"Whoooosh..."
"Wow, you really breathe loudly."
Perhaps it was because I maintained a steady altitude, but at some point, Aki fell into a deep sleep. The distance to the Plenus Mine was still quite considerable.
"Let’s see…"
I examined the Tatra Nex, the Tanex, that I was wearing. I had once used the Tanex during the war when the Dark Elves began mass-producing it in <Paradiso> after seizing it. Thus, I was well acquainted with its internal management system and mobility structure. There was no better content for a blog post than the Tanex, making it a thrilling ride for me.
Then, at that moment.
"Huh?"
As I carefully inspected the Tanex using the mirror I brought, I noticed a peculiar detail—a tiny hole subtly drilled beneath the small spirit stone embedded in the forehead area. At first glance, it seemed like a defect from the production process, but…
"Is this for data collection?"
I quickly understood its purpose. It was a kind of screen sharing. The Tanex moved its head to follow my gaze, meaning whatever I saw, the Tanex could see too. Of course, it shouldn't have been a problem since the pilot and I were the same person. However, the key point was that this transcendental being still had its confidential secrets firmly in the hands of Sabio.
Twinkle. Twinkle.
Though the light was faint, something definitely was running inside.
"Well, that's fine. It would welcome any data I could provide, as it could give feedback to the transcendental being. And if I utilize it well, it will only increase Sabio's curiosity. Perhaps he might even seek me out directly."
I decided not to worry about it. After all, when I had important conversations or was in significant places, I isolated the Tanex in a pocket dimension. Nothing from the outside could seep in, so security was never an issue.
"Um..."
Just then, Aki, lost in sleep, twisted around in the firm grip of the Tanex. This guy must have thought he was in his own bed, too comfortable in his deep slumber.
"Hey, hey!"
I grabbed Aki's upper body and pulled him back to his original position. Yet then,
"Huh?"
Something felt strange. My fingertips brushed over his shoulder and abdomen, and I felt a curious bulge. This guy had never exercised, so his body couldn't possibly have solid muscles. Was it just flabby fat? Now that I thought about it, I had recently heard that he was traveling around, trying out all sorts of famous eateries to set new food trends.
"Did I make him work too hard in the upper management tasks? I should force him to have some exercise time from now on."
I felt a bit guilty. After all, Aki had been overwhelmed with work lately, seemingly delighted to escape his hectic schedule for a brief travel, except it was not a proper trip.
"This guy."
I gently stroked Aki's head. He must have suffered a lot meeting a ruthless lord who wouldn't let him rest. Time passed in this way.
As the stored magical power in the Tanex began to run low…
"I see it."
Just as we crossed over a mountain ridge, a myriad of torches flickered in the distance. It was our destination, the Plenus Mine. Among the many people there, a talent still waiting to bloom was hidden away— the father of metallurgy, Asero.
Three years after the outbreak of the Holy War, he would accidentally discover Keldia while examining ore. This was around the point where players in <Paradiso> would commence the main quest of "The Begining of the Great Counterattack!" From this moment on, weapons made of Keldia began to supply the Holy Alliance, giving them an edge against the Iron-armed Demon Army.
During the Battle of Cinders, the Cinder Kingdom became a base for the Demon Army; thus, it acquired this name—a true representation of the stage for the great counterattack. In this process, Valdes, who is now my retainer, would perish as a propaganda officer for the Demon Army within the quest.
All the Demon Army would flee, and Valdes would stand alone on the podium, brutally butchered by the allied forces, bleeding and delivering a speech until his last breath. The very gruesomeness of that scene required a warning and an age verification to view the footage.
"Will the original history advance by 12 years?"
If I calculated correctly, yes. By then, Asero would certainly become a renowned blacksmith. But for now, he was just another blacksmith in the mines. No one recognized his value, so he toiled in the depths of the mine.
"In <Paradiso>, I wasn’t able to fully explore metal studies; in this life, I’ll have my fill."
Smiling, I increased my speed.
In <Paradiso>, Asero had been experimenting with various metals in the mine but ended up taking the blame for metal embezzlement from his superior, which led to him receiving a hundred lashes. After that, he became 'crippled' and spent years in misery. I certainly didn’t want to repeat such a tragedy in this life!
"Aki, we’re almost there."
"Huh? What? Already there?"
"What do you mean already? You've been asleep for over eight hours. How could you not wake up even once?"
"Well! Maybe it's because I felt my lord's warmth."
"Oh right, Aki."
"What is it?"
"Drop a few pounds. I was turning you back into position when I was taken by surprise touching your chubby body."
"Eh? What? You touched my body?"
"Why are you so shocked? It’s just a lump of fat."
"Oh, my lord! Still! No! You can't just touch me like that!"
"Then is it okay for me to hold your waist while riding like this?"
"That's! That's a bit different!"
Suddenly, Aki's face turned bright red. Why was he making such a fuss? We were close enough to go to a bathhouse and see each other’s naked bodies, after all.
"Shut up and prepare to land. It's time to give the guards their money, one after another."
