26

Continent of Axal, Rezok Region, Great Kingdom of Haiza. Year 1810. Winter.

The grayish sky and the smoke from the devastated houses tainted the view of the battlefield. And to think with just a few heavy cannons, the landscape could change so drastically.

The now non-existent forest around the mine had completely vanished, with no more trees or trace of green grass, only limestone rock that abounded in the kilometers of the mountain range and crumbled into white dust with every step, swirling around like rough snowflakes.

So grey was the scene that even blood seemed like black ink, spilled everywhere, as if the inkwell had overturned and stained the white canvas we stood upon.

The cannons and rifles didn't cease their thundering. For every couple of meters that we advanced, a tremendous force struck the ground, lifting more and more of that dust and sending dismembered pieces of entrenched soldiers flying.

I dodged shrapnel while zigzagging among the ruins of the abandoned mining huts, slaughtering any enemy I found within them. I had to relentlessly flank the hidden shooters to make way for the battalion behind me, until finally the two opposing forces came close enough to begin a massive melee battle. Phase 1: Clear both flanks. Completed.

Now it was time to deal with those cannons, situated on the rise at the entrance to the old Rezok mine. It was then necessary to climb the trenches that ran up the hill. Immediately they were flooded by allied and enemy soldiers who crammed the entire area, leaving no space to pass through that great brawl. I leaped over them, as if over an ant canal. Those who tried to stop me, met the edge of my sword, slicing through their hands or necks, whatever was in my way.

Finally, I reached the high ground, where five cannons were still firing relentlessly at the battalion. For every projectile that came out, a new one was swiftly loaded by the gunners, while beside them, a mana user recited a command: 『 Ignis Rupta! 』. Then a red pictogram appeared from the mouth of the cannon. The bullet shot out with infernal speed and exploded immediately upon hitting the ground.

No one noticed my presence as I began my siege. I attacked the six operators of the first cannon and dismantled it. There were four more left. All the remaining soldiers guarding the other cannons threw themselves at me to maintain their attack position.

I cut through one body after another until I defeated two complete groups of gunners, but it wasn't long before reinforcements appeared behind me. I constantly fought five men at once, surrounded on all sides without a moment's respite, a dance of parry and dodge everywhere.

When I least expected it, a soldier with his sword tried to stab me in the back while I was trying to block two others in front. I didn't have enough space to evade it, so I gritted my teeth and waited for it to come. And it was about to, if it weren't for another blade intervening.

Jean: 『 Sorry for the delay! 』

Roef: 『 You truly enjoy last-minute entrances, don't you? 』

Jean: 『 You know me well, friend. 』

Jean cleared the space and we exchanged places, both of us starting to dispatch all those around us, including the guards of the prestidigitator, who fled as soon as he was alone, desperately seeking someone to protect him; then, two soldiers appeared out of nowhere, and he then took refuge behind them, issuing a command that caused them to be surrounded by a red miasma.

They moved faster and hit harder than the others. They thought they had the upper hand, but with one stroke, we pierced through their armor without difficulty. They fell to the ground, and the prestidigitator ran away in fear.

His walk didn't last long, as he clumsily tripped over his own feet. There was no need to chase him. I grabbed him by the neck of the chainmail within his light metal armor and threw him back, where he stumbled over Jean's feet.

Jean: 『 Uh... excuse me, but, are you the captain of the batta-? 』

Prestidigitator: 『 IGNIS!! 』

Frightened and desperate, he released a fireball at Jean, causing an explosion and emitting a curtain of black smoke that covered his body briefly. He undoubtedly hit him. The man began to laugh with a certain nervousness and satisfaction at the same time, thinking he had incinerated Jean. But once the hot trail dissipated, his smile vanished.

Jean: 『 Ouch! That burns! Be more careful who you throw that at, friend. Anyone else would've been roasted by now. 』

Prestidigitator: 『 IT... IT CAN'T BE!! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE!! HOW DID YOU EVADE TH-ARGH! 』

It wasn't the time to prolong the matter. I pierced the prestidigitator's skull to finish the mission. Phase 2: Disable the cannons and the strong enemy; was successfully completed.

Roef: 『 Quit playing the fool, Jean. There's no need to talk to the enemy in battle. 』

Jean: 『 *Sigh* As harsh as ever. 』

Roef: 『 In war, one cannot be soft, and you know it. The moment you lower your guard- 』

Jean: 『 I know, I know! Someone will stab me in the back, right? I'm not as forgetful as you think. 』

The enemy forces ended up being overthrown by our battalion. We had nothing left to do. The battle was over. The cries of victory rang out loud as I contemplated the white snowstorm covering the devastated landscape we had to traverse.

