Chapter 8 – Gathering Gems in the Mine
“The gems are sleeping inside the rocks of the mine, aren’t they? Does this mean I have to excavate the rock, break it apart, and search for the gems inside?”
Emperor Eckardt had said ‘gathering gems’ in such a light tone, but in reality, it involved carving into rock and mining, didn’t it? When I confirmed this with Sigmund, he sighed as if exasperated.
“You’re surprisingly wild, aren’t you, Princess?”
“Wild? Goodness, how can you say such a thing to a delicate, frail young lady like me, who you could find anywhere?”
Reflexively, I gave a smooth reply that would have made the knights back home bug their eyes out if they heard it.
Back home, I was the supreme commander of the Knight Order and the highest-ranking mage, so everyone feared me. But I am also a woman of marriageable age; living a life where everyone fears me is something I’d like to avoid if possible.
In that respect, hardly anyone in this country knows me, so I might be able to pretend to be frail without getting caught.
Since I was born looking rather delicate, and the beastmen seem to think the human race is frail in general, mimicking a weak person might be a good idea.
Thinking this, I tried to act the part of a delicate, frail young lady, but for some reason, Sigmund looked suspicious.
Oh dear. He couldn’t possibly know about my life in the Sapphraine Holy Kingdom, so what was he doubting?
“You’re always so composed, Princess. You never get flustered, troubled, or frightened. For a sixteen-year-old princess who came alone to marry into an unknown country, I have to say your behavior is… abnormal.”
“Oh, surely not.”
Sigmund may look rough, but he checks the details surprisingly well.
“Surely so. To tell you the truth, I’m always told that my intimidating aura is overwhelming.”
“Pardon?”
What was Sigmund suddenly talking about?
“The heads of the Eight Holy Ducal Houses all have overwhelming intimidating auras. Most people can’t even stand being in the same room as us without turning pale or starting to shake. And yet, from the very beginning, you’ve been talking to me and Lutz calmly. At first, I thought you were just incredibly insensitive… but that’s not it. You’re genuinely unaffected, aren’t you?”
I felt like he’d said something incredibly rude, but deciding this wasn’t the place to retort, I put on a serious, sincere expression.
“I would never do something as rude as fearing you when you haven’t done anything!”
I didn’t know what the ‘correct’ answer was, so I tried emphasizing that I was a polite young lady, hoping that would be well-received. But Sigmund didn’t seem impressed; he just shook his head wearily.
“That’s not what I meant, but I suppose you wouldn’t understand. And the fact that you don’t understand is the answer itself. Well, basically… the fear people feel when facing me is instinctive, a biological reaction… so if you feel nothing, Princess, it means you are the strong one.”
“…”
If someone asked, ‘Who is the strongest in the Sapphraine Holy Kingdom?’, everyone would point to me. I was self-aware enough to know I was strong, so I couldn’t reply and fell silent.
Just from that silence, Sigmund seemed to realize something. Then, unexpectedly—perhaps out of consideration for me—he abruptly changed the subject.
“Well, whatever. I don’t know the right answer, so I’ll reserve judgment on whether you’re delicate or not.”
“Understood.”
I figured it was a win just not being branded ‘strong’ right here and now, so I quickly accepted Sigmund’s words.
I know when to quit while I’m ahead.
“So, we were talking about gems. Of course, gems usually sleep inside rocks, so they must be artificially excavated. However, in our country, we discovered a method of excavation using special insects.”
“Special insects?”
It was the first I’d heard of such a thing, so I asked him what he meant.
Sigmund looked just a little bit proud.
“Yes. To be more precise, we discovered insects that eat large quantities of specific types of rock. So, while it’s limited to mines composed of those rocks, we can now obtain gems without artificial excavation. Fortunately, this mine is one of them. The insects don’t eat the gems, so the leftover gems are just lying on the ground.”
“My, what a convenient method.”
As I expressed my surprise at this unheard-of, revolutionary method, Sigmund added more explanation.
“Yesterday, we smoked the mine with a smoke these insects dislike. So for today, the insects should be hiding deep within the rocks and won’t come out. You can walk slowly through the tunnels and search for the fallen gems. Please, choose whichever ones you like.”
“Understood!”
“Gem gathering is going to be so easy,” I thought, smiling. But Sigmund was looking at me suspiciously.
