Saga of the Two-World Emperor
Volume 1: A Spark in the Ashes
Chapter 16 – The Mountain's Legend and the Hidden Equation
Adrian's request was met with a moment of stunned silence. Borin, the burly foreman, stared at him as if he had lost his mind. Behind them, Garrick's brow furrowed slightly, his usually impassive expression betraying a hint of confusion.
"An old man's fairy tales?" Borin finally snorted, a harsh, humorless laugh. "Kid, I thought Lord Cornelius sent you here to solve a problem, not to listen to bedtime stories."
"Sometimes, the answer to the most complex problem is hidden within the simplest of stories," Adrian replied, his voice calm and steady. His eyes met Borin's without a trace of fear. "Geological data, mine blueprints… I'm sure you and your men have studied them countless times, yet you've found nothing, correct?"
The words hit their mark. Borin's mouth opened as if to argue, but no words came out. It was the truth.
"When the path you've been walking leads to a dead end, it's time to look for a new one," Adrian stated. "Please, Foreman Borin. It won't take much of your time."
Borin stared at him for a long moment before letting out a frustrated sigh.
"Fine! Have it your way! But when it turns out to be a waste of time, don't say I didn't warn you!"
He turned and barked an order at one of the nearby workers, telling him to fetch "Old Man Gram," the most senior miner in town, who had worked there since Lord Cornelius's father owned the mine.
They didn't have the conversation at the office. Borin led them to the only tavern in Rustfang, "The Rat in the Jar." It was an old wooden building filled with the smell of cheap beer, mine dust, and the sound of the miners' gruff, weary voices as they drank to forget their despair.
They sat at a table in a relatively quiet corner. Before long, an old man shuffled towards them. He was stooped with age, his hair and beard a stark white, and his face was a deep roadmap of wrinkles. But his eyes, surprisingly, were clear and lucid.
"Foreman… you sent for me?" Old Man Gram asked, his voice raspy but still resonant.
"Gram, this young master here wants to hear some of the old stories about the mountain," Borin said, jerking a thumb towards Adrian.
Old Man Gram turned his clear eyes to Adrian, studying him with a thoughtful gaze.
"Old stories, you say? There are many of them. Which one would the young master like to hear?"
"I want to hear about the mine's 'iron vein'," Adrian answered directly. "Are there any legends or tales about it? Where it came from… or why it disappeared."
The question made Old Man Gram's eyes light up. He stroked his white beard slowly.
"Aye, there is… a story the older generation of miners used to pass down," he began. "They believed this mountain wasn't just a pile of rock… but the sleeping body of a great 'Earth Serpent'."
Borin, sitting beside them, rolled his eyes in boredom, but Adrian listened with rapt attention.
"And the iron ore we mined… it wasn't ordinary ore," Gram continued. "It was the 'veins' of that serpent… its hardened blood, filled with the power of the earth."
"In the old days, our ancestors would perform a ritual to ask the Earth Serpent for permission before they began to dig. They believed we were merely 'borrowing' its resources, not taking them… But as time went on, the new generations forgot the rituals. They dug, and dug, and dug with insatiable greed, never thinking to thank or repay the true owner."
He paused, looking deep into Adrian's eyes.
"And when human greed became too much… the sleeping Earth Serpent… began to 'reclaim' what was its own."
"Reclaim?" Adrian repeated.
"Aye, reclaim," Gram nodded. "The old folks believed the serpent didn't go anywhere. It just 'pulled' its veins back into the deepest parts of its body… a place no mortal could ever reach. And sometimes, on the quietest of nights, you can still hear its rumble from deep beneath the earth… a warning not to trespass into its domain any further."
The story ended, but the words echoed in Adrian's mind.
*Earth Serpent… veins… reclaiming… and a rumble…*
It wasn't just a fairy tale. It was "data," presented in the form of a legend.
"Thank you very much, old man," Adrian said, placing a few silver coins on the table. "Your story has been most valuable to me."
After Old Man Gram left, Borin turned to him, exasperated.
"See? Utter nonsense! All about serpents and spirits… How is that supposed to help us find any iron ore!?"
But Adrian wasn't listening. He sat perfectly still, his mind processing all the information he had gathered at lightning speed.
*1. "The iron vein just vanished." (Information from Borin)*
*2. "Strange noises are heard coming from the deepest part of the mine at night." (Information from Finn)*
*3. "The serpent pulled its veins back into the deepest parts, and its rumble can be heard from beneath the earth." (Information from Old Man Gram)*
He slowly pieced the three sets of data together… and finally… the hidden equation became crystal clear in his mind.
*It's not a "serpent,"* he thought. *The "rumble" at night… it's the sound of "water"!*
*It has to be a large, undiscovered underground river!* he continued his analysis. *Two years ago, there must have been some kind of geological shift… perhaps a minor earthquake or natural erosion… that changed the course of the underground river. And it "cut through" or "eroded" the main iron vein, causing it to collapse and sink beneath the current!*
*That's why it "vanished"… and the "strange noises" at night… are the sound of the powerful current flowing through the deepest part of the mine!*
Having reached his conclusion, he looked up, his eyes filled with a confidence that was almost blinding.
"Foreman Borin… tomorrow morning… I need you to prepare three things for me."
"What now?" Borin asked, not bothering to hide his annoyance.
"One… I need a complete blueprint of the mine, especially the deepest and longest-abandoned sections."
"Two… I need the longest and strongest ropes you can find, along with several oil lamps."
"And three… I need two of your bravest workers who are not afraid of the dark."
Garrick, who had been silent all this time, frowned and spoke up.
"Second Young Master… what exactly are you planning to do?"
Adrian turned to look at him… and smiled.
"I'm going down there to 'greet' the Earth Serpent myself."
(End of Chapter 16)