Dozens of bodies were buried under the incessant white dust falling on them. Not only were there armored corpses, but men, women, and even children were covered by the dust, creating a grim and desolate portrait. I covered my nose with my scarf to protect myself from those annoying particles and asked myself one question, one thing that bothered me more than enduring that white soot.

Roef: 『 (What's there to celebrate in this?) 』

27

Night fell over the valley. An outpost was formed, and the tents were raised. The paramedics and nurses who arrived moved about quite organizedly, I must say. There were a great number of wounded to attend to, many of them lying on blankets stained with their own blood, covered in bandages all over their bodies, constantly complaining of the torment they had to endure.

Although suffering and agony from the pain were palpable in the atmosphere, they were encapsulated by the heavy calm brought by the night sky and the campfires warming us on the cold, harsh night. Weary soldiers quickly found solace by the fireside, enjoying pleasant conversation and a good (though simple) dinner among comrades, a well-deserved rest after a hard-fought battle.

As I continued to supervise and tally the number of wounded we had, I came across a certain young girl of heavy and grouchy character, serving as a nurse in the camp. At first, I didn't recognize her, as it had been a long time since I had seen her, and I even thought we would never cross paths again. But as soon as our eyes met, I realized it was her.

Roef: 『 Hey, what are you doing here? 』

Veronica: 『 But what kind of greeting is that? Couldn't you be a bit more respectful? Honestly, you haven't changed at all. 』

Roef: 『 I thought you had stayed at the Cleric Siar's refuge. 』

Veronica: 『 I didn't like being there. The nuns were nothing but a nuisance and never allowed us to play. They always told us that we had to learn to behave like adults because sooner or later we would have to get married and have children. 』

Roef: 『 And isn't that true? 』

Veronica: 『 Of course not!! I don't need to get married or have to take care of anyone! 』

Roef: 『 That's what you say, but here you are, having to take care of and tend to the wounded, aren't you? 』

Veronica: 『 Th-This is different!... It's true that I no longer want to be a child. I want to have enough strength to fend for myself, and I know that I must mature even more for that... That's why I offered to help Dr. Martel, to learn as much as possible from him and become a true adult as soon as possible. 』

I don't think that's how one becomes an adult, much less so quickly or at such a young age. But if that's what she wants, she'll manage on her own then. I didn't have time to worry about a girl who thought like that.

Jean: 『 Hey, Roef! So you're here, huh?! What are you still doing on duty? You should come with everyone and celebrate our great victory. 』

As smug as ever. Jean looked so carefree, thinking we were in just a mere celebration. He was toasting and joking along with the other soldiers, with quite a lot of excitement, as if the battle of a few hours ago had never happened and the wounded we had beside us didn't exist. I detest this side of him when he ends up getting drunk; he becomes more annoying than usual.

Jean: 『 Oh? But if it isn't little Veronica! It's been a while since we've seen each other! Tell me, what brings you here? 』

Veronica: 『 Hmph! I don't have to explain it to you. You're too foolish to understand. 』

Whenever these two end up meeting, peace and tranquility disappear. Veronica, who tries to be as composed and proper as possible, detests Jean for his lax and mocking attitude. She always argues with him and scolds him endlessly, but Jean pays little attention and irritates her even more with his irreverent comments.

Jean: 『 Oh, come on! Don't say that! It wounds me to think that someone as pretty as you would hurt my feelings like that. 』

Veronica: 『 P - Pretty? What are you say- ?! 』

Jean: 『 Hey, why don't you come with me! Let's go! 』

Veronica: 『 Wha?-Ahhh!! W-Wait!! 』

Jean took Veronica's hand and with a sudden pull, dragged her to the bonfire where several of the recruits were amid drunken revelry, all dancing and jumping to the tune of an old violin played by one of the veterans.

They spun and twirled as they sang the old cheerful songs of triumph, the past glories of ancient legends that we never quite got to know, but which left us their tales. At least it seemed they were having fun, even Veronica, who followed Jean's bouncing steps and emitted a tender laugh, infected by the soldiers' laughter.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Well, it seems you're having a good time. 』

Roef: 『 Commander! 』

Behind me, Commander Rask appeared without warning, the one who has led every major battle during the course of this war and has commanded our battalion: The Recovery Front. It was a tremendous responsibility to lead the group tasked with liberating the towns from the invading occupation of Tesotl, and of course, it couldn't be entrusted to anyone other than the king's right-hand man. To think we graduated only two years apart, it's incredible to think we're nearly the same age and he already holds such a high rank.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 I've seen how the hill and the mine turned out. It was a tough battle, no doubt. After all that, it doesn't surprise me that you're celebrating. 』

Roef: 『 Sir, I didn't— 』

Laurent: 『 Who would have thought! I didn't think you were so liberal as to throw a party, Roef 』

It had been almost a month since we last saw each other, and this idiot was already starting with his antics. Laurent was a classmate at the academy, both from the same generation. He's an idiot, but he's pretty good at what he does, a specialist in handling long and heavy weapons. That said, he has a knack for annoying me in everything I do, and to top it off, I always end up paired with him. I still don't understand how we ended up in the same squad over and over again. I can't seem to shake him off, it's extremely tiring.

