'Of course, it's too early to be assured.'
Starting with Ravi, there's a lot of trouble all around him.
"Speaking of which, I'd like to give you a reward."
"A reward?"
"Tell me anything you want. You've given me something I've wanted for so long... I don't care what it takes to get it for you, even if it costs me my entire fortune."
'Your entire fortune?!'
Of course, he doesn't really intend to spend all his money. He's just asking her to tell him what she wants without any regards to money.
'Should I really ask for money?'
Will he give her a fortune?
She couldn't help but think about it. Money is the most important thing when you don't know what's going to happen later on.
To get out of here and settle elsewhere, you need money first and foremost.
'But I can't just ask for money outright.'
It doesn't seem like it, but it's something that can really break the trust that's been built.
After a moment's consideration, something clicked in Camilla's eyes, as if by fate.
Papers were stacked on a small side table next to the chair the Duke of Sorpel was sitting in.
And the document on top of that stack is-------
"That one."
"That?"
The Duke of Sorpel's eyes widened slightly, for the document she pointed to was quite unexpected.
"Camilla."
"Yes."
"Do you know what this is?"
"It's a mine."
"…That's right."
"Did I ask for something too big?"
Camilla asks worriedly, and the Duke of Sorpel immediately shakes his head.
"Of course not. I can give you as many mines as you want."
He said he'd sell his entire fortune to give her what she wanted, so why couldn't he give her the mine? However, there was a catch.
"I'm just saying that because the minerals that come out of here aren't particularly useful."
It was the mineral that the Duke of Jévillon asked him to research its use when he came to visit last time.
The mine was initially purchased because it was thought to be a gold mine, but it was currently spewing out worthless ore.
He thought that there might have been some magical energy so he sent it to the Magic Tower, but they told him that it wasn't worth anything.
And now Camilla was asking for the mine.
Giving it away was no problem, but he felt iffy about awarding her such a worthless mine.
"I'll give you another mine. How about the ruby mine in the northwest."
"No, Father."
Camilla shook her head hastily. She tried to play it off as nonchalant as possible, but in her haste, her answer came out too quickly.
Camilla smiles, trying to hide her impatience.
"I'd like to do some research."
"Research?"
"It's a mine that has no use yet, and I want to develop it myself."
"Hmm."
The Duke of Sorpel looked at Camilla, a bit surprised.
She didn't just ask for the mine, she already knew what it was.
"Can't you?"
[Kyuu?]
The Duke of Sorpel was silent for a moment.
Suddenly, Camilla and the Divine Beast, who once again mounted on his daughter's shoulder with twitching eyes, looked oddly similar.
"There's no reason not to."
Yes!
At his approval, Camilla gave a hearty cheer to herself.
* * *
"Wow~!"
A goldmine!
Camilla beamed at the mineral she's been given as a sample.
[What is that and why do you like it so much?]
[It's just a black stone.]
[Are you sick?]
Herschel, the butler ghost, Derrin, and the cook ghost, Ferrol, stared at her in disbelief.
She looked like a mad man as she laughed hysterically while holding the black stone.
"What is this you ask?"
[Yes, what is that?]
[Do you know what that is?]
"Well…"
Camilla's smile deepens at the ghosts' prodding, and she doesn't answer right until a while later.
"It's a magic stone."
[A magic stone?]
[That's unlikely; the Duke had already inquired about the mineral at the Magic Tower.]
However, it was concluded that the mineral contained too little magic to be of use as a low-grade magic stone.
"That's because he's only asked the Magic Tower about it."
[Pardon?]
[What do you mean? How else would you find its use if not through the Magic Tower?]
"There's no Black Mages in the Magic Tower."
Mages are divided into White Mages and Black Mages.
The ones in the Magic Tower were White Mages, which is what most of the Mages are.
'And the Black Mages.'
They were ostracized and shunned in the past because of their different methods of operation from White Mages, but now they are recognized as a major axis in magic.
But that was as far as it went. The Magic Tower was still hesitant to accept Black Mages as members.
As the subtle ostracization continued, the Black Mages were forced to form another organization of their own. They drew a line in the sand with the Magic Tower.
'That's an issue…'
To properly utilize this mineral, this time obtained by the Duke of Sorpel, the unique magic of the Black Mages was needed.
