about the Duruzi."
Seeing her reaction, Ryan internally smirked, not minding her silence or laughter.
He knew dark elves weren't actually dark-skinned; most low-ranking dark elves, due to lack of sunlight, had pale skin. Only higher-status dark elves had the chance to bask in sunlight, and Orica's skin wasn't dark at all. Her complexion was a healthy wheat color, much like the idealized healthy skin tone admired in Ryan's previous world.
This suggested that Orica was likely of noble birth among the dark elves, a fact Ryan had considered. If she weren't a noble, she probably wouldn't have been captured by the high elves.
Realizing she had been somewhat emotional, Orica stopped speaking. Ryan left her be, having lunch with his three maids before telling Emilia, "Emilia? Come upstairs, leave the dishes to them."
"Okay!" Emilia wiped her hands and followed Ryan upstairs.
In the study, Ryan sat behind the desk and gestured for Emilia to sit beside him. The young maid blushed but complied: "Mr. Ryan?"
"From tomorrow, I'll be heading to the Luigi Commerce's mithril vein to investigate the cause of the miners' madness. I'm entrusting the house to you," Ryan said, holding Emilia's hand.
"Understood." Emilia was aware of the situation, solemnly promising to be careful.
The next morning, Ryan, dressed and ready, left his house under the envious gaze of the maid Miranda. After giving Emilia a big hug, he set off alone.
Following the stone-paved road past the temple university district and the civilian areas, he reached the south city gate where Hadrian, the president of Luigi Commerce, the paladin Alfred, and the half-elf ranger Estel, among others, were waiting.
"Everyone's here? Then let's go, we can talk more on the way." Ryan, mounted on his horse Pinecone, signaled to start, with discussions to follow en route.
The journey to Hadrian's mithril vein took about two hours, covering a distance of 15 kilometers—a trivial distance in his previous world but significant in this one.
Two hours was enough to explain all the details.
Hadrian, dressed lavishly as usual, introduced Mr. Wesley, a director of the commerce and the person in charge of the mithril vein, to Ryan.
"Hello, Mr. Ryan, I'm Wesley," said a middle-aged man with fiery red hair, explaining the mine's situation: "Last June, we purchased this mithril vein from the Gentlemen's League Commerce at a bargain price."
Estel interjected, questioning the seemingly too-good-to-be-true deal, while Ryan and Alfred also expressed their curiosity.
"It was a trap within a trap," Hadrian lamented, explaining that despite warnings of monsters and a lack of manpower for patrols, they proceeded with the purchase after several inspections seemed to indicate no issues.
Wesley continued, "After purchasing the vein, we organized extensive patrols and guards but found nothing but a few rats and bats. Initial mining operations were smooth, except for an accident that killed a miner."
However, problems began with frequent accidents and mysterious deaths among the miners, accompanied by reports of hearing deep, murky voices.
After re-organizing mercenaries and guards to investigate with no significant findings, the commerce replaced the miners twice, facing the same issues.
Ryan and Estel grew serious, suspecting powerful mind-affecting entities or Chaos creatures might be involved, as no sorcerer would conduct experiments in such a deep mine.
They inquired about checks for corruption by Chaos creatures, to which Hadrian replied a Life Church priest found no significant issues, leaving them at a loss and turning to Ryan for help.
Arriving at the destination, the entrance was not the large mine opening expected but a small stone house leading to the mine shaft below.
Despite the cold January weather and the mine's closure, a few commerce workers enjoyed a meal inside. Hadrian reassured them, expressing interest in anything unusual, but the workers reported nothing out of the ordinary, maintaining a guarded watch even at night.
Ryan knew some mysteries could only be uncovered by venturing below.
Hadrian, admitting his lack of combat capability, stayed above while Wesley and a guide familiar with the mine's layout accompanied Ryan and his party into the dark depths, leaving Hadrian hopeful for a successful investigation or, at the very least, owing him a favor.
An hour later, they reached Mine Shaft No. 1, hundreds of meters below the surface, where vast spaces, icy formations, and mysterious bat noises hinted at unseen dangers.
As they prepared for possible combat against bloodthirsty bats, Ryan wished for a spellcaster's light, while Estel alerted them to the impending threat.
...
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