Roef: 『 And who would have thought you'd be capable of coming back in one piece. I'm surprised they didn't have to save your ass this time, as always. 』

Laurent: 『 Ha! As if I needed help. Compared to you, I'm an unstoppable warrior. In fact, I'm so good that I'm surely destined to stop this war and eliminate evil from this world. 』

Roef: 『 Too bad you can't eliminate your idiocy. 』

Laurent: 『 What did you just say?!! 』

Hector: 『 He, he; no doubt you missed each other. 』

On the other hand, Hector was much more to my liking, a much more reasonable person, very cordial and responsible. He always follows orders and performs all tasks correctly. He was the only "normal" being in this team full of loonies and misfits, starting with one in particular...

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Hey, Roef. What in blazes is Jean doing? 』

Ever since Jean joined the group, things have taken a considerable turn for the worse. He's someone very mysterious, doesn't seem to be very intelligent, so to speak, seems like he's always in the clouds, but the talent he has on the battlefield is undeniable, so good that it's almost scary. But he's a complete mystery, we know he comes from the continent of Euralia and from a noble family, but there's no sense in why he's in this war; he doesn't fight for his nation or for issues of any commercial alliance or anything like that, they just put him here with us without any explanation as to why; he just says "he's here to have fun."

Hector: 『 Um, isn't that the girl we met in Ascord? 』

Roef: 『 Yes, she volunteered as a nurse for Dr. Martel and we came across her. Jean ended up dragging her to dance with him and well... there you have it. 』

Hector: 『 I see. But... for a girl to be on a battlefield... 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 It seems we've run short of medical personnel. Well, if she volunteered herself, there's nothing to be done. Besides, it's not our problem. Our job is to go out there and fight and end this war by any means necessary... whatever the cost... 』

The commander was right; we only had to focus on ending the enemy to stop this war between nations. As soldiers, our only duty was to fight for the kingdom and the king, nothing more.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Gather around, everyone. We have matters to discuss. 』

Hector: 『 Yes, sir! 』

Roef: 『 HEY, JEAN!! They're calling us!! Hurry! 』

Jean: 『 OH, COME ON!! DON'T RUIN THE FUN! 』

Roef: 『 QUICKLY!! 』

Jean let out a sort of sigh and complaint at the same time. He let go of Veronica's hand and, as if playing, apologized like a "knight," saying she should excuse him, as he had to attend the commander's call, but that he would dance with her again some other time. Honestly, those words didn't show much credibility and precisely the little girl was not satisfied; she wanted him to truly keep his word.

Veronica: 『 P-Promise me you'll dance with me again! I-I'm only saying this because it's impolite to leave a lady like this! 』

Jean: 『 Of course! I promise we'll meet again very soon... Until then. 』

Jean finally walked away from Veronica and the lively group of soldiers who danced around the blazing bonfire, leaving the girl alone with a sad expression.

We entered a tent a bit away from the firelight, where the laughter and songs could hardly be heard anymore. There wasn't much in that place, just a simple oil lamp hanging from a narrow rope, illuminating a worn and cracked square table where Laurent, Hector, and the Commander's travel bags were also placed, indicating they had just arrived at the camp.

Rask began the meeting by taking out a piece of folded parchment from his pocket, with many creases that he smoothed out as he spread the paper on the table. This revealed a large map full of crossed-out lines and marked points.

He pointed to the place where we were currently: Rezok, that small mining village in the Northeast region of the kingdom, in the largest mineral and gemstone extraction area in the entire continent of Axal.

In essence, we had already cleared the entire border of the invaders from Tesotl, the Northern kingdom, who came seeking to seize the area and all the mineral wealth, as they have no mines in their inhospitable and icy territory.

Even so, it was quite surprising how quickly we managed to defeat the other invading groups in the other villages. Supposedly, their army is one of the most powerful. The initial battles had indeed been very long-lasting, lasting for months even, but gradually, as we advanced and liberated the villages from occupation, it seemed that the difficulty decreased, their troops windled more and more, and the fights now were shorter.