"It's a mineral that doesn't react to the White Mages' magic at all."
However, it's different if it involves the magic of a Black Mage.
'It's a superlative magic stone.'
It reacts very strongly to the inherent magic of Black Mages, transforming it into a mineral that is more powerful than any other magic stone on the land.
'And if you purify it, White Mages can also use it!'
Minerals purified by the Black Mages will react strongly to the magic of White Mages.
In short, with a Black Mage, the mineral would become the continent's greatest treasure.
Ruby mine? Diamond mine? Screw that!
"Hahaha…!"
[…]
[…]
[…]
The three ghosts gently shook their heads as Camilla laughed once again.
"Oh!"
After a moment, Camilla remembered something she had forgotten and dropped the mineral from her hand. Her gaze fell to where Herschel stood.
"Sir Herschel."
[Yes?]
"I heard something while I was sick."
[What do you mean?]
Swoosh.
Camilla held her hands out politely in front of her.
"You said you had something to give me."
* * *
[Argh!]
[I'm not ready to die yet!]
This place is still the same.
Camilla found her way to the national cemetery. The same place she'd come to see Herschel the other day.
'What on earth are you going to give me?'
Herschel asked her to come here, promising to give her something in return for finding the egg of the Divine Beast.
Quickly passing through the still haunted place, Camilla made her way to Herschel's grave.
[You're here.]
"But we came together?"
Camilla stared at him, confused, wondering why he greeted her even though they had been together until this morning.
"Why did you ask me to come here?"
The tombs of aristocrats often contained expensive items that the deceased usually cherished, and there were professional grave robbers who deliberately sought them out and sold them.
Camilla looked at Herschel suspiciously for insisting on coming to the cemetery to give her something.
You're not going to turn me into a grave robber, are you?
[It's this way.]
Herschel led Camilla to the back where the headstone stood.
[Dig here.]
"No."
This ghost is being serious!
When Herschel asked her to dig behind the tombstone, Camilla immediately took a step back from him.
"I don't care how much of a terrible reputation I have, I don't want to be called a beggar who stole from her ancestor's grave."
[What are you thinking?]
Herschel looked at Camilla with a bewildered stare, then let out a short sigh.
[I'm not telling you to dig a grave, I'm telling you to dig here.]
Camilla looked to where Herschel was pointing. There was nothing there.
[Just dig!]
She glanced over at Herschel, who shouted in frustration.
I don't even have a shovel! If you'd warned me, I would've bought tools!
With a short sigh, Camilla took off her shoes once again. Stiletto shoes have come in handy lately.
Thwakthwak!
The ground was softer than expected, so it was easy to dig.
"Hmm?"
And she didn't have to dig deep. It wasn't long before she noticed something unusual.
"What's this?"
A seed?
The shape was clearly a seed.
A faint glow was emanating from a tiny seed the size of a fingernail. Could this also be something similar to the egg of the Divine Beast.
[It's a cure.]
"A cure? This?"
[It's a medicine that has a detoxifying effect].
"Why is this…?"
She didn't quite understand why a medicine with detoxifying properties would be buried in a graveyard.
[You've heard how I died.]
"You were poisoned, in the Imperial Palace."
[You talk too casually in front of the involved party.]
"Nothing new."
Seriously.
"So what?"
[It was very toxic.]
'Of course.'
The poison that killed the master right away must've been strong.
[My body fought the poison, even in death].
"Really?"
What nonsense…
Camilla shot him an incredulous glance. Herschel, too, looked stricken.
[My body's energy as a master fought the poison with great diligence, until it rotted away.]
Were you watching as well?
Camilla shook her head softly.
The thought of it was horrifying. What was he thinking as he watched his own body decompose?
[That's the outcome.]
Thud.
Camilla dropped the seed in her hand to the floor without realizing it. She felt a little uneasy touching it, seeing as it came from a dead body.
[Hey, don't drop that valuable——!]
"What exactly is it?"
[It's the result of all my energy being purified by poison.]
It's even more leery.
Letting out a short sigh, Camilla picked up the seed-like crystal that had fallen to the floor.
"Is this a remedy?"
[It detoxifies most poisons, and if you take it in advance, you'll never be poisoned again.]
"Okay."
Camilla's expression was still tense as she answered.
I've faced many deaths in my life, but never from poison. I don't know what to do with this.