Seeing his expression, I stopped moving. Oh my, did I make another mistake? But nothing came to mind, so I just kept smiling until Sigmund tilted his head and asked,
“Aren’t you afraid of bugs, Princess? I didn’t explain, but these insects are about fifteen centimeters long, rod-shaped, with many legs. They aren’t pleasant to look at.”
Only after he said that did I understand what he was getting at.
Ah, was I supposed to be afraid of bugs here?
I’ve heard that many young ladies dislike bugs. That must be why Sigmund used the smoke—to ensure I wouldn’t encounter them.
In reality, I’ve experienced long-term camping during Knight Order expeditions, so I lost the ‘Eek, bugs!☆’ sensibility long ago. But if I want to maintain my position as a delicate, frail young lady, I should probably act scared.
I hugged my body with both arms, lowered my brows, and looked up at Sigmund.
“Oh, thank goodness! I’m so glad they won’t come out! They seem useful, so if I annihilated them, I’m sure there would be complaints. And if they’re fifteen centimeters long, they’d be too hard to be edible, so I would have been at a loss for what to do with them.”
“You’re only revealing your true colors, so please stop talking.”
I went out of my way to comment like a delicate young lady, yet Sigmund scowled and complained. My, how rude.
I pouted, but he didn’t notice. Instead, he looked down, his gaze fixing on my feet in surprise.
“Princess, what is on your feet?!”
“Eh, my feet? I’m just wearing normal shoes.”
There’s nothing to be surprised about, I thought, looking down at my pumps with their high, thin heels. But Sigmund didn’t seem to think the same way. He scolded me.
“This isn’t a party venue! Why on earth are you wearing such difficult-to-walk-in shoes?! Common sense dictates you should wear boots!!”
“I won’t fall, so it’s fine. I always wear pin heels. I’m used to them.”
Back home, it was common knowledge that I always wore pin heels, so no one ever bothered to mention it. But here, everyone reacts differently, which is refreshing.
“‘Always’…? Princess, you were the top of the Knight Order in your homeland, right? Didn’t you wear a knight’s uniform!?”
“Yes, I wore a uniform, but on my feet, I wore pin heels.”
“…You’re not going to tell me you wore them on the battlefield too?”
Sigmund asked with an expression of disbelief, and I nodded.
“Yes, even on the battlefield!”
After all, I have the best balance in pin heels, so in an important place like a battlefield, I should wear the shoes that suit me best.
In my experience, I’ve never once had trouble wearing pin heels, yet when Sigmund saw my smile, he slumped his shoulders in resignation, saying, “It was my mistake for trusting your common sense and not bringing boots.”
Then, still looking dejected, he held out the birdcage he was carrying.
“I’ve given up on the shoes. At least take this, so the gem gathering will finish a little faster.”
It was the cage Sigmund had brought from the hut near the mine entrance earlier.
Intrigued by what might be inside, I removed the cloth covering the cage to reveal a small bird with a mix of light blue and yellow feathers.
“Oh, a little bird?”
“Yes. This bird has undergone special training to sense gems.”
I peered into the cage, and the little bird looked back at me with round, dark eyes.
“It tells you where gems are. If this bird starts singing, it means there are gems fallen nearby. Once you get used to it, you’ll be able to tell roughly where the gems are by how the bird sings.”
“My, that is wonderful.”
I peered into the cage with eyes full of expectation.
Peep-peep, peep-peep, the little bird chirped.
I quickly crouched down, scanning the ground with eyes like saucers. Walking behind me, Sigmund illuminated the area with a light stone he held in his hand.
“Princess, you can find gems of various colors in this mine. So, if you find one that clearly isn’t to your taste, you can just leave it there. However, if you don’t mind, I recommend taking all the gems back with you first, and then taking your time to choose the ones you like.”
True, it’s difficult to accurately judge the color of the gems in this dim light, so taking them all back first seems like a good idea.
As I nodded at Sigmund’s words, he added something after a moment of thought.
“Um, if you like, I can help you choose the gems. No, wait, I don’t have good taste, so that’s no good! I have an acquaintance with an excellent sense of color, so I’ll introduce you to them.”
Sigmund is probably thinking of what his mother said at breakfast.
‘When you think about it, this ‘gem gathering’ tradition might be rather cruel for some races. I hear the human race doesn’t have very good eyesight. I wonder if you’ll be able to discern the deeper shades, or if you’ll just pick up a mismatched set? The overall harmony is what matters, after all.’
The former duchess essentially wanted to say that taste is important.
I don’t think I have bad taste, but it’s not particularly amazing either… I thought, tilting my head.