Furthermore, in the nearly two years we've been at war, it has been noted that they have extracted very few catalysts for each area we cleared; sometimes we found the mines intact for some reason. It was too strange, an absolute nonsense. If the reason they came directly here was to plunder our resources, then why weren't they doing it?

There has been no attempt at reconquest or to retake the mines, nor any other movement towards the interior of the kingdom. It was as if they had suddenly disappeared.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 As you may know, gentlemen, we only need to liberate two more enemy outposts: Losalt and Solist, the two largest mana wells in the region, at the foot of Mount Arok. And I'll tell you straight away, perhaps this will be tougher than what happened in Ascord and Almak. 』

As soon as the Commander mentioned Ascord and Almak, only bad memories came to mind of how disastrous that operation was, a huge risk we had to take to ensure the victory of that painful battle, a victory of which I don't feel proud at all and don't want to repeat. If indeed the next could be worse than that hellish experience from a year ago, this time nothing would guarantee that we would win or even come out alive.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 During the reconnaissance mission, 'Spectrus alpha' found what is the largest occupying force of all. I wouldn't lie if I said their numbers are up to ten times more than ours. 』

Roef: 『 Ten times?! Where did they get so many men?! I thought we were evenly matched in numbers by now! 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 It was a surprise to us too; they've practically set up a military city at the entrance to the mega-cavern of the mountain. We don't know if they've been biding their time to attack at some given moment. Either way, we can't afford to wait to find out. We'll have to reclaim the area. 』

Roef: 『 But how on earth are we going to do it?! We have less than a thousand soldiers left here. We won't be able to face them like this! 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 I know, that's why I've requested reinforcements from the capital. But considering that we're also running out of resources and our reputation with the people has declined, it will take at least two or three months at minimum to match their numbers. 』

Two months of waiting?! If we take so long to attack, we'd likely have a massive army of 10,000 men crossing the territory to ravage all the villages and the kingdom's capital. We couldn't afford to waste so much time and give them the initiative.

We needed to come up with an immediate action plan, with a good strategy, but with a very limited number of available pieces. Being realistic, it was something very unlikely to achieve. Sending our few units to the front like this would only result in us being crushed decisively and losing all the territory on the border once again. It would cost us the war entirely.

We all fell silent for a brief moment as we thought about how to solve this dilemma. I started to get a headache from the stress and lack of ideas; it was true that I was also beginning to tire and the situation was getting to me. My head throbbed with internal desperation until Jean suddenly spoke, without taking his eyes off the map, studying it carefully as if searching for something that troubled him.

Jean: 『 You know, there's something that catches my attention here. 』

Laurent: 『 What, really? 』

Jean: 『 Aye, you'll see... I've noticed something odd here in the region, or rather in all the northern lands, and it is that... 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 'and it is that' (?) 』

It seemed that Jean's analytical prowess had captured something in the end, an important detail that could be vital and give us an answer to our problem. We all remained expectant at his dramatic pause, and the slow movement of his lips only made us more tense, until he finally finished his sentence.

Jean: 『 ... All have strange names! 』

Laurent: 『 ... Eh? 』

Jean: 『 It's just that all the places we've passed through have odd names, sometimes I even struggle to pronounce them. Don't you find it strange? 』

We were astonished by Jean's irrelevant comment and reacted with utter disappointment. Truly, I know not what we expected from him if we already knew his immature behavior.

Laurent: 『 *Sigh*! Really\, Jean? I see you remain the same 'Beyarno' as when you arrived. The names are so because they were named by the founding tribes. 』

Jean: 『 Founding tribes? 』

Roef: 『 The pioneering civilizations of the continent, Jean. It's believed they were small villages scattered everywhere, each with its own language and customs. 』

Jean: 『 Oooh, I see. But now almost everyone on the continent speaks the same language, don't they? What happened to them? 』

Laurent: 『 They perished. Many of the kingdoms of Euralia took it upon themselves to destroy and enslave the peoples of the continent during the colonization era. That's why we also have very diverse names and surnames; we're mestizo descendants of the colonizers and the pioneers of Axal, you could say a mix of everything. 』

Roef: 『 Wow, I'm surprised a fool like you knows history. 』

Laurent: 『 I also know how to shut your mouth. Would you like me to show you? 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Alright, that's enough chatter. I want you all to listen carefully. 』

The Commander began explaining his proposal as he usually did. Now that I think about it, most of the plans executed in combat were his doing. Few times did we come up with better strategies than him, even though he allows us to propose and suggest changes on some occasions. It was logical for the leader of the team and the recovery troops to make the important decisions.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 We'll make things a bit more difficult for them. We're going straight for their last rations. 』

Roef: 『 So we're going to starve them? 』

It turns out that a large part of the occupying forces isn't doing so well, to say the least. According to the report, the enemy is experiencing physical exhaustion due to the scarcity of food in winter; water and food supplies had started to run considerably low, and they had nowhere else to plunder now that the villages and towns they invaded were destroyed.

