Episode 180: Logan, Clayton, Hamar.
It was a week after leaving McLane Town when this simple group of three arrived in the Taren region.
Hehehe.
“There’s really nothing.”
As Hamar said, all that was visible around was dry land.
“Master, what are we doing here?”
“If you go a little further, you will find out. There is something out there that will give you the wealth and fame you desire.”
“You really want to build an anti-aircraft center in this wasteland…?”
Anti-aircraft room.
The foundation of the wealth that Logan promised Hamar.
It was a promise to gather hundreds or thousands of artisans to produce goods and put Hamar in charge.
“Of course not. The mining area that passes through this wasteland is where the real workshop will be built.”
Hamar looked very expectant at Logan’s answer.
But it didn’t take long for his face to twist in disappointment.
“What are you doing in a place like this?”
“I told you. Now it’s just abandoned mines. But it was once the site of the kingdom’s greatest mining city.”
“Well… there are really only traces. Damn.”
Hamar’s gaze passed by the remains of a castle at the bottom of the mountain range, and headed towards the ridge where the forest itself had been cut away, exposing the deep inside of the rock wall.
‘Abandoned’ mining area in Taren region.
A place where only traces of the stone road leading in all directions from the site of the castle can be barely seen thanks to the weeds growing sparsely between them.
The ruins of this mining city, which had accounted for more than half of the royal family’s finances until 200 years ago, were devastated.
“If it were an abandoned mine, it would have been abandoned because it was no longer profitable. Are you saying that the owner found something that even the kingdom couldn’t find?”
“I’m not saying I found it. I just think the odds are high. Just like the McLane gold mine back then.”
At those words, Hamar’s complexion hardened as he recalled his difficult life at the time.
Clayton, who was still looking around with a curious expression, joined the conversation.
“And how did you think it would be possible, Confucius?”
Before Logan could respond, Hamar intervened by shouting.
“If you’re going to say that you don’t know what to do and just dig it up because it’s there like before, then you really won’t do it this time! That’s really catching dwarves, not people! If it was an ore vein in an abandoned mine, others would have already done everything they could to investigate…!”
“If I had told them to dig it up, I would have brought Pale and all the miners like I did then.”
Hamar breathed a sigh of relief at Logan’s prompt reply.
“This time, I couldn’t pinpoint the exact location, so I have to dig after looking for everything.”
That was just a warning that much more hard work would have to be done beforehand.
“…I can’t do it! No, I can’t! Go all the way down to the bottom of the abandoned mineral vein, where there may be several tunnels, and investigate them one by one?! I absolutely can’t do it!!”
“No, that’s not it…”
“It’s fortunate that the mine shaft isn’t collapsed, and what’s more, according to the owner, there aren’t just one or two abandoned mines!”
To be exact, it was a large vein containing five iron mines, two gold mines, and three copper mines.
This meant that even if each mine had only ten shafts, 100 shafts had to be inspected.
These mines must have been dug for at least 30 years, so we don’t even know how deep each mine is.
A mineshaft that others had already investigated and concluded that there was nothing to be gained.
However, Logan also had no intention of ordering such a daunting task.
“I’ll say it again, there’s no need to go through that much trouble. If you were going to do that, would you really have brought a large number of people and come here so simply?”
Fortunately, he had a secret weapon.
“We now have Clayton, a particularly ‘Earth’ type mage who has become the only mage in the kingdom.”
Clayton makes a shocked expression behind Logan, who opens his arms backwards as if showing off a hidden gift.
Hamar sighed and asked.
“So, instead of mobilizing a lot of miners or humans, you’re going to use that wizard?”
“yes.”
“…What crime did that gentleman commit? Huh? Let me ask.”
“Well, the crime of wasting about 10 million gold?”
“What?! Did you really commit a crime? You’re a wizard?!”
In response to Hamar’s question, whose eyes doubled in surprise, Clayton, who was unable to protest due to his guilt(?), simply answered with a forced smile.
He also heard something from Logan in advance, so he thought he would give it a try.
However, I had some doubts about its veracity.