“But don’t I have to choose the gems for my wedding dress myself?”
I wondered if it was okay to borrow someone else’s help, and when I asked, Sigmund shrugged.
“Officially, yes. But in reality, many young ladies ask tailors or jewelers to select the gems for them.”
I see, a common ‘noble secret.’ But surely there are young ladies who follow the rules. In that case, the future Empress, who should be a model for everyone, shouldn’t cheat.
“Thank you for telling me. But I want to choose them myself.”
When I gently declined Sigmund’s offer, his face clouded over. It seemed he was worried, so I tried rephrasing it in terms beastmen might prefer.
“Gem gathering is a kind of contest, isn’t it! And I have never once run away from a contest.”
Beastmen are apparently combative, so I thought this might make him accept my feelings. But Sigmund tilted his head, looking unconvinced.
“Is that so? You don’t look like the type to pick a fight for your own sake, Princess.”
“Eh… Well, maybe I don’t actively pick fights very often. But when a fight is sold to me, I always buy it at the asking price.”
I tried to say I wasn’t just quiet and submissive, but Sigmund scowled.
“That’s the problem! Buying at the asking price is out of the question! The basics are to get it for free, and if that’s impossible, beat the price down as low as you can!”
Sigmund said something very un-duke-like, then fixed his gaze on my feet. Wondering what it was, I followed his gaze and saw a gem sparkling.
“Ah, a gem!”
The bird had been singing for a while, but I hadn’t realized one was right here. I reached out and picked up the shining stone.
Bringing it close to the light stone, I examined it closely. It was a small gem that shone with a golden light.
“I did it! It’s the first gem I’ve found, so maybe I’ll keep it as a memento. One gem in an hour… they really aren’t easy to find, are they?”
Sigmund had said that no one had entered this mine for nearly a month, except to smoke it out. So I had assumed there would be plenty of gems lying around, but after walking for an hour, I’d only found one.
Thinking, “Is this normal?”, I looked up at Sigmund, only to find him looking like he’d swallowed a bitter bug.
“No, this scarcity is abnormal. It’s so few that I’m starting to suspect someone entered the mine early this morning and gathered them all up.”
“Surely not…”
Realizing what Sigmund was implying, I was at a loss for words, but he stated it clearly.
“Yes, I think it’s the work of my clan!”
Sigmund looked depressed, but of course, it wasn’t his fault.
When I first heard about the gem gathering, I suspected Emperor Eckardt might be planning to humiliate me by sending me to a mine with no gems, so he could say, ‘The future Empress could only find this paltry amount.’
My fear that the Emperor would do something was unfounded, but the bad outcome I predicted seemed to be coming true.
I let out a sigh and muttered, “That is a problem.”
“What’s been gathered can’t be helped. I plan to stay in the Wolf territory for about a week, so let’s pray that the insects excavate new gems during that time.”
Sigmund, who had braced himself for a scolding, asked blankly, “Eh, is that all?”
Seeing his surprised face, I realized that just praying was indeed too reliant on others, so I added what I could do.
“If your clan gathered the gems in a hurry this morning, they might have missed some. Let’s search the mine a little longer in hopes of that.”
Normally, mines are excavated by human hands. So, I could use magic to blast the rocks apart and find gems that way, but controlling the magic seems difficult, so I’ll keep that as a last resort.
While thinking thoughts far removed from ladylike behavior, I kept my suggestion strictly cheerful. Sigmund, however, shook his head.
“No, not that. Aren’t we going to go and punish my clan right now?”
I firmly denied Sigmund’s impatient question.
“No, we aren’t. A bride is supposed to gather the gems herself, right? Even if we recovered the gems they gathered, that would be… mugging? Wouldn’t it?”
The Wolf clan is still in the stage of assessing what kind of person I am, so I should avoid doing anything intimidating.
Thinking this, I mixed in a word used by street urchins to make it easier for Sigmund to empathize. Sure enough, he latched onto the word.
“M-Mugging!? You really do think like a strong person, Princess! No, that’s not it. This is a matter approved by me, the head of the family, at the Emperor’s request, so the legitimacy lies with you! You were robbed of what you should have rightfully gathered!!”
Seeing Sigmund argue so passionately, I wondered why he was standing up for me.
“Yes, but…”
“But?”
“You don’t want to punish your own clan, do you?”
When I asked the obvious question, Sigmund’s eyes went perfectly round in genuine shock.
