Elliot sighed and ended the call.
As the Expedition Army dived deeper, communication between him and the front lines gradually grew more difficult.
By now, he could barely receive a complete sentence, only scattered words.
"Looks like this is the limit. If they go any deeper, we probably won't be able to communicate at all."
"Still, things are going well over there. Apparently, they've found plenty of mines. The mines in the Deep Zone actually connect into one vast stretch. That's better than what we have here."
Elliot glanced out the window.
A gigantic Nightmare hovered far in the distance, slowly swaying its limbs.
"Cora! Cora!"
Cora fumbled as she pushed the door open. The dark circles under her eyes were rather pronounced, despite her being a Middle Rank Supernatural person who could stay up for a day or two without much trouble.
"Wh-wh-wh-what is it, my lord?!"
Elliot glanced at her and sighed inwardly.
He rather missed the Old Butler. Cora was barely adequate as a secretary, and sometimes she even made a mess of things when trouble arose.
"How many mines have we found now?"
Cora hurriedly flipped through her notebook. "Thirty-seven, my lord. You've found more mines in these past few days than were found in the previous three years!"
At her words, the other crew members around them could not help turning reverent gazes on Elliot.
This young Duke had truly exceeded everyone's expectations.
When they found the first mine, most people simply thought it was good luck.
Elliot still had to deal with the Machine Priests' doubts, proving himself by praying to a Great Being.
When they found the fifth mine, those doubts were buried deep inside, and no one dared openly contradict him.
When they found the tenth mine, the stunned people no longer