Ch 150: The History Of The Koaghton Mine

“Pfft…hahahahahaha, another scaredy-cat! Hahahahahaha!”

Deep purple, smoke-like energy coalesced into a humanoid form, appearing as a girl. The girl sat on a protruding rock, pointing at Phia and laughing uproariously.

Phia was completely bewildered by this inexplicable mockery. However, her self-esteem wouldn’t allow her to swallow her pride, so she abandoned her usual unchanted magic and began chanting loudly.

“[River of the Afterlife, Ever-Bright Lantern, May vengeful spirits dissipate, return to the mortal realm… ]”

Hearing Phia loudly reciting the incantation for spirit removal, the girl panicked.

“Wait… wait a minute! I was just kidding, don’t make me disappear!”

But no matter how much the girl pleaded, Phia’s chanting didn’t stop. As the incantation neared its end, Phia’s magic gathered in her hands, and the girl despaired, beginning to sob.

“Waaaaah, I’m sorry, I won’t scare anyone again, please don’t make me disappear, I still have reasons to stay in this world…”

When Phia finished chanting, light emanated from her hands, engulfing the space. The girl let out a heart-wrenching cry. But after a while of crying, she realized she hadn’t disappeared. Looking up at Phia, she saw Phia clutching her stomach, stifling laughter.

“I… I’m still here?”

“Hahahahaha, I scared you, didn’t I? Serves you right for scaring people!”

After laughing for a while, Phia used earth magic to create a chair, and she and Bal sat on it, looking at the girl.

“Tell us, who are you? Why don’t you want to dissipate?”

Seeing that Bal and Phia weren’t hostile, the girl bowed and apologized to the two people.

“I’m sorry…”

“Hmph!”

Phia proudly raised her head. Bal embraced Phia to comfort her, then looked at the girl.

“Alright, alright, you two are pretty much the same. I’m Bal, she’s my wife Phia, we are friends with the mine shopkeeper. What about you?”

Seeing that Bal was approachable, the girl began to introduce herself.

“My name is Lena. I am the guardian of this mine. Hundreds of years ago, ore was discovered here, and I was among the first members of the White Elephant Tribe to arrive.”

“But what happened to you now?”

Hearing Bal’s question, Lena lowered her head.

“Who is the mine shopkeeper now?”

“Leighton, a White Elephant Tribe member. What about it?”

“So he really did it, that’s wonderful.”

Lena’s expression visibly softened from sadness. After praying with her hands clasped to her chest, she looked up.

“What I’m about to tell you, you absolutely must not tell Leighton. That’s my only request. After that, you can purify and send me to the afterlife.”

Lena paused, and began to recount the past.

————

Time returns to over three hundred years ago.

“Lena, ore has been discovered in that mountain. Do you want to come see it with me?”

A young and slender White Elephant Tribe youth approached Lena, excitedly telling her about the mine.

“If we can acquire this mine, then I can marry you!”

“Coordon, are you feeling alright?”

Lena looked at Coordon with concern. He was exceptionally frail; compared to other White Elephant Tribe members of his age, he looked more like a Cat Demon Tribe member with the appearance of a White Elephant Tribe member.

Coordon confidently patted his chest.

“Cough, cough, no problem! As long as you’re by my side, I won’t get sick. You’re my doctor, after all.”

“Then you should listen to your doctor’s orders. Going into the mountain might worsen your condition. Be good, we can try a different business. We don’t have to get married, as long as I can stay by your side.”

“That won’t do. I’m going to make something of myself. I have a feeling that if we can get the mine this time, we’ll make a lot of money, and then we won’t have to worry about my parents.”

Seeing that she couldn’t dissuade Coordon, Lena simply went along with him. If anything difficult arose, she would immediately bring Coordon back.

Three days later, Coordon obtained some money and hired several guards, taking Lena to the mountain. The journey was uneventful, and the guards returned after escorting the two to their destination. Coordon and Lena stayed in a settlement near the mine. They gathered many residents to open up roads into the mountain, and everything went smoothly. In just half a year, the mountain roads and initial mine shafts were completed.

“Just a little longer, once we dig up the ore, we’ll make money!”

Coordon excitedly envisioned the future; everything was so perfect.

The first winter arrived, and work at the mine stopped. Lena cared for Coordon at his bedside.

“I told you not to go to the mountain, now you’ve caught a cold. Here, drink your medicine. You idiot.”

Coordon took the medicine, took a sip, and pushed it aside. His facial features contorted.

“It’s so bitter!”

“It’s bitter, but you have to drink it. Behave.”

Lena sat by Coordon’s bed. She wasn’t going to do anything else until Coordon finished the medicine. Coordon pinched his nose and drank it down. He felt dizzy afterward.

“Go to sleep, you idiot.”

After Coordon fell asleep, Lena left his bedside and went to the shrine in the room to pray.

“Great Demon God, please help Coordon get better quickly.”

The first winter passed, and Coordon continued to work hard for the mine. Although he wasn’t a miner, he still put a lot of thought into management and operations. The mine didn’t yet belong to him; he had to pay taxes to the local Lord every month.

One day, a messenger of the Former Demon King arrived at the Lord’s mansion. He discussed cooperation with the Lord, mainly regarding the provision of ore, because the ore from this mine was of superior quality.

“But we don’t have enough manpower at the mine, my Lord! The quantity you require is simply too much.”

“Coordon, this is the Demon King’s request; we can’t refuse.”

The kind Lord persuaded Coordon. Lena, who was outside the door, overheard their conversation. She pretended to bring in water and entered the room.

“My Lord, if we can fulfill the Demon King’s request, could we reduce our monthly taxes?”

“I’ll consider it. However, the Demon King’s request is a priority. We still need your help. I will send people here to assist you in the coming days.”

“Thank you very much, my Lord.”

Another year passed, and Coordon’s originally frail body had begun to strengthen. Lena watched with relief as Coordon’s health gradually improved; she began to feel that Coordon’s dream could be realized.

In that year, the Demon King launched a surprise attack on humanity. Using weapons forged from the excellent ore produced by the mine, he launched a large-scale invasion of the border between the Demon Race and Humans. At the same time, the Demon King’s demand for ore increased, and Coordon, who had only barely been able to supply the ore, began to struggle.

“The war ruined everything.”

Coordon sighed at home. Lena went to his side and gently stroked his back.

“It’s alright. Fortunately, other places can make up for it. Let’s not push ourselves so hard. Get some rest, Coordon.”

“Lena, thank you for always being by my side.”

“You idiot, I’m your doctor.”

“Yes, yes, my doctor.”

One day, a group of anti-war monsters came to the mine. They despised the Demon King’s ambush tactics and the killing of human women and children. They felt that the Demon Race’s pride should not be trampled upon in this way, so they began to oppose this unjust war.

The anti-war faction that came to the mine cut off the ore transport routes and then prepared to blow up the mine shafts. Upon learning this, Coordon was frantic. He disregarded Lena’s pleas and went to the mine. The mine shafts were still home to the villagers who had cared for him; he could not stand idly by.

“Coordon, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Don’t go, let me go in.”

Lena followed Coordon to the collapsed mine shaft, still trying to persuade him to return.

“Then promise me you’ll come back!”

“I promise! I still have a patient to care for. Don’t worry, I’ll be back.”

With that, Lena resolutely squeezed through a crack in the rocks into the mine shaft.