We completed the trial digging and returned to the Village of the Great Tree.
Our plan had been to drop off the Trial Digging Team at Howlin Village on the way back, but they accompanied us all the way home instead. They offered to handle the extraction of the necessary minerals from the raw ore we had mined. I was grateful for the help. However, it wasn't a simple task, so it would apparently take some time—which made sense, given the sheer volume of ore we had brought back.
The members of the team had visited the Village of the Great Tree several times at Gatto’s invitation, so they were already familiar with the place. I didn't expect any issues with their stay. I provided them with rooms at the inn. It seemed they had originally intended to stay with Gatto, but with so many of them—and a young girl like Nart among them—I had to step in. I have to be mindful of those kinds of things, or I'll just end up getting lectured later. I’ve certainly been cautioned about it enough in the past.
Anyway.
I took my seat at the head of the conference room table in the mansion. Without further delay, I began the evaluation and reflection on everyone's performance during the expedition. I planned to save the announcement of our findings for last.
This trial digging had significantly exceeded the initial five-day, four-night schedule, lasting a total of sixteen days and fifteen nights. We had no issues with food, however. The High Ogre Maids, certain that the trip would run long, had loaded the airship with a massive surplus of supplies. Furthermore, Kuro’s Children and Zabuton’s Children had been busy hunting magic beasts and monsters, so we likely would have managed even if we had run short. Still, I was deeply grateful for the maids' foresight. They were participating voluntarily, so they weren't in the room for the meeting, but I made a note to thank them later.
Next were the five High Elves led by Ria. While their primary mission was assisting the High Ogre Maids, they also contributed to supporting the Trial Digging Team and establishing our base camps on-site. They were the definition of unsung heroes. Without them, the expedition wouldn't have progressed even halfway. They weren't present either, but they had my thanks.
The nine Mountain Elves in charge of the airship’s operation were also a massive help. Their three-shift system kept the ship moving at all times, and I had nothing but praise for their safe and accurate navigation. I felt a bit bad for changing our plans on them for my own convenience, but their willingness to gain time through night navigation saved us. If it hadn't been for them, our return would have been delayed by another three days. They weren't here, so I would thank them later.
Then there was the Trial Digging Team itself. Without their efforts, this mission would not have been a success. They assisted us in countless ways with technical knowledge we simply didn't possess. I was truly thankful. I had proposed giving them a portion of the materials we found, but they firmly declined, insisting that the reward from our original agreement was sufficient. Instead, I decided I would increase their pay for the extraction work they were currently doing. They were currently so immersed in that task that they hadn't come to the meeting, so I would have to tell them the news later.
The ten Angels guarding the airship provided a flawless escort. I was grateful for the security, though I felt a bit guilty for making them handle tasks outside their duties, such as acting as messengers between the airship and the Universal Ship. If someone capable of reading flag semaphores or optical signals wasn't looking, the message wouldn't get through, so having them fly across was the fastest way. They weren't here, but they had my thanks.
As for Kuro’s Children and Zabuton’s Children, it was thanks to them that we suffered no significant damage despite encountering numerous magic beasts and monsters. However, there had been one incident. One of Kuro’s pups got lost along the way. That really made me panic. We had to interrupt the digging so that everyone could search for him.
Fortunately, we found him in about half a day. He had followed the instruction to wait in a visible spot if he got lost, which was a relief. The pup was quite depressed afterward, but he recovered thanks to everyone consoling him on the return trip. By the time we got home, he was even wagging his tail while wearing an "I am lost" plate around his neck. Kuro’s Children and Zabuton’s Children were actually present in the room.
"Thank you, everyone."
I know, I know. I promised I would give Kuro’s pups a good petting session later, and Zabuton’s children were getting a potato party.
Finally, there were the Universal Ship and the airship. Both were incredibly useful. It was only thanks to those two vessels that we were able to bring home the massive amount of minerals we mined beyond the original schedule. I would make sure they were well-maintained. The Universal Ship had already entered its dedicated dock, but the airship was currently moored at the racetrack. I realized I needed to figure out where to build a dedicated dock for the airship as well.
As for Lu and Tia? The two of them had gone on a grand stampede during the excavation, so I wanted them to reflect deeply on their behavior. They weren't in the room at the moment, though.
If I had to mention anyone else... there were my guards: Galf, Daga, and Reginleiv. How should I evaluate their performance? I certainly haven't forgotten how they fled when I asked for help. No, I'm not talking about magic beasts or monsters. I'm talking about what happened inside the ship.
Especially Galf and Daga! Why! Didn't! You! Stay! By! My! Side!
They had maintained a stance of total indifference, claiming it was a "domestic problem." Even Reginleiv had retreated to the second-class cabins early on and never came back!
Well... putting that personal grievance aside, the escort itself was helpful. We weren't attacked, but their presence provided a sense of security. Mining ruins can have a pretty creepy atmosphere, after all.
"Thank you."
With the evaluations and reflections out of the way, it was time for the results. We had collected between five and twenty large barrels of ore from each site we surveyed. By the end, we had about a hundred large barrels in total. It was a staggering amount. However, apparently, it's normal to get barely a cup's worth of usable mineral from that much raw ore. I was told that if we got enough to fill a single small barrel, it would be a massive success. Mining is truly difficult work.
However, this time was different. It wasn't normal at all.
First, we found several pieces of ore that likely contained extra-large Wing Demon Crystals. That alone guaranteed we would have more than a cup's worth. We found those at our final destination. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing there, but when the Trial Digging Team investigated, they found traces of an old mining site. Or rather...
