Ore Vein

Swish.

Lowell appeared beside them, grabbing one hand in each of Fern as they Frieren downwards.

With a slight effort, he gently lifted the two women and then slowly lowered them, placing them on the solid ground at the bottom of the pit.

The ground beneath my feet felt cold and hard.

Fern steadied himself, his pale purple eyes fixed on Lowell, a clear look of confusion in them.

"Strange," she said softly, her voice unusually clear in the silent mine, "Lord Lowell wasn't even three meters away from us just now, was he? Why did the Flight Magic fail?"

"Just look around and you'll see, Fern."

Frieren's voice rang out, her tone as calm as ever. Her emerald eyes scanned her surroundings, a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she had discovered something interesting.

Fern did as he was told and looked around.

The pit was deeper and wider than she had imagined, like a huge hall that had been buried for countless years. And the walls and floor of this "hall" were not made of ordinary rock.

It's Anti-Magic Ore.

Countless Anti-Magic Ores of varying sizes and shapes, like giant crystal clusters growing in the rock strata, emerged from all directions, gleaming with a cool and pure bright silver luster under the faint light of the sky at the bottom of the pit.

Some are only the size of a fist, embedded in the cracks of the rock; others are like pillars, requiring several people to encircle them; but the most eye-catching is a towering giant mine standing beside the cave wall in the distance, probably tens of meters high, like a silent silver mountain, quietly radiating an invisible field that makes people feel uneasy and repels magic.

They were so densely packed that they filled almost every inch of space within sight.

Fern remained silent for a few seconds.

"... It's Demon-Sealing Ore Vein." She said softly, her tone regaining its calmness, as if stating an obvious fact. "If such a small piece can affect a distance of three meters, it's not surprising that such a large one would have a far-reaching impact."

"Hmm." Frieren nodded, her gaze sweeping over the towering main body of the mine. Her emerald eyes gleamed with the light she always showed when she saw rare magical materials or treasures. "Almost the entire cave is Anti-Magic Ore. This is the first time I've ever seen so much..."

She paused, a hint of suppressed excitement in her voice.

"You've struck it rich!"

Fern also let out a soft "wow," her pale purple eyes widening slightly.

"So much... could this buy the entire empire?"

"Hmph~"

Lowell crossed his arms, a smile on his face a mixture of smugness and calculation.

"I was only able to take them all out thanks to my alternate dimension. But with so many, their value will probably decrease, right?"

He stroked his chin, his eyes becoming shrewd.

"Heh, don't underestimate my business acumen. This kind of thing needs to be rare to command a high price. I'll sell a little every now and then, a steady stream of revenue, maintaining its 'rare strategic resource' status and price... Hehehe!"

He suddenly put his hands on his hips and laughed, his voice echoing through the mine.

"Am I finally going to experience the thrill of a super-rich novel!?"

Fern: "..."

She looked at Lowell had suddenly fallen into some kind of fantasy and was emitting strange laughter, paused for a moment, and then turned the corners of her mouth down.

"... Lord Lowell is saying strange things again."

"Ignore him," Frieren said decisively, already walking towards the nearest cluster of Anti-Magic Ore, reaching out her small hand to touch its cool surface. "Anyway, take it all, then go explore."

Lowell chuckled twice, then composed himself. He walked to the largest vein, stretched out his palm, and pressed it against the silvery ore body.

A thought subtly stirred within me.

Without a sound, the majestic silver mountain before him, along with the scattered mineral clusters of all sizes around it, vanished one by one as if wiped away by an invisible hand, and were absorbed into his unique storage space. The pit suddenly felt much more spacious, and the light seemed to dim as well.

Only some scattered, smaller pieces of ore remained at the edges, as well as parts that were difficult to remove from deep within the rock walls.

Fern blinked as he looked at the cave that had suddenly become empty.

"Have they all been... taken away?"

"No." Lowell withdrew his hand and shook his head. "I kept some."

He looked at the remaining ore, his tone becoming slightly more serious.

"While it's not a renewable natural treasure, it's still a non-renewable resource, and its reserves are ultimately finite. Although currently, due to its high hardness, difficulty in processing, and other reasons, humans can hardly do anything practical with it, but..."

"To ensure sustainable use, extend the lifespan of the mineral vein, protect the ecological environment, safeguard strategic resources, and reserve the possibility of future utilization through technological advancements, I've left some behind. Just in case humanity needs it someday."

Fern listened quietly, a thoughtful look flashing in his pale purple eyes.

"That's a very novel theory."

She nodded slightly, indicating her understanding. Then, her gaze shifted deeper into the mine. There, a dark passage stretched into the mountainside, its destination unknown. The remaining Anti-Magic Ore emitted a faint, steady, cold light, illuminating the path ahead.

"And..." she said, looking at the deep cave entrance, her voice steady, "Are you going to explore inside? There probably won't be anything good in there."

Her tone lacked fear, reflecting instead a rational assessment based on the current situation. Exploring unknown territories in a place where magic was completely unusable and perception was blocked seemed unwise.

"Believe me."

