Volume 6 Chapter 33-2 The Mystery Of The Disappeared Gold
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”The Case of the Disappeared Gold Ingots” or “The Secrets of the Mineley Family”—those kinds of titles would probably pique Yakou’s interest.
Should I gather everyone involved for a grand mystery reveal? It’s tempting. But is it really wise to bring the full truth into the open?
At the moment, only copper is officially being transported. As the lord, I can’t ignore a smuggling operation of this scale… but confronting it head-on might backfire, especially if the Totoana Empire is involved. One wrong move could spell my political ruin.
For now, I’ll extract only the gold hidden within the copper ingots and store it in my magic bag. Instead of ignoring the smuggling, I’ll make the smuggled goods vanish. Honestly, I was surprised by how much gold I could pull out.
Next came the silver—plenty of that, too. Confiscated. All of it. This kind of work suits me. It’s oddly satisfying… like popping bubble wrap.
…Does this make me a thief? The Duke Mineley family labeled them copper ingots, after all. Technically, I just removed the “impurities.” They should be grateful, really.
The culprit likely has ties to the ore refining process. If Totoana’s involved, this operation is more organized than I thought. Someone important must be behind it.
The case isn’t fully solved yet. Even if I’ve figured out the method, nothing will change until I identify the mastermind.
I’ll have Yakou track where the ingots are being sent within the Totoana Empire.
As for me, this is a good excuse to visit the Duke Mineley territory. I’ve been curious about Ms. Shirakaba and the others. The teleportation gate allows for a day trip, so I’ll check things out in person.
Before leaving, I make sure to confirm my schedule with Shea-Shea, just in case.
”You’re going incognito to the Duke Mineley territory? Is this a hot spring trip?”
…A hot spring? That’s a nice bonus.
I set aside three days for this. It’s been a while since I had a real break. A steam-filled mystery tour doesn’t sound too bad.
* * *
Stepping through the teleportation gate alone feels thrilling—like I’m setting out on an adventure after ages stuck behind a desk. Honestly, being king isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. The political workload is relentless.
I’m constantly searching for competent people, handing out tasks like candy, but the work never stops coming.
Sometimes I wonder why anyone would *want* to wield power. Being a village blacksmith seems far more fulfilling. Then again, maybe politics is about creating a world where blacksmiths can work in peace. I’ll do my best. Yeah… for their sake too.
The shortest path to the Duke Mineley capital is via the teleportation gate inside the magic stone mine. It’s also near Dragon Schulz’s nest—but I don’t have time for detours today.
* * *
On the other side of the gate, I arrive in a tunnel carved deep into the stone. It’s dwarven work—precise and sturdy, with little risk of collapse.
This must be an old, abandoned mine. It runs deep, and climbing out is no easy task. Judging by the narrow passages and twisted layout, it looks like they tried mining the last remaining veins in desperation. Without my Radar Scan, I’d be hopelessly lost in this maze.
The total length might rival that of an Advanced Dungeon. Luckily, it’s nearly empty of monsters. A welcome relief.
A proper dungeon, with battles every few steps, is a whole different story. Managing one requires a lot of monsters, after all.
It’s only near the exit that I sense life. The ceiling is covered in bats—similar in size to the ones back in Japan. Probably not monsters, but I stay alert.
The real problem is on the floor: heaps of bat droppings. I’ve heard guano makes good fertilizer, but swarms of rock centipedes are crawling through it. Are they feeding on the waste?
Rock centipedes don’t exist on Earth, so they’re likely monsters. Their appearance resembles pill bugs more than centipedes. Curled up, they’re about the size of a soccer ball.
They’re just as tough as they look. A level-10 warrior with a hammer might handle them, but their shells are hard to process and have little value. Not exactly prized targets. Judging from how the summoned heroes ignore them, they must give very little experience.
Despite their size, they move with surprising agility. A few of their legs are extra long and built for leaping. When startled, they jump—violently and at random.
Dwarves who work these mines typically have shock-resistant skills. It costs a lot of MP, but it protects allies from physical damage within range. Even so, accidents happen. If the skill fades at the wrong time, one wrong leap from a rock centipede can leave a miner badly injured. If I got hit by one, I’d be done for.
Best to avoid provoking them.
I spot one creeping near my feet, completely unaware of my presence. Its tiny mouth munches on guano, and its feelers twitch as it searches for more. It’s probably a scavenger, cleaning the cave floor. No venomous fangs, but getting bitten by those bacteria-ridden jaws would likely mean a nasty infection.
Suddenly, a weakened bat flutters down from the ceiling. The moment it hits the ground, the centipedes swarm it and devour the carcass in seconds—bones and all. They’re not strictly carnivores, but it seems they’ll feast on sick or injured animals.
I carefully maneuver past them, taking care not to draw attention.
Now that I think about it, during wartime, people supposedly released rock centipede larvae into enemy mines as sabotage. It must’ve worked—they’d weaken enemy labor and logistics. But it’s a double-edged sword; once spread, even the dwarves can’t get rid of them.
* * *
After clearing the bat zone, I finally emerge into the bright sunlight. The air is clean and fresh.
Though the journey’s only just begun, the sun’s already starting to set. It ended up taking half a day just to reach the surface. By horse, this distance would’ve taken two days at least. The teleportation gate is clearly the faster route… though I do wish it had been placed somewhere more convenient. Well, I suppose gate placement is limited by the available coordinates.
Notes:
• Yakou – A newly created kunoichi spirit with high specs from Mubiel. She pledges loyalty to the Narrator as her ‘Lord Shogun’ and seeks to punish villains.
• Shirakaba – A paladin who seems to be a skilled fighter. He’s introduced as someone with a strong defense and healing abilities.
• Shea-Shea – Mauro’s daughter. Hurt by Alexander. Became an eager fiancée after advice from protagonist.
• Schulz – A male dragon who collects human women and holds the rank of Duke within the Anti-Magic Alliance.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
Leave a Reply