"Amazing! This is incredible! Or maybe I should say Rei is the incredible one!?"
Brasso held out a piece of ore toward Rei and Phron. He wasn't showing his usual drunken cheer; instead, his face was set in a mask of almost ghoulish intensity. In his hands, he clutched a stone that pulsed with a faint, crimson glow. If Rei had been gifted with the ability to sense magic, he would have felt a significant amount of fire magic power radiating from it. Since he lacked that particular sense, he simply exchanged a glance with Phron.
"What is that?"
"It's Flame Ore! Flame Ore!"
Flame Ore. The name sparked a memory from Rei's visit to the guild. It was a type of magic metal that Brasso and his party had mentioned could be mined in these mountains.
"So what? We knew it could be found in the mines around here. Is it really that strange to find it in this cave?"
"No! Well, you aren't wrong, but you’re missing the point entirely... wait... what...?"
Brasso had been about to lift the ore and explain, but his voice trailed off. He froze, his gaze fixed on the ceiling where dozens of stalactites hung, and then shifted toward the honeycomb-structured wall at the back of the Great Hall.
"...N-no way. Why are there Wind Stone Crystals here? And so many of them... And over there, is that... Emerost Ore?"
Brasso muttered in a daze. Rei and Phron shared a confused look, unable to follow his ramblings. Still, Rei correctly guessed that the names referred to rare minerals. He closed his eyes and reached into the depths of Zephyle’s memory to draw out the relevant knowledge.
(Wind Stone Crystal. An ore that forms over centuries in locations where the wind never stops blowing. Wind magic power undergoes a physical transformation, melting and then solidifying into stalactite-like shapes on cavern ceilings. It’s a vital ingredient for alchemical recipes and a component for magic items like weapons and armor... I see. Basically, it’s a jackpot.)
He shifted his gaze toward the ceiling. If they truly took hundreds of years to grow, then seeing them in such abundance was indeed a rare sight. Next, he looked at the honeycomb wall the Harpies had used for nesting.
(Emerost Ore. A rare mineral that absorbs magic power from the atmosphere and shares it with those who come into contact with it. Huh. That really is something. Carrying it would naturally increase one's magic power recovery speed. It makes sense why the Harpies chose this spot for their colony.)
"I see. Wind Stone Crystals and Emerost Ore. I’ve heard the names from my master, but this is the first time I've seen the real thing."
Phron looked at Rei as he muttered with admiration. "You know what these are?"
"Only by reputation." Rei nodded and relayed the information he had retrieved from Zephyle’s memory.
Phron listened to the explanation while staring at the two types of ore. Rei had expected her to be overjoyed—perhaps even ecstatic—so her relatively calm reaction left him feeling a bit let down.
"I thought you’d be more excited," he admitted.
"Don't get me wrong, I think it's incredible. But... it’s not like they belong to us."
"Wait, they don't?" Rei asked, caught off guard by her casual tone. Phron nodded as if stating the obvious.
"Of course not. This entire mountain belongs to Margrave Larkus. That includes the mine that brought us here in the first place. If we tried to make off with treasures like this from the Lord’s land, imagine the consequences once word got out. The Larkus territory is a frontier in every sense of the word. Even though the Margrave is known as a straightforward noble, he is exactly the type of man to crack down hard on anyone who lets their greed get the better of them."
"...I suppose that makes sense."
"Yeah. It would be a different story if this mountain didn't already have an official mine and was completely uncharted territory... So! Brasso! Don't even think about pocketing that piece of Flame Ore!"
Brasso, who had been staring longingly at the crystals, jumped at the sound of Phron’s sharp voice.
(He was definitely considering it,) Rei thought, catching the guilty look on the Dwarf’s face. He couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle.
"I-I wasn't thinking anything of the sort! Anyway, listen! This Flame Ore is something special. I’ve checked the surrounding minerals, and I'm certain this piece was formed just yesterday."
"Yesterday?" Phron immediately turned her eyes toward Rei.
It was a logical conclusion. Flame Ore was created when fire magic power was forcibly compressed into stone. If it had appeared just yesterday, there was only one possible explanation. Rei felt the weight of Phron’s gaze and spoke up.
"Are you saying... my magic created that ore yesterday?"
He asked the question hoping for a denial, but Brasso nodded firmly.
"There is no other possibility. I don't know the finer points of magic power, but the spell you slammed into this cave must have possessed a staggering amount of fire magic power. Through some fluke of nature, that energy was sealed into the rocks, resulting in this ore."
"...Which means as long as Rei is around, we have an infinite supply of Flame Ore?" Phron voiced the concern Rei was already feeling.
Brasso shook his head. "As I said, Rei's magic was the trigger, but it was only one part of the puzzle. It required a specific set of accidental factors to happen at once."
"So, if I used the same spell tonight, I wouldn't necessarily get another piece?"
"Probably not. However, anyone with even a passing knowledge of magic metals will realize this ore is brand new. They’ll look for the cause, which points to the party that accepted the Harpy Subjugation... and once the guild checks their records, it’ll be obvious that Rei is the only mage in the group. This is... problematic."
(Meaning I could end up being kidnapped by someone who wants to use me as an ore battery. If that’s the case...)