“Confucius. Why did you think there might be a vein of magicite under these abandoned mines? I heard the probability of that is quite high?”
Clayton carefully lowered his voice even though he knew there was no one around.
There was a good reason why Clayton was so cautious.
Magicite ore vein.
Hamar opened his mouth at those words.
“Demon Magic Stone?!”
Hamar, who screamed without even realizing it, soon began to shrink and look at his surroundings.
When a wizard uses magic, creates an artifact scroll, or a crystal ball for communication.
Magic Stone is an essential consumable in all such cases.
For that reason, the magicite mine was treated as a state secret even in that powerful empire.
Just looking at the simple economic value, it was an enormous resource, dozens of times more than a gold mine of the same size.
“A vein of magicite is buried? Here?”
Hamar was startled for a moment, but soon frowned.
“There is a magicite ore vein beneath the mine that was dug. Is it possible that the government passed over it without knowing about it?”
It was a reasonable inference.
That’s why everyone was surprised when they heard that in a past life, the empire had developed a magicite mine here rather than anywhere else.
“They didn’t know and passed on.”
Logan shrugged, but the distrust in his eyes only grew.
But that doesn’t mean ‘I heard it in a past life.’ I couldn’t confess, ‘I don’t know exactly where it is because they built a fortress and strictly monitored the entire mining area.’
So he came up with an excuse he had prepared in advance.
To be exact, the result was deduced after research at the Grandia Liberation Front in my previous life.
“It seems like the crown prince who was dethroned 200 years ago manipulated the data. I think he wanted to step on him and ruin his brother who would become king.”
“…How did Confucius know that?”
“I found it by chance last time I was at the royal palace.”
“….”
“….”
It seemed like such a lie, but what would they say when they found it in the royal family?
There’s no need to go into the palace to check.
Logan added information that gave it credibility.
“They say there are a total of 120 tunnels here, and I think a magic reaction came from one of them. It was discovered late because the reaction came from 100 meters further down from the makjang.”
Logan, who still looked at the two people with suspicious eyes, continued his explanation.
“However, before the development could begin, the royal family overthrew the throne, and since it was a time when the closure of the mine was being discussed, the mine shaft was torn down and the materials were destroyed. I discovered the destroyed materials by chance. So, all I have to do is find the collapsed mine shaft. .It’ll be easy, right?”
When Logan said this, it was persuasive, but Hamar discovered a major problem.
“Master. Didn’t you say it was two hundred years ago…?”
“huh.”
“But do you think there is a tunnel that has survived this long without collapsing?! Moreover, with the technology of the humans back then?!”
“…Is that so?”
The moment Logan opened his eyes, Hamar’s eyes rolled back.
“After all, you’re not asking me to go after everything! You human!! Are you just trying to make me suffer by not bringing anyone?! Huh?! What kind of wealth and fame is this? I knew I would be like this!”
Hehehe.
A cold wind suddenly blows as if to comfort the listeners’ boiling hearts.
“Damn it…”
Even from the polite Clayton’s mouth, an expletive eventually came out.
Logan had to work hard to appease them.
“So, after confirming the existence of the mineral vein, let’s decide on the direction of mining and reconstruction of the mine based on that vein?”
“Then, we will deploy a large number of people to dig a mine, begin fortification and urbanization work at the same time, recruit the refugees flooding into McLane as residents, and build an anti-aircraft center centered around the mine? Is our understanding correct? Confucius ?”
Inside the temporary barracks built on the site of an old castle.
The eyes of the dwarf and the mage who were discussing the topic brought up by Logan became serious.
“That’s correct. All you have to do is give the royal family a justification for reviving an abandoned mine, and maybe you can receive development support. It doesn’t matter if you don’t receive it.”
“It’s a plausible plan. But…”
“Except that me and that wizard will have to suffer for a while.”
Sparks flew from the eyes of Hamar and Clayton as they spoke.
“It would be better to invest a lot of people from the beginning…”
“How many people can detect the mineral vein 100 meters below the end of the mine shaft? And how to rent or make such equipment? Everyone wonders what’s down there. “Wouldn’t we?”
