“A hideout in a mine, huh… But isn’t it possible Angela’s brother and the smugglers were just putting on a show, dressing up and carrying equipnt to avoid drawing suspicion from the locals?”
Theo raised a valid point. The smugglers could have disguised themselves as miners to blend in, not necessarily heading to a mine. They might have gone elsewhere entirely.
“Theo, do you rember the monsters we found trapped when we raided the smuggling operation in Conenium?”
Theo nodded slowly.
“So of them were barely alive, teetering on the brink of death.”
“Of course. Monsters that can’t be sold would have to burn through their mana just to survive in such harsh conditions.”
Luke smirked, snapping his fingers with a gleam in his eyes that made Theo involuntarily flinch. That mischievous smile—it was disarming even now.
“That’s exactly the point. When I first found this little guy…”
Luke grabbed Theo’s collar lightly and tugged. The small, furry creature nestled inside, the Turfush, darted its eyes around as if asking, “Did you call ?”
“I noticed its mana state was in excellent condition. How should I put it…?”
“The flow of its mana was stable?”
“Exactly. That’s it.”
Magicians who used mana knew that once their reserves were depleted, they couldn’t perform at full strength. Much like how exhaustion and stress affected ordinary people, magicians would beco irritable and fatigued without sufficient mana. However, receiving a steady supply of high-quality mana could completely reverse these negative effects. Magicians often referred to this as having their mana flow “stabilized” or “improved.”
Monsters, being mana-based creatures, operated on a similar principle. It stood to reason that this little one had likely benefited from the sa dynamic.
“In other words, before I found it, this guy had been supplied with an incredibly pure and abundant source of mana. And the cleanest, most untainted dium for that kind of mana is…”
“...Mana stones.”
“Exactly. Only mana stones.”
And not just any mana stones, but raw, unrefined ones untouched by human hands. Such stones held exceptionally pure mana.
“So, putting it all together, the smugglers are using a section of the mine as a base, where they’re keeping the smuggled monsters near those abundant mana stones, right?”
Luke nodded in agreent with Theo’s summary. While the idea of smugglers operating out of a mine might sound far-fetched, it wasn’t entirely implausible. After all, miners were human, and unless disturbed, mana stones were harmless rocks.
“What do you think?” Luke asked, watching Theo stroke his chin, deep in thought.
Theo considered the evidence: the newly erged smuggling ring, the undeveloped mines scattered throughout Podina, and Angela’s missing brother. When pieced together, Luke’s theory seed highly credible.
“I’m glad I brought you along.”
Luke flinched. He had expected Theo to throw in a few more challenges or sharp remarks. Back in their military days, Theo had always started with counterargunts whenever Luke presented an idea. Not that Luke had been any different, of course.
“Uh, yeah?”
That was why Theo’s straightforward acknowledgnt felt so unfamiliar to Luke.
Luke had always known Theo well, but he’d never considered whether the reverse was true. In his efforts to ensure the protagonist’s happy ending, he had never sought validation or recognition for himself. As long as the story ended well and Luke could live a quiet, ordinary life afterward, that was enough.
Or so he thought. But that one word of acknowledgnt stirred sothing strange within him. It felt as though soone had lit a fire beneath his chair, a growing warmth spreading through him.
“Luke?”
“Huh?”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Why?”
“Your ears are red.”
Theo instinctively reached out, but Luke reacted with lightning speed, leaning back to dodge the hand. His overly conspicuous move left Theo hanging awkwardly, hand suspended in mid-air before he let it drop.
“More importantly, there’s sothing we need to figure out,” Luke blurted, desperate to dispel the awkward atmosphere and the unfamiliar feelings welling up inside him.
“As you know, Podina is full of mines, right? We don’t have a single clue which one they’re hiding in.”
Theo nodded, acknowledging the challenge. He glanced down at the Turfush nestled in his coat.
“...I think I might have an idea.”
“Really?”
At that mont, Theo glanced around the room. The bustling restaurant was filled with lively chatter from the villagers. Bringing the nervous Angela here hadn’t been a random decision—it was a deliberate move to imrse her in the crowd, allowing the ambient noise and minor distractions to ease her anxiety and agitation.
As Theo’s eyes road the space, they locked onto a group seated diagonally across from their table. He studied them intently before leaning forward and addressing them without hesitation.
“Are you miners by any chance?”
The three n had certain shared characteristics: broad shoulders and strong physiques, nails stained black from work, and faint traces of mana lingering around them, though they didn’t seem to be magicians.
