Chapter 163
Berhan finished the sacred ceremony and came face to face with the distinguished guests. Each of them held unquestionable authority and was considered untouchable within the Empire. Furthermore, he had fought alongside some of them on the battlefield, which made him feel a slight sense of camaraderie.
"It seems we meet the Great Mage quite often."
"Isn't it inevitable, given the circumstances? There have been a string of battles lately, so collaboration has been essential."
"They were not easy opponents, which made it all the more necessary. Who would have guessed I'd witness the appearance of dragons four times before my life was over?"
"I cannot help but agree with your statement. I too never expected I would experience such bizarre phenomena."
Alraune laughed leisurely as he looked back on the recent battles. In retrospect, it was almost strange to think he was still alive. He had encountered dragons three times—how had he managed to return without a single scratch?
"I fought dragons twice, but didn't the Great Mage face them three times? Yet your fame still resounds; that's truly remarkable."
"Thank you for the praise, but I don't think I contributed much. I believe my successor is even more outstanding."
"Haha! Are you trying to humble yourself through your successor? Everyone knows the achievement the next Great Mage has attained, don't they?"
Berhan replied confidently and turned his gaze toward Alter. Alter had participated in every dragon subjugation expedition and accomplished remarkable feats. Though young, his fame meant that no one could ignore him.
"Your compliments are too much. I only made a modest contribution with my humble abilities."
"I admire your humility. With your talent, you will achieve great things."
"I will try my best to make that happen."
Alter was fully aware of his own talents, but he had no intention of growing arrogant. As always, he still had many areas to improve and could not face formidable foes alone. Even if he inherited the title of Great Mage, wouldn't he be bound by the imperial household and the society, tormented by worries?
"Come to think of it, did Sword Flower reach such a realm without a master?"
"Yes. I received some guidance here and there, but I never really had a master."
"That couldn't have been easy alone... You must truly be extraordinary."
"I heard you secretly joined a monster subjugation expedition and achieved a feat. Is that true?"
"... Yes. It's a bit embarrassing, but I did accomplish something."
"Haha. You went through with it despite opposition; is that why you feel that way?"
"It's not something to boast about."
"Even so... you couldn't have attempted it without resolve. I want to respect Sword Flower's will."
"......."
Brillie lowered her gaze and had to accept it, albeit reluctantly. Alraune's words were not wrong, but at the time, she had received considerable criticism. Even the rumors were tainted with mockery—if not for the achievement, things might not have been smoothed over as they were.
"Then, it seems only one dragon remains now."
"Are you speaking of Ru the Luminescent?"
"Yes. Even if Ru claims to be neutral, the fact remains—a dragon is still a dragon."
"Hmm... That may be true, but Ru the Luminescent has never attacked the Empire. On the contrary, Ru aided us when we fought against Grafden the Deep and the Holy Order..."
"Of course, I don't deny those actions. But can we conclude that Ru will not become our enemy simply because of that?"
"Naturally, we cannot. I only hope that no further battles with dragons occur."
"Hmm..."
Even Berhan could not refute those words. To fight a single dragon required the gathering of many of the powerful. If multiple dragons attacked at once, or if some of the powerful were killed, it would have become extremely perilous. And yet, they had survived and protected the Empire's territory, making it all the more necessary to remain vigilant against dragons.
"Personally, I think we should keep an eye on Ru the Luminescent and prepare for other threats."
"... Are you speaking of the Knight of True Flame?"
"Precisely. He has already stolen the power of a dragon twice, hasn't he? If he's done so a third time, his might must be immense."
"He said he would not attack the Empire... but considering the precedent, he cannot be trusted."
"I never gave him the benefit of the doubt in the first place. After all, he stood with the monsters and slaughtered our soldiers—how could anyone trust him?"
"Hmm... Is that why you suggest we leave Ru the Luminescent alone?"
"Unlike the Knight of True Flame, Ru has never threatened humanity. So, however faint, I have some trust in Ru."
"If that's your view... I can't say you're wrong."
Berhan reluctantly agreed and glanced cautiously around. The next Great Mage had always delivered the decisive blow in the dragon subjugation expeditions, and Sword Flower had drawn forth radiance from Semerune. With those two, perhaps any foe could be repelled.
'The Goddess Semerune has not chosen the Holy Order. The reason is clear—I cannot deny it as a holy apostle.'
Berhan realized that the Holy Order did not meet the Goddess Semerune's expectations. In contrast, Sword Flower had saved her companion with golden flames, and with a violet light, erased Lailnetia the Devouring. Perhaps, the Goddess had chosen the most suitable savior and manifested herself in person.