Furthermore, it's worth mentioning the symptoms of stress and anxiety among some of their soldiers, all of which are the result of exploitation and overexertion by their high command. Perhaps some of this was to be expected.

It was true, then, the military training of the forces of Tesotl involved some of the cruelest practices one could imagine. They were deprived of water and food for days, possibly even weeks. There were espionage reports detailing how cadets had to endure torturous punishments ranging from being submerged in freezing water wells, almost in a state of freezing, to being part of human hunts like naked animals. That's how savage they are in that nation.

Clearly, they were also going through a difficult situation, much worse than ours, even. However, what mattered was that they were vulnerable, and we had a good opportunity to weaken them even further.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Indeed. This vast outpost is also a food distribution point. It's from here that all the support and war resources for the attack groups we've faced come and go. If we wait two months for a possible attack, what we five can do for now is weaken the enemy. 』

Hector: 『 But, sir, no matter how little food they have, I don't think we alone can steal all their supplies in a single trip. 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Don't worry, Hector, it won't be necessary. 』

Roef: 『 Sir? 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 We won't steal their food... We're going to destroy it. 』

28

It took a week to prepare things, a little longer than we had anticipated because building a gigantic explosive is no easy task. We managed with what little we had, almost exhausting all the remaining gunpowder supplies we had, and somehow were able to mix it with enough glue and glycerin. It was like a huge, rough stone that only one person could barely carry.

Laurent: 『 *Groan!* Why do I have to carry this thing? 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 You're the expert in heavy weapons, are you not? So don't complain. 』

Laurent: 『 This is unfair! This thing is much different and heavier than a guillotine cannon! 』

Roef: 『 Hmph, you're just a slacker. 』

Laurent: 『 If it weren't for this thing, I would have killed you already. 』

If he wanted to waste his energy so soon by whining like a crybaby, that was on him. It wouldn't be our fault if he fell behind.

We had been walking for several days toward our destination. The border towns are one or two days' journey apart, relatively close to each other. But the journey from Rezok to Mount Arok is different, much farther and more strenuous, especially because of the mountain range we had to cross. It practically took us almost another week to cover the distance... a long and tiresome journey.

We arrived at a cliff, on one of the neighboring hills to the enormous hollow mountain of Arok. A great panorama unfolded before us, with dry and fallen trees covering what once was a lush green forest. The slopes of the hill, where the town of Losalt stood, were now filled with enormous tents, a valley flooded with thousands of men coming and going between the rails that guided them into the mountain's interior while they pushed dirty and half-empty wagons. It was a massive barracks they had set up, almost resembling a city laid upon a rocky floor that was in constant motion.

The mission was to bring it all crashing down, but I wasn't sure if our improvised "powder keg" would be enough, even if it was extra-large. No matter where one looked, there didn't seem to be much potential for success.

Roef: 『 Commander, will this really work? Also, they don't seem as weakened as in the report; it seems challenging to get in there. 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Fear not, Roef. No matter how tough they are, they also have a limit. Currently, they have almost no manpower. 』

Roef: 『 What happened to the people they enslaved here? 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 As in almost all the other villages we've liberated, many fell ill, and others were executed. Now they've had to replace them themselves and believe me, there is nothing more fatiguing than chipping and extracting stone in a dark and sweltering cave. 』

Laurent: 『 If that's the case, why haven't they continued invading more villages in the South? That way, they could enslave more people. 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 I have a few ideas, but I believe the greatest reason they dare not is fear. 』

Laurent: 『 Fear? What the devil would they fear? The sunlight that we have here? 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 I will explain later. Let us focus on the mission. 』

Without giving a clear answer, the commander was the first to draw his pair of climbing axes and latch onto the enormous exposed earthen wall. Jean, Hector, and a slow-moving Laurent followed him down the cliff. I stayed behind as I wandered a bit through my thoughts, intrigued by what the commander had said. Did a cruel and barbaric army like Tesotl truly fear something enough to halt their campaign? Something didn't add up; they were wasting a clear opportunity to seize the entire kingdom. Were they really only here for the mines? Is that all they cared about, and have so little ambition?