“Eh! P-Princess, are you… are you overlooking the Wolf clan’s outrage for my sake!? …Are you a goddess!!?”
I was startled by the outrageous words flying out of Sigmund’s mouth.
“No, I mean, Sigmund, you are…”
Really too easy, aren’t you?
Sigmund, a large man with a trained body who stands a head taller than me, was blushing and trembling with emotion. He looked so adorable that I smiled wryly as I looked up at him.
I stared intently at the gem in my palm. It was faint, but the freshly gathered gem was emitting mana.
“…Interesting.”
As a princess, I’ve handled various gems, but I’ve never seen one containing mana before.
Wondering if this mine was a special place, I focused my consciousness on the gem in my hand. If it emits mana, then it’s within my domain as a mage. By searching for the same type of mana, I might be able to find new gems.
Thinking this, I searched for traces of mana within the mine.
If I search shallowly, just shallowly, I might be able to detect only the gems that have been removed from the rock, I thought, scanning the area. But I didn’t pick up anything.
…Hmm, it seems there aren’t any nearby.
“It seems the gems in this area have been gathered, so shall we go deeper?”
When I suggested this to Sigmund, he frowned in disapproval.
“True, if there are any leftovers, they would be deeper in the mine. But this mine is vast, and the path splits many times. If we go too deep, there’s a risk of getting lost.”
“It’s fine, I’m good with geography.”
I thumped my chest, but he looked at me doubtfully.
“No, this is your first time in this mine, Princess. It’s a feat to avoid getting lost in these labyrinth-like tunnels.”
Sigmund was persistent, but I couldn’t go back now. I puffed out my chest confidently.
“There were eight labyrinths in the Sapphraine Holy Kingdom, and I’ve entered them many times, but I never got lost once!”
So it’s fine, I smiled. But Sigmund scowled grandly.
“That just means the knights who accompanied you were competent! …No, fine! This is a contest between the Kingdom’s knights and me! If they could do it, there’s no way I can’t!!”
For some reason, Sigmund’s competitive spirit suddenly ignited. Holding the light stone high, he started walking briskly ahead. I watched him, exasperated.
No, that’s not it. I wanted to say I wouldn’t get lost because I mark the path with magic… but oh well. Sigmund seems motivated, so I’ll let him handle it.
My heels clicking, I followed behind Sigmund. However, after walking silently for a while, we reached a dead end. The path ahead was completely blocked by thick rock.
“Hu, huh? Did I take the wrong path?”
When I looked at Sigmund with a flat stare, he panicked and pulled a map of the mine from his pocket.
After muttering this and that, he looked up and scratched his head awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, it seems I took one wrong turn. We’ve come out at the ‘Unbreakable Wall’.”
“‘Unbreakable Wall’?”
I looked at the wall blocking our way.
“Yes. This is directly beneath Wolff Castle. The bedrock around here seems to be of a different quality; it’s hard and cannot be broken. The insects don’t eat this rock either, and since there’s no way through, this place has been left alone.”
“I see.”
Intrigued by rock that couldn’t be broken and insects wouldn’t eat, I reached out with both hands to the wall in front of me. Then, when I pressed my body flat against the ‘Unbreakable Wall,’ I felt something in the rock resonate with me.
“Oh?”
“Is something wrong?”
Just as Sigmund approached, my body, which was leaning against the wall, tilted forward.
“Eh!?”
Why is my body sinking into the hard rock… Just as I thought that, the wall I was leaning on and the ground beneath my feet distorted like a giant wave.
My eyes widened in shock as I saw a hole open up beneath my feet.
“Princess!”
Sigmund shouted in astonishment. With incredible leaping power, he jumped to me and scooped me up lightly as if I were luggage.
My vision was blocked by Sigmund’s body, delaying my grasp of the situation, but the sensation of floating told me we had fallen into the hole I saw.
I made myself as small as possible, and a moment later, the shock of landing ran through my body. At the same time, Sigmund peered into my face and asked in a panicked voice,
“Are you alright, Princess!?”
His knightly spirit in checking my safety first, and his high physical ability to land while holding me without a scratch, are worthy of praise.
I smiled and nodded that I was fine.
“Yes, thanks to you, I’m not hurt at all! Thank you.”
When I said this with gratitude, Sigmund looked relieved and set me down on the ground. Then, wondering where we were, we both looked around.
It was a place that looked like a long, narrow corridor, with beautiful colored stone paving stones laid out neatly underfoot.