“A man with a lot of money…”
“Noisy! Confidentiality is the top priority in this matter. At least before development, if possible, make sure no one knows about it for as long as possible after development!”
The latter was actually just an imagination.
However, Logan had high expectations for this magicite mine to the point of saying such a thing.
If the gold mine made McLane economically prosperous, the magicite mine had a ripple effect that could improve the economic situation of the entire kingdom.
It was common in continental history that when it was discovered that there was a magicite mine, wars broke out to take possession of it.
‘It may actually hasten the invasion of the empire, but it is worth taking.’
War was ultimately about money.
The economic benefits from this development would strengthen the kingdom’s military beyond that of McLane’s.
Moreover, if the research requested by Clayton is successfully completed, this magicite mine could not only make money, but could also become a production base for new weapons that would improve the power of the entire kingdom.
It is an important stepping stone to prevent and overcome imperial war.
so.
“We will somehow find the magicite vein and begin development in secret. Our current movements will be seen as a lingering investigation into an abandoned territory. So, you have to do it this time.”
Logan made it clear that he would never allow any counterarguments.
If Clayton wasn’t there, he would have been prepared to attract attention and mobilized a large number of people, but there was no need to do that.
“Haa….”
” “Damn it…”
With the sighs of the dwarf and the mage behind him, the work began.
Fortunately, Clayton’s magic maximized the efficiency of the exploration work, which was thought to be a waste of time. The
magic golem army, now known as his symbol. The number of golems that can be operated by the Golem Army has already increased to 40, and each of the golems digs into the collapsed mine shaft at an alarming speed.
And in just three days, 120 mine shafts have temporarily regained their original appearance.
In addition, Clayton After using magic to harden the ground, a temporary tunnel was created that allowed a small number of people to enter the very end of the mine shaft for at least a week.
“You are truly amazing, Clayton!”
Logan couldn’t help but repeatedly raise his thumb towards Clayton. There was no.
A performance that far exceeded expectations.
‘The best construction worker became a mage, so he became a construction worker that will go down in history…’
Logan swallows the thought of causing a fight if the person in question heard.
Hamar said. I spit out my thoughts:
“How can this be!” A hard worker who performs the duties of 10,000 people all by himself! Wizard, won’t you make a contract with me? Chief in the anti-aircraft room… Eup! Eup!”
Hamar’s eyes were wide and he was struggling as his mouth was blocked by Logan.
Luckily, Clayton didn’t seem to care that much.
In fact, he smiled as if he was proud.
“I see. This is what happens…”
Clayton’s face was covered in soot, which was unbefitting of a mage.
Logan’s conscience was prickling because he felt like he had transformed a top-class person called a mage into a complete construction worker.
So he tried to ignore it as quickly as possible. I decided to get things done.
“Okay, let’s check them one by one.”
“Aaaah! for a moment! If this is going to be like this, then why am I…?!”
The exploration of the ore vein began, with Logan carrying Hamar around him taking the lead, followed by a sighing mage.
And just four days later.
At the end of a mine shaft that was an iron mine two hundred years ago.
In one corner, Hamar was drawing on the ground with half-opened eyes.
“Let’s get some sleep. Get some sleep.” Finding the way to the mine is easy. Why did you just do it to me without even trying it… Damn it…”
Even though that muttering sound echoed through the quiet tunnel, the rest of the group didn’t react at all.
This is the 82nd mine being explored.
Clayton, tired of the repetitive work, looked bored and tired. When the detection magic was used, the feeling was a little different from before.
At least, Logan and the mage Clayton had an intuition that something was different.
And that intuition was soon proven to be reality.
Uuuuung.
“That’s right! Magic stone! I can feel the ore vein!”
I’m going to go,
go go go go go go go go go go go
go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go go
( The next day.
[
Buy all the dwarves you can find in Harun. It doesn’t matter if you pay a little more. Then send them all to the abandoned mine area. Recruit workers and send about a third of the troops here!]
Vassin An advisory to immediately execute the order that had been postponed at the meeting.A
magical communication sent by Logan turned the administrative office of McLane Town upside down.