How should I put this? The place where I found the Wing Demon Crystals I was looking for wasn't actually the mine. It was a dump site located nearby. Yes, a trash heap. I had been curious about an unnatural depression near the mine, and when I dug into it, it turned out to be the remains of a dump site. While I was laughing about the find with the Trial Digging Team, we realized that the "trash" thrown away there was actually ore packed with Wing Demon Crystals.
I don't even know how to describe the feeling. There was so much of it that we couldn't even bring it all back. Judging by the size of the depression, there was likely a small mountain of it.
Why would anyone throw it away? I wanted to believe it was a storage area rather than a dump, but the Trial Digging Team speculated that the ancient miners were looking for a different mineral entirely. Discarding unintended materials—even valuable ones—is apparently a common practice at mines. Perhaps the people of that era simply didn't have a use for Wing Demon Crystals? I find levitation gas incredibly useful, but maybe back then, when magic was more common and everyone could fly at will, generating and containing the gas was seen as too much of a hassle.
Regardless, I wasn't complaining. It made it easy for us to secure our haul! There were so many crystals that the miners said we could find them anywhere in the ruins. Some were even lying exposed on the ground. I can confidently say that we won't have to worry about levitation gas for the airship for a very long time. The prospect of building new airships has suddenly become very realistic.
Thinking about it calmly, the trial digging was a massive success. The results were more than enough.
Now, I just needed to decide on the airship’s operational policy and flight routes. Beyond that, I wanted to wait for the extraction results before deciding whether to head out on another expedition.
Just as I reached that conclusion, there was a knock on the conference room door.
"It's Ann. The Mountain Elves are in an uproar. It's completely out of control. I would like you to do something about it soon..."
Even if she asked me that, I already knew the cause of the commotion. It was a certain item we found during the expedition. It had been lying in that same dump site with the Wing Demon Crystals.
Even when we first found it, the Mountain Elves on the crew were ecstatic. Lu and Tia hadn't made a scene, but they were clearly more interested in it than the ore. However, since the item could be dangerous, I had entrusted the High Elves with guarding it once we got home. I hadn't told the Mountain Elves about it... had I?
"If you bring it back as flashily as that, they're bound to come running," Ann remarked.
I-I suppose so...
The Mountain Elves must be making such a fuss that Ria and the others can't hold them back. Just then, one of the High Elves came running into the room.
"Village Head, Yor-san has arrived! She must have sensed it! She's currently fighting with Ria-sama and the Mountain Elves!"
"How is Yor?" I asked.
"She's like a Dwarf who just spotted a barrel of sake. She's shrouded in an aura like a veteran warrior!"
I see. Yor must be truly incredible to be able to hold her own even when Ria is there. Then, another High Elf ran in.
"Ria-sama has been kicked aside! It's no use! We can't stop Yor-san!"
Right. I get it. I’d better go to the scene.
The "scene" was the racetrack, right beside the airship. There sat the item that was so huge it couldn't fit inside the airship and had to be carried back suspended underneath. It was the reason the ship couldn't pick up speed, delaying our return by two days.
Before my eyes was a ten-meter humanoid golem. Or rather, since it had a cockpit, perhaps "robot" was the better word. It wasn't a stylish design; it looked more like an armored vehicle with heavy, industrial limbs. I didn't recognize the machine itself, but I did recognize the entry hatch. It was just like the one on Yor’s Daedalus. It likely belonged to her era.
That hatch was currently tightly closed. It could be locked manually from the inside, but normally, no one would do that because of the risk of getting trapped. Given that Yor was nowhere to be seen...
I asked a High Elf who was still standing.
"Yor-san has holed up in the cockpit."
"It won't even move, will it?" I asked.
"That's true, but... the Mountain Elves were tinkering with it quite a bit."
Those same Mountain Elves had been defeated by Yor and were now receiving treatment. Still, I doubted it would move. If it were going to, it would have happened long ago. This was Yor, after all.
Prompted by Ann, I tried to persuade her.
"Yor, I understand the excitement. I'm a man too; I get the appeal. I even tried getting in when we found it. It was pretty embarrassing when I shouted 'Launch!' with a straight face and it didn't budge an inch. Lu and Tia even pretended they didn't see it. But it's a robot, I get it. I really do. But please, calm down. The children are watching. Look, they're complaining that it's unfair only you get to ride. Don't put up a useless resistance and just come out."
Yor’s standoff in the cockpit continued until the racetrack echoed with the genuine, terrifying shouting of Bell, who had been summoned from Village Four.
Yor: "You didn't have to yell that much..." Bell: "Don't make me have to yell!" Yor: "But I'm the one who can pilot it the best!" Bell: "Be quiet!"
Ria: "I saw the phantom of a true warrior in Yor-san..." High Elf: "Bell-san was terrifying when she started shouting..."
Lu: "Evacuate." Tia: "Evacuate."
Mountain Elf A: "Aah! Our main forces are running away!" Mountain Elf B: "What about Lady Hakuren or Rusty?" Mountain Elf C: "They're staying with the children." Mountain Elf D: "Ugh... we are the final bastion! We have to stop them!" Mountain Elf E: "Yeah! We're the ones who are going to dismantle that thing!"
Trial Digging Team Member A: "It was fun getting to go to places we usually can't reach." Village Head: "Was it?" Trial Digging Team Member B: "Most places usually have strong magic beasts or monsters prowling around." Village Head: "I-I see... Uh, are you interested in the robot?" Trial Digging Team Member A: "It's just like the golems used for mining, right?" Trial Digging Team Member B: "You find them lying around in old mining sites every now and then." Trial Digging Team Member C: "It's rare to find one with all its arms and legs intact, though!"