Volume 4 Chapter 14 Poor Old Man
We departed from Roam Village, aiming for the Slug Mountain tunnels.
It seemed we could reach the tunnels in less than 30 minutes, so we decided to take our time and not rush.
According to Mr. Sage, the toxic abode lurking in the tunnels is quite a vicious monster, so I need to stay alert from now on.
Just like with other low-level monsters, it would be great if Rose's "spirit" could drive them away, but the toxicity makes it seem unlikely we'll be able to chase them out of the tunnels.
It looks like combat is inevitable.
So, I'm feeling a sense of tension as I tread the path to the tunnels from now on.
"Are you really planning to go all out!? I told you it would be pointless!"
...In the midst of that, I hear the old man's voice coming from behind.
When I glanced back, there was an old man with a white beard, angrily following us.
"...That old man, how long does he plan to follow us? It seems like he really wants to stop us no matter what."
"Well, he probably doesn't want the tunnels to be disturbed. After all, we're completely outsiders."
From that diner to here, Mr. Sage has been following us the whole time.
And to stop us, he continuously kept calling out.
If what we've heard is true, the tunnels are apparently quite dangerous, so it's only natural.
For the village head who oversees the neighboring village near the tunnels, having them disturbed when they are sealed off would be a problem.
Well, I guess he doesn't want to let any dead bodies happen there carelessly.
It's not like I intend to cause any trouble, and I did say we would properly seal off the tunnels, but it seems we're still not trusted as complete outsiders.
So for now, I tried to say something to reassure him...
"Uh, um, if I really think it's impossible, we'll turn back, but if we could at least go see the entrance of the tunnel..."
"Absolutely not! You must not go!"
"Ehh..."
What does it mean that we can't even go take a look just because we'm not trusted?
Is there something he doesn't want us to see?
Or does he really consider us that dangerous?
"It's fine, Roezé. Just leave it be."
"N-no, but..."
"In the first place, the tunnel isn't even owned by that old man, right? So why should we be banned from going to see it? Besides, we have the future queen of Compost Kingdom with us, so there shouldn't be any complaints."
Well, when you put it that way, it does make sense.
Putting aside the invincible trump card Ms. Nemophila, as Cosmos said, the tunnel isn't Mr. Sage's property.
So I think it's pretty unreasonable to be forbidden from going to see it.
Well, if we just follow Mr. Sage around, we'll naturally end up being the watchers, so leaving him alone for a while might be a good plan.
So, I decided to follow Cosmos's advice and let Mr. Sage's words slide for a bit.
However...
"Hey, enough already! I'm telling you to stop! You must never go into that mine! Do you know how many adventurers have given up until now? They were Rank 1 adventurers! Well-known experts! You think you can really take down the monsters that even they couldn't handle!?"
"..."
I couldn't shake the feeling that there was an unusual desperation in his tone, and it bothered him to no end.
It felt more like he didn't want us to go near the mine, rather than just not wanting it to be disturbed.
It was increasingly clear that he were trying to hide something, and we all frowned in response.
"Is that okay!? You really won't get off easy! The poison pool is a truly terrifying monster, and if you touch it, you'll end up dead from the poison coursing through your body! Plus, the mine has been left unattended for years, so there's a risk of collapse, and other monsters might be living there too, not to mention the sanitary conditions are probably horrible... Oh, and it's really dark and super scary too!"
"Those threats feel a little flimsy now."
Cosmos wore an incredulous expression at the forced threats.
Seeing that we weren't stopping at all, Mr. Sage continued on.
"Oh, right...! Actually, there's a rule that only the people of Rohm Village are allowed to enter that mine! If you break this rule, all the villagers will come to punish you!"
"You just thought of that, didn't you?"
This time, Rose showed a look of surprise.
If such a custom really exists, it should have been mentioned much earlier.
No matter how you look at it, it's just nonsense that they just thought of now.
"Ugh...! My chronic back pain suddenly flared up...! Someone──! Please help this poor old man──! "
"Now he's pretending to be sick."
Seeing his obviously fake act, Ms. Nemophila also begins to look at him with pity.
What does that old man really want...?
"I-It really is...! It's really dangerous...! So please, don't come near me...! "
"He's finally started to cry."
This must definitely mean he's "hiding" something.
Just as I suspected, upon arriving at the tunnel, we learned an unbelievable truth.
"Huh...?"
At the entrance of what seemed to be the tunnel, a sturdy "metal fence" was installed.
With no handle or lock, it was built in such a way that it couldn't be opened.
There was also a wooden sign that said "No Entry," clearly sealing it off so that no one could enter.
However, upon closer inspection, I found that half of the metal fence was designed like a "door," and with just a push, I could easily enter.
"The tunnel isn't sealed at all..."
"We can easily get in through the hidden door."
"W-What does this mean, Mr. Roezé?"
I was met with questioning gazes from the 3 of them, but I wanted to know just as much.
If a dangerous monster like a poison pit is lurking here, it should be more properly sealed off.
With just this flimsy iron fence, it's hard to say that it's completely sealed.
In fact, it even seems like they're pretending to have it sealed off.
Looking around, it seems like no mining activities are taking place, but there are signs that someone regularly comes and goes.
When I turned around, I saw Mr. Sage holding his head in a way that suggested he wanted to say it was the end of the world, deeply looking down.
I don't really understand what's going on, but at least I can grasp this much.
"So, you told the traveler you met at the diner about the mine because you didn't want them to come closer to it?"
Because we were about to head into a dangerous mine without knowing about the poison pit, he stopped us.
At first, I thought he told us out of kindness, but depending on how you look at it, it could also seem like he was trying to hide an inconvenient truth.
In fact, just by coming here, we've exposed that this mine isn't sealed off.
No, to begin with...
"Was the story about the 'poison' also made up by Mr. Sage?"
"N-no! That's true! The poison pit indeed appeared inside this mine, causing the mining operations to stop! There were requests from the country and other villages to completely seal off the mine too..."
Seeing Mr. Sage hesitate for some reason, Cosmos suddenly smiled as if she realized something.
"Hmm, I think I kind of understand now. In other words, this old man pretended to block off the mine, but in reality, he was secretly hoarding resources... He's like a sly 'small-time villain,' isn't he?"
"N-no! That's not it! I'm not hoarding anything! I just..."
"Then what exactly is your purpose? There's undeniable evidence right here, and you still plan to make excuses!?"
"U-ugh...!"
The sight of an old man tearfully confronted by a girl with a youthful appearance was quite striking.
He looked like a grandpa who was genuinely scolded by his grandchild and feeling down.
As Mr. Sage felt the stares from the 4 of us, he finally began to speak as if he were about to confess.
"...I'm here for a certain reason, trying to excavate a gemstone known as 'Emerald Brightstone (翠明石)'."
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