Chapter 98: Certainty

The vitality of the Monne mine was half-dead.

The miners had all put down their picks due to the turmoil in the territory during the summer. By the time they came down to the village to protect their families and secure food, it was already winter.

Although it was easier to work in winter than in summer, there was no need to return because the warehouse was already full due to the allocation from Gulla.

'The coal revenue isn't that significant, and the resources will only decrease the more we mine. It's better to save our strength for a good opportunity.'

Clatter, clatter.

The carriage jolted roughly, perhaps because it was night. Mae, who was sitting quietly beside Ian, tilted her head in confusion, as if wondering why she had to be in the carriage.

"I'm sorry. But I can't follow you, and I can't communicate with you. I'll go to the mine and send you off."

If she were to be launched from the mansion, she would surely be lost and couldn't be chased. The pocket watch indicated that they had been traveling for an hour. It seemed they were about to arrive...

Squeak.

"Sir Ian. The road ahead is too dangerous for the wheels. We need to walk from here."

"Is that so? I understand."

As Ian's carriage stopped, the soldiers following behind also halted and dismounted. While they were preparing their lanterns, Ian sent the warrior's hawk into the sky.

"Come on, let's hurry. Follow the hawk."

"Into the forest! Follow me!"

"Stay close to the lanterns!"

The commotion in the moonlit night was unexpected. Fortunately, the sky was clear, so it wasn't pitch black. Ian climbed the path that existed only in form, accompanied by the soldiers.

"Is that the mine over there?"

"Yes, we seem to have arrived."

"Oh, there!"

Whistle!

A figure standing at the mine entrance whistled and stretched out his hand. The hawk, which had been gliding in the sky, gently landed and spread its wings.

"Sir Ian, have you arrived?"

"Where is Beric?"

Ian looked around, searching for Beric first. He couldn't see any other warriors either. He wondered if it was an urgent situation, but the warrior who greeted him had an expression that was merely 'perplexed,' nothing more and nothing less.

"He's hitting something inside..."

"Hitting? What? A knight?"

"I'm not sure. You'll see when you get there."

The air quality changed noticeably as they entered the mine. Ian covered his mouth with his sleeve and followed the warrior.

"Have you been here before? This is my first time."

"I've only heard reports. This is my first time entering the mine."

To his surprise, the mine shaft was quite spacious. The ceiling seemed to be higher than in similar mines, and it didn't seem to hinder the workers' movements.

"But why is he doing that inside? It could be dangerous if the temperature rises. I'm worried that the mine ceiling might collapse, given Beric's temperament."

Ian's playful question made the warrior laugh heartily. The laughter echoed through the mine, and the soldiers following behind sighed in relief. Entering the mine at night was a terrifying experience, and they felt reassured that it wasn't a life-threatening situation.

As they went deeper, the cold winter wind became less noticeable. The warrior pointed to a narrow opening.

"Here it is."

It was so narrow that it could be called a dog hole. It looked like a crack formed by a collapsed wall, not a normal passage.

Bang! Thud!

Clang!

"Haa, haa..."

"Beric, stop and come out. Let me try."

"Ah, really! What is this thing!"

"Come out, will you? It seems you're using more strength to pull back than to strike."

Voices could be heard from inside. It was a conversation between Beric and the accompanying warrior.

The light was so dim it seemed about to go out. It appeared they had entered this far with only one emergency lantern.

"Beric."

"Ah! Ian!"

Clang!

Beric was striking something that glowed a translucent purple. It seemed to have a liquid nature due to the bubbles inside, but his sword couldn't even scratch it.

"Ian, what is this?"

"You think I know everything?"

"Well, do you know?"

"I do."

It was a power stone, or so it seemed. The lower half of the leader of the three knights of Mereloff was embedded in it, half-eaten. The lack of wounds indicated that the cause of death was clearly this strange 'ore.'

"It looks like a power stone."

Beric didn't seem to sense the magical aura. Ian lifted the lantern to examine his face, but couldn't tell if his flushed cheeks were from swinging the sword or not.

"Power stone?"

"Remember the brooch we used in Bratz? It's similar. A stone that responds to magic and gains special abilities."

"But this isn't a stone. It has bubbles inside."

"Not everything is as it appears. We need to cut it to examine it properly, but it's definitely a power stone."

There are many types of power stones. From the sealing stone that sealed Emperor Ian's power to those that can record voices or track locations, and even those that create extra-dimensional spaces to serve as backpacks, or amplify magical waves. Just like the limits of magic, the possibilities of power stones were endless.

"What happened to the knight?"

Ian gestured for him to stop and step back. Beric must have struck the power stone until his sword blade was worn down. He wiped the sweat from his brow and replied.