"We should probably meet with Margrave Larkus and explain the situation before this turns into a mess," Rei suggested.
Brasso stroked his beard and sighed. "That would be best, but do you have a way in? You can't just walk up to a Lord and ask for a chat, you know."
Rei smiled. Since he had taken a nomination request from the Margrave regarding the dungeon, he already had an established connection.
"I think I can manage it. We should get back to the City of Gilm as fast as possible to settle this. As for the material stripping from the Harpies..."
"They won't rot in your Item Box, right?" Phron interjected. "In that case, we should prioritize this problem."
"Are you sure?"
"Hey, it's not just for your benefit. Your magic might have caused it, but if things get ugly, the rest of the party is going to get dragged through the mud with you."
Brasso nodded in agreement. "She’s right. If the materials were going to spoil, we’d have to hurry, but we need to nip this in the bud. To a certain kind of greedy fool, the mere chance that you can produce Flame Ore at will is more than enough reason to come after you."
Greedy fools. Boruntar’s face immediately flashed across Rei’s mind.
(Then again, after that threat I leveled at him, I doubt even he would be that stupid... probably.)
If Boruntar still chose to interfere after that, Rei would almost have to admire his tenacity. It would mean he was betting his life on the move, knowing full well there would be no more warnings. Rei reached for the glowing ore in Brasso’s hands.
"We’ll need evidence for the Margrave. I’ll hold onto this."
"Hm? ...Fine. I suppose it can't be helped."
Brasso reluctantly handed over the crimson-pulsing Flame Ore. Rei touched it and used the Misty Ring to store it away.
"Alright, let's head down. ...Wait, should I fly ahead on Seto?" Rei looked toward the second exit near the Emerost Ore.
Phron shook her head. "If this were a life-or-death emergency, maybe. But right now, we’re the only ones who know about this cave. If you leave us, we’ll have to fight our way down the mountain without Seto’s help, which will actually take longer. If we stick together, we should be back in the City of Gilm by late afternoon."
"I agree," Brasso added. "It would be a help to have the bird around. ...Unless Seto can carry all three of us?"
Brasso looked up hopefully, but Rei gave a firm shake of his head.
"No. Seto can usually only carry one person. Maybe two, if they're both very small and light."
He looked between Brasso and Phron.
Brasso was out of the question. Between his Dwarf-kin musculature and the sheer weight of his magic item, the Earth-shaking Hammer, he was too heavy.
While the Death Scythe was technically much heavier, the weapon seemed to share a weight reduction effect with Rei—likely because they were both products of the same Beast Magic—allowing Seto to carry it without issue.
Phron, meanwhile, stood around 170cm tall—taller than Rei—and possessed the dense muscle of a warrior. Her leather armor was also reinforced with metal plating, adding significant weight.
Rei observed them for a moment before giving his final verdict. "Impossible."
"I get me, but Phron too?" Brasso asked. "Ah, I guess her weight is—gaff!"
Phron didn't let him finish. Her sword came down on the crown of Brasso’s head with a sickening thud.
Fortunately for the Dwarf, the blade was still sheathed. Had it been bare steel, Brasso would have been cleaved in two. The blow carried that much force.
"Guh... agh... Wh-what was that for...?"
Brasso spun around with a roar, but his anger evaporated instantly when he saw Phron’s face. She was radiating a level of fury that dwarfed his own.
"Brasso. You certainly have guts, talking about a woman’s weight like that. As expected of a Hero of the Dwarf-kin. I doubt anyone else in this world has the courage to invite the wrath of every woman on the planet like you just did."
"I-I... I didn't mean it like that..."
Brasso cast desperate, pleading glances toward Rei, but after seeing the fire in Phron’s eyes, Rei simply looked away, pretending he hadn't seen the request for help.
"...Can we go now?" Rei asked eventually.
Phron had finished her "correction" and seemed to have regained some composure. Rei still spoke with caution; he had learned today exactly how dangerous Phron could be when her weight was the topic of conversation.
"...Yes. That should be enough of a punishment for now. I’ll save the rest for later. Once we’re done with the Margrave, I’m going to spend plenty of time drilling the meaning of the word 'tact' into your thick skull."
(She’s not finished yet?)
Rei gave the dazed Brasso a pitying look. Knowing that getting involved would only lead to his own misfortune, he stayed silent and led the way out of the cave.
"Guruuu?"
Seto had been standing guard outside, watching for monster ambushes. When it saw the three of them emerge, it let out a happy purr and trotted toward them.
"Looks like everything was quiet out here," Rei said, patting Seto’s head to clear his mind of the awkwardness.
There were no fresh monster carcasses, and Seto looked a little bored, confirming that the area had remained peaceful.
"Seto, there’s been a change of plans. We aren't going to do the material stripping for the Harpies yet. We have some business with Margrave Larkus back in the City of Gilm."
"Guruu?"
As Seto tilted its head in confusion, Rei explained the discovery of the Flame Ore and how his magic from the previous night had been the cause.
"So, some greedy people might try to start something. We need to get ahead of it and explain that it was just a fluke. Luckily, we have a Dwarf who’s an expert on ore to back us up."
Rei looked back at Brasso, who was finally starting to look like himself again as they prepared to depart.