We camped overnight in the desolate, cold land and headed to the mine the next day. The expedition members looked bright, clearly satisfied with a journey that had gone smoother than expected. Their willingness to assist me with my armament and their eager chatter about various things were quite motivating.
"You have to watch out for goblins," I carefully advised James before we entered the cave. He tilted his head, my words seemingly strange to him.
"Goblins don't usually come down this way. They typically live in groups in canyons within snowy mountain areas. If you don't provoke them, they won't attack first."
I paused for a moment, considering how much I should reveal, then opened my mouth. "There may be variants."
In response, James looked at me with a confused expression. I understood; it would be difficult for him to accept immediately. I didn't think he had ever encountered goblins outside their usual habitat. Yet, he nodded without prolonged thought, his expression very serious. It seemed he had decided to trust me – or, to be precise, he trusted Kyle, who had chosen to trust me.
'Because the trust of others is not easily earned.'
It was a moment when I truly realized how remarkable Kyle was. I glanced at his back, then relayed the report that the other soldiers had hidden the horses in a safe place.
"Go in," Kyle's low voice was utterly serious. The expedition members corrected their postures, their expressions nervous. "Share the fire with the wizard. Two people move in a group. The rest will simply follow instructions. Be careful not to touch the wall carelessly."
"Yes, Knight Commander!" The knights quickly responded to James's instructions.
Naturally, I moved with Kyle. It was my role to illuminate our surroundings with a small lamp, lit by magic, on behalf of the man who now had his sword drawn. The air inside the cave was cold and humid. An ominous, chilling darkness permeated everything, making it hard to believe that precious gems could be found in this mine.
Jalggrak, jaggak. Angle.
Under my feet, something—whether stone or ice, I couldn't tell—was stepped on and crushed. Even the sound was eerie, and I shivered. Of course, I couldn't succumb to that fear. I held the lamp close, its leaf-like green light burning diligently, illuminating our path.
"Do you see something?" Kyle asked.
I shook my head and replied briefly, "No."
Currently, I was wearing human glasses, the 'Eye of Truth,' but I still couldn't see anything. In fact, the 'Eye of Insight' was more useful for checking the demon's movements, but it felt inefficient to return to my hamster form so soon just for that.
"At least I don't think there are any variants. I believe we can keep going."
"Okay."
The fact that there were no mutant goblins was a small reassurance. We calmly moved forward with the help of the lamp. We avoided touching the cave walls as much as possible, worried that explosives might be buried within them.
Soon, we reached the point where the explosion had occurred. The space, wide enough for ten people to stand abreast, resembled a square chamber. It seemed the passage had widened considerably due to the magical blast. Those with lamps raised their arms without hesitation. I was no exception.
At that moment, an expedition member behind me gasped in panic. "Your Highness!"
But that was not all. Change and agitation swept through us one after another. The lamp that had been lit by magic suddenly flickered out, plunging us into deeper darkness.
The wizard said in a tense voice, "...It is the interference of magical power."
Kyle snarled, "To the defensive formation. Stick closer."
The knights quickly regained their composure, taking their places in the darkness. The intention behind their posture, holding their swords with their backs to each other, was clear. It was a formation designed to surround and protect Kyle's back, and by extension, me, who was following Kyle. It wasn't about accepting me as just another part of the camp, but about placing me at the very center of their protection.
"Shh. Come half a step closer."
"Yes, Your Highness."
I clung completely to his back. I could feel James standing to my right. My pride was not hurt. Because this was reality. Ten days of mixing and training together could not put me on par with knights who had wielded swords all their lives. Instead, I could do other things that only I could do. I adjusted my glasses and looked around.
And...
"I can see it," I said a few words, and Kyle stiffened, asking, "What do you see, Shu?"
In the meantime, I began to carefully examine the walls of the open space with my eyes, now accustomed to the darkness. "I can see a faint light. No, it's too small and dim to be called light. More like a scratch... After the darkness, I think I can see it now. It's blue. It's a familiar color... Where have I seen it?"