'But the Holy Order was not ignored. Did she not answer the faith of the believers?'
Though Berhan still held questions about Sword Flower, he decided to bury them deep in his heart for now. Looking only at the results, the descent of the Goddess Semerune was not in vain. It might even be that the chaos of this world could only end through the Holy Order.
'If it's the next Great Mage, he can assist Sword Flower. The Holy Order and I must follow the radiance of the Goddess Semerune.'
* * *
Brillie arrived at a mine in the western lands with Alter. A mining site was already established, and numerous miners were working busily. Now they had to roughly grasp the local situation and check both the mining volume and the quality of the ore.
"It's much bigger than I expected. Did you know this, Lord Alter?"
"I did not. I only had my suspicions."
"With a mine this size, we won't have to worry for several years... but we should probably secure more, right?"
"It's better to buy them before other nobles do."
Alter vaguely inhaled the scent of earth and looked around. The miners descended into the shafts every day and dug with pickaxes. Naturally, they focused on mining gold ore, and only later brought silver ore to the surface. Sometimes, raw gemstones would be discovered, in which case skilled miners would extract them with care.
"That seems quite tough too. They found a mine, but they haven't discovered any gold ore."
"Even if they only find silver ore, it won't be a loss."
"At best, it's iron ore. Usually, they say it's copper ore... prices aren't high, and labor costs are actually a bigger concern."
"So this is the only place yielding gold ore around here?"
"As far as I know, yes. But if we keep investigating, more might turn up—don't you think?"
Brillie spoke with apparent composure, but she was not fully confident in her answer. Judging by the current trend, a gold mine being discovered in the western lands was a rare event. There had been no news of other gold mines so far, so the nobles who had invested in this business were still bound to suffer losses.
"That's true. Geology like this is uncommon."
"The western lands aren't exactly small, and there are other mountain ranges, right? Surely a few gold mines are hidden among them."
"Even so, it will take a long time. You'd have to search each mountain range for gold ore."
"Hmm... The western lands have always mainly supplied timber, so reliable information is scarce. Digging shafts through to the veins can't be easy either."
Brillie finally became aware of the realistic obstacles. Even wealthy nobles could not spend their entire lives searching for gold mines. Moreover, after finding a gold mine, they would have to cover construction, miners' wages, ore processing, and transportation. Only because the mine belonged to the duke's house of Illenat could they afford these losses and turn a late profit.
"Perhaps exploring the southern region would be better. The northern territory might have potential, but who could stand the cold and still mine?"
"That may be a better option. I should discuss this with my father."
Brillie quietly reviewed the confidential information she had gathered and slowly agreed. They must have continued their explorations, but gold mines had never been mentioned. Of course, the existence of one could have been deliberately concealed, but with people coming and going, it would eventually come to light. Perhaps this was truly the only gold mine in the western lands.
'My husband found this gold mine... so maybe that's right.'
* * *
The private soldiers of the duke's house of Illenat set up tents and built campfires near the mine. There were accommodations for the miners, but not enough room for everyone. Furthermore, both the future head of house and her husband needed proper space for food and lodging.
"Sorry. This must be uncomfortable."
"Not at all. Didn't we always spend nights like this on the battlefield?"
Sitting in front of the campfire, Alter recalled the battles he had fought. Every day, he slew monsters, dragging his exhausted body to bed. Even so, Brillie always stayed by his side, and in the end, they managed to seize victory.
"Still, wouldn't it be better to stay at the house?"
"Anywhere is fine as long as you're there, Brillie."
"Uh..."
Brillie froze for a moment, then quickly turned her head away. If someone had overheard, it would have been terribly embarrassing. However, only she and Alter were around, with knights and soldiers camped not far away.
"Can you say things like that so casually?"
"Husbands and wives should be able to say this much, shouldn't they?"
"I guess so, but still..."
"Are you embarrassed?"
"Maybe?"
"In that case... it must mean you see me as a true companion."
"That's probably why I'm embarrassed."
Blushing, Brillie looked at Alter. This was something she should have handled alone, but Alter insisted on coming with her. Of course, as newlyweds, even such actions might be seen as perfectly proper.
"... When I'm not by your side, I don't feel at ease. Sometimes, when we're close, my heart even starts to race."
"Is that why you followed me here?"
"Yes. I don't know how to put it, but I think I'm hesitating. I still haven't figured out the reason."
"I feel the same. I've been thinking... maybe..."
Brillie hesitated briefly, then steadied her heart. She was not entirely certain, but her feelings were likely similar. That made her all the more compelled to be honest with her companion.
"I think I might be in love with you, Alter."