"A... okay..."
I attempted to lighten the mood, but Aki seemed to have been hit hard by a backlash. So, I decided to wait. Besides, it was also the right time to recharge the Tanex, which had almost exhausted most of its magical power.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In a small forge allocated to him, Asero was hammering away at the anvil, sweat rolling down his face, while everyone else had fallen into deep sleep after dinner in the hellish mines. Despite the poor facilities, filled with suffocating heat and smoke, Asero actually found joy here.
In his forge, where his name was written, he felt like he owned the world as he played with the metal. Others from the mine had returned home long ago, but Asero remained fully absorbed in his work.
Then, at that moment.
"Asero!"
A heavy-set man with a thick voice barged into the forge. He was Baku, Asero's supervisor and the overseer of Zone 23 in the Plenus Mine. The authority and infamous reputation of Baku were such that even supervisors from other regions wouldn’t dare approach him, so Asero immediately stopped hammering and bowed.
"Supervisor Baku!"
"You brat! I told you repeatedly not to use the iron on your personal projects! Who do you think you are to waste the kingdom's resources so recklessly?"
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Ugh! Argh! Aaaaah!"
Before his words finished, Baku ruthlessly crushed Asero. With over 100 kilograms of weight behind each kick, the slender Asero could only feel his bones crushing under the immense pain.
"I could count how many times I warned you, and it would be as long as our mother's age, you brat! You ignore my orders, and the others think they can stand up to me! I’ll teach you a lesson right now!"
Whap! Whap! Whap!
"Argh!"
As the kicking turned to whipping, Asero's screams grew louder. Baku was strong, and every single strike felt like his bones were splintering. It felt like he was going to die.
He had not taken the pure iron without authorization. He was merely using impurities obtained from another forge to conduct various experiments. But to Baku, who viewed even those impurities as personal assets, this was unforgivable.
"I’m not providing you with research materials, and you continue to disregard my orders? I’ll kill you right now. Let me tell you, even if a blacksmith like you dies, I can easily submit a report. Do you understand?"
Baku seethed, his eyes scanning the surroundings with malice. Just then, his gaze landed on a steel axe left behind by the mine's laborer. It was an axe designated for Asero's repairs.
Having completely lost his temper, Baku immediately picked up the axe and swung it down on Asero’s head without a second thought.
"AAAH!"
Asero screamed. But just then…
"Wait!"
The axe's descent was suddenly halted. Someone had seized Baku's shoulder and arm.
"What the?"
Baku turned to look over his shoulder. A man in plain clothes was gripping his arm tightly without letting go.
"What the hell? Who do you think you are, holding my arm? Seems like a new recruit. Have you lost your mind?"
Baku stretched out his left hand, intending to shove the man backward. He thought he had pushed him back with considerable force, but the man didn't budge, solid as a wall.
Baku was momentarily flustered but maintained his aggressive demeanor.
"What did you say, you brat?"
"I'm Asero's relative. I just came to have a brief chat, so please step aside."
The man's voice was calm. There was another man behind him, seemingly a servant, watching the situation with a very curious expression, as if he hoped something would happen.
Baku's pride was hurt. He was the so-called 'Demon Supervisor' and the king of the Plenus Mine.
"Relative or whatever, this is my territory, and Asero is a blacksmith under my supervision. Even if his parents came, they wouldn’t be able to do as they please here."
At that moment, the man received a leather pouch from the servant behind him and threw it at Baku.
Thud!
"This is a gift for you, so you can have a nice conversation with Asero. Open it."
Suddenly the man's tone shifted to a commanding one. He acted so brazenly that Baku had no time to be stunned.
He decided to open the pouch handed to him first, feeling an odd sense of expectation about what might be inside.
“Where’s this brat messing around… huh?”
Baku’s expression changed to shock as he looked into the pouch. Inside was a magnificent display of shimmering gold coins.
He rummaged through it, fearing there might be silver or copper coins mixed in, but all of it was pure gold—without a doubt. It was at least 100 gold coins, likely more. In salary terms, it equated to three years’ worth of his own pay as a supervisor!
"The pouch still has more."
"Oh, wait! How did this suddenly come about… um, sorry, who are you?"
Baku's tone abruptly turned polite. The crazed man who had moments ago sought to take Asero’s life was gone.
"Does it matter? If you can do what I say, I’ll give you three more pouches filled with gold coins like this."
"Here!"
The servant behind him vigorously waved three leather pouches in Baku's direction. Gold! For Baku, who lived and died for money, it was an irresistible temptation.
"What do I need to do?"
Baku instantly turned obedient.
Then, the man pulled on Baku's chubby ear, leaned close, and whispered coldly into his ear.
"Prepare a certificate confirming Asero's dismissal from the Plenus Mine. Make sure it has the seal of the general director."
"…!”
“Then, I will add nine years’ worth of salary to that."
"Okay! I shall do as you command!"
Without a moment’s hesitation, Baku cast aside his pride on the spot and sold his soul for the man’s money.
Chapter 100