Jean: 『 Hey, Roef, aren't you coming? 』

It wasn't wise to be so distracted at this moment. I snapped out of my reverie and set aside the matter. I anchored myself to the wall as well, and we all descended until we were at the same level as the enemy camp. The thick tree trunks that still prevailed in the valley allowed us to conceal ourselves as we approached the watchtowers.

Each tower was guarded by a single soldier carrying his long rifle. All of them had a bell large enough to make a lot of noise and alert all the guards in the perimeter.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Hector, Roef. You know what to do. 』

Hector: 『 Yes, sir. 』

Hector headed to the left tower, and I to the right. We moved stealthily and took cover behind the last trees before reaching the camp.

I drew the bow I carried on my back and took an arrow. I positioned myself at the best possible angle, tensed the string, and quietly recited one of the few commands I knew.

Roef: 『 Caecus mico. 』

The arrow shot out with great speed and without making a sound. The shot was straight to the head of the lookout, who fell suddenly. Hector did the same on his side. We made sure no one noticed as we dragged the bodies away from the towers. We took the uniforms of the two fallen lookouts and put them on.

Thus, we ventured into the enemy camp. Hector and I continued to act as snipers, shooting more ghostly arrows to clear the way. Behind us, Jean and the Commander collected the bodies as they fell and hid them inside the tents; they took a couple of uniforms as well and changed. As the carrier, Laurent was the only one on the team without a disguise, so we had to cover him until we found him camouflage.

We arrived at the antechamber of the entrance to the mega cavern, where those great machines were settled, and upon seeing them up close, I could understand their purpose. The carts arrived full of stone from the mine rails, emptied into a large nozzle, and subsequently, a press worked at full steam to crush them. The remains emerged completely pulverized, yet shimmering flashes were discernible, crystalline pieces emitting a perfect glow that would enchant anyone's eyes.

Jean: 『 Are those...? 』

Hector: 『 Aye, they are diamonds. 』

No one could question the value of the mineral, the things one could buy with those precious stones, one could ensure their entire life immersed in the comfort of wealth, even securing that of their children and grandchildren. But, wasn't this war supposed to be for the collection of catalysts? In none of the other machines did it seem that there was any "tonitruum" or "ingnia calcis". So, what did they need the diamonds for?

The commander and I continued to advance, pretending to be mere officers supervising the work in the extraction area. Rask then pulled out of his pocket a small reddish-brown stone, almost the size of a marble. He passed by one of those machines and, as if tossing a coin into the air, he threw it straight into the chimney.

He quickened his pace slightly to move away and began to whistle as if nothing had happened. Suddenly, the machine seemed to slow down, as if it had jammed. One of the operators approached the lower nozzle from which all the crushed stones emerged to inspect. The contraption made strange noises as if something were bouncing inside. Then, the individual leaned in closer, and "BANG!", bits of metal and rock were shot out, scattering everywhere.

All the soldiers' attention focused on the explosion site. The poor machinist was thrown and lay on the ground with a great number of burns and holes in his body, with bits of shrapnel embedded in his scorched face, almost unrecognizable. A commotion ensued among those trying to help the poor man and those witnessing the disaster caused by the remnants of the machine.

At that moment, we had a clear path to venture in while everyone was distracted. I took one of the carts from the first meters of rails and brought it back to where the loading dock began. The commander signaled to Hector and Jean, who were escorting Laurent with the bomb, to approach the cart quickly and crouched. They arrived immediately without being seen, and Laurent took the opportunity to get inside the cart along with the huge explosive mass. We placed a blanket we found in one of the tents over the cart to cover it and began to move forward.

So, we ventured into the hollow mountain, following the straight rails that seemed to be on a single direct route until inside the gallery, where there was a great tangle of paths winding in multiple imaginable directions towards the depths of the great mana pit.

Hector, who was leading the way, pulled a lever at the side of the switch points of the track, changing the trajectory and sending us onto a contrariel that led us toward a path veering upwards to the left. Now we were on some sort of detour that had enough height to see the entire great cavern and the enormous hole through which the other carts full of soldiers or filled with translucent mineral descended. It was incredible that at the bottom, the pure and clean shine of the diamonds could be detected. It almost seemed like down there was another industrial city, illuminated and constantly bustling. It reminded me a lot of an ant colony, with countless number of tunnels and galleries where one could easily get lost.

Laurent peeked his head slightly to contemplate the panorama of the place and cursed under his breath at all the soldiers who were down there.