Frieren had already reached the cave entrance. Upon hearing this, she turned around, her emerald eyes sparkling in the dim light of the mineral. Her tone was firm, even carrying a hint of excitement.

"I have a gut feeling there's a treasure chest here! And inside that chest is a spellbook! This is my judgment as Great Mage!"

Fern looked at his master's expectant expression, which seemed to say, "The treasure is just ahead, and the path is under your feet," and remained silent for two seconds.

In the end, she said nothing, but silently started walking and followed Frieren. Her movements were steady, as if she had simply decided to take a walk after dinner.

We walked for a while.

The cave was more spacious than I had imagined, with high and wide passageways large enough for several people to walk side by side. The light was not dim; the Anti-Magic Ore scattered on the surrounding rock walls and floor continuously emitted a soft, cool light, illuminating the interior of the cave as a hazy and tranquil silver-blue world. The air was cool, carrying the unique, slightly astringent scent of minerals.

Lowell walked beside Fern, glanced at her sideways, and showed a hint of curiosity on his face.

"Huh?" he said casually, "Fern, aren't you afraid?"

Fern didn't stop, her pale purple eyes fixed straight ahead.

"... Why be afraid?"

"Hmm..." Lowell stroked his chin, as if listing reasons, "In a place like this, as a mage, you can't mobilize a single bit of magic power, right? You can't use any spells, and you can't even use your wide-area magic perception that you usually have on. For a mage who's basically like having 'white eyes' open, it's practically like being blind. Normally, shouldn't you be trembling all over, saying things like 'I'm so scared,' 'It's so dark here,' and 'Let's go back'?"

Fern paused slightly in his steps.

She slightly pursed her lips, a subtle expression rarely seen on her usually calm face. However, unusually, she did not directly refute her.

"Hmm... maybe."

She admitted that her voice remained steady.

"I really do feel like I'm blind, just like you said. My senses are completely blank, and my magic is as silent as if it doesn't exist. It's very strange..."

She paused, then continued walking forward, her gaze sweeping over Lowell's profile beside her.

But aren't you there?

Her tone was matter-of-fact.

"I just witnessed your fighting prowess. If you can't even handle an enemy, then my fighting ability is practically negligible. Why should I be afraid when you're here?"

Lowell scratched his head.

"I see."

"Is that strange?" Fern asked back.

"Uh..." Lowell opened his mouth, then laughed, a laugh that held a hint of ease, even a subtle, almost imperceptible, satisfied pleasure. "Not surprising at all. Haha, really good, really good."

After saying that, he turned around and walked forward with light, brisk steps, humming a little tune.

Fern glanced at him sideways.

"... What's this guy so happy about?"

Frieren was walking ahead, didn't turn her head, but her voice carried a knowing smile.

"Hehe, they're probably happy that they can make people feel safe."

Fern blinked, seemingly puzzled.

"What's there to be happy about? Lord Lowell has always been so powerful."

She thought for a moment, then added, her tone still indifferent.

"Well, although I didn't know he was that monstrously strong before."

"Hmm..." Frieren slowed her pace, waiting for Lowell to approach before continuing, her voice low, as if sharing a secret only they knew, "Although he's strong, he's always lacked confidence and is a bit harsh on himself. He himself has said that he's a conflicted person. He always complains about 'not doing his best' or 'affecting those around him,' though he never sees it that way, always saying he's just a lazy person who goes with the flow and hates trouble..."

She tilted her head slightly, looking at Lowell beside her, her emerald green eyes reflecting the light.

"But sometimes, his standards for himself are unrealistically high. So, he's probably happy because he feels that he's doing a good job and that people can feel at ease with him."

Fern listened quietly, then nodded slightly.

"Hmm... that's for sure. With Lord Lowell around, I imagine we'll feel quite safe, whether we're in the Northern Plateau or anywhere else. It doesn't seem like there's any real danger."

Lowell was walking in front, didn't seem to hear their hushed conversation behind them. Instead, she was taking in the surrounding mineral ruins with great interest.

Frieren watched his carefree figure as he ran and skipped, as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard, and the corners of her mouth curved into a smile.

She suddenly spoke, her voice clear and crisp:

Lowell--

"Huh?" Lowell turned around at the sound.

A bright smile bloomed on Frieren's face, clearly visible in the cold silver light. She waved to him.

"Come on, let me give you a compliment."

Lowell's eyes lit up.

"They're here! They're here!"

He immediately turned around, took a few steps closer to Frieren, bent down slightly, brought his face closer, and looked at her with anticipation in his eyes, like a large animal waiting to be stroked.

Frieren reached out, stood on tiptoe, and casually ruffled his black hair.

"Yes, well done." Her tone was relaxed, with a hint of approval. "Lowell is very reliable."

Lowell couldn't help but smile upwards, revealing an undisguised happy grin.

"Hey-hey."

Fern followed a few steps behind the two, watching this scene, a knowing smile flashing in her pale purple eyes. She whispered softly, in a voice only she could hear:

"Lady Frieren is quite good at spoiling Lady Lowell."