"I chased him here. The hawk was good at finding prey. I thought he might have hidden here when the trail broke off, and sure enough, he was."

"When you found him, was he still alive?"

"Yes. At first, I thought he was unconscious, but he died soon after."

"You don't know how he got stuck?"

"Looking down, I saw some kind of fluid had flowed. It seems to have hardened due to some stimulus."

As Beric muttered and crouched, Ian pulled him back by the collar and gave him a light tap on the head.

Smack!

"Ouch!"

"Don't pretend to be in pain. If you had all been swallowed like that, what would we have done?"

"Come on. It's so hard?"

"It could melt suddenly and attack, or keep coming out from somewhere. Tsk tsk. Anyway..."

When Ian turned around, the warriors awkwardly averted their gaze. Their personalities were so similar.

Simple and fearless!

"You will report to Lord Nersarn."

"Sir Ian, we did try to convince him to go back. What could we do when he was so fixated?"

Beric rubbed his forehead and frowned.

"But, if this is a power stone, it must be very valuable, right?"

"It's priceless."

"If it keeps appearing, this place will be a goldmine, right?"

"We need to investigate..."

Ian's response trailed off. To investigate the extent and probability of the power stone deposits, the assistance of the Magic Department was essential.

In other words, only the Magic Department could estimate the location of power stone deposits.

"Ian?"

Ian felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head, staring at the power stone with the knight's body embedded in it.

"...Yeah. I see."

"What? What do you see?"

"We're going back to the mansion. Close the mine. Don't let anyone in, and nail the entrance shut."

"What about the body?"

"There's nothing we can do now. Let's go back."

Ian turned as if to hurry, and Beric, who was crouching, looked back and forth between Ian and the knight's body, puzzled. But he soon joined the warriors to light the way for Ian.

"Isn't it scary to suddenly do this?"

"One of Prince Gale's main supporters is Minister Wesley of the Magic Department. I see, I see! I wondered why they were so focused on this territory among so many changes. I see!"

Tap, tap!

They definitely knew something.

Or at least, they had a good idea and targeted the Bratz territory. If they suspected that power stones were buried nearby, they couldn't afford to miss this opportunity.

'So everything makes sense now.'

They had the perfect conditions. The continuous buildup of troops due to the bordering barbarians, the need for the palace's intervention through a peace treaty, Derga's tax evasion, and the buried power stones nearby!

He also understood why they had tried so hard to save Mollin. The value of Bratz was so significant that Mollin, who was in charge of this area, was an indispensable asset.

"Back to the mansion! Close this place immediately, and some of you stay to inform the nearby miners."

Ian shouted as he left the mine. Not far away was a temporary settlement where the miners lived, separate from the village.

The guards, who had been chatting in groups, were startled and returned to their positions.

"Yes, understood!"

"I know it's dark and difficult, but please move quickly."

"Ah, yes. Please get in the carriage."

The quiet forest suddenly became noisy. The lantern lights that had been gathered in one place scattered in all directions, and Ian rubbed his forehead, lost in thought. Beric, sitting opposite him, glanced at him subtly.

"Did you hit it that hard?"

"What?"

"The sword strike."

"...Forget it. But didn't you sense the magic? I felt it as soon as we entered."

"Huh? No, I was fine."

Even a swordmaster, fundamentally, was a warrior. Moreover, he was still inexperienced, so it was possible he didn't sense it.

Squeak.

They arrived back at the mansion after a bumpy ride. Hana, who had been waiting, greeted Ian and asked while fetching his coat.

"Are you going to the bathroom? Sir Romand is still in the study, but he's been using the bathroom a lot since he ate the soup."

"No. I'm going to the basement."

"The basement?"

It had been a long time since he had taken these steps. Ian walked down the basement stairs without hesitation and soon stood in front of the prison at the end of the corridor.

"Open it."

Click.

The prison, which always had lantern light due to the lack of windows, came to life with the sudden noise. Mollin, who had been reading a book on the sofa, and Mac and Dego, who had been sleeping, jumped up.

"What's going on?"

Mac's face was filled with confusion. They had been left to their own devices because Ian couldn't decide what to do with Mollin and his group.

"Sir Mollin, a letter has come from the palace."

"Don't touch the teacher! You scoundrel!"

"The letter was about your punishment, Sir Mollin."

Ian stared at him and lied. The old man's eyes, which were usually pale, seemed to glow with a particularly ashen light.

"Really? What did it say?"

"They said we need to wrap things up and head to the capital soon."

Mollin calmly smoothed the book. He seemed to be thinking about something. While it was impossible to know what was on his mind, Ian felt he could read his expression.

'No way.'

That attitude of disbelief.

Ian was certain.

Mollin knew the true nature of the power stone.