Laurent: 『 Damn bastards, not content with ravaging the village here, they come and destroy the interior of the mountain. 』

Roef: 『 Shhh! Keep quiet. 』

Laurent: 『 Hmph! We'll see if they feel so comfortable in here when we crush them. 』

We ventured into one of the small and dimly lit secondary tunnels, where scarcely any light reached, disappearing from sight and into silence. At the end of our path, there was a long vertical wooden staircase embedded in the earthen wall of a narrow pit, just as indicated by the old map of tunnels used by the local miners, which Hector managed to obtain on the last reconnaissance mission. This seemed to lead us to an ancient disused mining chamber that led to the foundations of the mine, the deepest part we could reach and where we would place the bomb.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Very well, stay alert. From this point on, it's uncharted territory for us. We don't know exactly what lies down there, so keep your guard up. Jean, give us some light. 』

Jean: 『 At your service. 』

As if his finger were a small candle, Jean emitted a soft blue light that illuminated the dark descent. That's why I say he's a mystery; we don't know what kind of military training he has or the type of mana he possesses. It was simply incredible to see how he uses it and plays with it within his own body, almost becoming a walking instrument.

In any case, we finished descending the long staircase and reached another small, narrow underground path, which was in total darkness. Now there was no trace of natural light reaching where we were, a sign of how truly deep we were. We followed Jean's luminous trail as we walked between the walls of that tunnel, which began to widen with each step we took.

At first, everything seemed normal, with nothing but black stone all around. However, a strange glow began to bounce off the protrusions of the walls and increase in brightness. I told Jean to lower the intensity of his light, as I was almost going blind from so much luminescence. But as soon as we realized what was truly causing that great splendor...

Jean: 『 Oooooh! 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Hector, are all these...? 』

Hector: 『 No doubt, sir. They are diamonds. 』

Laurent: 『 Ha, ha. Who would have thought? It seems those fools don't know how to search very well, do they? 』

Roef: 『 Wasn't this part supposed to be empty? 』

Hector: 『 Well, that's what the blueprints said... But then, how...? 』

It was too strange; the structure of the walls looked intact, without any marks or tool cuts used by miners. The route wasn't new, nor was it a recent discovery when the settlers exploited the mine. It didn't make sense for all these diamonds to still be here.

Faced with the mystery, we had to keep moving until we reached the ancient chamber we marked for detonation. But Laurent began to obsess over the precious stones and collected them like mad. He had been complaining about the heavy weight of the bomb a while ago, and now he seemed not to care about carrying more things in his hands and pockets, even when they had no space left, and he kept insisting on filling them more.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Laurent, could you leave that? You look like a foolish ape enchanted by jewels. 』

Laurent: 『 Oh, come now, commander! An opportunity like this won't come again, and the more I manage to take, the more money I'll get! 』

Roef: 『 If your logic as a pauper says so... 』

Laurent: 『 You hush. As if you haven't been one too. Ah, with this, I'll finally be able to build a good home for my girls! 』

At least Laurent isn't one of those who spends all his money on prostitutes and mead, but he's not very good at saving either. At least he intended to use his earnings on the farm he and his family had always dreamed of; he always talked about that and his intention to achieve it once this war ends and he retires.

In any case, we weren't there to collect treasures. Laurent seemed like he wouldn't stop no matter how much we tried with our words, so we just kept moving forward, leaving him slightly behind, so he would realize that we were abandoning him, so to speak. But he kept at it, and although he tried to keep up with us, simply with the large number of jewels he was carrying, he couldn't.

Then, Laurent quickened his pace, unconsciously dropping some of those precious stones and marking a trail with them behind him. Of course, his greed didn't want to let any of them go, so he picked up as many as he could from the ground until one of the larger ones fell from his pocket and made an abnormal crunch on the ground that stopped us all.

We turned towards Laurent, and the commander, with annoyance, asked, 『 Laurent! What in the devil was that?! 』 He just stood there saying he didn't know. The gem had gotten stuck on something, and he, once again, tried to pick it up, but as soon as he pulled, that sound was heard again, even louder this time.

The floor started to crack everywhere, until a huge fissure formed right at our feet. We stood motionless watching as the base we were standing on fractured. Hector squatted slightly and with his hand touched the ground and moved the earth on top of it, all to discover what we were really standing on.

Hector: 『 Laurent, whatever you do. Do−not−move. Understood? 』

I performed the same action as Hector, and upon realizing it, I understood why his concern. Beneath us was an opaque yet crystalline layer that held us, so thin it seemed like a sheet of parchment.