James said in a low voice, "We can't see it."
"Yes?"
"We have nothing but darkness, not a single light."
"...Oh, just in case." I quickly took off my horn-rimmed glasses. Then, as if it had never happened, my vision went black, and I felt my pupils dilate tautly, as if they had missed the light.
"...Your Highness, it seems that they used explosives made from a monster's core."
"You're reading the nuclear trails. I understand." Kyle nodded and continued, "Are they just scratches? A ball of light that is presumed to be an explosive?"
"Not at the moment. Seeing that there was no particularly bright place, it seemed that there was only one explosive... Wait a minute." I put my hand on Kyle's shoulder and said thoughtfully, "May I go a little further? You can see the place where there are no scratches."
Kyle squeezed my hand on my shoulder and walked ahead of me at a slow pace. One step, two steps, three steps. I poked out my lower lip slightly and blew my bangs away from my eyebrows. Even though I hadn't touched it, my hair was a little disheveled.
"I think it's windy."
"Is there wind in the cave?" Kyle tightened his clasped hands as if he had realized something. "It's a road leading outside."
It might be a passage used by the person who planted explosives here. I nodded and pointed to the open darkness where there were no scratches. I had no doubt that was the way.
I asked Kyle for forgiveness, switched places with him, and took the lead. Then, with a very careful hand, I groped the wall and walked forward. A faint blue light shone faintly on my fingertips and then disappeared.
[The core of the demonic beast. It is the cause of freezing the heart and the source of the 'heart of winter'.]
I felt like I knew somehow. It was said that the people caught up in this explosion were "stigmatized by frost," and the cold spread towards their hearts. It seemed to be a similar kind of magic. The wizard who planted this explosive may have wanted to test the power of his magic against people. The wizards I had seen and heard about were the children of the rest of the world.
"Trash." I gritted my teeth and walked through the darkness.
The passage to the outside was cramped. Even I had to bend down a little and shrink my shoulders to walk, so I couldn't imagine what it was like for the large knights. The sound of their clattering armor was followed by the sound of Kyle lightly clicking his tongue.
"It's narrow."
"Be patient. You can go out and straighten your back." When I retorted bluntly, Kyle smiled softly, as if he knew it was to lighten the tense atmosphere.
Occasionally, a few cold and humid winds brushed against the tip of my nose and then dispersed. Soon, I felt a tiny block of ice hitting my glasses.
Wadduk.
At that moment, I felt something break above my head. I reached out and groped for the grip that was clenched in the darkness. Kyle reached over my head and smashed the icicle.
"I thought I was going to fall."
"Wasn't it hard to see?"
"I can't see it."
"You have a good feeling."
Instead of laughing at my joke, he sang it low. "You better leave quickly. It is unstable because it was drilled in a hurry."
"Okay." We quickened our feet and moved forward. As Kyle said, he felt a sound that sounded unsettling overhead, making him even more hurried.
Soon, a pure white light pierced my eyes not far away. It was the exit.
"I'll go out first."
"It's so narrow that it will be difficult to change seats." Then, Kyle stretched out his arm and wrapped his arms around my shoulders and pulled me tightly into his arms.
"I'm glad the passage is a little wider." A voice could be heard nearby. Even his warm breath could be felt. I was flat with my hand on his chest.
As it was, Kyle hugged me and changed our positions. The bone-chilling ice surrounded us, and it was a moment when each other's presence felt particularly warm and intense. I could tell without looking at him. It felt like his passionate gaze was clinging to every inch of my face. I was embarrassed, but I didn't hate it.
Kyle stepped outside, into the glowing white. Then, as if waiting, a bright blue light rushed in.
"Your Highness!"
The moment I realized that something was reaching out towards the nape of his neck, I gathered my 'luck' without even thinking about it.
'You have to protect your neck!'
Wow!
A blue light spread from near the nape of Kyle's neck, and something that had been flying violently bounced off. I was relieved for a moment that I had deflected the attack.
"Come on, wait..."
Along with a loud noise, there was a sound of something collapsing behind my back.