As I was building the various villagerās houses in the morning, Orto and the others walked over to me.
āWe heard that you were buying ore.ā
They called out to me and I turned around. I saw that Orto and the others had brought a large amount of ore along with them in addition to the regular lumber shipment.
āMaybe itās because the nearby forest is at the foot of the Wolfsburg Mountains, but there are many hexenbiests that are tough to deal with. That could be why there are many rare minerals that can be found without needing to excavate the mountain.ā (T.N. Note: I have decided that I will use āhexenbiestā as the word for monsters.)
Saying that, Orto and the others take out the ores and lay them out in front of me.
āThis one is iron ore, and we also got some copper, silver and gold. And then thereāsā¦ donāt be too surprised, mithril ore too.ā
Orto happily reports the last one. I felt an irresistible thrill at the stunning blue-silver stone.
āMithril! Thatās great! I canāt believe you were able to mind some in the forestā¦ why hasnāt it been mined before?ā
I let out a shout of wonder. Orto crossed his arms and snorted in response.
āIām guessing that, due to the distance and lack of convenience, the only things the administration has done in this remote area are simple explorative missions. And to a knightās eye, ores and herbs donāt draw much attention.ā
āI see. So the ores were something that only an adventurer would pay attention to. What a lucky break. If we can already find so many ores in the forest, there must be considerable resources locked within the stone body of the Wolfsburg Mountains.ā
As I uttered this, Espada, who arrived sometime after Orto, raised an eyebrow curiously.
āBut itās unusual. Itās not very common to hear of metal ores being found in the forest instead of the mountains. If itās something like iron sand, we often hear about it, but ores in lumps like that are considered very rareā¦ The exception would be if itās near a dungeon where ore based stone golems, iron golems, and other such things roam around.ā
Orto and the others look at Espada, who put forward such a convincing theory, and then turned to look at each other.
āā¦Did you find any traces of any golem-like hexenbiest?ā
āNoā¦ we couldnāt find any traces. Perhaps the golem was extremely old andĀ their other remains had already decayed?ā
āCould there be a dungeon?ā
āI donāt know. This area has not been searched very thoroughly, so could very well be a dungeon.ā
After finishing the exchange, Orth and the others looked at me with serious expressions.
āā¦Van-sama. If a dungeon is discovered, it will result in great changes to this area. A large number of people and goods will gather here due to the immense profits a dungeon offers.ā
The edge of my mouth rose at those words.
āA new dungeon, huh? If we really find a dungeon, the importance of the village will increase dramatically.ā
After all, dungeons are a treasure trove of resources. Furthermore, when it comes to new dungeons, there are often uniques treasures and legacies of incredible worth within.
Members of the Adventurerās Guild must report any dungeon they discover to the guild. After receiving such a report, they immediately set up a branch office at the location of the dungeon in the nearest town or village.
There is no way any country would leave a strategically important location unattended. Most of the national treasures held by countries, such as armor and treasures, were found in dungeons.
However, this interest can also draw unwanted attention and conflict.
āEven if this village were to make such a report in its current state, it would not be able to weather the storm that such a report would create,ā
When I said this, Orto and Espada nodded their heads.
āThatās right. A large number of adventurers, peddlers, and even a group of knights to investigate would come. We lack the capability to provide even the most basic commodities including equipment, shelter, and food. That is not even mentioning our complete lack of facilities.ā
āThe neighboring countries also might invade for profit. No, it isnāt just a possibility, they will certainly have no qualms invading such a defenseless territory.ā
When I added this prediction, Espada silently began to pull at his chin.
Next to him, Orto and the others also made troubled faces.
āā¦In other words, we should stay away from the dungeon for the time being?ā
āWhy donāt we just explore it without telling anyone?ā
āIdiot, didnāt you hear what I just said?ā
Even though Orto and the others were discussing with difficult faces, Pluriel crossed her arms and turned her face towards us.
āAs soon as we report that there is a dungeon, we can get a group of knights to be sent out right away, right? Besides, with Master Vanās magic, weāll have our infrastructure and facilities built in no time.ā
I chuckle at such a question.
āIām a nuisance, you know. They will simply kick me out and replace me if they find out that this territory has so much value. Thatās why I need to find a dungeon after Iāve made a large enough achievement or contribution so that they think I am valuable enough to keep my job.ā
When I replied, Pluriel raised her eyebrows in consternation.
āā¦.I see. Then it canāt be helped.ā
She replied and turned to Orto and the others.
āLetās all just gather resources and forget about the dungeon for now,ā
āOh? Uh, yeah. Got it.ā
āAlright.ā
Orto and the others easily agreed with our wishes. For an adventurer, discovering a new dungeon is a great achievement. Furthermore, if they reported it, they could dive into the dungeon at the same time as the adventurerās guild investigators arrived.
In other words, you can be the first to search for the dungeonās treasures. In terms of mapping out the inside of the dungeon, the people who search first are at a huge advantage.
It was probably an act of altruism that Orto and his comrades agreed to not go off to discover the dungeon. After all, even though it would have been unimaginably profitable, they still chose to put the villageās interests before theirs.
I have a similar duty to Orto. In my case, in order to bring prosperity to the country and riches to all of the landed nobility, I am obligated to report any dungeons that I find in my territory.
However, I have my position to consider. I am currently viewed as being worthless and as someone with no future. If I report that I found a dungeon, one of my brothers will make me give up my territory.
So, I must first make this village my own.
With renewed determination, I pick up the piece of iron ore that was laid out on the ground.
When I focused my magic power on the iron ore, I found that my magic was able to permeate and enter the inside of the metal. In the case of the wood, it penetrated as if crawling through many layers of trenches evenly, but in the case of the iron ore, it was divided into two parts: a layer where the magic power a while to penetrate and a core where it penetrated instantly.
On a whim, I turned the part that was easier to penetrate into a fine sand and separated it from the rest of the iron ore.
Something metallic, and only a third of the original size, was left behind.
āTo think that weāve already acquired iron!ā
He heard Ortoās surprise and looked up.
āAlthough we have it, we canāt melt it down and remove its impurities, so I canāt tell how good it would be as a material.ā
As I responded, Ksara pointed to the iron with a glint in his eyes.
āWould you building me a sword with it to test it out, then? It would be good if the sword if you make the sword to be thin and double-edged!ā
The other adventurers blinked in confusion when Ksara said that.
āDid that guy like swords so much?ā
āSomethingās been wrong with him since last night.ā
āDo you think the weapons the kid makes will sell for a lot of money later?ā
Everyone else still didnāt know that Kamsin and Tillās wooden weapons were abnormally sharp.
Kasara smiled wryly, then laughed with an evil look on his face.
Well, I felt sorry about the leather shield, so I humored him.
āWell, it will be one gold coin for the dagger. Two gold coins for a long sword.ā
āSo cheap! Then Iāll order one dagger and long sword each, please!ā
It was a quick decision. I think the total price is around 1 to 2 million yen.
While I calculated the price, Orto and the othersā expressions were subtle.
āIsnāt it a bit pricey?
I know. They are just iron weapons, right? Generally, they would go for about five to eight large silver coins.
What an expensive priceā¦ is what they must be thinking.
But Ksara opens his mouth with a deepening smile.
āHmphā¦ I donāt know if Iāll regret it. Then, boy. Iāll give you three gold coins.ā
Ksara happily brought out three gold coins and paid me with them, and while I began to visualize the weapons I would make, I touched the iron.
Now that I have enough materials, I can start making the first item, a dagger.