Roef: 『 It cannot be. What is this, Hector? 』

Hector: 『 Muscovite. 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 And what is that...? 』

Hector: 『 A mineral that... well... is so thin that if we take a misstep, we'll end up falling into whatever is below it. And we're inside a cavern, so... 』

Roef: 『 *Sigh* But you had to do another one of your foolish acts\, didn't you? 』

Laurent: 『 Don't blame me!! How was I supposed to know?! 』

Hector: 『 Regardless, we need to get out of here. 』

Hector picked up a random pebble from the fragile surface and dared to throw it, trying to gauge how far the stable ground of the mine was. It sounded as if a marble bounced again and again until it landed on what seemed like compact and firm soil. That was where we needed to reach, about five or maybe six meters away. Though it might seem little, it would be very challenging to reach.

In order, one by one, we began to move, guided by Hector's slow and careful steps in the lead. We tried to exert as little pressure as possible on our footsteps against the thin ground, a difficult task considering we all wore our boots and carried an immense explosive.

But with each step we took, a dreadful creak echoed throughout the chamber. It didn't matter if we moved slower than a caravan of turtles; the fine glassy layer couldn't bear our weight. Cold sweat dripped from our foreheads, expressing the anxiety we felt, despite our efforts to contain it, eager to end this lethargy.

When it finally seemed like we were making progress, Laurent tried to rearrange his hands full of those diamond samples that had attracted him so much. He struggled with himself, almost seeming to juggle with them, but in his eagerness to carry them all, he didn't notice that one of the many he had in his right pocket began to slip from him until it fell.

Roef: 『 NOOOOO! 』

I, who came behind, let out a cry of denial as I tried to catch the gem in the air. I stretched as far as I could, unable to take a step to grab it, but I wasn't close enough.

The stone brushed the tips of my fingers and consequently fell against the muscovite. Immediately, a hole opened where it fell, and the thin crystalline layer of the ground began to crack again, intertwining with the other stone that Laurent had previously dropped, creating a large gap that passed beneath our feet.

We all froze at the deep creaks that filled the chamber, abruptly halting our progress and increasing the tension. It wasn't until the huge crevice stopped opening that everything became silent again.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Has it stopped? 』

Hector: 『 It seems so, sir. 』

Jean: 『 Phew, that was close. 』

Laurent: 『 He, he. I guess it wasn't so thin after all. 』

Hector: 『 Regardless, we have to get out of here. 』

Roef: 『 Seriously, you're a− (!) 』

("CRACK!")

In the end, what we so desperately wanted to avoid happened. The muscovite couldn't hold any longer and ended up splitting wide open. And like mere pine cones falling from a tree, we descended in unison with a scream.

Now we floated amid a void pulling us downwards, to a dark pit with who knows what lay at the bottom. I don't exactly recall how long we fell, but it seemed like it would never end. Nevertheless, we had no intention of finding out how long it would take to hit the ground.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Axes, now! 』

We quickly drew out the climbing axes and drove them directly into the walls of the pit, but the side base was so hard and irregular that sparks flew as the metal tips scraped against it. We pressed our climbing tools as hard as we could to slow our falling speed, but the more we demanded of them, the more I saw them start to dull.

In the end, we hit the bottom, landing abruptly and in disarray, but at least we avoided a dry fall with much greater momentum. Ultimately, the axes ended up useless, either blunt or completely broken.

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Argh, damn! Are you all right? 』

Jean: 『 He, he. Well, that was fun. 』

Roef: 『 Damn−mmgh−it! Can't you, for once, not mess everything up? 』

Laurent: 『 Ah, of course! It's always my fault, right?! As if you're the perfect lord who never makes mistakes?! Have you already forgotten what you did in Soleosis?! 』

Roef: 『 Don't you dare mention it! You're partly to blame too! 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 ENOUGH, BOTH OF YOU! What happened back then is irrelevant now. If you truly want to make amends, then focus on the blasted mission already! Is that clear?! 』

With disdain and disgust towards each other, Laurent and I responded with a begrudging "Yes, sir," cutting short our ongoing argument. The commander instructed Hector to check the bomb for any damage. He examined it quickly, inspecting and touching the massive lump to ensure it hadn't broken or cracked.

Hector: 『 All is in order, sir. 』

Cmdr. Rask: 『 Good, then let's keep moving. Let's see where this leads us. We'll figure out how to get out of here. 』

Jean: 『 I wish this would lead us to a place with a tasty steak. I'm starving. 』

Laurent: 『 Jean, don't start. I'm not in the mood right now. 』

And so, we delved into the unknown abyss, within the vast and increasingly mysterious mine of the mountain. No longer caring, I merely wished to end this ordeal and return to base. I was beginning to loathe the internal heat of the gallery, and Laurent's presence only served to exacerbate my irritation.

Roef: 『 I just hope this truly works. 』