While the mine shafts were narrow in places, they were generally wide enough to navigate comfortably. This section appeared to have been refurbished specifically for tourism.
The path was level at first, but it gradually began to slope downward. The magi-lamps installed at various intervals were a welcome sight in the gloom.
"Mother, aren't you cold?" the young boy asked.
The temperature inside the shaft was roughly fifteen degrees Celsius—comfortable enough in long sleeves, but the Viscountess was wearing only short-sleeved spring attire.
"Yes, it is a bit chilly," she admitted.
"In that case, please take this."
The Butler produced a half-coat from the luggage carried by a large man in their party and offered it to the Viscountess.
"Oh, thank you."
As the Viscountess donned the coat, Elsa looked on, feeling a strange sense of resentment toward the long-sleeved jacket she was already wearing.
She fixed her gaze on Jin’s back as he walked ahead of her. He was wearing the same jacket that he had lent to her on several occasions.
After descending a short ladder and following another downward-sloping tunnel, they emerged into a slightly wider cavern.
"We’ve arrived. This is the end of the line," the guide announced.
The tunnel ended somewhat anticlimactically. Since they couldn't take ordinary tourists into the dangerous depths of the earth, such a modest conclusion was to be expected for a sightseeing route.
"There are several side tunnels branching off here. If you're lucky, you might find some raw gemstones," the guide explained. He held up a magic tool that closely resembled a chisel. "If you press the tip of this against the rock and channel your magical energy into it, it will Dig through whatever it’s touching."
It was essentially a magic-powered miniature jackhammer.
"Mother, I would like to try it for a bit," the young girl said. The mention of gemstones had clearly piqued her interest.
"Is that so? Just for a little while, then," the Viscountess agreed. The guide then retrieved a magic tool from the large man's luggage and handed it to her.
"Ah, then I will too," the young boy added, and a second tool was produced. Since there didn't seem to be an extra charge, Jin, Reinhard, and Elsa decided to try their luck as well.
Each of them entered a different side tunnel.
The branches were all shallow and bore the marks of many previous tourists.
"I wonder if we can really find anything like this... Grand Search."
It had been a while since Jin had used the spell.
"...Hm? Eh? What in the world?"
Here and there, raw gemstones were "embedded" into the walls and floor.
If he had to guess, it was a trick to please the tourists—a service of sorts. Jin recalled hearing about similar practices at paid matsutake mushroom foraging hills back in his old world.
"There aren't any actual ore veins left in this vicinity, after all."
Any magi capable of using Grand Search would have realized it instantly. However, the presence of a substantial ore vein much deeper down proved that the mine itself wasn't a total fabrication.
"Well, it's a tourist spot. I might as well enjoy the experience," Jin muttered to himself. He applied his Dig magic tool to the wall near one of the planted stones.
＊ ＊ ＊
Just as Jin finished unearthing a few raw stones, a voice drifted over to him.
"Ugh, I cannot find anything."
He turned to see the young girl from the Viscountess's family.
The girl noticed him and paused. "Oh, someone was already here. I am sorry, then."
She turned to leave, but Jin called out to her.
"Young lady, it seems like stones are fairly easy to find right here. You can have this spot if you like."
The girl stopped and turned back hesitantly. In the dim light of the magi-lamp, she looked to be about eight or nine years old—a cute girl with blonde hair and blue eyes who bore a striking resemblance to Viscountess Sekat.
"Um, is it really okay?"
Jin nodded with a smile and showed her the stones he had already collected.
"Wow, there are so many! Can I really dig here too?"
"Yes, go ahead. This spot looks promising." Jin pointed to a section of the wall where he had detected stones with Grand Search.
"Yes, I will try it!"
The young girl pressed her Dig magic tool against the wall and channeled her magic.
The tool vibrated rapidly, its adamantite-coated tip pulverizing the rock. Moments later, a raw stone tumbled out.
"Oh, something came out! Big brother, what is this?"
The girl picked up the stone and held it out for Jin to see. He gave it a quick inspection.
"That is an amethyst," he told her. At his answer, the girl looked half-pleased and half-disappointed.
"I will look for more!" she declared, readying the magic tool again.
"Instead of just that spot, why don't you try here?" Jin suggested, pointing to another section of the wall.
"You are right, I will do that!"
The girl obediently dug where Jin indicated, and another stone soon rolled onto the floor.
"Ah, there was another one! Big brother, you are amazing!"
This time, she had found a citrine.
"Ugh, this is not the kind I want either," she grumbled.
"Well," Jin asked, "what kind of stone are you looking for?"
"It is a pink stone," she replied.
There are very few gemstones that naturally occur in pink—pink sapphire, tourmaline, and kunzite among them. Some topaz can be pink, but they are extremely rare and valuable; there was no way such a thing would be found in a rigged tourist mine.
"Hmm, I hope you find one," Jin said, his mind already working.
If it was a pink sapphire, he might be able to manage something.
Sapphire is essentially aluminum oxide—the mineral known as corundum. It is quite common in certain areas; it’s just that specimens pure enough to be considered gemstones are rare.
Jin used Grand Search to secretly scan the area for a clump of corundum. Fortunately, he located one not too far beneath the surface.
The distance made it a bit tricky, but he used Extraction magic to carefully strip away the impurities bit by bit. He left the main component, the aluminum oxide, and carefully preserved the trace amounts of chromium.
The chromium content was minimal to begin with, but he managed to finish the refinement.
"Ugh, I still cannot find it..." the girl sighed.
Jin called her over once more. "I think there might be something right here."
"Big brother's guesses are very good. I will try it!"
She applied the tool to the spot. Because the stone was slightly deeper than the others, it took some time.
"It is not coming out very easily."
"It seems to be a little deeper than the others."
It was further back than he had anticipated. After taking about three times as long as her previous attempts, the stone finally fell free.
"I did it! It is a pink stone!"
The young girl joyfully snatched it up and hugged it to her chest before giving a polite little hop of a bow.
"Big brother, thank you! I will give you the other stones as a present!"
With only the pink sapphire clutched in her hand, she hurried back down the tunnel.
Jin decided he had seen enough as well. He picked up the stones the girl had left behind and slowly began the trek back out of the mine.