“Yes, we are,” replied the youngest-looking man, nodding. Luke, watching this exchange, had no idea what Theo was up to and could only observe, trying to piece things together.
“I’d like to ask you about a mine that produces mana stones,” Theo continued.
“Well, you’ve co to the right place,” said the oldest of the group, letting out a hearty laugh. “I’m considered one of the veteran miners around here. What kind of mana stone are you curious about?”
“A mana stone called Gellu.”
“Oh, so you deal with mana stones yourself, huh? You even know about Gellu,” the miner said, clearly impressed.
At the ntion of Gellu, Luke’s mind clicked. He rembered learning about it during a lecture on “Mana diums” back at the military academy. Gellu was one of the stones discussed in detail. And now, Luke began to understand why Theo had singled out that particular mine among the many in Podina.
“There’s only one mine in all of Podina that produces Gellu. But if you’re thinking of going there, I wouldn’t recomnd it.”
“Is it because of the properties of the stone?” Theo asked, his tone steady and probing. The miner nodded, as though the question were obvious.
“Exactly. Gellu is rich in innate mana and has excellent energy efficiency, so it used to be highly sought after. But, as you probably know, it’s also notoriously difficult to handle.”
“That’s why the Gellu mine in Podina has been marked with a red flag. Even us miners avoid it,” the youngest of the group added.
“Red flag?” Luke interjected, intrigued.
“In Podina, we use flags to mark mines by their safety and status: red, green, and blue,” the miner explained.
A green flag indicated a mine that was fully explored, developed, and stable for mana stone extraction. Blue flags were for mines still in the process of exploration and developnt, aning they were riskier and typically restricted to experienced miners.
“And a red flag ans the mine is so dangerous that exploration and developnt aren’t feasible,” the miner concluded.
“Does the village officially restrict access to red-flagged mines?” Luke asked, leaning into the conversation.
“Not exactly. It’s more of a warning, you know? Like saying, ‘Go in, and you’ll probably die.’ Occasionally, so overly adventurous idiots try their luck and never co back, but there aren’t any strict regulations against it.”
The reasoning seed straightforward. The re presence of a red flag was enough to deter most miners, so the village didn’t see the need to enforce a strict ban. After all, Podina already had an abundance of fully operational mines producing the major mana stones needed.
“So basically, unless soone has a specific reason or purpose, no one in their right mind would enter a red-flagged mine.”
At the miner’s words, Theo and Luke exchanged a silent glance.
“A specific reason or purpose.” That phrase hung heavily in the air between them.
***
“Wow, every ti I co here, I can’t help but think, isn’t it way too cold in here?”
“It’s because of the mana stones buried in this mine, or so they say.”
Two n, bundled up in thick clothing, rubbed their arms briskly as they trudged deeper into the dark, cavernous tunnel. The mine, untouched by human hands for years, lacked any signs of developnt—no lighting, no tracks—only the raw power of nature and mana lingering in the stillness.
“Let’s just check on things and head back quickly. Standing near the boss makes this godforsaken cold a little more bearable.”
“Speaking of the boss, what do you think they’re really up to?”
“…Who knows? Thinking about it too much isn’t worth the trouble. We just do what we’re told.”
“True, as long as we get paid.”
Their idle chatter echoed off the stone walls as they arrived at a small side passage branching off from the main corridor. One of the n grabbed a torch hanging from the wall, lighting it with a candle that had been left nearby. The fla illuminated their surroundings, casting flickering light onto the narrow path ahead.
“Hey, still alive, huh?”
The other man squatted down in front of a dead-end wall, his voice laced with mockery. As the firelight spread, it revealed the bars of a makeshift prison, their blackened iron poles radiating an ominous aura. Inside the cage, another man shivered violently, clutching himself for warmth in nothing but thin clothing.
“Can’t we just finish him off ourselves?”
“No way. The boss said it has to look like he froze to death naturally. Apparently, this guy has family or sothing.”
“P-please… let live…”
A weak, cracked voice erged from the cage. It was pitiful, but the two n remained unmoved, their sole purpose seemingly to confirm whether he was alive or dead. Satisfied with their observation, they stood up slowly.
“See? This is what happens when you ss up, Bruce. If you’d just done what you were told, none of this would’ve happened.”
“Yeah, if you hadn’t gotten the bright idea to report us to the Imperial Army, you wouldn’t be in this ss.”
Ignoring the man inside, who was desperately clinging to what little life he had left, the two smugglers turned and walked away, their voices fading into the distance.
“Sniff… Sis… Sis…”
From within the cage, faint sobs echoed, the man’s trembling voice barely audible in the frigid silence.
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