I found bluesilver ore.
I didn’t expect that to actually be mithril. Not to mention this much.
It’s not something that needs to be delivered on the first floor, but it will be necessary on the second and third. I haven’t looked into how much is needed, but I think it should at the very least be enough to get through the second floor.
Maybe that’s wishful thinking, but it’s true that if this isn’t enough, then it’s asking for a lot of mithril.
That’s how much I mined.
Of course, I’m only going to share this within the party. If we’re lucky, we might even be able to make some equipment with it.
Still, the mining doesn’t end just because I found mithril. I keep mining for a long time.
“Sora, food.”
I frantically swing my hammer, when I hear Mia calling.
Is it time already?
When I exit the mine, I see everyone’s already gathered.
I take an empty spot, and I’m handed a bowl filled with soup.
And when I take it to my mouth, I notice eyes pointed at me. When I peek at them, they turn away. It’s so obvious.
I let that be, and instead fill my mouth.
“How is it, Sora?”
I’m asked immediately.
“It’s not bad, but it’s not great either. I think I’d call it normal. It’s a little salty though.”
There’s no point in dancing around it, so I say how I feel.
Taste varies from person to person, so this is just my opinion.
And I see the guys looking a little dejected.
“But it was done with hardtack in mind, so it’s fine, right? It should be just right if you soak hardtack in it.”
I say how I feel again. I think Chris and the others taught them with that in mind.
The guys look relieved. And they start eating once I finish talking.
“True.”
“The soup is a little salty by itself.”
“But isn’t that good when we’re mining and sweating?”
They also state their thoughts.
Wait, no one was eating until I did? Oh well, it’s fine.
I soak bread in the soup, and it tastes better this way.
After eating, I go back to the mine. I assume the people staying behind are going to keep learning how to cook.
“Are you coming to mine too, Hikari?”
“Yes. I’m aiming for a big one.”
They’re taking turns teaching, and the other mine they’re working on is about as deep as mine.
They haven’t come across mithril, but they have found stuff like magic iron and steel, or magic crystal.
However, since they have more magic energy the deeper we go, these are better quality.
After we finish having dinner, Mia and I stay as the other four go rest.
I can still hear mining sounds in the distance, but the guys that are here with us aren’t working through the night.
“Are you sure it’s okay to not be mining?”
“We can mine any time, but we can only learn cooking now. We’re prioritizing cooking.”
That gets me thinking.
“We aren’t always in the dungeon, we leave and rest for days. Haven’t you thought about learning then?”
They seem shaken when I point that out.
Oh? Did they not think it through that far?
I thought maybe they just didn’t want to disturb our rest.
“What inn are you staying at?”
“We? We rented a house. It feels like a waste when we’re in the dungeon, but we can’t rest if the inns are full when we get back.”
And in that case, we could leave town and use Transfer to rest elsewhere. But continuing to do this would draw suspicion, so it’s best to rent a house.
We can also use it as a base to use Transfer and go shopping, since no one can see us in it.
As we talk, I check Map, but see no monsters nearby.
Even after infusing it with magic energy to enlarge it, I only see three monsters in the three hours we keep watch.
I can’t see the whole dungeon, so I assume there are more, but I still get the feeling that the normal encounter rate is very low.
“By the way, what floor have you reached so far?”
“We reached the second, but it’s pretty large compared to the first, and the monsters are stronger. The encounter rate is high too. And of course, the amount of good ore you can find is also higher.
It sounds like the second floor is tough if you’re not confident in your fighting abilities. That’s why most guys here make money on the first floor, and if possible, they hire guards to go mine on the second. Or they join groups asking for people to go mine there.
Does that mean I can buy a good amount of golem magic stones if I put out a request? Ah, but if people are after them to go to the next floor, maybe people won’t sell them to keep their rivals out of the next floor.
Normally I can buy magic stones sold to the guild, but there weren’t any golem magic stones.
Incidentally, magic stones are sold in the guild and places like general stores because they’re used as fuel to power magic items.
Thanks for the treat.