The ceiling was high, the corridor was wide, and decorative pillars were installed at regular intervals.
The moment he saw them, Sigmund gasped in tension.
“Princess, I know this place! This is a hallway, and there are lamps installed at regular intervals. I’ve seen those lamps before!”
“Is that so?”
At the end of where Sigmund pointed, there was a stylish lamp hanging from a decorative pillar, but the lamp was covered in pink glass. Seeing that color, I felt like I knew where this was too.
Sure enough, Sigmund said exactly what I had imagined.
“These are the ancient ruins beneath the Imperial Palace in the capital! This place has the same structure as the ancient ruins!!”
“…But we fell straight down from the mine. So this can’t be under the Imperial Palace.”
I hadn’t felt the sensation of passing through a transfer gate at all, so we should still be in the Wolf territory.
Hearing my words, Sigmund’s face stiffened with further tension.
“…You’re right. My god! We might have discovered new ancient ruins!!”
That is possible, I thought, reminding Sigmund of his own words.
“Sigmund, you said it yourself. ‘The ancient ruins are always in places of power, so we build our most important structures on top of them.'”
“I did say that, but…”
Sigmund started to agree, then realized what I was implying and shut his mouth. But I didn’t shut mine; I put my thoughts into words.
“You said this was directly beneath Wolff Castle. Since it’s the castle where the great Wolf Duke lives, it wouldn’t be strange for there to be ancient ruins underneath it.”
Sigmund turned pale and began to tremble.
“No, but… even though we are one of the ‘Eight Holy Ducal Houses,’ the Wolf clan is ranked number seven. Only two ancient ruins have ever been found in our country.”
That means there’s one other set of ruins besides the ones under the Imperial Palace, I thought. Suddenly, Sigmund seemed to come to his senses and raised his voice.
“No, more importantly!”
Sigmund, still pale, looked around frantically.
“If these are ancient ruins, the Witch’s servants must be here! They attack intruders without hesitation, so we must find an exit before we encounter them.”
“True.”
My reply brought back the image of Emperor Eckardt with blood flowing from his forehead after being attacked by the Witch’s servants the other day.
I’ve never seen Emperor Eckardt fight, but judging by his stance and physique, he must be quite strong.
The Witch’s servants who could inflict a wound on such an Emperor must be strong indeed.
“But if we attack the Witch’s servants in return, Emperor Eckardt will really hate us.”
He speaks calmly, but I know he dislikes me at the bottom of his heart.
Unlike my brother, who expresses his hatred emotionally, Emperor Eckardt is the type who can maintain a calm surface while waiting for the most effective moment to bite at the throat of someone he dislikes.
“He is the most dangerous kind of person.”
When I muttered this, Sigmund moved as if to shield me behind him and warned me.
“Princess, you’ve been saying brave things, but please don’t even think about attacking the Witch’s servants! Those thin arms of yours won’t deal any damage. Ah, and more importantly, don’t catch your heel and fall.”
My, it seems I’m considered baggage. I can protect myself, and since we’re in ancient ruins, I’d like to be of some use.
—Since encountering the injured Emperor Eckardt the other day, I’ve had a lingering question.
What was the Emperor doing in the ancient ruins?
Sigmund called it a ‘patrol,’ but why would the Emperor patrol dangerous ruins himself instead of leaving it to the dukes?
Inferring from his actions so far, it’s natural to think that something relating to the Emperor himself, not the Empire, is in the ancient ruins.
I apologized to Sigmund in my heart as I fished for information.
“Since we’re here, how about we look for ‘His Majesty’s lost item’?”
“Eh, how did you know about that!”
Seeing Sigmund’s surprise, I was convinced that the Emperor’s lost item was indeed in the ancient ruins.
To have a happy married life with Emperor Eckardt, it’s difficult if he still dislikes me, so I wanted to improve our relationship somehow. And in all times and places, the item to improve someone’s mood is a gift they desire.
Since I know the Emperor’s lost item is in the ancient ruins, I’d love to find ‘His Majesty’s lost item’ here if I can. To do that, I first have to persuade Sigmund.
“Sigmund, you said the Witch’s servants are aggressive and dangerous. But look, I have pink hair, so they might think I’m the Witch and not attack me.”
Hearing my words, Sigmund looked incredibly exasperated.
“That’s impossible! These are beings who have lived in the ancient ruins for hundreds of years, yearning for the Witch. There is no way they would be deceived by hair color alone!!”
Join the Discussion